30 Words::One Ball of Yarn

{Rebecca Sower with some of the women of Despina that you can help}

Turn your unused craft supplies

(I know you have them)
into
empowerment
support
strength
encouragement
sustainability
independence
start a (local) donation drive today
the women of Haiti need you

More than 30 words today, to share a way to make a difference.

Rebecca Sower is an artist who was in Haiti just a few days before the earthquake hit. She witnessed firsthand the poverty in that nation. She spent time with the women there. She was moved to action by her experience. She created Haiti by Hand to not only showcase the handmade talents of a group of Haitian women, but also as a way for them to find financial independence and sustainability through their crafts. To make a difference…woman to woman.

And then, the earthquake hit.

Now these women that Rebecca aimed to help need even more.

But they are much like you and I. They want a better life for their children. They want to feel productive in their community. They want to feel safe and loved. And they want to rebuild their lives and move forward.

For another way to help, Rebecca is starting a drive to gather needed supplies for the women of Haiti so that they may support themselves and their families through the simple act of creating handmade goods for sale. Rebecca will also provide them with a means to sell their work through the Etsy site. But they need our help. Read the list below of art/craft supply needs that you can send directly to Rebecca. Or consider starting a donation drive in your area.

The need will be ongoing. What you donate today might be the difference for a woman living in poverty who is not very much different from you or me.

You can read more about the inspiration at the Haiti By Hand blog, and buy (or donate) handmade items at Haity By Hand Etsy Site.

Think of this as a hand up, not a hand out.

Amazing what one ball of yarn can do.

Read the list of requested donation items.

Raid your stash.

Give what you can.

Encourage your friends to do the same.

Enjoy the day!

Inspired by...Solar System

"Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven,
Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels."
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline

The Solar System project is a 3rd grade right of passage around here. When Sport-o came home with the paper he announced that we needed to buy styrofoam balls. Um...no, son. If that is the example, then every kid in 3rd grade would be buying out the stock of styrofoam balls in a 50 mile radius. You will be different, I said. He railed against that, but ultimately I won{I am the mommy, after all}. We came up with the idea to use polymer clay to make the planets, complete with glow in the dark rings on Saturn and tiny silver beads strung on memory wire to simulate the stars. Now we have this project in a shoe box under his bed forever {I can't wait to bring it out to show his kids someday...or sell it on eBay for a premium!}.

So when Tiny Dancer brought the paper home, she naturally wanted to do the same as her brother. Um...no, daughter. Not only will you not get to use styrofoam balls, but you will not be using clay, either. She thought about and then her eyes lit up. "I know!" she exclaimed. "We'll make jewelry!" {I knew I raised her right *wink*}

This may be the most expensive solar system project ever. We went to Michael's and sought beads and components that were in the colors and relative sizes of the planets. Very surprising that there are all sorts of beads out there that really do mimic the pictures we have of these heavenly bodies. Of course, now I have a strand of large sponge coral Jupiteresque beads that need a home, and a great deal of rings that we didn't end up using for Saturn. But we sure had fun.

Believe it or not, Tiny Dancer did the majority of the work. Dad helped string a bit of Earth and the Sun, and I helped with the finishing,We were inspired to name our Heavenly Body Jewelry Collection by the lines of a song that played repeatedly on Sport-o's Blue's Clues boombox, by the green stripe-clad Steve. Following are the words and our inspired jewelry designs.

The Sun's a hot star

Mercury's hot, too

Venus is the brightest planet

Earth's home to me and you

Mars is the red one

Jupiter's most wide
Saturn's got those icy rings

Uranus spins on its side

Neptune's really windy

Pluto's really small
Well, we wanted to name the planets
And now we've named them all
~Blue's Clues boombox as sung by Steve

Since we were Inspired by... the jewels in our skies to create these works of wearable art, I thought this would be the perfect Inspired by... challenge to start out the new year, new decade.

How it works:

• Create a piece of jewelry (earrings, necklace or bracelet) using the inspiration of the entire Universe {think planets, asteroids, comets, constellations, Milky Way, etc. Be creative!}
  


• Post your picture to the Flickr account here.
  


• If you are so inspired {and I hope you will be!}, feel free to create as many pieces as you like for challenge and post to the Flickr account, but your name will only be entered once. (For extra BONUS ENTRY opportunities, see below). You have until 11:59 pm CST on Sunday, February 28th (revised the date to give you more time!) to post to the Flickr account. {Since the Universe is so large, I thought that I would give you more time to create your heavenly body designs!}
  


• Check back on Feburary 15th when I will announce the RANDOM winner of this Inspired by...challenge. Check back later this week for the prize...
  

