Late late glad post!

Argh!  I am not doing so well with my Monday posts *wince*, it's Wednesday!  Last week I didn't do it at all because I was so busy working on my Challenge of Music post, but.. this week I don't know what it is.  I think it's been the rotten week I've had leeching into everything else.  So here we go, time to find seven things....

I'm glad for...

1)  My online friends.  They keep me sane ;)

2)  Pink.  Oddly it hasn't been a favorite color since I was six... but I discovered this week how much I do like it.

3)  Briony.  My new girl, specially made for me by my awesome friend Sarah of Kaleidoscope Kustoms.  There was a ton of thought and love put into every part of this girl.  My friend Christine made her awesome Skinny Scalp just for her :).  I hand stamped her pull charm and it has a short version of a favorite quote of mine:  "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever."  -- Cousteau

4)  Gulls.

5)  My son's eyes.  They are blue with shots of green around the pupil.

6)  Vintage or vintage inspired dresses.  So awesome.

7)  Stamping metal.  Great stress relief!  ;)

One last thing...  Technically the Ides of March is the 15th, but as I'm having one of those weeks where every day feels like Monday... Im going to try to spread a little joy with a sale starting today and running through the 15th instead ;) Use the coupon code: IDESOFMARCH for 15% off any purchase over $10!     Go shop it... HERE

Hope you are having a great week, my friends <3

~Jennifer

Challenge of Music

(Borrowed image of Perthshire, Scotland.  Please click on the photo to go to the source!)

Welcome to my little corner of the Challenge of Music :).  I love music, I have always loved music... it is very much a part of who I am.  So every time the lovely and wonderful Erin Prais-Hintz has her challenge up, I eagerly leap forward, yearning to play with music yet again.

My forte is vocal music, I have always sang, as long as I can remember lol.  So when Erin said this was an instrumental challenge... well, now that is more of a challenge for me.  When I was at the UO as an English major, one of my guilty pleasures was taking classes at the Music School when I could find one open to non-majors that sounded enjoyable.  My favorite by far was an exploration of Celtic music, we listened to an enormous variety, learning about how Celtic music evolved.  From early mouth music, to the bagpipes, fiddle, bodhran...  I've always been a sucker for anything Celtic (Scottish in particular) and was rapt throughout this class, our homework?  To listen to music... some of my favorite pieces were from the Hebrides, we listened to recordings of elders singing ancient songs that are now forgotten everywhere else but there.  We listened to (and got to play at) waulking songs, we were taught a few phrases in Gaelic by a local enthusiast group, they also were kind enough to teach us a few simple steps to show the difference between jigs and reels in dancing.  I think those are some of my favorite memories from school there :).  Their were a handful of pieces that really stuck with me, that touched my soul deeply... the song I would like to present to you today is one of those.  It is what is referred to as a "slow air" or a strathspey.

My tune is "Niel Gow's Lament on the Death of His Second Wife".  Niel Gow is one of Scotland's most famed fiddlers, he lived in the 18th century and was from Perthshire, Scotland.  He had two wives, both named Margaret ironically.  The first bore him eight children, five boys and three girls.  I couldn't find out much about his first wife, other than that she bore him many children and left him a widower.  However by all accounts I could find his second marriage was a very happy one and they were married for 37 years before she passed on.  Can you imagine?  I only hope that my husband and I have so many happy years together.  Niel Gow wrote this lament after her death and only outlived Margaret by two years.  You can listen to this song in my absolute favorite version by clicking HERE.  I was hoping for a YouTube version, but well... it was this particular version, performed by Alasdair Fraser on fiddle and Paul Machis on piano that captured my heart something like nine years ago.  There are versions on YouTube, but none by Alasdair and that gentleman plays in a way to touch the heart, promise.

Now, finally, for my piece inspired by this song:

What I love about this lament... is that there is more joy than sorrow.  You can feel his love, his yearning, his joy at having had such a woman in his life.  To me, it feels more Spring than Winter.  So my piece is full of soft Spring colors.  There is a wee Celtic knot bead to represent their love, an elephant bead from Pips for remembrance, a pale almost grey cathedral style czech crystal dangle for his sorrow, a soft sorrow, wistful not bitter...  as is the lavender Irish waxed linen thread.  But soft pinks, soft cream, silver circles, silver knots... for a love that was enduring and I like to think, still is.

