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| My friend. |
The pictures in this post don't really have anything to do with what I'm trying to express here...except that they're my life...and
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| My Precious Little playing with toys made from Skulpy when her mommy and uncle were her age! |
I AM so blessed.
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| The daughters of a couple of my Colombian Quilt Group friends have been joining us while they're home from school for the summer. Pure delight! |
Living our adventure in Barranquilla makes me miss the USA some kinda bad at times.
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| Precious Little has her own agenda at swim class. |
Dealing with some negative things from my past and sometimes present makes me struggle with my emotions and thoughts on a daily basis.
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| I donated a book to my CQG and each of them have been working on the quilt in it. Here are two of them!!! If memory serves...it's a Quilt In A Day book by Eleanor Burns. |
But I have to say it again.
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| Couldn't resist another skyline sunset from my window. |
I can make myself happy wherever I am. Physically, Geographically, Emotionally.
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| The piece I told you about in this post...finished! |
And I AM.
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| A little work in progress that I did while procrastinating on fixing my printer. |
Happy that is.
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| Another little door knob quilt that I worked on while procrastinating . |
I have been learning that our thoughts create our reality.
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| Fixed and working! |
I believe this and have seen it working in my life for some time now...and...so especially when I'm thinking about what to write...because it's so permanent...I focus on the positive.
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| The beginning of Precious Little #2s quilt. |
I get a lot of comments on my positive, grateful attitude but there are people who know me pretty well that wouldn't say that.
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| More preparation for above mentioned quilt. I love this view out of my laundry room too! |
No matter. I KNOW that my thoughts become things so even when life isn't just the way I want it to be...I'm doing my level best not to focus on the negative.
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| Nope...the windows don't close. |
Past, present or future.
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| Pieces for PL's quilt drying. |
That means that when I remember a not so happy event...I'm choosing to only pick out the good parts. And if there aren't any good parts, I imagine it the way I wish it had gone.
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| All those beautiful strips of fabric from other projects will be part of her quilt. |
Fantasy can be a wonderful thang.
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| This is the view from my play room window. If I have clothes hanging...it gets pretty dark. |
For the present, no matter how I feel, I've been training my mind to focus on anything that is lovely, sweet, happy, uplifting, positive or good in any way.
For the future, I'm squelching any doubts or fear or worry or negative role playing.
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| The pictures, I painted with fabric paint and the strip became my next batch of bookmarks. |
I'm practicing living with a grateful, thankful heart and I honestly have no end to things I can be grateful for.
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| I've been printing out my favorite baby shower invites to use in her quilt. |
Right now, I'm happy exactly where I am.
My sincerest wish for you is that you are too!
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| Just before the baby shower began. |
Love, peace and all things groovy to you and yours.
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| It was wonderful! |
Create your life,
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| Milena, Hillary and Shirlley. These were the girls who organized the shower. Thank you SO much! |
annie!
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| Me and my baby girl...and her baby girl. :) |
linking to...Craft-O-Maniac
You're such a pretty lady with a contagious smile, and a good positive-minded person. I agree that your thoughts make your reality. It takes commitment to discover what your thoughts are at any given minute.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Sandi! :) I think you're very pretty, positive and uplifting yourself - which is why…in addition to your art of course…that I love to read your blog. You said that so well...It takes commitment to discover what your thoughts are at any given minute. I like that.
DeleteWow! That was one over the top shower! I don't remember them being so.... well thought-out!
ReplyDelete(I always tell the boys happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy or you can choose to be miserable. What I mean is; not to dwell on the bad and to focus and be grateful for the good! Not always the easiest thing to accomplish, but I still think it’s a choice. {with the exception of imbalanced brain chemistry!})
You're a great mom and I agree Robin. Happiness / Miserableness is a choice…and I've known that for a long time…but it's become more meaningful somehow in the last few years. I suppose my Sophia has a lot to do with it because of course, I want her to be happy. The baby shower was held at an event center and they did the decorating for us! Way wonderful!
DeleteI love this post. I want to drape myself in your drying dyed fabrics, a colorful dress. You are always so bright and upbeat, but it's hard to be that way all the time, you just move the clouds out of your way and keep going. xox
ReplyDeleteThank you Corrine! You're one of the most upbeat people I read and your life and work show it! I can just see you dancing around in that dress!
Deletesuch a great post, deep honest truth told post, beautiful photos, beautiful you, beautiful daughter, beautiful work,
ReplyDeleteWell thank you so much Laurie! What a lovely compliment!
