change is good

am totally bored with blogger. please find me here on wordpress. cheers!

squee

look at my gorgeous wiggly niece:

feeling the holy spirit up in here

the older i get the more my inner southern baptist pops up at peculiar and unexpected moments. the first time it happened was in the front row at sting's sacred love tour performance at the rosemont in illinois on february 27, 2004. joy rose, one of sting's "back-up" singers, was going to town on "whenever i say your name." she embodied the song - literally. the lyrics, the music, the melody, the harmony... she was the vessel for some otherworldy talent, some holy inspiration.

standing at the foot of the stage, not three feet from joy, i had no control over my religious instinct. the left hand went up to the sky; a lightning rod for divinity. the eyes closed; no stimulous other than the music. the head hung down and started to shake as if to say 'no' but meaning, 'holy father, yes! you are here! i recognize your presence.'

i was mortified. i had no idea where this old-school, tent-revival, vacation-bible-school baptist came from. but there she was. jung would have a heyday analyzing my behavior in the context of the collective unconscious.

this same peculiar behavior accompanied my discovery of this on youtube - slide to 3.21 only if you absolutely must:

I'M AN AUNTIE!!! (...finally!)

after 19 hours of labor, nikki had a c-section to deliver the baby. turns out 'seamus' is a girl! a beautiful wee boisterous girl named roisin (roy-SHEEN) erin hanna. a more gorgeous name has never been heard. here's delicious wee miss thing:





i think she looks like her mama. what do you think?

proud papa, brian:


exhausted mama, nikki:


what else? well, there's one more month of suspense waiting to hear from unm law school regarding a final admission decision. but, in expert legal-speak, they won't even commit to a date. lookit: "Your application for admission to the UNM School of Law is now completeand will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. We will make every effort to send you a first response by May 1." i received this on february 15. i don't know whether to be happy or sad that i haven't heard from them yet.

lastly, i'm starting weight watchers today. it is the only diet that has ever worked for me. i am currently the heaviest i have ever been and though my beloved boyfriend loves me just as i am, finding clothes is becoming a problem. i'll update this blog with my weight loss, if for no other reason than to feel i'm responsible to someone or something. so, wish me luck.

wandering readlessly

for the past few months i have been unable to get truly drawn in to any of the books i have excited purchase. i start them. i get 100 pages in. then... nothing. no compelling need to continue. this is a rare occurrence for me. i've joined a number of mystery yahoo groups in the hope of being 'turned on' to a must-read author. i'll let you know how it's going.

in the meantime - or perhaps as a means to an end - i found this awesomely great website:



an online book swap. brilliant! and it's not just paperbacks. what a great way to build up your to-be-read shelf and whittle away at your never-gonna-read shelf. if you decide to join, tell them byronicwoman sent you.

i finished a project. oh yes i did!

craftwise, 2006 was knitting, 2007 was artist trading cards and i've decided 2008 will be sewing. i finished my beautiful boyfriend's quilt for valentine's (see below) and i began a patchwork quilt last month. ginormous projects intimidate me and wear me out without occasional breaks for other projects.

lately i've been wanting a wee bag that i can keep my cell phone, wallet and palm pilot in so that when i change bags i don't have to go hunting for stuff. (oh, and it would be a wonderfully consistent place to put all these things so as not to lose them, as i only occasionally do.)

okay, so... in my effort to be more jody-esque, i have actually completed one of her wristlets. and i love it! it only took a couple of hours and i learned a buncha new techniques. so, here's to jody! and here's to me! woot!!

happy new year!

i'm a bit late on the new year well-wishes. 2007 was a &#*@! year - buy me a cocktail and i'll tell you all about it. anyway, it took january to take stock and make sure i was still in one piece psychologically, socially and professionally. shock and awe... i'm better than ever!

when the new year rolled around i thought i would have to 'close up shop' on my business. but in the first six weeks of the year, i scored two ginormous nonprofit fundraising contracts and five wedding contracts. this will be the first year i will actually be able to make a living from my business. fantastic!!

valentine's was amazing. i actually completed a project. i made a quilt for my beautiful boyfriend:



and his mom made a delish red velvet cake for us:



because i secretly want to be jody, i have taken up patchwork quilting. i'm finding the planned randomness of patchwork very liberating.

my best friend has gotten huge with baby - who we lovingly call 'seamus' though that will never be his/her name - and i'm the one who's about to bust from excitement. 'cause i'm gonna be an auntie!!:



all my little pet girls are well. beautiful and happy. here's miss sadie's most recent bath: