Tarot - I Can't Find My Decks, So Here's a LOTR Deck For You to Drool Over

It's finally Saturday, and after three days off work (two scheduled days off and a day off because of our computer issues), I'm heading back into the shop today. It's probably just as well. DH awakened at 4:15 am with sinus issues, so he's seated at his desk behind me, working/playing on his computer, earphones plugged into the TV while he listens to the news channel. He knows I don't want to listen to Ukraine at 4:45 am, so wisely made it silent. 

While doing a quick search for existing LOTR 
tarot cards, I came across these. I'm giving you 
information about the artist and several images 
in today's post, because they're stunning. I 
always enjoy sharing good art. 

Here, Gandalf is "The Hermit" and I think 
he makes a stunning one. I could also have 
seen Radagast in the role, but there are 
only so many slots available for our 
favorite wizard. 

I was going to start an on-line exploration of the Tarot this morning - a mindfulness course I've been looking forward to, but of course I'm not able to put my hands on any of my more than eight decks of Tarot cards. Argh! It's going to take some hunting to find them, so I switched to a different course for the time being while I track them down. 

I love that "The Fool" is Merry and Pippin. Those 
two irrepressible Hobbits are perfect for the 
role. "The Fool" is no fool. But the fool does
tend to walk in where angels fear to tread. 

Thinking about where I could have my Tarot cards stashed made me think about decks I'd love to use and Lord of the Rings came to mind. I visualized how I would construct it in my mind. Frodo would be "The Fool", I can't think of a better image for that. The major arcana would represent the four races - Men, Elves, Dwarves and Hobbits. Swords for the men, trees for the elves, pickaxes for the dwarves and pints of brew for the hobbits, could work well for the minor arcana. This might be something I'd be interested in working on down the line, although there are already several very nice ones available. 

Frodo gets his moment in the Major 
Arcana during one of his darkest hours - 
trapped in the silken webs of Shelob. 
"The Hanged Man" is a powerful card, and 
having Frodo on it is highly appropriate. 

The deck I like the best is by a Russian artist. I'm not sure if it was ever actually published, and if it was, it's probably not very available any more. I've put a few of her Major Arcana pictures throughout this post just to allow you to see her work. Her name is Sceith Ailm on Deviant Art (Sceith-A) and she's well worth a look. 

Having Gollum for the "Wheel of 
Fortune" is brilliant. With Gollum, you 
never really knew whether you would 
have Gollum or Smeagol. The red/black 
of the wheel comes through beautifully 
in his character. 

There are other LOTR Tarot decks out there, and I know I won't have time to develop a deck of my own, so I may break down and find one to buy (not that I need yet another Tarot deck). Or not. I might just take a serious hunt for my own decks. I miss them - the feel of the cards, and that sense I get when working with them. It's been a few years since I've worked with them, I think it might be time again. Have an excellent weekend, I'll be back on Monday. Peace! Slava Ukraini. 

A Celebration Of Street Art - A Few Murals to Brighten Your Day

I enjoy celebrating everyday art and the art that decorates industrial spaces. I thought I'd share some art with you today, because I love sharing pretty things. I'm in the mood for some street art. So, let's see what I found to share today. 

I'm starting with Isaac Tin Wei Lin's masterpiece of 
abstract art on North 7th Street in Philadelphia, PA. 
I just really like this, and looked at several different 
photos taken in different lighting, some of which made 
the interconnecting blocks look almost 3-D. Although 
it looks really simple, it's actually quite complex. 

From Philadelphia, I'm moving across the "Pond" to London and something just referred to as "street art". These panels, although each one different from the other, have a sense of unification and symmetry that I adore. This is dated to 2017, and given it's street art, may no longer be there, but it would be a shame to have it painted over or destroyed. That, however, is the fate of many building paintings and murals over time. 

All I could find on this one was "Street Art, London, 
2017". So there you go. You now know as much 
about this piece as I do. But I love the playfulness 
in the tumbling multi-colored blocks, and the differing 
backgrounds lend more interest to the large 
panels. The forms and shapes lead you from
left to right. Yeah. I like this piece a lot. 

Moving back to my own home town, and crossing the river to Minneapolis, there are two building murals that I wanted to share with all of you. First, there's this fabulous Bob Dylan mural at 5th and Hennepin. I love the fractals that the artist used in this to play with the portraits, breaking them apart and tying them back together at the same time. The Twin Cities have a history of encouraging building murals, I'm just sharing these two, but mural art is found everywhere, and there are even tours that will take you through building murals in the Cities.  

