Boo!

Peace and brains...nom, nom, slurp...

Random Thought Thursday

I watch and talk to my pets a lot, probably more than I should admit in a public forum. I thrive on the infinite wisdom that exists in their silence. I do know however, should they break that silence... and, ever begin speaking to me- like in "people talk", I should seek professional help. In the interim though, my thoughts on their thoughts make for great Thursday blog fodder.

Beau, our recently transitioned guinea pig was an introvert like me.

The pic above was his initial response to the arrival of the cats back in 2006.

Beau thoroughly enjoyed his short reign as the only fur child.

There were many perks...

But all good things must...well y'know, that couldn't last long!

There were certainly some boundary issues to work out between he and Biju.
Biju was, er... a more worldly gal and certainly not the best house guest!

She often had to be confronted about these affronts.

But through it all they remained "friends 'til the end".

And, as she looks out over him now, I bet she misses him just as much as we do.

So call your friends, even if they're- well y'know, a little different.

Peace and friendship

October Update II

In a People House: Don't be fooled by my fancy pincushion and pretty pins-I still can not sew!

I made it...well almost. I guess I haven't quite made it until the month is over, but the list is certainly done. I donned many a hat (and the occasional straight jacket) this month getting my many obligations fulfilled. All in all, it was fun but I've promised to reacquaint myself with the word "no" as not to have to scramble for my sanity again anytime in the immediate future.

In a People House: Mighty fine for 7.99...The chair, not the dog-she was FREE! see [here]

Of course I treated myself for having cleared my To do table with a NEW! project. Yes, another ugly chair refurb is under way. But, not until the first of November. I'm dedicating these last few days to Halloween hi jinks and high fructose corn syrup. My October projects will be revealed over the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

Peace and motivation

The Art of Living

“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.”-Havelock Ellis

It's been 8 months now, since my grandmother's stroke. During this time there've been a few more health related happenings, a couple surgeries and, a lot to think about, figure out and wrap my change-loathing head around. Whilst any conscious attempt at sorting my thoughts is quickly intercepted by the bowling-ball-in-the-throat-imploding-brain-pain-combo-with-a-side-of-tears, I have been making progress.

A few weeks ago she and I were having one of our regular lengthy chats and she said, "Y'know I've had a good life these eighty-four years..." I wanted so badly to stave this conversation off for some time in Neverary, but I nodded, swallowed and confirmed that I was listening with a soft, throaty inflection. She continued, "and I know you all want me to live forever, but I'm tired now." And then the levees broke, I could literally feel the chemical warfare happening between the man-made stuff I take for maximum daily "sparkle" and my default chemistry. What happened next was totally unexpected. There was no bowling ball, no implosion-there were no tears. It was as if my person had been taken over by a far nobler puppeteer, and without hesitation or forethought, I said assuredly, "Mom, I just want you to be happy".

Huh?! I can't even tell you what we spoke about from that point because I was in total awe. When hit with the realization and magnitude of what I'd felt and spoken, I looked around both bemused and bewildered. I turned to the cats thinking they would, or could somehow, confirm my presence and add credence to the moment, but it was all me.

This is the first time I've ever faced-in clear and present awareness, such a powerful choice; not only for myself, but for my grandmother and my children and their children, and my blog readers and friends and...well, you understand. I've got far to go still, but for a moment I held the power to let go, and in some small way, I did.

Peace

Decadence

I made these on Sunday. After last week's emotional cleaver wielding-I thought I'd kick this week off by calling upon that other Cleaver. They're gorgeous, but then again so are my NYC-dental-lab-crafted custom teeth. I guess I could knife and fork one though, huh? Hmmm...

Peace and candy!

and the winners are...

1. Belle of One Latina's Journey

2. Christine

3. Dolphin Girl

4. Cheryl

The GRAND PRIZE winner and recipient of over $50 USD in prizes is:

Jane Maritz!

Thanks all for participating. I found some great NEW! blogs during this giveaway period and look forward to more opportunities to share my love of reading with you all again in the near future.

Peace.

Greatstuff in Goodyear: Menagerie Boutique

For the past month or so, I've been aglow with NEW! opportunities via a project of which I have great hopes. Yesterday was the grand opening of Menagerie Boutique in sunny Goodyear Arizona. Local business owner Cynthia Keogh transformed the space adjacent to the successful engineering firm she shares with her husband, into a vintage and handmade art mecca.

Lined with an eclectic array of beautiful work from local artists, Menagerie Boutique is a pioneer among Goodyear businesses where cookie-cutter strip malls and franchises abound.

There are dichroic glass, vintage, brass, Steampunk, Linocuts, plushies, mosaics, fine art, mixed media, wearables, housewares, stuff for kids and more. It is indeed a menagerie!

Pretty in Peace designs has found a home here amongst great company, including fellow blogger, Etsian and friend, Gina Hullum of Urban Adornments.

