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tillievuksich

My Top 10 Moments of 2015

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The year is coming to an end and I think it’s a great time to start a “Top 10 moments of 2015 countdown” blog posting.

This list is a personal one. It’s specific to my heart and the best moments in my year. It’s hard to choose from all the great times I’ve had, but that’s a nice problem to have, right?!

Without further ado, here’s my #1:

May 24th, 2015 was a stellar day because not only was it my 37th birthday party, but it was a house-painting party and my wonderful friends and family showed up to lend a hand. It transformed our home from yikes to YES!

 

I’m not going to even mention how long it was in this state, but I will say that every time I drove up to our house I would grit my teeth and shake my head, wishing I could get it at least painted one complete color(and not purple, even though it’s one of my favorite colors).

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I never thought so many of our family and friends would be willing to come over and paint with us on a holiday weekend with a chance of rain, but it didn’t rain and everyone showed up with their painting clothes on. It was so amazing! The party started at 12pm and by 8pm the house was completely painted, even down to the trim. I am forever thankful for their time and effort. It’s made a huge difference in my life to come home and smile, not just because it looks SO much better, but because of the love that went into each paint stroke. This will forever be one of my favorite moments in my life. We laughed and talked and listened to the boom-box and warmed up by the fire-pit during breaks. Good times!!!

What’s your “Top 10 Moments of 2015” list?  It may sound easy to narrow it down to 10, but trust me, it’s not!

tillievuksich

Only 2 Days Left!

We are down to the last two days for our eBay auction for Yarnbombg for Lunches. If you want to score some great deals on yarn or handmade artful blankets, then go see our listings before it’s too late! There is also a super adorable cat hat and baby items. All made with love for a good cause!

Click here to see auction—>tillies_frillies

Our goal is to raise $1,000 this year. We’ve already raised over $400! So we are almost halfway there.

All the proceeds will go the Eatonville School District to pay off students’ negative lunch accounts. We are putting a stop to the practice of taking food away form kids and trashing it over insufficient funds, and we’re improving communication between school and home. So far it’s working great! Last year we raised $400 to donate and now the school district has updated their policy on taking lunches and they have implemented robo-calls to alert parents of lunch balances that are low. We are still working with the district to allow online payments so parents can quickly and easily refill lunch accounts so students won’t have to go hungry.

If you are looking to support a good cause, then look no further! Not only will you be helping the kids in our small community of Eatonville, but you are helping shape school policy that will encourage all schools, nation-wide, to adopt a better system that works for students and parents. We CAN be the change we want to see in the world.

Here’s a peak at some of the adorable goodies you can find in our auction:

(I mean, how stinking cute is that sweet baby and kitty, right?! They make me smile!)

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you shop and share our auction. But most of all, I hope you have a fabulous day full wonderful surprises. If it’s not, then I hope you make someone else’s day fabulous and full of wonderful surprises, after all, that feels just as good and brings you the same amount of joy.

Namaste~

tillievuksich

Making It Happen

I’ve been taking names and kicking butt-well, more like making lists and getting it done!

Look at this adorable dog, Rebel, modeling one of my newest carriers:IMG_1018.JPG

Cute, right?! Even cuter in person. So, three carriers are up for sale in my shop and I have some sewing to do today for a few more that will be more masculine styled for the men with big hearts and small dogs.

I’ve also been writing more articles and interviewing more interesting folks. This weekend I was at Stringtown Cellars and Lavender Farm talking with winemaker John Adams. He will be my next feature story for Ruralite Magazine. He served up a nice winetasting along with some yummy locally-made cheese. Needless to say, I got a great article in the works and some wine for our Thanksgiving meal. Hurrah!

Things at home are getting better…relationships are not always easy and do take work. But it’s worth it in the end. My issues ranged from a lack of communication to not feeling loved by my hubby and teenage daughter. It’s hard for me to speak up about my needs and to tell my truth, I always worry about how it will effect the other person while neglecting the fact that I matter too. So I pushed myself out of my comfort-zone and did just that. It was hard. It felt like everything was going to fall apart and it was all my fault, but you know what, it didn’t. It actually helped. I know that saying “it all works out in the end” is such a cliché`, but it is really true. Fear of the unknown can hold us back from changing what we know-even if what we know is what we don’t like.

So yeah, I’m making it happen. Hope you are too!

~Tillie

 

 

 

 

tillievuksich

Busy! It’s the four-letter word that describes my life right now.

Man-oh-man, have I been busy! It’s one thing after another. Relationship difficulties, dog having puppies, children in a car accident(but thankfully walk away unharmed), sketchy neighbors, and more money going out than coming in…BUT, I have a roof over my head, good food in my belly, love of family and friends, and a smile on my face. So life is good even if I could write several novels about all the drama and feelings I’ve been through this last month. I can’t complain; I have my health which is better than money in the bank as far as I’m concerned!

Today I’m going to be thankful and focus on the positive in my life. Maybe by amplifying my focus on the good it will promote the great. I’ll let you know how that works out.

tillievuksich

Ta-Da! Behold: the coolest chair you ever did see.

