Redwork And Wrecking

In all my free time today, I decided to learn redwork. It's a type of embroidery used on quilts; it's also popular on dish towels. I don't know why, but I always imagined it to be difficult. Really, there's nothing easier. Here is my first attempt:

And for all of my faithful Wreck This Journal followers, here are day 6 and 7:

More Wrecking......Days 2 - 5

Here is day #2 of Wreck This Journal (WTJ)

Day #2 was two pages:

Day #4 was by far the most fun; Cati and I put on our boots, went outside, and jumped in the dirt and snow, then came back in and used the book to wipe out feet =)

Finally, today, Day #5, I spilled Cati's coffee:

Wreck This Journal..And Yes, I Do Mean WRECK

Why on earth would I want to wreck a journal??? Creative destruction; the book is dedicated to perfectionists. What is it about? Well, you are literally supposed to wreck this book. Here are some examples of what the book tells you to do:
1)Fill in this page when you are really angry
2)Tear out [this page]; crumple
3)Cover this page using only office supplies
4)Cut through several layers [of the pages]
5)Climb up high, drop the journal
6)Tear this page out. Put it in your pocket. Put it through the wash. Stick it back in.
Other things include cracking the spine, spilling your coffee on it, smearing dirt on it, even taking it in the shower with you.
If I do one page a day, it will take me almost to the end of April to finish. So, to start it all off, here is day one:

No, the pages don't come colored. They are all nice and white and clean right now. It still looks like a new, normal book. You have no idea how much pleasure it gave me to color in a non-coloring book! I think everybody should get one for themselves; it's just plain fun to ruin a book =)

Virgina

Yeah, I know, this picture says PA, but we never passed a Welcome to Virgina sign. After spending 10 hours in the car, it was wonderful to finally arrive in VA at my aunt's new house!
These are the pictures of my cousin's bedroom. I spent all of Tuesday and Wednesday, and part of Thursday painting it.

 

Here are the pictures are from  our visit to the Smithsonian on Friday.

We also went to the Federal Art Gallery:

  

The above painting of the lady in white is by far my favorite painting from the gallery. It is by Whistler, and something in her face and stance is.....capturing, I suppose. The violin is, yes, a painting. The picture does not do it justice; it looks so very 3D and real in person. And the window...yes, that's a painting as well, though it looks like you could reach through it.

New Blog

Yes, I have indeed started a new blog. I'm sure you're thinking that I don't post on this blog often enough to warrent a whole other blog. But if you go check it out (here's the link: http://onceuponalli.blogspot.com/ ) I think you may understand why I created it. Even if you don't, though, I'm still going to have it =). It's an art blog, completely dedicated to my art. I will be posting pictures of my art, and I hope everyone will feel free to comment and critique.
Don't worry, though; this blog will still be used. In fact, pictures from the Virgina vacation will be coming within the next week!

93 Ways!

We've all heard the saying "You learn something new everyday". And as we are fast approaching Christmas (only two days left now), I thought I help you all learn something about Christmas. So here are 93 ways to say, "Merry Christmas"! I haven't even heard of some of the languages, so I definitely learned a lot!

