Wearing My Upcycle Goggles

O.K. now this type of suitcase is something I have seen turned into tables so I'm going to attempt to do this as one of my projects. Combining thrifting with creativity and I'm in. 
So I'm going to cut the legs off of that Craig's List table and attach them to the below thrifted suitcase.
It doesn't hurt that I have a brilliant carpenter side kick, a.k.a. Mountain Man to help my ideas come to life. Failure I have learned is part of success. So what if it ends up sucking, I'll re-donate it.

Also saw this today and we have plenty of down trees so I want to make some of these, natural and useful!!

I have some more things waiting in the wings so hopefully I'll have something to show shortly. PEACE!

Putting The Horse Back In Front

ROBERT DEYBER, Putting the Cart Before the Horse 

This week finds me unemployed. 
Luckily that hasn't happened since 1991.The beginnings of a new perspective are emerging but so far I'm still searching for a good natural deodorant. 
I've gotten to think about what I really want to do with my time and my first thought was make furniture.
I had time to do my hair (I haven't blown it dry nor flat ironed the wave out in months).
I noticed without the guaranteed paycheck coming in I have had to get off the gerbil wheel where I am constantly thinking,"what can I buy next". Just days prior I thought what if I could see I don't NEED anything.
I cancelled my subscriptions to the sites that send me daily sale notices.
I lost 5 pounds.
I had time to study for my test on a weekday. 
I got to swing and dance with my daughter on a weekday. And read my son a book.
I asked myself how was I doing everything before?
I took a nap.
Put my laundry away.
I got an "A" on a test.
It's only Wednesday.

Sexual Assult Is Everyone's Issue

Here is a TED talk from a man who calls the violence against women a men's issue. YES!
http://www.ted.com/talks/jackson_katz_violence_against_women_it_s_a_men_s_issue.html
There seemed to be a lot of interest in the blog about my first massage and I have to think it was because I talked some about overcoming sexual abuse. A long time ago I heard a statistic that 1 in 4 women will be a victim of sexual assault. When I heard that I was in a large auditorium full of students and I looked around the room and thought how many of us were in the same boat like it or not.


One in four college women report being sexually assaulted http://genderuniversity.com

My abuse was from a trusted person, as most abuses are. He was my gym teacher when I was about 6 years old. It took me many years to realize there was abuse because um, I was a baby! Back then I thought of him as a favorite teacher and I was sad when he left our elementary school. Years later in Jr. High I ran into him in the hallway as a dean at my new school and my fond memories evolved into, "Hey wait a second!" I was cold to him (as a 12-14 year old) through the years there. He seemed to be confined to the boys' gym activities at that school anyway so our encounters were few. I warned my little sister of him once she attended but that's the only person I felt the need to tell at the time.

In college I wrote about the abuse in a creative writing class. Still just seeing it as a previous incident. In the papers grade notes the professor suggested I might speak to a professional about the matter. That didn't register because I always saw it as something "in the past". There was nothing to it anymore as far as I knew.

In discussing the college paper with my parents I got some more information about what happened. My mother said she went to the principle at one point because I cried over a report card where Mr. _ gave me a "C". She said I was extremely upset. I told her he promised me an "A" (if I did what he asked). Hopefully that red flag had something to do with why he got moved to Jr. High teaching boys.

http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/sexinfo/

Fast forward to my first massage at age 24 where I came to the realization the abuse was not confined to the past but still with me. I discovered there was still distrust in my body revealed in the very spot he would sit near. After the massage it was more clear to me how in my daily life I was putting myself in similar uncomfortable situations but allowing it because it was what someone else wanted. What I wanted was secondary and unfamiliar. I realized I had been repeating that same situation over and over and over up to the present day. Still experiencing that discomfort and having no voice it was as if I had been 6 all of those years. I became very sad. I was diagnosed with PTSD in therapy and was prescribed pills for a year.
But I also broke the cycle.

Yes, this is personal information. It's boiled down but there is no shame just one of my life's many victories.

A View Of Mimi

Periodically I'd like to introduce you to some creative people so we can;
1. Voyeur into other interesting peoples lives
2. Show how creativity can be people's passion and a career, hobby, gift or lifestyle
My first guest is Mimi who recently made a huge leap and left a career to pursue her writing aspirations.

Where do you live? How did you end up there?

I live in Cocoa, Florida across the Indian River from Kennedy Space Center. From our house there’s great view of the VAB (Vehicular Assembly Building) where they used to work on the Shuttles. I’m a space freak, so this is awesome for me (cue I Dream of Jeannie music).  I grew up in New Smyrna Beach a little further north.  A few years ago, I reconnected with a childhood friend, who’s now an aerospace engineer, and we got married.

Heron Haven, Mimi's masterpiece

What do you do for a living or to pass your days?

I’m a recovering librarian. I quit my job to pursue Pinterest full time. Sometimes I blog at http://mimsywords.wordpress.com.  I do not have any kids to interfere with my selfish life, but I do have four crazy dogs who are total pain-in-the-asses. I’ve been decorating and renovating a house that I share with my husband and in-laws.  Oh, and I lied about kids: I have a great stepson who lives with us part time. We try not to interrupt his X-Box schedule. We call him the teen yeti because I go into his room every 48 hours or so to collect his pizza crusts, meat bones, and soda cans.