We did it! We finished yarnbombing the chair at the WA State Fair and, oh my, is it awesome!

ybchair ybchair2 ybchair3

The card has the artist’s signatures. I’m in the process of negotiating the sale of this fiber art with the fair. They buy a piece of art every year for their private collection. It would be amazing if they did purchase it, because the money would go to student’s negative lunch accounts in the Eatonville School District. The group I am a part of is called Yarnbombing For Lunches and last year we raised $400 with our fiber art to donate to the school on behalf of students with negative lunch account balances. This year our goal is $1,000 and this sale could get us a step closer to it. We’ll hold an online auction starting December 3rd…I’ll keep you posted on the details in case you would like to help us and also score some unique usable fiber art!

One last thing, I met a really cool kid as I was packing up my demo. His name’s Will and he sat down to wait for his Mom who was looking at all the home arts. He said he liked the chair and asked what it was and who made it. He asked if I ever yarnbombed a person and I told him “No, but a famous Polish fiber artist has, Agata Olek. I don’t think it’s been done in the states. Do you want to be the first?” to which he responded “Yes!  And I’ll wear to a sporting event and get on the Jumbo-tron.” Will’s Mom came over and said her son was serious and gave me their contact info so we can get started. I’m excited to have a life-size model to yarnbomb!

Thank you to the WA State Fair for having me out to demo my art and to all the amazing people I met along the way! We’ll be in touch.

tillievuksich

Yarnbombing At The Fair

Last Saturday was my first ever Fair demonstration and it was AWESOME! I had a great turn-out of people who came by my yarnbombing demo to knit and crochet with me.

 

fair demo It was so much fun! There were people from all walks of life joining in to yarnbomb a chair. I love the collaborative nature of fiber art!! It truly brings people together.

The chair will be complete at my next demo, this coming Saturday from 4-8pm upstairs on the South Stage in the Home Arts pavilion. Stop by if you can and add a stich to the project. I’ll have needles and hooks and yarn, so bring your imagination and nimble fingers! I can even teach those who don’t know a knit from a purl how it’s done.

fair demo2 Thanks to everyone who showed up last weekend! I was blown away by your talents and had the best time getting to know you all, my fellow fiber artists. It’s a wonderful community to be a part of. I look forward to this coming Saturday. Hope to see you there!!

tillievuksich

See You At The Fair!

I have some great news! I have been asked to be a knitting demonstrator at the WA State Fair. I will be given a little stage, microphone and six hours over two Saturdays to spread my love of fiber art. I’m thrilled!! Can.Not.Wait!

I’m focusing my demo on Yarnbombing. So it will be eye-catching, whimsical, and totally bad-ass! I’ve taught small groups and individuals to knit and crochet, but nothing on this scale-I’m excited to try it.

The Fair will print out as many handouts as I request. I will put together a pamphlet that showcases local and online businesses that support fiber arts, as well as educate people on current fiber artists that are blurring the lines of craft and art.

In our current technological age, where everything moves so fast, it’s awesome to re-introduce the art of knitting and crochet. Slowing down and focusing our energies on a tangible piece of art is where it’s at. This ain’t your Grandmama’s knitting! The only doilies we’re making now are with rope or cut-up sheets and it creates a rug or large wall-hanging.

I also plan to do a giveaway each time I do a demo. It will be a knitting bag filled yarn, needles, notions and info. Possibly chocolate and lotion! You’ll just have to come see me at the Fair to find out.

Check out this amazing crochet art from Katika:https://www.facebook.com/Katikacrochetart

Here is a Yarnbomber from New York who is doing amazing instillations:https://thewillowwanderer.wordpress.com/

tillievuksich

Summer Concerts Are A Must

I had the good fortune of seeing two amazing concerts in one week: Slightly Stoopid at Marymoor Park and Taylor Swift at Centurylink Field.

Not only were both music concerts totally amazing, but I was able to enjoy them with people I love beyond words.

My first summer concert was August 6th at Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA to see Slightly Stoopid, along with Dirty Heads and Stick Figure, with my sister, Maddie, and our mama, Carol. It was a perfect NW night for an outdoor concert. The park location made it feel like a backyard family gathering in a way; very intimate. We walked around and chatted. The venue holds up to 5,000 people. It was an all-ages show, and no joke, there were babies to grandparents in attendance-again, giving it a family reunion feel. I had never heard of the band before, but my sister has been a fan for a while and has seen their concerts before. I’m so glad she shared them with me because I really enjoyed their laid-back reggae/hip-hop/rock style.

Mom, me, and Maddie at Slightly Stoopid with Dirty Heads and Stick Figure.
Mom, me, and Maddie at Slightly Stoopid with Dirty Heads and Stick Figure.
Slightly Stoopid at Marymoor Park in Redomnd, WA. "Everything is Awesome" tour.
Slightly Stoopid at Marymoor Park in Redomnd, WA. “Everything is Awesome” tour.
Dancing and grooving with my mama!
Dancing and grooving with my mama!

