Monday, January 30, 2023

k then, this drawer gets closed until september... ~topps


 

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

ANNUAL CHECK-UP on our culture... thoughts by (me!) ~topps


on a recent well check visit to the doctors, it struck me in a more profound way, 

how the doctor and/or nurse is required to ask  every. individual. patient.   whether or not they are in an abusive relationship.

"are you being hit?  physically or emotionally abused?"

is that not the saddest commentary on our culture as a whole?   that every patient is asked this question.

and i haven't researched it, but am curious..  is this true for California?  the whole united states?

is there anywhere where this question would seem ridiculous, that you would have to ask every patient whether or not they are being abused?

we should at least be working toward a culture and world, where asking this question of every single patient becomes unnecessary.

exactly how prevalent is abuse?

-things to think on and pray about; amen. 

Joy is my Strength; Peace is my Power; Imagination is my Joy ~topps


loved mrs harris goes to paris..  then got to wonderin'    -like, if i had a seat at a designer fashion show, what is my taste?   then i scrolled on my phone...  and   

stopped in my scroll tracks for this one:    utterly enamored   ~  star-struck by the gown..



 silly question maybe, but with an obvious answer:    to the oscars! of course

****

hallelujah & amen

Saturday, January 21, 2023

NFL PLAYOFFS BETS ARE IN -double down! up the ante! w/(sexy! & topps!)




eagles by 31! i meant...        not perfect with the scores, but 3 out of 3 pickin' the winners!


 "congratulations! to KANSAS CITY CHIEFS!   -well deserved! well earned! exciting victory! 

Friday, January 20, 2023

On track to be in the best shape of my life on my 57th bday! (me!) ~topps


after getting it wrong too many times to count; and after over a ten year sabbatical where i never stepped on a scale or counted a calorie..    -at last!  i have learned how to 'eat, write & exercise' in an actual healthy way.   big "thank you!" here to my sexy..    in any case, my discipline has improved, and i find myself highly motivated by having these two circles to fill in each day, after i do my arm workouts.  i do respond to visual reminders..     -and not going to admit how many years i've spent just falling asleep with my make-up on, but..   i'm doing better with that now too.    -this results directly from exposure to my daughter's vision board..   i was whispering to myself.. let your daughter be a good influence on you!    follow her lead..    and same with my husband..  since we've met, i've whispered this to myself..   let him be a good influence on you..  and he has been!  so much of my ongoing progress, is watching people who get it write.. and letting them influence me.   positive influences..

too many people, family/friends, books, movies, teachers to list..  but, "thank you!"   amen. 

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Circa 1996: My Very First Speech as a Pleasanton Toastmaster (Club 4762!)


 






Circa 1996: My first, of the ten speeches required, to earn my CTM (Certified ToastMaster Certificate) as a member of Pleasanton Toastmasters. The first speech (ice breaker) requires you to introduce yourself to the group. I did this by sharing brief stories about each member of my immediate family; mom, dad, brother, sister, and then explaining what i have in common with them... -great family and memories they are!

My confession is that for this 'casual' 5 minute talk -i probably spent 80 hours in the writing, rehearsing, practicing, memorizing, re-practicing.. running out of breath and getting high pitched during rehearsal.. and so, literally jogging and rehearsing at the same time, to improve my breathing while i spoke.. running up and down stairs while i rehearsed.. everything so that when the big day arrived, i would breathe normal. i totally understand and respect the fear of public speaking.. but, that is exactly why Toastmasters exists..

2023 is a milestone year: both of my parents turn 80 years old, and my brother 60.. (not milestones, but i will be 57, and my sister, 54).

inspired to share this video as a type of birthday gift, -with love & gratitude for my family, and for these memories.

and offer a public "thank you!" to our awesome neighbor eric for converting my old VHS, and doing the behind the scenes tech magic that allowed me to post and link this video from youtube. -appreciate your help!

amen.

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

loved nfl wild card weekend! (sexy! & topps!)



now, our vikings didn't get the victory, but in truth, we didn't anticipate they would..

