Turn Up the Volume

I've been out of sync with my blog...don't exactly know what's happened.  I've been experiencing some down time in my artistic endeavors as well, guess I've been going through a dry spell.  That happens, but the creative juices are starting to "bubble" up again and I feel a surge of activity coming on!

We have a trip planned for the end of this month to Canada to visit with my husband's family.  We will be staying with his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.  We are so excited.  We will be driving, takes about 14-15 hours depending on how many stops we make.  We usually pack sandwiches, fun snacks and drinks so the majority of the stops are for gasoline and the bathroom!  We have made this drive at least a dozen times.  Yes, we could fly, but we actually enjoy the time on the road and then having our own car when we get there is always a plus.  Since we will be very close to a great outlet mall and a huge Ikea store, having the big car is actually a must!

My stepdaughter, Chris is one of the brightest lights in my life.  Our time together is always full of laughter (so much to it's to the point of tears many times), hugs, long talks, many shopping trips and a lot of crafting time.  Our spa day is already planned and we will be accompanied this year by my delightful granddaughter, Amanda.  I have already purchased some summer hats that I am going to embellish for us to wear on our day of beauty.  I have heard that Amanda has some other plans for us as well and has even created something for Grandma already...see what I mean, I can hardly wait!

Our grandson, Danny is graduating from high school this year and we are thrilled to be there as he gets ready to begin his university years.  He and his grandpa have a wonderful time together talking spots and science fiction.

And Bruno, our son-in-law....what a fantastic man.  While he tends to be somewhat quiet when first meeting him, we have learned over the years that he has a tremendous sense of humor, quick wit and is a wonderfully gracious host.

The whole family has been working on updating their basement, so we have a big treat in store when we get there.  Last year when we visited we enjoyed the new paint and updated living room on the main level.

While in Windsor, we will also be seeing Bob's brothers and sisters and as many nieces and nephews as possible.  I was born and raised in the Detroit area, so going to Windsor is very much like going home for me, since it's just across the border.  Those of us with family in Canada are fortunate that our 2 countries enjoy such easy border crossing.  While the lines can get long and the questions sometimes a bit tedious I am eternally grateful that the folks to the north are our friends.

Turn Up The Volume

Helen, do you have wax in your ears? Do you need a hearing aid?  

NO

This is just my way of saying, hooray it's the weekend...no alarm clock

Thanks the gods for the snooze button

...no dress for success, no meeting other people's deadlines, no time card!  Now it's time for me and all the things I like to do for myself.  I can do all the relaxing I want, all the crafting I want, spend time with my cat and my dog, spend time with myself.

SO FAR TODAY I HAVE PRACTICED A LITTLE YOGA

Trust me, my tree pose does not look like this

 WATCHED SOME

I love House Crashers and Love It or List It

CAUGHT UP ON

Sure wish I could dance like that

AND SUNG ALONG WITH

If only......

Most importantly, I have had some to enjoy my tea and 

get caught up on my favorite blogs.

It's been great.  

Wonder what I'll get into next.....

If I Just Had a Place to Put All of This STUFF!

I've never really had a good place to keep all of crafting supplies. Most of the time I have stuff all over the house! I have dreamed of having my own space, that I can decorate, furnish and create in, that doesn't have to be cleaned up every time I have to leave my "little space of crafting paradise". But alas, this is not the case.  This weekend I got upset with the mess and decided it was time to clean up. I love to work on projects in the evening while "the boys" watch TV, etc. so, of course I have to keep things close by - I wouldn't want to have to get up and go get something, for pity sake!   Can't believe I'm actually going to show you my "before" picture...

See what I mean!  What a mess, no wonder I couldn't get anything finished. So I started, sorting, tossing and rearranging, and now I at least have a presentable space to store my bits and pieces and work on my current projects. It's not perfect...but I'm not too embarrassed by it now. I hope that some day soon I can get our basement cleaned up so I have a much bigger place to have all of my wonderful crafts. What type of space do you have to do your crafting?