A stitch in time saves nine

 If you are a stitcher in any way you know this saying all too well. The definition: A timely effort will prevent more work later. Where I am leading with this phrase, is not where you might think. In fact, it has less to do with craftiness and more to do with tackiness. In the matter of personal business, that is.
The great thing about little sayings and quotes, is that we can adapt them to our situations.In this situation, I will say it means to those who sound off and later need to aplologize, think before you speak.
It always amazes me that people feel ok about shaking up their emotional trash and tossing it for the world to see on FaceBook. We have all said things from time to time that are, well, not our greatest moment maybe.  This is so much worse. We are talking full on, telling off people. Then the next thing you know, everyone knows the business. And believe me, most of us d not want to.
I love hearing great news. Got a promotion? Fantastic! Found a cool new place with awesome food? Thanks! You decide to blast people, the government and everyone on your page? Um, not so much. I love my friends, my family, who of course, can call me for anything good or bad. We have a history, a deep rooted relationship where it is SAFE to share all these things. My problem with FaceBook has become this: people air their dirty laundry, they are on your page, so now you have lousy judgement for associating with people who cannot behave themselves. When you treat others right and are trying to build a business, this ends up being bad business. Some things we are better off not knowing.
My solution to this is, goodbye FaceBook, it was fun while it lasted.
I will almost miss you.
Hello Blogger.com, you are awesome

Take a Penny, Leave a Penny

Ok it may be a metaphor in this case, but the idea is the same; something useful (and free) is there just when you need it  and the next time you may return the favor. Advice can be like that, right? My grandparents always told me if you find something interesting or helpful, pass the knowledge on. A good deed, if you will.

It has been a rough week and it is so cold outside the winter blues have set in...but today I cured it with two simple things: some great Indian food and the advice of my grandparents.

How, you ask? Well the Indian food is my comfort, my tonic and always puts me in a good mood. I know its the aromatics of the spices, but that is another topic entirely. Ok so the other mood elevator was hearing my product review helped a fellow crafter. Music to my ears! She said I saved her from buying the wrong product, and even though I posted my review back in September, it was still out there, waiting for that perfect moment when someone needed it. Helping others is free, easy and feels great both ways. Something that takes us about 5 minutes to write, can save someone a few hours of time, or frustration. At the end of the day, I feel happy knowing I helped someone who in turn, brightened my day by returning the good energy.

Sharing, such a simple and beautiful thing!

Art and the City

Art and cities go together like bees and honey. And there are so many different varieties of honey created by the bees. So if each of us artists are like bees, where do we land for our creativity? What sweet scent draws us to it, and makes us want to stay? Do we go it alone from flower to flower or do we head for the hive and seek out the safety in a group? While the method might be different, we all buzz around hoping to arrive at the same destination: fulfilling our purpose. Hopefully when we are done, a meaningful piece of art remains. For bees, it's the honey. For an artist, it's the masterpiece.

So this all leaves me with the comfort in knowing that I'm not in the creative universe alone. Sure you can create in your studio alone, but it's nice to know you still are not actually alone.

Sometimes when you hit a block in the road, instead of being stuck, it may just be a sign that you need to hit the bricks and find the nearest arts collective. Or gallery. Or meetup, or wherever your feet lead you. This is a city after all, and the great thing about cities is that you are never far from inspiration!

Our Sewing Machines, Ourselves

Anyone who sews knows one thing: if you love to sew, your sewing machine becomes part of you. It isn't something that happens right away. It happens gradually and before you know it, this seemingly unimportant piece of equipment becomes a creative lifeforce all it's own. 

Knowing this, if you have ever had the misfortune of having one BREAK, it is nothing short of cfeative devastation. Now what's  a girl to do? You have probably a whole bunch of projects waiting to be finished, only you can't, because the machine that just broke your ♥ is the one that does that ONE PERFECT STITCH. 

You must have a backup machine...don't you? Here is my advice: any old backup won't do. 

Say hello to my little friend...The Mechanical Sewing Machine.

Yet another reason to love something that is either old (or made like it) is because it's tried and true, free of most modern complications. That's right. So for me, I have learned these last few weeks, and it is a very hard lesson indeed, that sometimes  doing things the old fashioned way, is the best way.

A Vintage girl will never let you down♥.