Saturday, December 5, 2009

Welcome to Slumpsville...

Population: me.

I've been in a bit of a slump lately. A domestic slump, a parenting slump, a creative slump. (Slump is such a funny word when you write it over and over... slump slump slump!)

Oh yeah. Slumpsville. I'm sure you know it well, my friends.

In Slumpsville, the floors remain unswept for days on end, the kids eat toast for dinner, the television is a constant companion and the 'floordrobe' in the bedroom takes on a life of its own.

In Slumpsville, the view is all mountainous molehills and forests obscured by trees. I always forget to pack my rose-tinted glasses when I go to Slumpsville.

In Slumpsville, even the craft is surly and frayed around the edges...




But that's ok.

Slumpsville is a stop-over, not a destination.

I'm just passing through.

44 comments:

  1. Yep - I visit there sometimes, and almost always have a floordrobe (love that word by the way!). Your thread sketching is brill, and surly - not everything has to be cutesy - you are very clever. Nic xx

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  2. Let us hope that this stop is not too long, My advice and one that works for me is to get absorbed into a book that takes the focus off.

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  3. hope you guys have been well...we're a bit slumpy too, but have had those change of season bugs going 'round.

    it takes courage to let what's going on into your craft/art :) i think your thread sketching is lovely and emotive.

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  4. Shlump, shlump, shlump. Glad to hear you are only having a holiday otherwise your slippers might get down at heels. LOL Cherrie

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  5. Floordrobe is the best word ever! My whole house is one gigantic floordrobe at the moment. I hope you leave slumpsville station soon and that my package helps to cheer you up. Loving that sketch by the way. Love Kate (woops from my other blog) X

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  6. Clearly you have not been looking around Slumpsville, coz the population is far greater than one! I have recently had a trip there myself! Your post made me laugh and cringe, especially about the floordrobe! I so hear you! It is so hard to move forward when you feel so consumed and overwhelmed. Keep going the path to Pumpedville is just ahead!I'm on my way!

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  7. wow, if you can thread sketch like that in a slump then I can't wait to see what comes out when you're all fired up.

    Hang in there Gina, hopefully the slump won't last long. It's an awful place to be but you're right, we've all been there.

    I better hurry up and finish that sparkly star bunting. Hopefully some christmassy sparkle will put some cheer back into things.

    Take care xo

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  8. Oh thankyou .... I am in slumpsville this week and have no idea what my kids got themselves for dinner last night, but to know it is just a stopover is a relief....

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  9. I LOVE the surly crafting!

    I am desperately trying NOT to visit Slumpsville, but it is sucking me in. We have a Maisy DVD running almost constantly at the moment, and are very much employing the "can't be bothered finding a spot for that stuff/opening that box, stick it in the WHATEVER room" method of unpacking.

    Come visit us if you can, we have SPACE!

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  10. I'm a frequenter of Slumpsville, too.... Hope your stay there is short.

    Love the stitchin' you've been doing.....

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  11. I love your thread sketch. Come out and play soon- we miss you! And I eat toast for dinner even when I'm not in slumpsville, it's especially good with scrambled eggs, tomato and avocado.

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  12. I reckon a trip to slumpsville every now and then isn't a bad idea - it makes you more appreciative of the good times.

    I just LOVE your thread sketching!!!!

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  13. Floordrobe seems to be a constant at my house - why do my kids have so many clothes!!! And little bits of paper cut up and stray threads don't hide too well on my un-swept floor - I just pretend it's not there, and look the other way, until my husband cleans them up....

    I do love your stitching. If that's what comes of visiting slumpsville, then it's not at all too terribly bad, after all is it.

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  14. Ahh.... you make me feel better...slumpsville eh? I have been there all this week!!! True I have...I think I am ready for a new destination now...seriously, I'm even beginning to get bored with myself ;) x Tam

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  15. when in slumpsville make a magnificent thread sketch which makes the other occupants of slumpsville feel really slumpish!
    hope you get outta that town pretty quick & YES, my name is Cathie & I have a floordrobe aswell...

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  16. Even in Slumpsville, you can create something beautiful.... hoping you get outta there soon!

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  17. i have been making stuff like crazy, but i understand the cleaning slump. everything is put away and organized, but that's as far as it gets. it took me 20 minutes just to gear up to mop the kitchen floor yesterday. i quit cleaning after that.

    i don't currently have a floordrobe, but my laundry is still sitting in the dryer, and has been for days now. it somehow makes more sense to me to leave it in there, and take stuff out as i need it, than getting it out all at once.

    great sketch by the way. :)

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  18. OK, so I'm pleased Slumpsville is only en route, but you do do great craft while you're passing through. Two more things:

    1. I don't do vertical wardrobe
    2. It's an official planetary alignment issue. Slumpsville’s is as rife as that vile gastro lergy my nephew was sharing around.

    xxx

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  19. not that I want to you go to slumpsville too often, but when you are there you make freakin' great craft!

    btw, floordrobe is a fantastic word and i'm stealing it
    x isis

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  20. Floordrobe? Brilliant word! I live in my floordrobe ;)

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  21. Floordrobe - Fantastic word!!