What do you like to do creatively?

Getting dressed is my most creative act of the day – it’s the only consistently creative thing I do, too, because I am ADD and lazy as hell. It is a complete miracle that I have two master’s degrees, and I guess that’s because I’m a good academic.  If anything is hard, I quit, cause I can’t handle failure. I have a vast vintage clothing collection. I love art,and I read nearly every minute of the day when I’m not on Pinterest, and I go to a lot of thrift stores. I would love to learn to sew.

Please Attach a picture of something you have made or that you like!!

Am just obsessed with anything colorful, Southern, or folk arty. Check out the Work of Wayne White. Then again, I’m an Anglophile and love to read anything about aristocratic Brits like the Mitfords. Oh, also I love jazz. And cars.  And architecture. And museums. And movies.  Masterpiece Theater. Honey Boo. It’s all good.



Wayne White

What is your favorite place you have visited? Why?

New Orleans and Savannah – fun, jaw dropping beauty, musical, arty,history all over the damn place, great cocktails,grits,tacky and sophisticated at the same time.

What floats your boat right now? Attach any photos of this! 

I’m having a Walker Evans summer.He’s the photographer who did all those shots of people on the subway,and I think he’s pretty much the first person who started treating American road signs and billboards seriously. 

Walker Evans

Please show us a photo of your favorite spot in your house and tell us why it is so.

My bed.  It’s where I read, write, do Pinterest, and sleep, within easy cuddling reach of my dogs and easy view of the river. Here I am with pugs Tater Tot, Sammy, and a recent “Are You Saved?” piece I bought in North Carolina. Oh, and a piece of driftwood that I rescued from an insane dude who was going to carve it into a fucking dragon (not that I am averse to dragons – I love me some Game of Thrones, too.)

Mimi @ home

Thank you, Mimi! I hope you enjoyed one of my favorite creative people. xoxo

Night Market Philly Is A Food Truck Party

Night Markets are a common destination in Asian Cities. They are open air casual markets with live food preparation, fresh local cuisine and something to solidify a perhaps otherwise liquid evening. Now add the U.S. and food trucks. OH YES!

Miaokou Night Market, Taiwan photograph by Neil Wade My Shot

I am drooling literally. I have a big love for food trucks, festivals and travel so this Philadelphia roving Night Market makes me giddy. I'm excited for the vendors who get to feature their goods and the lucky patrons who will have access to unique eats all in one place. I hope this catches on to more cities around the U.S.A.
Philadelphia Night Market June 20, 2013 6-10 p.m.  
Here is a video about the Philadelphia Night Market which travels to different neighborhoods and has live music! From what I can gather it's only once a year right now. Bon appetit!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqlA_7oSwY8Pa


Photo by Michaelangelo Ilagan for The Food Trust

 

Clearing Chakras For Grandma



From http://decording.wordpress.com/

I want to talk about massage and changing generational habits. A while ago I understood the concept that we can stop, redirect or change behaviors in ourselves that have been going on in our family line for generation after generation which was so empowering to me. If I could change myself I could stop dysfunction for future generations. The buck could stop here? That is amazing to think about. Each of us has so much power for change that effects not only ourselves and our future family’s behavior but might I say the world.

That concept came up recently again when I got a massage for lower back pain where there is so much tightness in my hip area. My sister said, "We (our family) inherited tight muscles there".

After the massage I had a lot more emotions surfacing and I looked up what the energy gurus say is contained in that region. I thought what if it's not the tight muscles my family inherited but the way we process or don't process our emotions that we pass on and on. As a result we end up with tight hips and back pain. That's kinda what I've been thinking about. And the fact I sit way too much.

Do you have any family traits or behaviors that you can identify?

Above is one of several chakra charts out there. I find it interesting to note what could be going on where there is pain or tightness.
Sacral Chakra – The sacral chakra located about two inches below the belly button. It is associated with emotions, sex, manifestation, trusting the universe, and feeling enough. When the chakra is closed, a person will try to control everything in their reality and not be open to assistance. They will often feel inferior and unworthy. When the chakra is opened and balanced, they will be flowing in alignment with the universe and working with it. http://www.youaretrulyloved.com/enlightenment/vocabulary/#C

Massage Often Reveals My Junk





From Daily Cup of Massage

My first massage was not my idea. I was in my mid 20's and had a friend who was getting into spiritual stuff and healing. She did the research and always found Cat psychics, Priests who told your fortune, Mormon housewife healers, Psychiatrists and Doctors who would treat her for free. She swore by this energy massage guy Robert True and thought I should go for some healing myself. I just wanted someone to rub my tight neck.

I went alone to a regular house in an upper class neighborhood and parked around back where the basement studio was one evening. Robert was nice but it wasn't a traditional Swedish Massage. He did strange breathing and exhaling and I told myself I'm not falling for this stuff. I hadn't really heard of foot reflexology at the time but I recall the footwork and the pain he found in the arch of my feet. OMG!

