Life Happens

Taken a few weeks before we were sick, my kitchen is also my art studio so things are always messy in there!

I keep meaning to write a blog post and my mind is always so jumbled with a million other things that I can't seem to narrow down exactly what I want to write about.

We've been sick here for the past two weeks from sinus infections to tonsilitis and pink eye, my goodness it's been rough. The weather has been absolutely amazing too which makes it even harder to be sick. Now that we are muddling out of the sickness and the loads of laundry and the mess (since no one loves to clean when they are under the weather) I am hopeful that it is going to be a glorious weekend full of outdoor activities and maybe some painting.

Even though I haven't felt the greatest and I've had to spend many hours holding my almost 2 year old son (since that's all he wants when he is feeling ill) I have found the time to paint. Sometimes I feel guilty but then I remember that I'm not just a mom, I am a human being with passions and hobbies. The dishes can wait, the laundry can pile up a little more and I can escape into the canvas for an hour here and there.

Here are some of my latest paintings. All available for purchase too!

Punchy

Sherbet

Wild Flowers

Ruth's Roses

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I so appreciate your company :)

jumping on the bandwagon

Mr. Jones ~ now in the shop

I have resisted the twitter craze for quite a long time. My sister called me the other day and said "Why are you not on twitter yet! It would be great for your business!" I had to agree. Networking and making connections is how people thrive in the online world. Not only that, but from what I've heard a lot of people have ditched facebook and other online social networking services for Twitter because it is more fast and easy. So come along and follow me. I will follow you. We will go from there because I have no idea what happens after that!

Today is Monday. I know not everyone is excited about that but I am hopeful on this monday!

1. Today I hope to be productive in my artroom. I have another bird painting to finish and then I would like to work on getting some prints made to list in my shop.

2. Today I hope the rain goes away for a while so I can finish mowing the back yard.

3. Today I hope to take a bikeride on the amish country road.

4. Today I hope for a surprise.

5. Today I hope my house magically gets clean. Ok that's pushing it. I know.

Why Create?

playing with my paints this morning

As I mentioned before I am taking an e-class called In the Fishbowl by Marisa Haedike. It is a class that covers how to make it as an online artist plus so much more! I have been sitting with some of the questions that have been brought up in class and would like to share some of my thoughts with you all today. If you don't mind :)

One of the questions was: Why do you create?

I create because I have a strong desire to do so. So many of us lose that passion as adults. When I make something I lose track of time and I can enjoy just being in the moment. I believe that when people create they are putting pieces of their souls into the world. I like to think that the paintings I make reflect my personality and show the world how I see and define beauty. And like some of my classmates have mentioned I believe that everyone is creative in their own way and that people would be happier if they took some time out of their day to make something.

Another question that one of my classmates brought up is: What are you doing when you are at your best? and when you are at your best how do you feel?

When I am at my best I am creating, running, making conscious decisions, learning new things, not judging myself or others, and enjoying the moment for what it is. When I am at my best I am not trying to do or be something I'm not. When I'm at my best I have focus and passion for what I am doing in life. I feel free from the expectations of society. My spirit is just how it was meant be.

Those are my deep thoughts for the day and now here are some pictures of my garden. I am so excited for my sunflowers to bloom!

Bye!

Roxanne

Today was not a great day by any means

My car has been acting up lately. The air conditioner never feels cool enough and when it sits at a light the temperature gage starts to rise. I knew it wasn't the coolant because I checked that. So I took it into firestone today thinking they could tell me what was wrong. Bad choice. It took over three hours of me waiting for it before someone could come and tell me that they still don't know what is wrong with it. Not to mention the mall was with in walking distance so I ended up spending money due to the wait and the proximity of good shopping.  

On a better note, I dropped my car off at the GM dealer and I think they will understand my car better. Hopefully it is nothing too expensive! I will find out what the deal is tomorrow. Roxanne (my car) is ten years old now so I'm sure the wear and tear of daily drives is catching up with her. She can't remain young and spry forever I guess. 

On an even better than better note, my mom, her friend, and my best friend are coming into town this week so I have one and a half days to get my house in order. I am so excited to have some company down here. Living far away from my favorite people only makes the time I spend with them more fun and special! I can't wait! 

Sorry I don't have a picture for you of my sick car!

my favorite hangout

This is my favorite little place to hang out during the summer days. Nothing beats a front porch swing. It is perfect and shady during the first half of the day and then the sun comes over the house and it becomes very hot. It is the perfect place to drink my coffee in the morning and  eat a bowl of cereal on occasion. I see my neighbors walking their dogs, enjoying the coolness of the morning. I also see the birds fighting for worms in the front yard. The hummingbirds don't usually come to the feeder while I am out there, but every once in a while a brave one will buzz by and grab a quick drink.  In the evenings I like to sit on the swing with my husband and watch the sunset until the mosquitos become too unbearable. 

