Bliss Monkey Studio

Hi Everyone!!!!! Guess what? We have a new president. One who's values seem more like mine than any president I've known. One who I am excited about! One who cares about the environment, and the people of this planet- all of them. One who came to my town here, and ate at our local icecream shop with his wife. He rocks.

Before any work got done around here today, I had to gather with friend to watch the inauguration. Wow, can that man give a great speech?! What a job he has, with the whole world watching us so closely right now too. I'm glad he's gathering brilliance around him.

What have you been up to? Me? I'm still taking it slow in the new year, business wise. The christmas season seems like forever ago, yet it was a mere few weeks and I'm still recovering and tidying up. I'm sewing every day, enjoying new custom orders, and working on my secret hush hush plans for the new year.

I have come out with several new wrist warmer designs this month, like this "Bird on Bird" set, and the popular "Coffee Time". Both currently available in my shop .

Enjoying an Oregon sunny moment, modeling "Migration", a new coffee cozy design. I am migrating as well, towards more artsy, painterly designs this year. I should say "stitcherly" rather than painterly. That's not to say I won't be making my silly and cute designs as well. But be on the look out for more Art. (She says only a little tongue in cheek).

Yesterday, our whole family joined the massive Martin Luther King Jr day march. I really wanted my kids to be part of the scene this year, of all years. it was a positive experience over all.

I have to say that I was disappointed by the quality and choices the speakers made at the end of the march. I wanted my boys to hear a rousing, "YES we can!" sort of speech. There was some overly intellectual speeches, some "this is what the media wrongly portrayed MLK as" sort of speeches, and honestly some bad music, and non-meaningful entertainment. I wanted to get into talking about the MLK peace movement, the human rights activist that he was, and the new day dawning with our first African American president. Most speakers just didn't have the right feel and angle.

Next year, I want to use our day off to do some peace work, or volunteer work together as a family, instead of sitting around talking about what was. Let's act. Not that we wait till next year to do something! We volunteer regularly and attend other events. But on the special MLK day, let's celebrate by making a difference.