In the description of your picture be sure to add the following:

• Title of the piece
  


• Short description of your inspiration
  


• Your Name
  


• Your email address
  


• Your blog or website

BONUS ENTRY OPPORTUNITIES:

• If you use an art bead in your piece {art bead is defined as a bead or component created by yourself or another artisan}, be sure to point that out in your description {with a link to the appropriate artisan’s website, shop or blog} and you will have TWO extra entries.
  


• If you blog, Facebook, Twitter, sky write or take out a billboard to publicize each week’s challenge, be sure to let me know {leave a comment on that week's challenge} and your name will be in for ONE extra entry.
  
  
• That's a total of FIVE ENTRIES!
  

Go and get inspired today!

Enjoy the day!

RAW::Nothing Like the Sun

"My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red:
If snow be white, whey then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound:
I grant that I never saw a goddess go,
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare."
~William Shakespeare

I heart Shakespeare.

In another lifetime, I was an English teacher {betcha didn't know that. Betcha didn't know that an English teacher would be so bold as to say 'betcha.'} {Actually, it is killing me to say that}. It was so long ago and far away that I can barely lay claim to that now. But once a teacher, always a teacher in your soul.

My first Shakespeare class in college at UW-Madison was in a lecture hall with 359 other souls and no discussion sections. We were assigned a different play to read each of the days the class met, Monday-Wednesday-Friday, and all the tests were essay. {To say that this was a nightmarish way to experience the nuances and lessons of Shakespeare is a gross understatement.} Needless to say, I flunked my midterm. I was crushed. I had the hardest time keeping up with the reading let alone understanding it all when the tweed attired prof spouted of random lines and seemed to have no logical plan, switching from one play to the next, and never taking questions from the class. So I dropped that faster than you can say 'iambic pentameter.'

I picked it up again in the summer when I was at home at UW-Stevens Point {I had to, after all, I was an English major and you can't graduate with an English major and no Shakespeare!}. This time I was in an intimate classroom with 21 other students. They all envied me my brand-spankin'-new copy of the Collected Works of Shakespeare {they all had horrible rentals}. I still have this copy of the book. It reminds me of that summer when I enjoyed each of the works thoroughly and got an -A.

While I love the plays -- the romanticism, the lessons, the humor, the settings, the angst, and the fully developed and complex characters -- I really have a soft spot for the sonnets.

My very favorite is #130.

A sonnet is comprised of 14 verses, and each verse is ten syllables. The iambic pentameter that each verse is composed in has a pattern of A,B, A, B, C, D, C, D, E, F, E, F, G, G, with the last two lines as a rhyme.

I find this poem particularly striking because at the time that Shakespeare was writing, poets spoke in flowery language idealizing the women of their dreams. It would seem that all women were in flowy dresses, with flowers strewn upon their path while they hovered slightly above the ground. Here, Shakespeare refutes that notion. The woman he loves is not as dazzling as the sun, has wires growing from her head, and has a bad case of halitosis. But yet he loves her. I find that very comforting imagery.

Since we are upon the season of mass-produced, shopping mall driven love, I think that this poem is a wonderful reminder of what love really is. Accepting the faults of the one that we hold dear is truly, madly and deeply the truth and power of love. I had a boyfriend once in high school who insisted on complimenting me every chance he could get. He seemed to think I was light itself. Ugh. It was awful! Ol' Will tells us that there is no need to place your love on a pedestal, a height that no one is able to attain or sustain. Rather it is the reality of the one that we love that keeps us bound. While we may have looked spectacular in the beginning, beauty fades and some with more fickle tastes could find their 'love' waning. But that is not true love.

What comes across as negatives really makes a positive statement in this sonnet. His love is rare, and he does not need to make overblown comparisons to appreciate her beauty.

When I was young and skinny{er} with nary a wrinkle or unruly gray strays on my head, I won over my husband. But over time I have changed {and truthfully, so has he} but we have evolved into loving the flaws and the extra baggage and the artfully colored gray. There are still loving embraces and I find them to be more tender and special than in the early days, probably because he knows all about me and loves me anyway.

I am content to be grounded because that means that I will have the chance to walk beside my love as we wade through all our lives. I feel safe in the knowledge that my husband, were he to talk in iambic pentameter, would share the same sentiment about me as Will did for his dark mistress.

And I will always think my love as rare.

