Is that a picture?

Yes, yes it is....but not a good one.

Consider this a preview of my new bag. I took a picture with the iPhone just so I could redeem all of the photo-less blogs lately.



It's not quite done - I have to finish sewing on the straps, but then this thing will FINALLY be complete! I'll wait to give you all the details until I have the good pictures and completed bag to post.

On another note (I have a feeling this post will be very random), I read this on a blog this week and I really like it. I'm trying to get into the habit of making notes of things that inspire me on a daily basis - whether it's to write a blog about it, or jot it down on a post-it, I think inspiration can come from anywhere and it's unfair to ignore it.

"You may think you don't have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter. What you create doesn't have to be perfect. Don't let fear of failure discourage you. Don't let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.

As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you.

I believe that as you create beauty and as you are compassionate to others—God will encircle you in the arms of His love. Discouragement, inadequacy, and weariness will give way to a life of meaning, grace, and fulfillment."

It's taken me a long time to embrace the gifts God has given me. I never saw myself as an "artist" because I couldn't draw if my life depended on it. I'm realizing, however, being an artist doesn't require sketch notebooks - art is truly any creation that didn't exist before - I've never heard it put so beautifully.

I read a book review this morning (I'm telling you, my blog addiction is a serious problem) that I think hit the nail on the head.

An excerpt:

"In the introduction, Jane calls attention to something that I and I'd guess lot of women of my generation think seriously about every day--the choice many of us have between staying at home with family or going out into the workforce, or even doing both. She remembers that in the seventies (when I was born), feminism was mainstream again and young girls were being raised to have a greater sense of independence through career. To the feminist thinkers of the time, the domestic arts were a throwback to the days when women's lives were relegated to the home, and soon enough they became devalued as quaint and irrelevant. Having become a woman with both a professional and a domestic life, Jane reports that she sometimes felt embarrassed by her love of knitting, sewing, and baking and hid her creations, thinking she was alone in valuing these skills. Well, it's certainly clear by the publication of this book, the popularity of yarnstorm and other blogs like it, and the resurgence of craft circles and retailers that she isn't alone."

While I wasn't born in the 70's, growing up with a working mother and being surrounded by friend with working mothers, I grew up with the mentality that a being a career-woman was the only way to be. I'm by no means as "career-driven" as I used to be as I'm seeing there are so many things in life that are much more important. I have great respect for the women out there that have paved the road for women to have power in the workplace. I work hard for my job and do what I can to climb up this corporate ladder, but there's no telling what my stance on that will be come time for kids (a ways down the road). I am embracing my domesticity with each passing day and nothing gives me more enjoyment than spending 8 hours at a sewing machine and seeing something come together that was only a thought in my mind. There is definitely a huge wave of re-domestication in women taking place. I can't tell you the amount of people I talk to who are learning to sew - something that always seemed so antiquated is definitely a new love of mine. I love that the craft world is taking over and handmade goods are finally getting the recognition they deserve.

You know it's big-time when CNN takes note.

Kudos to you if you stuck around through that madness. Happy Thursday.