Monday, July 28, 2008

Stop the Ride! I wanna get off!

Sometimes I feel like I just stepped off a tilt-o-whirl. My head is spinning and I'm stumbing trying to get my balance. Do you ever feel like that? I know I mention here frequently how fast time seems to go by. My mom warned me after I had my first child that as I got older it would just seem to go faster and faster. She was right. There are moments however, when time seems to pass a bit more slowly. Kind of like after you've been off the tilt-o-whirl awhile. You've managed to regain your balance and make your way out of the midway into the fairgrounds where it's more quiet and you can take in the surroundings with a bit more leisure. From this vantage point you are able to really soak in the sights and sounds. Well, the past few days have been a mix of both around here. Part tilt-o-whirl and part leisurely stroll.



I enjoyed a productive weekend creatively and was able to make some good progress on the projects I'm working to complete before the end of the month. Yes, I know. Perhaps I should have begun sooner. You're right, but creativity and what appears to be procrastination kind of go hand in hand. Just seemed kind of blocked, but the dreary weather for several days, lots of Christmas music and the advice of one of my blog buddies managed to snap me out of it. I now have multiple projects in the works at various stages and should be able to deliver at least a few items by month end. So I was pleased with that. Thanks, by the way, to those of you who left a comment and shared some of your favorite things about Christmastime.


I also enjoyed spending time with Jeff and Brady just hanging out. Me working on my projects while they watched ballgames and stuff. We did manage to catch a couple movies each night on DVD and enjoyed lunch on Sunday at one of my favorite places-First Watch. Just seemed all in all like a more leisurely weekend. It was nice.



Now it's Monday and back to the work week and things seem a little more hectic. My house is a mess naturally because I've been distracted by other things. Yep, I can't do it all. Fortunately, I have a husband who understands and we'll work at it together all week to catch back up. Love him for that. And for listening to me ramble for hours on end as I obsess over my projects. And after two days of Christmas music playing Brady says, "Mom, why are we listening to Christmas music? It's still summer." Well, I'm not the only one who's been doing Christmas in July. In addition to numerous boutiques around town, a local radio station played Christmas music on Friday to help raise money for an area food bank. See? I'm not so crazy. I actually woke up to Mannheim Steamroller on Friday morning and thought it was a commercial. Jeff said, "I think they're trying to help you get in the mood to do your Christmas stuff." That's what I call serendipity!





Well, if you're still with me at the end of this long-winded post I'll share a peek at one of the projects I've been working on. This pic is when I was still playing around with the banner. I ended up printing the phrase on cardstock and glued it to the ledger paper which I'm hoping is not too fragile. See-I obsess about stuff like that. No wonder I don't get anything accomplished, right? I made another one out of completely vintage supplies in another colorway. Each evokes a different mood so I'm not sure which I like most. This was inspired by another project from Postmark LA by Pam Garrison. I've really gotten my money's worth of inspiration from that book!


Have you heard the Trace Adkins song, You're Gonna Miss This? Love the message of that song. I don't want to be guilty of wishing days away. I want so much to live in the moment, but sometimes we get going on this ride called LIFE and we have to be reminded to slow down. So, here's a friendly reminder. If you find yourself on the tilt-o-whirl this week, jump off the ride for just a few moments. Meander down the midway to the fairground with a frozen lemonade or an icecream cone and just ENJOY. Better yet, make a phone call to an old friend, send a card to someone who needs a friend, take a walk with your children or listen to their bedtime prayers. Just stop and enjoy the moment.





Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great week!

5 comments:

Cindy said...

Hi Honey! Glad to be able to help. : D LOVE your analagy of the carnival and life. And yeah, seems like it's been that way for me for the last six mos...I really need to just walk down the Midway. And EAT Cotton Candy. LOL. Soon. very soon. And ...
LOVE LOVE LOVE this piece...each little element is so gorgeous! And together....stunning. You go the coolest things. I look at my piece each day and I just love. Keep kickin it girl!

c

Robin said...

love the story! So many of us look up and it's three weeks later! Love the collage!

Anonymous said...

Oops! I did get off the ride! Now I need to get back on, get out and do something outside my house. Love your rambling.

Anonymous said...

Hi chicken, thanks for the post. Keep the creative juices flowing...

Katherine said...

Love the artwork. Very beautiful!!