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Do you like the amazing art that I have shared?
This was created by my friend Kerry Bogert of KAB's Concepts. You may know her from her amazing glass creations, or her upcoming book Totally Twisted due in stores this Spring. But she also makes the most incredible mixed media paintings featuring those glass treasures. Kerry created this one especially for me in a color palette I love. I squealed when I got it and then had a good cry...there is nothing more special than having a piece of art created just for you.

Do go check out her artistry! Have her make one just for you!

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What do you love about the special someone in your life?
What funny quirks and endearing qualities does that someone possess?
What is your favorite piece of the Great Bard?
If you were to write a line or two in iambic pentameter about your love, what would you say?
Do tell!

Check It Out::No Fear Shakespeare
Enjoy the day!

30 Words::Yummy

random bits of lovely
arrive in a manila envelope
connecting to new old friends
inviting me to cook up something new
feeding the hunger to create
Bead Soup is yummy

Join me and all my new friends as we work with our mystery ingredients to create a new recipe for Bead Soup thanks to Lori Anderson's blog Pretty Things.

Special thanks to my Bead Soup partner Emma Thomas of Fredbean's Nook for providing me with these delectible delights.

Check back on February 10th for a Bead Soup Party!

Enjoy the day!

The Simple Things

"It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these things never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life is on a stroll. This is how God does things."

~Donald Miller

The Simple Things that make my soul sing...

...when my children tell me they love me...

...tucking my son into bed (hopefully he will stay there and not wake up and not be worried that he will fall back to sleep - just go to sleep!)...blowing goodnight kisses to my daughter...
...connecting with other artists at Gallery Q (especially AS and JW)...

...being in a community that appreciates art in all its forms...

...getting an unexpected package of beads in the mail from Sue Beads...

...participating in the Bead Soup party with the talented Emma Thomas from FredBeansNook as my partner (will you just look at those supremely cool beaded beads she made?!)...

...connecting with my Delta sister KJ at Silver Parrot and bonding over beads and boys and bad deli counter experiences...

...reading the deep truth of MJ at Mariedodd and appreciating her thoughtful mentoring of me...

...traveling to small town 6th grade basketball tournaments...

...witnessing the freedom of movement when Tiny Dancer twirls with happiness...

...rosy cheeks after playing outside in the snow...

...a fireplace that lights at the flick of a switch...with no ashes to clean ever...

...mailing packages to beady friends across the globe...Canada, Germany, Australia...and hearing how delighted they are to receive their winning gifts....planning the next Inspired by... challenge (Stay tuned! Coming soon!)...

Jupiter's Most Wide

...working with Tiny Dancer on the solar system jewelry project (due today!)...

...Kookaboora red licorice...

...girls' weekend with my sister and 5 year old niece and my daughter...the first of many to come...

...drinking wine with my sister (mmm...merlot)...

...live theater...especially musicals...

...watching daughter discovering the treasure that is Laura Ingalls Wilder, just as I did when I was her age...

...reading the sage and soul-searing words of Danielle LaPorte at White Hot Truth (she always sets my heart on fire)...

...discovering my Style Statement...

...pesto with shrimp fettucine for dinner (I always have the ingredients for this 10 minute recipe on hand)...

...banana bread with chocolate chips (because really, everything is better with chocolate chips!)...

...fluffy snowflakes...


...toasting the New Year with my oldest and best friend...

...straight A's on 3rd grade report card (not simple at all, just fabulous!)...

...highest honors in 6th grade (definitely a lot of hard work!)...

...my handmade winter hat from recycled sweaters, with a big wool flower from artist Jeanne Weymouth, the Whimsy J...I get stopped when I am wearing it all the time...

...my handmade winter mittens from my friend Dorothy, with little leather patches on the palm so I can drive...

...anticipating Spring...

...candles burning on the altar at Church...

...celebrating 42 years (Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!)...

...colliding with my husband for 'date night on the couch'...

...the smell of Japanese Cherry Blossom anything from Bath & Body Works...

...clean floors...

...playing Wii with my kids (particularly fishing and Speed Racer)...watching my 64 year old father try to play Wii...

...hugs...the real kind with squeezes and everything...

...being held in a loving embrace...

...letting go of those things that don't work...
...cherishing friends who understand the real me...and leaving behind those who don't "get" me...

...imagining impossibilities...

...reservations to Christian's Bistro...
...massages with Allen at Inner Element (could use one right now)...

...getting lost in a book...

...having my TiVo work again after almost two months...
...dreaming of traveling...to Paris...India...Brazil...or just Chicago...

...planning an Ikea run with my sister who has never been...

...pouring over the Bead & Button show classes...

...plotting which ones I can take that will maximize my time, talents and treasure...

...dreaming of connecting with all my new bead-y, bloggy friends there...

