Homegrown Hospitality

All of the Above

WARNING: A LONG ONE...Grab some coffee, tea...or drink of choice.

We all have a specific "purpose" and several years ago, when I not only "heard" that, but took it SERIOUSLY did I "get it" (no, not "my purpose" but the entire scope of what it means)  

I was EXCITED to know WHAT my purpose was, because I never really "knew" what I wanted to "be" when I grew up besides a wife, a mom and a PTA member (hold your comments !!!!).

Insert screeching breaks....

Ummm...It is not like you stand in line, wait your turn and then be handed a slip of paper that tells you what your Purpose is and, "Duh"...it's not really what "we want to be"... (I thought I had to figure it out...)

 

NOPE.

Our individual purpose is "what we were created to be" and up until a handful of years ago, did I REALLY get it...and I had to "grow through" what I had to go through* to understand it all and now I get it. I mean, I got it...

My Purpose, that is...

and here is the thing, everyone else around you may be able to "see" it and "know it" and even tell you what "it", your purpose is, but until you REALLY get it, you don't...

Oh, I hope I have not lost you because here it is:

I am starting to feel, think and see things differently than I really ever have before and with that, I have to say...

It's not about scrapbooking...(duh)

or doodling.. (eek!)

or making things from paper..(drat!)

or baking things from dough and batter..(whatttt????)

or stitching things from felt...(gulp!)

or painting, stamping or really anything thing else....It, MY PURPOSE is about inspiring, influencing, teaching, reminding and loving all of the above and creating a community around it.

Insert falling confetti, letting colorful balloons fly, blowing party horns, clicking heels like a leprechaun, lighting fireworks..

It only took 42.75 years to figure it out..now I have 42.75 years, give or take, to work it. 

 

Thank YOU for being part of my PURPOSE!

amen.

Happiness is...

Happiness is having people in your life that continually remind, inspire and motivate you to be the best person GOD created you to be...

Happiness is having special friends that share & send you wool sleeves to create things with....

Happiness is making little wool roses and then placing them in a box for those last minute ideas that pop into my head..{alot...}

Happiness is a manila hanging tag that can be used at a moments notice, embellished with lil roses from wool that was sent to you by a special friend to simply say Happy Birthday to those amazing people in our lives.  

 
Happiness is realizing that it all is really simple...duh!

"If you are really eager to give, it isn't important how much  your able to give.  God wants you to give what you have, not what you don't have"        2 Cor 8-11

Cultivating Life...

one stitch at a time.

I had an idea last night...out of nowhere....well, not exactly, but you know what I mean...and so I plugged in the iron....grabbed a little of this and that (because I have ALOT of this and that!!!) and sat down and stitched (I know..how strange!)

I created a page for one of my Brave Girls projects and was thinking that I just might make up a few kits like this....

 
and one of the best parts about this photo above (besides the fact that I am in my jammies) is that all of those felt letters came from "the dies" and I ironed them all into place before I started to stitch (I know!!!!)

 
Thank you LORD...for great ideas...and for great friends that send me little thimbles to protect my fingers!

I Heart...

I know you know, but just in case you forget, I LOVE felt...and die cuts..and buttons...and thread and stitching...well, and hearts...so when I combine it all together to prepare for a class, or two...I love that too!

What about you? Would you want to stitch...you know..if it was a class???

 
say at Inspired 2011....or maybe ArtFull Horizons...or Scrapbooking Made Simple...or maybe all three????..or hey, maybe in Pennsylvania....I think it is time to head back there..right in time for a real WINTER!

   

Q & A Tuesday:Sizzix

Thank you all for the great responses in regards to the new line from Sizzix.  The original concept was "doodled" long, long ago and then this past summer in Chicago, the line debuted and for the girl who never even used die cuts, the entire display gave me "butterflies" and still makes me smile.

 
 
I love these because as I look at them, each one reminds me of someone or something but I also love them because they cut paper (of course!) and burlap...and chipboard...and rubber...and foam...and fabric...and felt! Here are some visuals of just a few of the things I have been creating as the dies started to trickle in:

  
and THANKS for the great response to the little Valentine Mini Kits...They are all gone but I PROMISE that there are MORE to come!!! Make sure that YOU are subscribing to my Newsletter to get the info as the MIni Kits as they are released!

