Monday, June 30, 2014

Little Sewing and Next Project

So, with my new mantra about failure, I'm all energized to sew again. Here's a set of three zippered cases I made last week for a friend's birthday, using the same pattern as for the ones I made last fall. I posted about it, so feel free to look back for details and pattern information. The smallest is about 4 or 4.5 inches wide, and the largest is about 8 inches wide. My failure (other than having to undo and redo various steps because I wasn't paying close enough attention) was that I have no idea how to take photos of vinyl. If you know how, please don't keep it a secret!
I still have quite a bit of this vinyl with ladybugs on it, so I'll keep making them.

Next up will be a 5- or 7-gored skirt. I tried to make one with inseam pockets, but it was not wearable because I didn't allow for the pulling (the pockets open) that would occur. That pulling emphasizes my tummy. Oh, no! I don't know quite how to overcome that, so this next skirt will be with or without pockets.

Blessings and peace...

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Failure Is Not an Option

First, a bit of humor on a Sunday afternoon. Here's a comment from a (not really) reader:

It's a рity you don't have a donate button! I'd most certainly donate to tҺis brilliant blog! I suppose for now i'll sеttle for boօk-markіng and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. Ӏ look forward to brand new updates and will talk about this website with my Facebook group. Talk soon!

Hеre is my webpage ... {link to Anonymous's website or may I say spamsite}


Those of you who have blogs receive this kind of comment all the time. Me, too. In fact, before I write a blog post, I look through my previous posts' comments to make sure that none of the spam comments were actually posted. I've had to remove a few, but it's just another time sink.

And now for what's on my mind today.

Failure is not an option.

I'm a failure as a blogger. How did I get sucked into this belief? I've been pondering my lack of blog posts. I've written about a hundred posts, in my mind only. These past months have been a season of changes for me. I'm still immersed in some of them. How much do YOU like change? Me: not as much as I thought!

Lately I've been pondering this "failure is not an option" idea. I want to understand it.

A few of the opposite beliefs; we've all heard/read them:

  • Fall down seven times; get up eight.
  • Try, try, try again.
  • We learn more from our failures than our successes.
  • A million more.

Going back, way back, my first memory of school, I remember it as clearly as if it were last week. I was in second grade. The teacher was writing words on the blackboard and asking the class to read them out loud.

I was already pretty good with words, so I raised my hand and read "antique", pronouncing it as an' tee cue. Of course the teacher corrected me, an teek'. I felt mortified. My face was beet red, tears filled my eyes. I wanted to disappear. Really disappear.

That's a pretty strong reaction, isn't it? Strong enough that I remember it more than 50 years later. I don't know which is the failure: the misplaced confidence in my ability to pronounce a word OR that my mistake had such a strong effect on me. Anyway, maybe my fearing failure, avoiding failure, goes back that far. Maybe not.

So today is the day that I'm going to turn this one upside down.
  • Failure is great.
  • Failure is a gift.
  • Failure is a blessing.
  • In fact, I welcome it.

Failure means I'm learning. Growing. Improving. Alive. Doing something. Living a life.

So there, failure, come on over. I've got room for you right here.

Blessings and peace...

Thursday, June 12, 2014

My Patriotic Pedicure

I had in mind to do this a couple of weeks ago, before Memorial Day. But I have had an opportunity to help our neighbors several times a week for the past month, one of whom is now in a nursing home, so I rescheduled my "pedicure time" until today.

Supplies:
Usual pedicure supplies
Nail polish in white, dark red, and dark blue
Much nail polish remover and several cotton swabs to clean up the edges

Here's how I did it.
Step 1. Regular pedicure preparation.
Step 2. Apply base coat/ridge filler.

Step 3. Apply two coats of blue polish.



Step 4. Apply two coats of white polish close to but not touching the blue or top/bottom of other nails.
Step 5. Apply red polish from side to side in three rows, one of which that meets the blue, one strip in the center, and the third strip at the outer edge. Then apply dots on top of dark blue section.


Step 6. Apply top coat and let the patriotic festivities begin!

Notes:
Yes, I did this myself.
No, I don't think I have too much free time. haha
Yes, I know that dots are not stars.
Yes, I know that the current U.S. flag has 50 stars on blue background, one for each state, and 13 stripes, one for each of the original colonies. This is an (ahem) artistic representation, friends!



Patriotic U.S. Holidays, spring/summer 2014:
Memorial Day:
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the men and women who died while serving in the country's armed forces. The holiday, which is celebrated every year on the last Monday of May, was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who died while in the military service. — Wikipedia

Flag Day:
In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened on that day in 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. — Wikipedia

Fourth of July:
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain (now officially known as the United Kingdom). Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the National Day of the United States. — Wikipedia

I have been writing some blog posts in my head, one of which is about failure, something I've been learning about (um, again, still, again). What do you wish you knew about failure earlier in your life?

Also, I'm thinking of taking some risks in my blog, of the information-sharing type. Do you have any interest in knowing more about me? Have you considered revealing more about yourself in your blog? What have you considered when making this decision?   

Blessings and peace...