I hope you have enjoyed my part in this challenge, thank you so much for stopping by!  And a special thanks to the amazing Erin for hosting and being such an inspiration to me always.


The List!  More amazing blogs and posts about music :)
Erin Prais-Hintz
Alenka Obid
Ali McCarthy
Alicia Marinache
Amy Severino
Amy Grass
Carolyn Lawson
Cece Cormier
Cynthia Riggs
Ema Kilroy
Emanda Johnson
Emma Todd
Erin Kenny
Evelyn Shelby
Evie and Beth McCord
Gerd Andersson
Holly Westfall
Jennifer Justman
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Jess Green
Judy Campbell
Karla Morgan
Kay Thomerson
Kristina Johansson
Lola Surwillo
Lynn White
Malin de Koning
Mallory Hoffman
Mary K McGraw
Melissa Meman
Melissa Trudinger
Michelle Escano
Michelle Bourbonniere
Michelle Heim
Michelle Mach
Molly Alexander
Molly Schaller
Monique Urquhart
Niky Sayers
Pam Farren
Rebecca Anderson
Sally Russick
Sharon Palac
Sharon Driscoll
Susan Kennedy
Tari Kahrs
Tracy Stillman
Veralynne Malone

Glad Monday: Special Edition

Hello everyone!  How is your Monday going?  I hope it is (or was) a fantastic day :)  I have been wanting to feature special awesome ladies on my blog (and did feature a few last year) and decided to use this Glad Monday to pick that back up.  Over a year ago now I became part of the Blythe community, for those of you who don't know who Blythe is... I used to be one of you lol.  Blythe is a doll and you can learn all about her in a quick Google search (Wiki article:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blythe_(doll) ).  Long story short, I fell heart for this big eyed (and yes, big headed) girl.  Since I joined the community I have met the most AMAZING people, it is a community full of some of the most generous women (and a handful of spectacular men as well, I must add).  I've really enjoyed getting to meet online so many new friends and to find something new and completely fun to do with what very little spare time I have lol.

One of the amazing ladies I met in this community is my dear friend Sue.  Sue creates sweet knit goodies for Blythe girls and has begun customizing dollies as well :).  I asked Sue if she would mind letting me interview her and showcase her work here on my blog and she (being the incredibly nice and friendly lass she is) agreed :)  First off, let me share the sweet hats she made for my girls!



(Clockwise from top left:  Aishe (wearing a dress by Shepuppy), Stella (wearing a knit dress by Sue), Janet (wearing Shepuppy), and Rade (wearing Rag Bag Designs))

Aren't the hats so cute?  They are actually all elf hats and you can see more pics of them in my Flickr.  She actually sent me five and the gorgeous knit dress Stella is wearing up in the top right.  Here's a pic of the fifth hat on Aishe:



And now....  on to the interview!

1) Where and when did your obsession with creating things begin?

 I have always loved making things. When I was a child I wanted to be a jewellery designer and I spent most of my spare time drawing. After I left school I had a market stall and then a shop which was a nice outlet for some of the things I made. I have tried all kinds of crafts from beads to cards and painting to knitting! I find Blythe is a fantastic medium because there are so many different aspects to her. Customising Blythe dolls is definitely my new obsession!

2) What is your favorite fairy or folk tale and why?

I don't know if this counts but my favorite short story is Ray Bradbury's "The Emissary". It tells of a housebound boy and his pet dog who is the boy's only window on the world. It is both haunting and quite creepy in true Bradbury style and has a nice twist at the end. If you haven't read it look it up! 

3) Who is the most inspiring person in your life? Why?

The most inspiring person in my life is my daughter Holly. She is almost 10 and is the brightest and most beautiful person I know. I am very proud of her and love her more than anything. It was really due to Holly that I got interested in blythe in the first place so I have her to thank for that too!

