« February 2007 | Main | April 2007 »
Maya Angelou's Best Poem Ever
March 29, 2007 in Well-BeingHi There - I'm sure we all receive a variety of things that have been forwarded to us via email. Some are down-right hilarious, some make you weep on the spot, and some just really strike a chord. Here's one that applies to being a healthy, strong woman who knows how to take care of herself and interact with world no matter what comes up.
I love Maya Angelou.
MAYA ANGELOU'S BEST POEM EVER
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a youth she's content to leave behind....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a feeling of control over her destiny...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
HOW TO QUIT A JOB,
BREAK UP WITH A LOVER,
AND CONFRONT A FRIEND
WITHOUT RUINING THE FRIENDSHIP...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it....
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...
After reading this, I feel pretty good about what I know - but I now realize that I need to head out to Victoria's Secret and get me one of those black, lace Bras!
Debbie
Permalink | Email this | Comments (6)
Gene Kelley would be so proud
March 27, 2007 in Television
I just finished watching week two of "Dancing with the Stars." As we've talked about in the past - we all have our TV addictions - and I just love to watch these performance contests. I am so in "awe" of what these celebrities can do - and without a Dance background! And some of them are no "spring chickens" either........There is probably a common quality to these Celeb's which is enormous "drive." To deal with the pain and fatigue has to be overwhelming at times. (probably many, many times!) I know for me, I'm challenged not to get too sore or "pull something" with my little work-out routines. So, I have enormous respect for what they are pulling off.
It's great to imagine that people all over the world are being inspired to dance again too. I know my Mom and her sweetheart, Paul, have started taking Dance lessons. She said it is harder than they expected, especially for Paul. She mentioned she even went out and bought dance shoes too. I keep noticing Dance emporiums showing up around town. It's cool how style, hobbies, color, dancing, etc. seem to recycle in popularity.... Who knows what's next!
To being "light on our feet!" (or at least not an embarrassing klutz) Debbie
Permalink | Email this | Comments (2)
2006 BOM Drawing Winner Announcement
March 23, 2007 in QuiltingThank you to everyone who participated by making our 2006 Block of the Month Quilt project. And a big Thank You to the 84 people who sent us a photo of their quilt and entered our Drawing! Not everyone indicated where they live, but 25 of the entrants who did are part of our International Family of Quilters. The quilts were all wonderful - it was inspiring to see all the different color and fabric combinations.
We did the fun deed today - We put all your names in a basket and I drew the name of the lucky winner. Drum roll, please......."and the winner is Marisa from Brazil!!!! Congratulations Marisa! Marisa used a classic combination of Red, Green and Tan with lovely results. She let me know that she is currently working on our 2007 BOM Garden quilt and signed off her correspondence with "Kiss, Marisa." How charming! She will receive her prize of DM Goodies on her doorstep soon.
I wanted to share a few of the stories with you that some of our participants shared with me....
(Click on any images to enlarge)
<–-
....Ruth miniaturized the design and made her quilt with 3 inch blocks. She put a ruler next to her quilt in the photo. Clever!
....While spending 42 days in the hospital (yikes!), Kim couldn't wait to get out (can you blame her!), buy her fabric and work on her quilt. She reached her goal and hopefully we provided a little distraction.
....This was the first quilt that Amy from Oklahoma ever made - Nice going! –->
....Several quilt clubs made the quilt as a group, including Jeri, June and Jacquie of the Tuesday night, "Stitch-n-Bitch" club. Their next project.....our 2007 BOM quilt, of course!
<–-
....Three sisters, Jill, Pam and Polly (who live in different cities)
stayed "connected" to each other by all making the quilt. They each
made extra blocks and presented a quilt to their other sister, Dianne,
for her 50th birthday!
....Annette pieced her quilt entirely by HAND! Wow!
....Four different teenagers, ages 13 to 16, made our sampler quilt. I'm impressed! Laura (age 13) with her quilt –->
Thanks again for your participation and congratulations to all for your accomplishments! Can't wait to see what you're working on now.
Keep up the great work. Debbie
Permalink | Email this | Comments (8)
Gutsy Gal!
March 19, 2007 in Movies
Tilda, one of our faithful "Blogger's" sent us a picture of herself on her "Dirt Bike." Way to go, Tilda - You are much cooler and hipper than the "Wild Hogs!"
