I finally finished my stitching sampler and I love how it turned out. More on this on Saturday.

I am really enjoying doing this art challenge. In the last three days, I’ve played with fabric, pastels, stitching, copic markers, felt, beads, and wires. And I’m not even done yet. It’s awesome to get to have so much fun. Exactly what I was hoping for, for my journal. I am going to continue working on the journal for a few more weeks. Maybe I’ll do it two nights a week or something so it’s not so consuming. Or maybe I will just let it consume me.

Nathaniel is still being really clingy and quite grouchy about what he eats. I am hoping it’s recovery and antibiotics related and that it will go away. I just hate seeing him sad and frustrated so much. Not that I don’t get many many smiles, too.

At some point today, I had to put him down next to David who was playing and they just sat there next to each other and played and then they looked at each other and smiled and I just felt so grateful for my life all over again. I feel that way every night in the bath, too. And then Nathaniel just discovered that he can lift the curtains in his room and see light and look out the window and he loves doing that at bedtime now. So he and David looked out the window for a while together, too. I love watching them be together. So. much.

Note to Self:
Today was my friend Levent’s birthday. (I mentioned him in a recent catalyst. He was the first person I loved and he’s still one of my favorite people in the world.) I called him first thing in the morning and we talked for a long time. It had been quite a while since we chatted and it was so great to talk to him. There’s something magical about old friends. About the ease with which you talk and the comfort you feel about not ever having to be something you’re not. There’s a small chance I might see him in a month and the possibility fills me with joy.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. My chat with Levent. It started my day on such a great mood.
2. Some happy mail today. DMC floss and Copic markers. Yey!
3. Oh and I bought a piece of art today. If you have read my blog for more than a day, you know that I’m a big fan of Rebecca Sower and I’ve been staking her etsy store for a while now and when I saw this piece, I had to have it. I actually have that book and saw it in there first. I don’t know if it’s the little boys or the cream color that I love so much but I can’t wait to get it. I am grateful for inspiring, beautiful art.

Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. Snack time at school (bagels and cuties – which is what he calls tangerines.)
2. Playing with Jakie’s speedracer. (it was share day today where kids are allowed to bring a toy to share.)

Sometimes things just happen in so much synchronicity. Last week, I decided that my next project was going to be an art journal/journal of sorts. I am very inspired by Judy Wise’s journals and I love how there’s art all over and then she journals right along with it. I decided I wanted to do that, too.

Simultaneously, thanks to Jennifer Mcguire, I got completely obsessed with copic markers and ordered a whole bunch which promptly made me feel bad about spending money on something I might not use. Then I felt even worse about all the other “art supplies” I’d bought in the last year that I hadn’t really used. So…. instead of pouting I decided to take them all out and put them to good use right now.

So the plan is that my journal will have different methods used in all of the pages. Depending on my mood, depending on what I am practicing or wanting to dive into that day. The plan is that these will eventually incorporate both the “draw everyday for a week” and “finish a journal” items on my 52 Things list.

So today, I’m reading Kal’s blog and she talks about an art challenge she is going to do this week. One topic, 5 mediums. And I was like “Wow! Exactly what I had in mind and the push I needed to get going!” You know me, I like having a project.

So my theme is tree. I am going to do a tree 5 ways (maybe 7 even). Here’s the list of mediums I plan to use:
1. Photography
2. Oil Pastels
3. Embroidery/Stitching
4. Copic Markers
5. Fabric art
6. Water Colors
7. Water soluble markers

As I said, I might or might not do 7. I will be ok with 5. I might end up using other mediums depending on my mood. Let’s see if I can do it. I know the art won’t be magnificent but the idea is to try new things and I need to not be afraid to suck.

Good day today. Relatively productive and the boys were mostly happy and I was in a really good mood, too. Though my arm is still not being very cooperative. Thank you for the suggestions, I think I will try some of them and especially try resting it. Sucks to be in pain.

My little boy is much better though he’s waking up a lot around 4am and having a really hard time separating. I am trying to balance being there and leaving him alone enough to relax and sleep. It’s hard and I don’t enjoy this part at all.

I love him so much.

Note to Self:
I noticed today again how much I like organizing things, optimizing things, and getting work done. Solving problems and finding organized solutions is really really something I enjoy. I know it sounds odd but I really love it. And starting my morning with a solved problem gave me positive energy and confidence all day long. I should find a way to do that more often.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for Kal’s idea because it was the last kick I needed to get my project started.
2. I am grateful for solving this problem at work because this was a new area to tackle and now I feel much better about it.
3. I am grateful for inspiring books and for people who share their art online and inspire me so much. Yet another way in which the internet is magical.

Two Things David’s Grateful For:
David had 3 today.
1. Having fireman Will come to school to talk about fire safety. (He even got to spray the hose.)
2. Playing house at school (he was the Dad, I’m told.)
3. Playing the Wii! (you could have guessed that one!)

Look, Kim, no food items!!