Am I Overreacting?

Have you seen this ad for Southern Living? It says, "Today's Southern woman doesn't mind burning the candle at both ends. Especially if she's using her grandmother's candlesticks."

Really? With all that women do today, with the overwhelming majority of us feeling like we can never do it all, with most us finally learning the art of saying "No" as we get older... Really? I'm surprised that Southern Living is promoting a "do more" (read "you're not doing enough") mentality. I'm quite disappointed in them...

I composed the above paragraph in an email to Southern Living actually, but then I began to wonder, "Am I overreacting?" Do others feel this way or is it just me? What do you think? If a few of you comment that I'm not being overly sensitive and the message is downright weird, I'll send my complaint email.

Thanks for the feedback!

Embrace Your Inner Witch

Ah... it's nice to be back. To say that my family has had things... uh... "going on" for the last 10 months is an understatement. It's been too much, really, and instead of helping me cope with the stress, my creativity took a nosedive. I now have a lovely craftroom with *gasp* natural light but for months now, I've just been sitting at my worktable staring out the window looking for inspiration.

Well, I've finally found some! Life has thrown me a bone in the form of a new friend who enjoys crafts as much as I do. She's SUPER talented and I'm honored that she considers me artistic too. This week, I attended her annual "Witches Luncheon" and I want to tell you all about it! I'll begin by introducing my friend, Christa McInturff from Sweet Life ART!. Christa is a graphic artist and mother of two and, in addition to the gorgeous gift items she creates for sale on her website, Christa creates delightful framed works of art that are full of whimsy and color, like this cute pumpkin to the right.

Christa's friend, Mary, hosted the first Witches Luncheon three years ago after hosting the same type of event for Valentine's Day. Mary, Christa and their artist friends all agreed it was a great way to spend time together, exchange handmade gifts and build their boutique-quality decoration collections.

Christa has taken on the role of hostess for the last two years and she truly excels at it! According to Christa, "My party decorating inspiration comes from diving into the details. I open my craft cupboard looking for ways to dress up my table to put smiles on my guest's faces. I love mixing up patterns that make my table decor visually pop with festive flair. Setting up and decorating my table for a party is always a happy moment for me."

Over the years, artists have contributed spooky terrariums, journals, clay bones in vintage bottles, necklace charms, candle holders, martini glasses, and witch and pumpkin creatures... all handmade or decorated, of course.

When I asked Christa what inspires her most when crafting, she said, "My inspiration comes from taking something I have and turning it into a unique gift (all I have to do is open my craft armoire and ideas jump right into my brain)." That must be some armoire!

Some Creations by Christa and Her Artist Friends

I have to tell you, I was thrilled when Christa invited me... honored, really, that she considered me an artist. I was so nervous thinking about what to bring, wondering if my item would be "artsy" enough. I made the little pumpkins to the left and thought they turnout pretty darn cute. They are soft fleece and only about 4"-5" wide so they are really sweet.

It felt great to create again and oh, so lovely, to chat with women about their art forms and lives in general while enjoying Christa's delicious food and wine. Thank you so much, Christa! I hope this inspires some of you to make time to create something and gather among friends.

Here we are, embracing our "inner witch"