You know, I think having a Near Death Experience was Good for me, I really do.  I have Enjoyed being in Excellent Health for so long that I was never really that tuned in to my own Mortality and how Fragile Life really is... and to remember to squeeze every ounce of Life out of it every day.  I was instead Living For the Occassional Day of Enjoyment and Fun from my Caregiving Routine... and I realized, that's just not enough.  It's not really Living it's merely Existing... no wonder I ended up with a Health Crisis, that has to be Toxic to the Body and Poisoning to the Soul and Spirit!!!
 
 



The Son had said he would take the G-Force for the Holiday Weekend so that his Dad and I could Celebrate Valentine's Day and The Man's Birthday properly and without an entourage of G-Kids in tow.   The Man is still only up to so much Fun... so we limited his Fun Time to what he felt comfortable with... and when he settled in to Rest at Home, I went to a few of my Favorite Shops at his insistance.  Hey, you don't have to threaten me with a Good Time!  *LOL*  I was awash in Sage and Sepia Splendor at my Friend Shelly's Shops RUST AND ROSES and SIRENS AND SAINTS... indulging in some Great Retail Therapy.  Can you Guess what Wardrobe I Accessorized my Closet with from this Fab Ensemble?   I know... hard... since it's all SO My Style!!!  *Smiles*
 
 


Yes, I would have liked the entire Ensemble, had it all been in my Size... but I was quite Content to get this Gorgeous Upcycled Lace Vest.  Made from an assortment of Vintage Lace that will go with just about anything and everything else in my Wardrobe for a Lovely Layered Look!  And be Light enough for Spring and Summer.  When I get a Waist again, I shall wear it with some of the Collection of OOAK Custom Belts my Friend Angela Created for me that are just hanging around Bohemian Valhalla on the Mannequin Girls, patiently awaiting me to get a Waist again!  *LOL*
 
 



And when I walked into this Showroom I was gobsmacked to discover a Harvest Table laden with Custom Gypsy Buntings in Vintage Sage and Sepia hued Fabrics, Trims, Seam Binding and Lace that had been Created by my Talented Friend Angela!  *Swoon... be still my beating Heart!*  I knew these wouldn't last long... and since I was gonna Create Buntings for my Remodeled Art Studio Cottage anyway... why not Save myself the Time and Work by just purchasing these absolutely Perfect ones Created by my Friend instead?!?  Made Sense to me... *Winks*
 



There were two distinctive Styles and I opted for the more Elaborate ones, of coarse. *Winks*   Even just sitting in their bundles they looked Gorgeous... and strung out across a Room, well, it looks like a Gypsy Party is about to be in progress!  *Smiles*   I am a Huge Fan of Buntings because they make any Room look more Festive and Interesting.
 
 



Not to mention they are a Wonderful way to Salvage every scrap of Divine Fabric that a Fabric Artist might have leftover from other Projects, so that none is wasted.   I'm so Glad my Friend Angela takes the Time to Create those Wonderful Projects that I never seem to have the Time lately to get around to!  She and I are like Twins separated at Birth so just about anything she would Create is SO ME that I couldn't have Created it for myself any better... and she's way more prolific an Artist than I, so she Saves me enormous amounts of Time and Energy!  *Ha ha ha!*
 
 



Sure, I LOVE to Create, I really do... and Angela and I have often Traded our Art... but I must Confess that with all the Drama, Crisis and Infirmity swirling around Bohemian Valhalla and Mi Vida Loca lately, I haven't been in the Studio Creating in a dog's age.   And until I can get my Art Studio Cottage up and running again... and settle into the Creative Process Seriously again when Life settles down... it's a good thing my Artist Friends are still busily Creating the Art that we all Love so that I have the Opportunity to just Purchase what I don't have the Time or am in the Zone yet to Create myself.
 
 


I actually can't wait until I can be sequestered in my Studio once again and lose myself in the Creative Process and Feeding my Soul with my Art... there's nothing quite like it... it's my Drug of Choice, Creating.   I actually Enjoy it more than Shopping!  Did I say that?  Yes, I did... because it's True... when I'm Creating I don't even think about other Vices!  *LOL*  I don't even need Retail Therapy when I'm actively Creating my own Projects... in fact, I rarely even need to leave the house or the Studio when I'm lost in my Creative Haze.  I lose track of Time and place when I'm working on an Artistic Project... and my next Venture will be to begin Creating Clothing and their Accessories. 





I've been meaning to Create Clothing forever and a day, because I hardly ever see anything off the rack that is my Sensibility and Style... and the darn Budget prevents me from procuring the Fab OOAK pieces that other Talented Artists Create, so it just makes Sense to start making my own.   Especially since I'm still a BMW and so there's still that Sizing Issue when I do see Wardrobe I Desire and then get so Disappointed when it's too Small or too snug to be a comfortable fit or even an Option.  I want to Design Wearable Art Clothing and Accessories for the Real Sized Woman... us double digit sized Gals.   And... for the more Mature Gypsy Soul... since not all Funky Fun Wardrobe is that Flattering on a Senior and I don't wanna look like Mutton dressed up as Lamb. *Winks*
 
  


Here's that Bunting festooning the Showroom... sorry it's kinda washed out so you cannot see the Wonderful Details... but it will give you an Idea of how it will probably look festooned over my Creation Station Harvest Table and mismatched Antique Chairs that will be in the Center of the Main Room of my Art Studio Cottage eventually.   I have all of the Elements now... it's just a matter of the G-Kid Force and I getting in there to Deep Clean and Style the place.
 
