Settle in. This is a long one.

Some scoff at the idea that you can have more than one best friend.  And...I get it...by definition best beats all else. But, can't we all agree that different people fulfill different parts of you?  How do you decide which part of you is more worthy of fulfillment?  Most of the girls in my life I've known since I was at least 10.   For us, that means this year marks a quarter of a century that each of our lives have been intertwined.  That means something to me, so this summer I'm throwing our 25 year anniversary celebration!

Tomorrow I embark on a journey I'll make several times this year.  One of my bfs lives 218 miles away from my door to hers.  It's been 2 months since we were together and that's too long for me.  I do love that now when we see each other it's an event, but it makes me realize that when we lived in the same town I took for granted the last minute dinners out or drinks after work or the saturdays spent running errands together.  I can't count the times since she moved that I've wished I could grab a bottle of grapes & stop by after work.  Or shuffle over on a Sunday morning, still in my jammies, for coffee.  Or plan simultaneous Wednesday 'sick-days' so we could eat tomato soup & grilled cheese & watch tv together all day. 

She & I have been everything to each other.  Friends, enemies, 5th grade rivals for the same boy, badminton champs (4 years in a row), roommates, drinking buddies.  We've been each others conscience, backbone, shoulder, rock, mother, sister.  I held her hand at her parent's funeral.  She stroked my hair at my Dad's.  I stood by her side at the altar.  She gave it to me straight when I wanted to stay in a dead-end relationship.  You can't bullshit your best friend...don't even bother trying.  When she answers the phone I can tell by her "hello" if something is wrong.  The morning I called to tell her my Dad had died she told me she knew by the ring that something had happened.  We're connected.  It's that simple. 

When we're together there's always a ton of hugs & snuggles (we call them hugs & snugs).  We're annoyingly dorky that way.  But we can't help it.  We make the absolute most of every second we're together because it'll be months before it happens again.  We've stayed up talking thru the night and didn't realize it until her husband (who is amazing) came in dressed in his suit for work that morning.  (As annoyed as he was at us he still ran out for o.j. before work so we could have beermosas for breakfast.  Did I mention he was amazing?)  

Has someone ever done something so hilarious you felt like you couldn't laugh hard enough?  That was the case the year she threw a Christmas party for us girls & used Pledge on the wood floors so they would shine.  We couldn't make a move without clutching the walls, counters or table for dear life.  (The best part...when she forgot and came running down the hall & bit it right in front of us.  We laughed so hard we were literally rolling on the floor.)

I can't wait to see what the next 3 days hold for us.  But I'm going to grab a bottle of grapes and drive 4 hours in the snow to find out.  Love you, Linds.  See you soon :)

Backpedaling

A few years ago someone special to me dropped my name to someone special to her who was in need of placecards for a wedding.  I was thrilled at the name-drop but super nervous because I had never sold any of my work before.  Until then I just liked playing with paper.  I met with my first "client" over coffee to discuss designs, timelines, etc.   Jump ahead a few months and we're meeting for the final time so I could present her with the finished product.  Dare I say she was so pleased that she suggested I sell my work at the Studio on 6th, an artist co-op in downtown Springfield.  Who?  Me?  Turn a profit playing with paper & glitter?? 

Soon after, I went to the Studio on a reconnaissance mission.  When I left I was excited about the possibility but had no portfolio prepared to show.  I procrastinated for a few months which gave me loads of time to second-guess my work, time & ability.  Then I talked to my brother.  Aside from my mom, he's my biggest supporter & champion of moving forward & always gives the best advice.   He said to call & make an appointment so I have a deadline & no excuses.  The next day I did just that.

Today I'm in my 3rd (or 4th) year at the Studio (I honestly can't remember).  I love every second of it.  I've met awesome people (and even snagged a new bff) and have all of their talent at my fingertips.  Can you imagine how it revolutionizes your gift-giving to have personal access to painters, potters, seamstresses, woodworkers, photographers & silversmiths??  I have my favorites, I admit.  With their permission, I hope to feature them from time to time here in my little corner of the interweb.  And despite the fact that nearly every one of them has had something to say about the "glitter situation" at the Studio, I think we're kind of like a big, colorful, creative family.  So thanks "someone special to me".  Thanks "someone special to her". Thanks big brother.

