The Best and the Worst of 2009

I'm really, really happy to see 2009 in the past. I'll give you the bad news first:

Shitty stuff of 2009
1. My Mom passed away (March)
2. Sister diagnosed with MS
3. Broke up with boyfriend of four years
4. Lost two good friends (probably due to too much stress, I'm only guessing)



I miss you, Mom

Highlights of 2009 (in no particular order!)
1. Bought new Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe Nostalgia.
2. Sold Condo.
3. Bought new single family home.
4. Reconnected with JT (after 25 years)
5. Pulled off Bear Fest
6. Easthampton City Arts
7. Mountain View Farm
8. Selected to exhibit at Springfield Museum of Fine Arts (not until 2011!)
9. Open Studios
10. Over 5,000 exploration miles on the new bike
11. Made some new, good friends

JT, 1981 (17!)

The new Harley

an unexpected balloon launch found during an awesome day on the bike

The Bear Fest...cake at the end!

Treasuries update

My nesting bowls made it to the Front Page. I thought that was pretty cool, especially because it was picked by admin to be featured...thanks!

The treasury I've got in the lists today (above). They are so much fun to curate, not to mention the challenge of being at the right place at the right time to even get a treasury! I know there are rules to it and you can determine (kind of) when they are going to open up, but you cannot account for folks deleting their treasuries, sometimes nearly taking an hour off the wait time.

Nobody puts Baby in a corner. This one is from sometime during the last year. I was particularly proud of this one and thought I should show it off.

Around the new shop

Finally getting things organized around here. Another session of rearranging and making a total mess has made things a little more functional around here. I'm sure I'll go through one more "tear this place apart" whirlwind projects in order to make it just right. I have to say, my new house is a little less roomy...the kitchen and bathroom are definitely bigger, but the rest is smallll. I really don't need much more than this but it would be nice to have room for one more work table in the shop. One more adjustment to the height of the sewing desk and all should be right with the world.

I've been working on lots of special orders this Christmas, and it's been a joy. I love what I do and am so happy to finally be working all the time. It took a lot of discipline to get myself back into the swing of things after taking such a long break, but I'm feeling compelled to work all the time now. I work a full-time job as well, so along with sewing and working in my studio, I pretty much have three jobs. It's great to never feel like I don't want to go to work.

Happy Holidays - It's the Simple Things, Really

Happy holidays, my friends. I hope all of your wishes come true. Mostly I'm just thankful to have made it through this year with some semblance of sanity. Every thing else is bonus. I'm taking lessons from my cat, Styx, who is pictured here with a little gift that she received from a friend. And that lesson is "it's the simple things, really". And that's all there is too it. I'm hoping for a simple, stress free, and peaceful holiday season and I wish the same for you.

Seriously?

OK, is anyone as confused by this as I am? I spotted this at the local Barnes & Noble today and thought "are they serious....
semi-homemade?" WTF! I suppose if you think about it, unless I was growing my own cotton, weaving my own fabric, dying it, etc. etc...that anything I make is semi-homemade. This is a magazine about food, one that I had not seen before now. Why not call it Kinda-Sorta-Homemade" or Almost Homemade? Just a thought.

Something new

Something I've been contemplating for a while now. Simple nesting bowls which are reversable, pretty, and practical. It's always fun to experiment and design but it often leaves a big mess in the sweatshop! I'll be listing these and others in the shop soon...probably after the chaos of Christmas is over and we are all concentrating on the new year. Happy Holidays everyone, I hope you are all having a great season.

A Special Order

I've just moved, and with this I realize that there is a special order to everything. My well laid out, efficient home is completely disrupted and it seems like it takes me twice as long to do normal things. Mostly it's because I cannot find anything. I'm slowly unearthing things, but today it was the pin cushion with the needles I like to use. I could easily find the other pin cushion, but the one I wanted was elusive. Well, I couldn't work unless I found the thing so 26 boxes later I found it and happiness resumed.

Speaking of special orders, I had a request come in yesterday and while I was waiting for the plumber to arrive I had gotten a good start on the project. Low and behold I finished it today and it's ready to go. It is a wine tote...perfect for a really nice wine gift or for carrying your own bottle to the dinner party.

Cottage Street Studios Holiday Open Studios

It's almost 2010. I've been waiting all year for it. I know it's not a good thing to wish time away, but I'll be very happy to see 2009 gone. There have been some good things, don't get me wrong, but this year has been exceptionally trying. I feel like I'm ending it off rightly though, and with as much positive energy as I can muster. I've just bought a new home and it's wonderful, and I'm managing to get myself back to work on my painting and quilting.

So please visit my Etsy shops to see what's new and also, if you are in the area this coming weekend (December 4, 5, & 6) stop by Cottage Street Studios. We are having our annual Holiday Open Studios weekend. I cannot say that I'll be completely ready to go after moving this week, but I'll have something on the walls

Moonset and Sunrise

Sometimes you just have to get up at 5 a.m. to enjoy stuff. This morning's hike up to the Observation Tower on Mt. Tom to watch a simultaneous moonset and sunrise was so worth it. How cool are these photos, just minutes apart. It actually got colder as the sun rose and I had to put my parka back on, but it might have had something to do with the sweat drying from the long climb in the dark.

Quote of the Day

"If you trust yourself, any choice you make will be correct. If you do not trust yourself, anything you do will be wrong." ~ Kwai Chang Caine

Support Hospice!

I'm signed up to walk the annual Step Out for Hospice Walk on Saturday, May 30th along with my family. Please support the fine services that Hospice provides.

My fundraising efforts are in memory of my Mother, BettyAnn Taylor, who passed away on Sunday, March 15, 2009.

You can make a secure, on-line donation at: http://www.firstgiving.com/brianataylor

Crafting with zero time

I've got no time. I don't know about anyone else, but seriously....time....zip....nadda.....no way......nothing....

And yet ......I'm still compelled to scratch out little bits of time to make things.