A Name Of It's Own

I just realized my blog had it's one year anniversary on August 18th. So in honor of that I felt that it had become it's own entity, and needed a name separate from Blondheart, my company name. I settled on "Yesterday's Glitter." Normally I would have agonized and thought for days on end to name it just the perfect thing. That's the way it usually goes for me.

But I was cleaning off the steamer trunk I use for a coffee table in the work space and it was covered with glitter from finishing the pink bird. I was musing in my head that I was cleaning up yesterday's glitter the way you clean up after a party and it struck me...that's it!

I realized it has two other meanings besides the one listed above as well. The second is my love for older things that are maybe faded but still have their appeal, and the third is what we post about always happens before we post about it. Quite often the day before. So there ya have it!

Isn't it grand when things just fit right away!

~*~ La Dolce Vita Bird ~*~

A new little bird that I made out of pink mohair, she has a sparkly nest and beading on her wings. She is available on my website and will probably be added to my etsy shop tomorrow.

New Stuff And A Better Attitude

If you have been reading lately, you will know that I have been in a constant state of flux over the past week or so. I have changed the look of my blog 3 times. I am sure I will change it again before I am done.

It's just been one of those weeks where I know what I want to do, but as soon as I do it I want to do something else. I attribute it to forgetting to take my hormones for a couple days in there, (this can just make you crazy and manically emotional in case you didn't know) a broken chair, a lost ring and a serious glaze incident where I couldn't touch anything and I was home alone with no paint thinner. I just haven't been myself. I have been C-R-A-B-B-Y and weepy and taking everything entirely too personal. I am back on track with the hormone meds and things are starting to go a tad more smoothly.

I always feel bad when I don't post happy pretty things, but the truth is life isn't always happy or pretty, sometimes it's just a big chocolate mess as a friend of mine used to say.

Also Blogspot added a new widget called "Followers" so if you read my blog, please add yourself to the list. It can be found to the right under the blogroll, just click the "follow this blog" link. That way I can come and visit your blog as well.

Until next time...keep your paint thinner close...and your loved ones closer!

It Was A Dark And Stormy Night...

Anyone who knows me knows that I have an absolute fascination with weird things. Especially cryptozoology. But being fascinated by something and believing in it are two entirely different things. In fact I tend to be pretty skeptical about most things.

I really enjoy Ghost Hunters. I am not certain I agree with their opinion on everything they find, but some of the things are pretty intriguing. The thing is, I don't really believe in ghosts per se. I think something is happening that we aren't clued into, because too many people have had sightings since the dawn of recorded time. But exactly what they are seeing, I am not sure. I just don't think it would be the souls of departed loved ones. I find it hard to believe that we would be reduced to spending the afterlife creating cold spots in the room, moving small objects and whispering things that most people can't make out.

According to people who see them, ghosts can do some pretty amazing things. What they can't do apparently is write notes, speak plainly or let anyone know anything definitive.

The TAPS team and their ilk have come up with some pretty interesting conclusions however. One is that ghosts seem to be prevalent in buildings built on or near huge limestone deposits. Now if you stop to consider that limestone is really porous and traps carbon monoxide emissions that makes a little bit of sense.

The other thing that seems to hold true is that places with lots of exposed wiring, pipes or things of that nature can create what they call a "fear cage" due to high EMF readings.

Something occurred to me when I learned that. If ghosts tend to show up in high electromagnetic fields, then the old cliche for every ghost story about it being a "dark and stormy night" starts to make sense. At least the stormy part...lightning creates static electricity...well you get the idea. But what I don't understand is the night part? Why do they nearly always show up at night?

Do they show up during the day and we aren't as tuned in? Or is there a scientific reason why they would show up at night? I find that puzzling.

Nine years ago when we bought this house I had my own experience. We had a dog that liked to stay up with me for an hour or so and then go into the bedroom and sleep with my husband. So I was going to let Sheba into the bedroom, and when I opened the door a small whitish puff of smoke (for lack of better) about the size of a breadbox rushed out at me at a little above head height. It startled me so much I jerked back. I would probably question whether I had actually seen it or not if it weren't for the fact that the dog kept jumping up trying to catch it as it traveled to the far end of my living room and vanished. If anyone has any rational insight as to what this might have been, I would be very interested in hearing it. I had R check the room over with a fine tooth comb trying to find a logical explanation for it and something that would have created it. There just wasn't one.

