Beautiful New Denyse Schmidt Fabrics...

Here I am...

In someone's Treasury. I love seeing my shop featured in someone's favorites. This is a sweet little treasury, too.
(I'm second from the left on the bottom row.)

My site is getting going again - finally!

Working Towards Winter

Mucho going on right now, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am working on knitting, or more appropriately, I have been finishing up the oodles of knitting projects I started (and almost finished) so that everyone can be warm this winter. It has been so friggin' cold lately that I virtually need no reminder. These are my in-between projects, since I am really (and finally) getting the house completely organized. I have to do this for a couple of reasons:

I will be working on putting together a portfolio, or rather a bunch of painting, since it seems I have a really good chance at showing at a couple of galleries up in the Skagit Valley. I have already spoken to the owner of one gallery, so I am pretty excited. But…. I need to have the house clean and organized so I can focus on my art and not be distracted by all the clutter (mental and physical) and let me mind wonder in a fun and creative manner.

Also, I am expecting a very exciting shipment of fabrics from Denyse Schmidt. She is one of my all-time favorite fabric designers and this new line of hers, Greenfield Hill, is pretty amazing. It really has a 1920s feel to the design and colors, and I love how she is always very crisp and heavy with graphics, not the usual sketchy twee stuff. Oh, and this line has plenty of stuff that can be used for little boys - FINALLY a line that is not all flowers and polka dots. Not only that, she has offered a great deal of voiles in this line, and I have pretty much ordered the entire line. I am so pleased that voile is becoming more available, since it is fabulous for curtains (especially if you want them to look like, um… curtains) and children's clothing, because it is so light and airy, and still make of 100% cotton. Oh, I am going to be in waaay over my head, but I have been forced into trying to make a living for myself and decided to jump in the deep end this time. And since a regular job is pretty much out of the question for me…. I really hope this works out. I know I would buy it. So here is a sneak-peek:

I took a little opportunity on my trip up to Whidbey Island, to stop and take a few photos. I was a beautiful day for a ride albeit a little too sunny for photos. I thought I would play with my Hipstamatic a little, though...

There is this darling old schoolhouse that I had been wanting to photograph for a while. I am glad they restored it, although I am not sure what it is now used for.

The Belltower.

Great lawn.

My Trumpy.

The Pumphouse - ?

Fruit Trees.

I am looking forward to many more sunny days of gardening and riding in the coming months. Today I bought a couple plants at the local garden/plant event, and was able to sew some Lupine seed, and water the vegetable garden; the Brussels Sprouts are looking awesome!

A Little Bit

Not sure why my server is rejecting my photos, so I will make this one short, as I understand myself not wanting to just look at words…

Today I am trying to stay on task (life) and finally go get a haircut and my nails did. That should help, and be a nice reprieve from working in the yard and dealing with real-life stuff. Besides the foot bath should help my feet. Also, I need to remind myself to make that LONG-overdue call to the woman I traded graphic design for a massage, and let her know how fabulous her partner the masseuse was. I am hoping I can let her know why it has taken me so long to return her call, and at the same time see if she/they know anything about massage for FMS and the associated trigger points. That would be nice. I want to try acupuncture, but I am hesitant to do anything even semi-permanent when I am needing to have as many of my symptoms present at this time. Heck, it has already been 10 years (not the 9 I previously thought) which I have been dealing with this…. whats a few more weeks? ;)

P.S. I hope these posts don't sound like downers. I still have lots of spunk left and feel there is much to look forward to, so you will see more pretty things and hopefully inspiring things int he near future! I just know my sense of humor will come back FULL-FORCE - it is right around the corner. I feel it.

Freestylers - Cracks ft. Belle Humble (Flux Pavilion Remix)

why… why… WHY….?

That is the question…. Why have I not been able to post like I swore to myself I would…?

Well, I think I have a better answer now than the one I had been giving myself: "I am obviously flakey." I knew I have long had issues with short-term memory and lack of organization (for about 9 years now), but all the same it has been very frustrating. I know I love organization and remembering things, as silly as that sounds. So why have I had problems doing this, when I know I am not careless or intentionally flakey? I got the answer yesterday.

 I went to see my doc to address some concerns with what I thought was arthritis. I could still have arthritis but after several questions and answers, she pulled her chair up right in front of me and said the dreaded word: fibromyalgia. I really don't want to drone on with how bad it has been, but I would like to mention how amazing it can be when you have been called a hypochondriac for years, and had all sorts of serious physical complaints that people sort of dismiss as due you being lazy and not wanting to exercise.  So, with the divorce going on full-force, and me just getting papers accusing me of freeloading and not wanting to work (never-mind my occasional inability to remember my own birthdate or forgetting half of all appointments I make) I now have something to shove in the face of my adversarial. I did tell my doc how "I didn't want this diagnosis," and had to tell her that all I have heard about it is that people don't believe it is real (other than all in your head) and that aside from this, my "ex" thinks that anything with the words "disorder" or "syndrome" are not real medical conditions. Her reply was "Obviously he is the smartest man in the world." I do love her.

So, as a glass half full sort of person, I am not only relieved, but I think the timing could not be more perfect. On top of that, perhaps I can get better treatment for the extreme fatigue, chronic aches and pains, and inability to stay on task. Not sure if I really do have ADHD and chronic fatigue and anxiety (all of which I have been treated for in the last several years) or if it all falls under fibromyalgia. In fact, I finally went to look it up, and I have every single characteristic of the condition. So, as I will still go to see a rheumatologist for my hands and feet (and an oral cancer specialist for my tongue due to "bruxing" or grinding, which is another symptom of FM) I will try to take things easy, not be hard on myself, and maybe this will help me relax enough to make time for art, which is what I really truly need right now.

Oh, and here are some pictures of my new (free!) couch and chair I got on Craigslist… a beautiful Arts & Crafts mohair set, in nearly perfect condition.
(What in the hell is a "Mo"???)


P.P.S. Please take a look at the first picture in this post, with the side table next to the couch, and see If you can see a better way to position the table. It is TOTALLY bugging me and my 'spacial organization' section of my brain.