Tuesday-4pm

A lot of cold winter mornings with no splashy sunrises. ;)

I finally--yes, FINALLY--got going on the birthday cards for 2012 again. Good thing as I need half a dozen for February. The next step was cutting the rectangular shape around the cupcake using my Cuttlebug and a Spellbinder's die.

Lay down the paper on my battered B plate, position the die over the cupcake, place the C plate on top...

...run it through to cut it the rectangle shape and then flip it over...

...lay the rubber mat on top...

...then a piece of chipboard for a shim and another B plate...

....run that through the machine...

...and pop out the cupcake--all embossed around the edges.

Repeat 50 times.

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I am now finished with that part.

The next step is to apply the caulking icing!

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Karma noticed I had removed the misting box from the hallway boxes...

...so she parked herself comfortably on top of them.

She doesn't know it yet (I am keeping the planter up on the table until the grass is a good two inches high because she tends to pull them out by the roots even more so when they are short) but her grass is already on the rise. Won't be long and she can gnaw away!

I had my federal housing inspection on Monday morning. Bob has been coming to see me once a year since I lived in Moorhead, was still going to college, was in terrible pain, and looked like I was on death's door--LOL! Such a sweet man!

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I have been working on the usual--balancing the checkbook, writing out bills, and figuring out the budget for February. I also have had paperwork and various copies to be made for the state's annual review. All that took up most of my day yesterday.

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I spent today catching up online and puttering about a little with journals and such. It's a very dark day, albeit warmer (32 degrees). In fact it might be raining lightly. I think I hear a light patter on the silent air conditioner. Karma is snoring next to me in her plush cat bed. The building has even been quiet today. Only the occasional door slamming or footsteps in the hallway or on the stairs. Just a contented, peaceful day in Fargo. :)

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Tomorrow night Leah and I plan to drag down all the polymer clay supplies (closet over the washer and dryer) for our project for Miss Tori. ;) Be so nice to see Dagan and Leah after missing our last two Wednesday nights (me and my crazy hours!). Life is good!

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Just for the heck of it, hug somebody today. Or give someone a big smile. Or give someone a compliment. Or open a door for someone. Or tell somebody you love them. Everybody needs those things sometimes. :):)

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"Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen."

Robert Bresson

Sunday-11am

We've had some cloudy days...

...and another dusting of snow.

But the last two mornings the sun was out.

Karma was happily pawing the side of her cat bed in the sun...

...when I interrupted her...but only for a moment.

I spent a couple of days being very good and not using my left arm much at all, so I got behind online and spent the next couple days catching up--LOL! Oh, and good news! I am back on days!! Always sleep a little better and feel better, too.

Happy dancing in Fargo! ;)

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I have been puttering about a little the last couple days.

Potted Karma's planter once again with her beloved cat grass.

Been keeping up with the SOAR journal (and plan to maybe combine it with another free class I just heard about--details later when I check it out more). Been doing my reading (spiritual type) and the writing journal more often in the morning. I seem to be having a hard time shifting gears or routine--too easy to get lost on the laptop--LOL!

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I actually worked on the mandala. Believe it or not, this was actually doodling for the better part of an hour.

Well--confession--I did have the TV on and was getting sidetracked--LOL!

Lots of dots and tiny squiggly lines. I'm far from done. It is so soothing to just sit and doodle. :)

My order from Polymer Clay Express came on Friday.

The set of geometric cutters.

(A project for Tori that I will explain later when Leah and I get started.)

And I couldn't resist these metallic ink pad and reinker sets on sale. They didn't have the complete silver set so I passed, but I did get the gold and copper ones.

Meanwhile--putter, putter...

I finally got all the assorted boxes down from the bedroom closet shelf. Yes, I tend to save empty boxes of all kinds...but this is getting ridiculous! If I tried to take anything down it was like Fiber McGee and Molly's closet! Does anyone else remember that show? I barely do, but I remember that closet.

Time to go through the piles and decide what to toss and what to keep...and organize it! ;)

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Also barely started on the top half of the one bookcase and the wire cube shelves in the bedroom, too. Finally have the mister box up and out of the way on the top of the wire cube shelves. Long way to go with this cleaning project, too.

Anyways, my wrist is much, much better. It's 5 degrees and the sun is out. Time for lunch...at actual lunchtime--whoohoo! And after lunch, I'm going to check out this new free art journal class. Have a super duper day!! :):)

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"All respectability, all honor is meaningless if it drives you against your nature. What can you do if you are not a lotus flower, but just a marigold? Enjoy being a marigold."

Chandan

Thursday-5am

Even if Karma falls asleep while I am rubbing her tummy, I discovered that the tummy rubbing is still entirely at her discretion and inclination. When I foolheartedly reached over to rub her belly--and she was awake, mind you--and did not take it slow and wait for her to give me the "okay" signals--she gave me teeth--LOL!