I was never good at this style of artwork - I'm too literal 
to work with blocks of color this way. But I adore what 
the artist produced here. It's entitled "Times are achanging" 
and features three views of Bob Dylan as a young man, a 
mature artist and a much older man. Dylan, of course, was 
a Minnesota boy - born and raised in Hibbing, MN. 

Of course, Minneapolis is also the home of Prince, who rocked the world and was taken from us far too soon. This Prince mural was painted by Rock Martinez as a mourning present for the city of Minneapolis. He wanted to give something back to the community. It's a stellar portrait of one of our more famous residents, commemorating his life, death and lasting impact on our psyches. 

Prince grew up in Minneapolis and made his home here. 
When other artists left the area after becoming famous, 
he stayed and built Paisley Park, his studio and recording 
facility. Prince never forgot his roots - good and bad. We 
lost a great talent when he passed in 2016. 

So, there you have it, just four street art works that might brighten your day. As you wander through your cities and towns, keep your eyes open. You never know what you will find around the next corner. On that note, I'm out of here. Have a truly wonderful Tuesday and please, be kind and stay safe. If it's safe, then leave your mask off, but otherwise, wear your mask for your own safety as well as the safety of others. I'll be back tomorrow. 

Let's Look At Some Large Sculptures From Around the World

Let's take a look at some large sculptures - not quite monumental, but wonderful in their own way. Why sculptures for today? Why the heck not?. I love showing all of you artwork every now and again and today seemed like a perfect day. 

This is the "Singing Ringing Tree" located near Burnley, 
England. It's a metallic sculpture that works with 
the wind as a very large aeolian harp. I imagine the sound 
would be quite amazing as the wind played music 
through the steel. 

This is "The Bear and the Strawberry Tree", a stone and
bronze sculpture in Madrid, Spain. Apparently the image is 
from Madrid's Coat of Arms. 

This is called "Force of Nature" and is located in London, 
England. Here, Mother Nature hurls our planet in 
circles. It was based on the destruction of hurricanes 
throughout the world. 

This sculpture, entitled "Les Voyageurs" is located in 
Marseilles, France. It depicts the memories and parts 
of themselves that every traveler inevitably leaves 
behind as they leave home for a new shore. I love this 
sculpture! 

I thought I'd end this mini-tour with a sculpture that's close 
to me. This is Oldenburg and van Bruggen's "Spoonbridge 
and Cherry", located just across the Mississippi from where 
I live, in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. I've loved it 
since it was first installed. 

So, there you go. Some eye candy for today. There were many other large sculptures I would have loved to share, but I just wanted to brighten everyone's day, not give you a massive amount of material to sift through. Still, I hope I brought a bit of joy to your Tuesday. Have a wonderful day. Be kind, stay safe and please wear your mask. I'll be back tomorrow, at least that's certainly the plan. 

It's Time For Some Art - Small and Large

I haven't talked about artwork for a while, and it seemed a good topic for the day. I'm starting out with the semi-ridiculous, artwork "installations" or "wedges" by AnonyMouse. This came across my feed a few days ago, and I bookmarked it for a return visit when I read that these sidewalk and low wall artworks appear in Sweden, France and on the Isle of Man. So, my friend who lives on the Isle of Man, have you seen any of these installations? It might be a wonderful thing for NYK1 and NYK2 to keep their eyes open for. 

Here is a miniature of Ricotta Records made and placed
by AnonyMouse. The following photo will give you
an idea of the scale of these detailed miniatures. 

Here, this tiny dog stands between two other AnonyMouse
installations. I have always enjoyed miniatures, perhaps it's
part of the reason why I work with beads. I wish there
was something similar in my area, but alas, there is not. 

AnonyMouse fashions miniature shops, restaurants or other venues and places them below the windows of the originals, at street level. There is usually an AnonyMouse logo accompanying the miniature. They are lovely, quite complex, miniature works of street art and I think they're something I would have loved to do as a younger person. The original article where I read about them is here (just follow the link), but those of you who live in the areas where they operate, just keep your eyes open. 

This wonderful piece, entitled "Wave" is on exhibit at the
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. It's carved from
Guarea wood from Nigeria, a gift from Margaret Gardiner. 

