Halloween Party Part 2

Here are the revelers.

Wonder Woman

A Lady in Antique Top Hat

A Bought Politician

Road Construction Worker

1950s Waitress

Steampunk Lady

Skellie Lady

Jack Sparrow

They Live

Zeus and Hera

Robert Baratheon

Steve Jobs

Halloween Party 2017

My wonderful friend Kristi and her husband Roark put on a wonderful party. So many cool costumes showed up. Kristi made her gown and her husband's uniform.

The food spread was wonderful as well as the decorations.

Happy Halloween Eve!

I've been busy with the new job and making my costume for a Halloween party and tomorrow night. The party was a blast and I'll be showing pics. This was the first full-size piece I made for me in over twelve plus years. I almost made myself crazy with it but realized I was supposed to be having fun with it. That it's been awhile and to enjoy. I'm plotting my 2018 costume and will start that in January and not the week before the party. I didn't make the hat but decorated it with dolls I've made and a pin I got from a doll show.

Here I am as a forest witch. The walking stick is also decorated with my work, a skull from a craft store and a stuffed rat from IKEA I got a few years back.

And I got 5th place for best costume. Not bad my first time out.

I plan on keeping the creative mojo train going this week. So much I want to do and make.

It's July!

Wow! That was fast. I added another day of celebrating for the birthday. I went to a cool fabric store with a friend and then she took me to lunch. And then there was the holiday, July 4th, and I just kind of chilled out. Now I'm getting back to business. I had a nice time off to enjoy and reflect the rest of the year. Because, the year is officially halfway over. The days are getting shorter. Eegads! So here are a few things I've done the past week or so. Some new forest folks based on an alpaca wearing a leather bomber jacket. It was on a greeting card. Which I can't seem to find. Moving sucks.

I did a few more sketches but it doesn't seem like I took pics. Will rectify that shortly and put in my next post. I will be working on my Raggedy Ann doll and get some doll pins painted. The next holiday (so-to-speak) is in September.

Hello December -No Pic Post

I keep saying it. Time flies by whether you're having fun or not. We are into the last month of 2016. And even though the bulk of this year sucked like no one's business, I've decided to turn it around. Taking a look back, I have allowed things to happen to me, waited for things to happen to me and be thoroughly disappointed with the outcomes. If there were any. That hasn't been getting me anywhere I want to be. So instead of waiting for the New Year to make those goofy resolutions which pretty much don't work, I'm working on the change right now. No more living for others (I've probably said that before but it's finally clicking); it's time to start enjoying life. I only get one. At least on this plane of existence. I'm finally ready.

I can talk about things that have hurt me in the past without bursting into tears. Although, a good cry every now and again helps get all the toxins out that have built up. I am working on new projects and working on not worrying about things that I have no control over. It is what it is. Things happen. I can be so upset about those things, crawl under a rock and want to whither away or take a deep breath, see if I can fix things or wait for them to play out. I've got plans now. I'm not afraid to wake up and get my day started. I wake up, give thanks that I've been given another day, and get excited about what I will do.

Excited. I can't remember the last time I've been excited about things that I want to do and have started to do. I love getting back to my watercolor painting. Will it bring in money? I don't know. Maybe one day but right now, I'm learning to work the medium again so that I can get comfortable with it. When I paint, it relaxes me. For an hour I can forget everything else and paint. Then when I'm done, my head is clearer and I can do what really needs to be done. I'm learning that being busy all the time is not necessarily a good thing. Rushing to finish things because I think I'm running out of time. Maybe I am for a few things but my point is is that I'm beginning to enjoy the process. Starting with Step 1, then Step 2 and to not think about the final destination and that it should happen like in five minutes. I have been missing the process. And I tell you, when you take the time for the process of a project, you slow down. Our culture is so on a fast track for everything. But I was happiest when I created work when I enjoyed each step. Sometimes things worked, and sometimes they didn't. When they didn't, I didn't get upset. I reevaluated things and kept going. I'm getting back to that. Slowly but surely it's coming back and it feels great!

