let the chips fall where they may....

The change I want to see in the world starts with me- what can I do differently and what can I do to be better at it? One thing I have done is start my own business and support other local businesses. I have stopped buying new things and have started repurposing old things. I ask myself do I really need it or is it a want I have learned from being a consumer all of my life?

I know I just posted this morning, but this has been on my mind a lot recently....if you know me at all and have talked to me in the past month, you know I have been debating leaving my part time job to focus on my full time sewing business, ROBOT Inside. I am passionate about sewing, I love repurposing and I make some killer things! I love my stuff, I would buy it. I have a shop on Etsy and I made a commitment a year ago to buy local. I shop local, my groceries come from within a 100 mile radius of our thriving metropolis. I do not go to chain restaurants. I support local artists and businesses. I am a member of local Etsy groups as well. I have started volunteering at my children's schools. My family eats healthy because I am committed to cooking our 3 meals a day.

I support local music and play, too! I go to venues that support local music. I do not support venues that ask musicians to pay to play.

One of the big issues facing my family today is health insurance. I work at a corporate coffee shop because they provide health benefits for part time workers. Over the summer, I was off work due to a work injury and we no longer are covered by my health insurance. It leaves us in a strange place of limbo. The whole reason I work there is for the insurance, not the pay. So....we have been crunching numbers and talking to everyone we can about how to operate without health insurance. We have done it before, but, back then, we didn't own two thriving businesses and lived well below the poverty line. Today, that is not the case. the only thing holding me back from running into my business full on is health insurance. Is it worth it? I could show you the numbers that say it is the biggest scam running in America today, besides perhaps oil.

Let me put it simply- if I want big business out of my government and out of my life, can I let the fear they have instilled in me and my people force me to choose because of health care? It's the big what if that is so scary- what if I get cancer? what if we get hit by a car? what if i get really, really sick? well, so what if I do. I'll set up a payment plan with the doctors like I have for years and pay it off a little at a time. They may even negotiate with me if I have cash in hand. So, the fear is what if and the name of the game is health insurance. Do I choose freedom and happiness? If I do and if lots of others like me do it, we sink the ship that is health insurance, don't we? If we all pulled out, they wouldn't have all the cash to pay for politicians. Pharmaceutical companies might not control the media and I may not have to see an ad for a pill promising to fix what doesn't really ail me.

Can I get out from under the corporate brainwashing storm I have been exposed to my entire life and take a chance on my dream? You bet your sweet bippy I can!

31 Days!

The counter over there to the right says it all really.

31 days of Halloween starts on SyFy today!

The Skulls and Skeletons and Glitter Pumpkins came out of their boxes last night.

Ghost Hunters was really good!

On October 1st, we start our costumes. That's the day when you really have to decide, no more changing your mind, no more switching it up...every night around the dinner table this week, the conversation has gone something like this.

Will: So, what's everyone gonna be for Halloween? I think we all should dress up as Dr. Who characters. I'm gonna be a Dalak.

Hannah: No, we are all going to be the Incredibles. Dad is going to be MR, Incredible, Mom is going to be the Mom, you are going to be the boy who runs fast and I am going to be the girl with the bubble.

Will: No, Dad is going to be the 11th Dr., Mom is going to be Amy Pond and...

Hannah: NO!NO!NO!(she is standing on her chair now) We are going to be animals! (she is screaming..)

ME: Hannah, chairs are for sitting. Can you please have a seat?

Hannah: Mommy and me are going to be ponies and unicorns...

Will interrupts with: I'm going to be a Dalak.

Every night. Mike sighs cause he hates costumes, I am giddy about making a Dalak costume and I have had many fantasies about Hannah's Unicorn costume, should that be what she chooses. I know you are on the edge of your seats, so I will keep you posted. I am pretty sure I am going to be a Mummy this year. If I could just get Mike to be Frankenstein...

These Owls are all stuffed up now, waiting to be adopted!

Hobbes got sent off to his new home. He is fun to make. I can make you one.

A box of Birds! I got a new tree holder for them. Pretty exciting!

Elephants! they are so cute!

Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moon light?

Little ghosty! Painted, sanded and stuffed!

My favorite decoration yet!

You can come visit me at Neltners Farm this weekend!

I will be there on Saturday from 10-2.

I will also be at Black Barn Primitives on Blue Ash Rd. in Deer Park

on Saturday from 4-9 p.pm.

Come get Spooky with me!

I will have some Fall goodies in Neltner's Farms Gift Shop!

If you know of a place where you would like to see a smiling Owl face, you know, those stores you go into that make you squeal like a kid in a toy shop, let me know about them, puhleeze!

I hope I get to see you this weekend!

Can you even imagine?

I am fishing. I meet this stranger. Positive, kind, a foreboding almost. My instinct should tell me to run from this odd man, but instead, I give up all of my wordly possessions, quit my job and follow him. Everywhere. He says he is the Son of God and I believe him. He tells me he loves me unconditionally and I believe him. He tells me the meek will have great riches someday and as always, I believe him. I watch him heal the blind and befriend the poor and lonely. Prostitutes and thieves give up their livelihoods because he tells them to. He could live like a rock star, but he travels with nothing and relies on the kindness of strangers. He loves everyone we meet and tells them so. They believe it, too.

