July

Yep, here we are in a new month. I guess I just have to roll with the waves because things are just weird. I did get the front page to my Bullet Journal done. Boris Bigfoot and what may be his camping adventures for the month. Yep, Bigfoot goes camping.

Last week was my birthday week. One friend took me out to breakfast. Another friend took me to Port Austin, MI on my birthday and it was wonderful. Such a unique little village that is pro-artist and musician. The waterfront is beautiful and there's a lighthouse close by. You have to take a boat to get to it but I did see it in the foggy distance.

Public art.

The Bank is a restaurant in an old bank.

Port Austin Lighthouse. This is the type of lens used in the lighthouse and the miniature model that was made of it. It's in the Visitor's Center/Chamber of Commerce.

This was an old barn that has been turned into a living space and studio/gallery for the artist in residency program.

And this is art town. Another program for artists. If you think you want to have a brick and mortar place, instead of spending tons of money to see if it will work, you can rent a shanty for the summer and give it a go.

Even though it was overcast and sprinkled a bit, it was a great birthday day and gift.

Okay Then...

Yep, I thought I would be doing better at posting but this has also been a weird month. Heck, a weird year. The one thing I have been doing is keeping up in my Bullet Journal but the creative wheels are a turning. Since my last post I've:

• had 2 panic attacks
• took 3 days to clear out one room of my mother's house - still not done. Have to go through built in drawers and finish off the closet.
• got things together for an upcoming yard sale
• stuffed and put together 5 new dolls
• got a little knitting in - that kind of calms me down
• been doing some little sketches
• started making hexies for upcoming projects
• went on my first day trip of the spring/summer
• bought some doll supplies
• working on designs for a new doll
• figuring out which doll shows to do at the end of the year
• worked on a watercolor mermaid painting
• added my first piece to my wardrobe with a blue jean jacket (not new)

Okay, looking at the list, it hasn't been bad. There is always room for improvement. My blue jean jacket I got at The Michigan Antiques Festival and I love it. My first ever blue jean jacket. It was my first time going and there were also antique cars on display and I love the antique spinning wheels.

New Long Legs dolls.

The what used to be my art room. Knotted pine paneling. Those were the days. I used to pretend I was in a log cabin when I worked in there. I have to go through my books too. I washed the curtains, which I guess hadn't been done in awhile and when I pulled them out of the dryer, they looked like a tiger had gotten some claws on them. So... new curtains will be made. And a window needs to be repaired.

My version of Feegee Mermaids.

I'm making hexies. Using a template, they are made out of fabric. Because I have lots of scraps and some crazy ideas for these little things. I have seen some smaller than this and I'm seeking out those templates. Yes, that's a quarter next to them.

And this will be the second garment I add to my wardrobe. I read of one young lady who had so many different crafts she liked to do (sewing, knitting) that she decided to make one garment a month. I liked that idea and will try it. But the new garment will replace an old one.

So, that's my update. Will work on another post a lot sooner.

2019

Day two on this calendar. It's 2019 y'all. No pic for this post because I just wanted to get started. Lots to do, lots I want to do and so far, I've gotten a decent start. First off, last year. 2018. I did do a few things.

• was a vendor at three doll shows
• finished 25 projects which included 52 pieces
• designed and made a doll for a theatrical production in North Carolina
• designed Halloween embroidery for a friend
• made my second trip up north, seeing another lighthouse and the Straights of Mackinac
• started a new doll making technique
• wrote a little, very little on my novels

That's what I did. What I accomplished and I'm pretty proud of myself. It wasn't all that I had wanted to do. But I did do some things and this year will be a lot better. I'm in a different place in my mind right now and I've got some exciting things coming my way.

With this new technique I will be doing more standing figures. Some will be cute, some funny, some a wee bit scary. But I believe it will help me grow as an artist. Making my box just a little bit bigger. So stayed tuned. We've got a new slate for the next trip around the sun.

Catching Up

Yes, catching up, yet again. For the past three weeks I've been running around like crazy. After a sudden heatwave, we now have fall temps and the leaves on the trees are starting to change color. My favorite time of year.

So I will start with three weeks ago when I went up north with my friend Kristi and her friend Abbie who is probably my new friend. We started out at Spicer's Cider Mill. Got cider, fresh donuts, apple pie, and wine. Did I mention that this was a ladies getaway? Yeah... Then we went to Ossineke and saw the roadside attraction Jurassic Jesus, the one who protects the dinosaur park.

That's me in the green. And the next pic is of a postcard from the dinosaur park. We also got fudge from Joann's Fudge. Actually, I got truffles.

We then went to a small waterfall and onto Posen. We took a nice walk on the property and got pizza at the town's party store.

The next day we went to Mackinac City. We visited Fort Michilimackinac.

And this poor guy waiting for visitors to come around so he could talk to them. In the back you can see the Mighty Mac aka Mackinac Bridge over the Straights of Mackinac.

There were several large gardens (at the end of their days) that had to feed everyone in the fort.

My new new friend I met. We talked about costumes and costume books.

We left there and I went to Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. It was around closing time and I was part of the last group to go up into the lighthouse. 51 narrow steps and an 11-rung, eight-foot ladder through a narrow hatchway. I did it, I went all the way to the tower. So glad there were only 3 of us. Really got a chance to talk to the guide.

The original Fresnel lens is on display in the light keepers area. I also got a quick look at the Shipwreck Museum. Very interesting and continued my talk with the same guide. He was pleased when I started talking about Michigan shipwrecks and U-boats of WWII. It's really nice to talk to people who love and appreciate history and they don't make you feel bad if you don't know everything they know. I wish I had time to buy him a beer and just talk. So if you're ever up north in the lower peninsula of Michigan, go see the fort and lighthouse. The Mighty Mac and the Straights of Mackinac. The best time is off season. No crowds. A little on the chilly side but still very cool. The last thing we did before heading south was to have pasties for dinner. Yum. Pass-tees. Until next time.