A Few Gifts for Christmas

Just stopped by to post a few pictures of some gifts that I made for my girls for Christmas! I was at a local Hobby shop and came upon a sale for patterns...99cents :) and you cant beat that. So I took advantage of it and picked up a few, well ten to be exact. One of the patterns is for the popular animal hats that all the kids and even adults are now wearing.

I made an ornament also that just seemed to go with my never ending love of snowmen.  So I'll leave you with the pictures and get a good nights sleep....zzzzzz. Oh yah, the pictures!

the Snowman is an original design :) if you are interested in the pattern just leave me a note with your email address and I'll send details.

Be back soon :)

Michelle

Its Me.....and I WILL write....

The date is 12-30-11 and I subscribed to an internet service on the 16th (originally it was supposed to be the 9th of DEC but that fell through ugh!).....I just this morning had it turned on! I just received my modem yesterday after it was delivered 2x's to the wrong address and then once to the wrong zip. How do I configure an icon that looks like its shaking its head vigorously? hmm.

I live, now, in the largest city in the U.S. so how this happened I guess isn't so much a mystery but is still very frustrating to say the least. So I can get a grip and go with things or I can fume over the disappointment of the system. I don't have time to get involved nor the patience because its been a roller coaster ride so far and my wits end has been passed up several times :)

I'm looking forward to getting back to the artsy end of my world....(sigh of contentment)

I have a few things to get done this morning  so I'll be back.......SOON.

I've missed writing so much.

Michelle

Internet! once again! yayyyyy

I will be brief but I just wanted to say that I will have internet by the  9th of DEC. ! Ahh the land of the living once again :)

See you soon,

Michelle

Internet a Bust in AZ!

Just wanted to leave a note for all those wonderful followers out there :) I am still alive and well in Arizona ! I just cant get internet without TV, which I dont want, for a decent price...arghhhh!

Talk about frustrating...oh boy, it really is just that.

So Im shopping for a decent deal here in AZ and until I get one Im without internet on a regular basis. This means that I am going to Starbucks...im not much of a coffee drinker either...and checking things like my email and facebook..I suppose I could also get it together and post on my blog. Its good talking again or rather writing because it really does allow me to make up my mind a lot quicker when I do.

Well Ive been here for about a month now and little by little Im moving right along. I now have my own digs and day my day Im putting things in their proper place. It takes me a bit longer since the back surgery but all  in good time. And did I mention that I left most of my furniture behind?? Yah, I did. My living room is the one to suffer the most but eventually it will be put together also, just like me.

I dont miss the snow at all...I dont think they've had much in Ohio but still the cold is there and I dont miss that either. I dont miss the grey, I dont miss the cold, I dont miss the urge to eat lots of heavy food either. I do miss my daughter Andrea..... A LOT, but I talk to her almost everyday. She calls me on her way home from work, she has about a 1/2 hr drive and it gives us the chance to catch up as though we were still 1/2 mile away.

I also miss being able to eat lunch with her, or dinner or just shopping.

I also havent mentioned that I had to leave behind a bit of my craft supplies because the movers, jerks that they are, gave me some lame excuse that they couldnt fit it on their truck without another 800.00. Yah, like I was going to fork over another 800 dollars....here ya go. Fortunately my daughter was able to keep what she liked of the craft stuff and donate the rest to some shelters that can use it.

I have taken a few pictures since coming here that are interesting but not like I would love to be taking. It seems that most of my days are filled with trying to get my medical records transfered here and finding a Dr. that would take my case. I have spent 3 weeks just trying to get a Dr to even hear me out. No one was willing until the Godsend Dr B.... :) and now Im fighting the system that will qualify him as certified in their OHIOan eyes!!!

OH yah, I was talking about pictures....and then I was sidetracked, as usual. I will look into what I have to post just so that things are a bit more interesting for you. I will be back.....but I have a big, Big,  BIG day tomorrow and I will deal with that first.

These are pictures of Lake Bartlett here in AZ. We went there shortly after I arrived and It was a beautiful day as you can see. I will post more when I take more :) AHHHhhh, I feel better now. It always makes me feel better to write, Im addicted, really.

See you soon, Michelle

p.s. and maybe some day I'll get back to the crafts, art, dolls, costumes and more.....I cant wait.

I've been through so much....