Now Karma knows she had best not try to bite down--and even pointedly placing her teeth on my arm is an absolute no-no...so we both froze--her with her ears back and a defiant glare in her eyes--me likewise. She removed her teeth, closed her mouth, licked politely, dropped her head...and I told her threateningly "no teeth!". I am alpha female, but she had made her point. Karma wouldn't be Karma if she didn't need to have complete control over when she wants affection, what kind, how much, and how long--ROFL! Things haven't changed that much. I still have to read her body language when it comes to belly rubbin'. The head and neck are always okay. ;)

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It looked like a white out snow storm out there yesterday...

...but it was mostly a white fog. Very little snow and it turned to light rain at one point. Not very nice out there.

Caroline made it over and we trucked on down the hall to the storage area with my little green cart and hauled back a bunch of stuff.

My table easel.

Two boxes of acrylics and assorted supplies.

The sewing boxes and misting box are next to the acrylics in the hallway now.

I had Caroline add the top box of photos to the stack of nostalgia and pictures. (I do need to learn how to use the scanner this year--LOL!) But five boxes high just bugged me, so after she left...

...I ended up moving a couple of them down and pushing them with my feet into a 2-stack and 3-stack. (Now my bum wrist is complaining today, of course--harrumph!)

I was thinking--good grief! Look at all the project boxes stacked up! What a mess! That I will be looking at for a long, long time--ROFL! ;)

When you know who saw I had moved the photo boxes...

...she had to come smell...

...and immediately thought to herself...

...stairs!

I got my bigger folding stool and dug around on the shelves over the washer and dryer to find my old acrylic sky attempt from several years ago. I had bought up lots of goodies and Dagan, Leah, and I were going to try to learn to paint and play with acrylics...and maybe later oils (which I also have from when I tried a Bob Ross painting before my health took such a dive). We did play a little. Dagan finished a yin-yang symbol painting, Leah kind of half finished some oriental symbol words (they have a bit of oriental decorations at their place), and I completely painted over this sky about three times--LOL! I finally gave up and stuck it in the closet.

I can, once again, paint over this completely and start over--tada! And I found the other two blank gessoed boards that came in the package, too. Also brought back a canvas for the heck of it from storage. An actual canvas scares the hell out of me, so I am hoping to finally get up the nerve to just go for it and not worry if I totally mess it up or not--ROFL!! I have more nice clean ones in the storage area, too. But for now I'll practice on the gessoed boards. ;)

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And I want to play with acrylics in my little art journal, too. Time to dust off those brushes, I guess. ;)

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Last night before I went to bed (at 6pm--whoohoo!)--Miss Karma was still perched on the box.

Takes so little to make us happy!! :):)

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I have enough in that hallway to keep me busy for the next several years, I bet!! LOL! Never bored. Never bored. Oh, and I did start to re-arrange and sort in the bedroom finally...for the cube shelves. (Any of my moving and digging abouts may have caused my bum wrist to flare up, come to think of it.) I know. I know. Everything is at a snail's pace in my life. Sometimes that snail is even on siesta for a while--LOL! A delicious plethora of choices before me. Goodness! Goodness! Nope! Never bored. Never bored. Now if my body would just please be a little more cooperative--ROFL!! ;)

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Have a wonderful Thursday!! :):)

*hugs to those who need them*

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"When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky."

Buddha

Wednesday-3:30am

A pastel morning yesterday.

Okay. Like you don't see enough of Miss Karma--LOL!

Karma being next to me on the loveseat affords me the opportunity to just reach over and pet her. A novelty position--rather than her tucked under my laptop table while I scratch her behind the ear.

What cracks me up is this is a cat who did not like her belly or chest touched, let alone rubbed!

Now she quickly flips her belly out and turns her motor on...begging for a belly rub!

Purring violently...

...and listening to every word of my sweet talk.

This is the same cat who threatened to bite me if I touched her stomach! ROFL!

The mysterious Karma mind.

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Yes. Been feeling a little guilty (lazy) about doing my simplest version of the SOAR journal...so I drug out my little art journal and worked on a couple more background spreads.

Used a couple of the plastic templates and this one is in walnut...

...and gold.

This one I used a mesh and that sequin remnant stuff (can't remember what they call it).

Used the two reddish mister shades I have.

This one is much pinker but I can't remember now which was which anyways--LOL!

I am starting to make it around the clock a little bit more. Don't know why it is taking so long this time. I'll probably be able to just stay awake until Caroline leaves this afternoon, so I emailed Dagan and Leah to cancel again this week for tonight. :( But, as you can see, Karma and I are okay. Just following that different drummer these days...who happens to be awake all night long, the little drummin' bugger! ;)

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Sadly, they're talking more freezing rain today.

I pray everyone is safe out there on the roads.

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Which reminds me, when Caroline comes today--if I am up to it--I'm going to ask her to help me bring the acrylics and supplies in from the storage area. Even if I don't see any more of those online classes, I would still like to try a sky now. I also have things I'd like to experiment with in my art journal, too. In most of the youtube videos I watch the people use acrylics. So, if I am not on the verge of passing out standing up... :)

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"Who is it that can make muddy water clear? No one. But left to stand, it will gradually clear of itself."

Lao-Tzu