I hope summer finds you well and that you get a chance to soak up some sun. As much as I hate getting wrinkles, I do love the sun on my face and on my shoulder (it makes me happy). 

a local adventure

Have you ever realized that some of the greatest places to explore are right out your backdoor? Yesterday a friend and I ventured about 15 minutes north into Kentucky to visit a few really cute towns. Our first stop was Elkton, Kentucky, population 2,000,  where we discovered a real town square with some cute botiques and cafes. People instantly knew we weren't from around these parts with our Northern accents. We then grabbed a cheese burger at a local burger stand called the Dairy Mart. It was a good old fashioned greasy delicious meal. We both can't wait to bring our husbands there on Bike Night where all the bikers gather for a night of food and festivities. 

Next we ventured into Fairview where we saw the Jefferson Davis Monument. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jefferson Davis. He was the first and only "President" of the confederate states. Right next to the monument we visited a mennonite greenhouse and produce shop.  There were baskets and baskets of gorgeous flowers spilling over. The produce was fresh and bright and tastes wonderful as well! Here is a pic of the flower basket I purchased. 

I wish I had more photos to show you but I didn't remember my camera! Have a lovely Sunday!

i like projects

I'm a project person. It seems like I always have five things going on at one time! Although my husband is extremely handy and talented, he is gone a lot for work, so he is not always around to get things done that I would like done. I decided I wanted to get my deck stained. It had never been stained/sealed before and was starting to look grey. I chose a tinted stain called redwood and it looks really nice. On the first day I could only get half of it done and once the rain decides to stop I will be able to get the other half. 

I was able to go to the flower shop on Friday and Saturday for training. I never knew how much went into running a flower shop! So much to learn and do. I learned how to make corsages and boutonnieres for a wedding which was super fun. I also learned the art of bow making.  I just loved being there and can't wait to go back this week. 

Yesterday I painted the entryway in my house (I told you I have five things going on at once). I used the same grey blue color that is in my hallway and living room. It makes my whole home feel more finished. I would really love to find a black entryway bench with storage baskets underneath to put in there. I know I saw one at Hobby Lobby a while back. I wonder if they still have it? It also needs some artwork. I will show you a picture when I am finished. Today I hope to get the house clean so that the rest of the week I can make some artwork and relax.

Enjoy this memorial day. Thank you soldiers!

Updates

First Update: 

So the other day I was walking through my yard after mowing my lawn when all of a sudden I kicked something up from under my foot. It was the toad! The same toad from this post. I instantly stooped down to see if he was okay and he appeared to be alive and breathing. After all the trouble I had trying not to mow him over, he just had to be in the way! I was mad at him for not moving.  I mean seriously! I have saved him at least two other times so the least he could do is move to a lower traffic area. 

Second update: 

I recently wrote to Kohl's asking them if they recycled their hangers or not when a cashier told me that they just tossed them in a dumpster. I received a nice response saying that they do recycle them. I am very happy about this because I enjoy going to kohl's and now my mind can be at ease when I buy a new shirt. I have started recycling consistently about a year ago. It is great because I  only have one bag of actual trash (things I cannot recycle) to dispose of each week. Which makes me wonder if I should just get rid of my big garbage bin outside and just bring my trash to the recycling center with everything else? 

Third update: 

I may have a part time job working at a flower shop! This is really exciting for me because if you have seen my artwork  you will know I LOVE plants, flowers, and bright colors. I also love learning new things. I can imagine designing beautiful bouquets and arrangements for weddings and events. Sometimes I think I have too many interests and that I should just focus in on one thing, but life is too short not to try everything out. I just love being alive and I want to feel and do it all! Kind of like that song by Feist I Feel It All. 

Peace out and see ya tomorrow!

Feeling Refreshed

~ cool sticks in colorado ~

Top of the morn' to you!

I had a much needed break from my computer and now I feel refreshed in my mind and heart. I am so happy to be here with you my blogging friends :)

Here is a snippet of my weekend: 

* went to a friend's house where we ate tacos and went through her box of old school cd's and had fun singing and dancing to nsync and the backstreet boys!

* Saved yet another frog mowing my lush green lawn. I swear it looked like the same one I saved a few weeks ago. 

