Diary of an Unconscious Mind

My niece is a talented artist and since I can't draw I asked her to design something for me. I was driving home one day while listening to Amanda Palmer's CD I had a brainstorm. A friend of mine had triplets 7 months ago and I have been trying to think of something to make them, there are 2 girls and a boy who are the most adorable babies. I needed something as cute as them so I thought that it would be cute to make dolls using the letter of their first name. I called my niece who I talk with everyday on my commute home (which is an 1hr.) to tell her of my ideal, so together we came up with a design which she drew that night. So I am going to share her design to give you all an ideal of what is to come. They will be made of fabric and felt with pockets so that I can add ribbon with Velcro to fasten to stroller. If they work out right we have decided to do all the alphabet. So please leave a comment sharing your thoughts or to let me know of an animal that may fit the letters of...

Calamity Kim is have a great giveaway to celebrate her apron being in Apronology. Please stop by leave a comment and join the giveaway, afterward make sure you visit more of her site she is a true inspiration. UPDATE: I am proud to announce I won the Giveaway I would like to thank Kim for a wonderful giveaway. Thank you

I am participating in a Spring Swap at The 6 O'Clock Stitch . Spring is a time of renewed spirit, cleaning out all the old stuff from the year, and watching nature begin anew. So come on a join so that you can put a new smile on someone's face.

So today is the first day of Spring and with it is the In Spring Rag Doll Challenge. Here is my very first doll that I have ever made. I am new to using a sewing machine and this is challenge help me learn new techniques that I had never tried. So thank you blitheandblonde for this challenge. I can't wait to see the others. Happy Spring to all. Here name is Skippy, she is Mother Natures grand-daughter. With her smile she makes the sun shine, a wave of the hand the wind blows a cool breeze, and a wink of the eye the flowers bloom.

To meet ones hero is a rare occasion, but when it happens the world slows down and a second is like a lifetime. To give that gift to someone is priceless seeing the smile, the eyes bright and for a moment pure happiness. This weekend I was able to give my son a priceless gift of meeting his heroes. To those of you who are not as tech savvy my son and I traveled 2 ½ hours to Austin to see Diggnation a podcast show on Revision 3 , I highly recommend checking them out. Going to a Diggnation live event is equal to going to see Judas Priest concert do to the loyal fans who like my son and I waited in line to get in for 3 hours. So the journey began for him as he made his way to the front of the stage I had to leave the confines of the mosh like pit to better ventilation. I had a nice chat with the CEO of Digg who is the most accommodating person I have every meet. He made each person that he spoke with feel like they mattered, his laid back attitude made you feel like he was an old fri...

I went home again to see my beloved youth, but with adult eyes. I grew up in Bellaire, Texas a city within a city of Houston a place that had well manicured yards, tree line streets, cozy homes built in after Word War II. It was a magical place where everyone knew their neighbor; we rode bikes all around the neighborhood and most of us went to the same schools from elementary to high school. It was the perfect Ozzy and Harriett life we grew up in the early 70’s with the bicentennial vibe painting the fire plugs to look like the American flag, with parades through the city main street. Yesterday, I spent time with some of those people who had a great impact on the person I became later in life. I learned I had a voice in the sixth grade it was the one grade that my memories are the most vivid; when I look at that time it is like I am there again. It the first time I heard the B-52’s, Ramones, and other alternative music all in the room of Greg, his influence on my musical taste has la...

Today is International Women's Day Purple Paisley had a swap that I participated in. I recieved my package yesterday so I was excited to open it today. I am sorry this post is late, but I had a renuion last night so I am recovering. So my partner Nicole sent me all the way from Alaska this beautiful package. I would like to say thank you so much I can't wait to use them on my projects. Thank you also to Purple Paisley for this idea.

Today I heard of the passing of Paul Harvey which has saddened me so. I first heard Paul Harvey as a young girl while staying with my Papaw in Shreveport. Every day during the summer my Papaw would spend the afternoon in the back bedroom listening to the Baseball games, I would sit with him as we listen on a small transmitter radio. After the game at the same time everyday Paul Harvey would come on telling tales from the day, short antidotes, and funny facts this all to the delight of my Papaw and me. During the summer months I spent in Shreveport I relished the moments my Papaw and I sat in the bedroom listening to the game and Paul Harvey it was our moment. My Papaw passed away in 1980 when I was just 12, but I would make sure that I turned my radio to the station that had Paul Harvey it was like my Papaw was with me. So thank you Mr. Harvey for the memories telling me the rest of the story making me remembers my Papaw, to you Good Day. This is a picture of my beloved Mamaw and P...

I will be participating Blitheandblonde's In the Spring Rag Doll Challenge. I have never made a rag doll before so this will be new and fun. I would like to invite you all to click on the link above to join in. I have the perfect fabric for her to celebrate Spring. Check back to see what I made.

Since I have been in my little space I decided that it need more of me in it. So I went through a box with some picture my mom framed when I was young. They have been in the garage since we bought our house 3 years ago I just never had the right place to hang them. I added some thrift store finds along with everything. My fabric corner is small but with the addiction I am getting it soon will grow. So here is the new look for now.

Purple Paisley Patch is have an International Women's Day Fat Quarter Swap. Click the link above it will take you to her blog with the rules to the swap. It will take place until February 20th. So join in and lets celebrate the wonderful women who help make our lives great.

