Time Moves Fast

Hey guys!

So I know that I had hoped to post more often after getting off of Facebook, but I have to admit, I haven't wanted to get on my computer much since then. It's been nice to go home and work on projects, have a nice dinner and go to bed without worrying about what is happening in cyberspace. lol  The downside of course is that most people update their lives in cyberspace and not through phone calls and letters anymore. I do miss hearing about how everyone is doing, but I also love the down to earth feelings I have coming and going without it. It's a mixed bag!

I don't think I regret it though. I've learned so much about myself this way. I love myself SO much more than I did a few years ago. I KNOW myself so much better too. I believe everyone has something they have to let go of or give up in order to find good things in themselves. For me it was letting go of things that I was holding onto that didn't help me see myself clearly.

The last year has been so interesting. I can't remember when I first started changing my perspective, it has been so gradual. Maybe it was when I let myself start trying things that I always wanted to try, but for one reason or another I never had. Maybe it was when I was convinced by my super awesome sister to try something that I never wanted to try because it seemed hard, but in the end felt excitement in the success of a hard job well done!

This is all a little cryptic I guess, but what I am trying to say is that by forcing myself to break old patterns and try new things, it has opened a door into seeing myself and others differently.

I painted kitchen cupboards with my sister and learned what 'not' to do! In the process I forgot to care about what people thought of me when I went out to the store in my paint clothes, with no makeup and messy hair, to buy something I forgot. I made something beautiful while learning to let go of my self consciousness.

Driven by my sisters determination I helped her build our kitchen table. We did a lot of research - my sister did an amazing amount of planning - and overcame the doubt of the local wood critics that we could succeed. I learned that you can accomplish great things with research, well made plans, a good deal of stubbornness, and the willingness to work hard.

Then because of mold we found in a closet I had to work through some emotional troubles and fears that I am still working on, but doing much better with. I dealt with mold, health issues, and fear, but learned that I can work through hard things, that research is better than panic, and that words of encouragement from family and friends go a long way in helping someone.

I'm still learning, I'm still working on things, but I wanted to post an update. I guess just to say that I do care about letting people know how I am doing, and I care about how they are doing too.

Love,
 Melinda

Long Time and Many Changes

Hello everyone!

It has been such a long time since I have posted anything on here. Life has changed for me so much in so many years. The best change has been how I feel about myself. I love myself a lot more and I have learned a lot about who I am and what I can contribute to those that I care about. Life truly is different and for the better. Super fabulous!!!

I hope that all of you have felt that your lives have grown and changed in really wonderful ways too. Oh, I'm not saying that you haven't had some rough times or that life hasn't been tough, but I'm hoping that parts of your journeyings have been filled with really wonderful moments. Glowing, happy, glittering moments.

My latest adventure has been getting into photography. It has brought me closer to who I am, what I love, and what I want to share with others. I'm not sure yet where it will take me, but I'm just enjoying the journey.

Another thing that has become so different is not focusing on the external, but focusing on the internal growth and learning. It has been quite the journey. I wish that I had written more along the way to help anyone that might have struggled as I have. It hasn't been an easy journey. I have felt hurt, anguish, sadness, frustration, and anger. On the flip side, I have also experienced incredible joy, gratitude, peace, patience, and comfort. For the last several years I was serving in my church and I set aside my writing to focus my energy in that service. I'm grateful for the opportunity because I grew immensely from the experience and I hope that I can relate some of that through my future writing.

I hope to post on this blog some of the things I have learned and what I continue to learn. We can all use the help or thoughts of another from time to time right? I hope I can learn from you too.

Melinda

Positive Self Thinking

Hey all! I have been following a blog that I have found so helpful for me in loving and living who I am. It is called Beauty Redefined. I wanted to recommend it to anyone who is trying to overcome negative self talk and labels. You know, that nasty stuff that the media wants us to think about ourselves in order for them to make a profit. Any way, after reading many of their blogs I read one about goals http://www.beautyredefined.net/ditch-weight-loss-resolutions/ and I have decided to make my own for this year. (This was actually decided last month, but I'm blogging about it now.) My goal is to avoid the numbers. I'm not looking at numbers on the scale, I'm not looking at pants/dress size or body measurements, I'm not focusing on anything that I consider 'external'. I'm focusing on how I feel. How do I feel when I run? How do I feel when I eat? How do I feel when I look at myself? Am I proud of the work I am doing and do I see myself for who I am as a whole? What am I doing that is good? What could I improve? I want to celebrate the good things and make goals to improve the things I can work on. Check out the blog I was talking about if you would like and then set some goals of your own! Love, Melinda

New Blog Purpose!

So, um... obviously it has been a little while since I have posted. My life has taken a very different direction than it use to have so I am updating my blog to go with that change. For the last couple of years I have been on this journey of self discovery. I know that we all are pretty much living that, it's life really, but I can't believe how changed I feel because of it. ONE thing is for sure, my perspective is so very, VERY different! I'm learning to try and be myself more. To see and love others for who they are. Themselves as a whole and love myself as a whole too. I have also decided not to go over and over and over my blog posts and try to clean them up. I know that it will make for harder reading sometimes because I can get so random, but I'm not writing to be clean and neat and make a book. I'm writing to express myself and just share with those I love what is going on in my life. Hopefully you will see me within the writing. So, for the change of purpose... previously Operation Green Shoes was about finding just that... Shoes. lol Now it is about something so completely different, but the name ironically still fits. This is about our footprints, my footprints. Our lives and the footprints we leave. Green Shoes to me now symbolizes trying to love myself deeply for who I am. Trying to love the earth for what it is. Trying to be who I am. Trying to help in some small way to reuse and recycle. Trying to create decorations through things I already have. Trying to make clothing and accessories using creativity, new ideas and again... what I have. The posts will be random. Some may be about food. Some may be about how I'm eating, how I'm living, what I'm DOING. THAT will be the most important thing. I really hope to keep it up a little more. A journal of action in a way. Sharing what I am learning, creating, and living. I really hope I do this and inspire others to live your life in whatever way is true to you. My living? I'm random, I'm creative, I'm happy, and I love Christ. I'm religious, I'm a sister, I'm a friend, I'm a daughter of God. I love art, I love music, I love to create and to build. I love to run, I love to swim, I love to ski. I love life. Live and Love Melinda

Dress Complete!

Hey guys!

So I finally finished the dress for my niece and got it sent off. I was really happy with how it turned out in the end. It wasn't exactly as I had hoped, but still, it was pretty good. Here are pictures of the finished product. My niece just looks beautiful in the dress. I loved how she did her makeup for it. Well, now that it is done, let me know what you think!

Melinda

Wow! Been a while!

So, it has TOTALLY been a while since I have updated the blog. Shame on me I guess, but life gets that way right?


So, I have been working on a project lately that has been really helping me to release some stress by being creative. My totally awesome niece wanted a dress for her birthday and I, being the crazy aunt that I am, offered to make one for her. It was originally going to be a mermaid dress, but then after seeing a really cool dress on a friends blog, my niece changed it to a butterfly dress. I was really excited about this because it gave me the opportunity to create and that was something I was really needing at the beginning of this year.

So, in order to keep this blog from getting too long, I will give a quick recap. I did some research and the dress that I was going to be basing my niece's dress off of was designed by Luly Yang. Look it up if you get the chance. The dress is amazing!

I was hoping I would be up for the challenge so I am going to post some of the steps I took to make the dress. At this point it isn't finished, but it is well on it's way to completion.

First off the idea for using black material and painting it by hand came from my sister Patrice. I was a bit nervous that it wouldn't allow the fabric to flow, but my sister Giselle had taken some art classes and had a great suggestion for a brushing technique that left minimal paint while still keeping the colors vibrant. These ideas were fabulous and helped me get started. I then created a pattern and with my niece's ideas decided what the dress would hopefully end up looking like. Then Giselle, with a tiny bit of help from me, made me a stencil. After that, the painting began. Here is my first practice piece.

Pretty cool huh? It turned out WAY better than I thought it would. Well to move on, I painted more pieces and Giselle helped too. Seven for the bottom and five for the top. Here is a picture of some of the bottom pieces finished with the edges hemmed and some of the top pieces that still need to be finished.

I finished the skirt, but then when I was putting the top on, I realized I had spaced out some of the pieces incorrectly. I took it apart, then remeasured it, and put it back together. This is what it looked like before I fixed it. It's over my hoop slip just so that you can see what it would like like all spread out.

I know it is different than the Luly Yang dress, but hey, I'm just your average seamstress!


So, once I get more updates, I will post them on the blog. For now, I'm going to bed. Tah all, and enjoy!