new year, new diet. read on....

i remember making new year's resolutions when i was younger .... save money, lose weight, less drinking.  as new year's resolutions go, i was never one to keep any one resolution intact for more than about a month.  i was so easily led astray back then.  then one day i decided i would no longer make yearly 'resolutions.'    i mean, really, what's the point?  there are a number of personal challenges i resolve to overcome daily and for the most part they are a success, so i see no reason to begin a new year with some grand, over-the-top resolution.  pfft.

but this year i'm adding a little twist to a new personal challenge.  you see, i'm going on a diet.  not one of your standard low-carb, low-fat, low-sugar, sans-red-meat diets.  no.  this is a financial diet.  i'm formulating a plan to pay down current debt and afford home repairs while still building my savings and  investing in my business.  first thing i plan on doing:  eliminate incidental spending.  let's face it, i don't have a huge pool of disposable income to draw from, so that $5 coffee every other day, and that $4 breakfast burrito i can't seem to live without, and the $10 lunch when i forget to bring from home...all that is money better spent on groceries, or fuel, or utility bills.  so starting tomorrow, 12-31-12, i , jean m. may, pledge to eliminate any and all unnecessary incidental spending.  i figured i'd take it a week at a time, rather than proclaim to go a month straight without spending a penny extra.  the end of the week is much closer than the end of the month, and i think it puts the long-term goal of financial freedom in better perspective.  slow and steady wins the race, right?

i'll share my dietary progress here every so often so be sure to come back and visit.  in the meantime, save your pennies!

~jean

image courtesy of CROSS-eyed

merry happy christmas anniversary

"Tears are words that need to be written." ~ Paul Coehlo.  that's such a great quote, isn't it?  it's very apropos at the moment, too.  you see, today marks exactly ten years since i entered widowhood.  my husband passed away just 4 years into our marriage (ouch) and left me with three kids to raise on my own.  christmas has never been the same ever since and i've become more and more disenchanted with the very thought of it as the years have passed.  then there's my, er, wobbly household. seven living, breathing beings reside under one smallish roof, all with some degree of personality disorder. haha.  i admit, the mix does allow for some entertaining and humorous banter, but the clash of personalities can also cause thunderous rifts.  it's tricky, for sure.  adding to that, i've been dealing with the very real possibility of a valued friendship fading away.  heartbreak like no other, right there.

so those are my written tears, a portion of them anyway.  thanks, Paul Coehlo, for the inspiration.

~~~~~ ***** ~~~~~ 

while i'm here i'll offer a peek of what's new from the JMO studio.  i've had my hands in clay lately, and i am LOVING it.  oh, the possibilities!  i created these musical notes with a cookie cutter, air dry clay, paper, glue and varnish.  they will either be strung together like garland or bunting, or each may hang separately.  i haven't decided yet.

and with that same clay i've also been doing a little sculpting.  this here is Penny Ann, she's about 90% complete.  i'm kicking around the idea of giving her a body, though i really love her just the way she is.  she was lovingly created by sculpting air dry clay around a styrofoam ball, has glass eyes, a crochet beret (handmade by moi), and her hair is silky soft hand dyed Wenslesydale locks.  artist's pencils were used to apply her 'makeup.'

also working on sample patterns for the first ever JMO Collection ~ Summer 2013.  i can't divulge many details on that project just yet (sorry), but here's a look at one of the pieces in development.  almost the entire collection will be crocheted, with macrame and beaded accents added.  i am REALLy excited about this project and will share more details as soon as i can!

well, that's it for now.  may the coming year bring you all peace, love and harmony.  until next time...
~jean

i want to be free!

i've lived in Chicago all my life, born and bred here, and i love this city dearly with its diverse cultural communities, unrivaled architecture, beautiful beaches along the shores of Lake Michigan, and an art and music scene that just can't be beat.  it's a bustling town, hopping pretty much every day of the week and all hours of the day and night.  while all of that is good and fine, i want to get far, far away from it.  for reasons i won't get into here i'm stuck in the city for a few more years, but i've got plans and dreams and goals of breaking free from it all and leaving it behind.  living in a big city definitely has its perks, but i've found that solitude just isn't one of them.  maybe it's my old age....ok, my middle age....but i'm tired of the fast pace, tired of racing everyone else to beat the clock, tired of being just one of a zillion rats sprinting to the proverbial finish line.  i want to slow it down, lay it back, and mellow it out....

i want to drive (or hike!) leisurely through the mountains and marvel at tall, stately trees....

i want to stroll through a field of wildflowers on a summer sunday morning....

i want to lay in the grass of an open field and gaze at the clouds....

i want to enjoy an impromptu conversation with a perfect stranger during a trip "into town"....

i want to sit on the back porch of a cottage in the woods and serenade the birds with my guitar....

i want my nearest neighbor to be at least half a mile away....

i want to lay in a hammock at night listening to crickets sing while gazing at the stars....

i want to enjoy sunrise in "the country" with a cup of coffee in hand....

i want to ride a bike down a country lane and wave at passing cars....

i want to dance in the rain with my dogs as my audience....

i want to raise chickens, and goats, and sheep.....

i want a garden full of fresh veggies and beautiful flowers....

i want to be closer to and connect with Mother Earth in all her splendid glory....

i want to be free.

so my birthday came and went. . .

happy tuesday, blogville!

i celebrated 47 years of roaming the planet this past Sunday and what a wonderful weekend i had! i did a little supplies shopping Friday night...always fun!; friends took me to see Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy live in concert Saturday night...what an awesome performer!; and on Sunday, my actual birth day, i spent a lovely morning strolling through the forest preserve with my dogs, my daughter, and my camera...pics coming soon! each one of these events brought joy to my heart and a smile to my soul.

you know what else came and went?  the deadline for reopening my Survivor Arts shop on Etsy. i originally planned to reopen during October (Domestic Violence Awareness Month) but pushed it back to my bday, November 18. i'm now pushing it back yet again to November 30 but this time i'm making that date tentative. i tried doing the deadline thing; it just doesn't work for me. as an artist/artisan/designer/crafter i work best when i am in sync with my own creative flow. when i try to force it i get stuck, and aggravated, until motivation slips away and i can no longer focus on the task at hand. when artistic energy flows naturally i create from a stable mindset, something that is absolutely necessary to produce the unique, quality handmade items i strive for. so as of today i am done with deadlines. i will continue to work toward completing projects within a general and realistic timeframe, but no longer will i put pressure on myself or my artistic integrity with hard deadlines. nope, not doing it anymore. and i am more than okay with that.  :)

click HERE for this free calendar template!