Windows in Full Bloom & Close Encounters of the Awkward Kind

...Uh, I just realized the coffee I spilled this morning has made my cleavage sticky.  Yeah, I spilled a bit of cold coffee (not hot, otherwise I'd be complaining more) this afternoon and I thought for sure it missed that area!  YES.  Hello!  My mind is dizzy full of exhausted creativity.  The above images are the latest window displays I did for Dala.  Worked so hard on 'em today that I forgot to eat!  So now all I can imagine is food.  For some reason I want the biggest, juiciest, fattest hamburger EVER. 

Today, I'm still feeling a bit self conscious (yes, once again, silly Val) from yesterday when my old pal Dale Newby and his girlfriend stopped in.  It was a slow day and I hadn't anyone to talk to until they arrived.  Last time I saw Dale he was just leaving a movie theatre and my cab had just arrived and so there was no time to play catch up.  That was several years ago.  Skip ahead four years later and my mouth can't stay closed.  I think I was trying to hug him with my words, but it felt more like I was strangling him!  My excitement must have been touching, but Dale and his girlfriend are much more quiet, subdued, thoughtful types who were much too polite to tell me to back off!  Otherwise perhaps there might have been an exchange of phone numbers and email addresses.  In fact, when I asked Dale if he were online at all, he gave me his best Acting 101 pose of "I'm not at liberty to discuss this matter however much I'd love to" -- basically the classic textbook pose of arms crossed tightly over his chest, head tilted to one side, legs straightened into a formal stand as opposed to the one he had moments earlier; "the average guy engaging in small talk" informal lean in towards me when I said things he was interested in. 

Am I just too aware of other people's silent signals or am I paranoid?  I had the distinct feeling I was suddenly invading their privacy and, as they left, I almost broke down in tears.  The sudden joy of seeing them and then the inevitable sink of their tightened posture departure made me feel a little bit like one of those dogs that, after being chained up in the backyard for too long is let out but gets so excited to be part of people's lives, it jumps and barks too much which only results in the dog getting put back into its kennel...  'cept I'm not a dog, just a lonely woman who felt like she talked too much, jumped up on my old friends a bit too hard, and despite good intentions, I think I sabotaged any chances to hang out with anyone in this town.

I have a lot of love to give, but it just seems like some people are too busy with their lives to count me as yet another pal to waste time with.  I feel guilty for being friendly.  Like I was too friendly.

But I have such wonderful things to share, dammitt!!!!!  Like these window displays.  Yet another way for me to reach out -- a sort of spider's web of color and gifts to attract the eye of the consumer -- hope my efforts reap great rewards.  And I hope you like them, too.

Right now I'm smiling like the Buddah in the last photo.  Just laughing away at nothing!