Buddy Book

It has been quite a while since I mentioned my journal obsession and, more importantly, the Buddy Book (or Buddy Books, as it were).  However, I am true to my word so here is a glimpse into the Buddy Book.  This is not something I typically share but I figured I can give you a little peek.

To understand the Buddy Book, you need to understand the buddies who own it.  My dear friend, Gina, and I have been friends for about 20 years now.  We met in the sixth grade but she didn't care much for me at that point.  Something about a boy...if you can believe that about sixth graders.  I would say it was the end of seventh grade to the beginning of eighth grade when we truly became friends and stayed the best of friends through high school and on.  We have lived 500 miles apart since we were 19 or 20 years old but have managed to stay extremely close.  She has stuck by me through thick and thin -- graduations, boyfriends, illness, eating disorders, depression, marriage, miscarriages, child rearing, starting an Etsy shop together, dreaming creative dreams together, etc.  She is a true friend and I can't imagine my life without her.

Over the years, we have kept in touch via telephone, snail mail, email, social media, text, etc.  In 2004, Gina had an AMAZING idea!  She sent me a sketchbook for Christmas that she had started for us to keep track of silly, mundane, normal, abnormal, big, little, important, trivial, and all other things that happen to us in our day to day lives.  Things that we might forget to share on our next phone call or email.  Ridiculous things that we thought were funny.  Doodles when we are in a boring meeting or class.  A little piece of our brains and hearts etched creatively into a journal.  Each of us would keep the book for several months and use it as much as we could, then mail it to the other.  It was genius!  The Buddy Book was born.

I always love opening the mailbox and finding the book -- sometimes I know it's coming and sometimes it's a surprise.  Sometimes life gets in the way and the Buddy Book collects dust but it's always there waiting for us to come back to it.  I really like responding to things she wrote like we're having a long drawn out conversation.

At one point we had two Buddy Books in circulation so we would each have one at the same time.  Then we would try to swap at the same time to see what the other had added.  We've journaled deep thoughts and feelings.  We've also added things like this photo below...

Over the last couple of years, the Buddy Book has taken a bit of backseat to life.  However, I know it's not gone forever.  It's still there, waiting for both of us to pick it back up and start again.  Just like our friendship - sometimes we go through periods where we only talk a couple of times in a month, while other times we talk each week (sometimes a couple of times a week) - it takes effort to maintain a close friendship but we ebb and flow just like life does.

Gina is an artist to her soul and she encourages and inspires me to continue on my own creative path.  When we are able to get together in person, I always walk away with a ton of ideas and excitement to try something new.  She is an adventurer and lover of life.  She is witty and kind and thoughtful.  She is my buddy.

I don't know where I would be in life without her.  I know we will be buddies until we are old and gray, laughing about ridiculous inside jokes, eating ice cream, and swapping Buddy Books when the mood strikes.  I am so happy she chose me as her friend.

So, there you have some snippets of the Buddy Book.  What kind of things do you do to keep in touch with friends???

Thank you, 2012!

It doesn't seem like it was that long ago when I was feeling the hope, excitement, and thoughts of a clean slate while ringing in 2012 as the new year.  Now it's the last day and I'm excited for 2013. 

This year was a true growing year for me:
At the end of 2011, I started an "experiment" of not eating meat.  I started by just doing it for one week, then two, then three, etc.  I didn't call myself vegetarian because I wasn't sure if I would stick to it.  Well, in 2012, I officially claimed myself as vegetarian and I haven't eaten even the slightest bit of meat since September 2011.  My eating habits have greatly improved, I understand my body's cravings much better now, and I am really happy with my decision both physically and mentally.  I have no plans to go back. 

I learned how to be a better wife.  Our marriage has always been great but there is always room for improvement.  In 2012, I truly made efforts to be a better listener, acknowledge his needs, and really try to be the best friend, wife, and partner I can be.  I love that man to pieces!

I learned how to be a better friend.  This year I realized that I needed to be a better friend to my oldest and dearest friends who live 500 miles away.  I also made some new friends this year and have learned the value of really prioritizing and making efforts to be a good friend, even if I am busy or tired or lazy.  It's definitely an effort that is easy to make and has a great return.  Hold tight to those true friends.

I have realized that I *need* to create every day.  It doesn't matter how little or big it is.  If I don't create on a regular basis, I become out of sorts and depressed.  I need that outlet and it makes me a better me.

Lastly, I've learned to hold on tight to my dreams.  Sometimes they have to be put on the back burner for a while and new dreams need to be created for the meantime.  However, I haven't lost sight of my dreams and am working hard to make them come true.  More to come in 2013!

So thanks, 2012, I've learned a lot and, while tough sometimes, you have helped me to grow and improve. 

My last photo to post in 2012 is of an acorn.  An acorn symbolizes many things to different cultures and people.  I personally like its symbol of strength and growth which definitely wraps up my year in one photo.  2012 gifted me with strength I didn't know I had and a lot of growth.  I hope you enjoy a safe New Year's Eve with the people you hold dearest.

Craft Show Jitters

A few weeks ago I made the decision to do a craft show this fall.  I participated in this particular craft show a couple of years ago and had a great time.  It's at a local church and they have a pretty good turn out of people.  I wasn't overly intimidated by the other vendors or clientele and I even made some money.  At that time, I sold primarily jewelry I had made because that was what I had stocked in my Etsy store at the time (my Etsy store is currently empty but will share the link as I add some items).  Every year in August I start considering craft shows.  Fall shows are my favorite and I've noticed that there is a much better turn out in fall and people looking to purchase more often with the holidays coming soon.  Most years I either chicken out or have too much going on that I don't have time to create enough items to sell.  The people who are regular craft show vendors have a TON of items at their table.  My fear of shows toggles between 2 things - either I won't have enough items on my table and it will look empty and pitiful -OR- I have plenty of items and no one even stops to look at what I've made.  It's scary to put your time and your heart into making things you genuinely love and not be sure of what the public reaction will be.

