boogaj

Rug Hooking & Harry Potter

Where the heck have I been?  It seems like the summer is always a busy time even though both of my businesses slow down a bit. 

And the heat, my god the heat! (Can anyone place that quote?)  I always seem to slow down once the really hot weather hits.  Lately Maddie and I have been taking early (for us) morning walks before it gets too hot.  Good exercise for both of us.

But I've also found some time for crafting.  I've been working on a new craft -- rug hooking.  I bought this kit last year at the Michigan Fiber Fest and haven't done a thing with it until last weekend.  I have no idea what I'm doing as I've never taken a rug hooking class and I don't have a book on the subject.  It seems to be going okay though.  I think I really need one of those rug hooking frames -- doing this with a little embroidery hoop is very difficult.

But mostly I've been reading -- I'm trying to re-read all the HP books before the new one comes out.  I've finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) (finished last night).  I just started Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) but I don't have book 5 (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)!  Must remember to order that today along with the new one -- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7).  (Book 6 -- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is waiting in the wings -- by book 6 I was hooked and had to purchase the hardcover as soon as it came out!)  Do you think I'll finish by July 21st?

New Craft Books

There are a lot of new craft books coming out that are very exciting!  Here are some I'm looking forward to getting my hands on:

Amy's book has *just* been released and mine is on order.  I can't wait to see it!!

Pretty Little Pincushions comes out this fall.  And you know I like pincushions!

Amy Butler's Midwest Modern: A Fresh Design Spirit for the Modern Lifestyle is also due out this fall.  This book looks awesome!  As a midwestern girl myself, I can't wait to see what she has to say and show in this book.  It sounds like it will include a bunch of projects too.

Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts is written by the owner of purl and patchwork purl.  Since they've been showing such cute things on their blog, I'm eager to take a look at this book!

So, those are the upcoming craft books that I'm waiting for -- what craft books are you waiting to get your hands on?

I guess I'm a procrastinator . . .

Because it took me until today to donate to Claudia's MS Bike Ride. So if you are a procrastinator like me and have been meaning to donate -- but then the phone rings, or you have to check your child's schoolwork, or the cats start fighting -- go do it today because the bike ride is this weekend!

I must have been good. . .

. . . because I got stickers.  Okay, technically the hygienist gave them to my daughter because she was so well behaved for the hour or so it took.  But Maddie gave them to me because I was a good patient.  I had root scaling and planing on one half of my mouth and I get to do it all over again next month for the other half.  Then I go back in 3 months for a follow up and polish and hopefully I'll be done for a while. 

If you haven't been to the dentist in longer than you should -- go now.  Don't wait like I did.  It got me a root canal, 3 small and 1 big cavity and all this other stuff.  Don't delay -- get yourself to a dentist and avoid my mistake!  (I feel like a public service announcement!)

Summer of Classics

This summer I've decided to go back and re-read some of those classic books that we are nearly all forced to read through high school and college.  I remember reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald way back in the early 80's as a Freshman in high school.  Now I don't think I thought much of the book at that age.  I mean, what did I know about the American Dream at that age? 

Re-reading it now that I am 37, I feel a much deeper appreciation for this novel.  It seems especially timely since I recently read Mengestu's The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears.  These books have a lot of themes in common -- the pursuit of the elusive American Dream & the constrictions of class come to mind. 

I'm sure many of you have read this book already, so I'll forgo the plot summary.  But if you haven't read it since high school, think about taking it out of that old box or off that dusty shelf and giving it another try.

What's Next?

I could show you a progress pic of my cross stitch sampler, but I have something else on my mind today -- well for the past few weeks really.

I'm wondering what's next for me. I'm at a point in my life where many paths lay before me and I feel like I just need to chose one, but I'm frozen with indecision. It's a strange feeling -- almost like there are too many choices, so I chose none. . . but time is running out and I need to make a decision because staying here at the crossroads is not an option for much longer.

Why now? Well, the past 6 months were very stressful -- we were in a holding pattern waiting to see what would happen with Pete's job and then when he knew that they were closing up shop there was the whole job hunting thing which is never fun. As it turned out, all the worrying was for nothing because he got another job right away and was only out of work for a few weeks. Now we are on a new schedule -- he's working longer hours and beginning a new phase of his career.

And I'm still here at home.

Now I'm not sitting around doing nothing. I'm still homeschooling Maddie and I have my two businesses. But Maddie is getting older and doesn't need as much help with things as she once did. And I'm losing interest in my businesses. Stamping online is almost 6 years old now and while it is going along well, It's certainly not all that exciting anymore. In fact, it runs quite smoothly and requires less and less of my time as I make refinements to my process. And it's obvious that I've lost my knitting mojo. I haven't had a new pattern out for Black Sheep Bags since last year.

So where do I go? Do I start a third business? Something new and interesting? Do I try to refocus on one of the existing businesses? Maybe I do something entirely different. I just don't know.

One thing I do know is that I need to make a decision. I feel like if I could just visualize what I want, I could make it happen. But what do I want? That is the real question.

Pincushion Challenge Theme

I completely slacked off in May and didn't get a theme up, but I have one up now for June/July, so go take a look at the Pincushion Challenge blog.