Holy Shit, Dudes! It's an actual CRAFT!

Yeah, so sue me. This craft blog is supposed to be about crafts and crafting and I've been a whiny bitch lately. I've also had a beer and 3/4s, so I have a bit more of a potty mouth. Like you're super offended, right?

I just had to share this awesome craft with you. There's lots of companies and individuals selling these, and I think it's about the most awesome thing in the world since glow in the dark dinosaurs. Especially in Canada where it's nasty cold 8 months out of the year, and the rest of the year you can probably get away with it because we're camping, beer swilling white trailer trash, and this is sort of the thing we dig. Ya dig? Pair this up with your snowboarding gear in the winter and shorts and a wife beater in the summer, and you're set to rock. No need to ever do your hair again. That's it. I'm officially shaving mine off. I'm finally going to make good on my promise...

I digress. Enjoy this awesome craft...the beard-toque. Canadian Awesome. Better than a scary belaclava, and warmer than a hat and scarf combo. I'm going to commission one just in time for the summer camping season. Yeah, like I have time to actually make one myself. And like I have time for camping...

http://www.beardowear.ca/

http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=beard+toque&filter[0]=handmade

Crafting My Life ... Part 976

Some people tell me that i'm a workaholic. And that's really not true. I just love money. A LOT. Is that so bad? People don't like admitting that money is important to them, and say they work their jobs because they love them, and money isn't a motivator. And while it's very Very Important to Love your job, saying it's not about the money is a bald, monkey faced lie.

You need money to pay your mortgage or rent and your vehicle and gas and your bills and for food and without that, you'd be homeless, hungry and smelly. Money IS important. How much you need vs how much you have is personal preference. And I have a lot of things to pay and pay off, so therefore, it's important.

I have two jobs that I absolutely love. Loving your job is important, but one day off a month is hard. So when I get time off, I want to REALLY FUCKIN' ENJOY IT. I have a lot of leisure activities that I love, but none that I obsess over, so I don't ever feel like I'm neglecting anything.

Lately, it's been about golf. I've been doing a lot of business while golfing, and I found to actually enjoy it, which is even better. Enjoying it and doing it a lot makes me want to get better at it, and a trip to the driving range is quick and cheap.

Tonight when I got off work, I had a beer, changed into some comfy clothes and hit the range. Smacked a few balls, worked on my consistency and enjoyed some exercise and my own company. I can't remember the last time I spent some time alone with myself. Usually, I'm rushing around or trying to cram some social visits in or spending time with my daughter, before heading to bed early so I can wake up early and go to work. I LOVED my alone time. I got home, put my feet up and had a beer.

No, I'm not a workaholic, but loving money and working so much has allowed me to appreciate time off and how special my own company is. I had forgotten myself and taken myself for granted. It's high time I take myself on a date and rediscover my love for me.

Saying Goodbye Part II

I learned more than just five things in the past year. Maybe the lessons weren't as prolific, but each year I post all 10, so here's the other five.

6. Give gratitude. Really give it and mean it. Some days some of the only things I was thankful for was that I was alive. Sometimes I was thankful for the ability to cry on my friends' shoulder. I made a point to say out loud three things daily I was grateful for. It started when my daughter's father died, and I've kept it up because it made me feel really good. Other things I've been thankful for over the past year:
- amazing friends I can count on
- the sunshine on my face
- freedom to think and dance and do whatever I want
- for a comfortable bed and a roof in which to sleep on it
- grateful for the terrible, no good, very bad days because without them, I may not appreciate all the little (and big) things in my life that I love.

7. Understanding others' perspective. Last year I resolved to really listen to other people, and not just politely wait until they're done talking so I could speak again. I found that by listening to others - and really pay attention and understand what they have to say, I gain valuable insight to their perspective.

8. Learning new things. I got a new job, I learned new skills, I dusted off long and forgotten ones, became a valued member of a new team, learned (and am still learning) how to say no gracefully, learning how to be a better leader when I need to learn to be patient and obedient. And in learning these new things, I started seeing myself in a better light.

9. That I can't control life. The only thing I can control is how I react to life. I refuse to waste any more life on negative feelings - like anger and hate and jealousy and fear. I will adapt and survive, but if I don't have a positive attitude, then it won't matter what life brings me, it'll all suck.

