sometimes you win, sometimes you don't win

but you never lose!

Every now a then I get my ducks in a row and enter something that I have designed into some sort of publishing 'competition'.

My first experience was simply a pair of earrings that were published in Stringing Magazine in 2009.  They landed on the '17 earring designs page' and I was thrilled!  I think I even received a check for $15.00 for that big event.  But it was simply the accomplishment that I enjoyed.

Then about a year ago I tried my hand at needle felting and turned it into a pillow for my bed.  A short time later I saw that a publishing company was looking for 500 felted projects.  I thought, what the heck, I'll send photos of my felted pillow.  I waited months and months for them to decide.
Finally only weeks ago, I received the news...
Thanks, but no thanks.  That's OK, I love my pillow.  And after all, it WAS my first attempt at needle felting!

So, that's when I didn't win.

Here's when I won!
In the very same week I that I was turned away from the felted projects book I heard word from the magazine Cloth, Paper, Scissors. I had entered a reader challenge titled 'all buttoned up'
I'm pretty sure that I sent my photos in October or November.  I heard that I was a top contender in December!  I sent in the actual button necklace for further judging and low and behold....
I was published as one of the 17 winners to the challenge.  No prize money this time, but more joy and excitement!

what does this mean?  Just keep pluggin' away, keep tryin', keep creating!

we interrupt this regularly scheduled program...

We got a new puppy!  Call us crazy I know!  I'm not sure how we got to this place again.  We were being nostalgic about getting Sadie around Valentines Day back in 2003, when suddenly......

Piper 7 weeks old - riding home in Kirby's hands

Now, let me just tell you what it's like to have a new puppy in the house.  Basically, it's like having a new baby.  That's all there is to it!  The good part about a new baby is that a baby wears a diaper.  The good part about a new puppy is that she can sleep in a crate while you go out.  But so many other things are just the same!  Our nights have been quite different to say the least.  One night she cried from about 2:30 until morning.  Then I put the call out for help to facebook friends.  Great ideas came pouring in.  The next night we didn't let her cry at all.  She was just too young for that technique.  When she woke up I would take her outside to potty and then I would let her play while I caught up with some DVR'd TV shows!  She seemed to only have an ON and OFF switch early in the week.  As the week progressed, she would even allow me to put her in her crate awake and I would play some Ellie Holcomb music to calm her down.  It was magical, it worked!  Last night we even put her in her crate awake and she settled right down.  But the real shocker was that she slept until almost 6 in the morning!  I think we are getting this sleep thing down!  Praise the Lord!  Today I decided to work on the potty training.  I had a small collar but not small enough.  So, I used my jewelry tools to punch three more holes.  We don't have a leash for her yet so I am using some pretty ribbon (that is what crafters do!)  She stays tethered near me while I work.  (btw, this is me working ) This is supposed to keep her from accidents.  She likes the area around her clean.  That's the idea anyway.  We shall see.  So for now, our regularly scheduled program has most certainly been interrupted with patience and love for this most adorable little pup named Piper!

Piper 8 weeks old - learning the art of tethering

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

I just finished my 'February' book of the month.  I know, unbelievable, it's still early in the month!  I figure I need some quick reads early in the year so I can get ahead.
I didn't pick The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe just because it was short though.  Our family went to the third movie in the Chronicles of Narnia series over Christmas and I fell in love with Narnia all over again.  When I saw that Holli's books were still on the book shelf, I decided to read them.

There is so much underlying Biblical meaning.  Aslan, The White Witch and her tempting Turkish Delight and forever winter, and the 4 Pevensie children referred to as sons of Adam and daughters of Eve.  Was it C.S. Lewis's intention or was I looking for it and wanted to find it?
Either way, I looked, I found and I loved the read!
On to Prince Caspian.....