Magnificent Monday VLOG #3! and GIVE AWAY!!!

Hey Friends!!! Time for our weekly vlog!

Before we begin, I actually have a couple corrections to announce . . . because my brain, quite frankly, has no idea what day today is!  I actually begin the vlog by saying it is Vlog #4 . . . when it really is Vlog #3! AND, at the end of the Vlog, I state that I will be back next week with Vlog #5 . . . when I'll really be back with Vlog #4! (Remember when I told you once that I was really bad with numbers? Here is proof that I was telling you the truth!)

So, let our Magnificent Monday begin . . .

Now, it's time to enter the GIVE AWAY!!!

What am I giving away? Well . . . if you watched today's Vlog, you already know! But  . . . . in case you didn't see it, I'll share it with you. Leave a comment and you will be eligible to win this ORIGINAL Annalee Canvas piece:

This piece is one of my very first Annalee sketches, and has great sentimental value to me

as it was a bit of a personal mantra to myself.

Listen, "One Day" is TODAY

is to remind us all that there is no better time than to present to go after our dreams.

And there is no better time than the present to pass this on to one of YOU!

So, leave a comment on this post, and YOU will be entered to win!

(I'm going to add some other goodies to the box, too! So spread the word, will you?)

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO, is leave a comment on this post!!!

Blog about it, write it on your facebook wall, tweet your friends and send them here!

The winner will be announced NEXT MONDAY, 11/7/2011, during

Magnificent Monday Vlog #4!!!

Wishing you a Wonderful Day!

56 Days Away!

I woke up today . . . feeling like Christmas.

I know. I know. It's way too early . . . it's not even November yet, right? Let us enjoy a little bit of this Fall before we jump into something else, don't you think?

But I couldn't help it.

My friend Leslie has been playing Christmas music all week, and telling us about it on her Facebook page. My sister sent an email that she was in the Christmas spirit, too. It's gonna happen, you know. Why put off to tomorrow, what you can feel today, right?

If you have been around here any time at all, you know that I love Christmas. I mean, who doesn't? Ok . . . I am sure there are plenty who don't like the commercialization of it, and think it's gotten way out of hand over the years. But, my friends . . .  I love the true meaning of it. The celebration of the birth of Jesus, the son of God. The giving to others and doing kind things for others. The singing of Christmas Carols and the making of hot chocolate. The snuggling while watching Polar Express. The smell of freshly baked Christmas cookies from the kitchen. The sparkling reflection of light as it hits just fallen snow. I love everything about the season.

And I'm ready for it.

It's funny, isn't it . . . how earlier this week I was in need of a vacation by the pool and beach, feeling the hot sun on my face. And today, I'm looking for my Peter, Paul and Mary Holiday CD and can't wait to wear my crazy Christmas socks. Yes, I'm in the mood.

Sorry.

You have . . . a total of 56 days, 10 hours, and 12 minutes left to put up with me.

Hope you can handle it.

;)

p.s. I went to the post office today to send out some more orders from my Etsy shop. I have had 9 orders this week, and a total of 20 items have sold! (YIPPIE!) I send each item with a cute little "Annalee" mailing label, and the lady working at the post office just went CRAZY for it! She said it was honestly the most adorable mailing label she has ever seen (and she assured me that, in her position, she comes across thousands of mailing labels.) She was so interested in what I was doing, and made me promise to bring her in some samples of my cards and stuff when I'm there next week (yes, crazy me . . . I didn't have a SINGLE business card with me! Another lesson learned . . . NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT your business cards! You never know WHERE or WHEN you might find a new customer!) I left feeling SO excited about what I am doing with this new business. It's a pretty wonderful feeling. If you have no idea what I am talking about, click here to find out!

And remember, Christmas is ONLY 56 days away!!! I have some great little gift for many on your Christmas gift list. Oh, I think the Annalee Note Cards make a LOVELY gift. Too much? How about a bookmark? They really are a lovely quality . . .

Thanks, dear friends, for being here.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Vacation, anyone?

I don't know where the days are going. Or the hours, for that matter. It feels like fast motion, again. Seems to happen every fall. So many things I want to accomplish by the end of the year, and the clock is ticking. So many things happening each and every day. Life is definitely good, but it's going by so fast. And some days, I need it to slow down.

PG has been home this week, which has been such a bonus. I have gotten so used to him being out of town, that I forgot how good it feels to have him home. After a pretty hectic weekend of parties and visits with family, we had a few hours Monday afternoon of just our family (PG, Me, Katie and Ella), and those few hours did a world of good for my soul.

