good morning sunshine

So, I read this article in the paper yesterday and I was so blown away that I,
1. tore it out of the paper and
2. decided I would share it with you.
Discussion to follow. Here goes:

COLORADO SPRINGS
SCHOOL BANS TAG

An elementary school has
banned tag on its playground
after some children com-
plained they were harassed or
chased against their will.
"It causes a lot of conflict
on the playground" said Cindy
Fesgen, assistant principal of
the Discovery Canyon Cam-
pus school.
Running games still are al-
lowed as long as students don't
chase eachother, she said.
Fesgen said two parents
complained to her about the
ban but most parents and chil-
dren didn't object.
In 2005, two elementary
schools in nearby Falcon
School District did away with
tag and other similar games in
favor of alternatives with
less physical contact.

I almost don't even know where to start. Maybe it's because I had a wonderful, tag-filled, childhood or maybe because I will be a parent at some point in the not to far future, but COME ON, give me a break.
Those poor children, they're probably the same ones that have to take rolling, carry-on luggage to school because they have too many books to physically carry.

All I can (should) say is that my children will not got to a school like this. They will have a childhood full of tag, kick the can, and ghosts in the graveyard. And I will lovingly bandage every skinned knee and elbow that result from the aforementioned games.

Besides how are you supposed to learn how to flirt if you can't play tag!
Why is this world so serious?

xo

overflowing with ideas

I had a very successful day thrifting the other day. I'm getting ready to post this new stuff on my etsy site. The response has been great! I've been selling all kinds of stuff. Here's a sneak preview:


These are vintage carnival prize pins. I have about seven all different old school names.


Super cute purse 'Made in British Hong Kong'. Even comes with the retro book of matches I found inside.


yum yum yum.

I have been getting orders for my custom silhouette pendants too and I thought I'd share a couple of them with you!

This is my lovely Gretta.


This is a darling little girl, whose name must be kept secret because she is a gift.


And this is Stevie, another woman's husband. (that sounds devious, but it's not. I made it for her.)

So hurry up and place your orders for this holiday season. No pushing. Please form one line right here.
xo

we need more maps

xo

balance

I feel slightly out of balance lately. Which to me is more unnerving than feeling completly out of balance. Because at least when things are really out of whack it is all together different, even new, but when things are just slightly out of tune, I constantly feel off kilter.
To describe it visually I would say I feel like I'm walking on a tightrope that is swaying under the pressure of my feet. The problem is that I don't know what is on either side. I don't know what is throwing me off balance.

I suppose I do have a lot of things going on right now. I'm starting and running three different businesses and I really don't know which one I want to give a lot of attention to.
I also feel a little suffoccated by all of the things we've acquired lately. We got so many wedding presents (all of which are wonderful, of course) but they make me feel a little uneasy. I'd like them to go to someone who really needs them. I know 'someday' I may need to use all the 24 wine glasses we own all at once. But for now, there are 2 of us. Two of us a a few friends (most of whom drink beer anyway). I don't know, I feel very thankful for all of the kind gestures and I know this will only happen once in our lives (untill we have a baby) but it still throws me off balance.
Yep, I think it might be my physical life that's making my mind feel off balance.
Maybe it's time to purge.
xo

all shiny and new

good morning!
I finally finished setting up my new etsy sites. There is now www.junkenvyEtsy.etsy.com where you can find lovely treasures for your home. There is also www.whitneyleigh.etsy.com where you can find all of my paper goods and art. And of course there is still www.luckymebeads.etsy.com where you can order a silhouette pendant of the one you love...

Other than that, I finally broke down and bought a real cell phone last night. I'm very inept when it comes to those things but with a little help from my husband I think I'll get it. We spent Saturday garage sale-ing and thrift store-ing. Goodwill was having a 50% off the whole store sale! We got some awesome stuff. It's hard to pick favorites but if I had to I'd say my new old camera and this painter's box.





A final thought.
I just finished the book The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood and this was my favorite part:

"They didn't realize that her clumsiness was not the ordinary kind, not poor coordination. It was just because she wasn't sure where the edges of her body ended and the rest of the world began."

