Well bust my buttons! You've made it to my blog, where I share the things that make it out of my craft room, and maybe a few that don't. Be on the lookout for the occasional random post having nothing to do with crafting or sewing, since I can't help but share pretty pictures of things that bloom and grow, and show off my crazy girl Lila, who seems to be blooming and growing as well.
Now then. You might be wondering from where it is, or how it is, I chose the name of my blog. I always wonder when I come across an unusually named one. And that kind of curiosity is what keeps me from my sleep, and I wouldn't want to do that to you. "To carry in the hand" is the last line of a favorite poem of mine, by Emily Dickinson. I won't pretend that she's my favorite poet (for who are we kidding, I don't have one, or even read all that much poetry), but I do admire this particular poem, and have for years. I'll go ahead and assume it's safe to share the whole poem with you, since she's so dead and all. I think her work is all over the internet, so I'm not really giving anything away. Here it is:
(Sent with brilliant flowers)
I send two Sunsets--
Day and I in competition ran,
I finished two, and several stars,
While He was making one.
His own is ampler--
But, as I was saying to a friend,
Mine is the more convenient
To carry in the hand.
Don't you just love it? Wouldn't you have loved to have been the recipient of a beautiful bouquet of hand-picked flowers and a poem like that? Deep down inside, one of the major reasons I craft and sew and paint is because I want the people I love to feel loved. I know of no better way to express that than through handmade gifting, and that's what motivates a lot of what I do creatively. And don't you often feel, just as she did, that you're in competition with the Day? That you're busy about the completion of a project as He's creating the sunset?
Of course, I didn't get to where I am alone, and so there are a few people I'd like to blame. First, Mom. I love you. You gave me the genetic predisposition toward crafting, sewing, and writing as well, and you were my first introduction to so many creative outlets. You put me in a quilting class as a young girl (for which I had no appreciation at the time, but now do!), let me help in the creation of my own quilt, taught me to pay attention to the details, and even had our neighbor Esther teach me to crochet doilies. Secondly, I'd like to thank Pele, my awesomely creative and energetic friend and one-time neighbor. You reminded me of my forgotten love for crafting, were so supportive of all my ideas and early attempts, and incredibly generous with your time and even your fabric stash. I wish we were neighbors again! And thirdly, the oh-so-talented Melissa, who encouraged me (pushed, even) to go ahead and start a blog already! (BTW, here's a link to Melissa's own lovely little blog, Oh How Sweet!). You've been such a radiant and generous friend to me, even outside our shared love of sewing and our babies. And you are totally guilty of dragging me into the "real" world of crafting and blogging, teaching me new terms and techniques, taking me fabric shopping, and introducing me to people like Rae of (omg) Made by Rae. There are others whom I would like to thank, but I can hear the music cuing. You people all know who you are - I hope!
So. I've elaborated on my blog and my indebtedness to others, and I see that you are not wholly satisfied. I always feel obnoxious talking about myself. Don't you? I'm so interested in who you are, and the authors of other blogs I frequent. Nosy even. But I cringe at babbling on about myself. But there you are, not wholly satisfied. So here's a random list of facts about me for you to digest gleefully...
- I was once in the Army. You bet. For like six years.
- I was a helicopter mechanic in the Army. Yes. Apaches, Blackhawks, Kiowas. I worked on the hydraulic systems, like the brakes (did you know they have brakes? Well some of them, but not all) and hoses and such.
- I used to go backpacking alone. I still would, if I had the time, but babies are a little spendy with their parent's time, aren't they?
- I grew up in Wisconsin, and have lived in Hawaii and North Carolina and California and Georgia.
- I'm currently living on 5 acres somewhere outside Atlanta. With two sweet little dogs, a pretty cat, shabby garden, and, someday, chickens.
- I spent a summer in Mongolia during my college years. It was fabulous. It's one of the reasons I like working with felt so much. They make their own handmade wool felt, and use it for everything. Some day I'll post pictures. Really, I will...
- I met my husband, who's an American, but of Vietnamese heritage, in Germany, where he was living at the time. I was there for another summer abroad during college. Yes, he's fluent. Nein, Ich bin nicht. (Translation: No, I'm not). Wish I was.
- We chose Lila's name because it means "purple" in German. Yeah, I love color that much.
Well that's as much as I can stand to share with you at the moment, and probably more than you ever needed to know. Now stop wasting time on the internet, and get back to crafting/sewing/creating!
Best Wishes,
Teresa
