A Beautiful Spring-like day...

Yes, I’ve exercised every morning. I didn’t ride my bike today, but did some yoga, abs and stretching. Really makes the day go better.

My bicycle is on a CycleOps Trainer for the winter. It’s great because I don’t have to wear my helmet and can listen to my iPod nano while riding. I enjoy listening to books rather than music. It seems like I won’t let myself relax enough to sit and read a book…so I listen while I ride or walk; makes the time pass very fast.

The book I’m listening to at present is Die Trying by Lee Child. These are great books especially the unabridged versions loaded with all the details. An added bonus - LOTS of listening hours!

Just heard…we have snow predicted for this coming week! Wow!! Too cool!

Well…have you checked out Etsy.com yet? A tremendous amount of talent is just a click away. You can shop, shop, shop without leaving your chair!

See ya there…

Successful day...

You’d be real proud of me…I DID get up this morning and exercise! Rode my bike for 40 minutes, a little yoga and ended with some stretching.  Really set the tone for the day.

This day has been really hard; on my feet and hands in water seems like all day. I did get to stay in my studio most of the day, though.

I promised I’d share what I was going to do with the plaster slabs I poured the other day. Man, what a mess THAT was! Took me a full day to clean up. The slabs are still not ready to use; they have to cure for several days and the weather being cold doesn’t help.  

I’m going to use them to make paper clay. I make the clay and then spread the very wet mixture on a plaster slab and let the plaster pull the excess water out so I can handle the clay. Actually, I  made some today and put it on an old slab so tomorrow I will get to use the clay…can’t wait!

Can’t believe tomorrow is Friday! The old saying, “the older you get the faster it goes” is very true…so not fair. I’m just learning how to do this.

Check out another one of my favorite Etsy sellers: BlissCandles.  I buy these for myself and put them throughout the house…so nice.

Well, it’s late and I’m getting up early again.  :)

Talk to you tomorrow.

Ash Wednesday

The beginning of Lent…when I was small I was made to give up eating candy for the next six weeks. As an adult, I realize my time is more important, a more precious commodity than candy…at least to me. So, I decided several years ago to “give” during Lent instead of “give up” .

This Lent is still different again. My dad said of me one time to a friend of mine, “Pat takes really good care of her boys, but she doesn’t take very good care of herself.”  No truer words have been spoken of me, I don’t think.

Don’t know why I’m like that…wish I weren’t like that. Wish I were the “flower” rather than the “gardener”.

Anyway, I’ve decided to attempt to take care of myself spiritually, emotionally and physically. If I accomplish this for the next six weeks, maybe it’ll “stick”.

God gave me this one body and this one life; I owe it to Him to be a good steward of that life, don’t you think?

It’s late and I’ve gone to bed.

Sleep tight…

Studio time...

Well, I’ve been attempting to get everything “hooked up” with each other…got some of it accomplished, but not all and have a problem with the My Etsy tab on Facebook. When I click on the My Etsy tab via Facebook, my shop looks messed up, out of order and some of the pictures don’t come across. Guess I’ll have to check in with tech support… :-(  Wonder which one...Etsy or Facebook? 

I have another quote for you today. “Lord, show me your beauty when I read your word. Help me to reflect it in the way I live…” (The Word Amoung Us”). Wow! Easy to pray for and say, hard to actually do.

Today I will work in my studio. I will make and pour plaster slabs; after they cure I will share with you what I plan to do with these slabs.  :-)  I sat in front of the computer most of last evening (watching the Olimpics out of the corner of my eye at the same time) doing the math that is required to make a good plaster mix and pour. Maybe that’s another reason I like clay so much…it’s got so many “toys” that go with it. :-)  Maybe I’ll take pictures of the process and share them with you…see if I actually get that done.

I’m a certified scuba diver (haven’t had the opportunity to “get wet” in many years, though) and I think that sport’s many “toys” is one reason I love it so much. That and getting to “break the rules of Nature” by breathing underwater! - plus getting to be up close and personal with wild animals!

If you haven’t been to on Etsy.com, do yourself a favor and take a minute and look it over (of course, it’ll take more than a minute because there is so much to see). It’s the most wonderful place for finding gifts of all kinds, handmade or vintage, totally unique and the sellers are wonderful. I have had some of the nicest experiences; I used Etsy.com for some of my Christmas shopping (check out BeautifulSoaps on top right). It feels so good to give a gift you know was handmade and of high quality. I found, too that people have put Etsy shops as gift suggestions for wedding/baby registries. I never thought of that…totally a cool idea, don’t you think?

Gonna head out to the studio now.

Ttyl    :-)

So Far, So Good

Day two…such a novice.

I visited several different blogs yesterday after I’d published mine and have decided I want mine to look a lot better than it does. There are some really nice ones out there on Blogger. Guess I don’t know how to use all the software just yet…looks like more learning is in my future; that’s a good thing. J

One of the scripture readings for today is from the Book of James 1:2-3, 5-6a, 7-8 and addresses Perseverance. “…consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.” “If you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all. When you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all.” “If you are unable to make up your mind and undecided in all you do, you must not think that you will receive anything from the Lord.” 

This is why I write in my pray journal. It makes me know exactally what I want, sometimes that is the most difficult question I can ask myself…what do I really want?

I want to share a picture with you of the show we had here in north central Texas last week. I took it with my Blackberry out the front door. We ended up getting 6 to 8 inches of the most beautiful wet snow…great for making snow people. I can remember getting such a snow when I was in high school…so long ago I can’t count! For the most part, we don’t get snow like this in this particular part of Texas, so this was really a treat; weather man said we might get more next week…yeeeaaa!

 I am continuing to work on getting my Etsy shop, my Flickr account my Facebook account and this blog all “hooked” together; gotta find some help with that.

I’m computer literate, but I’ve never used a computer as “entertainment”, it’s always been a “tool” to get my work done…you know, my pencil and paper. So sometimes the simplest of tasks for someone who uses Facebook, Flickr and blogs frequently, are difficult for me.

…all suggestions are appreciated!...

Have a wonderful day!!!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone out there! Hope your day was wonderful…with or without a Sweetheart.  

My very first blog ever…can’t believe I’m signing on to do this; feels like a large responsibility…like, once you start something like this, you can’t stop! Maybe I won’t want to stop. Maybe I’ll use this as another journal, you know, therapy.

The journal I keep now is more of a prayer journal. I love writing in it because when I have to think about exactly what I want to thank God for and/or ask Him for (because I am about to put it down on paper) it makes me focus my thinking; I have to come up with words that reflect my feelings. Sometimes that’s really difficult. It’s much easier for me to be ambiguous and general…doesn’t work when I have to write it.

I have always enjoyed art. I guess I’ve been drawing forever, but found clay and pottery while in college (for the second time). I found I enjoyed 3-demensial art much more than 2-demensial.  Life happened and now I have the opportunity to explore my 3D art.

 

I would like to introduce you to my virtual storefront http://www.etsy.com/shop/AWebbOfThings on http://www.etsy.com .  I started A Webb Of Things on Etsy in the spring of 2009 and have been learning continuously ever since. It is totally so much fun…work too, but mostly fun. I’m one of those people to whom the saying “jack of all trades, master of none” might apply. There are several categories sporting different mediums in my shop. I will have to say you will find only two categories with pieces, though…I’m slow, what can I say.  I’ve promised myself I will stay focused!