49ers lookin' awesome, and we have ny giants fans in the family..   upshot from this past weekend:

some very exciting; highly competitive football next weekend.   and, the countdown is on for us too..  to design our super bowl LVII yard art.    -gotta time it between rain storms

but, once again, we love the logo! how beautiful and inspiring the colors and theme    amen!




 

treasures in my archives

..what i was lookin' for..  and "found!"
was the vhs of my very first speech with pleasanton toastmasters

public "thank you!" here to eric
-in progress, 

but soon, i'll be able share the speech on my youtube channel.

and i do hold plans in my heart/mind to one day update my website too..    prayer/amen.



 

Monday, January 16, 2023

LIVING OUT MARTIN LUTHER KING JR'S DREAM (me!) ~topps


I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.

 ****

i am a survivor.  the #2 victim of the lakeside serial rapist who kidnapped at gunpoint, covered up and raped anywhere from 9 to 11 victims in san leandro california in the mid 1980's.  his first victim (that is, first known to police victim; #1) committed suicide. the last victim, (before the serial rapes stopped) was murdered.  the serial rapist remained (remains) at large.   the lakeside serial rapist was a black male wearing a black hoodie, and i only saw his face for one second before a gun was put to my temple.

-be me for 30 seconds..  in the aftermath of this life threatening, shocking, traumatic, brutal experience

when the rapist kept claiming new victims, and could be anywhere, any time

where, because i only saw his face for one second..   literally could be any black male, in any direction i walked, drove, shopped   -with only the ability to rule out very tall, very large, or very short, very small black males

it is to be terrorized; i understand the experience of being terrorized.   -by a black male; wearing a black hoodie

be me for 30 seconds, when this recent trend started, and encouraged all black males to wear black hoodies   -not in a utilitarian way; as clothing liked and appropriate for the season, place..

but wearing them as statements.    -be me for 30 seconds..

be us.   we'd like to make a few statements:

the survivors of the lakeside serial rapist in san leandro california in the mid 1980's.

we have dreams.    the young woman (#1 known to police) that committed suicide in the aftermath being raped at gunpoint;  she had dreams.     the woman known as the last victim; she had dreams..

and all of us survivors between the first and last known to police victims  -we all have dreams.

***

i was also in a bank when it was arm robbed, in hayward, california.   -black males.   pointing guns at everyone  -made to 'freeze' or die

be me; be us, for 30 seconds today, on martin luther king jr's celebratory, famous speech day

***

the single most important thing he said in his speech as far as i'm concerned:   judge people, not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character

do you do that?

i do.   -if anyone has cause to carry a 'racist' attitude, you can agree i have good cause?   but God, prayer, decades of healing; evaluating; assessing; re-trying; healing, evaluating, assessing.. prayer, God, decades of work toward healing..

i have learned and stay in the life long practice of judging people not by their skin color..

nor by their religion, or lack thereof;

i do not judge people by their looks, by their income, by their education

i do not judge by political party affiliation; or by their form of transportation

i judge  -and i do judge; i judge by a person's CONTENT of CHARACTER.     i've said it many times before:

evil does not have a skin color; evil comes in every shape and size across the globe and across all of time.  evil is evil.

so does love.   LOVE comes in every color, shape and size; across the globe, and throughout all of time; beyond time even,  -to infinity; love is eternal.

we do no one on the planet any favors, if we default to excuses, blame or forgiveness based on skin color.    -content of character should be our primary measuring tool; our scale

discerning good from bad; discerning bad from evil; discerning weakness from wickedness

look across the planet, over the history of all humanity; all of time to date

no one group has the monopoly on pain and suffering and injustices

    freedom is not free; period. 

any one individual; any city, any state, any country who desires freedom must fight for it; it is never altruistically handed over in advance upon the sudden enlightenment of abusive people in power 

   i love this example:   hmmm, men..  it just doesnt seem write that woman can't vote.. there's something unsettling, that just doesn't make sense..   why don't we change that today!  yes!  let's go give women the write to vote..   let's do it write now!  

or, circa 1776,    i think our taxes are too high, we might be letting greed get the best of us..  let us lower the taxes for everyone today!

