It just happens…

Hearts.  Yep!  I am just drawn to them.  I don’t care if they are the fat bulbous ones or those lovely, long folk art ones – I love them all.  Why?  Perhaps it is because they are red.  As a little girl I had red hair and my mom always told me I could not wear red as it would clash with my hair.  Of course, there was nothing more in the world that I wanted than a red dress!  As luck would have it when I was about ten my cousin passed on a dress she had outgrown and it was – yes – red.  Oh, how I loved that dress.  It was not one that my mom would have picked out for me which made it even more intoxicating!  It had a very impractical belt which could only be worn with that particular garment.  How chic I felt when I wore that red dress.

I never minded wearing hand me downs.  I never got too many, but the ones I did get I adored.  (The beginning of my passion for giving new life to other people’s castoffs?)   My folks were not frivolous with either their money or their possessions.  So, anything extra that came my direction was a treat, indeed!  (Free is still my favorite price!)

And the color red did not grace our home or our lives, except for the luscious tomatoes and cherries of summer!  Now, why do I share all this?  Oh, I don’t know, except to say perhaps that is why I am so drawn to the color red, because I was never able to embrace it in a true way until I was an adult and an older adult at that.  I was just so liberating to finally add it as a decorating or clothing choice into my life and find out that it was okay to make such a bold statement in life!

I think the idea of what the heart symbolizes is what keeps drawing me in.  When I create it does come from someplace deep in my soul which speaks directly to my heart.  And the reason I do what I do is if it speaks to another’s heart then there is a connection.  Oh, and I absolutely swoon if they are giving it to someone who shares a heart connection with them.  Then my heart (literal or figurative) is now a part of their heart.  Yes, I cry during commercials!

The heart above is inspired by Maggie Bonnami.  I just adore her designs.  I add my twist to them and am generally pleased with how they turn out.  She had such a wonderful interpretation of folk art which speaks…you guessed it…to my heart!  I used part of a vintage crazy quilt and added a few extra stitches.

This heart will be traveling with me to La Selva Beach, CA this coming weekend for their 26th Art, Antique, and Craft Faire.  I used to live four miles from there.  Now it is four hours!  I just like going and visiting with folks from where we used to live.  It is a free event and not really big, but just enough to satisfy.

As I have been preparing for it I keep thinking about what I want to take with me to Minneapolis in September.  I keep telling myself I will begin with my list next week, after this show and after David’s 50th birthday this coming Sunday.  One thing at a time.  Try to stay calm and focused on the task right in front and do the best on that.  The rest will take care of itself.

Thank you for continuing to read.  Let me know you have been here by leaving me a comment.  Please tell a friend (or a dozen of your friends) to do the same.  Have a terrific summer’s day!