I have so much to say and yet there is so much that is just......kind of stuck in there. So much has happened since I left Ohio. Im working everyday at getting things in line and yet it seems that Im spinning my wheels. Im frustrated and I want to cry on a regular basis. I know that this is where I should be....with all my heart, Its just hard right now. This to shall pass, and everything is for a reason, without lifes lessons how would we grow, If you dont know what its like to live the hard life how can you truly enjoy the good...............I am going to get through this.

(these were my digs for the last night in OHIO...an air mattress and my computer! all a girls needs :}
and this is Sophia in her Halloween wax mustache! :)

All moves, especially as difficult as I have made this one, are hard. They are a learning experience. I have moved on in so many senses, but I feel almost broken right now. It seems that almost nothing is going right. Im moving again, and a bit sooner than I had expected, but, its the right place. I didnt expect it....but it shows me that I am listening and learning. I know that its the right thing to do, its the right place to be, without any hesitation in my mind.

(my Halloween pumpkin -a haunted house,  and also my 2 daughters with their "son of anarchy" and "headless horseman")

I was driving around town....if you can call it that. (not really a town more like a hmm, I dont know, its quiet and reserved and not busy and old hollywood  hills looking), and looking around as I did I saw a few places that I thought I would check out. I drove through the lot of one place and it wound around a few 2 story  4 plexes, they were very modest but nice. It was a quiet lot, no one in sight except a more mature guy riding his bike. The condos/apts are in the usual AZ design but still a bit different. Definitely not the southwestern style, I'll go with Old Hollywood Hills...that sums it up perfectly.

So I will move in tomorrow and begin my Arizona life.........yep, I won't keep you guessing. I like it, its warm, it has mountains and I will not have to scrape my car off...ever.

I havent had time to make anything just yet....I havent had access to anything remotely crafty...well I cant exactly say that. I did make my daughter here and her boyfriend costumes for Halloween. He was Jesus and she was his lost lamb. No patttern, free hand, and I really do like the way they came out, they were happy with them. I will  have 2 bedrooms in my new place so I will turn the 2nd room into my art/craft room, which Im ecstatic about.

And it only gets better.............................Its time to go to bed, I need rest and my mind is reeling again. I have to get a move on and I do mean a "move on"..........

good night,

 Michelle

Im Here!

Just got in late Saturday afternoon...all I can say is that I don't want to do that again for a loooooong time, ugh.

That was an experience that I can't wrap my head around just yet. It was a very long, tedious, mentally and physically exhausting day and night and day and...well you get the idea. Im not nor ever have been a great long distance driver and then add night vision, oh boy. There were a lot of sights to see but when all you want to do is get there you dont want to stop to check out anything, and we didnt. I could go on about the trip, really, because it was so much more than the few sentences that I've written but it wasnt my best experience. I just wanted it to be over. I thought that I would enjoy it and thought about all the fun possibilities, they didnt manifest. I guess I just wanted it to be over and be here, so I think I will concentrate on the now. I will say that fast food is not my friend anymore, I cant even look or think about a golden arch, ugh! or a travel stop and there are a lot of golden arches to be found in them, lol

Actually, once I get a breather there are a few great stories to tell, especially about Ms Kitty Sophia :)...Im just not there yet.

So for now Im going to enjoy the beautiful warm weather and the sun and the mountains and getting myself set here in my new home. Ive eaten a few great mexican meals since arriving and I think that I have my initial craving out of the way. I've been to a few markets (grocery stores) and see that there are lots of mexican products to make my own meals out of which will be great. I havent been able to get anything "real" in regards to mexican food for a very long time so seeing these items made me very happy. I would love to make my own tortillas strictly for flavor but im not sure that I want to take the time or deal with the calories when I find that they are sooooo delicious. I know that I want to try tamales with out a doubt, making them, and also some of the slow cooked meats (they have the seasoning here).

I'll be back have some things to do.

Michelle 

My Last Fall Walk in OHio

I took a walk on Friday to the bank....my car was waiting for me to pick it up but "I" was waiting for transportation to, and money to pay for.

So I decided to take a walk to the bank, for one, to get out and see the last of fall...for me anyway! I brought along my camera and started snapping away....great colors and with the leaves mostly still on the trees...yay, fall is beautiful.

