MY CRAFTY SISTERS

I had so much fun with my sisters in Dallas this weekend, I still can't get over it. For ever so long it seemed as if our family get-togethers all centered around some kind of health crisis (Dad's leukemia, all sorts of Mama Drama, both sisters' knee and hip replacements, etc.), so much so that I almost forgot just how much fun they could be. This weekend, however, it really hit home -- what a huge difference being relieved of job, health and care-taking stresses can make in one's outlook on life.

It has turned middle sister Gus into someone we don't even recognize! She was the math major who worked for a huge data systems corporation, and who spent her spare time solving murder mysteries or burning her way through yet another puzzle book -- not only left-handed, but also very left-brained. She was not into anything crafty, and entertaining gave her serious palpitations. Well, she not only hosted this year's get-together, she was so laid back about it that she spent most of the day running around to arts and crafts places with me, and didn't head to the kitchen until about an hour before everyone was due to arrive! Of course, her left-brained side had things so well-organized she didn't really need to, so that was not the biggest shock of the day. The most astounding part was that she was going to arts and crafts places in the first place. Why? Well, she has always had a habit of "doodling" her way through the many, many business meetings those corporate types have to endure, so when she finally decided to retire, I talked her into signing up for Joanne Sharpe's Letter Love class on line. Joanne uses lots of doodling in her projects. So guess what the space around my sister's computer is beginning to fill up with?

She has another room that could have been used for all this artsy stuff, had she not already filled it up with SEWING stuff. Yep, you heard me. My sister Gus is the one who gave hand-made gifts to everyone on her list this year, while I gave nary a one. I am so freakin' proud of her!

Get a load of this precious "Origami" tote and matching scissors case that she made for me.

The origami folds create little pockets that you can stash all kinds of goodies in, and her new sewing machine makes all sorts of fancy decorative stitches, which she used to adorn the straps and binding.

She stuffed the bags with so many amazing things, they will need a separate blog post all of their own!

Big sister Poodie, there on the left of adorable niece Merrit and happy hubby John, has always been creative, but her obsessions were entertaining and home decor. Her last two homes were shared with my parents, so she had to incorporate all their furnishings and take their preferences and comfort into consideration. She and I both love Country French style, and both used lots of rich reds and greens, but her style tended towards formal, while mine was kinda "messy casual."

Just recently, though, she finally sold the big house she shared with my folks, and bought a little townhouse that would be much easier for her to maintain in her "golden years." The good news is that, since she chose one built in the 60s or 70s, the rooms are much larger than today's apartments, and will accomodate her massive furniture. The bad news is that nothing has been done to update the place since it was built. Best news? Poodie's got a helluva new decorating project, with no one to please but herself! She's pretty much gutting the place, and taking it in a direction she's never, ever gone before -- one that is so hip and modern that even my not-yet-30 designing daughter was impressed with all her selections. Which got me to thinkin'... I wonder if I can get her to send me some "before and after" pictures, so I can share them with you here on my blog? I think we will all be amazed by the end result!

And, speaking of end results, what do you think of Seasonality's new look? We still have some tweaking to do over in the side bar, getting the buttons in order, and linking them to content, but all in all, I'm pretty dang tickled with it. I especially like the fact that my photos can be much larger now, but it really puts the pressure on me to take the very best photos I possibly can -- no easy feat for someone who is a total technophobe. So, anyone know of a great online class, that will teach me to max out my abilities, using a point and shoot camera?