Thursday? WHA?!

Hi there!
How on earth did it get to be THURSDAY?!!  Is it really?!!  WOW.  Thankfulness has crossed my mind, and I've thought daily about things I'm thankful for, but I have been really busy this week, and haven't 'blogged'.

did you miss me?  i'm sure your week has been just as hairy as mine has.

So far, I bundled up a couple bags of remnants to take to the quilt shop, got all the payables put into the computer at work, wrote a 12-page newsletter for my quilt guild, and got that to the printer, took an Affirmation Journaling class, and went to a purse-party/open house last night, and soon will have a fun little purse to tote around.

(I wasn't going to, because I thought those Miche' bags were hokey!  I've seen them on TV--probably QVC--, and the idea of a 'base bag' with exchangable-magnetic covers on the outside seemed goofy, and gimicky.  However, one of the regular Potluck Piecers, Kari, is now a Miche'-dealer.)

(see, it's old-lady-ish, ooky!)

(you can see where this is heading...!!)

Last Friday at Potluck Piecing, Kari (who is also a great cook) bribed me with food, and invited me to stop at her house Wednesday night to take a look at the bags.  I knew I had Affirmation Journal the same night, and didn't want to miss that--who DOESN'T NEED AFFIRMING?!!  but Kari called to remind me on Tuesday night, and I know how that goes; having sold PartyLite...

you do all the calls, ask for RSVP's which don't come, over-invite to make sure you have people there, clean the house, light the candles, make all the food (not to mention grocery shopping), your family asks, 'why don't you ever cook for US like this?!!"  and all you can say is, "because YOU don't give me 25 FREE TEALIGHTS with a $50 purchase, and KIDS!! I can earn a free nightlight, too!!" 

(or something like that!  haha!)

anyway, I figured I'd pop into Kari's and see the action--fortunately, at 8pm, she said I could still stop over, so I did.  I assumed that all the Miche' bags would be large mondo things, that when I 'wore' one, I'd look like a pack-mule...

(did you know that you 'wear' a bag, now?  It's like a part of your clothing!  When you think about it in that context, it makes it easier to understand how to choose one which may look better on your body.) 

I love the way the big zippered purple or aqua, or orange patent-leather bags look, but guess what?!  My body does NOT look like Ashley Simpson or Nicole Richie, or some little unknown 'STAR' of the month, who looks like she's standing on toothpicks!

I have legs and curves, and a big purse is not quite so fetching on that body-type.  I'm big enough.  Instead, I have gone the opposite direction for the last couple years: paring down to the lowest common denominator, a small cross-body bag! 

I totally LOVE IT!  for me, something this size (8" square or so) is about right...wallet, checkbook, cell phone, lipstick, pills, pens and keys.  A cross-body bag keeps my hands free and my body balanced, and doesn't fall off my shoulders.  It's light, so I don't really notice it, either.

(my sweet friend, Judith, in her little apartment)

I discovered the beauty of the cross-body bag when I was taking care of my friend, Judith, a couple years ago.  She was an elderly lady who went to water aerobics classes several times a week with my assistance.  Having two hands free, I could hang onto her, and her bag, and/or walker, and not worry about losing my purse.

At Kari's, it didn't take me long to figure out what I'd love.  They do have little patent-leather black cross-body bags, and little covers, and because they're little, they're affordable!  Because I like bright colors, and they don't have too many, that was easy to decide too!

(it's totally ME!)

Then, I got to eat and have some wine! 

(ever eat a 'cake ball'?  Red Velvet, dipped in white chocolate w/ sprinks!)

(kari's were like this, but on sticks, with sprinks, and stuck into a styrofoam christmas tree!)

enough about last night--
oh!  do you know how hard it is to fall asleep after eating a couple cake balls and a brownie w/ marshmallow-caramel topping baked on?  SUGAR RUSH to the MAX!  haha!  (I'm such a goofball.)


So, what's ahead?  probably cutting some fabric at Greenbaum's after work tonight, pack up some quilting projects and my sewing machine, and, after work tomorrow, meet some friends for a beach retreat--well, we may have our noses to the needle, and footsies to the pedal, but hopefully, I'll get a little start on a couple Christmas gifts.  I'm gonna try to make several things, before the big day, and Thanksgiving weekend, I'm actually off on Friday, so I plan to bivouac in my studio!

Isn't that a great word?  I LOVE 'Bivouac'!

so!!  What are my latest 'Thankfuls'?

Tuesday, November 15:
As someone who loves to write, I'll choose being thankful for letters and words.  Remember in grade school, learning to write on the newsprint with the blue lines, and dotted lines?  An 'a' was a circle with a stick hooked on.  A 'b' was a tall line with a circle stuck on the other side, and so on.  How FUN to find out that putting them together made words! 

Putting words together made sentences!  Putting sentences together made stories!

i couldn't wait to learn cursive (third grade)...it was like a 'secret code'; along with that, were other shapes like an 'a' or 'g' with their curvy parts.  FUN!

I am thankful for words today because I wrote a Christmas poem in 5 minutes, the words rhymed and flowed right out, and i'm thrilled with it.  (I'll share it another day.)

Wednesday's 'Thankful': would probably need to be 'Fun with Friends'!  You can see all the fun I had at the Miche' party, and all the fun at the Affirmation Journal class, which I'll share about another time  (this is a huge blog post!), but there was lots of laughing with ladies, food, creativity, and it surprised me how energized I felt by the end of the night after being creative.  What a gift!  Which brings me to:

Thursday, November 17:
I'm thankful for my CREATIVITY!!  This is one of my favorite things about ME.  I love to brainstorm with others, name things, make slogans, use colors, rhyme words, write poetry, play word games, quilt, build, cook, hammer, cut, paste, and imagine.

(it used to make me CRAZEE when we visited Grandma Bernice's and she'd say, "Use your imagination!"  That's how we ended up under her dining room table-chairs tipped over on their sides for doorways, having tea parties!)


I don't know why God built me the way he did--I sure see all my flaws and weaknesses, but taking the time in November, being thankful for things, gives me a new perspective, and shines a light on what God has put in me, and around me, which I can appreciate, and hey!

I can share my excitement and blessings with others!

(well, Hey, Diddle Diddle!)

is that what being thankful each day might possibly be about?  Turning a light back onto the Person who gave us all of this?  YAY!  I'm smiling right now.  okay, bent your ear long enough--let's all be thankful.  we're given another day to encourage and bless others, and get more work done. 

see you tomorrow,
xox

(see, Caitlin,  green leaves = spring in my book!  MY favorite time of year!)