It’s their “Everything is Awesome” summer tour of 2015, traveling and performing in over 40 cities. Slightly Stoopid just released their newest album, “Meanwhile…Back at the Lab,” on June 30th, 2015. The band took the stage and rocked the park, accepting a fat blunt from a fan and smoking it while keeping the crowd swaying on their feet to their contagious feel-good vibe. At one point some jackass climbed onstage and jumped into to the crowd hurting a woman. The band stopped playing while seeing to it that the woman was taken care of, all the while calling out said jackass for his foolish behavior. Once the man was removed from the park, the show went on under the stars of the PNW.

Stick Figure and Dirty Heads are two other SoCal bands on tour with Slightly Stoopid. The whole concert was fabulous and I look forward to seeing them live again one day.

Fast-forward two days, on August 8th I took my three daughters to see Taylor Swift at Centurylink Field (where the Seattle Seahawks play). The tickets were a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law, Noelle, and her hubby, Aksel. We had been counting down the days and were not disappointed! We’ve been T-Swizzle fans since the release of her first album back in 2009.

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Me, Birdie, Emma, and Faith at the Taylor Swift concert. We had seats at the very top of the very back of the stadium.
Me, Birdie, Emma, and Faith at the Taylor Swift concert. We had seats at the very top of the very back of the stadium.

It was HUGE! I mean, seriously huge, like 60,000 people in one stadium. It was a trek to our seats-I got my exercise that night. Taylor had a cool wristband lightshow that changed colors with the songs. She sang old and new songs. We could only see her on the Jumbo-Tron screens, but it looked like we were watching the making of a music video with costume changes, back-up dancers, props and lights. It was a totally different concert experience than Slightly Stoopid at Marymoor Park. Both concerts were amazing and brought people together to feel joy and a collective appreciation for the musical talent of the recording artist.

If you haven’t been to a concert in a while, then I say it’s time to buy your ticket and show up. You won’t regret it and if you take people you love then it’s not time wasted even if it’s not the greatest concert. Whatever genre of music you crave, whether it’s classical or butt-rock, they are performing live and need people to play to. So go and enjoy the magic of live music. Then buy the CD so you can relive it over and over again.

tillievuksich

Volunteer. It’s Good For You!

Being a stay-at-home-mama has been a great occupation with many rewards, however, the hours are long and contact with the outside world is slim. Some Moms plan a Lady’s Night or Girl’s Getaway, but I’m so nerdy cool that I have my “me time” while I volunteer at places that feed my inner child;Tacoma Art Museum (TAM) and the school district my kids attend.

It’s actually quite selfish on my part. I only give my time to places I think are worthy of my support and I truly get more out of it than they do.

Volunteering gives me the opportunity to get out of my bubble of domestic-bliss and gain work experience while making friends and being a part of something I’m passionate about.

I help with school tours at TAM. It’s really special to me. I get to play host (“Welcome to my museum!”) and I have the honor of being the one to show kids that art isn’t boring. I don’t know much about art concepts or technique(I’m still learning), but what I do know is how to be with kids and share my love of art. So far, it’s worked pretty great.

My son, Rubin, posing with Leroy.
My son, Rubin, posing with Leroy.
TAM selfie. I really enjoy my time there and the people, and of course being surrounded by art!
TAM selfie. I really enjoy my time there and the people, and of course being surrounded by art!
Tacoma Art Museum treats their volunteers to a special volunteer appreciation dinner every year. It's amazing! I took my Mom last year and my friend, Michelle, this year.
Tacoma Art Museum treats their volunteers to a special Volunteer Appreciation Dinner every year. It’s amazing! I took my Mom last year and my friend, Michelle, this year.
I have had Kindergarten groups all the way up to this awesome high school group. Every school group is fun and brings their youthful energy to the museum.
I have had Kindergarten groups all the way up to this awesome high school group. Every school group is fun and brings their youthful energy to the museum.

I can’t stress it enough: get out there and volunteer your time in a field you are passionate about! Whatever it is that tickles your fancy, I can guarantee you they are looking for people to volunteer.

Being a volunteer doesn’t mean you have to commit to a 40-hour week. You get to choose the hours and time that works best for your schedule, but I can tell you that even though there is no money exchanged for your service, you will feel richer for the time you spend supporting a cause or business you believe in.

Don’t worry if you find that the people suck or the work you volunteer doing isn’t something you look forward to doing, you can quit and look for another place to donate your time and efforts to. There is no shame in trying it out and changing your mind. I have volunteered in several places only to find that I can’t handle the personalities or that the work I do doesn’t line up with who I am as a person. I felt like a shit for quitting, but you know what, if I had stayed with it I would have been one of those bitter old ladies who thinks herself a martyr, who hates every minute of it, and then I would have never stumbled upon true “volunteer heaven”, where I absolutely adore everyone I work with and where every time I volunteer it’s fun and rewarding.