AfricanKelli

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Perhaps I’m taking a cue from Mother Nature, with pollen in the air and warming temperatures — I am itchy for change. My wanderlust is thankfully being fed with tickets to Africa in May and South America in August. Yet in the meantime, my daily routine could use a good spring cleaning and an enlivened push.
There’s that quote about how insanity is doing the same thing again and again while expecting different results. If I want change, I’ve got to make it happen.

Currently in focus:

– Transferring ideas for novel #2 from Moleskin to laptop. In chapter form.
{Motivation: yellow couch.}

– Following up with literary agents about novel #1. Creating plan for new query letters.
{Motivation: handing my father my first novel.}

– Learning to bead.
{Motivation: beautiful turquoise purchased in Santa Fe.}

– Joining triathlon club.
{Motivation: a new pool of cute boys. And the chance to ride Ruby with others and practice my transition skills for the upcoming race.}

– Swallowing all desires to shop.
{Motivation: Buying that ticket to Italy with cash.}

– Watching significantly less television.
{Motivation: stack of books on nightstand patiently waiting for attention.}

– Creating something daily.
{Motivation: A new stationery order from Paper Source and a few other beauties that have my eye.}

What are you working on?

~K

I once dated a very conservative republican boy who laughed at my hippie ways. We were oddly matched, indeed, but there is something to that “opposites attract” thing. We spent several months bantering, including a time or two when he would turn beet red in frustration because I wouldn’t sip the party line Kool Aid. At the time I was living with three of my closest friends, and this boy — with the most beautiful blue eyes — embarrassed the tar out of me one evening by announcing in front of everyone that he, in fact, “didn’t like trees.”
Only a moron doesn’t like trees.
To change his mind (and fully mock him), I bought him a membership to the National Arbor Day Foundation for Christmas. By the time his tiny trees and membership packet arrived in the mail, we’d broken up.
I planted those little trees with love, and then slapped an “I love Trees!” bumper sticker on my car to seal the deal. Seriously.
I’ve never said I had good taste in men. But trees? They are easy to love.

Happy Arbor Day!

~K

I managed to sit down for a few hours yesterday to complete my April In Stitches assignment: the wide leg lounge pants with an embroidery theme. My inspiration for this month’s theme came directly from Not Quite Vintage’s awesome embroidered tanks. A simple, sweet and affordable way to spice up a $5 Old Navy find? Sign me up!

I have a girlfriend who has been going through a pretty rough patch of life lately. Thankfully, she and her husband are able to get away for a week on a tropical isle to refocus and refresh. Who doesn’t want some fun new jammies to take away on vacation? {I even busted out the lime linen water to iron these babies so they smell sweet and tropical.}

So, yes. I did cheat a bit in that my pants are not embroidered. But I did adapt the pattern — I used ribbon instead of the cloth drawstring. And wowza — Finny wasn’t lying — these babies are huge. I could wear the small and last time I checked, no one has ever called me small. Ever.

I’m plotting next month’s assignment — which will be posted May 1. What do you think of the wide leg lounge pants pattern? Your photos are looking mighty awesome.

~K

Spring in Santa Fe, inspired by Jane:

~ak

I’m back from my New Mexican adventure with Ms. Finny. We hadn’t seen each other since September and yet with the first embrace at the airport, we immediately fell back into place. I quickly got the feeling she’d packed a four leaf clover.
Rental car dude: “Oops. We don’t have your tiny car. Here are the keys to a much nicer one. Have a great trip!”
Hotel manager: “Oops. We gave away your tiny room. Here are the keys to your hacienda. Your butler will take your bags.”

Me: “I wonder where the Georgia O’Keeffe museum is? And will it be far for us to walk there?”
Butler: “Walk? We have a free driver. Right this way ladies.”
And so on. I can’t remember how many times Finny and I both looked at each other with goofy grins and said, “Pinch me!”

Highlights:
~The Georgia O’Keefe Museum is worth the trip alone. Her work, her vision, her incredible talent made my heart beat differently. I wanted to climb inside her paintings and spin around to see the color from every angle possible.

~The Loretto Chapel. I could feel God’s presence.

~Beautiful Native American art at every turn.

~New Mexican food. It is similar to Arizona’s take on this cuisine, but with more green chile. Thankfully I didn’t have a hard time finding vegetarian options. {Finny, on the other hand, threatened to order a side of beef with her ground beef burritos. She too was in food heaven.}

~The endless galleries and Hispanic vibe.

~Tulips! I couldn’t get over the wild streaks of color popping up from the soil. You can tell I’m a Phoenician.

~Snow! We took a quick trip to Taos and threw the Boy Scout motto out the window. Be prepared. Who wants to be prepared when you can flaunt pedicures in shades of spring tulips?

Three cheers for being able to get away for a few days and catch up with a girlfriend. I’ve returned with an enlivened spirit and the feeling I can do anything I set my mind to. I’m also rather encouraged to get back to my studio and be creative. I could easily see myself living in Santa Fe one day. I’d have long hair pulled back in a loose braid, a great pair of detailed cowboy boots on my feet, a big dog by my side and a warm cup of tea in my hands. And a giant mortgage, but that’s another story.

Cheers,
Kelli