That is why I have so many bruises on my legs.
xo

my get up and go, got up and went

good morning,
I've been feeling very blah lately and I can't figure out why. I stayed in bed this morning for four hours and wished I didn't have to get out. I'm not depressed, but I do feel a little under the weather, maybe that's it. Sometimes I just feel like I'm stuck in a rut in my head, like a record track just keeps playing on and on. This usually happens when I get flooded with new ideas. All of the sudden I find myself paralyzed at the thought of all the things I could do. I'm trying to find a way to break apart this feeling and just start, but some days it is so hard.

I came across this wonderful mantra but Louise L Hay:

"I release the pattern in myself that created this condition. I am willing to change. I love and approve of myself."

I've found it very fitting lately. I have patterns emotionally that I have created in the past; automatic responses I fall on when certain situations arise, but I am no longer in the situations that call for these reactions and I'm having a hard time letting them go. Any one know of some good ways to exorcize the demons?
I created this journal page based on the mantra above.



Sometimes I think my biggest problem is that I am a thinker. I live inside my head and sometimes I forget to let other people in and then I start to feel trapped and alone, like my thoughts are eating me alive. Anyone else?
But I also pride myself on being a thinker. I'm pretty sure I get to notice things that no one else does and even if they do, it's usually something small enough that I feel like it's a private little show all for me.

xo

from mustard to margarine

let us begin at the beginning.
When 'the real world' was in denver, I spied a lovely idea for painting the long lonely wall in my bedroom. The idea is to paint the entire wall one solid color and then with a shade of white paint on aspen tree silhouettes (if you will). Well... I was graciously given my pick of free paints the other day and I chose a lovely rich (but a little bit off) shade of yellow. I envisioned it being delicious. The perfect shade to compliment our brown bedding. So time marches on and this weekend I started to paint. It was bright, but our room is dark. It was bold but we could use a little punch. Then it hit me.
It was the exact shade of mustard.



My husband came into the room right as it dawned on me and I asked him if he'd like a hot dog.
Well... there wasn't enough paint to do the much needed second coat so I went to the store undecided if I should get a new color or not. I decided to let the mustard go and went with a more subtle creamy yellow.
This color went over much better and I started to paint my trees. I only have one partly finished so far, but I think I'll paint some more today.



While I'm at it, here are some pictures of my altered book / journal that I'm working on.






more later.
xo

blog like you mean it - take two

Alright, so, I have been hugely inspired lately to make this blog thing a more regular part of my day. I just picked up Artful Blogging from work and I have to say I love the idea of meeting new people and connecting with other artists just by writing down my thoughts. (and mail art and swaps and collaborations...)

(On a side note, I stopped and thought about how many blogs there must be out there today and It's amazing to me that that many people have something to say and that they want to share with others! What a hopeful idea ~ that there are millions of people out there wanting to share.)

Back to my point. I have also been lucky enough to meet a few 'famous' artists (these people are in books!) And I think they are all wonderful. Down to earth and real people. Key word: real.

I could do that.
Right?
Be in books, maybe even write one someday...

Anywho, I'm really excited about my new business idea. I'm going to design really cool wedding invitations and other related paper goods. I like making jewelry, don't get me wrong, but I have a soft spot for graphic design.

I've had to work a lot this week so hopefully next week I can get started. Also, I'll post some pics of my new altered book I'm working on.

have a fantastic weekend
xo

the old ball and chain

We did it! and it all went off without a hitch. The wedding was beautiful and people aren't lying when they say it's the happiest day of your life. I never really felt that strongly about marriage. I guess I sort of thought weddings were for everyone else but let me tell you, standing up in front of all of our friends and family and telling my husband how much I love him was one of the greatest feelings in the world. Our honeymoon was killer. I mean, amazingly fantastic. And now it's back to life as we know it.
I finally have the time to work on my other business ventures, which I will be starting soon. In the meanwhile more cool jewelry!
I'll keep you posted...
xo