The Google Doodle this morning features Barbara Hepworth, a artist primarily known for her sculptures, although she did other types of art as well. She was focused, intense and dedicated to her art until she died in her 70's, and her artwork is in cities and on plazas throughout the world. I thought I'd share a few of her pieces that I really like. 

Her larger abstract sculptures are in permanent collections
throughout the world. I couldn't fine specific information
on this duo, but I really like them. 

This 21-foot-high sculpture entitled "Single Form" stands in front of
the United Nations building in New York City. It is dedicated to the
memory of Dag Hammarskjold. Here it still stands today, in front
of the Dag Hammarskjold Memorial Library at the UN in NYC. 

One last one, because I love this grouping so much. This is "Family
of Man" and stands in Suffolk, UK. I love the placement, I love
the abstracted yes balanced forms, and I love how they work together
to produce something truly wonderful. 

And there you have it - more of a pictorial blog today, but those are also fun. I hope you've enjoyed this small sojurn into artwork, large and small, and that you have a truly fabulous Tuesday. I'll be back tomorrow. 

Wrapping Up January - 366 Day Meme

It's Saturday and since the forecast is rain, DH and I bundled up the woodshed in blue tarps last night to protect it from the moisture. We'll be working on it all day Sunday - lots to get done before the first unit is complete. DH worked on it all day Thursday and Friday so he's got the framework done for the cubicle, as well as the roof and the floor. Since I don't know his vision, it's all a surprise to me. I'll share more photos next week. 

I'm being lazy today, and since it is the first of August, I'm going to do the final January questions for the 366 Day Meme. That'll end one month and get me one more month's worth towards being current (probably never going to happen). 

21 What genre of books is your usual favorite when you read for pleasure?
I admit, I always have a book in hand - or to be more specific, on phone. I read romance, but over the years I've read fantasy and science fiction. I like interesting characters, good plots and dialog that makes sense. 

One of my favorite series from days gone by, which I still own and
still love is the "Dragonriders of Pern" series by Anne McCaffrey.
Brilliant storytelling and a wonderful crafted world that holds together
in a deep, multi-book series over many years. 

22 Where is one place you wouldn’t ever want to be caught dead?
I wouldn't want to be caught dead anywhere, but I would prefer to not visit most of Africa. Although it's a beautiful land, I'd rather stick to Egypt and maybe South Africa and skip the rest. 

23 How would someone who genuinely likes and admires you describe you?
I've been told I'm strong and resilient with a wicked sense of humor. I can live with that. 

24 How would someone who doesn’t really like you describe you?
I'm stubborn and pig-headed, have an inflated opinion of myself, and am superficial. Maybe I am, but I'm honest. 

25 If you had to teach a one-hour class with absolutely no prep time, what subject could you competently pull off?
If I had the equipment, I could easily teach basic kiln enameling. Without equipment, basic beading stitches, how to use color to best advantage, and/or different types of cloth and what can/can't be done with them. Probably other things too - after more than 60 years, I've developed some skills I could share. 

Like most people, I have good traits and bad ones. I'm always
being pulled in two different directions. I don't think I'm
particularly "special" for that, just human. 

26 What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you while out for a meal at a restaurant?
Either spilling something on myself or getting drunk on wine/cocktails. Either one is embarrassing, and something I try to avoid. 

27 What aphorism or saying is helpful for you right now?
"One thing at a time" is my mantra. I always have too many irons in the fire and juggling them can be intense at times. 

28 What’s your favorite meme? (Post it!)
I really don't have one. 

29 What is your skin care regimen?
Simple water and soap, but kind products made for sensitive skin. I have various creams and ointments for my eczema on my hands, all prescription and all rather powerful. 

Although it can be hard sometimes, working on one
thing at a time can be extremely beneficial. I don't
always manage it well, but I try often. 

30 What song are you listening to a lot right now? (Post a link?)
I am enjoying the sound of silence - not the song, the reality. In my early mornings I don't listen to music until I get to the shop. Then I'll put on my Bluetooth earbuds and listen to a "Daily Recommended" list on Spotify. 

31 What superpower best suits your personality?
Is there a juggler? I think I juggle life between my shop, my home and my artistic pursuits fairly well, and it's NOT easy. 

So there you go. On that note, have a fabulous weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Stay safe, be well, and please, wear your mask. 

