The Michelle Journals

Tuesday, February 1

Our (I mean, the boys) first bodyboarding/surfing competition.

The "dudes" waiting for the comp to begin.

Aren't they ~~cute~~ handsome?

Waxing the surfboard.

Very important if you want to stay on.

Ozzi getting some advice from his veteran surfing friend, Mack.

Ozzi getting "shacked".

Monkey see.

Monkey do.

Laird, Jr.

My sweet friend, Jenn, with Michael, another friend, in the background.

Owwwwwieeeeee...a rash...

Why rashguards were invented.

Ozzi made it through to the semi-finals and ended with a fourth place finish.

Way to go guys.

Saturday, January 29

I have a disorder.

It's called Creative Schizophrenia.

And I've got it bad.

Some people think that I am a clean, organized type of person, which is sort of true, some of the time...but when I'm creating, all that type A personality stuff goes right out the window.

I have discovered that I simply CANNOT work on one project at a time.

I flit from one project to another, stirring up a whirlwind of mess from one side of my studio

(um, bedroom) to the other.

Personally, I like to think of it as a beautiful disaster.

But then in the background, I hear my husband's voice,

"Help! Somebody call a doctor.

I've fallen into a pile of glitter and I can't get up!"

Teeheehee...

Christmas creations, part one...

It's after Christmas, I know, but I thought I'd share a few things that I worked on for the holidays.

My girlfriend Lorraine and I organized a handmade ornament exchange party that we held at another girlfriend's house (Liz, bless her heart) in early December.

Let me just say, sooooooo much fun.

Loved seeing all of the creative ideas the ladies came up with.

And the food was delicious.

Of course.

These little numbers were fashioned after my friend Kathy's idea that I ~~stole~~ borrowed.

She owns Chic Antiques in Bellevue, Idaho.

Stop in if you're ever in the neighborhood...you will not regret it.

Just be prepared to spend a load--she's got great taste, that one.

I made 18 of these little dress ornaments, all a little different.

I just love Christmas.

The perfect excuse to create with abandon...

Monday, November 29

Creative diversion...frum me to you...

I've been missing my Senecca.

So after wallowing in the testosterone-infused man-cave for the last two months,

I decided it was time for a little creative diversion to take my mind off her absence.

And since my favorite thing in the whole world is to give gifts,

and her favorite thing is to get gifts...

my little "care package" project worked out for both of us.

I thought it should include something distinctly "mom" about it.

And in our home, that means art, food, or both.

So I started by making a word garland for her, using items that I had laying around my studio, er, dresser, like scraps of fabric, ribbon, buttons, paper and string.

I found this great quote a while ago and decided it would be perfect.

"Art washes from the soul, the dust of everyday life."

Sweet sentiment, no?

Her care package included the quote garland, a felt brush holder for her paintbrushes, and a set of notecards so that she would have no excuse to not write to me...