luxe

i was supposed to do a big yarn update today, but i was lazy and had a headache all day, which has gotten worse and i shouldn’t be online, but ya know. anyway, i will be doing it to-morrow, along with working on some other new things that i am excited about. really excited. i have some lovely valentine’s day yarns, as well as some that would easily double as breast cancer awareness that are much more subtle than my usual, but lovely and squishy. i promise, cool stuff to come. i am also planning to add some of the circle collages to the update and some softies i crocheted that i was being clingy with, and i need to cut the cord (or yarn, as it were. hee. cut the yarn. i crack myself up.) so that should be done by suppertime to-morrow eastern time. i will be sending out an email to those of you on the list. here is a little taste of em…i have several striping ones, that are really fun to work with, and several with organic green (unbleached) cotton sections that are all poofy and soft. i am stunned that i love spinning up the cotton so much even though it is such a short staple, but i really do. who knew?

so, here are some nice things i ran across over the last few days online…
1.this sweet girl has started a charity to ger new art supplies for herself to use in the hospital, to make her crafts to sell for more supplies for herself and other kids to use in the hospital. what an adorable little girl. a little girl with a spirit like hers and wonderful, upbeat parents like hers has just gotta be okay, right? doing and making art and craftsy endeavors have really been instrumental in my mental welfare, particularly when i am too sick to get out of bed, so i really think that this is a wonderful idea, not just for her, but for anyone that is sick, or really, even depressed. it gives you something to show for your time.
2.how about thislovely book?.

3. yarn made out of newspaper? funnily enough, i apparently read this article before because i commented on it and don’t remember, but anyway, this artist made yarn out of newspaper that is really lovely and then it was woven into a rug. i would be interested to know how well it holds up, i am sure once woven it would be okay, as long as it was sealed in some way. it looks really cool, though. someone commented that she had spun rice paper and crepe in college in the 70′s, which would be lovely, too. hmmm. anyway, here it is

4.more links? okay. thissy one
a LJ friend’s lovely new bookon blurb. i have been wanting to do something myself, but i am so disorganized. still, it looks like fun. i would love to do a children’s book, too. with my favorite buddy gabe although we never get our act together. i can’t, at least. i keep meaning to pop by again and see him at work and pop into the antique place and call my antique hook-up mick to see if he has a few of the odds and ends that i am looking for. he always tells me just to call, but i forget. and i know he has all kinds of storage units, including a little garage in town that i poked around in before. full of dusty, rusty, broken stuff. swoon.

5.and here is another wonderful charity that you could donate your old sewing machine, or whatever your could afford to give, or even your teaching services to help people who lost everything in katrina to get back their lives. i have 2 vintage sewing machines that work, but need to be worked on that i could donate. my local antique/thrift store gets tons in all the time, too. i know he would love to get rid of em. you can also donate lil preemie caps, which even a child could make and would probably love to make!

otherwise, i best get going and try to sleep to get this pain in my head out. jake, the consummate musicophile actually taps his feet in time to any music playing on tv or otherwise while he is sleeping. how cute is that? too cute. jake made perogies for dinner tonite and i had thought you could bake em…we did that and they poofed up and got crispy and chewy sort of like a fried ravioli or something. they were so so good! thanks jakie! you take such good care of me!

you guys are so sweet for all of your concerned comments and emails and phone calls when i made the migraine post. i didn’t delete it because i really do want people to get to know who i am, good, bad and ugly, but even still, i know it freaks people out a bit. i had a longtime friend get “sick” of my illness shennanigans and i cut ties after that. now, i lay it all out and if someone doesn’t want to deal with me, no problem. i think i am a good friend. i think i stick my neck out for others. drive you to the hospital. hold your hand. let you complain, or cry and tell me how bad you feel. i don’t question that you actually feel bad, or worse yet, i don’t ever try to make someone feel guilty for being too sick to go to a show, or dinner, or to the mall. i know that the sick person got the raw deal, not the well person, who can still do whatever they want to do. where am i going with this? on my lupus online group, there are always people who say that they can’t talk about their illness with their partner or friends or even family, sometimes, because they will think that they are just whining and get annoyed. it stunned me how widespread that behavior really is, how many people don’t really tell anyone how they feel. they feel like strangers are the only ones they can talk to. don’t get me wrong, i don’t like to bitch too much on my blog, i drop out of site when i feel really bad. but one of the things i can’t stand is those phoy blogs (by similarly phony people) who act like they are perfect, nothing is ever wrong and while i appreciate a gorgeous blog, i think that unless it is a blog devoid of any details of your life (which is okay, too. design blogs and such) it is kind of a lie to let other people feel like your life is perfect because it serves a bit like magazines covers where an already gorgeous and ultra thin person is airbrushed to be way more skinny and perfect. it makes you think that you are a loser. your meals aren’t all gorgeous and nutritious and served on fine china with lovely silverware and linens. your kids drive you nuts sometimes. or a lot. your cats puke all over your house and knock everything over. you didn’t have the energy to get dressed, let alone look cute. i think that if your blog is about your life, there should be some unperfect things as well. they don’t make you seem worse, they make you seem like a real person. they make you relatable, rather than making readers feel bad about themselves. i have had so many positive emails and comments from people saying that they appreciate that i am “brave” enough to put in the negative stuff. i am not brave, i am just the kind of person that will tell you whatever you ask. i really will. i always have been that way. at thist stage in my life, not so much embarrasses me. i do what i do, i am what i am, i am okay with that. so on one hand, thanks for loving me lumps and all, it really does mean a lot to me. but on the other hand, i encourage others not to be afraid to put negative details in your blog. if you feel like crap or had a really bad day, or whatever, don’t be scared that people won’t like you. bitching and moaning all the time is one thing, bu saying what is going on and how you would like to make it better…that can be a great way to get advice and kind words, as well as getting it off of your shoulders. just my opinion. and i am loopy on migraine meds, so best i go before i say something even more strange. ya know?

love you all…
n.