Monday, June 24, 2013

Blast from the Past


Jem and the Holograms. I loved that show. I remember waking up every Saturday morning when I was little and impatiently sitting through thirty minutes of G.I. Joe (which my brother was watching with great enthusiasm), waiting for Jem. I can still hear the theme song in my head....

"Oooooh, Jeeeeem is truly outrageous!
Truly truly truly outrageous!"

Hmm.. Those were some talented songwriters, eh? I guess five year olds are easy to please! But soon, my musical appetite wasn't so easily sated. I would sneak out of bed early in the morning before anyone else was awake and tiptoe down the hall to the family room. After a quick scan to ensure I was the only person about, I would grunt and gasp as I pushed the chair over to the television set. Then, up on my knees, I would turn the dials *CLICK CLICK CLICK* until I found the forbidden fruit:


Teased hair, fingerless lace gloves, frilly socks with high heels - I was in heaven! I turned the volume up just loud enough to hear from about seven inches from the screen, I closed my eyes, and I just listened. 

Speaking of teased hair, who remembers these?


Who didn't love these little buggers?! I had a room full of treasure trolls. Princess trolls, farmer trolls, athlete trolls, plain trolls, fancy trolls - I was a lover of all trolls!

Know what else I collected?


POGS!

There are actually a lot of people who don't remember pogs - and what a shame! It was great fun. The pogs were these little cardboard disks. During a game, the player would slam down a metal disk (called a Slammer) on top of their opponents pog, and if it flipped over, they got to keep it. Or so I think that's how it went. It was loads of fun and very competitive.

These are just a few of my favorite things as a child. Leave me a comment below about your favorite childhood toys, shows, or activities, and I'll post another flashback next Monday!



Sunday, June 23, 2013

Things for Which I am Grateful:



All I've ever wanted to do was sell my creations. I remember in second grade, I got a set of knitting looms as a gift. With the set came two skeins of yarn: one a soft baby pink, and the other crisp white, with a single thread of sparkling tinsel woven throughout. from these two skeins, I created a small stock of headbands to show to my classmates. The very first day, I sold two of those headbands for twenty-five cents a piece, and took numerous orders for more. I came home with a list of colors to dig out of my mother's yarn basket and the very first overwhelming sensation of having too many custom orders to complete in a timely manner. I was hooked, knowing that I work best when under pressure.

Over the years I have dabbled in this and that, a self-proclaimed jack of all trades (and master of none). My grandmother was an artist, my mother a crafter, and I... Well, I didn't know what I was, but I have forever held within me a burning desire to create.

Now, my dream has finally come true. Two years ago, I began making roses from book pages. That alone has awakened my desire to reclaim and repurpose vintage treasures, turning them into pieces of wearable art. I now search every nook and cranny, seeking the unseemly likes of tattered books, damaged and neglected - those destined for a future in rubbish. What I didn't anticipate is that others would love the work that I do. What started with a late night project to kill my boredom has turned into a full time job - and I am my own boss.

These days, I have a lot on my plate. Besides the business, I also keep a part time job at Books-a-Million, I am a student at East Tennessee State University, and I have three small children (aged 2, 4, and 6). But no matter how busy I am, these days I am just eternally grateful for all of the opportunities I have to teach my kids how to work hard to accomplish their goals, and that no dream is ever out of reach.

My passions in life are my family, writing/literature, and art - and I am so blessed to have each of these things surrounding me every single minute of every single day. Now that I am a regular seller at the farmer's market, I am given the opportunity every week to express my love for each of these things, and show people that the beauty of the written word can indeed be expressed through visual/textural art. By doing this, I have also seen an awakening in the creative spirits of those unknowingly searching for their own realm of creative expression. To witness this is beautiful, and I would not trade these experiences for any other.

So thank you friends, fans, and followers of Scripted Sundries - not only supporting me, but also for allowing me to do what I love. Your never ending encouragement inspires me to do greater things, and I hope that one day the greatness comes back around to you!