In her Friday blog, Suze Perot (local artist extraordinaire!) mentioned “The Girlie Show” and, being to internet junkie that I am, I immediately googled and found that it is a local “chicks only” art show, right her in OKC!!  Meg and I went on Saturday and ohmygosh am I EVER in love!!

Here are a few of the goodies…

Cupcakes!!  Yummy tasting ones from here and yummy looking ones, like the one I brought home with me (this painting by Ruth Ann Borum is tiny – 2.5 x 2.5 inches)…

Gorgeous jewelry made from vintage bits of goodness like the St. Michael’s pendant that came home to join my collection (by artist Natalie Tischler of Ornamental Things)…

Poetry and kodachrome by Samatha Lamb – she uses a kodachrome technique to print her photos and they just glow…

And music by this lovely sweetheart (Maggie McLure) who was playing as we entered (after having received press-on tatoos, as shown above, from a six foot tall Roller Derby Queen!!  We have Roller Derby in Oklahoma!!!  Who knew??)…

I’m still basking in the glow if it!  It was so inspiring to see so much unique and beautiful art – right here at home!  There was something about the whole event that seemed to suggest a hands-on-hips, “no messin with me buddy” sort of attitude – it was bold and quirky and a tiny bit edgy and we ate up every second of it!!  It was also so good to know that there is a local market for that sort of work!  You never know what a couple of quirky crafters could come up with in time for next year’s show.

You can learn more about the The Girlie Show and its founders here.

Click here to read more about my Sacred Sunday practice.

I have a confession to make – someone (don’t remember who) shared the quote from “Anthem” that I used in my last post and I didn’t even know it was a song (thanks Row for mentioning it).  When I went and listened to it, I was 1) blown away by the song and 2) blown away by the fact that the singer of Anthem also sang the theme some from one of my all-time FAVORITE movies…

… maybe I just loved Christiane Slater (very possibly) or maybe I loved what his character did in this movie, which is share his voice.

Maybe I’m not the first to say so, but isn’t that what blogging is all about?!  Sharing our “pirate radio” voices?!  Isn’t blogging our way of “going someplace like a dirty thought in a nice clean mind” – someplace where there is nobody to kick us out, no FCC to make  us hide, nobody expecting better from us?!

Suddenly, I realize why I loved that movie and why I love blogging so very much – it’s because it may be the only place where I can speak my honest truth and have faith that people will truly hear me (and love me anyway).  And I don’t even need a voice modulator or a ham radio to make it happen!

I’m a terrible perfectionist.  Last night I received a couple of papers back from prior classes – both made perfect scores, but the professors had noted some minor errors or omissions in each and I was just beside myself about it all evening!  Mostly, it’s because both notations were vague and I have not a clue what I did wrong – just that something was wrong and I can’t fix it.

I realize this need for perfection doesn’t serve me and possibly makes me miss some of the “happy mistakes” life has to offer.  I made this journal page awhile back and haven’t wanted to post it because it’s kind of messy and imperfect, but today I’ve decided to try to honor my “cracks” and let some light in, so here it is!!

Quote is from Anthem by Leonard Cohen and reads…

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything…

That’s how the light gets in.

Lately my head feels full of cotton.  I’m moving through the days on autopilot again (or still).  My dreaming is worry-stuff… lists of unfinished business, showing up without a shirt, and waking with my hands asleep because I’ve been clutching some secret too tightly in my fists – make me think I’m missing something important.

In my reading (always reading) the people who are giving me goose bumps (my barometer of higher connection) are the ones who are speaking of quiet time and rest.  It seems like everybody is speaking of these things lately.  Maybe it’s a mirror.

I’m finishing Mondo Beyondo and wishing for more – feeling once again as though the answer was just there… grabbed with gusto by all but me.

I’ve been worrying again (or still) about how much my fears limit me.  At SAW, I “saw” all of the rock stars – I wanted to reach out to them… to tell them how much their words have meant to me, but I was afraid of rejection and, in the end, decided I wasn’t worthy somehow.  So messy.  I’d really like a do-over.  Universe?  Are you listening?

