new year, new diet. read on....

i remember making new year's resolutions when i was younger .... save money, lose weight, less drinking.  as new year's resolutions go, i was never one to keep any one resolution intact for more than about a month.  i was so easily led astray back then.  then one day i decided i would no longer make yearly 'resolutions.'    i mean, really, what's the point?  there are a number of personal challenges i resolve to overcome daily and for the most part they are a success, so i see no reason to begin a new year with some grand, over-the-top resolution.  pfft.

but this year i'm adding a little twist to a new personal challenge.  you see, i'm going on a diet.  not one of your standard low-carb, low-fat, low-sugar, sans-red-meat diets.  no.  this is a financial diet.  i'm formulating a plan to pay down current debt and afford home repairs while still building my savings and  investing in my business.  first thing i plan on doing:  eliminate incidental spending.  let's face it, i don't have a huge pool of disposable income to draw from, so that $5 coffee every other day, and that $4 breakfast burrito i can't seem to live without, and the $10 lunch when i forget to bring from home...all that is money better spent on groceries, or fuel, or utility bills.  so starting tomorrow, 12-31-12, i , jean m. may, pledge to eliminate any and all unnecessary incidental spending.  i figured i'd take it a week at a time, rather than proclaim to go a month straight without spending a penny extra.  the end of the week is much closer than the end of the month, and i think it puts the long-term goal of financial freedom in better perspective.  slow and steady wins the race, right?

i'll share my dietary progress here every so often so be sure to come back and visit.  in the meantime, save your pennies!

~jean

image courtesy of CROSS-eyed

merry happy christmas anniversary

"Tears are words that need to be written." ~ Paul Coehlo.  that's such a great quote, isn't it?  it's very apropos at the moment, too.  you see, today marks exactly ten years since i entered widowhood.  my husband passed away just 4 years into our marriage (ouch) and left me with three kids to raise on my own.  christmas has never been the same ever since and i've become more and more disenchanted with the very thought of it as the years have passed.  then there's my, er, wobbly household. seven living, breathing beings reside under one smallish roof, all with some degree of personality disorder. haha.  i admit, the mix does allow for some entertaining and humorous banter, but the clash of personalities can also cause thunderous rifts.  it's tricky, for sure.  adding to that, i've been dealing with the very real possibility of a valued friendship fading away.  heartbreak like no other, right there.

so those are my written tears, a portion of them anyway.  thanks, Paul Coehlo, for the inspiration.

~~~~~ ***** ~~~~~ 

while i'm here i'll offer a peek of what's new from the JMO studio.  i've had my hands in clay lately, and i am LOVING it.  oh, the possibilities!  i created these musical notes with a cookie cutter, air dry clay, paper, glue and varnish.  they will either be strung together like garland or bunting, or each may hang separately.  i haven't decided yet.

and with that same clay i've also been doing a little sculpting.  this here is Penny Ann, she's about 90% complete.  i'm kicking around the idea of giving her a body, though i really love her just the way she is.  she was lovingly created by sculpting air dry clay around a styrofoam ball, has glass eyes, a crochet beret (handmade by moi), and her hair is silky soft hand dyed Wenslesydale locks.  artist's pencils were used to apply her 'makeup.'

also working on sample patterns for the first ever JMO Collection ~ Summer 2013.  i can't divulge many details on that project just yet (sorry), but here's a look at one of the pieces in development.  almost the entire collection will be crocheted, with macrame and beaded accents added.  i am REALLy excited about this project and will share more details as soon as i can!

well, that's it for now.  may the coming year bring you all peace, love and harmony.  until next time...
~jean

i want to be free!

i've lived in Chicago all my life, born and bred here, and i love this city dearly with its diverse cultural communities, unrivaled architecture, beautiful beaches along the shores of Lake Michigan, and an art and music scene that just can't be beat.  it's a bustling town, hopping pretty much every day of the week and all hours of the day and night.  while all of that is good and fine, i want to get far, far away from it.  for reasons i won't get into here i'm stuck in the city for a few more years, but i've got plans and dreams and goals of breaking free from it all and leaving it behind.  living in a big city definitely has its perks, but i've found that solitude just isn't one of them.  maybe it's my old age....ok, my middle age....but i'm tired of the fast pace, tired of racing everyone else to beat the clock, tired of being just one of a zillion rats sprinting to the proverbial finish line.  i want to slow it down, lay it back, and mellow it out....

i want to drive (or hike!) leisurely through the mountains and marvel at tall, stately trees....

i want to stroll through a field of wildflowers on a summer sunday morning....

