Love, empathy, tolerance--also puppies, flowers, and laundry

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

January is Just Plain Two-Faced

January means my birthday (yes, it IS about the presents actually), new seed catalogs, sunny days, turquoise snowmen decor and a bit more sunlight each day.

It also means the IRS is looming along with storm clouds, black ice, still-short days, and post-holiday letdown. Oh, and let's not forget Norovirus and lots of jolly headaches.

January:  I love it and I hate it.

If I had my druthers, I'd hibernate.  God knows I ate enough to live on my fat reserves for a month or two.

I fight against the dark days with a plethora of crafts--if I'm not sewing, then I'm crocheting, painting or embroidering. Which I'd love to show you but that nasty thing called My Job means there's not enough daylight to take decent photos.  (Whine, whine, whine.)

Maybe you enjoy putting away Christmas and having a sparsely decorated haven, but I miss the color and excitement.  (I'm shallow that way.)

Eventually the snowmen, snowladies and snowflakes, no matter how turquoise and sparkly, weren't cutting it and I broke out the Valentine goodies a week early just to save myself from January self-medication (Wine, wine, wine--or in my case, sparkling pear juice in a goblet.  Yes, I live on the edge.)

Anyway, it's not quite February yet but I'm enjoying my crocheted, glass, fabric or painted wood hearts along with little old valentines, pretty candles, red vases, and silver-framed family photos.  Especially the family photos.

And pink silk tulips since there's not a sign of springtime outside.  Said tulips which are behaving themselves nicely now that I've super-glued three blossoms onto their stems so they can't pop off when I shower the dust off them.  I had thought of gorilla-glueing them but felt that might be overkill. 

If the Loc-Tite works, I'm going to do the same to the stray fir branches belonging to my mantel garland.  (End of January is a great time to plan ahead for Christmas.)  I've finished so many holiday projects recently that I feel like I'm eleven months ahead instead of one month behind.  Sadly, it feels very very wrong to even think about posting about Christmas projects in January.  Or February.  Or any month except December.

So I'm plotting some Valentine/craft posts that might see the light of day.

Or not.

It depends on the Photo gods.  I might be pouting over the fact that my family didn't get my subtle hints about wanting a new camera, but hey there's an anniversary coming up  need some good daylight so I can flaunt a new chalkboard or two, some very Pinteresting yoyo-and-button hearts and a project created by upcycling some roadkill and an old mattress.

I know it sounds like a tease, but actually really I'm sort of cheerleading myself into cranking out some creativity and posting. 

Bring Joy,

2 comments:

  1. I love this post. When my life gets intense, my inner smart alec comes out to play ;) I have been too overwhelmed to do any crafting. You can be proud of getting so much done! You have inspired me to do something small instead of giving up :) I will think of your turquoise snowmen while I work.

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  2. Happy belated birthday! Your story of having the crafts finished late/early reminds me of that funny track joke... being so far behind you actually think you're in first. I think it is fabulous that you are getting so much done- Bravo! I've been trying to talk a woman at our school into donated crochet lessons to our auction; I would so love to learn!

    Enjoy! Spring will be here before we know it... already the bulbs are coming up:)

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