Time and a Great Movie

I'm a sucker for holidays.

I'm all for any excuse to celebrate the passage of time.

Might as well celebrate it,

cuz there's no stopping it.

And mourning it takes too much energy,

robbing us of what little time we're allowed.

Time is slow when we want it to be fast, and too fast when we want more of it.

Time is a thief, true enough.

It steals childhoods and loved ones; eventually it steals everything earthly I suppose.

But time is Earthbound, and we are not.

Not really.

So, if we're lucky, eventually

Time delivers us to Timelessness.

What's the old saying?

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

That's kinda how I feel about the celebration of this trickster we call Time. And so I unpack and pack the Santas and the Jack-o-lanterns and the pastel bunnies every year, blow out the candles and make wishes, ooh and aah over fireworks and eat chocolate from red heart boxes, celebrating the inevitable.

We might as well celebrate.

.

.

.

I went to see a wonderful movie last night,

surely prompting my musings on Time.

You all must see it.

Stripes and Coleslaw

Yipes, Stripes!

OK, I admit it, I play favorites.

I try to treat them all the same,

but some dollies are just easier to get along with.

Or maybe it's just those big pinch-able cheeks.

Little Abby here is just an all-round lovable sort.

She gets along with all the other dollies, doesn't bite

(a real plus around here),

and I've not once had to untangle her

from the ceiling fan.

*

Enid here is running a close second for Queen of My Heart. Her much moodier namesake, Enid Coleslaw, has been keeping us entertained this week. My eldest kid, Kaity, is being Enid (the one from Ghost World) for the day on Friday for her drama final. Our wig-buying options are severely limited in this tiny town of ours however, so a trip to an actual city may be in the cards. Fire up the horseless carriage, we're headin' to town!

Genetic Engineering

Things are getting a little weird on the ole Cart.

Too much time spent amongst unpacked boxes

can make perfectly ordinary softies go a little wonky.

................

Still, wonky madness aside, it's good to be in full swing again. The studio is fully functional (OK, so maybe a little dysfunctional) now, and we're getting our groove back. The creatures having been gallivanting endlessly this week, much to our poor nervous dog's chagrin. A one-headed Siamese cat can reign havoc over any household, but two heads come up with all sorts of naughtiness.

................

The catfish here is mostly just confused.

What exactly is he supposed to eat?

And one minute he likes water, and the next. . .

Let's just say I've had to pull him

down from the ceiling a time or two.

Ah well, at least he doesn't shed.
..................

It's a minor award!

I 've seen little award icons

here and there in Blogland.

"What fun!" I thought merrily,

so I made one too.

Please feel free to pass it along.

.

I was thinking I'd award it to my eyeballs' favorite sites.

(You know, ones with lots of visual stimulation.)

My eyeballs couldn't pick just one though,

fickle little buggers, so we settled on three.

.

***Drumroll Please***

And the winners are. . .

.

Into The Hermitage

.

Softies Central

.

Lady Lavona's Cabinet of Curiosities

.

My eyeballs thank you.

Tick Tock Tick Tock

Time management is always such a balancing act, especially when you work at home. Even when the kids are in school, there is always something to distract you. Dishes to be done, dog to be walked, TV to be watched, naps to be taken. . .

.

I get a lot of questions about how I get so much done in a week. Well, I'll try to tell you--

First off, there are two of us, and we both put in about 40 hours a week. That's potentially 80 hours of productivity. It helps to be on a tentative schedule. Dylan's schedule is kind of a mystery to me, but he gets the sewing and stuffing done by Tuesday. I think he starts on Thursday the week before. I dunno. I do know what my schedule (ideally) looks like though.

.

-Monday I sketch, design and make any new templates or patterns, and get organized for the rest of the week. This includes a big list on a white board of the individual pieces I want to make by Friday (although I usually work at least part of the day on Saturday finishing up, depending upon how ambitious my plans are). I also get stuff ready to paint-- pick out colors, do any needle sculpting, select fabrics, etc.

.

-Tuesday and Wednesday I paint and do any sculpting.

.

-On Thursday (if I'm still on track) I stain everything in the morning, then have some fun while they're drying, then get everybody dressed, button-jointed, what have you.

.

-Friday I draw and paint the final details.

. . .

That's what my ideal week looks like.

But you know what they say:

If you wanna make God laugh, tell Him your plans.

. . .

Today, which is a Friday, finds me staining, button-jointing, dressing, and sculpting.

Balancing the housework and all the kids' many activities. . .well, that's another story altogether. Let's just say that productivity drops significantly during baseball season.

Of course, sometimes the muse strikes during off-hours. And that's honored as well, although not with as much enthusiasm.

. . .

How 'bout you?

When do you create?

Whew! What a month!

The craziness around the ole Cart seems to be settling down **knock on wood**. We're mostly moved in to our new place. The studio is functioning, although not pretty yet, so no pics for you.

It's good to get back into my working routine. I've missed my daily playmates. OK, so they're actually inanimate objects, if you wanna get all technical about it. But still, we have fun together, my dollies and me. Poor Dylan, his work space is much closer to mine now, and not separated by a door at all. This means more gallivanting half-finished dollies dancing on his head while he tries to sew. He just sighs a well-practiced long-suffering sigh, and tries to ignore them.

The new venue also has those creative juices flowing like mad, so I've got too many ideas racing around in my head. Don't worry, I'll capture most of them in a sketchbook so they don't get out of hand and do any real damage.

. . .

I just can't pick a favorite this week.

Remy here is just such a cutie, with her funny little grin. And no, that's NOT a clown she's holding, thank you very much. While her dolly does have an odd sense of humor, he most certainly doesn't have a scary big red nose.

. . .

But then there's Leona, who comes with the promise of granted wishes. Plus, how can you not love that sheepish little face? Oh, she looks shy alright, but her and Cinnamon down there can get into a world of mischief. Sure, Cinnamon thinks up the naughtiness, but Leona is easily talked into things, and of course she has wings so there is no out-of-bounds.

. . .

So you can see why picking a favorite would be difficult. And then there's the fact that I myself collect Little Red Riding Hoods, so this tiny pocket-sized set was automatically a forerunner. While I was certainly tempted to keep them for myself, Red has dreams of seeing the world. (Wolf just goes along with whatever Red wants, being a surprisingly agreeable fellow).

Happy Mother's Day

Mothers come in so many forms. Today we honor them all!

Mom's and Mommy's and Ma's. And sometimes even Pa's. Teachers and nurses and mentors, neighbors and babysitters. Mothers-in-law and mother outlaws. Big sisters, Grandmas, Aunties, friends, step-moms, bio-moms, adopted moms, and foster moms. We honor you all.

Mothering is a way of loving, and any who get it and any who give it are blessed. Today we give thanks for all the mothers out there, whatever name they may wear.

Sweet Jade Kitty

Our sweet kitty, Jade, left us this past week. She has been part of our family for the past decade, the last year of which she has been fighting kidney disease. She was happy right up until her last days, and died in our arms. She picked us to be her family, knowing how much joy she would bring. We went to the animal shelter looking for a kitten when Jade found my shoulder and wouldn't climb down. There she perched so often over the years, blessing us all with her affectionate purrs. Ever the diplomat, she convinced everyone in the house that they were her favorite, taking turns snuggling with us all. She was the only cat ever to enjoy a gentle shower, happily sitting on a fence post in the rain. Sweet little cat. Soft green eyes of jade. We buried her in a field under a tree where she might watch over her beloved birds and mousy playthings.

Goodbye, sweet furry friend. This week's favorite is a guardian angel, carrying Jade to another place where sunny spots abound.