Monday, January 25, 2016

A Mantra for a Michigan Winter Monday


I am ALIVE.
I am LOVED.
I am HERE.
I am CREATING.
That's enough.

For many of us residing in the north, (including this blogger) January is a time to hibernate.  Lower the blinds to close out the grey when the lid moves upon us for days. Put on some music while you meditate or dance.  Light a scented candle. Write in your journal or send a handwritten letter to a relative or friend. Cuddle up with a few pets, drink some mulled-wine, read a good book, enjoy some indoor pastimes!

Always keeping in mind that when the skies clear to blue and shadows appear how giddy you will feel.  Strangers on the street, on elevators, in line at the store will smile and make eye contact! When the high temperature for the day is above 30 and the overnight lows don't dip below 20 ... celebrate!
Winter life in the north forces you to Live in the Moment - as failure to do so could result in great bodily harm. Any day you can go outside without having to take measures to protect yourself against frostbite or slipping - tripping and falling is truly a special occasion!

Taking my own advice I started off the new year by cuddling with the pets ( yes, the Holly Way Pride is up to five feline members now!), drinking wine (sometimes I'm just not patient enough for the mulling process), reading a good mystery novel (okay - when I say I'm going in to read for awhile it usually turns into a nap) and pursuing some of my favorite indoor pastimes!  These include doing anything with FOAM, researching Lansing history on the web while building my Pinterest gallery of Historical Images of Lansing, playing board games with my two boys, eating comfort foods and finding new ways to express myself artistically!!

My latest project is working with high-quality sandstone drink coasters with rubber nonslip backing.  I didn't have to search very far for inspiration.  It was all around me.  In baskets, sleeping on the couch, playing in paper bags, claiming the top of the frig as their princess tower, waking me too early for morning snack...yep...the Holly Way Pride of FIVE!






Bombadil "Zen Master Vanilla Thunder"
Lucky Buckie "The Illusive"
Avalon "Grey Queen Beauty Butt"
Kadashan "Gold Cats are BIG!"
& Goldberry "Little Princess Buffy"

Soon other cat lovers realized how a void was now present in their lives and that they must pay tribute to their feline family members by having their own unique coasters made by Foam Friends! (I am assuming these thoughts were implanted by their cats.  You may think they are just sleeping a lot but in reality they are planning...always planning!)  Supplied with a couple photos of the cats to be depicted along with some details about their unique personalities - the owners of Lilly, Jack, Sadie and Bobalu soon had their very own way to "Have a Drink on their Cats!".

Not a cat fancier - not to worry.  These Coaster Creatures can be custom created to depict whatever or whomever you want... dogs, rats, birds, or even brothers and bosses!!


Hand-Painted 

High-Quality 
Creature Coasters 
by Foam Friends - $10.00 each