Magnificent Monday Vlog #14 - on a Tuesday!

Oh, I'm here! I'm here!!! Yes, I'm late. But, I am here.

So, grab your coffee (or afternoon tea) and comfy chair, and let's catch up.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wishing you a wonderful week, my dears!

Tough Love

So, PG kinda called me on the carpet tonight.

Except, we weren't on the carpet. We were driving in the car to Ella's Kindergarten (gulp) Information Night.

"So, what's going on with your business?" he asked.

Are you kidding? I thought to myself . . .  Now? You're going to ask me about my life right now? Wow. We have about 8 minutes of free car riding time . . . where shall I begin?

"Um . . . I don't know" I answered.

And there you have it.

I don't know.

He drove and talked. I nodded my head. I heard all the words of encouragement coming from him. I understood everything he said.

But the truth is . . . I have no idea what is happening to me.

I have no idea what I am doing with my life.

Really. No idea . . . at all.

So, we attended the meeting. Learned all we needed to learn about helping our youngest as she begins this new chapter in her life. And then, we returned to the car to talk more about this most recent chapter of my life.

I wish I was starting Kindergarten in the fall.

"What do you do during your day?" he asked.

"Well . . . I don't know," I told him. "I take care of the girls. They are my priority."

"Yes, and they are wonderful," he added, "but . . . don't you think it's time you take on something else? They're doing just fine. Now, what about you?"

Shit. Really. Sorry for the profanity. I just had to get that out.

What about me?

I have no idea.

Artwork by . . . me

For the record . . . I have no problem following my heart. However, my heart has no idea which way to go. And that is a problem.

Ever feel this way? Leave me a comment. I'd love to know.

Surround me with my Art . . . and my iPad.

"When I die," I told Phil this evening, as I sat on couch taking deep long breaths of air in and out, "make sure you surround me with my art, and the iPad. You have to bury me with the iPad."

"You know you're not dying," PG said, holding my hand.

"I know, but if I am, make sure you do that. I need the iPad with me, ok? I feel like I'm short of breath. I can't get enough air in right now," I told him.

"Stop talking and breath," he said.

"Just don't forget the iPad," I reminded him.

"Maybe we can just send you with one of those cardboard iPads like the cardboard TV's from the furniture store," he said. He's so supportive, my PG.

"You know, those kids aren't cleaning up their rooms up there, like I have asked them 100 times. You know, you can hear them singing and dancing and laughing . . . they aren't cleaning up their rooms," I said. "I swear, I'm going to lose it!" I tell him.

I think I had a mini-anxiety freak out thing this evening.

I felt overwhelmed . . . like every bit of my house was visited by an indoor tornado that took it's time and blew up each room. I felt unappreciated . . . like I am just supposed to clean up a thousand little pieces of Pokemon cards and American Girl doll clothing parts and pony holders and gomu erasers, because what else should I be doing. I felt ignored . . . like no one hears me say anything in these walls - not 'hello', not 'good-bye', not 'please help me'. I felt medicine-heady . . . like this cold I have been fighting for two days has finally taken hold of my brain and everything was happening around me. I felt exhausted . . . like I could have just closed my eyes and fallen asleep right then and there.

And I couldn't get the air in.

So, off he went. PG to the rescue. To advise. To direct. To encourage. To discipline. To pick up where I could not.

And there I sat, for 10 minutes. Listening to the laughter of two little girls. To their singing along with their daddy, as he helped them clean. To the water filling up the bath tub. To their shreks of joy at something silly daddy did.

For 10 minutes, I closed my eyes and layed my head back on the couch.

I took deep breaths. In. And. Out.

And thanked God for this life.

For each and every second of it.

Sorry I missed our Magnificent Monday Vlog, friends. As you can see, I've been feeling a little "off" the past few days. I'll be back next week, for sure, with a new Vlog. But I'll surely be back sooner with another post.

Writing always helps me breath better.

Hugs.



I Like what I Like

This afternoon, as I stood at near my kitchen table and feverishly opened the container of my latest obsession, I thought of you . . . my dear blog friends.  It's been a while since I've shared my latest obsessions with you, don't you think? It seems there is no time like the present!

So, here are the Top 5 things I am totally so in love with these days . . . in no particular order:

1. Archer Farms ZEN TRAIL MIX! I picked some up at the local Target store a few months ago, and I can't get enough of it now. A small 8 oz. bag is about $2.49 in our area . . . and so very worth every penny! Perfect little mid afternoon snack that gives me the push that I need. LOVE LOVE LOVE it!