Thankfully I haven't seen it since. The other thing that happened, was one afternoon I was making the bed and I heard a man's voice say my husbands name very plainly right next to me. I was at home alone, and the windows were all closed. The interesting thing about that was they said his nickname which I never use.

While neither of these instances were enough to make me believe in ghosts in the conventional sense, I have never stopped wondering what they were? I suppose it's no surprise that ghost sightings become more common since we keep adding electronic gadgetry to our every day lives and increasing our electromagnetic output. Maybe some day we will have the answer?

Times Have Changed

I was going through my mountain of magazines again and I was reading Cosmo. I came across a section with recipes. It was entitled "Make Him A Meal He Will Devour." The recipes were for spinach salad, bite sized tomato and mozzarella tarts and chocolate bread pudding.

Now I don't know about the men you know...but I don't know a single one that would consider that a meal. But maybe men are changing as time progresses? Men now "man scape" which seems to be some type of direct fallout of the elusive metro-sexual. I have to be honest, I have never entirely figured out what those are. Although I do believe I saw one in the wild once. But I can't be certain.

Men have styling products now too. I remember my dad had styling products...he had a razor, deodorant, q-tips and Old Spice. I can't even remember the last time I saw a barber. They must be extinct. There was always something sort of friendly about those red, white and blue poles revolving around.

The world is changing...some of it is for good, and some of it I am not so sure about. I think I miss the kind of men who go to barber shops and eat meals that consist of meat and potatoes.

Jump For Joy

I managed to not get one single thing done that I wanted to do today. I slept, and slept...and slept. I never get enough sleep and every once in a while it catches up with me. I slept all night and had a 4 1/2 hour nap today.

I had a dream while I was napping that I bought a mini trampoline. I have always wanted one and I decided to see how much the cost. Surprise, surprise...they are quite inexpensive. So I went off and bought one!

Years ago at a bear show I had a terrible fall down some stairs and landed knees first on an ornamental gravel sidewalk. I was wearing a short skirt at the time and so nothing cushioned my knee caps when they hit. They haven't been the same since.

So I am always looking for good, low impact ways to build up strength in them. It's sort of a catch 22. I am supposed to exercise to build up the strength but exercising makes them hurt if I over do it so they tell me to take it easy. I am always determined to find an answer when it comes to impossible situations.

R set it up for me and I discovered there really is joy in jumpin...and joggin and bouncin on it. I haven't had that much fun on a chilly afternoon in ages!

So tomorrow...or today...depending on how our schedule is, I am going to either go hiking if the weather is nice or stay in and do my chores if it's not. Either way today promises to be a good day! I hope you all have a good day too, and don't forget to jump for joy every chance you get! *Grins*

A New Look

It's a gorgeous Saturday morning for a change. We had incredibly hot weather for a month followed by rain for nearly three weeks, so I have been kind of gypped out of summer outdoor activities. My pink 10 speed cruiser has been sittin in the garage calling me for two months. We also haven't been hiking. When it gets over 90 I can't go outside. That's the curse of being a natural blond, you get fair skin with it, and if I go outside for more than five minutes when it's so hot I broil like a lobster.

I am hoping Autumn won't be joining us too soon this year, but I have noticed that subtle change in the breeze starting already. At any rate I decided to change up the look of my blog and put the bright summer fruity color scheme away. Besides, it's fun to change things up every now and again. I always seem to end up going back to vintage. I love the vintage look...it's what I create. So I suppose it's no surprise everything else always ends up looking that way too.

I am going to finally get to a couple projects I wanted to work on today after I finish the pink bird. I had actually hoped to finish it yesterday but I was caught up in a flurry of running errands all over town, several phone calls back and forth to the insurance company and meeting R for dinner. All this was done on practically no sleep. So I came home, watched a bit of TV (I do so love Psych, that show cracks me up!) and went to bed. I actually slept at night...all night even...like the rest of the world.

So I am off, watch for pics of the pink bird soon. Have a lovely day!

Black And White

I managed to find the beads I was looking for and believe it or not they worked out real well and I ended up using exactly what I had in mind. That hardly ever happens. So I am happy to say the little pink bird will be done soon.

I like pink, it's a happy color. They have started painting the inside of prisons pink in order to have a calming effect on the prisoners. I wonder if that really works?

It's a shame that we can't have more pink and happy colors on the internet. Sadly everything seems to be black and white. I am sure right about now you're sitting there thinking...hey Kel, you need to adjust your monitor!