I must admit, I'm too chicken to get on a bike. My stomach is up in my throat just at the thought of it. But I am glad to know there are gutsy gals out there like Tilda who make us look good.
Not so daring, Debbie
Permalink | Email this | Comments (1)
Quick little Votive Project
March 14, 2007 in Crafts
When I went to the "Go Red" Luncheon for the American Heart Association in February, I came home with a soy candle votive with a simple beaded embellishment added to it. It was a red bead in the center of an assortment of complementary beads. The Heart bead was symbolic for "heart health" and for Valentine's Day too.
I thought it was a cute idea and "Hey, why not decorate this for all the spring Holidays? " Inspired by the great Heart idea, we came up with a simple solution for St. Patrick's Day. Even if you don't have Clover shaped beads- an assortment of green ones convey the message. For Spring/Easter, I found a sweet Tulip button to be the centerpiece of the Candle's bracelet.
Because it is such a simple concept, you can probably tell how to make it, just by looking at it, but just in case:
You Will Need:
* Elastic beading cord. (big enough piece to wrap once around the votive and allow enough extra to tie it off.
(Make it fit snug enough, so it doesn't slide down the votive.)
* A collection of simple, color-coordinated beads for your project. You may want one bead (like the heart or the tulip) that can be your centerpiece bead.
* You can make the choice to wrap the embellishment all the way around the votive, or to showcase it on the front of the votive only.
Entertaining Tip: Use these as Table Favors for a Dinner Party. Place one of these votive's at each table setting. Light the Candles for special table ambiance. When dinner is over, announce to your guests that the candle is a gift from the hostess.
And at that moment, they will know you are the "mostess!"
Debbie
Permalink | Email this | Comments (4)
Wild Hogs
March 12, 2007 in Movies
I just have to tell you, I just got home from seeing the movie "Wild Hogs" with John Travolta, William H. Macy, Martin Lawrence and Tim Allen; and it was pretty hysterical. It was about 4 guys in mid-life crisis who decide to take a road trip on their "hogs" (motorcycles). Of course, they were pathetic and hysterical at the same time. I thought William H. Macy kind of stole the show - but everyone was funny. There was also a "surprise" sequence that played during the ending credits that might have been the funniest part of the movie.
If you're in mid-life age-range - you'll probably like it. Plus, it's a good one for both men and women.
I love sitting in the dark, eating popcorn and watching movies!
Debbie
Permalink | Email this | Comments (6)
Office Facelift - First Steps
March 8, 2007 in Decorating
You all heard me make a commitment in January to a new project. My plan is to give my office an overdue "facelift."
Since I have to do this "other thing" when I'm at the office - you know..."work." That does seem to take up most of my time these days. So my plan is to work in this project whenever I can and report my progress to you.
So, I'm off to a somewhat meager start....
1. First I went out shopping. Hey, that doesn't sound so bad so far! (And, that meant I stopped at Starbucks, too - I know how to shop!) I was on the hunt for new art pieces that I could hang on the back wall of my office. This newly selected art would also be the inspiration pieces for the room and to determine the color story.
2. Based on the Art prints; Next, I picked out the Paint color and decided to just paint the back wall. It's much less of a commitment to do just one wall and you always have the option to do more if just one painted wall doesn't do it for you. The good news is that it worked for me (at least so far). I chose a kind of sage-like green and I think the prints will look lovely on the wall.
3. The tall table that held my little stereo unit got the once over too. We put a coat of a rich brown color over the whole piece. After seeing it painted, it looked like the top piece could use a little more focus. So we painted it a darker brown and sponged a lighter and a more medium brown on top of it to create a more interesting texture and depth.
4. To protect the painted finish we put three coats of gloss varnish on the top, lightly sanding between each coat. The bottom of the tall table was painted with an enamel paint, so I didn't feel it needed to be varnished.
Next:
I'm thinking about removing the large oversized shelf unit out of the office. Once I realized it was mainly storing stuff, collecting dust and taking up a lot of room in my office. It seemed time for it to go. In the meantime, I'm cleaning all the items off of it and finding new homes for everything.......
I'll keep you posted.
Debbie
