i know we don't usually talk about politics...

but i feel like i just had church in here!



history is being written tonight. this is a new day. right now, this moment, i am filled to overflowing with hope. yes. yes we can.

this is why the internet was created.

there is a beautiful family from right here in sunny arizona who have recently had their entire world turned upside down.



on august 16th, stephanie (nie nie) and her husband christian were traveling in a small plane from new mexico back to their home in mesa, arizona. shortly after take-off in eastern arizona, the plane crashed. there were three people on board: stephanie, christian and his flight instructor, doug kinneard. (stephanie had given christian flight lessons for his birthday because he'd always been interested in flying. they had often taken their kids up since he got his pilots license, but they were not with them at the time of the crash, thank goodness.) stephanie sustained burns on over 80% of her body. christian sustained burns on over 30% of his body. the flight instructor did not survive. the young couple remains in critical condition at maricopa burn center.

since the accident, her sister jane has been keeping us updated. you can see more on her blog here. you can read more on the benefit blog here. you can read more on the accident here.

i do not know stephanie and christian nielson personally. i had never even come across her blog until this happened. since hearing about the accident, i haven't been able to stop thinking about them and their beautiful children. we all have at least one thing in common with stephanie. she is a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a blogger and a crafter. she and her husband and their families need our prayers, our love and even our support where we can lend it.

to support them today, please check here for a list of auctions and events that are going on right now. if, like me, you feel the tug to do something more, please leave me a comment with your email address and i'll fill you in on a little project i've got in the works for them. if all you can do is pop a card in the mail, please do so. i have seen our community do some amazing things for people in the past...i know that we can come together and do something amazing again for this family in need.

Stephanie and Christian Nielson
c/o Maricopa County Hospital
2601 East Roosevelt Street
Phoenix, AZ 85008

thanks for your time. i know we all have our personal battles but right now my life is crazy good compared to the fight they are in.

the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true.

another fave:



sweet fancy moses, i love you tube.

back in the good old days.

i watched this movie today and it made me wish for old hollywood. they don't make movies like this anymore. i sound like an old fart saying "nothing is like it was back in the good old days...pass me my tea, pa..." but seriously. it's true!



my daughter and her friend were having a play date because we had a half day at school and i called them into the room to watch that second bit. they laughed. and then said "that was weird...". GUH. "hey pa, get my heatin' pad ready...i'm comin' to bed."

awesome and weird

being an artist that has never shown in brick and mortar galleries before, i was thrilled that the guys over at the art house decided to do a live webcast of the show opening for the sketchbook project last night. i told the guys that watching people fondle my book was both awesome and weird, which is completely true. the highlight was when my lovely friend amy called me from the gallery floor and held her glass in toast to me, showed me where my book was and said some very nice things about how it was received. love you, ames, and can't wait to see your shots of the show.

for now, here are some of the shots the guys took last night during the opening.










thanks to pete scully, a fellow artist involved in the project, here is a list of a few of the participants:

amy tan
karen blados
blue bicicletta
pica
mithi
rebecca horwood
joseph tomlinson
jt
craig
melanie stevens
kirigargie

thanks again to shane and steve and the rest of the crew over at the art house. i can't wait to participate in another project soon.

nothing's gonna harm you. not while i'm around.

oh how i love it when my favorite things come together. nph + sweeney todd = love. patti lupone is a bonus.



busy busy busy little bee...but will update with more than youtube soon.

happy weekend, lovelies!

pump up the jam on happy hump day.

i am pulling, squeezing, forcing myself out of a funk. dance with me, will you?

for leesa peesa.

seriously? i love him BECAUSE he's weird. fabulously, wonderfully weird.

thank you christina.

this is, by far, the best thing i have seen in forever.



an open letter to nph:

if you ever fall down and bump your head so hard that you forget who you are and/or forget your sexual orientation, please reference the card i slipped into your pocket that one time at mark's house. on it is printed my name, phone number and sort of proof that we were secretly married a few years ago. then, immediately pack your belongings, get on a bus and come home to me.

forever yours,
heather

ps - if, when you bump your head, you lose your sense of humor and/or your beautiful, beautiful singing voice, please flip the card over and call the hospital instead.

warning: sap ahead.

tonight, my dad saw my art house sketchbook and left this on my myspace:



"H"...there were a lot of free thinkers before you....you know they changed lives....with words...by speaking out what was in their souls & their hearts...their spirit was the fuel that ignited a passion for freedom in all of us. we cried out for peace and love and no more war..and for prejudice to die...and the job is still unfinished...our generation is passing and your generation is up to bat!!! never stop being who you are!!!!