DeleteWow on the baby shower! I've never been to one that big! It all looked beautiful and must have been a wonderful time. You have very deep thoughts on the state of the mind. We all have our process that works for us. I like to try to keep life simple. I'm not in a happy place right now, but it's temporary without a definite expiration date, so just doing what needs to be done and doing my best to make the best of it when I can. I'm not one to sugar coat things, so they are what they are, it is what it is. My life will be happy again someday. In any case, sewing makes me happy now as do my cyber friends. I love your photos. They worked very well into this particular post. Well done, annie!
ReplyDeleteThanks Annie for your thoughtful reply. I'm sorry to hear that you're not in a happy place right now…but I never would have guessed it from what you've shared recently in your blog. I see an upbeat, talented woman making the most of what she's got. Looking for the best in your situation is - in my opinion - a great way to find joy. Thanks again for your support and encouragement.
DeleteWhat a gorgeous baby shower! Thank you so much for leaving a lovely comment on our blog as its allowed me to discover your fantastic blog!!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to catch up on your previous posts.
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Best wishes from Australia, Tani:)
Thanks so much Tani!
Deleteawesome baby shower! you have a great life attitude
ReplyDeleteThanks Neki! Some people knock the Pollyanna attitude - but it sure works for me!
DeleteThank you for sharing the positive. So many people focus on the negative that it is easy to lose sight of the fact that good things are where you look for them. You are blessed to have a daughter so loved that you needed to make 70 invitations to accomodate all who wanted to come to the shower and wish her well. And what a beautiful setting you all created for the event. I hope you will be showing us some more pictures of it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Charlene. One of the reasons I read your blog is because you are a positive person who also happens to be a mover/shaker! I always appreciate what you offer. I AM blessed to have my daughter and there are so many people that love her. What a beautiful thing that is. I didn't take any more pictures of the shower…so hopefully, I'll get some from others who did. I was too busy mingling and enjoying myself!
Deletethank you for being so positive sweetheart, that helps us as well;;;you and your daughter are gorgeous !! sure the little one will look the same...love to all.
ReplyDeleteOh - thank you so much Sarah.
Deletehappy the shower was a happy and successful one. i love the fabric patchwork you did of the flowers all in a row, the one with red circles in this post. keep at it, you are creating some beautiful work.
ReplyDeleteThank you Constanza! :) That little quilt was a way for me to NOT work on the real thing. The whole time I was working on it, I was telling myself it could be part of Claire's quilt…but it has way to many loose threads and scratchy stitching and I knew it. Now that I've actually begun her quilt…I don't know why it scared me.
DeleteHi Annie,
ReplyDeleteYes, thoughts are things, no doubt. And, pray for protection and good vibes around yourself and step out into the "emotional sunlight!" It feels great!!!
XO
Cindy
Thanks Cindy.
DeleteThat must have been one huge babyshower, great it was a succes (of course it was). I love the pictures of the pieces of fabric hanging to dry over the sink,there's something so cheerful about them.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to moving away from home and being happy where you are, but still missing it sometimes too and I haven't moved as far away as you by a long shot. It's just hard sometimes that my family and some friends are not closeby anymore and I miss some of the things that are taken for granted on the main land, which can be really mondane things like having a produce market nearby or just the fact that you can go somewhere and be back within a few hours (to go anywhere just takes a day around here). But I do get to be surrounded by nature and beauty some people can only dream about and the people here are great. There's a lot of respect for personal freedom here, which I really like.
And trying to be positive is not the same as actually being positive all the time, I just think that's humanly impossible, there's ups and downs in our lives and our moods and emotions. That's just life and accepting that I think is better ticket to happiness than forcing the positive out of everything.
Thank you Caatje for your thoughtful reply. I look at your pictures and think about what an idyllic life you must live. Even those when you showed us some of the other islanders made me think about how wonderful to feel so safe and secure it is for you. I do accept where I am right now. No matter what the circumstances are. At the same time, I always look for a thought to make me feel better if those circumstances are less than I want them to be... The fabric drying over the sink just made me so happy every time I saw it that day so I had to take pictures. I found them to be beautiful too!
DeleteLooks like it was a lovely baby shower,Annie! Glad to see a pic of you and your daughter. Puts faces to the story. You have the right idea in focusing on good thoughts and a grateful heart. The outcome of being thankful is joy. And you brought a Bible verse to mind as I read your post: "Whatever things are lovely...think on these things.
ReplyDeletePhilippians 4:8
Blessings to you from Ukraine, Coleen
I think about that verse often. Thanks Coleen!
DeleteBeautiful post. And that shower looks like it was amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie! It was a wonderful shower. We're still waiting for the little one to arrive. Any day now!
Delete