The Vessel - Straddling Art and Architecture

So, no pictures yet for last night's Project Runway, so my post of the show will be up tomorrow for all of my fellow "fashionistas". Today, instead, is a dive back into mediocrity ... or not ... because it leaves me free to speculate on architecture and definitions of beauty. 

The Vessel, designed by Thomas Heatherwick, is an amazing
construction of light, cells and glass. I've never seen
anything quite like it before and I'm totally in love. 

Last night's Project Runway "walk" took place in a very different venue - The Vessel. This architectural art design is in New York, of course, and when I finally get to New York in 2023, I'm adding a visit to The Vessel onto my "must see" list. It's absolutely amazing and I want to experience it for myself. 

An interior view of The Vessel gives you an idea of the scope
and size of the structure. Each cell has a platform with
stairs heading down each side to the next platform. There is
an elevator that takes people to the top for their walk
down and around (or down and zig-zag). 

It reminds me of a beehive in a lot of respects - those cells built upon cells. Or maybe it's more like a wasp nest, but either direction, it's quite amazing and absolutely beautiful in a very modern way. This is not old-time architecture, this takes architectural elements and pulls them into the future. 

The Vessel is 15 stories tall and cost approximately
$200 million to build. It doesn't really serve a function,
but as a large interactive sculpture, it's pretty amazing.
I'm not sure if any other US city could pull off something
like this, but it seems perfectly suited to New York City. 

The crazy thing about architecture is that it's usually there to serve a function. I can't, in all honesty, say what the function of The Vessel is outside of art, and the fact that a building of this size would be constructed at a cost that would leave me breathless, solely because of art just floors me! It's amazing, wonderful, and a bit thrilling to have art constructed for the sake of art on this scope. 

And, unfortunately, the structure has also had its first suicide - a young
man who jumped from the 6th floor a bit more than a week ago. So, as
most major structures do, The Vessel gathers its own history, both good
and bad. My heart goes out to his parents who have lost their only child. 

So even if we don't have Project Runway photos today (and I'm not 100% sure there will be any photos to see given that the "Runway" was actually The Vessel), we can still contemplate the juxtaposition of art and construction that led to this amazing venue. Have a great Friday. I'm heading to the gym for the first time in days because I'm finally feeling much better and I feel like a slug when I'm not working out regularly. I'll be back tomorrow, with or without Runway fashion photos. 

Practice - Nothing Can Happen Without It

DH always wanted to play the guitar well. He loved, and still loves music, and owns several guitars that are on stands in various rooms of the house. As we were watching the final episode of the rebroadcast of "Country" last night, he said that he had always wanted to play guitar well but ... and then the excuses/reasons commenced. His fingers were too short. His fingers were too fat. He should have tried the mandolin instead of the guitar. Etc, etc. I commiserated with him and then went to bed. Why am I bringing this up? Because the one thing he didn't say was he didn't practice enough. 

Guitars are a beautiful instrument. I have one guitar - not a great
quality instrument, but good enough for my skill level. I haven't
played it for many years, though. I do love a well played guitar, though. 

It's a fact that not all instruments are perfect for all people. I played the guitar tolerably, and the flute horribly, and the cello with excellence. I found my instrument. But I also spent hours upon hours practicing my music, just as I spend whatever time I can spare on my art. Practice. That's the really important stepping stone to progress. You'll only get good when your hands and brain have practiced their dances so that the steps are intuitive. 

Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason has been making quite the stir in 

the world of top-level cellists. I was never at that level, although 

I did extremely well in High School, placing at the top of my 

age group for the state. I wasn't good enough and wasn't 

driven enough to carry it farther for a career, though. 

There are a lot of really excellent cooks out there - bakers, candy makers, and chefs. I am NOT one of them, but I guarantee the bread I was baking at the end of my sophomore year of college was better than the bread I was baking at the beginning of the year. The recipe didn't change, but after weeks of making two loaves a week, I got really good at it. I didn't have to check my recipe, I didn't have to think about how much to knead the loaves, I just did it, stuck them into the oven, and pulled out two perfect loaves every time. Practice. 

Not every chef has to be the next Gordon Ramsey, there are a lot
of different styles of cooking out there. Practice will pull almost 
anyone out of mere competency to excellence, however, if the
 desire is there. 

