How to Dismantle Fear

I recently saw this on my beloved inspiration Jen Lemen's Flickr stream, and it hit me like a timely prophetic word. Dismantle Fear. DISMANTLE. FEAR. Yes, THAT is what I need to do. Take apart my fears one by one, render them powerless in my life. And maybe in doing so gain some hiddens morsels of insight as to who I am and where these fears have grown from and how to transplant courage and hope and trust and joy into those places where fear once had its roots.

Obviously, this will be no overnight task. You see, I am a woman of many fears. Spending your most formative years in a fundamentalist cult, being hurt in ways no child should ever be hurt, failing at relationships that you thought would last forever, watching your dad waste away before your very eyes. These are things that tend to plant seeds of fear in a person, seeds that eventually grow into stubborn weeds.

Well, I've started my personal process of Dismantling Fear, and I've decided to begin with the Fear of Not Being Worthy Of the Company I Keep. The lovely and talented Tracey of Mother May I presented me with the perfect opportunity to do this by inviting me to contribute to a new online community blog of women photographers called Shutter Sisters. When I looked at the list of amazing women who had already joined forces with Tracey, my first reaction was, "There's no way I'm good enough to be one of them. I'm just a cheesy mommyblogger!" I began my email to decline Tracey's offer. But then I realized that I have avoided being a part of anything that would potentially push my limits a bit and maybe, just maybe, make me GROW a little. I've always been so afraid of not being good enough. And yet, I knew from reading the blogs of these women that while they are intimidatingly talented, they are also kind and supportive and encouraging. So I said Yes to Tracey! And now I'm a Shutter Sister!

I am giddy with the prospects of collaborating with these women and other Shutter Sisters from all over the world, cyber and real. Please check us out! Better yet, join us!

Best Shot(s) Monday--SuperCadence

I may be a little biased, or I may be a little too interested in the show Heroes, but I just happen to think Cadence is pretty Super. Just look at that smile! I do believe it could melt a heart of steel.

And that jump! I do believe this little sprite knows how to fly.

See more folk's Best Shots at Tracey's Mother May I.

Sew Therapeutic

Some of you may remember that I caught the sewing bug some time around last Christmas. To be quite frank with you, I didn't do much more with it after the holidays. Until this past Christmas. I had this idea of making gift sleeves for mix CDs with felt, and it actually turned out to be a lot of fun.

It's been a while since I've used the buttonhole stitch. I'm talking 25 years plus. So it took me forever to figure it out, especially because I didn't know the name of the stitch to search for it on google.

Once my fingers remembered what to do, however, it was pure contentment. I like sewing in straight lines, as there is a meditative quality to the repetitive movements. Yes, I've got callouses on my right thumb and index finger, not to mention more needle pricks that you can count, but it's all good. And I've even gotten a little more ambitious...

I found me this totally awesome vintage shirt at the Salvation Army on Christmas Eve, and I thought it would look pretty rad as a bag with those pockets and the stitching and all. I wasn't sure how to proceed, but I found a very simple pattern for a lined tote bag which I modified to include a zipper.

It's far from perfect, but it was definitely a worthwile learning experience, and I can't wait to make another one, if I happen to find the right shirt.

I won't get into my little journey into felting wool sweaters and making mittens just now, as I haven't got any photos (because I haven't got anything worth photographing). Maybe one of these days I'll be able to salvage that project...

Well, I don't think I'll be getting a booth at the DIY Trunkshow or Renegade Craft fair anytime soon, but it was fun to make something with my hands for a change, instead of just pushing buttons on a keyboard or a camera.

Best Shot(s) Monday--ACTION!

Anyone who knows Cadence in real life (or virtually) knows that she is little ball of TREMENDOUS energy. It's probably why I'm so tired all the time.

As you can imagine, we start suffering from cabin fever right around this time of year. A 2 bedroom condo is not the best place to unleash the power of the force that is Cadence, so I signed her up for a few classes with the park district, including basketball. Hence the new kicks.

She's only had one class so far, and there was only one other boy her age, and I hear she was more interested in pushing some cart and something about a monkey than in actual basketball, but as you can see, she's a natural.

Now if only I could convince her that our couch is not a trampoline...

See other folks' Best Shots on Tracey's Mother May I.

Doin' the 9-to-5

I'm going into work 5 days a week for the month of January cuz it's the crazy month, and with my boss out on leave, it's even crazier this year. I apologize to all my bloggy friends as I'm frightfully behind on all your posts. This has seriously been the longest week of my life; after 3 short weeks in a row due to the holidays and vacation days, working five days in a row (and some of those days longer than usual work days) has wiped me out. There were days I was too busy to even make it to the bathroom.

Anyhoo, that's the situation around here. I sure could use a cookie and a teddy bear. And a latte. Metropolis latte.