That's not the kind of black and white I am talking about. I have had the internet for 12 years now. There are a couple things about it that will forever puzzle me. One is the inevitable need for someone to come in and 3rd party moderate a dispute that has been over for hours or even days. The only outcome of that is making it worse. When something has been resolved why can't people just let it lay there and move on? Coming in after the fact and trying to fix something that has already been fixed only stirs the pot.

The next thing...as we know you can't hear voice inflections on the computer. Keeping that in mind, people always choose to interpret anything said in the most negative, worst possible meaning. I say choose, because that's exactly what happens. I try very hard to choose to think someone didn't mean something the way it reads. Sometimes I do it too, although it's usually when I know the person in real life and know how they would say it. But hey I never claimed to be perfect either. I am simply working to overcome doing that and try...I say TRY to give people the benefit of the doubt. On the other hand people expect you to always be nice and never express an opinion that might be negative. If we never hear a critique or opposing idea, then how do we grow? Sure it's not fun to hear, but we all need it sometimes. Keep in mind there is a vast difference between voicing your own opinion and giving constructive criticism, and just flat out insulting someone else.

People use two phrases on the net a lot that I really find pointless. One is; "I knew I shouldn't have done this." Ok well if you knew ahead of time, why did you do it...no really...why? The other phrase is; "Can't we all just get along?" Why do people even ask that? Of course we can't all get along. If we did we would all be mindless drones without any differing opinions. While I am no fan of drama, I would hate for no one to ever stand up and voice their thoughts. How boring would that be?

Then there is a strange phenomenon that occurs. Computers are complex machines with motherboards. People are complex machines with brains. But yet...everything is read in a black and white context. What I mean by that is we tend to think that people on the internet say things with one of two emotions. Euphorically happy or intensely angry. No one ever thinks there might be shades of grey...subtle nuances to how things are said. Now this one I just don't get. We don't wander through our lives in one of those two states thankfully. We would overheat and our brains would explode! *giggles at the thought* Maybe we do it because the written word is black and white so we revert delightfully complex human beings to black and white concepts? Maybe it's because communicating on an emotionless machine dehumanizes us? I still don't understand texting. You're holding a phone, why wouldn't you want to just call the person and hear their voice? Interact with them.

I miss bear shows for this reason. We don't get to interact with the customers on the personal level through the computer that we did at shows. I liked meeting my customers and seeing the delight in their face as they looked at a bear. We are in tactile business. Sadly doing business on the computer has taken so much of that away.

I am off to work on my pretty pink bird. Why not reach out and touch someone today? Either with your voice or your hands, or even a bear. Until next time! *Hugs* Kelly

A Rambly Little Post

I feel slightly grumpy. Not a lot mind you, just a tad. I want some beads I have and I can't figure out where I put them. I know where nearly every single thing I own is. I have an impeccable memory and I also remember nearly ever single person I have ever spoken to, online or off. So when I actually do forget where something is, it makes me grumpy. I have it narrowed down to a couple places which I will have a look at later after I sleep.

I am working on this pink bird and I want, need and MUST HAVE these beads to go on it. (After I find them, I will probably decide I want to use something else in the end anyway because that's the way it always goes.) I am hoping the bird turns out how I envision it. It's going to be really cute if it does.

I finally gave up and ended up drawing the little four seasons bears up at the top under my banner. I love to pixel.

My creative streak is returning after it's long hiatus, and I have a few things in my brain that I want to make. Some of them are almost altered art inspired.

I love those altered art magazines. I look at them, and they fascinate me. Some of the things that people are making in that medium are really intriquing, and some even beautiful. I want to make some for myself but I can't seem to bring myself to try. Nor have I purchased any from anyone else. I think the problem is, I don't really understand it. What I am doing has to make sense, even if it's only in my own mind.

I look at these items people make and while it's asthetically pleasing to the eye, I don't know what you would do with it?

Bears I understand...you can put them next to each other on a shelf or a cute piece of vintage furniture. Jewelry I truly understand...you wear it and the more unique it is the better in my opinion! But altered art is usually pretty involved with a lot of components and I would think too many pieces displayed together would take away from each other. Some pieces I am not even sure how you would display because of their composition.

I still like to look at it though...maybe it's because...as I look around me...I realize that my house is just one giant piece of altered art! *Laughs* And on that note, I am off to bed!

Star Gazing

I went outside tonight to watch the Perseids meteor shower. I didn't see a whole lot of them what with being in town. But I was lucky enough to see a few. It was worth going out and looking up for a while. The sky is crystal clear tonight and the stars truly were shining like diamonds. Orion's belt was particularly twinkly and I saw a tiny smudge with pin pricks of light that was an entire other galaxy. As I stood staring at it, I wondered if anyone was staring back at me wondering if anyone was staring back at them...wouldn't it be sad if there wasn't...