 and you can expand that scenario in a million different ways to fit a million different fights for freedom, from the write to wear your hair long, to the write for equal pay for equal work..  on and on ad nauseum

freedom isn't free; period

and no one group has the monopoly on pain, suffering and injustices

genocides, holocausts, massacres, annihilations..    gang wars, cartels, mafias...   

abusive power; uprisings for freedom..     is one of the most common patterns in all of humanity.

and while we recognize 'America' as being free..

i wonder how many american's really are   -free.

human trafficking, slaves of domestic abuse; slaves to poverty; slaves to drugs; slaves to fear...  slaves to hidden secrets; scandals, skeletons, slaves to greed...

do you want to be free?

you're going to have to fight for it.  everyone one of us is a soldier in a war, whether we are conscious of that fact or not: and many wars there are:  military wars, cyber-wars, bio-wars, spiritual wars..

-the life long battle between good and evil.      i have my armor. [Ephesians 6:10] do you?

In Jesus is the way, the truth, the life    -and i have been set free! 

Hallelujah & Amen

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

this week in studio 213 by (me!) ~sandra harrison kay

sometimes i just can't find a mass manufactured greeting card that has the write words or pictures to capture my relationship with a family or friend or co-worker, etc.

but those are exactly the occasions that inspire me to create one myself.

i'm so excited for mary to receive this!   /she should be opening it within the next few days..

should make her laugh & smile..

"happy birthday to my life longga friend!"

-plus 'blessed mary' we call her, robert & i,  -because without her, we would not have talked outside the environment of the dance floor




 

crafty financial wisdom gift books by (me!) ~writeousmom ~topps Studio 213 creations




in nov/dec i redecorated/repurposed/redesigned the dollar store books to create packaging for my mom's annual cookie exchange party, 
but then, i was like,  "of course!"  and then set out to redecorate/repurpose/redesign the books;
customizing & personalizing them to use as money gift containers for christmas & a birthday

tons of creative fun, but extra enjoyed selecting & creating the book blurbs on the back;
some serious, some light-hearted, little humor, and! came up with a couple of our very own, robert & i, 

******
robert:  what you earn and save today, makes for better later days
(me!) mom/writeousmom:  being a volunteer is very rewarding; just not financially.

YOU WILL BE RICH ONE DAY, if you don't have a plan; but for a lifetime if you do.

and then i just enjoyed looking up, making up, using quotes regarding money

***
anyway, these faux container books, as an empty canvas..   they can become anything!
-also made one for a wedding gift..  included the logos from church/reception, personalized with names/dates, and placed 'something blue' inside

i'm sure there will be many different incarnations of these books throughout this year..

but!  -working on a new fun personalized craft "this week in studio 213..."





 

Monday, January 09, 2023

~ everything is prayer ~everything is tithing to (me!) ~topps


 everything is prayer:  cleaning the house; a thank you for our house prayer.  taking a hike; a thank you for our physical well being and thank you for your gorgeous landscape prayer.   cooking and/or enjoying a meal; thank you for each ingredient prayer..    shopping; thank you for these stores, these items, the ability to purchase.. thank you for this special time with my mom, daughter..  any/all shopping friends.  creating yard art; labor of love, thank you for the verve, the materials, the joy, our supportive neighbors..     -so, in this way, i relate to the scripture pray without ceasing.   i do not, kneel down, join my hands, in a formal way throughout the day, but i am ever aware, and spiritually thank God throughout my every day, every activity.    -very brief but frequent gratitude prayers.   i do stop, and formally pray in a very focused way when it regards the protection/safety/health of loved ones


everything is tithing:  i regard every penny we give or spend as tithing.  tithing toward a greater good; supporting local businesses, restaurants, services..    -my husband appreciated when i shared it this way with him:   -upon purchasing from a local small family business (noting price increases);

    do you want this business (bakery/restaurant/coffee shop/gift store, etc) to be here the next time we visit this area?   if you do, if the answer is yes..  tithe.    it is expressing gratitude 

   every business you spend at; you are investing in..  you are contributing to a working/contributing persons livelihood; you are helping them pay rent; pay employees; pay insurance, benefits, etc.   if you want to see a business succeed; tithe   - and many businesses donate to good causes of their choice, so it is a win/win

also, tithing, fundamentally, biblically and historically speaking, it has to do with giving your first fruits back to God as a way of recognizing the source of your blessings and saying thank you.

