Roses

In The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron suggests that creative types schedule "Artist's Dates" with themselves--taking themselves out to the art supply store or dimestore with five or ten dollars and buying crayons or stickers or toys, or going to the museum or the park, or basically anything that can spark creativity.

It was a gloomy, rainy weekend, and I ended up having an artist's date on Sunday without really intending to. It was only later, when I was telling a friend about my day, that I realized what it was.

In the middle of the afternoon on Sunday I went out and headed to JoAnn to pick up a copy of Somerset Studio Magazine. They didn't have the issue I wanted (the previous issue; I ended up ordering it from them), but I got the most recent one, then I wandered around in the half-price Valentine stuff aisle and got a couple of packages of stickers and a tiny heard-shaped notepad. Then I went back in the back of the store to pick up some red soap dye, and ended up spending an inordinate amount of time in the scrapbooking section.

I don't do scrapbooking, but they have some terrific supplies. I admit to being tempted by it, but lately I've much preferred working digitally, and anyway, I don't need another hobby. So I've mostly resisted, but I couldn't help buying a package of little ceramic tags with numbers on them that I'm going to make more stitch markers with, some little self-adhesive crocheted daisies, and a couple of little pewter charms (all on clearance).

Not counting the magazine, I ended up spending about ten dollars, and got so much fun stuff!

Bob had gone out earlier in the day, and came home with a dozen red roses and a couple of Yankee candles for me for Valentine's Day. I put them in the bathroom so I could enjoy them every morning, and also because it felt a little safer there, since Dinah can't resist fresh flowers.

I think she approves.