In "The Zone"

I just looked at the calendar and realized that I've lost about a week somewhere. Actually, that's not all that unusual when I get sucked into "The Zone". I've been known to lose a whole month, so one week isn't all that bad. The creative Zone is kind of like the Twilight Zone except there's no ominous voice-over in the background. .....unless you count the voice of a lonely husband asking if you're ever coming out of the studio and making wistful references to the days when meals were home cooked and not ordered in. (if there wasn't a phone in the studio with the chinese delivery place on speed dial, we'd both starve)

It happens to me sometimes when I get so into a project that I obsess and can't seem to tear myself away from it. I'm an insomniac and usually I wish that I could get more sleep, but when I'm really into a project, I look forward to sleepless nights because it gives me more time in the studio. Pitiful, huh.

So, Fifi is almost finished and is so enamoured with herself tonight that she let me get away for a couple of hours. Her interior is completed and furnished and when I left her just now, she was preening in the reflection of her lights in the windows. The exterior is done as well and all that's left is the landscaping. I spent a couple of hours today gluing tiny leaves and roses onto trellises for her while the paperclay dries. It'll be ready to paint tomorrow morning and after the paint dries, putting in the fences, grass and accent pieces will be fast and easy. I must admit that she's turned out beautifully and all of Fifi's plans have been perfect for her.

One little bit of stubborn behavior has been with the chairs. I'm happy with the way the tablecloths came out and even the teeny little folded napkins on the tables, but the chair covers have been putting up a fight. Every design I've tried just hasn't come out quite right. So this evening, I lined up all six chairs and pulled out my dremel stylus. Holding it to the seat of one chair, I announced, "Okay, enough is enough. If you don't start cooperating with me, your friend here is going to have more holes than swiss cheese." There was silence from the chairs. I hit the power button on the dremel and cranked it up to 10. Over the whine of the motor, I said, "I'm not kidding. And the dremel is only the start. If things don't start working out better, I'm getting out the jigsaw. I know at least a thousand ways to turn wood into sawdust, so start talking". Amazing how cooperative things can be if you just motivate them properly. I think I have the perfect design idea for the chair covers now. We'll see how it works out in practical application.

I'm not sure what's worse........me threatening little chairs at dremel point or the fact that my husband thinks it's perfectly normal.