This is one of the pieces I made in Carmen Torbus’s Spill It class.  I diverged from the instructions a little and used alcohol inks instead of acrylic paints and the wonky face just sort of appeared.  I’ve been noticing faces in things lately – in the pattern of the tile in my bathroom, in random squiggles in my journal, in the wood of my deck.

It’s kind of fun to let go of the need to create something specific and just play.

I’m not sure where I heard it (I suspect it was here), but the word “emerge” has sort of been guiding me lately.  Here’s a little focused play I did with it this past weekend…

I added the definition after I’d actually completed the piece…

e-merge’ (e-murj’), v. To come out into
view; to appear; as, the sun emerged from be-
hind a cloud. — e-mer’gence (e-mur’jens), n.

Love when the universe supports me like that!

Pursue the authentic – decide first
what is authentic,
then go after it with all your heart.
Your heart, that place
you don’t even think of cleaning out.
That closet stuffed with savage mementos.”

~louise erdrich

It’s funny that, in all of my clearing yesterday, I never thought to tend to the place that’s most cluttered of all – my heart.  My heart carries all that I dream of but I’m always pressing it down – shushing my dreams for a “later” that never seems to come.

This morning – before I even saw Erdrich’s reminder, I found myself tending to my heart, cherishing that extra morning hour we gained today to do something I never allow myself – rest.  I got up at 7am to study, crawling into my comfy chair and under a warm blanket, but a little morsel of sleepiness tugged me back down for rest.  When Hubby came through for coffee at 8am, I got up… and wandered directly back to my bed to cocoon, sun streaming in, mocking birds laughing, kitties wrestling and all!

I finally got up at 9am thinking about the need to set the clocks and found myself gathering them up instead, considering the sacredness of taking time for heart clearing and leaving the rest for later.

Click here to read more about my Sacred Sunday practice.

I’ve been working on what I call “completions” today.  A mentor told me about the process many moons ago as a way to get unstuck about something in your life.  There was just something about this sunshiney fall day, right before we fall back to our resting season (don’t forget to set your clocks tonight), that made it seem like a perfect time to do it.

I set a goal  to complete at least twelve completions today – little things that have been nagging me for awhile.  Here’s my list…

• Finished a web editing assignment for a friend
• Added a light over my art table
• Cleaned OFF my art table…
• … which allowed me to answer an email I’ve been wanting to answer forever
• Made cupcakes (not that that was nagging me but I wanted to do something festive today)
• Picked up some essential oils that were recommended to me (Rose Otto and Bach Rescue Remedy)
• Added a surge suppressor to the new study area I set up in my bedroom
• Straightened up the mess that was still lingering after the rearranging required to setup the new study area in my bedroom
• I’m planning to revamp my little earring frame a little to add some hooks for pendants so that I can…
• …clean up my rat’s nest of pendants
• I’m going to finally clean up my magazine box – it’s overflowing!
• Cleared out the floor of my art closet so that I actually walk in it to GET to my magazine box

Just a few items to go!!

Completions can be anything – fixing something that’s broken, cleaning out old clothes (hmmm – I should add that to my list), throwing out expired canned goods, organizing a cabinet – and the number can be arbitrary.  The first time I did it, I cleared 50 things in one day!  That was a little much, but if you’re rested and REALLY want to get some stuff done, you’d be amazed how easy it is to do once you get going.

Here’s hoping you are able to find some completion and forward motion as we move into the holiday season.  Oh and may your trick or treating be safe, happy, and filled with plentiful chocolate!

Photo by way of Megan's EXPERT squash carving skills

So, who carves a squash?  Megan does!!  Especially when it’s the night before Halloween and there are no more pumpkins to be had.  I sort of love it – actually, I especially love it!  There was a time in our history when carving squashes was all the rage - heck, there as a time when people carved ANYthing with a hollowable center (pumpkins, squash, potatoes).

Welcome to my retro Halloween!!  I’m feeling the need to make cupcakes – stay tuned!