About me...

For me, life is not complete if it doesn't involve creativity. However, I don't just dabble. I dive. Most recently, my passion has been knitting. Hats, scarves, mittens, socks, sweaters, shawls, ponchos, tea cozies (ok, just one tea cozy)...I'm into knitting 'em all. Helping to fuel the passion is my part-time job at a yarn shop just minutes from my house. Can we say “employee discount”? Gotta love that, though I'd love the job even without it. It's a great place to work.

Other favored creative endeavors include photography, writing, and spinning (as in yarn, not bicycles) as well as various paper-based crafts, such as scrapbooking.

I live in rural-ish southwestern Pennsylvania with my husband and two youngest kids (whom we homeschool), along with a cat, a dog and a freezer full of formerly living pets that we keep forgetting to bury during the warm weather months. I love fresh flowers but hate to garden. I spend more time outdoors at night than during the day because I'm obsessed with staring at the moon and stars.

I've recently developed an affinity for white merlot, which joins my previously established enjoyment of Yuengling, Jameson Irish whiskey, rum and coke, and Chili's Presidente margaritas (though never all at the same time, thankyouverymuch).

I love to travel. I am in love with Ireland. I live with the sad irony that my husband works for a Japanese company yet I've still never gotten to go to Japan with him. I share my kids' love of Naruto, both the manga and the anime series. I think Hannah Montana, Ned's Declassified and Drake and Josh are some of the funniest shows on TV. I also love Survivor and The Amazing Race. I'm fascinated with Big Love and watch it despite its ability to totally stress me out and make me worry and then I have to remind myself that it is just a TV show. I love to read. I think The Alchemist is one of the most beautiful stories I've ever read.

I love to Google. I'm a trivia addict. Wikipedia is set as my browser home page. I love Dictionary.com. I’m a writer at heart. Words fascinate me. I love thinking of new names for colors, such as "spawning-male-salmon red". I love playing with color and texture in all of my artwork.

I turned forty last year and decided to quit living my life based on rules grounded in good intentions and fear. I'm a recovering conservative. Recently reading Barbara Brown Taylor's Leaving Church has helped save my sanity. I like living life outside of the box. I try to live with intention and integrity. I believe a life without passion and adventure isn't worth living.