Simple. There are those who believe and those who do not. There are those who might believe if it seemed cooler or more credible. The stories may seem farfetched and it's easy to be cynical about them. I choose belief because God gave me the power of choice. Now, to be fair, I believe in all kinds of things, mostly I think the Universe is so big and wondrous and I am a small piece of it, so small I can't be seen with the naked eye from the moon.....but when I look up there and see the moon with my naked eye, all glowing and brilliant and orange, I believe with Love all things are possible.

Luke 5:11, "So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him." (NIV)

Holiday...

Nobody wants to think about the Holidays right now, do they?

I mean, Halloween isn't even here yet!

I, personally, am so excited about Halloween decorating, I can barely stand it!

I made a promise that I wouldn't start too early and I would try not to go overboard...

So, I have been sewing instead!

Americana Owls have been a favorite to make! I love their bold colors and they feel a little patriotic to me...

Roses all over the place! I love this fabric- you can almost smell the flower shop!

I just listed this one in my Etsy shop...I love the idea of a reversible apron- one side for gucking up while I am cooking and the other side, beautiful for when I'm done. I can just flip it around and no one is any the wiser to how messy I can be!

These little guys were all made from repurposed Waverly drapery...love the thickness of the fabrics. Waverly is so sturdy!

Big Owl Eyes!

Evoking a good Fall feeling, like campfire and Harvest Moons.

I like it that the word evoking looks like ewoking. What's Wicket got to do with any of this?

I will feature new Halloween items this weekend at the Westwood Art Show...located in the heart of Westwood at the Historic Town Hall. You should stop by! There will be over 60 artists & crafters to peruse and you can support local art with your Holiday shopping! I plan on doing my shopping in between visiting with you!

I put some pictures of this handsome fella on Robot Inside's FB and he already found a home. There will be more though cos I simply can't resist him!

The power of advertising & a visit to PLaza Artist Supply brought us home this Snazaroo face painting kit. I got paints, she got paints and we both got our faces painted...

My favorite little model & muse!

MAtching outfits for mommy & Hannah are the best!

Please come visit me...I can be found here:

Saturday, September 24th

Westwood Art Show

Saturday, October 1 & 2

Neltner Farms Fall Festival

You can find Owls locally at

Black Barn Primitives

located in scenic Deer Park, Ohio

I will also be at Black Barn Primitives

Witches Nite Out

on October 2nd from 5-9 p.m.

Special Sale Prices on Halloweeeeeeen!

If you have never been to BBP, I would suggest a visit!

Spending my days sewing and part time baristaing and my nights with my family have renewed my outlook on life. I wanna tell you guys about what has happened to me as of late. In April, as you may know, the world lost a great person. The circumstances are violent and ugly, the outcome for those responsible has been disappointing at best. Since that morning standing in my kitchen with the realization that not only would I never see Bones' smiling face again, never see him walking Shady, never hear an adventure story or get a bear hug that lifts me off the ground, his family may never know what a great man their son and brother turned out to be. The latter part of that has proved immensely untrue- not only have his friends made sure his family knew, we spread the word to anyone who will listen. Bones was a great friend to everyone he has ever met....

A shift in my world, like a tear in space time continuum, seeing not only the world for exactly what it is, but for what it can be. To me. To my children. To everyone, really. My time became more valuable in the weeks following Bones' death. My art, more vibrant. The trees sway, a miracle. My little kitty greeting me home gave me hope. Silly? I think it may seem so, but my opinion and your opinion and all of the judgement and condescension and negative cynicism that wanted to rear it's ugly head was slowly fading for me. On the contrary to how I thought I would feel, I may have gotten "softer"- instead of protesting the good feelings, I let them wash over me. I let the sunshine in, I felt my anger subside to strong tears that tasted like love. It felt good to grieve and also, be happy. My life, however long or short it may turn out to be, is just that- mine. I can spend it sad and angry, judging you and yours. I mean, there have been these opinions of people I have had for a long time- you know those people I thought were jerks or snobby or didn't like me or that I didn't like. Through all of this I have learned that we are grown ups and most of us to some degree or another behave as such. Also, people are forgiving, myself included. I have to humble myself and let people be how they are and think what they want. I am caring and loving now, but that was not always the way I behaved, so the same can be said for others. People change and grow and become great!

I guess when the end does come, all I will be left with is the truth about my life and the choices I have made. I want to feel good about that. So, today, I will be as kind as I can to everyone and give what I can and not try to hog up resources everyone needs. I will treat my family the way I want to be treated and I might even treat the checkout girl at Target that way, too, even if I don't feel like it. Maybe her friend got murdered in Northside, too. I will do my best not to take advantage of the Earth (I'm still gonna flush after #2, though..) and if it starts with just the few, it may spread to the many. From all of the people I have met who knew Bones, who have been there to represent on his behalf, complete strangers with empathy for his story, his lovely sister, the others we know he's with now, the constant in all of this is Bones didn't judge, he didn't befriend you cause you were the cool kid or what you could do for him, he was just kind. Right from the start, he was kind. If he can be kind, so can I.