It's not enough to just want something. The want has to walk hand in hand with the desire and that desire has to take over a life to the point where every spare minute is dedicated to the goal of improvement. One thing in common for most of the talented musicians we were listening to on the documentary was they started young, and most of them took years to achieve a high level of skill. Years. Years of everyday practice. Years of practicing fingering, trying new riffs, and putting wraps around bleeding fingers. It's the only way. Practice might not make perfect, but it gets a person much closer to perfection. 

Not everyone is a painter or a weaver or a writer. But
if you have a great desire and drive to do one or the
other thing, you won't achieve your goals without
practice. Write for an hour, paint for an hour, draw
for an hour, practice music for an hour,
and do it every day. You'll get better
and better at your chosen craft. 

So today in your life, think about practicing something you want to improve for yourself. If it's music, pick up your instrument and practice for an hour or two. If it's artwork, grab that piece of charcoal or those paints or whatever your media and immerse yourself in art for an hour or two. If it's sports, grab a ball. If it's cooking, start a new recipe. Just DO it. Don't think about it ... DO it. 

Do it! Make it happen! Make the best pie, sew the best dress, or
be a great parent. That takes practice too. 

I'm off to the pool for a second day in a row. I should be doing floor exercises today, but I changed my mind and I'm going to swim instead. I suppose this is one way I practice - I'm there, exercising, five days each week almost without fail. I'm not great, but I'm working on it. I'm practicing. Have a wonderful weekend and I'll be back on Monday. 

Random Thoughts Before Shoveling Yet Again

It snowed overnight again, so when I awakened at 2:15 am, I decided to go ahead and get up. My hope was to catch up a little on my emails and blog comments before once again shoveling the driveway before the gym. That's my goal, in any case. We'll see if I can successfully achieve it. 

I was looking for a good graphic for "catching up" and
saw this one posted by someone wanting to catch up
with Phoebe and her Unicorn (named Marigold).
What really caught my eye was the scarf and
leggings that Marigold wears. Too funny for 3:40 am,
so I just had to share. If you want to read the graphic
novel, it's available on Comixology for $9.99. 

It's a week of taxes - year-end reporting for the state and federal governments as well as attempting to get the W-2's done and the sales tax. I actually got quite a lot of these finished yesterday, but the W-2's are being their usual reluctant self. The business section of Social Security is always a bear to get into. I have a notation to phone them as soon as I get into the shop today. I need to get yet another entry code since mine has been used for the maximum permissible number of times.  Annoying ... did I say ANNOYING! Their phone banks open at 6:00 am, and usually when I phone them I'm on hold for more than an hour. Oh joy! 

Family and how they intersect is a hard one for me. My definition of
family is quite fluid and the only stable part is DH and his family
up here in the Frozen Northlands. That's the part of family that I actually
intersect with regularly. But I have other family defined in many
ways in other locations across the globe. It's exhausting. 

The Daily Challenge for today isn't really doing it for me. It's "Family" and the task is to do something visual that encompasses family. I'm left with decisions I'd rather not make when faced with tasks like that. My family is DH and I. My extended family is a lot of nieces and nephews and their assorted kidlings, as well as my cousin in Colorado. My family of the heart is another Coloradan and her hubby and kidlings (the last of which is getting married this month), and my BFF, Sharon. I'm not even counting my family back on the Rez which extends even farther or the newer re-found family on my mother's side back on the East Coast. So my preference for "Family" is just two - DH and I. It's a lot easier than ring, after ring, after intersecting ring, ad infinitum. 

Artist Pauline Galiana maked collages from
shredded paper. I suppose I could have dome
something like that, but it seemed a waste of
quality time. 

Yesterday's Daily Challenge was another that I blew off. It was to write for ten minutes, then destroy what you wrote without reading it. I always start my day with emails and writing my blog. That's writing for more than ten minutes. I'm not going to shred my blog, though, and I'm not going to fracture it into little bits of cyber coding either. So that's two days of Daily Challenge that I'm blowing off. Oh well, it will give me a few more minutes to shovel the driveway without being rushes. Huzzah! 

Here's hoping you have a glorious day and don't have to shovel too much snow. I'm planning on returning tomorrow for my "day off" which, as usual, has a billion things on my "to-do" list. 

Some Glass Working Skills from Loren Stump

I finally gave up and emailed an acquaintance about the name of my mystery bead maker. Loren Stump! I knew it was an L and an S, but his name completely escaped me. It was my first "major" bead show, and early in the history of what would evolve into the Bead & Button Show. The arena was filled with vendors, most of which were art glass bead makers. I had only been introduced to the art form within the previous year, and I was fascinated. 

