Tuesday, November 24, 2009

A Thank You is Always Nice




 Like many of you, I have a shop on Etsy where I sell some of the things that I make. I started it last October and it has become a wonderful place which provides me with a reason to make things. I was blessed or maybe cursed with a very vivid imagination and as a child I was looked upon as being very different from the other 7 brothers and sisters.  I would spend my time drawing, writing  and sticking picture cutouts in a copy that I proudly carried around everywhere with me. I learned how to knit very young and used to sneak in the back kitchen to try and sew on an old Singer pedal sewing machine.  I was happy in my own little world of creativity.

 Today as a  very grown up girl (53), I am still happiest when I can find the time to  slip away into my craft area and knit, sew, paint, write and imagine all the things that I could make if I only had time ( see I work full time at a very stressful job). Sometimes I think I am a little crazy because I love making dolls, cats and little critters. Each one of them is special to me and I treat them as if they are a real little soul.

A few weeks ago, I sold one of my cats with her baby to an Etsy buyer and tonight I received a message from her that almost brought tears to my eyes.  Hey, maybe I am not crazy after all  if I can bring a smile to another  person so far away.

Message....

Hi, Maggie! We are going to have two extra guests at our dinner on Thanksgiving- along with myself, my husband Joe and our 10 cats at the "children's table", we are inviting our new mama and her baby kitten.They have brought such joy and laughter and reminders of rescues that they belong here in our home.I will never part from them-and since my beloved cats are getting old and their passing will be an unbelievable pain-but my mom and kitten will always be with us. I am getting emotional...I know that I will be adding another of your fuzzies to my gang.A few remind me of certain special kitties in my life...Happy Thanksgiving to a new and dear friend-from all of us here in Chicago.It's cold! Need some more warmth around me at night...we have to stay in touch....Luv, Donna and my cast and crew!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Another Girl


I couldn't help myself and so I  knitted another little doll. I guess I am like a bad kid  playing dressup with dolls that I make myself. I  love mixing the colours and the different yarns to see what she will turn out like.  Even though they are small, they still take about 5 to 6  hours to make and all the while I am imagining her completed.

 The say that when you grow up, you  must put your childhood toys away. Well for me at this time in my life, I have taken my toys back down and am enjoying the playtime once again.  Life is serious for us grownups as we face many challenges and responsabilities. From the time we leave our parents house, we are confronted with a lot of choices and  then we settle down and bring up our own children.  That stage of life is fast paced and we juggle many different obstacles. There is little time for play except if it is with your children and then all of a sudden they are gone. You are left with the void of  their needing you for the everyday things. That's when you look around and find yourself  alone and you turn to your long forgotten toys.


 Don't get me wrong, my daughter is still my main focus even though she is away at University. I talk to her everyday and am always there for her no matter what her latest crises might be, like losing her bank card and not having any money on her.  Not much I can do with her ten hours away, but I am here and  I try to help her figure out how to get out of her  dilemena.


 But in the quiet hours at the end of the day, there is time to imagine and play a little before bed. There is still a time to be that little girl again and play with all the bright colours and imagine a world where life is about having fun. It is a chance to create a little time for me.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Halloween at my House






















Well Halloween has come and gone and once again it was a lot of fun. It was also a lot of work. I like to tell stories and so I have been doing the story telling on Halloween night for many years now because I like to give more than just a bag of treats.

Willamina is the witch that comes to my house every year with her gang of goblins I suppose you could call them. Usually she is a bad witch but this year I wanted her to be a good witch so I made her out of a sheet of plywood and painted her. Her friends are made of pillows and broomsticks and odds and ends that I have collected over the years. My friend Pierre has been with me for three years now and although he helps me with all the decorating, I am sure that he thinks I am a little crazy.

One of the nicest visitors I had this year was a young woman who brought in her little girl. She had come to my house many times as a child herself and was now bringing her own child. That definitely made feel better about all the work that I put into it and the reason as to why I do it.

Children are the reason why we do so many things and although we are all grown up, I think that we all remain childlike inside. That is why we must take the time to do the little things and have as much innocent fun as possible. My Mom was 82 when she died and one of the nicest things that she left us was her openess and desire to do the little extra things to make people laugh and have fun. For many years she would dress up for Halloween and sneak over to my house pretending to be a bigger child; yes she was short and could get away with it. Many times I did not know her and we both would laughed at her fun. I still miss her as you can see.

So here are some of the highlights of Halloween 2009. Too bad that you missed the witches brew and muffins!