Red & Green...not just the colors of Christmas

There was alot of creative buzzing around here this weekend and I am poooopppeeddd and I still need to go update the "Countdown to Christmas Twenty Ten" blog with my Dec 3,4,5 pages so here is a little look at a look at a few "new things" that are in my favorite "Life Colors" (red & green...not just for Christmas!)

Glittery initals to hang from "brown paper packages tied up with strings..."

 

Felt "negatives" in specific initials that need a little stitching and then will be hung from treat bags for some friends...

  
New wool sleeves from PA to cozy up Ball Jars full of holiday snacks

 
new embroidered words to stitch onto felt that will cozy up Ball Jars

 
and an early Christmas gift from the Valentine...something that I have had my eyes on for a few YEARS and could never justify spending that kinda of $$$ on..and then...just ONE HOUR after it showed up in the local home consignment store and WE were just browsing through....(insert angels singing) The Pottery Barn Cabbage Rose rug now calls our living room home...

 
Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night.

Home Away From Home

I departed the OC on Thursday with excitement...which is NOT typically how I  feel leaving home, but now I understand...God had a plan.

This is Grove's.  The place I will frequent each season of each year until retirement age..and then at that time, will take over the top floor to create an amazing art studio and classroom, hold events, take field trips to "The Valley" buy bulk foods & GIGANTIC Oyster crackers from Peight's, stitch into the wee hours of the morning, bake up homegrown goodness....LET a girl dream please.While spending four days in Central PA, my new home away from home, I gave myself walking tours in the early frosty & COLD mornings  
to absorb things like unbelievably RED trees

 
 Buildings with amazing character and 100's of years of history

 
toooo many amazing doors and windows

 
 
and then to top it off, visit, teach, share, eat and laugh (& learn the history of the Mallomar cookie!) with wonderful ladies from the surrounding towns and beyond!

 
and did I mention that they have the BEST hand dyed felted wool in America? Yep, they do..and I got some of it..but not enough (Buchannon's is going to be a "field trip" during our "4th floor Create-Fest")

 
Thank you so so much to all of the ladies who came in from all over PA and beyond, who have re-ignitied my creative fire....and to the The Shuck's & Family, for your amazing hospitality and love...be back soon..next times, with cookies and my own Penn State sweatshirt & Steelers jersey!!
  

Timing

Thank you so much for your very encouraging and honest thoughts about the post on Homegrown Hospitality revival. There are so many things that go into something like this and I truly believe that "if" and "when" the timing is right, it will happen.  Right now, the most important thing for me (and for you) to remember is that it is not in MY timing, so with that in mind, I will work on it, do the best that I can and as Bon Jovi sings, "Keep the Faith"....

Tomorrow I am headed to Grove's in Pennsylvania to teach two classes! I believe that there are a few spots left in each class and it is never too late (well, actually Sunday would be too late) to sign up! We are going to be spending pretty much the entire day creating the "Countdown to Christmas" book and then the "In your Life" block project that was originally created from a challenge I was given while camping during this past summer.  This has become one of my favorite projects and I am pretty sure you will be seeing this project again in 2011, just sayin.

 
Everything is just about packed and ready including my little big bag of felt for a day of flying cross country...and speaking of felt, here are a few things I have done in the past few days, in between this, that and the other...

   
 

what are they, you ask? Cute.

Have a GREAT day...
 

The Week Wrap Up

This week I pretended Rit Dye was Jello, made some juice and dyed some trim

                                                           (this may very possibly be my Inspired 2011 project..just sayin)

I also sorted a trillion little letters and decided to sew a few on some felt..

 
This week, I ordered a new book and it just arrived...

 
This week, I continued kitting for two upcoming events, of which one just changed from an "entire package plan" to ala' carte plan.. http://homespunholidayatthevineyard.blogspot.com/

 
This week, I pressed a few other buttons on my machine and got these lovelies

 

and this time next week..I will be in Pennsylvania, getting ready to teach and play at Grove's....see you soon PA!

Happy Halloween

This year we are just not in the spookish-mood...We do not even have a .....pumpkin! (but I have a photo from last year)

I did not even make anything..but I have a few photos from last year..and the years before

 

 
 
wow..I even made a layout last year...
 
and..gulp...I did not even throw our annual pumpkin carving party...(but I have a photo from last year)

 
just not in the spooky mood I guess...

I even forgot about cute lil' Charlie

 
Go on..you can sing it..

"Every party needs a pooper that's why........."

but I promise, I will be better for the coming holidays...and I wish you a happy and safe Halloween!