Joy Hall

Look what I got...

For a while now I have been a fan of Andrea (The Paper Purse).  I'm amazed at the amount of creativity housed in one, vertically challenged (her words, not mine) person.  The following post was taken from her blog entry for Tuesday, December 30, 2008 titled, "I can't believe it!". (If I knew how to link to certain blog entries, I would have).

Okay, no crafting post today because I am in a state of shock.  I've known for a long time that I am "vertically challenged" and all my life people have commented on my lack of height but this morning it really dawned on me just how short I am.

I woke up laying across the width of my bed and only a little bit of my head was hanging off the edge... now keep in mind that I have a double/full sized bed - not a queen sized or a king sized bed. I have no idea why I was sleeping across my bed that way but as I woke up and realized it, the shock of my short stature grew by leaps and bounds. No wonder I have always had such a hard time in the Petite Dept of various stores - I'm not petite - I'm built Tonka Toy sized!

So because I am a glutton for punishment I decided to test out how much of me fits on my 2-person couch.

You guessed it... I fit almost perfectly sightly curled up on my 2-person couch. Good grief!

I also know that at one point in my life I was actually 5 feet tall, however it seems as though in the past few years I have begun to shrink so I truly have no idea how tall I am not at this point. I'll check the next time I go to the liquor store and after they card me I'll ask the cashier to measure me using that chart they have against the door in case someone tries to rob the store.

I wonder if Barbie's pink car is still available in the shoppes? 

I was laughing out loud when I read this, for you see, I TOO am vertically challenged.  However, I have not had this happen to me.  On second thought, I DID have this happen to me when I was in college.

Anyway... vertically challenged or not, Andrea makes an ENORMOUS amount of beautifully creative cards and other things.  She offered to send one of her adorable cards to someone but they in turn had to agree to send it to someone else.  Since I have really wanted to see one of her creations for myself, I quickly sent my "pick me" in (there were only 4 cards available).  Yipee, I got one of them.  However,  now I must send it on.  I thought I would show you this cutie before it is no longer in my possession.  Isn't it sweet!

It's tough to find the time...

“The bottom line is not how fast you make your dream come true, but how steadily you pursue it.”   Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance

This morning I got up before daylight as I love to do.  I enjoy having a little time to myself before other family members get up.  However, these days it’s not too hard to find time for myself.  With both sons in college and a husband with a very demanding job, I finally have the time to do all those things I always wished I had time to do.  Ha!

I like to read and write early in the morning.  Today I read a little from one of my favorite books, Simple Abundance.  The essay was entitled “Setting Your Own Pace”.  In the essay she speaks about another author, Anne Tyler.  She says…

    “Anne Tyler reveals in a collection of essays, The Writer on Her Work, how difficult it is to create around family life.  Writing is her frame of reference, as it is mine, but the same principle applies to any passion. One March a character arrived in her consciousness as she was painting the downstairs hall.  She knew if “she sat down and organized this character on paper, a novel would grow up around him. But it was March and the children’s spring vacation began the next day, so I waited.” By July she was finally able to start. Even with the inevitable creative delays that daily life brings, there is tremendous gain in the struggle to answer your calling with children growing up all around you.  “It seems to me that since I’ve had children, I’ve grown richer and deeper,” Ann Tyler confesses. “They may have slowed down my writing for a while, but when I did write, I had more of a self to speak from.”

Creating artwork to share with others has always been my dream. When my boys were small I would steal every napping second I could to expend my creative energies…I painted (Trompe L'Oeil) walls in our house, designed projects for the boy’s school, illustrated homes for a local builder and freelanced for a variety of clients…always making sure the boys had quality time with me.  There were many occasions in which the boys would have to accompany me (ages 3 & 5) to meet with printers and some very understanding clients (I don’t recommend this).  Those were not easy days.

I still get a bit startled when I walk into a fabric store and see a bolt of fabric that I designed…or drive down the road and spot a house proudly flying one of my flags or see their mailbox wrapped in one of my designs…or get an email from one of you telling me how much you enjoy my art!

I say all of that to say this…for all of you who have dreams of doing something that you find it almost impossible to squeeze in the time for, don’t give up.  Chip away a little every day.  Before you know it, you will be there and will have learned so much on your journey!

“The bottom line is not how fast you make your dream come true, but how steadily you pursue it.”   Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance

This morning I got up before daylight as I love to do.  I enjoy having a little time to myself before other family members get up.  However, these days it’s not too hard to find time for myself.  With both sons in college and a husband with a very demanding job, I finally have the time to do all those things I always wished I had time to do.  Ha!

I like to read and write early in the morning.  Today I read a little from one of my favorite books, Simple Abundance.  The essay was entitled “Setting Your Own Pace”.  In the essay she speaks about another author, Anne Tyler.  She says…

    “Anne Tyler reveals in a collection of essays, The Writer on Her Work, how difficult it is to create around family life.  Writing is her frame of reference, as it is mine, but the same principle applies to any passion. One March a character arrived in her consciousness as she was painting the downstairs hall.  She knew if “she sat down and organized this character on paper, a novel would grow up around him. But it was March and the children’s spring vacation began the next day, so I waited.” By July she was finally able to start. Even with the inevitable creative delays that daily life brings, there is tremendous gain in the struggle to answer your calling with children growing up all around you.  “It seems to me that since I’ve had children, I’ve grown richer and deeper,” Ann Tyler confesses. “They may have slowed down my writing for a while, but when I did write, I had more of a self to speak from.”

Creating artwork to share with others has always been my dream. When my boys were small I would steal every napping second I could to expend my creative energies…I painted (Trompe L'Oeil) walls in our house, designed projects for the boy’s school, illustrated homes for a local builder and freelanced for a variety of clients…always making sure the boys had quality time with me.  There were many occasions in which the boys would have to accompany me (ages 3 & 5) to meet with printers and some very understanding clients (I don’t recommend this).  Those were not easy days.

I still get a bit startled when I walk into a fabric store and see a bolt of fabric that I designed…or drive down the road and spot a house proudly flying one of my flags or see their mailbox wrapped in one of my designs…or get an email from one of you telling me how much you enjoy my art!

I say all of that to say this…for all of you who have dreams of doing something that you find it almost impossible to squeeze in the time for, don’t give up.  Chip away a little every day.  Before you know it, you will be there and will have learned so much on your journey!

Lost in a Half-Drop Repeat