Hi again

I have been neglecting this little space for a few weeks now.  To be honest, I have not felt very inspired lately.  Things have been a bit hectic around here and I have been, for lack of a better word, distracted.

Fortunately, this distraction and lack of inspiration seems to be dissipating and I am back.  And just when I needed it, something caught my eye and inspired and motivated me to create something (that's you, Andria:)).

I never thought I would be a quilter.  I thought it was just for lonely middle aged women and grandmas.  I used to think that a quilt was the most uncool thing on earth.

Little did I know that it can be quite therapeutic.

The measuring and cutting...

The pressing (fancy term for ironing)...

And of course the sewing.  Lots of sewing.

Following a set pattern or idea, but improvising as needed.  Not knowing if it will turn out exactly the way you envisioned but also being open to mistakes, imperfections and the unexpected.

And making all of those things work for you and learning from them as well.

Using up some leftover favorite fabrics and incorporating some new, exciting fabrics.

Enjoying the process, even if it does not go just the way you thought it would.  Even if it was harder than you anticipated or took longer than you wanted.

The end product is a piece of you.  Representing that time in your life, your choices.  Providing a stepping stone or building block for future endeavors.

Spillage, sponges and a shout out

Ups and downs.  Ins and outs.  Ebbs and flows.  Such is this wild ride of life.  Chuck full of highs and lows.  Plans that go accordingly and then the unexpected.  All you know for sure is what was and what is.  And it is only what is that seems the most important.

What is will fill you up and overflow right out of you.  Spilling its contents at your feet.  Until you are wading, knee deep, in either joy or sorrow.  Either one can be so viscous, you have a hard time moving forward.  Debilitating spillage.  What good is either if you have no one to help soak up the excess?

What good is joy if no one else shares your enthusiasm?  What good is sorrow if no one else can shoulder some of it for you?

Its been spilling out of me lately.  Literally, I am flooding the place (I promise I don't mean that I am peeing my pants:)).  But, I am so grateful for all of my sponges.  The big ones, the little ones, the boy ones and the girl ones, the ones that are related and the ones that aren't.  Thank you so very much.  

Saturday Twinsies

On Saturday, we took the boy to Discovery World in Milwaukee.

Your standard forced cousin pic.

Sully was in awe, he walked around with his cute little jaw dropped most of the time and pointing out fish, dinosaurs, water and guitars the rest of the time.  Oh, he also fabricated some story of how his Auntie touched all of the guitars in the glass cases but he was sure to tell her, "no touch, Auntie."

Here is a ridiculous amount of pics...

 Awe face.

 Awe face.

  Awe face.

 Musician.

 Stuntman.

 See the photo-bomber?

The littles decided they needed to "call Grandma."

The toddlers did great but then mine started to melt so we headed out.  I had so much fun watching Sully take it all in.  Seeing new experiences through his eyes makes everything fresh again.  I can't wait for more.

It was only at the Brewer game later that we were called out on our accidental match-y outfits.  

Twinsies.

I guess we have officially turned into that couple.  I am going to go look for some nice neutral gender nature-inspired and holiday sweatshirts and buy them in pairs.  We should be all set.