 



Prince R and Princess T have been chomping at the bit to get in there and do it... but I've procrastinated because I haven't felt well since getting out of the Hospital, so I don't want to have a relapse and am taking it easy for a Time until my Energy levels return more to Normal.   Okay, so my Energy levels have never been AT Normal, since I'm one of the Vintage ADHD Kids, and they're probably at close to Normal now which is why it seems greatly diminished to Yours Truly and I don't Feel like going Full Throttle all the time anymore.  *Bwahahaha!!!*   I didn't realize how much I relied upon my Intense Hyperactivity and OCD to get me thru each day's Workload, until it was sapped by Health Issues!  *Smiles*
 
 



But slowly and surely I'm getting my Blood Sugars to an Acceptable Range... and I see the Doc that will be giving me Specialist Referrals this Tuesday... so I'm Hoping to get this Health Mess sorted out and see if getting off the Insulin Shots is a possibility, since it's just a pain in the arse... um, I mean belly, to have to take them!
 



Not to mention that me and Western Medicine don't mix real well, it's like Oil and Water that combo... so I want to be back on the Holistic Trail and Western Prescription Med-Free again as soon as humanly possible!   I also don't wanna take the suggested Sleep Study, why bother, dying in one's Sleep is the Perfect way to go and the way I always wanted to Go Out.  So I'm totally Cool with that possibility of going Naturally, it doesn't bother me one iota as the way to Transition from Time to Eternity.  I know that most Western Docs totally won't get that Outlook, but they will have to Respect it.  *LOL*
 
 



Seeing a comfy Bed festooned with a sea of Down Custom Pillows... just reaffirms my Preference that if I gotta Go... that would be the way to do it... in my Sleep at Home in the most comfy place in the House!  *LOL*  Sorry, I've always had a Morbid sense of Dark Humor and been Okay with Mortality... I just haven't thought much about my own until now... which is why the Near Death Experience was Good for me in so many ways... so that I can Contemplate a preferable Ending... and what I want to do between now and that Assigned Time?   I realize there is a lot I Want and Need to do... and now I'm getting about the Business of checking it all off the Bucket List, or at least as much of it as I have Time for.   Western Docs are so damn Grim... that's why I don't like going to them... you actually don't even Feel as Sick as they end up telling you that you might be!!!  
 
 



By comparison Eastern and Tribal Docs tell you go Go On And Be Well... and Assist your Body to Heal itself to that End... until your Time is up.   So you have that Feeling of Wellness and Peace that is not such a Head Trip as Dealing with and wrapping your Mind around all kinds of Grim Prognosis and Diagnosis.   My Younger Bro' and Mom were Diagnosed by Western Medical Docs as Terminal Decades ago... they're still here... because they Refused to Receive that Opinion and decided to just Go On And Be Well and Live Life despite Western Medical Opinion.  Because after all, you're not Dead 'til God says so anyway.
 
 



And I'd much rather Dance and be Happy, having even the Illusion of Wellness rather than Resigning myself to Sickness and Grim Medical Opinions that make you Feel Worse.   That's not how I want to Live... Hopefully this Base Doc is Respectful of that Opinion or he probably will never see me again after this first visit.  *LOL*
 
 


Yes, I know, Princess T will be miffed that I didn't 'Score' her one of these oversized Vintage Ballerina Cake Toppers!!!   So it's a good thing I'm going back later this Week for my Girl's Day Out Third Thursday Events so that I can pick it up, huh?  *LOL*   Hey, this Trip was all about ME, what can I say?!?  *Smiles*  It's not often I get to have Hedonistic Indulgences, but I could certainly get used to it!  *Bwahahahaha!!!*
 
 



And why I didn't pick up at least one or two of these Architectural Salvage pieces Aged to Perfection and for only Eight Bucks each, I dunno?
 
 

 
 
I still have loads of Raw Cotton at Home awaiting their Creative Process to be made into Spring Wreaths and Table Centerpieces.   The Bohemian Cat Boys, Miss Priss and Yul keep wanting to Bed Down in the pile of it so I better get busy before it's all flattened into Cat Bedding and melded with Cat Shed!  *LOL*
 
 



And though Today took you thru Sage and Sepia Splendor at both Shops... Tomorrow will take you thru the Colorful Side... because Shelly and Angela have also been busy Creating Bold Colorful Gypsy Splendor as well my Friends... for all the Colorful Gals!   Or the ones like me that like Both a Colorful Existance... along with the Calmness of Organic Sage and Sepia Splendor!  So be sure to come back for Part II!!!




BTW: Angela is going to Design me another Sterling Cuff Bracelet, more Elaborate and for my big Man Wrist Size... can't wait to see it!!!
 
 




And Yes, I did pick up this Adorable Antique Fur Mini Cape with Caramel Hued Satin Interior... it will eventually go on my Miniature Taxidermy Antelope... but for now...
 
 
 
 
Miss Skully is Modeling it!   She looks quite Lovely in it in fact since it fits her so well and goes with her Hat!  *Smiles*
 
 

 
 
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian
 
 
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