Monday afternoon, I found myself in our car with my husband and my daughters . . . and realized that there was no place else on this earth where I would have rather been at that very minute. And how there are no other people on this earth who I would have rather been with.

I love this family of mine.

I love the unit that we make up. I love the group that we are.

The family that we are when we are together.

I love it when we are happy, or cranky.

When we are patient and calm, or when we are rushing like crazy.

I just love us being us.

And I love when we are exploring someplace new . . . together.

Even if it's just driving down a street in our town where we have never driven before.

I love being together.

I told PG that I need a vacation. I always feel this way in the fall. And even though we have been all over the country this year, I want to go away again. I feel the need to sit on a beach (or near a pool) and listen to the laughs and shrieks of my daughters as they play in the water. I long to feel the hot sun on my face, as I close my eyes and drift off to that quiet poolside slumber that only a pina colada can bring to me. The thought of seeing this . . . 

Oh, how lovely. Just to soak in this,

for a little while. . . .

Maybe have a sip (or two) of this . . .  

Ah . . .

It would be so nice, wouldn't it?

PG is pretty spontaneous. If I said "ok", he'd have us booked on the next flight out of here, ready to explore a new place. The four of us. Together.

Maybe one of these days . . . soon . . . I might just have to let him do that.

Any place you are dreaming of lately? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Magnificent Monday VLOG #2!

Happy Monday, friends!
Time for another VLOG . . . (can it be? I thought we just did one of these!)

I am OPEN for Business!

(WOO HOO!)

Click the tab "SHOP (GRAND OPENING)" above,

or 

link to my Etsy shop (at right) to see what's happening!

Getting Ready!!!

Like this one little leaf on the branch,

getting ready to let go,

getting ready for the wind to pick it up

and take it on an amazing adventure . . .

I am getting ready, friends!

And it is SO exciting.

Wishing you Peace.

Mid-Week Inspiration!

What are you shooting for today?

Wishing you Peace,
my friends.

* * *

p.s. Did you see my VLOG on Monday?
It was SO MUCH FUN!
My mind is already spinning and spinning
with ideas for future VLOGS (poor you!)

Click here to see what I am talking about.

And make sure you start each Monday with a visit right here at
From Chaos Comes Happiness!!!

Yes, friends, you heard right!

 I'm turning it into a REGULAR WEEKLY VLOG post!  

Oh, we're going to have SO much fun . . .
just you and me!
(and a MILLION others!)

Ok, I'm shooting for the moon . . . remember?

So, grab your coffee

and start every week with ME!

Ooooo . . .
I might even have special GUEST STARS from time to time!

TELL YOUR FRIENDS!
Let them know what's happening.
Encourage them to STOP ON BY!

Oooooo . . .

imagine . . .

I could be the NEXT OPRAH!!!

: )

Magnificent Monday VLOG!!!!

Yes . . . I've done it! A VLOG!!!  Sorry . . . it may be a little long. I guess I just had so much to share with you. I hope you enjoy it! I was strongly suggested to start doing them at TCC, so . . . here goes it! Watch the video and take a sneak peek at my new products that will be available on Etsy.

Thanks for joining me here today!

Have a MAGNIFICENT day!

My Daily Journey on a Fall Day

The other day, my friend Touhy told me that she missed my daily journey posts, and it made me smile.  I was surprised that anyone remembered how I used to write about my favorite road. Having her mention to me how she missed my stories made me want to grab my camera and hop in the car.

So, a few days later, I did just that.

My daily journey . . . has turned into my weekly journey, as I don't travel down my favorite road nearly as often as I used to (when I had a job to drive.) But I do find myself taking this road as often as possible. And just as I expected, my favorite road is changing with the seasons. The last time I wrote about this road was back in July (click here to be reminded). It's funny to read that post now. It was actually 10 days before losing my job. In the post I wrote about the need to breathe, and about how badly I needed to slow down. Funny, isn't it? 10 days after that . . . I was able to SLOW DOWN . . . BIG TIME.

Most of the time I find myself on this road now, I am accompanied by the girls. It kind of loses it's tranquility when hearing two kids arguing over who is playing which DS game, or whether they are going to be able to talk Mom into buying Gomu's for them once we get to Target. But last week, I suggested we play "The Quiet Game" just as I turned onto this road. I love "The Quiet Game", when we see who in the car can remain silent the longest. It was a cheap way to gain some serenity, and I'm all for that.

No deer stepped out to greet us this day. No moments of "Aha". Just a road, lined with trees changing colors and leaves falling down. A road, that welcomed me home. And in those few moments, I took a breath, and smiled.