I love this Loren Stump Taxi Cab bead. From
the driver to the sign, it's a work of art in
miniature. 

This show is where I met artists whose beads became items I wore proudly for years (and still wear) as well as the start of a collection of beads by major names in the art. In 1994, the infamous OJ Simpson white Bronco "chase" happened, followed by his arrest and that crazy trial that made reputations and dashed others. Loren Stump was inspired to make a variety of vehicle beads from glass, among which was one, specific white vehicle - the OJ Simpson White Bronco. 

Here's Loren's photo of one of his White Bronco beads. OJ
Simpson is sitting in the back seat, Al Cowling at the wheel.
Loren actually did a full set of all of the vehicles involved
in the chase, but I own one of his White Bronco beads. 

The detail of the bead floored me. I actually bought a lot of his vehicle beads, but DH said "No, we can't afford a check that large, you'll have to return all but one." So, the next day I brought back the taxi, school bus, and others, but I kept the OJ Simpson White Bronco which said "Guilty" on the license plate. It was a marvel. 

Here's the rest of the OJ Simpson set - all of the chase vehicles. I loved
the little police car, but had to pass on the full set - just didn't have the
available funds. 

Doing a search under his name, I'm delighted to see that he's still in business and still creating amazing beads and miniature glass sculptures in his studio, as well as teaching the next generation(s) of lampworkers. I'm still delighted with my White Bronco bead and will add his name into the slot where I keep the bead so that I don't lose the identification a second time. 

Loren also did miniature statues in glass. He did
a series of Samuri Warriors, including this one.
He still teaches at his studio, Stumpchuck. If you
are a glass worker and want to hone your skills, you
could do worse than taking a class from Loren Stump. 

I'm meeting my security alarm technician early at the store today - this will be the third time this week! There better be a fix, because my patience has just about reached the end of my rope. Here's hoping you have a grand Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Holiday Cards Are Progressing - Second CALL-OUT Is NOW!

I finally got my copper delivered yesterday, so I'm hoping to get started on phase two of the ornament for this year's holiday cards. Ideally I'll be working on two different aspects of the cards for a bit now - the actual card itself and the included ornament that I'm giving everyone. I'm hoping to get some serious work done over the next week, the clock is ticking and my mailing deadlines are moving ever closer. 

My BigKick machine is getting a workout for this year's
card and ornament. It's cutting out fancy cardstock, standard
cardstock and copper sheeting. I'm developing some good
muscles in my right arm, and am thankful my rotator
cuff issues seem to be behind me. 

DH and I are busy getting more and more jewelry out onto the sales floor. We're fixing the broken, assembling the unassembled, and searching through every nook, crevasse and corner we can to find overlooked or forgotten inventory. We're also re-establishing some old business contacts to get some new low- to mid-range priced items into the store because not everyone wants to pay top dollar for the named artists or the antique jewelry. The store should look very full for the holiday season this year. 

Just a reminder that I'm looking at getting something similar
to this for my tattoo. I'm super stoked to get this and the
artist I want to interview seems equally interested. It should
be pretty amazing. 

I sent another email off to the tattoo artist I might hire for my scalp tattoo. We had emailed back and forth in August/September, but I wanted to make sure he knew that I was still interested in getting the work done. Even though the holiday season is hectic, I don't want to let this fall off my radar. We're only one week away from the fall Daylight Savings Time fall-back, and that means November is almost here! ACK! 

Don't assume that since you got a holiday card in prior years, you're
automatically on my list. The only absolute carryovers I have are
family. Friends change and shift, so I need you to send me
your current address to get onto this year's list. (Obviously if you
responded to the first call-out, you're OK.) 

So ... I think I'll make this post my SECOND CALL-OUT FOR HOLIDAY CARDS. I would love to send you a card, but that won't happen if you don't message me with your mailing address. I remind you that I only make 50 total cards, one of which I archive in my personal records and many of which are already committed for family members. BUT, my list wouldn't be complete without friends on it. So if you didn't respond to the first call-out, please reconsider. Email or private message me your address and let me add you to my list and send you one of my holiday cards. It brightens my day to brighten yours. 

Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Be good (but not TOO good - LOL).