Near the end I was lying face down when he was moving up from my feet and stopped at my mid back. His hands just hovered there for what seemed like many minutes. Doing nothing. I went from questioning him to anger for wasting massage time to utter deep sadness. He revealed to me the lack of trust I carried from abuse done by a teacher who would sit close to that very spot when I was just six.

I wept as I got dressed. I couldn't explain it at the time and I never expected anything like that to happen. But that massage changed my life in a positive way. It started an avalanche of events toward my healing from a trauma I hadn't realize was still with me.

Tonics and Trailers

From the HiddenList.com

 Pre summer goings ons;

The Party Deck is near completion. Rain, dog fight & two sick kids prevented the concrete bench seat from being poured this weekend. Got a good deal on Craigslist patio chairs but darn-it-all they are another project.

Made Amish Noodles and they were dang good. Both kids liked them too & so easy. Noodles, butter, chicken bouillon and chicken broth. BAM!

Pink Bikinis (Pink Puds @ my house) are back on the cocktail menu and are most excellent.
3 ingredients = delish!

Going to try this veggie wash to get my summer produce clean! The grapefruit extract is throwing me off and I need a cute spray bottle.

Marinated Chickpeas - Ginger root. I keep buying it and not using so I've got this on the mental menu.

Cass Scenic Railroad - Summer Vaca planning on tap involves steam trains, baby.

TED talks been listening to these almost daily. It's where I would like to be one day. Really knowledgeable about something helpful.

Daydream dominating is an Airstream guesthouse.


Yelp

I'm getting ready to start massage therapy classes so I'll post some blogs about health    coming soon. Cheers!

Leaving California For Good

My Mom at the beach early 60's

Every moment is as unique as a snowflake and will not be repeated.

In the early 80's we were in San Diego, California one summer visiting my grandparents and cousins when I was 11. It was a trip full of family and new experiences like bonfires, beach volleyball, big Pacific waves, and the golden-warm sun of Southern California. People there camped on weekends all year round and took their family Christmas pictures in shorts. My feathered hair kept it's curl and we were told when playing outside not to go too far because of  Mexican workers hiding in the fields behind my grandparent's house. The highway was 8 lanes wide, twice the size of Nebraska's highways.

I didn't know it then but it was one of the best trips of my young life. I realized this only upon reflection months and years later. I began to wonder why I didn't know how fabulous the trip was while I was on it. Why I appreciated it so much after it was over not while I was taking the evening walks on the beach. I wanted the chance to do it again so I could appreciate it more as it was happening.

This has been an experience I have weighed over the years. I've slowly been learning to breathe, taste and feel the life of a moment right when it happens. I know how to recognize better when they are going to happen. Like 10 years ago for my dad's 70th birthday all of my siblings and I gave him a surprise visit for a few days at his lake house. I told myself how special times like these are because they may never happen again. Even if they do it will never be just like this. I remind myself,
This is it!
Enjoy it now!

It's confusing a little because in the movies important moments are often made so grandiose and obvious. In life I have often tried to imitate art where I was sure it couldn't be a memorable time without a drunken night of shenanigans. It had to be crazy and loud to count. This is not the case but I had to figure that out s l o w l y. For years I also thought there will always be a Thanksgiving or another holiday together. I took a lot of time for granted because I thought things wouldn't ever change. Well my illusion that there is a perpetual suspension of time has tapped on my shoulder and said it's time to leave California. And as my parents (and everyone)get older I hope to feel the life in as many moments as I can. Isn't it beautiful!

 

 

Born That Way

My mummy tummy

We woman are genetically made in a way that helps keep living things alive, nurtured and loved.

Who knew those crazy characteristics I've always had would come in handy when I began to care for the life of a dog and then a baby or two. It's so cool to see how female traits have such good use. I've often felt like a nag and over reactive until I saw how perfectly my ways clicked when applied where appreciated and to things that they were meant for.
I'm talking about traits like;

• planning, where are we going how long will be there what should I bring. This keeps baby from going naked, cold & hungry on outings. To men it's noise.
• The ability to remember/keep a list and ask to get things done so medicine gets taken & vegetables get eaten. LIST is pretty much a 4 letter word to men.
• Why loud noises are so irritating and we need to make them stop. Females are actually wired to go insane from baby crying whilst other genders don't even notice it. This one keeps humanity alive people! It lets men sleep in too so I think they're good with this one.
• Being emotional beings helps us connect, bond and empathize with babies and people. You might recall a time or two where the man in your life said, "Oh God she wants to talk again."
• Our inclination for baby talk helps children learn better. My girlfriends and I were doing this "in play" since middle-school. Men appreciate baby talk as long as it's directed at them once in a while.
• Craving details, where are you going when will you be back so we know when we need to start worrying. Or how long has there been a fever, crying, a rash so we know what our plan of action is. This comes over as NAG NAG NAG NAG and NAG!
• Multitasking! This impresses everyone!

Things about myself seemed to make more sense once I began to use them as a mother. Even though I was that way before, using them in a less critical environment has made me more understanding of myself and those feminine characteristics which are wonderful for the world.