Hello Again...

Long time, no post. Everything is fine and the baby is kicking up a storm. After attending Art FiberFest and Silver Bella back to back, I came home feeling absolutely exhausted. My husband and I had lunch and then I headed straight for the couch where I slept the entire day! Both retreats were incredibly different but equally fantastic. I had such a blast at SB meeting all of the talented attendees. It was truly more magical and fun than I expected it to be. I only wish that it would have lasted a little longer so I could have met and chatted up more folks. I'm still ooohing and aaahing over all the beautiful and whimsical swap items I brought home. Amazing. And vendor night...be still my heart. What a shopping experience. I was most impressed with the quality of merchandise and how every vendor set up her own uniquely designed table. Truly, the tables and how they were designed were art forms themselves. I've slowly begun decorating for Christmas, bringing out a few treasures that were acquired in Omaha. The JOY banner above is by the sweet and talented Tracie Lyn Huskamp. I know I will treasure this banner for years to come...it is timeless. Amy Powers' whimsical sugar houses are such a delight to the eye. I flipped when I saw her booth - it looked like it was plucked from a Willy Wonka movie. So sweet and mesmerizing. The crowned and bejeweled snowman on a stick is by the talented Colleen Moody. I adore her work and am inspired by her meticulous attention to detail. There is a lot of love (not to mention time, money and energy) poured into all of these handcrafted items. I am grateful for all the people in the world who make creating a priority in their lives. Just seems to make the world a better place. As for my own creating...well, let's just say it's at a standstill right now. We are in the midst of a big remodeling project. Jim, aka Mr. Fix-It, has begun his venture into the wonderful world of laying hardwood. When the carpet was pulled up he realized that the floor was very uneven and had to be scraped and leveled before the hardwood could be laid. Translation: this is going to take a lot longer than we expected and there is a fine coat of white dust on every surface of the house. Okay, so I'm not and never have been the neatest freak about the house, but there is a ball of anxiety beginning to churn in my gut about this whole thing. It's probably just the pregnancy hormones. I am entering the third trimester now and am feeling sometimes a little panicky about getting everything ready for Baby A. So a couple of days ago I scheduled a prenatal massage to help calm my nerves. My massage therapist (who I'm sure meant well) proceeded to tell me about her 22 hour labor, the stitches she received, and how it was the worst pain she ever felt in her life. I know it is going to hurt. I'm prepared for that. But, it is scary not knowing what exactly to expect. And, being the neurotic girl I am, of course, I am worried about stupid things like, "Please God, don't let me poop on the table." and "Please God, don't let me throw up on my husband or something equally disgusting." And more realistic concerns, "Please God, let my dear husband finish these floors before the baby arrives and I don't completely lose what's left of my sanity." I know I'm focusing on the wrong things. It's all about having a healthy baby and women have been doing this for thousands of years. It will all work out, right? So, just to let you know, I am unsure of my blogging potential at the moment and may be posting even more sporadically than usual. Bear with me. My creative life may go into hibernation for a while, but I won't let it be extinguished completely. Right? Babies do sleep through the night eventually, right? Deep breath. Inhale. Hold. Exhale - one, two, three.