AFRIKAANS	geseënde Kersfees
ALBANIAN	gëzuar Krishtlindja
ALSATIAN	gleckika Wïanachta
ARABIC	miilaad majiid
ARMENIAN	Shnorhavor Surb tsnund
BASQUE	Eguberri on
BELARUSIAN	З Божым нараджэннем (Z Bozym naradzenniem)
BENGALI	subho baradin
BOSNIAN	sretan Božić
BRETON	Nedeleg laouen
BULGARIAN	весела коледа (vesela koleda)
BURMESE	Christmas nay hma mue pyaw pa
CATALAN	bon Nadal
CHINESE	圣诞快乐 (shèng dàn kuài lè)
CORNISH	Nadelek lowen
CORSICAN	bon Natale
CROATIAN	sretan Božić
CZECH	veselé Vánoce
DANISH	glædelig jul
DUTCH	vrolijk Kerstfeest
ENGLISH	merry Christmas
ESPERANTO	gojan Kristnaskon
ESTONIAN	häid jõule
FAROESE	gleðilig jól
FINNISH	hyvää joulua
FRENCH	joyeux Noël
FRISIAN	noflike Krystdagen
FRIULAN	bon nadâl
GALICIAN	bo Nadal
GEORGIAN	Ahali tseli
GERMAN	frohe Weihnachten / fröhliche Weihnachten
GREEK	kala christougenna / kala xristougenna
HAITIAN CREOLE	jwaye Nowel
HAWAIIAN	mele Kalikimaka
HEBREW	christmas sameakh (barely used)
HINDI	Krismas ki subhkamna
HUNGARIAN	boldog karácsonyt
ICELANDIC	gleðileg jól
ILOCANO	naragsak a paskua
INDONESIAN	selamat Natal
IRISH GAELIC	Nollaig shona
ITALIAN	buon Natale / gioioso Natale
JAVANESE	sugeng Natal
JAPANESE	merii kurisumasu
KABYLIAN	assegass amegass
KINYARWANDA	Noheli nziza
KOREAN	seun-tan chu-ka-hae-yo
KURDISH	Noela we pîroz be
LAO	souksan van Christmas
LATIN	felix dies Nativitatis
LATVIAN	priecīgus Ziemassvētkus
LIGURIAN	bun Denâ / bun Natâle
LITHUANIAN	su Kalėdomis / linksmų Kalėdų
LOW SAXON	vrolik Kersfees
LUXEMBOURGEOIS	schéi Chrëschtdeeg
MACEDONIAN	среќен Божиќ (srećen Božić)
MALAGASY	tratry ny Krismasy / arahabaina tratry ny Krismasy / arahaba tratry ny Krismasy
MALAY	selamat hari natal
MALAYALAM	Christmas ashamshagal
MALTESE	il-milied it-tajjeb / milied hieni
MANX	Nollick ghennal
MAORI	meri Kirihimete
NORWEGIAN	god jul
OCCITAN	bon Nadal
PERSIAN	krissmas khojaste / krissmas farkhonde
POLISH	Wesołych Świąt
PORTUGUESE	feliz Natal
ROMANI	baxtalo Krečuno
ROMANIAN	un Crăciun fericit
RUKIGA	Noheiri nungi / webale Noheiri
RUSSIAN	C Pождеством Xристовом (S rojdestvom Kristovom)
SAMOAN	ia manuia le Kerisimasi
SARDINIAN	bona pasca’e Nadale (logudorese) / bona paschixedda (campidanese)
SCOTTISH GAELIC	Nollaig chridheil
SERBIAN	Срећан Божић (srecan bozic)
SHONA	krisimas yakanaka
SINDHI	Chrismas joon wadhayoon
SLOVAK	vesele vianoce
SLOVENIAN	vesel božič / vesele božične praznike
SOBOTA	dobro dedek
SPANISH	feliz Navidad
SWEDISH	god jul
TAGALOG	maligayang pasko
TAHITIAN	ia orana e te noera
THAI	สุขสันต์วันคริสตร์มาส (souksaan wan Christmas)
TURKISH	Noeliniz kutlu olsun
UDMURT	Shuldyr Ymuśton
UKRAINIAN	Z Rizdvom Hrystovym
VIETNAMESE	Mừng Chúa Giáng Sinh
WALOON ("betchfessîs" spelling)	djoyeus Noyé
WELSH	Nadolig llawen
WEST INDIAN CREOLE	jénwèl

A Good Reminder

I was reading Jeremiah 13 yesterday, and it struck me. This is what it says:

      "1 Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. 2 So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins. 3 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, 4 Take the girdle that thou hast got , which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. 5 So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6 And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise , go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. 7 Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing. 8 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 9 Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem."

     It struck me because that is probably one of the oddest things that God could have told Jeremiah to do. Jeremiah probably didn't understand why God wanted him to do it, or what the purpose was; it's possible that he didn't want to do it at all. But Jeremiah had faith, and obeyed God. What happened in the end? God used it to teach Jeremiah, to give him a first hand experience; so that when Jeremiah went to the Israelites and told them that God was going to judge them, he really knew what he was talking about.

     God does that in our lives, too. There are many times when I wonder, "Why, God? Why did that happen? Why are you making me do this?" But if I would just have faith like Jeremiah to obey and move on, what amazing things could God teach me? This was a good reminder that no matter how odd, crazy, painful, or hard a situation is, God is always working in it.