Life is messy...so stitch and bead it into submission!

Life ebbs and flows...sometimes moving at a comfortable pace, sometimes careening at breakneck speed, and occasionally just flat out beating you with a stick. The last few weeks have been kind of like a Whack-a -Mole game, with me playing the role of Mole, to wit:

Pat's Litany of Woe

1. My sick chicken died;
2. My favorite cat --- the only one who doesn't pee in the house --- has bone cancer;

3.  I just turned fifty;
4. I have gained weight because of my new artisan bread diet  (more on that later) and...worst of all...
5. My youngest child recently left for college, leaving a very empty nest .

Seriously---who can blame me for being a bit of a hormonal mess?  

 Sigh.  I am still missing my daughter, but she is where she needs to be, doing what she needs to do to morph from pampered princess to productive citizen.  The cat was a starving stray when I happened upon her nine years ago and she has been well fed and well loved ever since.   The sick chicken died, but the rest of the flock managed to avoid the contagious disease, and as for the extra weight....what the hell...I will lose it when I am ready.  Until then, I can buy larger pants and wear heels.  Finally, while  turning 50 ain't for sissies,  I DID get lots of awesome birthday presents, including:

A killer crochet pillow made by my best gal pal, Ivy ....

A pair of antique bent wood rocking chairs that found a home in a sunny corner....the perfect spot for a cup of coffee and a quick bit of knitting before the day officially begins...and some vintage alphabet stamps in a sweet little wooden bowl....

Happy sigh.  Life is good.

I have been tackling a lot of creative projects lately, which provides an opportunity to work through the stuff I need to work through to get to my happy place.   I am never at a loss for projects on my To Do list and a plethora of creative endeavors enabled me to navigate this bittersweet period in a healthy, albeit somewhat weepy, manner.  The Big Project was a top secret one for my daughter.  She is a real homebody who was less than excited about flying the coop.  I knew that the transition from much adored family princess to the realities of dorm life would be difficult for her and I wanted to make something that would give her a hug when I wasn't around to do it in person. 

I opted for a fabric book and was tickled with the results.  I had originally planned for a few pages of carefully embellished beadwork and ribbons, but the clock was ticking, the cat got sick, and I had to modify my vision.  Instead, I went for a quick and dirty shabby chic tribute, printing photos on fabric and machine stitching them to unfinished muslin.  The book  grew to almost 30 pages and became a very therapeutic project for me.  I shared my dreams for Rachel, threw in a little advice here and there, and generally endeavored to transfer the intensity of my love for her to an inanimate creation that would provide comfort in the months to come.  A lofty goal, but judging from her reaction, I think that I did it!

In Other News


Congratulations to Stephanie Dixon who won a copy of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Frances. 

The recipes are amazing....but be warned....the book has consequences  and I now have the ass to prove it.  See Item Number 4 in my Litany of Woe as outlined above.



Carol Cypher Workshop Update
Carol Cypher is coming to Urban Stitch Studio!  She will be here to spread the bead and fiber love from November 11 - 13, 2011.  Check out all of the yummy details HERE.