"Mommy, why are you smiling?" asked Ella . . . who couldn't keep quiet (yes, Ella often loses at "The Quiet Game".)

"Because, honey. Mommy loves this road. It makes me happy," I told her.

"Yeah," she said, "I love this road too, Mommy. And I love you."

She loves me.

And in those few seconds, I was once again reminded of how very blessed I am.

Happy Sunday, my friends. I hope you have a wonderful week.

Random Thoughts and Lumpy Farina

I was in a gloomy mood yesterday. Big time gloomy. After what seems like WEEKS of sunshine and glorious weather, it was a cold, damp, rainy day. Not only were we covered with rain drops all day, but I felt like there was a big dark cloud stuck right above my spirit. And it bummed me out . . . BIG time.

By 8:30 PM last evening, I was ready to put it all behind me. After tucking in the girls and changing into my PJ's, and knowing that PG was out of town (and I didn't feel much like doing anything myself), I went straight to bed. I think I was already asleep as my head lowered to the pillow. The next thing I knew, it was 6:00 AM and my alarm clock was going off.

Sleep.

Sometimes our souls just need that.

As I showered and got ready for the day, I decided that I wasn't going to let my poopy spirit come out. No matter what the weather was like today, I was going to make the best of it. So, I headed downstairs with a pep in my step, and a plan in my brain.

Farina.

I will make Farina.

And not just any Farina.

Today called for LUMPY Farina. Which happens to be, if I may be so opinionated, the very best type of Farina out there.

Don't you think?

Lumpy Farina (there are some pretty good lumps in there . . . can you see them?)

While I patiently stood over the hot stove, waiting for the lumps to form, I started to think of Oprah's What I Know for Sure monthly column in her "O" magazine. I don't read "O" very often, but when I do - I always make sure that I read what Oprah "knows for sure".

I thought about what would be on my "What I Know for Sure" list. So, here it is. My random thought this week of "What I know for Sure." Of course, it starts with lumps. Because . . .

• Lumpy Farina is SOOO Good . . . the best way to enjoy farina is to have just the right amount of lumps in the bowl. There is nothing like a warm spoonful on a cold fall day . . . it's pure heaven.
• Pumpkin Candles in the fall  make me happy . . . I don't light candles very often, except in the fall. And my favorite scent is, hands down, pumpkin spice. LOVE the little hint of cinnamon and brown sugar that comes from a pumpkin candle. So good, I could eat it!!!!
• The whole idea that "this too shall pass" . . . even during some pretty stressful times, I find peace in knowing that "this too shall pass". We are strapped on the finance end in our house right now. While we are so blessed that PG has a great job, we still are running a house with 4 people and a variety of expenses that seem to go up and down like the crazy blowing wind in downtown Chicago. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but that might be months down the road. Right now . . . it's a challenge. But, it will pass.
• Patience is a valuable trait . . . and one that I need to work on. I tend to want things to happen "RIGHT NOW" and that isn't always possible. I know I need to work on having more patience right now (especially when it comes to appointments, UPS deliveries, and all of the other things I have no control over.)
• You can't force creativity . . . no way, no how. If it's not there . . . you can't force it. You will not be happy with the outcome and it will take even longer to come back from that. You must nurture the soul when the creative juices are dry. They will return . . . when they are ready.
• Everyday brings a chance to start over . . . my personal favorite, taken from Ms. Oprah herself. Man-oh-man, do I believe this! 

Here is a link to Oprah.com, where you can read 20 of Oprah's Top "What I Know for Sure" lessons. It's worth the read.

I wonder what YOU know for sure. Leave me a message and let me know.

Or write about it on your own blog, and come back and leave us a comment with the link. I'm really into learning from others . . . what can you share that you know for sure?

Nothing Gold Can Stay

I am enjoying every single moment of this fall . . . every single second of every single moment. It's amazing how, without the day to day stress of my job, my eyes are wide open and I am able to take in this life of mine. I am blessed. I know it.

We had such a lovely afternoon yesterday, at a nearby nature preserve. For hours we picnicked, we hiked, we explored, and we absorbed the beauty of our surroundings . . . .

Our dear neighbor and friend, Gabby, joined us for the day. Gabby (who is 11) is so good with both Katie and Ella, and they absolutely idolize her. We've known Gabby since she was 18 months old, and she is like a third daughter to me.