And I'm working on curbing the thinking. Sometimes I would think so much on a project that I would think myself into not doing anything. Then I'd beat myself up for not doing anything. Really bad cycle. I still have my lists but they are a lot shorter and if a project takes a little longer than the time I'd given, that's okay.  I'm okay. I am a work in progress and I like that. Growing is a part of living, of being human. And I'm smiling more.

After hitting rock bottom in October, pulling myself out of the hole of despair and self pity in November, I'm ready to rock it in December and 2017. Time to reach for those stars.

Talk Like a Pirate Day

It was yesterday and I celebrated by going to the local Krispy Kreme and got my free doughnut hole because I wasn't dressed like a pirate. But I did get a doughnut with skull and crossbones and a travel mug. So that was breakfast. Doesn't take much to entertain me.

June Wrap Up

I can't believe that another month is gone. The Summer Solstice has happened and the days are getting shorter. For many, they haven't even begun to have summer yet, for me, I'm ready for the cool breezes of fall. Fall and spring are my favorite times of the year. I can wait. I have a garden this year, so summer is okay. But soon we will be bombarded with back-to-school commercials and Christmas commercials. It would be nice if things would just slow down and we could enjoy the moment.

I did some nice things to celebrate my birthday month. I had fun and decided it was time to make some big decisions in my life. And right now, I'm very excited and looking forward to the future. So here's what I did this month.

• 5 books read
• 2 business quilts
• 1 Sashiko kit
• 4 day trips- quilt shop; Sparta, NC, Black Mountain and Asheville, NC; picked blueberries at Sandy Creek Farm
• 10 days of practicing a new language (didn't start until late in the month)
• 13 World of Wendy Lu blog posts
• 4 Wendy B Quilts blog posts
• worked on my roombox- painted the ceiling and walls
• started 2 new dolls
• went to a dance recital, art reception

It may not seem a lot but it worked for me. I did a lot of soul searching to figure out where I want to be, what I want to do with the rest of my life. I am off to a new adventure. I hope you will join me.

A New Year!

Yesterday was my birthday. I had a fun time doing things throughout the month to celebrate my special day. Capped it all off spending time with some friends at an art reception and eats at Muddy Creek Cafe. It was so good talking and laughing with good people.

Today starts my New Year. I have some major plans on the drawing board and will have to work like a maniac for the next two years for it to happen. I've been in this spot for nine years, it's time to make a move. I have started my recons to the  mountains of North Carolina and I think I've found the spot where I want to settle. It has everything. A great art/craft vibe, lots of interesting people, tons to do: tubing down a river, rafting, hiking and biking, fishing, museums, great places to eat, lots of festivals just about all year round, and natural beauty. That's for the move, I will also kick up the creative projects up a few notches. My artwork, quilts, writing will all go into override because I am moving to the mountains. I've been toying with the idea for the past several years and now I've put it out to the universe.

Am I scared? Heck yeah! But the excitement is even more powerful. You can accomplish a lot when you're excited about something. And I will document everything. So let's get started.

I got these today from a local craft store. It has a point program and if you get so many points by the end of the year, you get a $10 coupon. Yeah, yeah, you spend more than you get back but when that $10 comes in at the beginning of the year, that's when I really need something from the store. So I'm good. I've just about run out of my paints. Some, not very good ones, so I've decided to go for the gold and get better paints. One, you don't have to use as much to get the color you want. The color saturation is so much better and basically, you get what you pay for. Plus, I haven't used artist grade paints since I was last in college and that was a long time ago. Years. Eons. You get the point.

I love the little beach chair. What will I do with it? I don't know but if I'm going to go back and get a couple more, I need a good reason to do so. I have an idea and will start sketching it out. The paint is Golden Manganese Blue Hue. Coupons help too.

I've got a list to attack. Have a great day.

Cruise In Part 2 - Cars

Cars

Corsair- Corsa

Didn't get the name of this one.

More Birthday Fun- Cruise In Trucks

I went with a friend to a local cruise in of old cars and trucks. Many were absent because the clouds had opened and poured for over an hour. But there were some die hards still there.

I love old trucks. This is a GMC one. A nice blue one.

Inside a Ford.

Army truck.

My friend's 30 year old JEEP called Moss. I painted the two skull light covers.