Love,
one of your best friends,
dad

my dad and i have been through a lot in our relationship but one thing i have always known for sure was that one day he would be proud of me. i know i'm not leaving huge footprints in history but i am most certainly leaving my mark, even if in small ways, and I AM PROUD that my dad is proud of me.

sewing rocks my world.

i'm sure it's the end of summer blues.

i am tired of not being able to focus. i am tired of being "almost". i am tired of not sleeping. i am tired of pet hair everywhere. i am tired of feeling rushes of creativity only to feel a complete lack of it the next day. i am tired of not contributing to our family income. i am tired of repeating the same advice over and over again. i am tired of saying certain things will change, only to watch them stay the same. i am tired of questioning. i am tired of giving in to bad habits. i am tired of feeling restless. i am tired of hearing people complain and yet here i am.

i am imperfect. who isn't? perfection is so rare and yet we use the word so often. that's a perfect color. that piece of fruit is perfectly ripe. her work is perfection. a perfectly kept house has clean floors and a clean sink. your ass looks perfect in those jeans. in truth, i think the only things that are perfect are moments and feelings and memories. but most certainly, not me.

tomorrow is a new day to strive for goodness and kindness and happiness and being heard. even if i'm not striving for total perfection, i AM striving for bits of it.

thankfully, EVERY tomorrow is a new day.

tuesday night aqua lovin'...

time for a flickr mosaic drive-by...


1. Green, turquoise and blue, 2. Little Girl in Turquoise Sea, 3. Untitled, 4. turqoise mailboxes, 5. serious summer, 6. tone on tone, 7. Macho de Saí-azul, Saí, Saí-bico-fino ou Saí-bicudo - (Dacnis cayana) - A male of a Blue Dacnis or Turquoise Honeycreeper 12 08-05-07 024 - 9, 8. Turquoise Beads, 9. my*bed, 10. Blue Glitter, 11. Colorful Eggs on Turquoise, 12. turquoise fire switch, 13. Untitled, 14. Turquoise and yellow makes me happy, 15. just because, 16. Smitten by Turquoise...

The Sketchbook Project, Art House, Atlanta, GA

if you hover, there should be arrows and you can see some of the other photos in the set. man alive, i'm glad to have that sucker done and gone! i can't WAIT to see photos from the show! i only wish i could be there.

ups and downs and so it goes

after the semi-craptastic way i've been feeling lately, i decided it was time for a bit of inspiration via my lovely bloglines list of people.

the first thing i do is hit my challenge links and i see this. woot! that rocks. thanks mojo girls!

next, i hit up danielle thompson's blog and while i'm pretty sure she doesn't read here, i am gonna say a big fat thank you to her. she said:

I'm going to cut myself some slack and not put so much pressure on myself.

and dude. word to your motha. because i've been saying the same thing to myself for the last day and a half. it's time to get back to what i started this whole ride for in the first place.

happy news! i am BEYOND STOKED about the new hambly team. while i didn't make the team, my friend dina did and i am so happy for her. YAY DINA! if you didn't see the way she rocked the guest DT spot last year, check this out. and i can't forget mad props to a few more girls i love - kara, mandi, kate and celine! add the fab KL in that mix and that is one mean source of inspiration!

in other news, i got my moleskine shipped off for the art house's sketchbook project. the show is on august 22nd and i'm psyched to be a part of it! i'll share a few pictures from the project soon. i didn't really sketch - it was like a mini...but i dig the way it came out.

last, check out the amazing work of lee jenkins. i saw these over at rachel's blog and am just in awe. this guy is a freaking genius.




have a fab week, you guys!