* drank lots of dunkin' donuts coffee and made Special K bars

* Received a beautiful work of art from this artist. I entered a giveaway she had on her site a few weeks ago and won. She has a beautiful etsy shop and blog. Check it out! Thanks Sarah :)

* Went to Kohls and purchased a few shirts. The cashier told me they just throw their hangers away! I was so upset about this that I emailed the company. I found out that they have a green initiative and discovered that they do recycle some hangers, but I am unsure if this is happening in every store or all states. Here is the site. I will let you know what they say to me when they email back. 

* Watched Dancing with the Stars last night and I'm thinking that Melissa is the most talented of the dancers.  What do you think?

I hope you have a great Tuesday and remember that......

"Every morning when we wake up, we have twenty four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift!" 

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Allergies

I have never been told by a doctor in my entire life that I am allergic to anything. After struggling the last couple months with breathing I was referred to an allergy/asthma specialist to get things checked out. 

So today I  had an allergy scratch test done on my back, where they scratch all sorts of allergens into your skin and watch for the reactions.  Out of the 48 different things that were pricked into my skin I am allergic to 40 of them.  At the top of the list: Dust Mites, Cats and Dogs, Various Trees, Weeds, and Grasses.  So basically everything. Oh, except horses (don't ask me why they tested that one on me!). 

So basically I need to sell my cats and get a horse, pour concrete over my grass, buy a hepa-filter, dust and vacuum constantly, and never go to anyone's house considering they will probably have a dog or cat. Or....the doc says I can kick the cats out of my bedroom and just take medicines and inhalers so I can go on with my life. I choose option two since I'm sure you all know I could never ever in a billion years get rid of my cats :)

Has anyone else developed allergies in adulthood? This is just too crazy for me to understand. I have a bunch of brochures that the doctor gave me which will probably help me gain a better understanding of it all. I know that the allergens in the air cause my airways to get inflamed making it hard to breathe and the sensors in my nose tell my lungs not to breathe in the invading particles. Craziness!

it all grows...

...in my yard

Azalea bush

Azalea ( This one flowers three times a year!)

Hosta

Begonias (looking a little beat up after being planted)

I enjoyed a day of planting, weeding, mulching, and singing along to some Feist, Adele, and Amy Seeley on my ipod. I think I might have even gotten a little color on my face. 

What a plant-tastic day!

My Buddy

I just adore my cat. He is pure cuddly-ness. 

He is a perfect creation! Just look at the stripes on his head!

If you aren't convinced yet, get a look at his handsome face. 

New artwork to be posted soon :)

Valentine Weekend

Happy Monday friends, 

I had a great weekend. Kyle sent me roses on Saturday and I was able to talk to him on the phone for quite a long time (for those of you who don't know he is in the military). It was exactly what I needed. I'm always falling in love over and over again.....just with him though :) I also received a sweet valentine from Kat and some delicious fudge from my friend Katie. 

To celebrate Valentines day I  got together with some friends and we went to see He's Just Not That Into You. It was a cute movie but it kind of drug on near the end and I was ready for it to be over. Afterwards, we went over to my friend Helen's house and made homemade quesadillas which we pronounced que- sa- dill- as like in Napoleon Dynamite. I like mispronouncing words sometimes just to see if people notice and it is usually with mexican food, like saying tack-os instead of tacos. We had a great time feasting and nibbling on cookies and fudge from Galena, IL. 

Today I had a phone interview for the art teaching job I was talking about last week. I think it went ok, but I would have preferred to have a face to face interview instead. I worry that my voice sounds too little-girlish and I had to ask the lady to repeat the questions numerous times because I was on speakerphone and could not hear her! A lot of my answers were repetitive and always came back to doing what is in the student's best interest. I decided that I will be happy if I get the job or happy if I don't. It is in God's hands now. 

Today I will clean my house, because it has gotten OUT of control. I have been having too much fun painting and leaving little messes all over the place. Abner and Amelia are no help. All they do is sleep all day and leave hair on my clothes. 

Mornings

What does yours look like?

I stumbled across a book called A Year of Mornings by Maria Vettese. I do not own this book yet, but it inspired me to think about those quiet moments in my day that no one else sees. I think through capturing simple moments in our daily routines, we can better appreciate the beauty in our lives. Maybe our quiet moments are not in the morning. If you have kids they might be late at night or when your baby is napping. We all need stillness. 

This morning  I started painting an ink drawing I have been working on. I leave this painting out on my kitchen table so that I can work on it little by little each day. I have like three different "work stations" set up around my house, so there are no excuses to not create. Because for me, at times making art is a choice, and if the supplies are not out I am not as motivated. I will show you a picture sometime of my crazy art supplies everywhere. 

I hope your Saturday is just dandy. I am going to the Killers concert tonight, thanks to my awesome husband. 

Bye!