i want to lay in the grass of an open field and gaze at the clouds....

i want to enjoy an impromptu conversation with a perfect stranger during a trip "into town"....

i want to sit on the back porch of a cottage in the woods and serenade the birds with my guitar....

i want my nearest neighbor to be at least half a mile away....

i want to lay in a hammock at night listening to crickets sing while gazing at the stars....

i want to enjoy sunrise in "the country" with a cup of coffee in hand....

i want to ride a bike down a country lane and wave at passing cars....

i want to dance in the rain with my dogs as my audience....

i want to raise chickens, and goats, and sheep.....

i want a garden full of fresh veggies and beautiful flowers....

i want to be closer to and connect with Mother Earth in all her splendid glory....

i want to be free.

so my birthday came and went. . .

happy tuesday, blogville!

i celebrated 47 years of roaming the planet this past Sunday and what a wonderful weekend i had! i did a little supplies shopping Friday night...always fun!; friends took me to see Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy live in concert Saturday night...what an awesome performer!; and on Sunday, my actual birth day, i spent a lovely morning strolling through the forest preserve with my dogs, my daughter, and my camera...pics coming soon! each one of these events brought joy to my heart and a smile to my soul.

you know what else came and went?  the deadline for reopening my Survivor Arts shop on Etsy. i originally planned to reopen during October (Domestic Violence Awareness Month) but pushed it back to my bday, November 18. i'm now pushing it back yet again to November 30 but this time i'm making that date tentative. i tried doing the deadline thing; it just doesn't work for me. as an artist/artisan/designer/crafter i work best when i am in sync with my own creative flow. when i try to force it i get stuck, and aggravated, until motivation slips away and i can no longer focus on the task at hand. when artistic energy flows naturally i create from a stable mindset, something that is absolutely necessary to produce the unique, quality handmade items i strive for. so as of today i am done with deadlines. i will continue to work toward completing projects within a general and realistic timeframe, but no longer will i put pressure on myself or my artistic integrity with hard deadlines. nope, not doing it anymore. and i am more than okay with that.  :)

click HERE for this free calendar template!

getting back to the business of blogging

well hello there! long time no see. last time i wrote a blog post i swore i would be more consistent with posting. well, that hasn't worked out too well now has it? i've renewed my vow to blog more often, and this time i mean it! besides, i've got so many thoughts and ideas rolling around my brain that i absolutely must empty it out to make room for more thoughts and ideas. i originally was going to abandon this here blog in favor of blogging on the official JMO website but decided to stick it out here for the time being. it's not a bad idea to spread JMO all around the world wide webs after all. so let the blogger blog revival begin with a tiny peek at what's been happening in my little crafty corner of the world.

 #1. my new studio is about 90% complete. i installed new flooring, painted the walls, and moved all supplies/inventory in. there's still some organizing and light carpentry to be done, but the space is now the central hub for all things JMO. here's a look at my nice, clean worktable:

#2. after a hiatus of well over a year i'm reopening my Survivor Arts Etsy shop on November 18, 2012, which just happens to be my birthday! i've changed direction with this shop and will now offer hand sculpted clay pieces of a more personal nature. they are the art of this survivor of domestic violence, and each piece will contain my thoughts, memories, fears, and triumphs during a most difficult period in my life. healing therapy if you will. take a peek at one of the prototypes for this project:

#3. i've been spending lots of quality time with my trusty camera lately as Photography Manager for the Alsip (IL) Youth Football & Cheerleading organization. both my tween son and daughter partake in football and cheer and my last nine weekends have been spent snapping pics of them and their teammates. it's more work than i could have ever imagined, but so dang fun! we've now entered post season play with only one of our levels advancing to the second round of playoffs...my son's team lost in the first round *sniff*...so my photographic managerial duties will soon be coming to a bittersweet end. i'll miss the excitement of being on the field with the teams but i'll now have much more time to create. this is just one of about 3000 pics i shot this season:

there's lots more to share, but it's late and i need my beauty sleep. heh. blogging again feels good, so expect to see more updates more often. until then, keep peace in your mind and love in your heart. ~jean

dear blog: i've missed you

i'm afraid i've sorely neglected you, my dear blog, and for that i am truly sorry.  sure, i can use the age-old excuse that i've been "really busy"...i have been, honest...but that excuse is a sorry one, isn't it?  yeah, i thought so.  i do miss the interaction, the discoveries we've made together, the news we've shared.  you are like a long lost friend newly found and i don't want to lose you again.

