Knit Unto Others

 

"Knit Unto Others" Prayer Shawl Ministry Group

Here is my Mom surrounded by her beautiful friends. These ladies meet every Monday at the Kailua Ben Franklin store to knit prayer shawls for people who are ill or need comforting. For the past several years, these ladies have hand knit beautiful shawls of all colors and patterns. Love and prayer is put into every stitch. 

When a shawl is finished, the group prays over it and lovingly folds & prepares it for gift giving to those in need. A special tag is attached:

Kailua Town

I am soon on my way to Kailua Town to see my parents.

 

My Mom is very ill ~ please remember her in your prayers. 

Mom & Dad moved to Hawaii almost 38 years ago. Where has the time gone?!? Kailua is such a lovely town, located on the windward side of Oahu. I can see why they love it there ~ friendly people, lots of goodwill, a real sense of community and breathtaking scenery! A day at Kailua beach is pure heaven! 

 Photo courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/b-tal/2718032399/

I am always touched by the beautiful "Aloha Spirit" ~ affection, love, peace, compassion & mercy ~ shown by the Hawaiian people. Oh that we would all learn to treat each other this way! 

123 N - U - M - B - E - R - S 456

I have a weird love for NUMBERS.

 Photo courtesy of : jontintinjordan

Each number has it's own "personality" to me. Each one invokes memories ~ good or bad.

#1 ~ Simple, solitude, pure.

#2 ~ For me - Conflict, disharmony - reminds me of my 2 year battle with cancer/treatment.

#3 ~ Divine, magical, sensuous. (One of my most favorite numbers.)

#4 ~ Sturdy, strong & brave.

#5 ~ Possibility, mystery.

Photo courtesy of: Laineys Repertoire

In school I absolutely LOVED math! Trigonometry, geometry & algebra - OH MY! In my quest for vintage treasures, I am always finding & buying old arithmetic books, game pieces with numbers on them, rulers & math flashcards.

I love to COUNT! Do you ever do that? Do you have "rituals" that involve numbers & counting? Some of mine are :

* Counting as I brush my teeth to make sure I spend at least 30 seconds on each quadrant of my mouth.
* Everything must end with an ODD number.....or be tuned to an ODD number.....or be collected/arranged/grouped/displayed in ODD numbers.
* Counting as I exercise, counting objects as I pass them or observe them.
* I am most comfortable when things are lined up, neat & orderly ~ MEASURED ~ everything in it's place.....but it is rarely actually like that in "real" life.
* I measure out my food now.
* When making art I have been known to "measure" things to make sure they are "just right". Example: Is the border on that card exactly 1/4" all the way around?

Yes....I am just this side of being "A Beautiful Mind" or Obsessive Compulsive I know.

And now.......my FAVORITE NUMBER.......

It's the PERFECT number for me!
I was born on the 27th of January and.....
3 x 3 x 3 (or 3 cubed) = 27!!!!! (3 being my 2nd favorite number.)

RememberMeEmily.Etsy.com

"Remember Me" Featured in an Etsy Treasury

I am always so honored when someone chooses one of my items for their treasury. Thank you IlluminatedPerfume.Etsy.com

Best Friends

"What is a friend?  A single soul dwelling in two bodies."
Aristotle

I like her because she smiles at me and means it.
Anonymous

A friend can tell you things
you don't want to tell yourself.
Frances Ward Weller

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have,
and one of the best things you can be.
Douglas Pagels

Shared joy is a double joy;
shared sorrow is half a sorrow.
Swedish Proverb

The friend who holds your hand and says the wrong thing is made of dearer stuff than the one who stays away. Barbara Kingsolver

The Artist's Way

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

A discussion arose at the family Christmas party about creativity and the desire to be more artistic and expressive. I myself have been in a "creative slump" lately and am in desperate need of a "spark"! Where is my mUsE???

Anyway...several of us have decided to study Julia Cameron's book "The Artist's Way" ~ described as "a course in discovering and recovering your creative self". It sounds EXACTLY what we are looking for!!! Thanks Julia!

She encourages us to do "morning pages" where we write down 3 pages of what we are "thinking" EVERY MORNING ~ free form ~ let it flow out of you.  It is one of several "tools" to help us to "unblock" and to get those creative juices flowing again. This is hard to do as I am easily distracted and easily bored. So far, I am managing my morning pages about half the time which is actually GOOD for me! Maybe this will help discipline me to finally "stick with something" long enough to see it to the end.

I actually DO enjoy writing when I finally take the time to sit down & concentrate on it. So my goal is to be able to DO MY MORNING PAGES EVERY MORNING as easily as I breathe. Then, I think they will teach me, enlighten me, encourage me.

Julia also encourages us to take a once weekly solo "artist's date" ~ exploring something that interests us. This part is EASY PEASY for me! There are sooooo many fun/interesting/exciting things I can think of to do:

Art museums ~ Films ~ Antiquing ~ Thrift Shopping ~ Long drives in the country ~ Photographing interesting things ~ Browsing the bookstore ~ Bead Shops/Jewelry making ~ Art supply stores

I am inspired just thinking about this process of "discovery & recovery" and the fact that I am sharing it with precious members of my own family.  Study up girls ~ Chapter One is our assignment this week!

"I Love You" ~ A love letter to my Etsy Customers

 

Yesterday, "Michelle" (a perfect stranger) made my day and became my 1000th customer since I opened my Etsy Shop in January of 2006!!!!! And guess what she purchased?!?.....it was PERFECT.....

Words alone cannot express my gratitude for all of my lovely customers who have made a conscious decision to support "small business"/handmade & independent artists. Their love, support & precious words of encouragement have inspired me & sustained me through times of doubt about my decision to be a full~time artist:

"I have 2 favorite experiences with Etsy vendors and RememberMeEmily is one of them. The nicest and most pleasant person to work with. She designed these pocket mirrors for my bridesmaids & they are adorable!!! They have become one of my favorite purchases yet :)"

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"I LOVE my necklace!! It is beautiful, perfectly made
and pure awesomeness! Emily, this was meant to be mine...
thank you, sweetheart!!"

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"You are one of my favorite sellers on Etsy. I love your shop so much but most of all I love your kindness and your spirit."

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Thank YOU for allowing me to "Follow my Bliss" & spend my days doing what I love ~ creating sweet, uplifting, comforting & encouraging works of art to grace your life. Thank YOU for making my dream come true ~ my very own art studio & home-based business! 

******* I LOVE YOU!!! *******