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  22. Slumpsville, USA. That's where I live right now. Maybe I'll run into you at the coffee shop?

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  23. We all go through slumps, but geez, I don't produce anything as nice as that thread sketch when I'm slumping?!

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  24. At least you have some company in slumpsville as I am there at the moment to. work = meh, home = meh, me = meh and then the looming xmas of meh!

    But your stitching is far from meh!

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  25. Hope your slumps change into Chuckle-lumps, or maybe snickerlumps really soon. Your slumpy dark side IS interesting though.

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  26. I've spent a bit of time slumping lately. Trying to see bright sides and greener grass when I get to the other side.
    Hope you get un-slumped soon,
    Abbe

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  27. honey, thats no good. slumpsville is a tricky place to be. here's hoping you are feeling beter soon...

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  28. Sometimes, I think we all need (not necessarily seek out) a trip to 'slumpsville', just so we cant reflect on what we have managed to achieve. Not the lease of which happens to be some pretty wonderful 'kid wrangling'... Be kind to yourself today. Float about and reflect in slumpsville, then board that train and scoot on outta there bound for craftier, rose tinted rainbow flooded places. Peta

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  29. I'll say it again....Floordrobe is a perfect description, I'm off to drag Tim in to see that I (we) are not the only ones!

    So here's what I do when in a slump.....

    wear shoes so the grime doesn't stick to your feet and occasionally sweep large chunks into the kitchen corner (for vacuuming later....that's what you tell yourself) and remember it's all building up your kids immunity!

    other things to feed your kids: baked beans, frozen peas (mine happily eat them straight from the freezer.....they think they are a treat), tinned tuna, cooked pasta (plain....the more I do to it the less likely they are to eat it anyway), rice balls (cooked rice rolled into balls....it's easier for them to eat and for some reason the fact it is a ball makes them want to eat it)

    lock the tupperware cupboard (gaffa tape works well) to save having EVERYTHING pulled out

    Hope your stay is short & by the way your stitching is mighty fine!

    P.S. I find inviting someone over can help as you then I have to tidy up a bit (although this can substantially add to the floordrobe siuation when I just pile it all in our room at the last minute) and sometimes they bring a cake!

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  30. Oh Gina. Have I told you recently how wonderful you are? You make me laugh and sigh and even ache with shared feeling. And all the while you inspire, impress and even fascinate with your skill and artistry. Thank you. Kx

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  31. wow, if I could whip up cool freestyle stitchwork like that, I'd hang out in slumpsville more often. It's rad, woman! Cleaning sucks anyway. Unless you have people coming over.

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  32. I try to avoid Slumpsville but it seems as if your visit has produced some rather special work. x

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  33. I think that it is that time of year where slumping is kind of easy, there is just so much to do and so little time. I must admit to feeling a little slumpy too. Hope you are unslumped soon - I do love the eye candy though

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  34. Oh Gina your threadsketching is just awesome!! I took a rather long trip to Slumpsville earlier this year and at that stage it seemed like it was going to be a rather extended stay - there's still the odd or day or two when I head back! What really helped me, although it took a lot of effort and willpower at times, was to go for a long walk. I know with two children and feeling blue that it doesn't always feel like you want to but outside and moving can really help. I also did lots of crafting!! Hope you are feeling better soon and don't be too hard on yourself whilst you're there! xxx

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  35. I know it well and pass through it regularly!! I now have very large rose tinted's on with tinsel and fairy lights attached!!

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  36. Fear not - I have a "floordrobe" too, though I had never come across that good term for it before! Genius!

    And that portrait is grand!

    Hope things are looking up before too long. : )

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  37. "I've been to slumpsville but I've never been to me"... come on sing it with me!! I'm sure you'll escape soon, no one ever stays in slumpsville forever. xx

    PS: I actually luv the surley and frayed! Geez... you call that a slump?

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  38. Right there with you, G. Hoping for sunnier days ahead... Or at least a pair of rose tinted glasses to help along the way. xx

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  39. As my 'floordrobe' gets bigger and starts to make me feel surly and frayed I am promise I will always remember your word and it will cheer me up. Very cute!
    Glad it is just a stop-over
    Chele x

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  40. You don't know me, but we live in the same town! ;-)
    My floordrobe is on the list to be demolished today. You gave me a small nudge in its direction, or it might never have happened. Thanks neighbour...

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  41. The artwork of the grumpy face, by the way, is amazingly beautiful!! Love it love it love it.

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  42. Your thread sketching is so amazing. You are such a talent!

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  43. floordrobe? did you make that up? that is my new favorite word. i hope to use it at lest ten times this week. in fact, do you mind if i insert it, after-edit style in a recent post of my own about such things?
    just found your blog, love your spit and vinegar. i'll be bookmarking you, so's you know.
    here's to climbing back out of deep muddy holes!

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“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
~Albert Einstein