...working on my first gallery exhibit proposal, and having support of the other artists...

...staying in a hotel with a really great hot breakfast in the morning...

...the fact that my husband does the laundry...including the folding...

...imagining the decorating possibilities on my blank walls...

...blueberry muffins brimming with berries...

...freshly brewed coffee...

...coming home...

What are the simple things that give your heart joy?
What are the often overlooked parts of your day that really make your soul sing?

Do tell!

The Simple Things in Life, redux

Sometimes it is the little things that make a big difference.

Have you thought about those little things lately?

Back in November I participated in writing a list of the simple things in life that make my soul sing. {You can read that post here.}Perhaps you have a simple list yourself. If you are so like-minded, I encourage you to join in the Simple Things blog post party on Wednesday, January 27th hosted by Christina of Soul Aperture. And here's the kicker...For every blogger that posts a Simple Things list on January 27th and links back to the Soul Aperture blog post here, Christina will donate $1.00 to the charity Doctors Without Borders for the Haiti Relief efforts. What a simple way to bring hope to the hopeless and buoy your soul at the same time.

If you would like to join in, please check it out.

See you back here on Wednesday with my {new and improved}list of Simple Things!

Enjoy the day!

RAW::Walking Toward

{buy this original artwork from AQuartzyLife on Etsy}

"Knowing what we don’t want is also knowing what we do want.
Abandoning is also approaching. Walking away from things – the right things – is also walking toward who we are."

~ Aidan Donnelly Rowley


This Random Act of Wisdom was tipped off from a blog that I have been following avidly of late. Aidan Donnelly Rowley is one of the most eloquent writers I choose to read. Every thing that she says is always so full of the meaning of life, whether it is the subtle nuances of parenting or the bigger picture of what really matters. I don't know how I stumbled on her blog. But I am glad I did.


Recently she posted something that has my mind reeling.

Walking Away = Walking Toward

You know when everything that you are thinking about seems to come back to you...like when you are breaking up and every song on the radio seems like the lyrics were written just for you? This post by Aidan Donnelly Rowley is like those lyrics for me.

Since I am personally considering where I am now and all that I might walk away from, I also need to consider what I am walking toward. That shift in thinking is truly eye opening for me.

She asks the question, what is so bad about walking away?

We struggle with that, don't we? We never want to see something come to an end. We relish new beginnings, looking forward to them. But it is painful when something ends, there is a break, the thing we have relied on and lived with for so long is not the same any longer. Sometimes it feels easier to stick with the status quo than to risk jumping ship and throwing yourself to the sharks.

Or is it?

"Some choices hold you down. Some chances set you free." ~ Christine Kane

I love this quote by Christine Kane. It speaks so much of the hope that can be realized by abandoning and walking toward. It is something that speaks to me as I read it each day and let that wisdom settle in my own soul preparing me for my own chance.

My dear friend R is facing the walking away dilemma right now. I know that this decision has been a long time coming, and it took an intervention of her family to make her realize that it was time. But that doesn't make it any easier. Now is the time that the if onlys... and what ifs... start to creep in. It doesn't mean that her dream doesn't have merit ~ on the contrary. Or that there aren't those of us out here who really believe in the beauty of that dream ~ we really do. It just means that now is not the time.

It has been hard. I have watched her cycle through the spiral of this doubt and uncertainty, yet she was always buoyed by a faith that what she was doing was changing lives. I just don't think that we know yet what sort of hole will be left in our community {and in our lives} without her in it. We don't know how much we touch the lives of others and we don't appreciate things until they are gone.

She told me today that it feels like she is having to put a pet to sleep. That image tears at my heart. You don't want to lose this living, growing thing that has become so much a part of your life, yet you know that the time for the suffering has come to the end. So we go through the grieving process together and hope for the best. But there are memories that will not fade. Memories, she says, of the thousands of photos over five years of all the countless lives that have been changed, no doubt been made better by this little experiment.

R is walking away, but she is also walking toward. There is a hope and a resiliency about her that I admire so much. I know that wherever she walks that she will move confidently in the direction of her dreams, it just might take her awhile to get there.

I hope she knows that no matter where she is walking toward that I want to walk beside her the whole way. Even if it takes her halfway around the world, I know she will get to where she is mean to be. This is the chance that will set her free so that she can begin again.

"Every new beginning starts with some other beginning’s end." ~Seneca



Are you starting something new? Are you looking forward to it or dreading it? How do you feel when you get to the end?
What are you walking toward today?
Do tell!

Check It Out::Ivy League Insecurities

Enjoy the day!