I like shiny things.

At the Studio they call me the Glitter Queen.  My friend Doug teases me about having a Glitter Wheel (a device much like a lazy susan, where I place an item to be glittered, slather said item with glue and give it a spin.  While spinning I would sprinkle glitter from above and trust that it lands in all the right places.)  I admire his ingenuity, but for me, the best part of his GW ribbings is seeing him pantomime the act of sprinkling glitter.  It's always on my hair or face.  My dog, Elliott Beaglesworth, proudly sports glitter on his nose/face/back/paws.  I love it and happily live in a cloud of it (think Pigpen from the Peanuts only sparkly).

I have become the guru of all that is glitter to those around me.  I love that.  It could be a lot worse.  I could be the person they ask to examine a scab or a weird hair that wasn't there before.  Instead, they ask what glue is the best, how I get the detailing just right (a paintbrush with literally 1 hair), what brand I prefer, what grade, etc...  I read about it, study it.  I use it and learn what type to use for what project.  Flaked, fine, super-fine, ultra-fine, glass, dust.  It's pretty ridic what I know about it.  But, for me, it makes everything just a little better.  It's the secret ingredient...the nutmeg, if you will, to all of my projects. 

I fantasize about having tons of huge apothecary jars full of it.  In every color.  I even know what kind of scoops I want to ladle it out with.  Would I sometimes just plunge my hand in & wiggle it around?....maybe.

Starting off.

So I've decided to put it out there & start a blog.  I don't do resolutions, unless you count the commitment I made last week to use up every drop of lotion in the gazillions of tubes & bottles I have before buying even one more. (That goes for chapstick/lip balm as well).  But I have finally started the blog I've secretly yearned to have.  It'll likely be a bit elementary and maybe even reminiscent of other blogs I follow at first, but once I start tooling around and learn the ropes, it'll be polished & my very own.

My inspiration to blog comes from a few places.  First and foremost my irrepressable urge to create.  Its roots run deep.  My mom was ALWAYS working on a project.  Sewing, doll-making, flower arrangements, gift baskets...she was always at it.  Her collection of ephemera, trimmings, findings and glitter are still of use to me today.  I can shop in her basement at 3 a.m. & find just what I'm looking for to finish a project. My dad was the photog of the family.  His job working 3rd shift at the coal mine meant I didn't see him most school nights, but oh those glorious friday nights when we could stay up as late as we wanted!!  He'd get home at midnight and we'd go to the darkroom to reveal the treasures of his week's shoot.  Thankfully the digital age was still a couple of decades away and developing pictures in your basement was a real event.  Then there's my brother.  He who could draw anything perfectly at any age.  I firmly believe that while your artistic skills can be honed to make you better, you're either born with it or your not.  He was born with it.  I'm proud to say he's a successful, working architect living in LA.  And it's worth mentioning he married a lovely & talented designer so I imagine it's not only in our blood, we're chemically drawn to it.

My second inspiration is my cousin Cassandra.  When we're together the creative think-tank is unstoppable.   I don't have a sister, but if I did, she'd be it.  We're fortunate to share similar tastes, but eclectic enough to introduce each other to different styles.  I credit her with leading me to Etsy years ago and, while I have yet to open my shop, much of the stuff in her's adorns my walls, mantles & tabletops.  To us there's nothing better than a bottle of Merlot (unless it's a bottle of Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese or Malbec) and a Saturday night with no plans so we can collaborate on ideas, projects or a bout of "Did you see the ___on etsy today? No, but I did see ______."  Then, invariably the laptop comes out & we're two art nerds trolling E kinda tipsy at 1:30 a.m.  Anyway, I love her, her family and her style and she always inspires, what I think, is the very best part of me.

And thirdly, I think we all like to believe that what we have to say is so great everyone wants to hear (or read it).  I'm no exception.  Hopefully, my little ramblings, ideas, finds & inspirations will tickle someone so much that they'll obsess over catching up on my posts.  Did I say obsess?  I meant leisurely show interest in.  *wink*.