It certainly can be a great time of year with all the festivals going on....octoberfest's, apple cider & apple everything....fests, mum fests, and on and on. Ahh and we cant forget the all time favorite "Clambakes"!
mmm & m. I will miss those..but I can always re-create them. Im taking along a  few fall decor from previous years here just in case, who knows?

Im almost done with my packing believe it or not. My Andrea has been an invaluable help with the many trips to The Haven of Rest. I donated a lot of things to them, they dont sell back to those that are in need. I just have a few more boxes to tidy up and then im off to the market to get some twine and some big boxes that I can break down to cover my large pictures and paintings.

I will suppose that I am getting a call from the moving lines to tell me when they will be arriving. At least that's what Im hoping for. So far there has been some confusion throughout the weekend between the 2 companies. Budget Van Lines is who I contracted through and then they job out and whoever is going to be in the area will be contracted to pick me up. I was told originally that I would have a truck that was going to drop someone else off on Monday and then they would pick me up on Tues/Wed latest but that I would know by Friday the 14th.....no call on Friday.

So here I am writing letting the 1/2 & 1/2 coffee kick in and of course the donut that I had to buy while in line at Dunkin Donuts! hahaha....it was really good though. A lemon filled/iced something or other and I bought a pumpkin one for later, just in case I have a need for another donut :) I havent had donuts since...geez...I dont know. And yesterday My Andrea comes over in the middle of the day to see how things were going and of course to help but had coffee & donuts in tow! mmm, ok now Im hooked, well at least for the duration of the trip. We have a lot of stops and  a lot of fast food to eat....ugh, lol,..well it might be good stuff tho, so I'll let you know.

I cant wait to eat mexican food where Im going, MY FAVORITE!

anyway, get moving Michelle.......be back soon,

Michelle

Thursday, Im thinking coffee..is

a distinct possibility today.....I dont usually drink coffee, but, lately, hmmmm...should I? I've gotten past the caffienated tea! its not doing much for me and I think that my body may have made a change in the last few months...(and didnt bother to tell me),  I think that I will at least try a small glass, wish I had a coffee maker. Ah! I know, when my car is done today...and of course thats if I can find a rid!e over to get it....I'll stop at starbucks for one of those mochfrappalatte2/1 caff's haha! I dont know...just need some energy and for my nose to stop running...where did that come from..ugh. Gotta go blow. That felt much better,ahhhh. ok what will be my plan of attack today...willy nilly? or room by room?.

I seem to go into one room and start on something major and then an article seems that it needs to be in with something else and of course its in another room. So I vote WILLY NILLY!hahahahaha! Its working so far :)

I did take pictures yesterday and got quite a few beautifully colored trees. I never left my balcony for them so I did resume the packing with minimal disruption ;0 Im just about to get involved in another round of cleaning and packing for the zillionth time but it has to be done. Thats what happens when you acquire so much junk, seriously....this stuff I have...I didn't need to buy...I could be rich! rich I say! ah,hahahahah! I was in character :) and I have no caffeine in me. Off the chair, put the computer down, go get a cup of coffee, ah, from the complex office! yay and I can ask Mike or Ken if he can give me a ride to get my car! cool......I love when a plan works out.

Thanks, Michelle    
p.s.s. Im thinking about videos?    Fun!

Procrastination...I have to get moving!

I'm procrastinating....I really am. Im sitting here doing all sorts of things on my computer...except packing! And I really need to get the rest of my things in boxes.

Whats so hard about putting things in boxes? Whats so difficult about getting rid of stuff? Im not particularly attached to a lot of my things. I can see myself with all sorts of new...everything...so why am I procrastinating? Im not rich so re-buying some items will not come easily but it will happen...eventually and I can wait until. So get rid of stuff, right?

Ok, Im going to get up off of this chair....in just a few minutes, really, as soon as I finish this post :)

Im looking out at the trees and they look beautiful...I want to take pictures. These pics cant wait, haha, one more reason to procrastinate. Oh goodness, now Im back to the same place. Ok, Im going to grab my camera and take a few from my balcony, which is where I can get the best shots anyway. And then I will pack.

I'll be back tomorrow, and not any sooner, cause I really do have to pack....a lot....of stuff!


Michelle......the pack rat..lol

New Design? Im not sure.. Busy moving....

