Thankful

* Postcard that I recieved in the mail yesterday made by my beautiful and talented auntie Anne (who really should be more like a cousin because she doesn't age)

“We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.”

~Mary Sarton

Enjoy the weekend

Try Something New

*Amelia Bedelia....not looking so merry as a take her photo.

Sometimes...just sometimes I need a break from painting/drawing. I think it is important to try new things, even if you don't know if you will be any good at it. How will you know if you never try? Most of us find we are really good at one thing or kind of good at a couple things. Well you might need  a hobby to fall back on when you need a break. Even if you feel a little clumsy at it like I felt when I started embroidering this funny little towel!

My grandma Ruth taught me how to embroider when I was about ten years old. She bought a small tea towel that had a vegetable design on it as a template to follow. I remember being so excited to learn this new craft. The bright colors of the thread mesmerized me and the fact that she trusted me to use a sharp needle made me feel grown up. I decided to give this fun craft a try (now 16 years later) and realized it is really fun and relaxing.  

I think next time I will draw my design on the towel before beginning! It looks a little crooked, but maybe that adds a little charm? Anyways, eat, drink, be merry and share something you like to do as a hobby!

Art Giveaway

Hi friends

A lovely blogger is featuring some of my work this week and doing a giveaway of one of my prints. I feel so honored by this :)  Jen also has her own organic clothing etsy shop which you can find on her blog as well. I am so excited to give a peice of art to someone who will enjoy it. If you are interested all you need to do is head over to her site and post a comment to enter. 

 Thanks so much Jen! 

artwork

I reworked an old painting and this is what i came up with. Yay for bright colors!

Artwork

New painting/collage made with handcolored cut flowers, watercolors, and acrylic paint on 8x10 inch canvas. 

Now I'm off to go plant some veggies in my garden!

Have a springy weekend!

Thursday Things: I love our Planet

Happy Thursday everyone! This week I decided to feature some wonderful etsy sellers who are earth friendly :) Enjoy.

I love the concept of taking something used/old and making it new again. These wine glasses from  bodhicitta would be great for entertaining and a fun conversation starter when having company over. If you read the shop announcement you will also find that all the packaging is also recycled. Great for mother earth = great for us!

Gotta love these cute Go Green Pin set by DareToBeStupid. Great to wear on bags, scarves, jackets, hats, or wherever you please.  You should definitely check out some of the other pins in the shop...hilarious!

I love that you can find handmade laundry detergent on etsy!  I will definitely consider buying some from ecoeveryday's shop once my other detergent runs out. This detergent is made with all natural ingredients that are good for the earth and for the hands :)  In their shop announcement they discuss the hazards or normal detergent and its effects on the environment. 

I love this idea! Why bother with plastic bags in the grocery store when you can use your very own adorable and reusable happy vegetable bags from wonderthunder's shop. 

These rustic frames by ParadiseWoodDesigns are super cool. They are made from old barn wood. I heart barns. Great for the cabin up north or for anyone with an eclectic style.  

Peace out!

Colorado

My trip to Colorado was much needed. What was mostly needed was seeing my best friend and of course seeing her adorable baby, Theodore (whom we endearingly call Teddy).

I was amazed at what a wonderful mother my friend was...not that I didn't think she would be a good mom but I it was just so fun to see her and Teddy interact with one another and to see the love they shared. Every time she would walk in the room Teddy's eyes would light up and a huge smile would stretch across his face. It gave me perspective on what it will be like someday to have my own babies. 

Teddy and I also had bonding time. I was happy to discover that we shared the same sense of humor. The funnier the face you made at him, the more he giggled and grinned! He also loved it when I sang the song Barbara Anne to him because he could make the noise "ba ba ba" making it easy for him to sing along :) 

I feel like I could go on and on about what a lovely time I had. It was great to see Colorado! The mountains and the views were just breathtaking. I feel so full right now. Full of inspiration and joy from my short trip. I just want to say thank you to Katie, Ryan, and my little nephew Teddy for letting me come visit and making my time so memorable.