Up and Down. And Up.

With all this talk of balance, I find it interesting the ups and downs that are showing up in my life.  Here are a few of the more fairly trivial but interesting examples.

My recent mail:

Up!  They had me at the envelope.

A birthday card gift! from Anthropologie.  An adorable little candle necklace & a 15% offering for my entire purchase.  Yep, the marketing worked.  I'll be heading up there soon.  (Ok, so 15% off a $10 purchase may not be much...but at least I get to drool over the goodness that is Anthropologie.)

Down.  Not cool, Yoga Journal.  Not cool.

This is a first for me.  I got sent a DVD that I hadn't asked for...and can choose to 1) take my time repackaging it and return it in the self-addressed (albeit prepaid) envelope, 2) pay $12.95 and keep the DVD with even more DVD's coming my way (that I'll get to pay for as well), or 3) in small print in one little line, "because I did not ask for the DVD I can choose not to participate or send it back and can consider it a free gift".

The nasty part of me snickers and says, "yeah, that's a no-brainer"...but I don't listen to her very often.  I'm still debating if I'm going to return it with a note to please not market this way again ...or really just keep it.  If I do keep it, I'm not sure I'll even use it...I dunno.  What would you do?

****

Weather.

Remember that promise to go live in my shower if it didn't rain?  (You might have saw this if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook)  Well, it didn't rain.  Unfortunately, the kids started complaining that they were hungry and the husband was complaining about the water bill and I was complaining because I was getting all wrinkly like a raisin.

It STILL hasn't rained.  It has been weeks upon weeks since we've had rain (maybe a little 3 minute drizzle about a week ago which I missed because I was sleeping - my fault).

Up!  (ONLY because everyone as far as I can tell is safe.)  A friend just sent me this video of Barton Springs in Austin, Texas.  I've been there and cannot believe the force of the flooding waters!!  Apparently the rain from the nearby hurricane has dropped all sorts of crazy water around there.

video:
http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/273954/4-foot-waves--whitecaps-rage-over-barton-springs-pool

photo:

(Note the lifeguard chairs)
photo credit

Down. Compare that to this:

A photo of a "lake" near us that is now nearly non-existent.

Here's what it normally looks like:

My soul is starting to feel the same way.  I've told everyone - I will dance in the first rain we get.  And it's going to be awesome.

***

Creativity.

Ok, so this has all been Up.  :)

Remember that photo I won from the talented Emma  (http://treehousejukebox.wordpress.com/) a while ago? (See below)

(She has many more lovely prints for sale at her Etsy shop.  I believe she may be adding/changing to a new shop, so be sure to check her blog for updates!!)

Well, I'd been looking for a frame for this for a bit.  I couldn't find the right one so I decided to make one!  I LOVED the process.  $2 wood frame from Michaels, pink acrylic paint, Jack O'Lantern Glimmer Mist, Holtz Crackle Paint (white), and clear gesso to cover...and voila!

Here it is after pink paint and glimmer mist:

and here after the crackle paint (dried with heat gun because I'm thoroughly impatient).  It's my first time using it - That is some cool stuff!!

I might add some more bling but want to be careful not to distract from Emma's lovely photo.

MORE more more coming soon....including a little reveal tomorrow (or Saturday) of a BIG big workshop coming up!!!  (And some more info on The SHED PROJECT with Bindu Wiles.  I've signed up...& I challenge you too as well!)