so here's what i propose we do.  let's keep blogging here for a little while longer before moving to a bigger, better place like, say, our very own website.  not only will we tell stories there and share our webby adventures, we will share the whole experience of j.m.o. for all the world to see.  what do you say, are you with me?  it will be an adventure like no other.  i am certain of it.

until that time, let's keep in touch more often while we're still here.  i'll bring you behind-the-scenes coverage and my finds from around the web and you can bask in their awesomeness.  first, i think there's a Discover This feature that's very long overdue.  it is coming soon...

Discover This: Handustry

Three words sum up today's Discover This featured artist and shop: Wow. Love. Want. The artist is Michel Belisle of Montreal and the shop is Handustry on Etsy. Michel gives such a soulful interview that I'm just going to get on with it. I hope you are just as inspired after reading as I was. Please be sure to visit Michel's Etsy shop when you're done. I'm telling you, you'll be wowed.

Name: Michel Belisle
Location: Montreal, Canada
Description of work: creating handmade objects at the crossroads of fashion, art, and crafts

How long have you been creating? I started about 30 years ago. Back then I studied fashion design and started a business. But life took me in different directions since. About two years ago I started contemplating what I could do when I retire to prevent boredom. It suddenly struck me that I could make good use of my creative self, making things and selling them online. My online adventure started last year. It is still pretty timid but I am slowly putting more and more energy into it. I find it quite rewarding receiving compliments about the work I do. It is a renewed sense of purpose also to create items when I know my followers will appreciate, as they are always wondering what will I come up with next!


Metallic Silver Pencil Pouch

 How did you get started? When I was young I was fascinated by the New Wave fashion movement, but had no money to buy any of the wonderful futuristic garments available. So I thought, well, maybe I can make those? After a few trials and errors I decided it was something I could do for a living and went to fashion school. And there I discovered something extraordinary: the knitting machine. That thing is amazing and can do wonders. Through knitting I developed a passion for fibres. Knitting is giving me the ability to create shapes, patterns and fabrics. I feel totally free when I use this medium. I started exploring crochet techniques and leather last year. I am working on various projects and experiments in order to blend all those materials and techniques together, trying to find my own niche.

Where do you find inspiration? Partly from avant-garde fashion designers like Rei Kawakubo, Junya Watanabe, Issey Miyake and Walter van Beirendonck, and especially from contemporary architecture. Space, volume, perspective, unusual use of materials play a key role in triggering my creativity. I spend a huge amount of time experimenting with fibres, fabrics and, recently, leather. I want my designs to reflect structural properties even though they are made of soft and fluid materials. I also like my creations to have a purpose. I understand, though, that my current offerings do not exactly reflect my abstract creative process but it is also a characteristic of my process to be progressive. I am taking my followers with me on the path to discovery.

Where can we find your items for sale? I currently only sell online. I have two shops, both with the same name, one is www.etsy.com/shop/handustry, the well known handmade and vintage online venue, and the other one is www.cargoh.com/store/handustry. This one is a Canadian curated online marketplace and is where I offer my more experimental creations.



Buffalo Hide and Hemp Experimental Necklace

Formally trained or self-taught? As I said above, I have a background in fashion design but I mostly consider myself as a self-taught artist as I am going in directions and doing experimentations that are closer to fibre art than strictly creating fashionable items. I must thank my tailoring and machine knitting teachers for giving me strong technical backgrounds onto which I can build confidently my own creative language.

Why would someone benefit from purchasing your designs. When someone buys one of my creations, I want that person to make it totally his or hers. I want people to experiment as much with it as possible even find it a different purpose. It would very much please me to find out that my creations are used as catalysts by others in their own creative efforts. It would create a kind of intangible communication, a propagation of creativity and a tool to achieve self-actualization.

Anything else you’d like to share? I’ll take this opportunity to tell everyone who would like to embark on a creative adventure that anyone can. Simply start a project and do it. Even if the result may discourage you. Continue, go on, do another one until you build confidence in your ability and develop your own style. It is almost always possible to reuse a disappointing result and make it into something totally unexpected. Most of my successful realizations come from unsuccessful experiments. Don’t compare yourself with others and create according to what you feel is right.

Wristlet-Leather Pouch
 Soft Grey With Distressed Blue Jeans and Tiger Print Effect

Special thanks to Michel for participating.  Keep up the great work!

