The Christmas Season has come to a close.

 

SWEATER CLIP 2012 #37 (Xmas)
...My side of the family (Parents, siblings, nieces/nephews...) had their 'Holiday' yesterday, on a day that we could all get together, relax & enjoy.  ALL that prep, we may as well draaaggg things out, right? Okay, enough!

VERA 2012 #23 .25¢
So, goodbye 2012. We have ridden a rollercoaster together. Personally it has not been a year to go down in the history books - neither positive nor negative.  Much sadness and pain around me.  I didn't find myself directly jumping into the 27 Random Acts of Kindness, but I did find that I have been taking things a little bit slower lately. Appreciating what I have and the people in my life a little bit more. Hugging a  little more freely, smiling (and crying...) a lot more often.  I gave a plates of cookies to say 'Thank You' to the girls at the Post Office Counter, The Dr. Office Receptionist (the one who called with the VERA package!!), My Pharmacist at the little local drugstore who goes out of his way for me every month (he came out from behind the counter and gave me a big hug!).  I think EVERYONE has been impacted as to just.how.fragile this life of our is. 

VERA 2012 #22 .25¢

 Bring it on 2013, The year of 'EMERALD' (or so PANTONE says.)  I'm not sure that I'm really jumping on that 'bandwagon', but I guess nobody asked MY opinion!

  Every year I have goals for myself.  In 2012, I turned 45, it was a TOUGH one.  I keep thinking... hoping... planning... dreaming... that I am going to find FOCUS!  I think that age has made me wise.  This new found wisdom has enlightened me to the fact that I am ALWAYS going to be scattered!  I am more than likely NEVER going to have direction in my life.  This blog is never going to be anything other than what it was created as - a dumping grounds for whatever happens to possess me at the moment!
  

ROYAL HAEGER by ROYAL HICKMAN 2012 # 8 (XMAS from J)
GREEN BRIAR glaze 1946 - 1950's

I have toyed around with different ideas for this blog from time to time.  I look at other blogs - they have massive FOLLOWERS, and I ask myself 'Why do you only have 59?'. It's because they have FOCUS to a particular NICHE!!   then I ask myself, do I want to get tied down to a particular 'focus'? What is the purpose of svelteSTUFF - 'you'? or 'others'? 'Why do you even have 59 FOLLOWERS?? WHAT do they possibly find interesting in your jibber jabber?' .

ROYAL HAEGER vase 2012 #9 (Xmas from J)
AQUA CRYSTAL glaze 1967-68

 This topic often comes up when I get a request from a retailer to purchase advertising space on my blog.  J (and others) think that I am CRAZY refuse.  Maybe I am.  This blog is for me.  It is not a job.  Just something I still enjoy and don't want to feel 'obligated' to. 

ROYAL HAEGER vase 2012 #10 (Xmas from J)
BLUE LAVA glaze 1979-80

 I guess the same goes for my 'saleing'...  I was 'chatting' via text with this sweet lady that owns Dazzled By Vintage  Etsy shop.  She had given me the 'heads-up' on a sweater-clip lot that was selling on Ebay.  We started talking about 'buying for resale'.  I realized that J&I still don't 'really' go out buying just.for.resale.  Saleing is therapy for me, and it is still the love of the journey that fuels this junking passion!   If in our travels we stumble upon 'treasures to good to pass up' we will buy them, and then if there is no way to possibly work them into our limited space, we 'release' them.
As a general rule:  We sell because we buy.  We don't buy to sell.

Just something I still enjoy and don't want to feel 'obligated' to.

 

So, in conclusion, for 2013... What you see is what you get... 

cause it's...about me

and who I am
... about loving and living...

 

Here are some parting shots of Tweed.

TWEED 2012



TWEED 2012

TWEED 2012

TWEED saying 'FAREWELL' amidst his namesake GOLD~TWEED~GLAZE Haeger Pottery 8-)
HAPPY 2013!!