Well Im here to post for a few moments....I need to get a few errands done before my car goes in for servicing!

Im not sure if I like the new options for design on blogger...? Im a little stuck though as to how to change it back, not that a few moments of concentration on instruction wouldnt give me my answer but I choose to ignore them for now :)

So I have approx. a week and 1/2 until I shove off...oh, isnt that for a ship? haha, well then it would be...until I put the medal to the pedal? lol, I think thats wrong too, pedal to the medal>? I dont know, Im not into racing and I even have my reservations when It comes to my Andrea keeping her foot on the light side..so no more references :)

Fall is coming along nicely here in Ohio and I plan on taking some pictures today to capture the trees turning...they are looking fabulous.. Just the right amount of leaves left on the trees and the colors are beautiful today. We are having a few warm, last, days of October and I will enjoy them while im still in this neighborhood. I will miss fall........but not the S word.

I thought it would be nice to take some pictures of my destination once I get there and then post to see who deciphers the location? We shall see....I think it would be fun and fun is on the horizon. I feel as though this move will be so beneficial to my creative side and I just cant wait to have that feeling fill me once again. Its that "time standing still" feeling that you get when you start a project and just get lost. Its that "so involved" in what you are doing that the next time you look at the clock its 3 hrs later....I Love That FEELING!

Well off to my errands.

see you in a few,  Michelle

My Art World.....

Is on hold for a few more weeks. Im about buggy since I really can't get into making anything for all that needs to be taken care of for the move. I can't wait until I am situated and back to creating, daily. Im busy it seems each day getting things done for my big move and I hope to be settled by the end of the month.

Bare with me and keep coming back, I will have more dolls, purses, and who knows whats next...... for your enjoyment very soon :)

gotta go for now, I need some sleep so I can get up early and pack, pack, pack, pack.....and pack some more.

I'll be back soon,

Michelle

21 more days to Packing D-Day

I have been organizing, throwing out and making the necessary trips to the local thrift shop and I think I'm ready to start packing! That was my thought this morning, so I started to pack mid afternoon. I now have 6 boxes done and my entire entertainment center and book shelf clean. It feels pretty good now that I at least have this much done.

I have 21 days left to get my belongings, well at least the things that I want to take, packed and ready for the POD. Its a guess as to how much I can fit into this "U-Haul" POD. I mean I've got the measurements that they gave me but until I actually see it it's just hard to tell. I plan to go to the local U-Haul place on Monday so maybe that will help :)

Truely, I can only think of how much everything hurts right now.....ow. I went through this 2 days ago when I cleaned out the kitchen pantry & cabinets and then also the bathroom cabinets too. It took me a whole day after that to feel normal again. This back surgery recoup is tricky to say the least. Anyway,  I gathered 6 bags of trash and they were a bit heavier than I expected or needed them to be so in pain is what I am. But the real revelation was what I came across as I cleaned and I also found it hard to believe that I actually had that much "junk" that I wasn't using! What was I thinking holding on to 5 lotion bottles that only had a 1/4 of an inch of lotion left? And "scrunchies" bahahahaha, yep I said scrunchies. I still felt the need to hang onto several and in a variety of colors to match all my outfits. Oh dear, It was definitely time to do this.

I found a few other things in my cleaning frenzy that made me laugh as well but definitely not mentionable :) take my word.

I will have to work on the art room next but I really hesitate doing this because then everything that I adore working on or with will be packed away. Its inevitable though, it has to be done and I'll be there before I know it. I hope I still believe that sentence once the tape is on the last box of crafts/ paints and material.

The great thing about this traveling adventure is that I will have some wonderful pictures and some fabulous quality time with my oldest daughter

Lets see what I have in my pictures "bag of tricks" to post and then I'm off to bed. My back is finally starting to relax and I'm going to take advantage of this glorious feeling.

Here's to a good nights rest and some beautiful dreamz,

Michelle

A Beautiful Sunday..... to remember

This is the day America changed ....forever.....for... always. The day that my comfort zone was disturbed, that day that I will always remember and never forget. Its engraved in my soul like a hot iron... branding life. I know where I was, I know what I was doing at that very moment, as well as almost every human being in the United States of America.