  -biblically, old testament, it was 10%

but this 10%; these first fruits, it can apply to much more than agriculture or income.    it can apply toward creative energy, toward your time..      -we give God first fruits by keeping God first place in our lives everyday; that is, we wake up, watch church tv, pray,  -before we do anything else.   -first fruits of our day.. our time.. our energy.    we do this because we are inspired to do so; not out of any obligation.

****

and speaking of being inspired..   for lent 2023, feb 22 -through easter, all my posts will be independent bible studies of one sort or another. 

In Jesus Name,  hallelujah & amen. 

Friday, January 06, 2023

#theheartseen


 

Thursday, January 05, 2023

HIGH RECOMMEND THIS PAIRING: 2018 patriot cab and 2020 Christian comedy


honey, our house was filled with laughter.. "thank you!" 


caveat:  many michael jr videos to choose from..   the one i show here is the specific one we recommend.   -and then, back to back laughs with michael jr, patricia heaton, hilarious others..

lots of laughter in 2023!   hallelujah & amen

job 8:21

1 timothy 5:23

Mother/Daughter Vision Boards 2006, 2022 respectively


i was not a fan of the 'mood' board trend, 
but i am a big fan of vision boards, 

love! what my daughter created here! it is so beautiful aesthetically, 
full of purpose & wisdom with a charming touch of humor; i love the layout..  
it is packed actually, with countless artistic decisions that all resulted in such an alluring design

i've written a few times, i believe,  on the topic of vision boards 

but what is extra interesting to me about the mother/daughter contrast in our vision boards:
not just the contrast of time, mine circa 2006; hers 2022
i created mine when i was 40 years old, mommy of two, just shy of my divorce..
she created hers shy of 26 years old, grad student, launching into the world at large

mine is material
hers is digital

and i thought, what a wonderful creative exercise..

to create both versions
-if you have a digital; create a material
-if you have a material; create a digital version..

and i do still have my vision board, although it does show signs of age, signs of being in storage and relocated many times..

but i stand firm in the understanding



but, yes..  i'm also considering how they help us focus; zoom in on what we want; help us prioritize
and contribute, working toward the fulfilment of our dreams and goals

you just cant rule out:  the countless number of wildly successful people 
who never created a vision board.

it guarantees nothing; but allows us to see.

and, i loved the process of creating mine.. had such a great time of it!  it was an assignment provided by my (one and only) life coach at that time: cindy fisher luck

my daughter loved the digital process of creating hers too; it shows.

amen & amen


i want   my    life

to enrich   the lives  of lots

and lots   of people     amen


i used a bulletin board; scrapbook & designer papers, 
9 empty plastic cd covers which open/close
did a lot of copy/paste with pictures, vellum, text/writing



and everything on my vision board from 2006, remains true today, in 2023. 
when time/energy allow, i will return to share what specific life experiences i've had which match, or demonstrate the fulfillment of a given vision.  -much of it though, falls in the category of a lifestyle; a way of living everyday, year after year, not individual goals set and then achieved/done.


Tuesday, January 03, 2023

words are things (dr maya angelou!)

digital mixed font word art by (me!)  ~topps

*****

the first time i heard it..  the concept that words are things..  i can't say i immediately understood.  but over time, i came to completely understand; and she was write!  our dr maya angelou

words ARE things

**

as a result of this understanding, not only do i hold my thoughts captive; not only do i hold my feelings captive

i do a kind of sweeping inventory of what words i use; say; hear; write; read;  listen to; etc.

***

and both my husband and i are pretty selective when it comes to what's on tv or the radio..