Living near the Gulf of Mexico has always held a respect for Mother Nature. My father was fascinated by weather the unexpected way it could change on a dime. He raised me to respect it, not to fear it but understand God’s hand in this life. When I was 16 Hurricane Alicia hit Galveston it was the first true Hurricane I had every been through, my father made sure that the house was prepared we had all the provisions, we where lucky that we had a gas stove in the house. Our house in Bellaire which is a city within Houston our den was lower then the rest of the house, if it flooded our den flooded too. So all the furniture was put up on blocks I went to sleep with the storm approaching I am a heavy sleeper so I was not awaken by the winds. When the eye of the storm was passing over us my father woke me up to take me outside to see what nature did, it was the most surreal moment to hear complete silence no wind, no noise just silence, but about 1 minute later he turned to me and said it ...

Valentine’s Day was an event in my house since our last name was Valentine. My mother always said that there was a birthday every month in our family, but no one was born in February since it was our month. Every Valentine’s Day was like Christmas with all the presents, we would get socks, candy, knick knacks, etc. The house would be decorated with hearts that we made, cookies baked in the shape of hearts, my mother loved holidays. . It was the one time we all went out to a nice restaurant to enjoy a meal. I remember going to school with a box dressed up in hearts waiting for the cards to be passed out, cake, cookies and kool-aid. Then the cutest boy in class would give you a heart with words that made your heart flutter, only to find out years later that every girl got the same one. Everyone would count to see who got the most Valentine cards, which one had a special saying on the back, to this day somewhere I have a Valentine from one of those cute boys. We would sit in class ma...

I would first like to say thank you to everyone who came by and let a comment. This was a great experience for my first giveaway, but this will not be my last. I will be making the rounds to everyone's site look for inspiration which you all have in abundance. This was hard to pick a winner because I wanted to share with you all, so I let Random.org do it for me. Drum Roll Please..... It is Margy of Hmmdesigns . Please check your email. So please come back I will pour you a glass of lemonade as we sit outside and shoot the breeze. Hugs to you all Shean

I am participating in my first giveaway. Katy of i'm a ginger monkey is hosting the Great International Stash Busting Giveaway with other participating blogs. This will take place on February 4th for one day, the drawing will be on January 5th. Just leave a comment and I will put you in the drawing. This is a variety of novelty fabrics all are fat quarters and have not been pre-washed. I am not good with coordinating fabric schemes, that where my sister comes in to help. *I Will stop taking comments at Midnight Central Time. I will draw tomorrow morning and update with the winner later in the afternoon. I have a funeral to go to in the morning so please check back later in the day on the 5th. I would like to Thank Everyone for the comments this has been fun. Please visit the following blog on February 4th for their giveaway. I hope you will like it.This is so much fun. Thank you again for come by and good luck to you all.

I love books they where my escape as a child. Though I had dyslexia, it was not a form that affected my reading; it was my math skills that were impaired. My mother influenced my love for reading you never saw her without some book or word puzzle, she would sit with me on the couch reading to me her favorite poems “The Raven,” “The Owl and The Pussycat,” “If” and “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Those are indented into my memory, on Christmas every year she would reading to me Jus’ Fore Christmas a ritual I did with my son. My mother never discouraged me from reading anything she encouraged my taste, this lead to my ability to read and comprehend on a level far above most in my class. In her cedar chest I still have the 6th grade book report I did on Amityville Horror, this story made me unable to sleep in a bed for most of my childhood and teenage years. I would read Encyclopedia Brown books then set up shop outside my house charging friends to solve mysteries for them. Judy Blume was my s...

This weekend has been a tough one with the loss of Gramps and having my hubby and my car broken into. So it was a great afternoon when the mailman arrived baring a package for me. I participated in my first fat quarter swap on I'm a Ginger Monkey's blog, my swap partner from Canada. The package arrived on a day when joy was needed. Package's do that they make you hopefully, because covered in the brown wrapping is a treasure just for you. Someone took the time to think about you. I love packages. This is the wonderful gift. I have a plan for making a purse out of it. I was surprised today with a package from Elizabeth at Creative Breathing . I had won an assortment of her handmade cards in a giveaway. Inside her package was inspiration of what I hope my crafting will become. Her stories have touched my soul making me remember long lost memories. I will place her cards on my board of dreams so that they will inspire my creative mind. She is a treasure to be sure.

On Saturday morning the Lord called home a great man. He was my brother-in-law's father and part of my life for 29 years. My niece wrote a wonderful tribute to her grandparents that sums up my feelings. So please check go to this link Pulling Teeth to see the wonderful man.

I am participating in my first giveaway. Katy of i'm a ginger monkey is hosting the Great International Stash Busting Giveaway with other participating blogs. This will take place on February 4th for one day, the drawing will be on January 5th. Just leave a comment and I will put you in the drawing. Please visit the following blog on February 4th for their giveaway.

My son was born 3 weeks premature weighing in at 4 pounds, 14 ½ ounces. I had just turned 23 when he came into the world, single, and scared and facing something I was not really ready for. My pregnancy was a tough one I got was put on bed rest in my 8 month, during an ultrasound they noticed he was dropping weight rapidly so C-Section it was. He came into this world on a Friday in January my best friend had gone to San Francisco for Christmas and told me not to have him until she came back I did not disappoint her. He was my saving grace, before him I was a wreak living on the edge of a cliff. My mother was wheelchair bound she no longer spoke, my dad was trying to keep it together with this little creature our whole existence change. He was a curious child who had a temper blue fits abound. He didn’t like cartoons, but loved to watch PBS when they showed how things worked. While most kids where playing with cars he was looking through a microscope. Every morning he would wa...