Image from "Adele LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall Concert"  

2. ADELE!!!! I've been a fan for quite some time, and am sure you have all heard her amazing voice by now. But in case you haven't, consider picking up this DVD . . . PG bought it for me at Christmas, and it can be heard playing in my home at least once a day. I haven't been moved by music this much is a long time, and I am OBSESSED! She is really like no other.



Image found during google image search - original source unknown



3. SIMPLIFYING LIFE . . . and DELETING . . . I am trying to purge lately . . . organize, throw away, deleting all those things I've been holding on to for no reason at all. Even in the cyber world. I went onto my gmail account this afternoon and spent almost twenty minutes looking for a specific email that I wanted, while weeding through hundreds that I didn't need. How is your "INBOX" lately? Mine was atrocious. I have a bad habit of reading emails, and just keeping them in my "inbox" . . . and not deleting them. I had over 2,400 emails in my inbox. Each has been read, but do I really need to KEEP them? I have NEVER gone back and looked through them . . . what am I hold on to them for? Do I really need to know that on October 3rd, 2011,  Joe Shmo repinned a pin of mine on Pinterest? I mean, it's lovely to know that someone else likes something I like, but do I need to keep the email telling me so? Nope . . . I don't. So, I'm getting ride of the garbage. SIMPLIFYING LIFE.



Image from hulu.com

4. THE VOICE!!! Ok, I don't know where I was last time around, but I was not at all into "The Voice" during it's first season. This year, however, is a different story. I AM OBSESSED!!! Can't get enough! Want to watch it . . . all of the time. 

Image from facebook.com

5. Cube Crasher on Facebook . . . yes, I'm obsessed. Have you played this game? Oh, you really must! It's funny, but this game is honestly good for my health. I am sure of it. It brings the blood pressure down. Have I tested it? No . . . of course not . . . but I feel calmer when I am playing it. I forget my worries. I de-stress. I escape. I lose any sense of anxiety or pressure that day to day issues may present. It's my little bit of quite R&R time at the end of a long day. And, truth be told, I often changed my facebook status to "offline" just so I am not interrupted with messages from people while I am playing. LOVE IT!

Thanks for letting me share my most recent passions with you.

This is a pretty honest look at me . . . trail snack and all!

Any obsessions in your life right now?

Leave me a comment and share . . . I'd LOVE to know!

Magnificent Monday Vlog #13!

It's that time again!

Time to grab the coffee, comfy chair,

and inspiring thoughts . . .

It's also time for me to get a calendar and

WRITE DOWN WHAT I AM WEARING when I make these videos,

because I am repeating the same shirt I wore last week . . . AGAIN!

I swear to you . . . I have a great deal of shirts in my closet to choose from.

I must just like this zebra print one.

The funny thing is . . . it's not really flattering.

;)

Time to give it to pass it on to Good Will!



Hope you enjoyed this weeks vlog.

Have a Magnificent Monday, friends!

Peace!

Happy Birthday PG!!!

It's PG's birthday today!!!

(that's Phil Guy, for newcomers)

To the man who makes me laugh . . . all of the time . . .

and would do absolutely anything for his girls . . .

He's always there to back me up, whenever I need it . . .

And knows all there is to know about having fun . . .

He is hard working, an amazing father, and

always takes care of his girls . . .  

And my very very best friend . . .

I'm so glad I am walking through life with him.

Happy Birthday, my PG.

I love you!

A box full of Dreams

I'm working so hard at getting products ordered and in, and getting my shop up as soon as I can.

Each day this week, the doorbell rings and I run as quickly as I can to see what goodies have arrived. The packages all look so unsuspecting from the outside. A man driving a simple brown truck, wearing a simple brown uniform, delivers a simple brown box, full of my dreams.

They have no idea, you know? The brown truck people. Or the people who are printing off my order at their computer somewhere far away. Or the people who print my art, and cut the paper from which it is printed on. Or the people putting my art into their boxes. Or the people sticking the label on the box. They have no idea that they are mailing me my dreams.

My heart practically stops as I carry the box to my kitchen table. I can't even wait to bring it downstairs to my studio . . . I have to open it as soon as it's in my hands. And the unwrapping begins.

I'm nervous. I'm scared. I'm excited. I'm holding my breath and I don't even know it. 

Then . . . I see my vision . . . as it comes to life . . . 

I did that.

Me.

I painted it. I wrote it. I scanned it. I illustrated it. I added the letters and cropped the words. Me. My art.

It's fragile, you know:?

And those people who are helping me . . . they have no idea how much I appreciate that they notice.

Because, these are my dreams, friends.

