new year - new hope

the new year has arrived and with it, new hope for better times for our country. i can barely turn on the t.v. or radio, or read the headlines of the paper as it is all gloom & doom for our country and the world. the economy and war, least we forget - global warming! i am focusing on positive energy in my own little world in as much as i can, anyway. :) today i did spring cleaning - purging of unwanted and forgotten items. i have a car load of items to take for donation now, clothing in particular. a lot of it is vintage clothing. i used to wear it - back when i was a few sizes smaller (before a thyroid issue developed). i hate to part with them, but better to send them on to someone else who will hopefully love them as much as i did. freeing up unwanted/stored negative energy from my life and home. they can be recycled into positive energy in the world. 

i took down the xmas tree & decorations today. it was a little bit early for me, i usually like to leave them up through the end of the first week of january, but we are in the midst of refinancing our home and we've been very busy tidying everything up as next week the appraiser is coming. i hadn't planned on refinancing, but with rates so low, the lowest in over 40 years - how could i not refinance? being that i'm in the mortgage business i knew right away when the rates dropped. they may drop even lower, just a bit within the next month. we will see. as it is i will save over $300 a month and i'm keeping the loan term the same as if i was not refinancing. good deal. that is why we are SO BUSY at work. just swamped with loan applications. anyway, here's a shot of one of my many shiny brite ornaments. my grandparents and parents had shiny brite ornaments - of which i inherited their collections. now i continue the collecting. one of my favorites is this space themed one. with all the work on the house this weekend, there wasn't much time for artwork :( but i will make up for that. i have signed up for an online workshop with pam carriker called visual journalism 101. i just love her artwork and am looking forward to learning more about her techniques. i am awaiting the day of 1/13 so that i can sign up for susan lenart kazmer's workshop at the bead & button show in milwaukee on exploration of resins. i am so excited about that. she has other workshops at the show, but a girl has only so much $ and time, so you have to pick what's of the most interest and i do love working with resins... :)

i hope your new year is an excellent one. take care.