I snapped this next photo of the girls as they ventured around after lunch. I think my heart skipped a beat when I saw how cool this shot came out. Even though they are getting bigger and bigger each and every day, in this great big world, they are so small,  aren't they? They have so much to do and see in their lives. And I am blessed to be a part of it . . . for each of them.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

by Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

Wishing you a wonderful fall day, my friends.

The Love Leaf

Look deep into nature,

and then you will understand everything better.

~Albert Einstein

We had such a beautiful day yesterday. The weather has been so gorgeous . . . almost unbelievable beautiful for this time of year. I hear it is going to be one of our roughest winters. That's ok . . . we love the snow, too.

PG is out of town, and the girls are off from school today (thank you, Mr. Columbus). I think we are going to spend the afternoon having a lovely picnic at a near by nature center. Maybe collect some more leaves.

Wishing you a wonderful day, my friend.

Hmmmmm . . .

My brain is fried. Absolutely fried. Like it's been twisted and turned and every last word has been rung from it. I've got nothing right now. Just me. And my brainless self.

So, I thought I'd show you what I've been doing lately.

Boring, huh?

Sorry.

It's all I've got.

I mentioned my last post (or maybe the post before the last post) that I took over our basement (aka: PG's man cave.) I feel bad about that. I do. But I need a space right now, and this is the only option. I am secretly thrilled to have a place I call my own - a place where I can surround myself in the things I love, and the things that inspire me. And that is just what I am turning this space into.

I bought an AWESOME table at a local resale shop for . . . get this . . . $67 dollars! Seriously!!! $67 dollars. It is HUGE (came with two table leaves) and is the PERFECT workspace for the business. So, this is where I am spending much of my days lately:

 Isn't that the coolest table you've ever seen? Check out those leg! I imagine painting it red or black some day (or maybe red with black distressing) . . . but right now, I have it just as it was. And it is an AWESOME station for me, and the girls, to work on. I LOVE IT!

Here is my wall of inspiration . . . with two of my Kelly Rae Roberts prints, and my presentation board at the TCC Pitch Slams. I love what I wrote on my little character board . . .

"Listen, some people spend their whole life dreaming.
Today, I am making my dreams come true."

My magnets came in. I have ordered about 75 more that will be a slightly different style, but I am really happy with how these came out. They will be available on Etsy . . . as soon as I get it going.

 How is my Etsy Shop, you ask? Well, I'm waiting to copyright my character before I start selling my stuff. She is mine . . . my own design, thoughts, words, all of it. And I want to protect her at all cost. So, as soon as she is protected . . . I'll be OPEN FOR BUSINESS! And my friends, I have lots to sell!

I mean . . . LOTS and LOTS to sell!

Sometimes I feel like I have so much to do. Then I remind myself that I lost my job 12 weeks ago, and really have only been doing this for about 8 weeks. So, for 8 weeks, I'm kind of proud of myself. But, there still is lots to do.

When I get overwhelmed, I find myself reaching for this book lately. Have you seen it around? Or do you own it? It's quite lovely . . . and it inspires me more than anything. The title, alone, brings a calmness to my soul . . . Art Saves.

 I feel that way, you know? I have thrown myself into my art since the big lay-off. I feel a bit of a failure on the professional front since loosing my job, and have found myself questioning what my real purpose is in this life of mine way too many times. But the art . . . it is saving me. It is giving me a purpose. A direction. A dream. A goal. And I need it right now.

Bad.

So, that is an update on me. I'm sorry the creative writing juices have dried a little. I mentioned once before that I am multi-creatively challenged . . . that I really can only handle one creative concept at a time. Right now, I am nurturing my art. But my writing suffers. Hmmmm . . . imagine a world when I can do all and be all.

Hmmmmm . . .

until then. Peace, love and hugs to all of you. How are you?

Visions

I've been thinking so much about the whole idea of having a vision lately. How I can see, somewhere in my mind, what I want to do or the art that I want to make. I somehow know the steps I need to take to get to the finished product, starting with the basics and working up to the vision. And while many might question the choices I make along the way, they are often surprised if they just sit back and wait to the end. Because at the end . . . it all works out.

Visions.

I have a lot of them. I remember moving into our house 10 years ago and having a vision for our living room. I knew the color I wanted the walls to be. I knew the art I wanted on the walls. I knew the furniture I wanted to fill it. I actually went and bought the couch without PG, because I was so certain what I wanted. I remember having to talk myself out of the dog house from that one . . . as I had no idea how upset PG would be with me for buying our first home furniture purchase without him. Ah, but he has forgiven me. ;)

Here is a photo of the living room back in 2007. I tried to find a better picture to share with you, but this one was the best I had. Please forgive the holiday decorations and crock pot on the coffee table (patiently waiting to be picked up by a neighbor.)

