The Game Changer

I am lovin' all the gratitude vibes permeating the blogosphere this month!

Just a few little "blisses" on my mind this morning...

Choices...I love that I get to choose every day what my attitude will be.  I get to decide how I will respond to my experiences and emotions.  This is huge.  It means I am in the driver's seat.  

Beginnings...Every day I get a fresh start. Everything I put my hands to has potential. Beginning something affirms that I have hope.

Community...Being connected to creative, kind individuals keeps me centered and makes me more courageous.

As I was perusing the link-up for Art Every Day Month yesterday I came across a tutorial for a painted paper mosaic by Marcia Beckett.  Marcia is an art teacher and a very gifted mixed media artist and her blog is full of beautiful journal pages and inspiration.  Her paper mosaic really caught my eye so I decided to do my own take on it.

After "scrubbing" some gesso onto an old book page I picked through my little pile (okay, it's really a big pile) of paper bits and came up with these.

The fun and relaxing part was the doodling...

In a way these two images illustrate how practicing gratitude can change our experience. Sometimes life is like the first image...just a bunch of bits: unrelated and sometimes chaotic. Like the pen lines and colors in the second image, gratitude connects the bits, creating a vibrant, complex composition where each element relates to and supports the others.

Gratitude is a game changer.

A grateful life is alive with hope and possibilities.  If I can manage to be thankful for something, then I can trust it is somehow going to be used for something good.  The really great news is that gratitude isn't something we have to strive for, it is something we choose to allow into our lives.  When we allow it, gratitude flows just as creativity does, washing away strife and leaving peace in its place.

Choosing gratitude = Choosing to let your heart rest

I can't believe it is Friday already.  I hope you find a little time to celebrate, rest, create, or do whatever brings you joy this weekend!  

I'm linking up today with:

Art Every Day Month, Little Bliss List, and Joy Jam.

These link-ups are a great way to connect with other artists and creatives and see a lot of inspiring work.  If you have the time, it is great fun to check them out and follow a few rabbit trails!

Around Here Today

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

Winston Churchill

Life around here today is...

1.) Sweet
This morning I watched the sunrise from the rocking chair my son made in shop class last year.  I love sitting in that chair.  He was so proud the day we brought it home.

2.) Refreshed
I painted the headboard we made from an old door and rearranged our master bedroom this week and now waking up is so much fun! Seriously...I love the new arrangement and I get really happy when I wake up and see it.  Then my day off to a good start!  Goofy, huh?  Who knew such a simple change could make such a difference?

3.) Inspired (and a bit wired)
I am so loving my super fabulous new mug from Old Farmhouse Pottery.  I love that you can feel the ridges where the artists hands coaxed the clay into shape.  That's the thing about hand-thrown vessels: they are utterly unique.  There is a downside to using this one, though; I love sipping from this mug so much that my coffee intake has increased! (Thinking of having a cup now.)

4.) Exhilarating
Cooler temps = windows and doors wide open.  LOVE that!

5.) Blessed
With so many residents of the east coast without electricity in the aftermath of hurricane Sandy I am very mindful of what a blessing it is to have heat, light and so many other things with just a flip of a switch.  Soooo grateful for that and hoping power is restored to everyone very soon.

6.) Vibrant
Beautiful hues of orange are everywhere and  I love it!   Orange is a very happy color and working with it even makes me feel more creative.  I must make something orange this afternoon.

So there you have it...my world as I (choose to) see it today.

Hey, that background is sort-of orange, don't you think?

I hope your eyes are open to the beauty, inspiration, and blessing that is all around you today.  Make a list or just tell someone about the good things in your life.  Maybe it's a little like rearranging the furniture... a simple change could make a big difference.

Today I'm linking up to the following sites that offer even more encouragement and joyful thoughts for you!

Keenly aware...

of these blessings today:

Familiar steps leading to my front door.

Little dogs who love to snuggle.

The smell of homemade laundry soap.

Pine trees and clear blue skies.

Solitude.

Bird nests collected from the woods.

A nubby blanket in the most delicious shade of blue.

A coffee mug from the wheel of a local potter.

How are you blessed on this beautiful day?

A Dream Come True

Today I had the great fortune of visiting with one of the most beautiful women I know, Mattie Seale.

Mattie is the mother-in-law of one of my dearest friends, Susan. (Mattie is quick to point out that Susan is not "just" a daughter-in-law, but that she has become a true daughter over the years.)  To many of us Mattie is "Mama Seale" and just a few moments in her presence today left me with a feeling of peace and contentment.

Mama Seale has a heart of gratitude.  She is well-loved and she loves well.  She has lived a big life filled with the usual ups and downs but when she looks back on it all, she says life has been good "without interruption".  She told me that her faith is the foundation that allows her to enjoy life to the fullest and that her life today is like a "dream come true".  I felt peace and hope settle over me as I listened to what she had to share. 

It seems that every day I am bombarded with information about how to make my life "better".  I am encouraged to do more and be more.  Teachings abound on how to "create the life I want" and "live my best life now".  I believe, though, that great lives are not orchestrated or acheived.  Great lives are simply lived, facing whatever comes with courage and grace.  Mama Seale knows this and her words of experience and wisdom resonate with something deep inside of me.  They call forth a desire to simply let go and be content with what I have and what I am this very day...to realize that my life, with all its challenges and triumphs, disappointments and victories, really is a dream come true because I am loved and I love and in the end that's all that really matters.

A Bit Wreckless and Very Grateful

"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."

