Softies Central

A song about my life :-)

Dream Another Day - by Mascott from Red Panda Records on Vimeo.

Plan B if you're looking for a job

Your body as a billboard for advertisers. See news story here.

Did I mention that I'm looking for my own Plan B? I'm thinking this is it! :-)
Comments?

The Last Valentine

Valentine gifts for a crafty girl with a sense of humor and a love of the original.

Crocheted ring box by NeedleNoodles

Paper, felt and fabric collage girl with cute boobs by Kup, Kup.

Beaver panties made in the far north of Canada by sarahapple. Hmm....

Does your GF secretly love donuts?
Donut Girl print by The Black Apple

Nothing says 'I LOVE YOU' for some girls like a wedding cake topper.
This one by cornflakegirl.

More Valentines

A few more bits of handmade love for Valentine's Day.

Embroidery - "Write your own love poem" by Cathy Cullis

Valentines from The Black Apple

Bunny hearts by Leafpeople

L-O-V-E stones by red2white

Heart rosettes by lupin

Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day to all loyal blog readers, friends and visitors!

Heart topiary by Middleburg

Articulated paper doll by woolandwater

Forgotten on Valentine's Day? She's so sad....by forestcreature

Print by Lisa Congdon

embroidered lace by joettamaue

Intimacy

It's a funny thing how only a few events have the power to stop people in their tracks and bring them together. I remember a few and today, the inauguration of President Obama was added to my memory list.

I got to work just before 9am and found half my department in the conference room watching the event on the big screen we generally use to show powerpoint presentations. It was interesting to see the people who had gathered there and the ones who didn't come in. Watching with the people I spend so much time with and have varied relationships with was truly moving. At the end we all applauded - a somewhat jaded group of video gamers inspired and hopeful.

So happy to have hope - hope for the country and hope inspired by the many inspiring people I work with. Thank goodness none of them follow this blog and I won't be embarrassed. :-)

On a lighter note, who left Aretha alone with the Bedazzler?!

Holiday ends

Here's what I'm going to do on my last day off before I have to go back to work on Monday.

1. Listen to some cool tunes....

iPod shuffles by jaccua

2. Have a little day-dream about a cute guy I know...

Tea towel by Emma Bridgewater. Emma and I seem to have the same crush on DC. I can't bring myself to buy this towel - I mean, aren't we all mature enough not to have crushes on movie stars?! But I'm posting it in case someone wants to surprise me. :-)

3. Consider renting instead of buying....

This may not be for everyone, but the peeps at Softies Central take their mission seriously which includes finding supplies for making softies - here's a site where you can 'rent' washed or UNWASHED linen. For period dramas they say. Um...good to know.

Let's start the new year out right - save handmade toys!

Also please consider signing the following petition:

www.ipetitions.com/petition/handmadetoys

HOPE in a blog

Well. I know you're expecting softies, and there's more coming later, but I wanted to start a new thread about HOPE.

For the past few months in America, all we've heard is endless horrible, frightening news about the economy. Every news story. every magazine article. every advertisment. Today i started to read an article in Los Angeles Magazine about a new museum and it started with "'The economy may be struggling....". Last night the economic news on TV news was only slightly set aside to talk about the horrible events in Mumbai and the big rain storm we were having. Rain is a big deal in LA. In New York, you have to have a hurricane to warrant a lead story - in Los Angeles, more than a sprinkle gets on the front page.

I lived in New York during 9/11 and the atmosphere was so overwhelmingly sad and depressed. I walked past the same fire station every day with it's memorial of flower bouquets in front left by neighborhood well-wishers. But even worse were the hundreds of hand made signs that people left tacked up everywhere describing a loved one that had disappeared in the World Trade Center collapse - in those early days people hoped that their friends might have escaped and were just in a hospital or wandering the streets in a daze.

It's starting to feel like that time again - everything focused on the worst economy, no jobs, people out of work, talk of a new WPA. So since I can't avoid it and it's driving me crazy, I've decided to actively search for something hopeful on as daily a basis as I can.

Starting with today and the image below which is the most hopeful thing I can grab onto. I should research who designed this poster - it's a great image.