Thoughts on Thursday: Music

It is cruel, you know, that music should be so beautiful. It has the beauty of loneliness & of pain: of strength & freedom. The beauty of disappointment & never-satisfied love. The cruel beauty of nature, & everlasting beauty of monotony ~ Benjamin Britten

After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music. ~ Aldous Huxley

Music takes us out of the actual and whispers to us dim secrets that startle our wonder as to who we are, and for what, whence, and whereto. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Where words fail, music speaks. ~ Hans Andersen

Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence. ~ Robert Fripp

To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable. ~ Aaron Copland

Music is the Voice that tells us that the human race is greater than it knows" ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

If music be the food of love; play on. ~ William Shakespeare

Music is what feelings sound like. ~ Unknown

As I play the game of life, I try to make it better each and every day. And when I struggle in the night, the magic of the music seems to light the way. ~ John Lennon, Intuition

Discover This: IlzesCreations

The Discover This Series is on a roll!  Today I bring you a wonderful artist named Ilze all the way from Latvia.  Talk about talent!  She crochets, she knits, she felts, and she creates some of the most stunning pieces on Etsy.  I am always inspired by the talent of others, and Ilze certainly brings inspiration.  Enjoy this Q&A with her, and be sure to visit her links posted at the end.


Name: Ilze
Location: Latvia
Description of work: Freelancer

How long have you been creating your items?  I've been creating handmade items as long as I can recall. At first it was sewing. I made simple clothing for my dolls. At age 10 I learned to knit and crochet. Since approximately age 14 I had learned mostly all the basics and was able to earn some pocket money with selling my handmades. 

Felt Case in Black with White Daisy
for iPhone

How did you get started?  Art and crafting is in my family tree. My great grandmother was a teacher in craft school. Both my grandmothers had good skills in sewing and crafts. Also my mother is an artist and creates handmade items. Spirit of handmade has been there already before I even was born.

What inspires your designs?  I'm getting inspiration from color combinations, nature, flowers, internet, movies, magazines, my own mood and from many other things. For example, I was inspired from my own photo of a bee in my garden and I made felt bee hair clips.

Do you sell your items?  I'm an individual merchant. I have a small shop where I sell my crafts and different amber jewelery and souvenirs. Also I accept custom orders. Recently I joined Etsy where I offer felt and crochet accessories - felt flower brooches and pins, felt hair clips, felt purses and cases, crochet hats and knitted items. 

Red Flower Felt Brooch

Are you a formally trained or a self-taught artist?  Mostly I'm self-taught. At first I learned from books and my mother gave me advice. I have also taken several courses. I find information on the internet, in magazines, from other artisans, then I try to turn my ideas in reality. I don't stop self training until I get good results and myself and others are satisfied. 

Why would someone benefit from purchasing your designs?  Accessories have the capability of changing any clothing look to more brighter and stylish. For example, felt flower brooch can change boring, casual black shirt or dress in seconds. Even if they are served as a gift, but gift receiver doesn't wear brooches in the regular way, brooch can be pinned to a bag or a hat! There are many options how to use brooches, so all can find best way of using them. I also offer felt iPhone cases, they are a great and useful gift if you are not sure about gift receivers taste in style. Here in Latvia we have quite cold winters, therefore it is important to keep body warm and crochet hats, shawls, knitted socks can help in that alot! 

Anything else you’d like to share?  I have many ideas, therefore check my shop often for new crafts and designs. 

My Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/ilzescreations
My blog: ilzescreations.blogspot.com
Twitter: twitter.com/ilzescreations

3-6m Baby Pink Beanie with Cherries

Discover This: All Things Granny

Look, another fellow Etsyan! I've decided to ramp up the Discover This series with more posts about fabulous artists and their incredible handmade wares. Allow me to introduce my friend and fellow crocheter, Angela of All Things Granny. She's smart, talented, and a really nice person to boot. Angela currently manages 5 shops on Etsy. Yes, 5. Is that incredible or what?  Check out her other 4 shops listed on her Etsy Profile. Here's what Angela has to say about her thriving business:

Name: All Things Granny
Location: Arizona
Description of work: Crochet Designer

Reversible Cotton Granny Square Pot Holder

How long have you been creating your items? Over 35 years, since I learned how to crochet.

How did you get started? I learned to crochet back when I was just 8 or 9 years old, my mother taught me the basics, and I eventually learned how to read patterns. I made gifts for people throughout my life, and I also have a small dog sweater business, but my love for baby items got me started making Baby Blankets.



Custom Owl Granny Baby Blanket

Where do you draw inspiration for your designs? I get inspiration from everywhere I look in nature, magazines, even on the Internet.

Where can we find your items for sale? I sell on Etsy.com and also my own web page,  http://www.aandboriginals.com/

Do you have any formal training, or are you a self-taught artist? I am self taught.