   -and, 

my good God, if the tv is let to just run in the background..  and i hear the words from pharmaceutical commercials

i cant mute or change the channel fast enough!   -hideous

if you itemize just the words that enter your home, your furniture, your mind, heart, soul..  from these pharma commercials..

i strongly believe these commercials should be entirely banned!   and have heard, but not researched, that in other countries they have been banned..

let the USA follow suit..

hallelujah & amen

SHARPie BOOTS by (me!) ~topps

 

  




Monday, January 02, 2023

Mixed Media Artists tricks, tips & paint-overs by (me!) ~topps


 see what happen.. i blogged about decorating paper bags, then i just had to..

this darling paper bag came from my mom's cookie exchange party  -and they are long gone now, but it held the best snickerdoodle cookies i have ever! tasted and so, "thank you!" valerie

and it is a pretty cute bag as is; with the polka dots pre-printed, but for a mixed media artist

-and it is one of the many things that separate us from other types of artists, but for a mixed media artist

anything can become a canvas for our creative experiments

i can do a quick comparison:   if you imagine an oil painting of a beautiful landscape  -can't you already see it?  it is on a traditional painters canvas, it was most likely painted while it was positioned on an easel; the medium is exclusively oil paints, with perhaps a variety of brushes used, and colors blended, yes.. but

for a mixed media artist!  this can be a canvas, that can be a canvas..   you can have your canvas in your lap, on the floor, leaning against a dresser, back seat of a car..    pretty much you will start creating wherever space allows   -but i can't remember a time in my own creative life, ever sitting in a chair, in front of an easel with a brush and paints

oh! how i admire!  love, appreciate, oil paintings, watercolor,   -of course!

but i do admit to feeling 'luckier'

because i think our finest painters of oil, watercolors  -their objective is a specific result; a specific look -to match exactly, a real life object or setting, or even when the goal is abstract,  i imagine, it is the result that brings the highest gratification

for the mixed media artist, it is the process! the experimenting!  the taking a mistake and incorporating it, including it, vs. erasing it..   [example write above]

for the mixed media artist, everything is a delightful curiosity  -beads! fabric! paint!  chalk!  what if i put it on wood?  glass?  direct on a wall?  along the cars bumper..   on my jean jacket?   hey, can i use a sharpie and stencil on my shoes? everything is a potential canvas, and everything is potential material to use

it is the excitement of using a new tool or even creating a new tool [vs. using a tool to accomplish a goal]

my knees went weak the first time i saw someone use a clear ink stamp, stamp on paper, sprinkle some special powder, take a heat gun..  and

magic! write before your very eyes   -what do you call this?!  i must do this today!   and that started a several week embossing craze..

even when my husband and i were sheet-rocking our garage, he brought out this tool i had never seen or had any exposure to before, 

?

a small yellow container of ? with a narrow spout..  and this small metal object, looked a little bit like a measuring tape, but larger

then he poured from the container into the measuring tape looking thing..

pulled a long  -long-  blue dusted string out of the measuring tape looking thing

stretched it from here to there

lifted up the blue dusted string, taut, released it from his finger grip.. let it go!

and 

"i must have one of these!"   /you do, it's ours.. we are using it write now..

and my mind raced with how exciting and fun, and how much faster it would be to create a hop scotch game on any school yard for recess for example

please, do not deny our children the exciting process!   on the playground school yard at my elementary school, the hop scotch was pre-painted; the circle around the tether ball pre-painted; the lines for the hand ball court; pre-painted

anyway, i had no idea what i would use this awesome tool for, i only know that, drawing a straight line  -a long one, without a ruler, or which exceeds a ruler..   no easy task!

you can take this pourable strait-line chalk, pair it with the strait-line chalk line reel  -stretch it some ?# feet, lift it up, let it snap down..

you've got yourself a perfectly straight line  -with chalk, you can just dust away..

that is a huge bonus.  it most cases you need the straight line as a guide,  but you dont need a permanently painted straight line you can't get rid of   -write

unless, of course, you are a mixed media artist

in this case, the same way pollock let that drip paint at will, 

my imagination filled with..  what if we use paint instead of chalk?  what if we want it permanent? what if we just use this color, and stretch it this length, snap, painted-straight-line, change colors, change directions, snap..  a new color and another straight line..   stand over here, change colors, change the length..   let it go!   

and if the paint splatters; so be it!  -keep going..

and i think it would look really intriguing, it sure does in my imagination, but it is the process!  actually using the tool, the paints, moving your body from here to there to make the different straight lines heading in different directions

all of this to say  -i'm grateful to be a mixed media artist; i love discovering new creative tools; or creative ways to use any tools

i'm respect the color wheel, yes..  but i just like to blindly choose a color, and blindly choose another color and see how they look next to each other.. 

