How hard can it be?

I really like a challenge.  Or maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment.  Lately, I see an opportunity like nothing I've ever done before and say "sure, why not?  how hard can it be?"  

for example:

I'm coordinating an art swap group on Flutterbye.  Amy put out a call for martyrs volunteers and I answered. I seriously hope I'm not in over my head.  You all have to go to Flutterbye RIGHT NOW and join the group so that the first swaps will be really successful (and to improve my martyr status).

Everything on Flutterbye is FREE.  It's full of great classes and tutorials and nifty people.  and it costs you nothing.  So go there now and sign up.  http://flutterbye.ning.com/  Scroll down a wee bit the see the groups.  Join the Art Swap group.  I'll be so happy.  Our first swap is postcards.  It'll be fun.

Another ridiculous thing I did:

I signed up for an art swap involving altered stuffed animals.  I kid you not.  This is so not me.  There was no paint or paper involved.  And I don't sew.  But how hard can it be?  It took forever, but it was crazy fun and worth the 5,000,000 pin pricks I suffered.  Hopefully I was able to remove all the blood stains.

I started out with these four beauties from the thrift store.

 I ripped their seams and gutted them.

 I reassembled the pieces into this super mutant.

 below is the rear view of his cape

 and here's a close up of the face only a mother could love.

But wait, I've saved the best for last.

The most ridiculous thing I've done lately happened today, quite spontaneously.  It's school vacation week here in Massachusetts, which means my job shifts into "camp" mode.

One of today's activities was a relay race in which our young participants had to move like animals (rabbit, cat, monkey or snake) down the length of the gym and back.  One team's "snake" balked at the idea of dragging her white t-shirt across the gym floor, so which 44 year old decided to volunteer?  Yup.

I'm really glad there's no photographic evidence of me command-crawling .  We can all just pretend I looked as hot as her:

and if you never hear from me again it's because I was unable to get out of bed tomorrow morning.

But I digress.

I'd like to thank my dad for instilling in me the belief that pretty much anything can be figured out through trial and error (and lots of swearing).  Where I am lacking in his plumbing and electrical skills, I make up for in spirit.  And swearing.  Did I mention the swearing?

Since I don't have a picture of the day we installed my new garbage disposal and broke a piece of PVC pipe with hammer, I will leave you with this much more heartwarming action shot in which we pretend we haven't spent a half hour cursing the #%$& Christmas tree and it's complicated system of "pre-strung" lights.

(thanks, Dad!)

Stay tuned for my next post in which I have my head examined for signing up for FOUR MORE swaps that are due in the next two weeks.
How hard can it be?