This particular show was a great experience for me - especially as my first craft show.  The people were nice, I had a lot of positive feedback, I sold some items, and I even walked away with a couple of custom orders.  That year, I also did a show at a local high school.  That show was not as good.  There were a lot of people and a lot of different vendors.  They overbooked the vendors so we were spread out throughout the school.  The majority were in the gym and that's where most of the customers wandered.  Me?  I was tucked away with a handful of other vendors in this weird side hallway that was a dead end.  There wasn't even many signs to point people in our direction.  The majority of the people who actually visited our hallway of misfits, were just people who got lost.  That show was a lot of work and very little reward.  So this year, I signed up for the show where I had a great experience and hope for the best.

Fast forward a few weeks and I'm still feeling pretty good about my decision but have my moments of panic.  I've decided that I'll be selling some crocheted items and some other home decor type things and recycled item creations.  I will be sharing some of what I make here on my blog as I prepare for the show. 

My goal with my crocheted creations is to stand out from possible other crochet items.  I want to create things that look more modern and am trying to pick my yarn colors accordingly.  I will have bright colors but I'm also trying to find some colors that are a little more chic.  I found this wonderful Ivory Tweed yarn recently and am loving the look.  I've also been mixing two yarns together in projects to form bi-colored yarns and also make the yarn thicker to help my projects go a little quicker.  I want to love everything I sell but I'm on a limited time frame and need to be efficient too.  If you've ever crocheted, certain projects can be pretty time consuming.

Below is the majority of what I've been working on lately.  I want to create different sized baskets and bowls for home decorations.  My plan is to showcase their use on my display table -- they are great around vases, bowls, Mason jars, maybe some potpourri or hard candy, in a bathroom they can hold cotton balls, etc.  They add a lot of color and are fun to add here and there in a home.  I'm not using any patterns so make these up as I go which is fun and keeps me motivated.  I spray them with a heavy starch to help them keep their shape better and I crochet them in a way so that they stand firm too.

The larger basket's handles are made from tying suede cord and then crocheting around it.  That way the handles don't stretch out and will hold the shape longer.

So far I think I'm on a good pace and am happy with what I've created.  Crocheting is also a great way to work out stress after a tough work day.  Now that school is back in session (which means sports practices, games, etc), I can throw my projects in a bag and crochet during practices or in between games.  I just have to keep plugging along so I can make this happen!

An off topic item, I've been working and reworking the design and layout of my blog this weekend.  If you've checked back and seen a hot mess occasionally, I apologize for the changes.  It is definitely a work in progress and I'm working to find my "voice".  Thanks for reading and please feel free to share with friends.

Journals!

  

  I have a journal problem.  I have a difficult time resisting the purchase of a new journal.  I can

  rationalize the purchase by coming up with a new reason as to why I need a separate journal.

 

  "I know I have a creative idea journal but I think I would be more effective if I also had a 

  separate journal for photography!"

 

  "I bet I'd do better with losing weight if I had bright and colorful new journal to track food!"

 

  "Oooh pretty..."

 

  "This one is on sale.  It's a sign!" 

  

 My nook.  During my free time, I sit in a recliner in my husband's office and do whatever it is I want to do

 - write, crochet, play on the Internet, read, jot down ideas, edit photos, etc.  This is what it may look like at any given moment.  Notice 3 journals in this one shot.

A stack of colorful journals - all with a different purpose.  And yet, I dream of additional journals.  Maybe a moleskine, maybe something in a fabric, maybe a plain green journal...

One of my more lasting journal ideas.  A Gratitude or Thankful Journal.  I have actually stuck with this idea which is amazing considering my lifelong stack of journals that are maybe a quarter of the way full of something or other.

 

Almost every morning, I sip my coffee and I open up my Thankful Journal to jot down things I am thankful for at that moment.  I try to do 10 per day but sometimes it's less.  There are definitely recurring entries on any given day.  Some days there are a mix of silly with more sincere.  Every day that I do it though, I feel good starting my day.  It centers me and helps me to focus on the good.

  

Inside yet another journal...this one is more of a Misc.  I jot down quotes from different books I'm reading, jot down things I want to read, or ideas I want to remember.  Sometimes I write a more traditional journal entry in it but I'm bad about doing that consistently.  It's a catch all of journals.

 

My more "in use" journals currently.  I keep a small journal to jot down ideas for blogging or a craft show I plan to do.  My Gratitude/Thankful Journal, Misc, and the Buddy Book.  The Buddy Book is something my best friend and I have had going since 2004.  It deserves its own blog post so stay tuned for more on that.  It's a really fun way to stay connected and document our friendship.

I've always wanted to be the kind of person who journals my life and have volumes of journals documenting my entire existence.  Over the years, I've made the decision that I will journal every day NO MATTER WHAT.  I think the longest I've gone with that is maybe a week or two.  I realize that my daily thoughts and events are quite boring to read.  Now I try to document my life more with photos and I figure historians one day can piece together hundreds of journals with quotes, weird things, ideas that didn't pan out, and will come to this conclusion..."Who is this girl and why the heck are we wasting our time reading this stuff?"

So that's my journal addiction.  I may have more floating around here and now I have an urge to go shopping to find more.  Fortunately today I am without a car so I guess the journals I already own will have to do.