i love texture


i love mixing the medias; layering a stencil over something freehand; placing a random patch of fabric on a formal canvas; using stickers, drawings, paint, chalk, fabric, a variety of adhesives, beads of many sizes all on the same canvas

and then contrasting that with a piece of mixed media art which is plain and simple to the eye.

i answer only to my own aesthetic value; an intuitive response that either likes the result or doesn't; an intuitive voice which influences whether i will add more..  stop..  start over..  wait a couple days, etc.

but it is most definitely a joy to use as many different types of tools, materials, canvases as i can

and, to have fun.   to always be cross-training creatively speaking..

***

reminder here:  at vintage hills elementary school, where i donated an entire room's worth of paper, stickers, scissors, glues, pens..   the overstock of everything i acquired during my Mag Time Frame days.. lots of scrapbook materials

and the children were given the choice (for the 1st time ever to my knowledge); to play outside during recess, OR go inside the art room and creative whatever they wanted, with, whatever they wanted from what was made available

they flocked to the room where there was the opportunity to create.  i want to additionally point out, that i did not create 'prototypes' of any kind, no templates where i then offered instructions on how to make this or that..

everything was free form; everything was their own original work; their own experiments and ideas

they loved it!  and i loved it too!

*****

now, what i'm inspired to do, is create a digital image of what it could possibly look like, if there was a strait-line tool which allowed you to use paint; change colors..  have fun

back in a few..



 *****

a mixed media artist will see canvases and creative tools in almost every store; not just 'arts n crafts' stores.   -roam a home depot..  a furniture store..   a grocery store..    the dollar store is one of my personal favorites!

and now, i'm going to close here by sharing something i learned about myself, that might be helpful to creative others

the thing that got me into trouble earlier on is that 

well, you know that saying, "my eyes were bigger than my stomach"   it is a popular saying which refers to when someone is looking at food, loading up their plate for dinner or any meal really, 

when they are looking at it.. taking in the aroma, delighting in the selections, pre-imagining the flavors and textures..  they load up their plate with portions far surpassing what they can actually eat

or, i'm sorry, 

they load up their plates with portions far surpassing how much they should eat   -many people still eat it all but pay a high price for indulging

same thing applies..   when you are mixed media artist, and everything you see is a potential canvas, and you are inspired to experiment with as many tools, materials as possible

it is very easy to accidentally drown in potential canvases, surround yourself with tools and materials you'll never actually use, 

and you can easily end up with canvases and supplies which far surpass the time and energy required to utilize them.

you do need to surround yourself with inspiration of course! without drowning..

so, i've self-imposed some rules and regulations for my studio 213

namely, no new canvases until i've decorated the 200 canvases i currently have in waiting  [dozens of empty gum containers; dozens of empty journal books; dozens of paper books to repurpose; dozens of wine bottles and bottles in general; dozens of wood shapes; dozens of frames...]

and it becomes part of the motivation to create..  let me do something with all of this, so i can shop for NEW canvases to decorate..

i see no creative droughts or floods for 2023; just limitless sunshine and blue skies; 

some welcome april showers, some gorgeous paper flowers..

in Jesus name   amen. 


#vellumdays









we remain in 'due season' Galations 6:9  -experiencing back to back blessings!  wonderful visits, meals, happy hours, activities with the most awesome family, long time and new neighbor friends.  enormously grateful! we are for each day..  each person..  each experience

and there is a distinction to be pointed out here:  these end of year memories (and in fact, entire year worth of memories) are not exclusive.   lots not captured; several dinners/movies with friends.. happy hours.. hikes..  bike rides..  ted lasso nights..  a much longer list

and the end of year, along with the entire year..   had its share of setbacks, obstacles, losses, minor annoyances and major expenses   -but i am well trained by this age (very near 57 years old); to magnify the good and wonderful; magnify our God, and minimize the rest.    -based on the results

i highly recommend this practice to everyone!

God willing, 2023 will be a happy, healthy, remarkable new year!   -we have several milestone celebrations on the calendar        hallelujah & amen!