 It's December...well almost! And theHoliday Store is here!!! Aside from drilling a hole in my finger last week and spending 5 hours in the ER (a freak accident that could have been waaay worse) doing things a bit different for this year's Holiday Store has been loads of fun! If you follow me on social media, you know this fall's infatuation with keys and my obsession with globes over the last 12 months (via the Wearing Love music video) has birthed a whole new passtime! I knew this year, since I wasn't releasing any new music, that I wanted to offer a different side of my creativity - handmade instruments! More below!
  Shaking things up! This year in addition to music and and apparel on my store, I'm sharing very personal, very musical artwork :)
Each globe paper mache shaker set is one of a kind. The larger shaker is lower pitched. The smaller one i higher pitched. My personal favorite is the "rose gold" shaker set with real decopauged rose leaves and gold paint. Listen here!
The chimes are also one of a kind and made start to finish by yours truly :) ...from each drilled hole, to the paint, varnish, looped beads, and threaded keys.
Each chime is made from recycled wood, keys, knobs, and beads. Listen here! I will be adding new shaker sets and chimes every few days :) Visit the store
Aaaand if you're not a percussive person, Vinyl, Hoodies, Tees, Tanks, and a bunch of clearance items are always available on the store! All music (Vinyl/CDs) and "You Are Not Your Fear" tops are 20% off with code GIVEJOY :)
 Final Shows of the Year
Last two local-ish shows of the year, my friends! Get those tickets!
DEC 9: NEWTOWN, PA - Newtown Theater Charity Event*[Tickets}[Share on Facebook]
DEC 14: PHILLY - HighPoint Performance Cafe* - [Tickets]
 "So, how was your day?"
And how was your year?
...a reflection.
A November reflection and a sweet moment from last week's Paint on the Porch with the neighborhood girls...
We've moved inside because it's just too cold to be out on the porch. It was our first time gathering in my kitchen... making construction paper turkeys to celebrate Thanksgiving. The vibe was noticeably different. The girls roamed around my house curiously picking up things asking "what's this? what's this? Can we see your room?" Picking up my ukulele: "Can I play this?"
20 minutes into craft time, Yuri asks: "you got seaweed?" A little confused I said, "yeah girl, I've always got seaweed!". "Can I have some?" she asks. I smile and pull some out of my kitchen cabinet. She then asks, "you got rice? Is it hard to make rice?"
Me: yeah girl, I've always got rice! No it's so easy to make."
Yuri: can we make some?
Me: sure!
I smile cuz now we're in the sweet spot! Cooking for people is one of my favorite things!
As we continue to work on our crafts Yuri keeps asking, "is it done yet? When will it be done? I explain to her that the rice cooker will let us know with a little click sound. When it clicks, a toothy grin creeps up on her face and she asks if she can have some.
Yuri: you got salt?
Me: yeah, but trust me you want soy sauce!
I scoop a few spoons of rice into a small China bowl, mix in a few drops of sesame oil and soy sauce and hand her the bowl. She rips the sheet of seaweed paper in two, spoons rice into it, and wraps it together.
Yuri: "I seen this on Tik-Tok!"
She takes a bite and her face explodes with that smile: "Ooooo this is sooooo good!"
For the next half-hour she and one of the other girls eat seaweed and rice in between cutting and gluing together pieces of construction paper...all while taking pictures of themselves eating on their phones. I can't help but laugh out loud!
About 10 minutes into what I perceive is a whole new experience for them, Yuri holds her makeshift sushi in her hand, looks up and asks, "So how was your day?" Takes a bite. She turns over to one of the other girls at the table: "And how was your day?"
Watching her repeat this process, I immediately recognize that she is simulating family dinner-time. When her cousin walks in late and sits down next to her, Yuri repeats the process. "So how was your day?" Takes another bite.
By this point in the evening, I was experiencing all types of emotions.
One girl arrived late because she was semi grounded for getting into a fight at school a few weeks back. Another girl (her sister) was holding a bag of ice to her face in between gluing construction paper because a boy at her school punched her in the eye (yes, true story). The evening was filled with a few shocking middle school stories, a few moments of defiance, and some language I didn't care for. But...I noticed we had transitioned...from just making crafts on the porch to experiencing "home" together. And the atmosphere was noticeably different - completely transcending the function of just 'doing' things with our hands to 'being' together.
Earlier in the week, I had shed tears over some personal goals and pursuits. That night I was reminded of the mission. My heart was made full and given a bit of fuel to keep dreaming and pushing through.
In this season of Thanksgiving, I am reminded of what's in front of me and the gift it is to "take care". We often skip over giving thanks and jump right into Christmas. Some don't celebrate the holiday - sometimes for religious reasons, sometimes for political reasons. But at the end of the day Thanksgiving is the only major holiday in this country that can't be monetized. In my opinion, it's the only major holiday that begs us to reflect inward and ask what we're really grateful for without the clutter of material affections. That's why it's always been my favorite.
I'm personally grateful for this year...the last 18+ months. It has brought so many twists and turns, but they have led me to this new season of fresh possibilities and reminders of what matters.
I hope you had a beautiful Thanksgiving and I hope you take opportunities over these final weeks of the year to look past the things you can see and the things you can hold and consider the goodness of God in your life. There is always something to be grateful for.
 With love,
Joy |
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