10. That not everyone that comes into your life is meant to stay there forever. You will form special bonds with certain people that will last your entire lives. But most often, people come into your life quickly and then leave it just as quickly. Sometimes you learn the lesson they were meant to teach you right away, sometimes you learn it years later and sometimes not at all. You may be sad about their leaving, you may sometimes even be happy or even how you wish some people would leave your life, since all they do is make you miserable.... It may leave you confused and hurt, or not. Remember that the time you have with people is a gift because everyone is brought into your life for you to learn a lesson from. And regardless of how happy or sad you are to see people leaving your life - the way they touched your life is a gift and you should be thankful for the lesson they gave you. Say goodbye gracefully and with an open and humble heart and vow to ensure the next people that come into your life are touched in a positive and special way.

The Art of Saying Goodbye...

So part of cleaning up and organizing my life has been getting my emotional baggage in order. Shocking, I know - that one as level headed as me even has emotional baggage in the first place, let alone enough to need organizing. I sarcastically digress...

I've learned many things in the past year, and am grateful for the hard lessons learned. As I move forward in my life, I know I will be happier for it.

1. Letting go of grudges. In the past year, I've been wronged. Seriously dissed. And I have every right in the world to be pissed off at the world and not given an ounce of forgiveness. And yet, I have given forgiveness. It wasn't even asked of me, but I gave it. And despite still feeling like I have been wronged, I give up on feeling angry and petty and am instead nice and happy and cheerful. And not even in a passive aggressive way. That simple act of forgiveness has given me more joy than I can explain. Try it one day. I promise it will make you happy.

2. Admitting fault. It's so hard to believe that I can even be wrong, right? But rather than trying to explain that there was a REASON I was wrong, and that I had good intentions, or that I had the right idea, I've given up on trying to explain myself. I've just been accepting that I'm wrong, shutting up and listening how to not do it wrong again.

3. Accepting help. This is probably one of the biggest lessons I had trouble learning. As far back as I can remember, I've done things on my own and my own way. If you don't like it, get OUT of my way... There is art and grace in turning down projects, and accepting help is NOT the same as admitting defeat.

4. Shutting up. I'm not known as a terrible gossip, but everyone at one time has been accused of sharing information that wasn't theirs to share. I've become so much better at not running off at the mouth (helped by the fact that there is no one at home who cares to listen to me anymore). Whether it's been collectively as a group shutting up about a sensitive topic, NOT speculating about something, or just simply not insisting on sharing my worldly knowledge with everyone I meet. I'm learning that I can, and contrary to myth, I will not explode. There is no dignity in gossip.

5. Life is short, so enjoy it. So many people say it, so few actually live it. Last year I buried someone far too young to die. And while it makes you hold your loved ones closer and say you love them for a while - try doing that every day. So instead of holding that grudge, instead of fighting with your spouse or child or boss or best friend, instead of passing on that piece of juicy gossip, admit your faults, accept help that is offered and live with that joy in your heart.

It's been hard applying all of these lessons as often as you can, but I experience more happiness and joy when I do.

Spellers of the World, UNTIE!

So after my last post of explaining why I've been absent, and promising to write more, even if it's not craft oriented, I promptly got lost in life and forgot. The few fleeting moments when I would remember you, dear readers wasn't with guilt and angst, it was filled with "oh yeah, I used to write, didn't I..." before my mind drifted off to sleep. Right before sleep was when most of my actual thinking has been occuring as of lately. Which is about 2.4 seconds each night. Mea Culpa. I've been busy. I've been stressed. I just haven't made the time for things that have been really important to me and I'm sorry. Writing is so cathartic that I just can't ignore it anymore.

My life has never ceased to be interesting, and these days even more. And if anything needs my attention to help heal and move on, it's my life. Maybe being a bit self-centered will help me through the issues I've been facing. Make me see how wonderful it really is when I can't see it, and make me understand things I'd been confused by. My life is in rapid change mode right now, and it has never let me down. I said a long time ago, that my biggest want in life is for my life to be interesting. And boy is it! I'm buckled up, and ready...set...go!