I was in shock, and for the first time in my life I really started to understand what it might be like to live in another country where fighting of this intensity went on daily. I watched, as did many others, the planes crash into the twin towers that day not wanting to believe. And I  just couldnt understand how this could happen to US, the United States of America.

I was working with one of my clients and his cell phone rang, he said a few things to the person on the other end of the phone and then hung up. He said, Michelle, turn on your tv to CNN, my friend just said that we should and that it was important. I turned it on and there we watched the first tower with a hole in the upper side of the building, smoke violently rolling out of the gaping hole.

We said nothing to each other, trying to make sense of what was happening and I guess digesting the possibilities. My mind was the optimistic one thinking that somehow a plane just flew too low and the instrumentation miscalculated something, somehow. We both sat there, honestly, sat there and said nothing to one another. Until we then viewed the 2nd plane slam into the next tower and the conversation flood gates broke loose....

We were now both speaking at the same time with thoughts of our own begging to make sense of what we were now seeing. Really, is this really happening? And then as the time passed another report, now of the pentagon being hit. My mind is now wondering where my children are and how I can get them home as quick as possible. I didnt know what to do first.

I began receiving calls from other clients that I would see that day reporting on what they had seen and their take on what we were experiencing and suddenly interjected into that was the next report of Alaquippa. Things became very still in the air, as if we were in the eye of the storm. I dont think I've ever experienced the sound of air silence before. You never really realize that so much is going on around you until all that is going on.. stops.

I then received a call from another client saying that she just saw and heard 2 fighter jets fly by her house in the opposite direction of Cleveland Air. Our thoughts were that they must be chasing someone. By this time the activity with the towers were being reported with the possibilities of terrorism, so seeing fighter jets fly by was alarming. Not more than 10mins later the jets flew back towards Cleveland and I really wanted to see my kids, now.

I still can't believe it, I don't think I will ever, really, understand how this happened to our beautiful America. How, Why...and why didnt we see it coming. America, the land of the free and the brave lulled into a false sense of security by what? By whom? Im not political in the slightest but this day made me think about the why's and the who's.

This is what I was doing on 9-11.......Where were you?

God Bless America ,

Michelle

A Very Good Morning

Good morning to everyone in bloggerland, Im trying to write as my kitten chews on my feet..silly cat. She seems content to lay under my feet and clean her beautiful fur as I write as long as I dont put my feet back on the ground!

I woke up lazily this morning which is always a great feeling. My Sophia (my kitten) was very cuddly and decided that staying in bed was a great idea so we did. I didnt get up until 10am! Not the usual for me, im usually up by 7, mostly because Sophia is an early riser. Kittens just dont understand beauty sleep, they are in play mode 24/7.

Ive finished my purse and am still working on my elf-Mahdreen. I am going to put her body together and take some pictures today. I had a bit of a set back with my car the last few days so its been the attention grabber. Hmm, I seem to be calling in all the fix it energy this week :)

I decided to take my car into the shop to have the A/C looked at, need to know the price before I decide if Im going to replace it. So I take it to a local shop, the owner is someone Ive known from one of the CC's that Ive worked at. He has a guy look at it and tells me that Im looking at over 1000.00, ugghhhh! Not what I wanted to hear at this point. I know that I have to have it fixed before I move. I cant very well drive across the states in a car that doesnt have a/c, especially with a passenger and my cat. Im not happy about any of this and on top of that he tells me that I need a new tire! I just bought them 2 yrs ago!!! I tell him and he says, well the hole is on the side so I cant plug it. He puts on my spare(cause im not going to buy a tire from him cause Im po'd about the price of the a/c) which now days is a donut sized tire only meant to get you to the shop to get another tire! double grrrrrrr. So I tell him to just do the oil change and I'll pick up the car.

I arrive at the shop and exchange pleasantries with the owner and he then gives me a bill for 97 dollars! now Im fuming, what the heck did I just pay for. I was so mad I couldnt even see straight. $97 dollars? really, for an oil change? He said, well we have to charge for checking the a/c. Honestly, really? So I pay the $97 and take my car and the donut and go home to cry for awhile.

So the next day I decide that I have to look for tire prices and get this tire situation under control cause I cant even begin to work on organizing stuff for the move without transportation. I finally take it to a place next door to my complex, sounds citified doesnt it? but its not, just happens to be an NTB a block away for some reason. The area is very wooded and then sprinkled with civilization in places that just dont seem right, haha. So I have my tire replaced for $79 and Im still looking into the a/c.

