Fare Thee Well, My Bright Star

"I felt his heart beating like the heart of a dying bird, shot with someone’s rifle…

"All men have the stars," he answered, "but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems. For my businessman they were wealth. But all the stars are silent. You--you alone--will have the stars as no one else has them--"

“I shall look as if I were suffering. I shall look a little as if I were dying. It is like that. Do not come to see that. It is not worth the trouble…"

He fell as gently as a tree falls. There was not even any sound, because of the sand."
from The Little Prince

This past week my boss and my friend, Dane Hall, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. The world lost someone amazing yesterday. There are people you meet who leave an indelible impression. They are the kind of people who literally light up a room. They possess a positivity and enthusiasm that are infectious in the best way possible. Dane was one of those people. He took time on multiple occasions to not just email me a response to a question, but to call and have an in depth conversation on the phone. He championed me, fought for me and made me feel like I mattered and he did that for every single person on his team. Every one who knew him would tell you the same thing, he was inspirational. We talk a lot about life being short, but it's easy to give that lip service and get caught up in our own day to day bullshit and drama. When something like this happens, it's a wake up call.

What we do really isn't important in the final analysis, how we loved and were loved in return is what matters.

By all accounts, Dane Hall was the wealthiest man I've ever met.

"Fare thee well, my bright star." The Indigo Girls

And on that note, make sure you tell the people whom you love that you love them today. Give them a big hug and remember that this life is, as my mother often says, but a split second in eternity. Cherish it.

When faced with chaos, I find solace in creativity. It is, after all, the opposite of destruction. So here's what the Crafty Bloggers have for your inspiration:

The Artful Crafter
Join Eileen in June’s June “Let Them Eat Cake” creativity challenge and get a free cupcake. Sweet!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
How to make coffin shaped cupcakes inspired by the book Kids' Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse

Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi shares some thoughts on her recent foray into self-publishing.

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter
Tell Dad how much he rocks this Father's Day or on his birthday with this fun and easy to make card from Madge for ILoveToCreate!

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy has listed the first few kits in her jewelry making kit collection, some awesome Raku earrings.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Craftside has a chance to win one of 50 "Bulking Dummies" and a "Lab" book, a new Look, Learn and Create Video with Tracie Lyn Huskamp showing us how to make a Nature Inspired Mixed Media card, some pencil drawing and illuminated art techniques and an interview with Nancy Langdon.

Cathie Filian
You can dye stripes and it is easy! Cathie shows you how.

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi takes a Twilight cotton bag up a notch!

Aileen's Musings
Need a new recipe for all the zucchini your growing? Download Aileen's printable recipe card, and baking some yummy Zucchini Cheddar Cheese Bread!

About Family Crafts
Be prepared for the next time you hear "I'm bored" from your kids... Bookmark this collection of fast and simple 10-minute crafts for kids!