4) If you could meet any famous person, living or not ;), who would you wish to meet? What would you do with them? (Play skeetball, have lunch, tap dance...)

If I could meet any famous person I think it would be JK Rowling. If I could be anything I would choose to be a writer and maybe she could give me a few tips! I think she is amazing and her wonderful books have made a whole generation of children want to read which is awesome! Imagine having created Harry Potter!! I would just like to sit and chat with her really. And maybe she could introduce me to Alan Rickman which would be a bonus!

5) How did you find Blythe? What drew you to her?

I discovered Blythe by accident while looking for Monster High dolls on Ebay. I Googled her and discovered that there were thousands of amazing pictures of these fabulous looking girls on Flickr and was immediately hooked. I loved the endless possibilities of customisation and was fascinated by all the different things people did to create characters for their dolls. I wanted to be able to create these wonderful girls myself! To me a stock doll is like a white piece of paper, a blank canvas to transform into a brand new personality. 

6) Which of your Blythes is your "mini me"? Which is the one you wish you could be?

My mini me is probably Beryl, a Blythe clone girl with a bit of a punk/rockabilly style. She would need a lot of tattoos to be a real mini me though, perhaps I should give her some! I think I would most like to be Patty, my custom Guava steampunk girl. She has fabulous pink hair (which I used to have when I was younger) a sassy attitude and she travels in time with a laser gun and a cool hat! What's not to love?!

7) What is your favorite thing about where you live? Why?

 I love my home because it's my little haven and here I'm surrounded by all the things that inspire me. However, I don't love the cold, wet climate or built up surroundings much! I hope to live somewhere warmer and brighter someday. Hopefully someday soon.

8) What five things couldn't you live without? 

My computer;
My camera;
My craft stuff (including Blythe dolls - this is probably cheating but hey ho)
My kettle
My dishwasher! 

I could definitely live without my mobile phone, lol!

9) What is the best part about Blythe? About the community?

The best thing about Blythe for me is the amazing friends I have made because of her and the outlet she has given me for my creativity. I have had a couple of bad years (I lost my mom last Easter) and Blythe has saved my sanity (well, some of it anyway) over the past few months. Since joining Flickr I have met some lovely people, you included Jenn! who I would never have had the chance to meet otherwise. It's so nice to share in others' lives through their dolls and their stories and to know that people like to share in mine too. It is a real community and I feel lucky to be a part of it. I also love that people love my dolls and the things I make. Yaay for Blythe!!!

10) Anything else you'd like to tell us about you? About your work?

I'm having a great time trying to improve my customising skills at the moment. I have just put a girl up for adoption for the first time which is exciting but a bit scary too. It's like sending a child out into the world on their own, lol! I hope to do a lot more custom girls this year and paint a lot of eye chips and knit a lot of dresses and hats. And take a lot of photos! That goes without saying :)

Here's a look at Sue's custom girl she just sent off to her new home:

Gorgeous, huh?  You should definitely check out Sue's Flickr, her girls always keep me giggling :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dollypunk21/

So... what I am I glad for this week?  Blythe and the Blythe community, I have the best dolly friends a gal could have :)

Have a fabulous week, everyone!

~Jennifer

Glad...

I am a naughty blogger!  I didn't make a post at all last week for my gladness or anything else!  And now this one is very late *sigh*  I will only say that three weeks with a sick six year old, five year old, and almost three year old begins to wear on a mama lol.  I'll keep this very quick!

My 7 Things That Make Me Glad:

1)  Jane Austen's novels.  I honestly am not sure if I have a favorite, I love them all well... but I do think Lizzie is my favorite heroine.

2)  Sara Bareilles, she has an amazing voice that just lets emotions free, love it!

3)  Donutzies... don't know what those are?  You should ;)  They are the quirky invention of a new friend of mine, Mrs.  Kimberly Munn (who is a wicked cool lady, by the way!).  You can check out pics of her Donutzies here:  http://www.flickr.com/groups/1618183@N25/pool/with/8339040838/#photo_8339040838
And her shop here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/kimberlymunn

4)  Scotch tape... think about all the things it does!  (Though arguably the silver stuff is more amazing ;)).

