If I Was...

While visiting Relyn the other day, she had one of her cool lists going. Since I am list maker as well, I thought I would play along.

IF I WAS...
a month: October
verb: create
furniture: an old secretary, desk, or cabinet
book: Wuthering Heights
a song: Changes in Latitudes
a day: Friday
an adjective: sympathetic listener
a tv show: America's Worst Cook
a store: Petals and Twigs
a color: turquoise
a car: a convertible
an article of clothing: skirt
a movie: Breakfast at Tiffanies
an emotion: wistfulness
a flower or plant: violet
a taste: avocado
a tool: a marker
a scent: hyacinth and pine (not together!)
a planet: mars
a tree: Weeping Willow
a musical instrument: dulcimer
a fruit: peach
a drink: Cherry 7-Up
something in my bed room: one of my angel fairies
a holiday: Halloween
a shoe: slippers

Please visit here to see where Relyn got the idea. Why don't you try it too?!

Monday after school I came home to find a box of wonderful Valentine treats from my swap partner Michele from Wisconsin! It was such fun opening up the box- she packaged everything wonderfully! Below are some of the sweet treats she sent. She makes jewelry and sent 2 adorable pins (check out her site to see what she does). She also sent some really fun Valentine goodies; pens, an old poetry book, a heart shaped candle, some chocolates...and of course; a vintage Valentine! Thanks Michele! Swaps are just so much fun- the goodies in the mail and getting to know the partner! I have been so very lucky in all the swaps I have done!

Blowing The Curve

A lot of this weekend was spent creating on different projects. From editing digital pictures for yearbook to lots of cross stitch time to stamping and card making no matter what I am doing, I am constantly reminded of my Dad. Although he was a Principal and later an Asst. Superintendent and held down a variety of part time jobs ( from "Bag Boy" at the local grocery store to a bartender)he was always working on a project (or 2 or 3). He loved being creative and the things he liked to create ranged from needlepoint to cross stitch to sewing to cooking and baking. It didn't bother him at all that what he liked to do were not always considered "masculine" and he was never without a project wherever he went. Lots of these creations ended up as gifts for me and my sister and they are true treasures today. So, my Dad was my inspiration for the OSI prompt "blowing the curve." My haiku is simple but behind it is much love and thankfulness I inherited my dad's creativity gene! Please stop over at OSI to see other's creations of the prompt.

special treasured gifts

my Dad created for me

blow the curve for men

The book below was a special Christmas gift. My Dad had seen something similar in a specialty catalog and thought he could dupliate it. He collected flowers from relatives' houses that we visited one summer, pressed those flowers and created the book for me. It was packaged in a brown velvet pouch he made.

The clock was a Christmas gift to Mike and me. My Dad did the cross stitching and my Mom stained the wood and put the clock together. How's that for role reversal?!

On a quick side note- I am participating in a Very Vintage Valentine Swap and below are my treats all wrapped and ready to be mailed out to my swap partner Michele. Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

A Flurry of Thoughts and Pictures

On my way to school each morning there is a small stretch of road where there is nothing but farmland and a couple of barns. One morning recently, I pulled over to get some stunning sunrise shots and barn pictures. As I was doing this, my friend Debbie, drove past me on the way to school too. She called me to make sure everything was ok and I told her what I was doing. The next day, she stopped by my room with the Age of Barns book below that she had been given by another friend of ours. The book is fascinating and has further piqued my interest in anything barn and farm related (both Debbie's dad and my dad lived on farms).

The 3 photos below were taken a few days ago on the way to school (one perk for leaving so gosh darn early in the morning!)- the sky was magnificent!

Below is my current cross stitch project. I love how charts that don't look at all complicated end up taking way longer than anticipated. I love this one though (complications and all)- especially because she is a Snow Fairy! I have made some progress but I have a LONG way to go.


This one is finished!!! Again- simple looking chart, but it took a long time!


This heart was really fun and quick- it's for a Valentine Swap I am in.


These 2 charts I picked up at the last Stitch Night. I always have such high hopes but they were just too cute to pass up - love the reindeer and snowflake tree.

How come in the morning the day seems so bright and full of promise- which it usually ends up being?! I have such high hopes and lofty ideas about how to spend the time that I have at home at night. I usually plan on working on a project, blogging, blog visiting, reading, cross stitching or even tackling the huge pile of IEPS and school work that screams for attention. But instead, end up like the cartoon- kind of losing my batteries and everything that goes with it and basically totally running out of energy and momentum by about 7:30. I hate it! I finally get home and can relax and do something I want to do and I don't have the energy, focus, or passion left to carry it through. It is so frustrating! Anyway- I apologize for not getting around to visit your blogs- I promise that I will when I stop feeling like how Abbey looks in the picture below.

Winter's Trunk Show

Winter is having a Trunk Show

displaying all her finest wares~

a pleasing peek inside shows

a frost-filled fun-derland~

the trees and roads and ponds

bedazzled and frosted

with the finest of white ermine

laced with the most delicate flakes of snow

dizzily dancing drowsily downward

from lofty leaden clouds~

On a sunny day

shadows secretly play

hide and seek on the snow

as the sun reflects

the animals' version of

snow angels~

tiny trailing tracks

made on their quiet quest

foraging for food

the air~

crisply crystallizing quickly

as individual indeliable icicles

drip, dangle and decorate all surfaces

seemingly in a race with each other

to reach the ground first~

and playful plumes from chimneys

wistfully waft upward into the sky

indicators that all are

cozily tucked toasty warm inside~

While Winter

takes her splendid Sparkling Snow Show on the road

coming to a town near you

The inspiration for this poem was from the trunk shows that my local needlecraft store (The Inspired Needle) in Lemont, IL is always having. When Cathy has a trunk show, a designer's products are showcased and displayed in the store for everyone to "ooh and ahhhh" over.

This week's prompt for One Single Impression is "sunny day." Please stop over and check out the other poets' work. Have a wonderful week celebrating all Winter has on display!

all pictures taken by Mike and me