I said all that to say.......I have really been trying to get back into the art room where my sanity resides and I think today is the perfect day to do it.

Inventing and Creating....the things we are made of

Ive had a few crazy weeks and just sat down to write for a moment. I forget sometimes how good it feels just to put some words down and have them slowly relieve my  mind. I love to write I always have and with the crafty, inventive side always taking center stage :) my love for writing stands by the side of the road if not for this blog.

So,.... the sewing portion of me is at a standstill for the moment..,hmm. I keep going into the art room with intentions but I suppose they arent strong enough or I would have worked on one of the projects I have waiting for my attention.

I am as I mentioned working on a move to another, warmer, state. Im also working on my divorce. Im making all the appointments for the lawyer, Im paying all the fees, Im organizing my things and getting rid of those items that I dont need anymore. Im bombing the garage for spiders so that I can go through those items and throw away, give away or pack what Im taking with me.

I have a few months to get these things done so Im "thoroughly" going through things. What a great opportunity to cleanse my life. Its a lot of work but so worth it in the long run, kind of Feng Shui'ing everything while im at it hmm? I love my books on Feng Shui! if you've never tried it...I highly recommend it! The energy that is derived from getting rid of old, stuck energy is absolutely amazing!!

So my agenda today is to open the garage so that it can air out for a bit.....means that I have to sit out in the lot for a while, Im in a large apt. complex and my garage is on the other side of the complex, dont ask, ugh. So I'll read my book on "Trust Your Vibes" by Sonia Choquette and enjoy the sun for an hour. Its 76' and sunny with a light breeze today, not too shabby for having to sit outside.

I also plan on dedicating an hour to my purse and at least an hour to Mahdreen (she deserves it, she's been patient enough). I also have a new jewelry project that I started a few days a go to appease my nervous energy. I made a pair of earrings yesterday and want to make a necklace. Its the Steam Punk thing that has become so popular lately, some fun ideas to play with.

I've posted a few pictures that I took a few days ago early in the morning. I live on the 3rd floor of an apt complex and look out onto a beautiful protected wetland area. So you see woods for as far as the eye can take you. This particular morning we had some fog roll in and as I was waking up and looking out my window I noticed the fog and the beautiful colors that were coming through due to the sun rising. Sometimes you can capture all the color and sometimes, well, maybe just the fog :)

So I'll be back soon....I am having a great time with my creative freedom. Talk to you soon,

Michelle

Back In the Saddle :)

Hello to everyone who has been hanging in there with me and to all those dropping by to say hey! I've had so many changes to come about in the last several weeks and have gladly welcomed them. And yes, there have been some changes, wow.

For one, Im in the process of divorce....hmm, that one is time consuming enough on its own. It's only been 3yrs last April that I wass married and as happy as a clam when I did. I remember posting about the man that I had fallen in love with and our wonderful times together. And then of course the proposal and then the wedding and then the honey moon....And then I stopped posting about "US" altogether because the problems began. I won't go into the  specifics because they aren't important at this point. But I will say that it was my choice to divorce and for many good reasons. If it were for only one of the reasons that I decided on.... it would suffice for my reasoning.  I believe that all women can and should stand tall and strong, this is not a mans world of and to itself, this world is filled with human beings. We all breathe the same air. Enough said. So this has taken a bit of my thoughts and time. It isn't one of the things that I posted about being so happy for, which is an obvious.

One of the great things to come of this is that I am moving to a warmer climate, no more snow! yay, yay and yayyyyyyy. I'm very excited about this all by itself! I'm a West Coast native and have longed for the warmth and SUN, ahhhhhh, for a lonnnnnnng time. So I see an opportunity to make changes and live my life the way "I" would love to.

I have also had several offers to expand my sewing creations, many different avenues to explore that are so exciting and that makes me very happy!

I will post some of the new pictures of the body parts for Mahdreen, which I plan to finish through the next week. And also a new purse that I have been working on:)

I love the fun of making a very cool, classic outside shell and then a wild and crazy fun lining! I don't want to give away tooo much of the future, in the works, creations but this purse may be one of the lines to come :))) One more picture and then I'm off to bed.

still healing from my back surgery........

Talk to you soon, Michelle