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Monday, October 25, 2010

I have so much to blog about...

But right now there is only room in my brain for this... The colors just wreck me.









Gale force winds expected tonight and tomorrow. So goodbye leaves. The good news is maybe I'll regain the ability to form words again. Autumn in Michigan humbles me. Okay, I'm signing off before I get all double rainbow. Have you seen that video? WOW. But you know, I sort of get it too.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

It is autumn. So we are here...

We are soaking in every bit of color possible. This year's color show is just kicking off. While it will be hard to beat last year's perfectly orchestrated blaze of color, this fall is certainly nothing to complain about. Such wonderful weather to walk in. And the cool air after the humidity that was this summer, is enough to make me weep with gratitude.



Birch wreckage. I love birch trees. Their papery white bark just makes me feel all warm and happy inside. Like world peace is possible or something. Seriously. That is how much I love birch trees. Even tumbled piles of birch trees. I made my family stop and pose here for a million pictures. Alas, I cannot share them because they all have smarmy "Oh great she's making us pose by birch trees again" looks on their sassy little faces. I guess the love of birch does not pass through the genes. It must be earned.

I had to include this photo because it shows the adorable habit my son has of copying my husband. He watches him out of the corner of his eye, and poses himself to match his daddy. It is constant and heart melting.

 They never wait for me when I bring the camera. I wonder why.


 The giant orange tic tacs that guard boaters from going over the dam.


I think we are about a week away from optimum color barring major wind storms. Autumn color is a fragile beauty and so fleeting. One minute brilliance and light, the next whiteness. Whiteness and cold. I am never quite emotionally ready for winter. However, winter does mean cocoa. And baking, warm pjs and early bedtimes. Certainly each season has its up side. I am a Michigan girl through and through and love having four distinct seasons to move me through the year. However, you may need to remind me of this later when I am grumbling from underside of February, okay?

Friday, October 8, 2010

Halloween Practice

I ordered what I thought were three temporary scar tattoos, one for Halloween and a couple extra just to make sure I don't mess up on the one. What actually arrived? Three PAGES full of temporary scar tattoos. I guess I didn't read the fine print. :0) My kids are not complaining.

I admit though, that this Halloween season finds me a bit tiny bit bummed. Not in any real way, but in the missed crafting opportunity sense of bummed. I LOVE Halloween, and I love making costumes. My family sometimes tolerates this practice. Sometimes not.

This year it was three against one for the store bought costume variety. I wasn't even allowed to make Hogwarts capes. Sigh...  There is always next year. It does seem to be an every other year thing. Last year I got to muck about in material and glue to my hearts content...


Halloween 2009 Gandalf and good witch costumes.


The year before the kids had a blast in store bought Jedi costumes, etc.  Which I just discovered I never blogged about. But here's an action shot. Can't beat a light saber battle on a fine fall day, right?

Halloween 2008 - The year of the Jedi Knights

I also didn't blog the 2007 costumes which were of the handmade variety. Sage was Katara from Avatar - The Last Airbender and my boy was Zuko as the blue spirit. I was also a complete fail at taking any kind of decent pictures. Almost all I have is this lamish attempt at a tutorial post on making the blue spirit mask two different ways, which probably shows my ridiculous mania when it comes to making costumes. (Hence a reason my husband tends to vote for purchasing the darn things.) Though here are some shots that I am including because my kids look so little. The years sure fly.


All chubby with layers under his blue spirit ninja costume. Oh my gosh, he was practically still a toddler here! I didn't get one photo with his hood up and mask on or of my girl standing. Bummer.

Oh, who am I kidding? Store bought or handmade costumes... Either way, they are fun and it is something they can use for a long time after the holiday. And getting to wear them in public while collecting a ridiculous amount of candy and treats? Awesome! I love this time of year.

Wishing everyone a wonderful autumn season and Happy Halloween to those who love it too!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

So much going on... So little blogging. :0)

That is how it usually goes around here, I think. The more I actually have to blog about, the less I am online to blog and read blogs. That and I've been obsessed with crocheting. It is hard to blog holding a crochet needle. Nothing fancy, lots of granny squares and flowers but soothing, soothing repetition and yarn. I heart yarn.

There are so many things I can blog about it is hard to narrow it down. Art I've received from others... Crafts I've created... Silly things my kids do to make me laugh... Big life stuff... Little life stuff... It all rolls around in my head when I try to narrow down a post, part of the reason I've avoided blogging for awhile I think. Hmmm... where to start?

I've been participating in a lot of swap-bot swaps lately, and I think all my recent swap partners have received their stuff so I can post pics here without risk of spoiling the surprise. I love swap-bot. I am not always active there, but when I am in the mood it is a ton of fun and a great way to meet fellow art/craft/mail addicts.

Matchbox Dotee Doll Swap
I wrapped the whole thing up in a vintage doily because my partner likes that sort of thing and I have plenty to spare around here thanks to a weird ebay thing I went through awhile back. I thought I would starch the doilies and use them like snowflakes for winter decorating ala Martha Stewart. Yeah, that hasn't happened. Time to purge. Makes pretty wrapping, no?

I crocheted a flower to decorate the matchbox using Divine Twine. Two addictions coming together to make my heart happy. Yarn, twine... What is it with me and colorful string?

I made my mini Dotee a fairy because of her small size. I need work on my embroidery skillz. They lack. But I try. Dotee Dolls are all the rage on Swap-bot. They are fun little creatures to make and trading them sort of gives purpose to creating these odd sweeties. :0)

Another Dotee... Spooky Halloween Swap



My partner likes Sookie Stackhouse, Buffy and Twilight so obviously a vampire was the only choice. 

And my favorite... 
Quarterly Art Doll Swap, September 2010
Here she is a work in progress. I built the armiture with wood and a paper mache egg. Ahhh... craft messes and ipod, a marriage made in heaven.

Yes, the Divine Twine again. I have it in the picture here for size perspective. I knit her outfit out of it too. No, I don't have a problem. I can stop whenever I want to, I just don't want to. She was the first thing that was hard to give away. My husband thinks she looks like me, so maybe I had a self-portrait sort of attachment to her.

Well, since she mimics my actual shape a bit too uncomfortably, maybe it isn't the self portrait thing that draws me to her. ;0) I just had a lot of fun making her.

Her face and feet were made out of paperclay. I heart paperclay. And it isn't string! A whole different sort of fiber entirely.

Well, that is quite enough for now I suppose. Hopefully I can sort my brain enough to bring something coherent to the table tomorrow. Now, off to try and catch up on the blogs in my google reader!

Happy Tuesday all!