                                                                                                                                         -Goethe

You know, this blogging thing is amazing, really.  With just a few keystrokes anyone can be a published author.  How extraordinary (and scary).  There are no editors to catch my grammatical errors and typos (although I do have a few grammatically gifted sisters who love me enough to notify me immediately when they see a mistake).  I usually don't bounce my ideas off anyone before I hit the "publish post" button.  It all seems a bit wreckless when you think about it. One click and whoosh...It's out there. 

On a deeper level, there's the issue of content.  When I express my true heart, or put my artwork up for everyone to see I'm taking a chance.  Maybe you won't understand what I am really trying to say.  Maybe you will compare me to endless numbers of artists who are more gifted and more skilled than I.  

Long ago in art school I felt like I put my heart in front of a firing squad each time my work went up for critique.  In that setting you pour your blood, sweat and tears into a project and then invite others to tell you not just the strengths, but the weaknesses they see.  As much as you want and need honest feedback, it can be hard to detach your sense of identity from the way your latest project is received.  Especially at first it feels a bit it like someone takes a peek into the bassinet and says, "Your baby has some good qualities, ma'am, but let me tell you how she could be improved!"  The creative life is not for the faint of heart, to be sure. 

But what choice do any of us have?  We are individuals created in the image of a gloriously creative God.  We were born to share the things that matter most to us.  Our human hearts long to be known and loved. 

So I want to thank those of you who encourage me in my creativity.  You cannot imagine how much it means to me that you read my clumsy words or see my humble efforts and have a kind word to say.  Thank you for being my safe place to grow and learn and try new things. 

Summer House

Our summer house has...

...time for impromptu sleepovers with friends.

...time to rediscover our passions.

...and time to enjoy our favorite things.  (One of my new faves is limeaid with a splash of orange juice, absolutely the best when served in a glass that belonged to my grandmother.)

I love our summer house!

Little Things

“In the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” - Kahlil Gibran

Art flows from life.  If I want my art to be refreshing and encouraging, I must allow myself time to be refreshed and encouraged.  In order to create beautiful things, I first appreciate the beauty around me.


Today was one of those happy days when I was able to set my "to do" list aside and recharge.  It started with an impromptu coffee date with a friend, during which I purchased this too-cute and not-so-little flower pin with a vintage button center:

Wearing it made me so happy, especially after I added my favorite strand of pearls.  It was like wearing a badge announcing my light-hearted mood.  

Another little thing that made me happy was the yummy array of colors in these strands of glass beads found at a local resale shop. 

The sales lady offered me a great bargain on them.  The best part?  I assumed the price she quoted was per strand, only to find out at the register she meant it for the whole collection!  There is just nothing like the feeling of getting a great deal.

Finally, I tried something new for our evening meal that I'd like to share with you.  Along with some beautiful steamed vegetables and grilled beef, I made this Blueberry and Red Pepper Salsa:

Lovely food can do so much to heighten the senses and instill a feeling of well-being.  The recipe I tried tonight is based on one recently published in Southern Living magazine. I came across it while waiting at the optometrist's office, which explains why I can't tell you which issue it was in and why I had to guess at most of the quantities!  I'm sure the Southern Living version was great, but I bet it couldn't beat this one. 

Blueberries and red peppers...who knew?  I hope you'll try it!

Blueberry and Red Pepper Salsa

2 1/2 c fresh blueberries, chopped

1/2 c whole fresh blueberries

Juice of 1 lemon

4 T cilantro, finely chopped

1 lg. jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (more to taste)

3/4 c red bell pepper, diced

1/2 tsp sea salt

Toss all ingredients together and let sit 30 minutes to allow flavores to blend.

Serve with baked whole grain pita chips

All in all, it was not a momentous day.  No great problems were solved; no projects were completed, but the little things...the kindnesses, the discoveries, the precious moments...left me refreshed and renewed.  I can't wait to get back to work in the studio tomorrow!

Ready for Monday

It's been a while since I had trouble sleeping. Usually my head hits the pillow and I'm gone, but last night my mind simply refused to get still. Maybe it was the coffee I had too late in the day. Or maybe I allowed myself to dwell too long on my "to do" list.  (I know better.)  Sometimes everything seems so urgent. Ironically, urgency tends to paralyze me.

So, instead of tossing and turning, I padded down to the living room in my sock feet and tucked myself under my most favorite blanket.  In a silent, sleepy house, I pondered my weekend and the week ahead.

It didn't rain Saturday as I had expected. (Apparently I was the only one around here that heard that particular weather report.) Saturday turned out to be a great day to rake and burn the ocean of leaves that covered our front yard. Our pup was a lot of "help", playing in the leaves as we piled them on tarps and dragged them to the fire.

This big guy turned up as I was raking.  He was about 4 inches long and quite plump. (Hard to tell from the picture.)  We admired him for a while and then placed him in some leaves under a bush, hoping he would find a new, happy home.  Isn't he a lovely shade of green?

Sunday afternoon was spent as all Sunday afternoons should be spent... with friends. We demolished a fresh apple cake and drank too much coffee on the front patio, which is most likely the reason I could not sleep later. It was totally worth it, though, because we had a very sweet time (sorry about the pun) and our friends saved us from eating too much cake on our own.

So, after such a lovely weekend I found myself so very grateful for simple things...beautiful things.  I am grateful for unruly puppies and big fat caterpillars.  I am grateful for my friends and family, and the way they beckon me out of the tunnel in which I so often find myself where I get too serious or too focused on me.  And I am grateful that on the brink of a busy, pressure-filled week I had a few very quiet moments to collect my thoughts and rejoice in all that is good in my life.  Okay, Monday.  I'm ready for you now.