Battles with wine corks, store news, and why I haven't been on lately

Wine corks are evil things. They stand firmly between me and the lovely fruit of the vine that is held within a fragile glass bottle. I have this ridiculous fear that I'll somehow manage to apply enough pressure while trying to remove the cork by myself that I'll cause the bottle to break. It's ridiculous, but it's still a fear. I'm not sure whether it's the thought of cleaning up all the glass, or the inevitable bloodshed that would come with it that frightens me, but I'm leaning more towards the glass shards that would need to be cleaned up.

Glass is one of the worst things to cling, second only to corelle ware which, when it breaks, shatters into billions of razor sharp shards that you will still be finding three weeks from now. I speak from experience.

But that's not the point. The point is that I just want a nice relaxing glass of wine, and fighting with the cork generally makes it a slightly less relaxing glass. Now I'm not a wine snob, in fact, I think it's ridiculous, but I do enjoy an occasional glass of a nice moscato or a sweet red blend. Muscadine, while not very well known, it seems, is also a favorite.

Regardless, I don't like fighting with corks. Obviously, I need to buy one of those lovely little corkscrews that make it nice and easy.

In other news, I made my first sale on my store! I'm so thrilled! So far I've had one "favorite" and one sale, but I'm hoping that some of my other stuff will sell. I've got to finish the rosary, and I've got a necklace that I'm working on, as well as a few more pairs of earrings to make, but I'm feeling really good about it. I mean, I sold something! I was so worried that everything would just sit there and nothing would happen with it.

I haven't been on lately. I've just been going through one of my phases where I just don't feel like talking a lot. Sometimes I want to talk to certain people only, and other times, I just can't bring myself to talk to anyone. Even myself. My mind just empties itself and all that's left is a tune to focus on. Sort of like a white noise machine almost.

Of course, added to that is some stuff I'm trying to plan regarding the quickly approaching month of December. Where did all the time go? I still have so much to do, and so little time, and, God help me, even less money.

Anyway, I guess I really just wanted to let you all know that I'm still alive and on here, I just haven't been up to posting anything. I've got some ideas rattling around inside my head, so we'll see where we end up.

Yours always,
Tara Hills

Music Box, Stella Maris, and lots of excitement.

So I finished the music box Saturday afternoon and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. That's the outside. It's a fairly decent sized box that looks like a book.

I went into Photoshop and used some digital scrap-booking patterns and pictures to make the background, bought the little bird and the dragons at Michael's (a container with six dragons cost the same as one large dragon), and got the string lights and music box online. The cover that the bird is sitting on is just some cardboard that I covered with glittery scrapbook paper. Hot glue and staples were very helpful. I have some ideas of what I'm doing now, so the next one should look better.

I want to find a different way to secure the lights though. The staples stuck out and then had to be pushed in and it just....it works, but I'd like something better.

I'm also trying to figure out if I should try to illuminate the smaller ones. Yeah, I'm going to make some smaller ones. I've got an idea of how I want to go about it, so now I just have to give it a shot. I'm thinking something Phantom of the Opera-esque.

There's the inside of the bird's perch. Inside is the battery operated switch for the lights and music box movement itself. I bought the ones in the case because at the time when I bought them, I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with them.

I think, after mine, I'll just purchase the movements, sans cases, and make something for it myself. For one thing, this will save space, and for another, it won't be as difficult to work with.

Ha! It worked! Sorry, been having a little trouble with getting my pictures where I want them to be. That's the one thing I'm not fond of with most blogging sites. I know where I want my picture, just let me put it there!

Anyway, that's my terrible artwork you see to the right. I was trying to keep it within an oval shaped frame, like most of the medals you see, but um....well, I decided making our Blessed Mother look as good as my (really poor) skills would allow was bit more important. I tried.

There's a few things I like about this picture. The sea doesn't look as bad as I had thought it did. And I manages not to completely mess up the hands....I think.

Other than that, I think it's terrible. Really and truly terrible.

I'm a little disappointed at how little there is for Our Lady Star of the Sea. I mean, I know it's not the most popular title our Mother has, but still! It's one of the oldest Marian devotions there is! And it's a beautiful one too.

Although, I'll be honest, part of why I love it might be because I love nautical stuff, despite the fact that I'd sink like a rock.

Anyway, tomorrow is the start of RCIA classes. I'm so excited! I can't wait! I'm also vaguely terrified because *eek* people! but I'll survive. I'm meeting Aunt D for Morning mass, followed by breakfast and walking, then I'm running some errands for my mother, and then who knows what I'll do until time to leave for class.

Can you tell I'm excited? I'm thrilled!

I'll tell you all about it tomorrow!
Yours Always,
Tara