And dreams are so very fragile.

Don't you think?

Magnificent Monday Vlog #12

Are you ready? Have a hot cup o'joe? Comfy slippers on? How about a scone? hmmmm . . . sounds so good, doesn't it.

It's time for our weekly chat. Thanks for being here, my friend. I had lots of fun sharing my vision board in today's Vlog with you. But I will admit . . . I think I am getting a little weepy at the end of the video . . . all the inspiration talk about dreams and living your dreams and believing in those dreams, and I felt a little emotional for a minute there . . . .

So . . . what are YOU dreaming of? Leave me a comment and tell me about it . . . I'd love to know.

Hugs and Peace, my dears.

A Peek at my Vision

So, one of the exercises for the ecourse I am taking is to make a business vision board. YOUR vision of where you want your business to go. I absolutely LOVE this exercise and began to dream of a business I actually never quite thought of before. Here is a peek at my board . . .

Come back on Monday for my next "Magnificent Monday Vlog" and I'll talk about my board and tell you what it all means!

Oh, before I leave . . . I have to share one more quick story and photo with you.While I was downloading the above picture from my camera, I found that Ella got a hold of my camera yesterday and took about 30 pictures of her club penguin computer game, AND my studio.  I love when she does this and when I can see the world through her eyes. Here is a photo of my studio work desk, from Ella's height.

Yep . . . that's it. Cluttered and crazy . . . just full of happy chaos . . . and right in the middle of some awesome creative time this past week. LOVE IT!

Hugs to you all! See you on Monday for our weekly coffee talk!

Peace!

My Rainbow Connection

Well . . . whaddya know . . . I'm pretty happy. If you look at my most recent art created this very week, you'll know what I mean. Because my most recent work is full of bright, vivid colors and mega-inspiring words. Yep, happy.

And I think it's pretty accurate.

I remember a time back in college when I wasn't so happy. I was involved in theater (yes, one of those drama people) and an art major (double whammie artist), and I was trying to figure out who I wanted to be in this world. Oh, and I wore black. A lot. I remember working on a painting during that time that was full of black (although, there may have been dark red dripping down at a few places here or there.) The subject of the painting was me kneeling on a stage. And while you can't really make out my face on the picture, I knew the figure was to symbolize me. It was one of the most struggling times of my life, when I wanted so very badly to follow a career in theater, yet didn't feel very supported in this love of the arts the I had. So, I painted how I felt at that moment. Sad. Alone. Dark.

Oh, I've come a long way.

I'm feeling good this week. Like a big ol'wind came by and finally blew the black cloud that's been hanging around over my head the past few months far far away. And I'm focused on me again. Not only the me me, but the business me.

I'm creating. I'm ordering mat board and jewelry findings and bookmarks and getting ready to open Etsy again. I'm designing. I'm painting. I'm dreaming. I've got big plans. And I'm feeling good . . . like I can make my dreams come true. Yep . . . I'm feeling energized!

It's good.

Have I ever told you how much I love color? I'm sure at some point I did. But if you check out my Pinterest Board called "Inspiration", you can see that I clearly am inspired by color . . .

Snapshot of my own pinterest page. For information on any of the pictures you see, please follow me on Pinterest  by clicking the red Pinterest Link on the RIGHT SIDEBAR of my blog . . . then go to my "Inspiration" pinboard. If you don't know about Pinterest . . . YOU SHOULD!! It's WONDERFULLY inspiring!!!

Yes, these are the things that inspire me and make me happy. So, I finally decided to embrace the colors and use them in my own art. And I'm loving it.

I think a great deal of it has to do with this class I am taking right now . . . Hello Soul! Hello Business! Taught by the amazing Kelly Rae Roberts and Beth Nichols, the whole premise of the course is to look at your business in a different light. Through their help, you will begin to treat your business as so much more than just a 'business' and with that will come passion, soul and success. Pretty brilliant, don't you think? I'm learning SO MUCH about myself, my passion, my life . . . it's exhausting and exhilarating, all at the same time.

So, just a little creative update for you, my dear friends. I'm wishing you a Rainbow of colors . . . where ever you are! Peace

Sharing Beautiful Spaces

Just a little glimpse of life as I see it today,

 sharing my creative space with little Ella.  

 There are lots of
"Mom, can you open this?" and
"Mom, I'm hungry, can I have some juice?" and
"Mom, how does this work?"
happening from across the table.

But it's all good.

Because

WE are CREATING.

And like my most recent picture says . . .



And things are looking pretty beautiful from where I sit.

Wishing you a beautiful world,

where ever you may be.

Peace.