I'm thrilled to be part of a grassroots effort to bring local art/ists to the forefront, support local business owners and bring "Greatstuff to Goodyear". (All sorts of ingenuity floods my entrepreneurial brain at the mere mention of this phrase.)

Menagerie Boutique is located at:

14150 W. McDowell Road Ste B

Goodyear AZ 85395

Join me in sending out positive energies into the Universe and if you're in the area, stop in and support the Indie revolution.

Peace and art.

A Bump in the Road

Untitled: An ACEO T.Allen-Mercado 2008

The past few months I've been under a great deal of stress-evident in my lack of presence here and here. Points to heart's center. I'm not afraid to admit that I too get sucked into the world. It happens infrequently, but quite easily when my focus is lost. Sometimes it's stress, diet, fatigue- other times, I simply bite off more than I can chew. But in the end, it's always worth it. Every time I return I bring one more victory or one more lesson.

This time it's been a bit of both. I've learned that I am a force with a place and purpose in the Universe, uniquely held and understood by me. I've learned that that is okay, that I'm okay, that I'm going to be okay. I've also victoriously made such an assertion: succinctly, obstreperously; steeped in fear but powered by courage. I've faced my opposition with neither apology nor explanation. The reasons don't matter but the power to come to such reasoning does, and now I'm back. The journey continues.

“From the true antagonist,

illimitable courage is transmitted to you”-Franz Kafka

Peace and courage

Today

Today was a terrible, horrible, very bad day. Tomorrow can't come soon enough. Hark! It is tomorrow. Okay, so yesterday was a terrible, horrible, very bad day and today won't be. It just can't be.

Reads list: teenager turmoil, parenting perils, an art heartache, pet vomit, car trouble, excessive and excruciatingly mundane telephony and, other assorted nuisances. I think I should be in the clear til next year, yes?

Peace, please...I mean it!

This Woman's Work

Nature Walk: Spider in the "sky" on Portland Street

"Wow, mom! I bet she's been working really hard on that for like a really long time." Yael says, as I bumble through my knapsack in search of the camera. "I'm sure", I reply. Then, I try feverishly to get the angle right, a heap of hope for a shimmer of light, that I might capture the beauty of her glorious work. To no avail. Oh, but then it hit me, "Life is but a continuous search for an angle [5,6] ; rife with personal failures and feats." And, it was then that I smiled, depressed the shutter and walked away with more than just a great photo.

Peace

October Update: $1 Display Solutions

Mission One:

Purchase, design, beg, borrow or steal displays, and get the retail pieces out of the house and into the store by October 17th.

Solution:

Convex wooden dollar store frames, the magic of Mod Podge, scrapbook paper scraps and a hole puncher.

Cost:

6 displays, under $7 completed in under an hour

And, they're stackable!

I was determined to keep costs down without compromising Pretty in Peace's, Earth-girl Chic aesthetic. I think it works, how about you?

Peace

Testing The Ice: Book Giveaway

I'm so excited to be able to present this giveaway to my blog readers. As an aspiring author, blogger, avid reader and collector of children's books, I leaped at the opportunity to introduce my readers to this expertly written and beautifully illustrated masterpiece.

In the early 1950s, legendary baseball hero Jackie Robinson literally "tested the ice" for his kids who so eagerly wanted to skate on the frozen lake near their home. Under Sharon Robinson's skillful authorship and Kadir Nelson's vivid illustrations, TESTING THE ICE also becomes a stunning metaphor for her father's remarkable racial breakthrough. Learn more about Sharon Robinson and illustrator, Kadir Nelson's journey [here]

Prizes: (Click image to enlarge) Grand prize valued over $50 USD: Kidorable hat and gloves set and a copy of Testing the Ice. Four (4) additional winners will receive a copy of Testing the Ice.

How to enter: 1. Leave a comment on this post with the title and author of your (child's) favorite children's book (1 entry) 2. Become a follower of Tea & Honey Bread (2 entries) 3. Write about and link (very important) this giveaway on your blog, twitter or Facebook! (3 entries). The Testing the Ice prize pack and book giveaway is available to US residents only. Winners will be randomly chosen on Wednesday October 21st, 2009. Good luck!

October-Obligations: T, Motivation: 0

I guess I've been a bad blogger lately; no posts since Sunday, and moreover, I've no blog-worthy excuse. I suppose I should feel terribly about this but, I've also amassed a ton of other neglected obligations these past couple weeks. Pauses to quickly recall number of weeks in a month. Okay, scratch that, these past couple months.


I'm going to make October my get it done before the year ends and you're filled with anxiety and regret month. Yep. That's just what I'm gonna do. And, I'll write more about these pressing obligations complete with photos. Now, that's a great idea! Yeah, I'll get right on it, eventually.

Procrastinators know no peace. Word.