Under The Bridge

I am not doing too badly with my goals. I have a pink bird in the works, I was diligent about the treadmill and trying to eat healthier, and I started cleaning off the computer desk. I just have to keep at it and I might even meet those goals for this month yet!

But what I wanted to talk about was my most recent obsession. It's no secret that artist's become easily fascinated and subsequently obsessed by nearly anything that catches their fancy. All too often those things are something equally artistic and that allows us to express our individuality, and if we are really lucky...it will even tell some kind of story.

I love gifts. I can't help it. I love giving gifts and I love receiving them. When it comes to receiving them, I love the fact that the person made an effort and went out of their way to do something special for me. Even if I don't particularly care for what I got, I still really do think it's the thought that counts. Every once in a while though, someone will give you a gift that stands out more than the rest.

A few years ago my Mother in law gave me a charm bracelet for my birthday. It had five tiny silver charms dangling from it and I was instantly enchanted. It set me up for what has become a life long love affair with charms. It's no secret to anyone who has ever met me that I love jewelry. But charms are...well...simply charming. I attribute this love of them to two things: being Irish, and being a girl.

The girl part of me loves the shiny little things that tinkle when you wear them. The Irish side of me loves the whole talismanic aspect of them. Sure, logically I know they are just mass produced sterling items. But maybe...just maybe they hold a certain magic when combined in a way that is unique and special to the wearer. I guess we have a tendency to still be slightly superstitious. But there is nothing wrong with that.

So a while back I discovered Trollbeads and Pandora Jewelry. If you're not familiar with those, they are sterling and Murano glass beads that slide onto a bracelet. Aside from the attractiveness of them, both companies have created a mythology to go with them. Pandora had that famous little box, and trolls inhabit fairy tales. The one I remember the best was something about them living under a bridge. Sure the beads are probably created in a non magical factory, but it's still fun to imagine the trolls under a bridge in Denmark (where Trollbeads are made) hoarding their spoils, only sharing them with the occasional passerby they deem worthy.

I really like the idea that my treasures are spoils won from the gruff creatures that were the fanciful imaginings of the Brothers Grimm and their ilk. It adds to the appeal in a way that is hard to define. Maybe somewhere deep in our souls all women want to live the fairytale? Whatever the answer is, I dearly love my charm beads from these companies.

My bracelet tells an odd little story that most people wouldn't understand probably. But to me it represents a passage from forest to sea and all the wonders to be found in between. Afterall isn't it in nature where magic resides? It's a work in progress, and I am loving every moment of it. The true gift of the trolls and their beads is a joy in self expression.

~*~ Red Bird ~*~

Just some pics of a little red bird I made for someone.

A Different Point Of View

I have to admit, I have always been a purist when it comes to art. I like very traditional things. I have never ever been interested by modern art. It's not that I don't appreciate the work that went into it...nor do I just "not get it." It's simply a case of it not appealing to me aesthetically. All too often it seems pointless and pretentious to me.

But as I get older, I think I might be loosening up a bit. Or maybe you just look upon the world with a certain sardonic wit that you didn't have when you were younger. They say life is a funny thing, so maybe that can be taken literally?

While I don't think I am ever going to be a Picasso fan, I have discovered a modern artist with a sense of whimsy that does appeal to me. I don't know how many of you have ever heard of Jeff Koons. But if you have, you know he has a variety of work styles. The one that appeals to me are his huge metal balloon animals. Every time I see a picture of one it makes me smile. I suppose to some people it wouldn't be considered art, and to others it would seem pointless and pretentious. But to me it holds an innocent simplistic charm that we seem to have all but lost touch with in our society...plus they are just really big shiny objects. Who doesn't love that!

I seem to be having an internal struggle with my own work. I still love the very traditional style bear. But these more modern approaches are appealing to me more and more to the point where I want to try something like that. Maybe it really is time for a different point of view?

Goals

My goodness here it is the 1st of August already! This year has been sailing by. It's been too hot to go outside for a couple weeks so I kind of feel like I am missing summer. It's 97 right now, that's unheard of for up on the mountain in Colorado.

I have decided I need to set some goals for this month. I want to lose five pounds, make something at least once a week and clean my computer desk and laundry room! Now that might not sound like a lot, but those are some big jobs. Wish me luck! I will keep you updated on my progress!

Happy August!