How would someone benefit from purchasing your designs? I think people benefit by buying handmade items in general. The quality of my items is top-notch. I think an heirloom baby blanket that can be passed down from generation to generation can be a priceless gift for any new Mom, and Baby.



Custom Granny Square Baby Blanket

Special thanks to Angela for participating in the Discover This series on the JMO blog.  Beautiful work, my friend!

Thoughts on Thursday: Friendship

I recently lost two highly valued friendships.  They weren't lost due to death, but due either to simply growing apart, an inflated ego, or a casual disregard for another's feelings.  Whatever the reason, I am heartbroken.  

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. ~Author Unknown

A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world. ~Leo Buscaglia

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. ~Elisabeth Foley

A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out. ~Grace Pulpit

Constant use will not wear ragged the fabric of friendship. ~Dorothy Parker

The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had. ~Author Unknown

The language of friendship is not words but meanings. ~Henry David Thoreau

Friends are kisses blown to us by angels. ~Author Unknown

A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked. ~Author Unknown

Strangers are just friends waiting to happen. ~Rod McKuen

A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world. ~Lois Wyse

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive. ~Anäis Nin

Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them. ~Francesco Guicciardini

Discover This: a Breath of French Air

After a much-longer-than-anticipated hiatus, the Discover This series is back! YAY! As you may know, I love giving a big shout out to my fellow Etsians, and this here is no exception. I am a huge fan (HUGE!) of handmade soaps and, after trying my first handmade bar years ago, will never ever go back to using store bought soap again. Enjoy this Q&A with Elizabeth of aBreathofFrenchair on Etsy who makes some decadent soap in her own St. Louis, MO home. As an added bonus, take a peek at Elizabeth's creative process in her videos on youtube and while you're there be sure to subscribe to her channel. So without further adieu, I present to you aBreathofFrenchair....

Name: Elizabeth L.
Location: St. Louis, MO
Occupation: Soap Maker

How long have you been creating your items? I have been making soap since 2007.

How did you get started? I started out by researching soap making on the internet. I read about soap making and I also watched lots of videos on Youtube. I started with melt and pour soaps, and a year later started making my soaps from scratch.

All Natural Olive Oil Shea Butter Soaps

(one word:  WANT)

Where do you get your inspiration for your products? I get most of my inspiration from my garden. I have a huge garden where I grow many of the seeds that I use in my soaps. I also love to read cook books. I recently started making whipped soap and I use this to decorate my soap cakes and cupcakes, so books with lots of cake pictures are fun to read.

Do you sell your items? If so, where? I sell my soaps on Etsy and I also am part of an artist co op at Fusion. Our shop is located at Chesterfield (MO) Mall, on the second floor.

Do you have any formal training, or are you a self-taught artist? I am self taught.

Bright Red Star Shaped Soap (what guest wouldn't love these?)

How would someone benefit from purchasing your products? Handmade soap is much gentler to the skin. My soaps are mainly made with olive oil and can be used by all skin types. I don't use chemicals in my soap and many consumers have commented on how much better their skin feels after using my soap.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with readers?  I have started making videos on how I make my soaps and body wash on Youtube. I love to show people how soap is made and what goes into my bars/body wash. Click HERE for my channel.

Ruby Red Grapefruit Solid Sugar Scrub Cubes

(hello yummy!)

Special thanks to Elizabeth for participating in the Discover This series.  Go check out her Etsy shop now!

creative nuggets

"When we are in the midst of making something, in the actual creative act, we know we are who and what we are because we forget our public reception for a minute. We become the art itself instead of the artist who makes it. In the actual moment of making art, we are blessedly anonymous. Even when done in public, the act of making art is a private act. Creativity is always between us and our creative energy, us and the creative power working through us. When we are able to stay clearly and cleanly focused on that, then we are able to do very well."

~Julia Cameron, the Artist's Way Every Day

Thoughts on Thursday: Sarcasm

I'm feeling a little punchy today....


"It's always darkest before it turns absolutely pitch black." ~ Paul Newman

"I am not young enough to know everything." ~ Oscar Wilde

"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please." ~ Mark Twain

"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow." ~ Mark Twain

"I'm not so good with the advice....can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?" ~ Chandler Bing

"They worship the ground that he walks away from." ~ Sarcasm Society

"Absence makes the heart want to fondle other people." ~ Sarcasm Society

"To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first, and call whatever you hit the target." ~ Ashleigh Brilliant

"My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I'm right." ~ Ashleigh Brilliant

"Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again." ~ Unknown

Thoughts on Thursday: Truth

...it shall set you free...