5)  Rice.  One of those staple foods that can be used in a bajillion ways and has saved me many times lol.

6)  Rainbows.  God's promise after the rain.  Beautiful.  Hopeful.  Cheerful.

7)  Dancing.  I'm not talking the awesome formal stuff people do, but the kind you do in your living room by yourself or, if you are like me, with your awesome little ones :)

Until next week... may your week be filled with glad things!  (And let yourself find them in the every day :) )

~Jennifer

Just Another Glad (and Manic) Monday

How have you been?  How was your January?  Can you believe we're coming to the end of it already? I can't!  Almost a month into the new year... just wow!  I am trying to get back into my working habits, I was in a bit of a slump after the holidays and then we've been hit by illness after illness it seems.  Still, I am determined to get back on track!  Here are some of my new pieces:

Not too shabby, eh?  I'm pretty excited.  It feels good to be working again :)  And now... for my list of the week!

What Makes Me Glad:

1)  Cheddar cheese and apple slices  (together)

2)  Coffee.  (preferably a great deal of coffee..)

3)  Shepuppy Blythe dresses (seriously awesome!!!!  Here's Greta's store link http://www.etsy.com/shop/shepuppy  and her Flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/74531910@N04/ )

4)  Friendly office staff at doctor's offices...  I just had to call mine and everyone I talked to was just so nice and it's amazing what a difference that makes!

5)  Old friends...  you know the ones?  Where you can see them/write them/phone them for the first time in years and pick up like it was only yesterday?

6)  Tolkien.  I am rereading the books to my children at bedtime and am falling in love with his work all over again.  (ok, ok, the love never stopped, but still!  Treebeard is so cool!)

7)  Musical gladness of the week?  Eliza Dolittle!

Thank you YouTube :)

And that's it!  I hope you enjoyed my gladness for the week ;)  What makes YOU glad today?

~Jennifer

Glad Monday

Well..  I'm making this before midnight my time, so it counts, right?  I have a house full of illness, so forgive me for (almost) being late again :)

What I am glad for this week:

1)  Hot chocolate

2)  Princess Tutu... if you don't know who she is, you should ;)  she kept my sick little ones entertained enough I could sit down with a cup of tea.

3)  Crayons.  For keeping said children likewise entertained while I made dinner.

4)  Email.  How awesome is it really?  To be able to send instant letters???

5) Lavender.  The scent of (real) lavender is made of serenity, I swear it.

6)  Wire whisks.  Required for awesome hot chocolate from scratch.

7)  And the musical choice of the week that makes me glad?  Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw.

Until next time, my friends... I am also glad for each and every one of you being here :)

~Jennifer

Oops! Late Glad Post..

I am a day behind, I know!  My eldest is sick and I'm running late, so forgive me, please?  Here are my seven glad things for this week:

1)  Digital cameras... I love being able to upload my pictures and see them right away!

2)  80s music... a large part of my early childhood :)  My earliest memories include songs like "Thriller", "Jessie's Girl", "Wake Me Up (Before you Go-Go)", and "Material Girl".  (For cool points name those artists without Google-ing ;) )

3)  My son's dimples.  I have one almost dimple when I really smile, my younger girl has one when she smiles, but my son has full fledged dimples every time he so much as smirks.  Of course they make it hard to discipline him on occasion ;).

4)  Mab Graves.  Her artwork and herself, she is one of the people I admire most in this world.  Such an incredible lady, her gorgeous art is all over my work walls inspiring me daily!  (If you don't know who she is, you must check her out!!!!  (http://mabgraves.com/).

5)  Exclamation points!  :D

6)  Fushigi Yuugi.  My favorite manga/anime ever.  (I went to a Con dressed as Yui, granted I was a bit short and curvy, but it was fun anyway ;) ).

7)  Kawaii Kandy ice cream hats for Blythe, my amazing friend Maggi makes them.  They never fail to make me smile!   ( http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/kawaiikandy )

Join me again next week (hopefully on Monday LOL) when I find seven more things that make me GLAD!  Until then... may your week be filled with gladness :)

~Jenn