As you can see, the room is orange.

Well, I like to call it burnt umber with a touch of salmon.

But my mom . . . she calls it orange. And she hated it the minute I painted it.

But me? I had a vision. It was exactly what I wanted. It's actually pretty cool - a dry brush glaze technique. PG and I did it together, and I remember sitting in this empty room on the wood floor, feeling so proud of our accomplishments. We love that room. And my mom? The minute she walked in, she hated it.

Years later, she will hesitantly admit that it is a very welcoming room and that the color is warm and cozy. But I know it takes a great deal for her to admit that. Yep, I still love that room. And now, 10 years later . . . it desperately needs to be repainted. I'm having a hard time doing it, though. The vision of the new room hasn't hit me yet. So, we wait. Until it does.

Because I am having visions of other things lately . . . so many ideas and thoughts surrounding my art. I find myself falling to sleep with ideas on my mind, and waking up at the same exact place, thinking about the same ideas.

At this point in the process, I am seeing my visions come to life . . . and the results are thrilling.

Looking around online tonight, I found this awesome quote I wanted to share . . .

Life is one big road with lots of signs.

So when you riding through the ruts,

don't complicate your mind.

Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy.

Don't bury your thoughts,

put your vision to reality.

Wake Up and Live!

 - Bob Marley

Visions.

I love them.

Have any visions lately? Leave me a comment and tell me about it. I'd love to know.

Life Changing . . . Colors Changing

Greetings my beloved friends! How do you do?

I can't believe I haven't written to you since Tuesday (tsk, tsk! This will never do.) I think life has been on some sort of fast speed mode, and I haven't even blinked in days. I find that I am now so far into the business planning of "From Chaos Comes Happiness", that I think I'm too far to turn back. Not that I want to turn back . . . no way, no how . . . but it brings a sense of relief to know that I am too far in to turn around. Does that make sense? Like, I've invested too much to walk away. It's kind of as if the fear has gone away, too. And I have to tell you . . . I like that!

I'm creating creating creating . . . and I am so excited about everything that will be available soon. I know I keep talking about the "Etsy Store!" I am sure you are wondering what is taking so long . . . my friends, there is SO MUCH to do to get a store up. Product descriptions need to be written, photos need to be taken, shop policies need to be determined . . . it's crazy. But it's SO AMAZINGLY EXCITING! I want to make sure my shop is professional and as perfect as this novice business owner can make it. So, I'm taking my time making sure I am setting things up right. It WILL BE HERE . . . SOON! (I promise!) In the meantime, I can tell you that I will have magnets, bookmarks, original canvas pieces, greeting cards galore, and prints available. Inventory is arriving daily, and I have turned my basement into my studio (poor PG has lost his man cave!) But it is going to be AH-MAZING!!! Really . . . so, hang in there with me. I promise, it will be worth the wait.

In the middle of all of that, I was able to escape with the family for lots of fun this weekend. We visited with some of our dear relatives that we don't get to see very often, and what a blast we had. This morning, we had breakfast with dear cousins of ours (Tom, Ada and Zola) and after having so much fun at breakfast, we decided to extend our visit to a nearby park.

It was such a beautiful day. But wait! After a FEW HOURS of jungle gymming and swinging, we extended our visit even longer and had lunch together, too. (Yes, I said we met for breakfast . . . and then had lunch, too. When the company is this much fun, why not continue it?) We threatened to follow them home for dinner, but decided to do that another night instead.

But what a beautiful day it was in Chicago today. Stunning. I've been so focused on starting my business, that I completely missed the end of summer and the beginning of fall. When did this happen?  Spending this much needed time outside today found me absolutely mesmerized by the changing leaves. Really . . . so beautiful . . . 

I could have stood under this tree for hours, just looking up.

Wait . . . I think I did.

So now, I have a busy busy week ahead. Time to find an attorney, a CPA, set up my business license, package my greeting cards, and keep on creating.

You know what has been so cool about this adventure of mine? I love how this is spilling over to so many people in my life. One day last week, as PG was heading out the door for work, he called out to me, "Honey, I left a quote on the kitchen table for your work!" And when I went downstairs, I found this . . .

. . . written by Mr. PG, himself. It's so cool, you know? To see how what I am doing is even motivating him. I love it.

I do hope you are all doing well. I hope you have a wonderfully productive and inspiring week and hope you'll come by soon to tell me all about it.

Take care, my dears. I'll update you on life as it happens!

Sending you hugs and Wishing you Peace!