"The wise understand by themselves; fools follow the reports of others." ~ Tibetan Proverb

"A culture is made -- or destroyed -- by its articulate voices." ~ Ayn Rand

"A half-truth is a whole lie." ~ Yiddish Proverb

"A lie hides the truth.  A story tries to find it." ~ Paula Fox

"A man can never hope to be more than he is if he is not first honest about what he isn't." ~ Don Williams, Jr.

"A platitude is simply a truth repeated till people get tired of hearing it." ~ Stanley Baldwin

"Abandon the search for truth; settle for a good fantasy." ~ Unknown

"Advice is seldom welcome, and those who need it the most, like it the least." ~ Lord Chesterfield

"Always tell the truth - it's the easiest thing to remember." ~ David Mamet

"Everything you read in newspapers is absolutely true, except for that rare story of which you happen to have first-hand knowledge." ~ Erwin Knoll (my personal favorite)

"False face must hide what the false heart doth know." ~ William Shakespeare

"Falsehood is cowardice, the truth courage." ~ Hosea Ballou

Wednesday Wishlist: Circle of Friends

It's been a while since I posted a Wednesday Wishlist...heck, it's been a while since I posted at all (shame on me!)...so today I'd like to pay tribute to some of the fine, talented folks that can be found in my Circle of friends on Etsy.  As of last count I've added about 90 artisans to my Circle and am always on the hunt for more.  I'll dedicate more Wishlists to these fabulous friends of mine but for now, I present you with a random selection of pure awesomeness.  To learn more about the featured item and the artist's shop, right click on the shop links to open up a new window. 

Handmade Coptic Bound Journal with Skeleton Key

in Pale Green by Thenibandquill

Fine Art Photo Print ~ Nesting in Numbers

by TheGinghamOwl

Magnetic Denim Pocket ~ Leopard Spots

by ItsSoSue

 Handmade Knit Hat ~ The Seed Beret in Citron Yello

by pixiebell

Brown Trout Coffee Mug Etched Glass

by bradgoodell

Hand Felted Light Green Scarf/Shawl

by avivaschwarz

Mini Men Crayons

by LilDoodlers

Light My Fire Hand-dyed Wool Yarn

by dye2spin

Dirty Bugs Cocoa Butter Cold Process Soap

by BuzzPlanet

Small Blue Ceramic Watercan

by NicePots

Thoughts on Thursday: Secrets

We dance round in a ring and suppose, while the secret sits in the middle and knows. ~ Robert Frost


The secret of two is God's secret, the secret of three is everybody's secret. ~ Proverb


A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets. ~ Gloria Stuart


A writer should have this little voice inside of you saying, Tell the truth.  Reveal a few secrets here. ~ Quentin Tarantino

Celebrity and secrets don't go together.  The bastards will get you in the end. ~ George Michael

Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own. ~ William Hazlitt


The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart. ~ Saint Jerome


To know that one has a secret, is to know half the secret itself. ~ Henry Ward Beecher


Secrets are things we give to others to keep for us. ~ Elbert Hubbard


There are no secrets better kept than secrets everybody guesses. ~ George Bernard Shaw

Thoughts on Thursday: Lovesick

Love sought is good, but given unsought is better. ~ William Shakespeare

All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream. ~ Edgar Allan Poe

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. ~ Albert Einstein

Love without return is like a question without an answer. ~ Unknown 
 
Every wall is a door. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Maybe part of loving is learning to let go. ~ Unknown

Faith isn't faith until it's all you're holding on to. ~ Unknown

Never be sad for what is over, just be glad that it was once yours. ~ Unknown

Thoughts on Thursday: Perseverance

The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground. ~ Unknown


Saints are sinners who kept on going.  ~ Robert Louis Stevenson


In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on. ~ Robert Frost


It always seems impossible until it's done. ~ Nelson Mandela

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

In order to get from what was to what will be, you must go through what is. ~ Unknown

Thoughts on Thursday: Change

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.  ~Mary Engelbreit


When you are through changing, you are through.  ~Bruce Barton


Just because everything is different doesn't mean anything has changed.  ~Irene Peter


Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations.  ~Faith Baldwin


Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.  ~Pauline R. Kezer


God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me.  ~Author Unknown