A Stroll Down Georgianna Lane

I'm so thankful to have met Georgianna Lane through work. Georgianna is a stunning photographer who travels all over and captures the most amazing images. This wonderful woman recently gifted me with a calendar, which means 12 of her breathtaking Paris images. I love Paris and miss it all the time, so these snaps were like a stroll down memory lane. For more of these beauties and more more more more check out her blog. Merci Georgianna!!!

Giving & Getting

Ever since I began working on apronology I have been in contact with this lady, who has been a true inspiration. One of the best parts about knowing EllynAnne (besides her warmth and genuine love of helping others reconnect with the past) is her ability to encourage us to give back.

EllynAnne has long been committed to her project, National Tie One On Day, in which you are to wrap a baked good in an apron along with a note and give it to those in need. I wrapped my loaf with a vintage gingham apron with chicken scratch stitching and even used a card with a vintage cherry print EllynAnne had gifted me. While I won't go into detail on the note I wrote, the bread reminded me of a very important piece of scripture, "Man can not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matt 4:4). This verse is a constant reminder that food alone is not what is needed to sustain us.

This Thanksgiving was full of lots of food and for that I am blessed. But for me, the holidays are always about more than that. They are about being surrounded by those I love, laughter, sharing stories, and giving. As long as we keep on giving, I truly believe we will keep on getting those blessings.

Hope everyone had a happy holiday!

Patience & Fury

I stole this image and quote from my friend, Jenny. Having studied John Dryden in college, this quote conjured up so many past thoughts and emotions that caused me to really study myself.

One of the reasons I really like Jenny's Words of Wisdom section on her blog is because she picks some great words to live by and I feel her stories and artwork can back up several of these quotes. I concluded that I really like surrounding myself with wise people. And here's the thing: wise people always know exactly the right words to say; and if they aren't their own, they can point you in the direction of someone else who said it best. Thank you Jenny for sharing this.

Many of you may have guessed, I am a very patient person. It is one of my finer qualities and I pride myself on my ability to not be fast to anger. The worst part about being furious for me, is that I rarely feel good after boiling over. There is power in patience; it shows restraint, it shows inner strength. And yes, there can be power in fury, but how often is that positive?

Dryden is warning us against testing those who have skillfully held their tongue and temper. Pick your battles. Measure your words. Because in the end, they are all we leave behind. All we have to cling to are those words of comfort/hope/wisdom. And those words become the yardstick for which other experiences/feelings are measured.

I hope that I leave behind some wise morsels and I pray for the strength to keep my patience. After all, no one wants to leave behind a strain of ill-timed, ill-mannered, half-thought-out expletives and phrases. We are only so much time, so many words, and so many chances to say the right ones. Let's make them count.

Strength to Force the Moment

Friday I had the privilege of being visited by Linda and Sandy of EuroTrash. They were dropping off some fabulous jewels for Jewelry Affaire and also left with me the most fabulous press kit I have ever seen! It was encrusted with jewels and crystals and all the wording was on vintage piano paper. As promised, here are pictures of the cuff I bought from them at Glitterfest, which I mentioned here. Every time I wear this cuff (which is a LOT) I look down and fall in love all over again, that's when you know you've made a smart purchase : ) Today I am wearing it layered with a vintage cuff, vintage ring, and my one-shouldered Elizabeth and James Cubist Dress.

Today I read a great quote while proofreading this magazine. Artist Wendy Brightbill wrote "The road to passion and creativity is often paved with crisis." This instantly reminded me of T.S. Eliot's words on having "the strength to force the moment to its crisis."

There's a lot on my mind right now, and while I wouldn't say I am in the middle of a crisis, I would agree, that sometimes a crisis can be a good thing - they give us the opportunity to flex our muscle, get stronger, and really "force the moment" to make and gain something good out of something bad. A cuff always kind of reminds me of Wonder Woman's cuffs and I love how one shoulder dresses are a great chance to show off upper arm muscle. These words, this outfit, and this jewelry brought to mind Linda and Sandy's experience starting their own jewelry line. They started EuroTrash because they wanted to design beautiful things, and even though they knew there was risk involved, they wanted to do it anyway; they wanted to seize and force the moment in order to create something dazzling. Not only have they made some amazing jewelry (which you will see published in April) but they have definitely inspired me as well. What woman doesn't want a piece that inspires and makes her feel strong?

Whether you make jewelry, write, edit, art journal, or just enjoy beautiful things, I hope in times of crisis you are able to force the moment of greatness out of your work or out of your life.