Romans 12:2a, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (NIV)

time traveler

I have some new obsessions...some are mild, some consume me!

1. Dr. Who- the Eleventh Doctor, to be precise.

http://sonicfanon.wikia.com/index.php?title=The_Eleventh_Doctor&image=Eleventh_Doctor-jpg

[The Tenth Doctor regenerates, the energy blowing out the windows of the TARDIS and setting the console room ablaze. The Eleventh Doctor screams as he emerges.]

The Doctor: Legs! I've still got legs!! [kisses one of them.] Good. Arms, hands. Ooh, fingers. Lots of fingers. Ears? Yes. Eyes: two. Nose... eh, I've had worse. Chin - blimey! Hair... [notes length.] I'm a girl! [checks Adam's apple.] No! No! I'm not a girl! [pulls a lock of his hair in front of his eyes and looks at it, agitated] And still not ginger! There's something else. Something... important, I'm... [taps head.] I'm-I'm...

[The whole console room shakes.]

The Doctor: [ecstatic.] Ha-ha! Crashing!

[As the burning TARDIS falls to Earth, the new Doctor clings to the central control column, laughing and whooping with glee. He looks up and shouts]

The Doctor: Geronimo!

I mean, how could you not be?

2. The Gypsy Wagon

AKA Pageant Wagon, Vargo, Peasant Wagon

Call it what you want, I am obsessed with not only owning one, but making one...

http://www.tinyhousetalk.com/reading-style-gypsy-caravan-for-sale/

Now, I am not the only artist who dreams of a wagon for the love of creating inside of it.

Seems somewhat impractical, what with the space restraints and the unsteadiness of it all, but I would throw all of my caution into a strong headwind to have a wagon and subsequently, paint in said wagon. Now, if I could only find a trailer to fit it upon....

I told a wise, badass friend about my dream and she replied

"if you build it, I will come..."

I love bad ass friends!

3. (for your sake, I am only listing 3 obsessions- firstly cos my head can not possibly process everything I love and am obsessed with all in one morning and also because you only need small glimpses into my crazy. Please, trust me on this one...)

HALLOWEEN!

The day, the countdown, the yard set up, the skulls!

The making, the painting, dreaming it up!

My little brain looks like every Halloween store you have ever walked into multiplied by a million...

need a costume?

see me!

need decor?

call me!

need a skeleton themed cemetery stage set up with props and lights and fog?

please, see me!

These guys are from Dayton, Ohio and I have loved Infinity since the day we met 20 short years ago! When they asked me to help them design a Halloween set, I was honored and giddy, all at once! Their MOTR show will be like no other!

You must come! You just must!

Yellow Springs, Ohio

Cuter than puppies, yarn bombs galore and a whole lot of tie dye abounds in YS.

MDH & I went up for a friend's birthday party.

Our first cruise thru town showed promise- lots of little shops full of art and yummy goodies!

Three coffee shops in 3 blocks, two comic book stores, at least 2 bookstores, vintage clothing stores, imported collectibles. I'm glad we brought cash!

Flowers make everything cute, I can't resist a sweet windowbox full of colors!

These shears are perfect! Wish I had some!

On the road into town, there are acres upon acres of blooming sunflowers!

Our campsite at John Henry- a national park. Full of raccoons. Do not camp on the edge of the treelike. Our campfire stayed lit all night despite the thunderstorms. If you are looking for a reliable, waterproof tent, we would highly suggest a Marmot. We stayed cozy and dry all night, despite torrential downpours. I would highly recommend Scrabble to get you through said torrential downpours...

Yarnbombs on literally every street sign!

Aren't they sweet?

Mermaid <3

Hello, lovely!

If you don't know about fracking, just say it in a loud whisper in YS and someone will surely explain it to you. A process that involves drilling for natural gas by paying people small amounts of money to poison them and all of the surrounding land, wildlife and people. Sounds great, right?

Woodcarved mermaid by Ken, who we met at the Artists collective. He also does erotic wood carvings, if you are ito that sorta thing, He is very interesting, to say the least.

Ken had a plethora of knowledge about wooden bobbins. I was fascinated!

Wow!

Has it really been two weeks of neglect? I bet you are just dying to know what I have been up to! Well.....here's a synopsis!

Hannah turned 5! and we had to celebrate in true diy fashion....

we made decorations!

blowing out the candles!

We made a strawberry cake!

We made paper pom pom flowers!

We had plenty of sugar!

We made cupcakes and a tiered cupcake stand!

Abby from abbydid made a LoRaffe for Hannah!

We made buntings and, of course, Dee Dee!

We smashed a unicorn to pieces!

We learned how to climb trees!

We got school supplies and shoes!

We used lip balm a little too much...

We waited for the bus!

We talked about Green Lantern a lot!

We got Limited Edition Green Lantern Converse!

We rode our bikes to school!