{like.james}
Like a school girl pacing the gymnasium's dimly lit bleachers' edge only to case out the cute boy at the center court dance floor, I'm lost in the chase. The dream; the idea of nothing turned, not just something, but beautiful. Words, fabric, pencil, paint, song, yarn. Mediums empty that lie in wait for motion & energy. The potential of the creative is an act that I will always be head over heals in love with. Smitten like a kitten. Yep, that's me.
The chase of beautiful is what I'd bet we're all after. That exhilarating punch of hopeful that inches its way closer and closer to reality. There's a thrill in the wait; there's a beaming burst of energy twisted & swirled with satisfaction. Life is art to me. It's the chase and the dream and the movement.
We all have that cute boy at mid-court. With Paula Abdul's Straight Up Now Tell Me blaring through the low-end crackly middle school band speakers, we case the sidelines. We work through the scenarios of what if. What if I went out there? What if I decided to talk to him? Would he talk back to me? What if he ignores me? What if he hurts my feelings? What if he decides to dance with me? The stepping towards center court is the chance on hopeful. And, this chase, this chance, is what makes this world beautifully better every single day.
Personally, to take this metaphor of middle school infatuation a clearer step further, I quit waiting on him. The cute boy at center court. And, you know what? I decided to dance. Me. Alone & awkward, I marched right on out to mid-court and broke.it.down.like.james wearing my head gear with my freshly permed poodle hair with too short bangs. The joy & freedom of moving was powerful and encapsulating. So much so, that I realized the cute boy at mid-court wasn't really what I was after. It was those Gitano tiered scrunch socks inside my shoe string coiled Sebagos rockin' to the beat that was my nothing turned so very something...beautiful, joyful & free. An artist with open eyes.
I say all this to introduce a brilliant fellow artist who has chosen to dance. She is an artist with eyes bright & open. Her work is so very creative and her being is chock full of talent. The nothing she turns not just something, but truly beautiful is beyond words. I marvel at her craft of crocheting & knitting. It is bursting with personality and handmade goodness. Abbi Whaley is a homeschooling artist of 3 precious little ones, and the owner/designer of Leave'Em In Stitches.
I most recently had the opportunity to purchase one of Abbi's pieces. I opted for the variegated pink-purple chain infinity scarf. My eyes had no trouble honing right in on this color choice as it was so festive and bright. I love the offset-ness of its hue.
This scarf can be worn several ways. I enjoy it fashioned best with a double wrap for a soft, more intimate snuggle to my neck. I love, too, that it isn't ultra bulky, but more narrow in design. Abbi's chain infinity scarf provides a clever alternative option to the popular more full blanketed infinity scarf appeal. Her chain infinity scarves are so wonderfully affordable too. Each scarf is just $15.
And this is where I just about lose it. Thank you, sweet Abbi, for choosing to dance. Thank you, oh thank you! Her work is detailed and absolutely adorably inventive. Shown above is her child's giraffe hat.
Owl cuteness? Uh-huh. Abbi works closely with each client making sure each custom design is catered to with the utmost attention to color scheme and placement.
Such a highly popular photography trend as of late is the newborn and youngster pictures with the animal themed pamper cover and coordinating hat. Oh, what I wouldn't give to see my 2 little long legged boys back in pampers with squishy thighs and sleepy newborn eyes just to see them as Abbi's Panda!
Do I need a reminder YET AGAIN that I am void of a daughter in my life? Sweet heavenly day, I long for a baby girl zebra. I can only imagine the absolute sweetness this newborn picture would be.
And, my MOST FAVORITE of all....the ponytail beanie hat. STOP.THE.PRESS. Don't think for one hot second that I'm not considering ordering one of these for MY head. If this Mama can't have a baby girl, than she just might have to BE the baby girl. My niece, Sydnie, with her long, beautiful locks, would look so precious in this!
Here's an image of another time my neck cuddled up with Abbi's chain infinity scarf design. This time I paired it with black & white stripes and khaki. This simple chain design is so soft and easy to manipulate with wear. I truly love how slim it is for adding just the right pop of snuggle color to an outfit. I think this design would be a great gift for a little girl too. Sometimes fashion can be bulky & thick. Little girls, let alone ladies, don't have time for that.
Abbi offers a variety of colors for her creations. She is a master at infusing colors into colors for a design saturated with depth & definition. Above is her sample palette. Leave'Em In Stitches is a perfect place to shop for Christmas gifts. Currently, Abbi is still taking chain infinity scarf orders, and can have them to you in time for your Christmas gifting. She can gladly set you up with a Leave'Em in Stitches custom gift certificate for a gift under your tree as well for the more intricate designs she offers. You can contact her through he Facebook page by either private message or a simple hello with design request information on her wall. Her Facebook link is here. You should most definitely "like" her page to keep up with her growing business and great deals & specials.
And, would you look at that?! That Abbi has teamed up with k.Mac to give you a sweet opportunity. The above chain infinity scarf PLUS a 10% off custom design coupon from k.Mac will be given away to one lucky winner!
How do you enter to win?
1. Purchase a chain infinity scarf from Leave'Em In Stitches. Scarves are $15 each. With each scarf purchased, your name is entered not once, BUT twice. OR, purchase a design gift certificate from Leave'Em In Stitches or k.Mac.
2. Share the link to this post on on your social media outlets. {Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.}
3. Leave a comment on this post.
4. "Like" Leave'Em In Stitches Facebook page and k.Mac's Facebook page.
This chain infinity scarf along with a 10% k.Mac coupon will find its way to one happy winner on Monday, 12.9. It's just that simple to enter!
This girl. This head gear wearing, freshly permed poodle hair with too short bangs girl is thankful. Not for the cute boy, but for the breakin.it.down.like.james at mid-court. Alone. Beautiful, joyful & free. I'm thankful for the chase. For the chance. For artists' eyes. For Abbi and the sweet gift that God has given her with dreams and her movement. This world gets better every single day if we'll all just dance. Go on, turn Paula up. You know you want to.
DRAWING IS Monday, 12.9!
.mac :)