julie king original art

jae jean vintage

2012-01-18T23:38:00.001-05:00

jae jean nester no. 704 - color me red!!!

SOLD!!!!! thanks, kelly!!!

jae jean nester no. 706 -- spooled!!

jae jean nester no. 703 - poacher

jae jean nester no. 705 -- star

jae jean nester no. 701 -- shiny

jae jean nester no. 702 -- fluted

introducing my new etsy shop: jae jean vintage. on a whim i bought a drill and a dremel tool. i felt the need to go all 3d and get my hands dirty. i went looking for something to create and stumbled onto this idea. luckily i work at an antique mall and get first pick of all the inventory the dealers bring into their booths. it is so fun to find all these rusty vintage lovelies and then marry the pieces together to create something new and useful and unique.

once these first 6 were done i had a brainstorm to call them nesters. they are the perfect little nests for holding art or sewing supplies or for displaying a vintage collection. i can see them in the bathroom holding little soaps and crocheted cloths or in the entryway filled with family photos and a few trinkets.

and did i say that i looooove drilling and dremelling?!! it gives me a total rush and feeling of sat-is-fac-tion! i can't wait for spring/summer when i can start going to yard sales and flea markets.

dad's water spigot

2012-01-02T00:58:00.001-05:00

reaching to

turn on the spigot

an image of my dad

floats to the surface

of my mind

i lay my hand

where his hand

must have laid

a thousand times

i close my eyes

and imagine that

i can feel his energy

pouring into me

as water seeps

into the ground

after a gentle rain

so his quiet guidance

permeated my life

and even though

the spigot of his life

no longer turns

i still see his artistry

in the bricks of this house

i hear his voice

in the swaying trees

and i feel his hands

guiding my novice hands

as i humbly try

to carry on what

he nobly built

so many years ago

truth

2012-01-02T00:22:00.000-05:00

i went to see we bought a zoo in the movie theater today. i went alone, sat alone and was quite content in my own company. well, i was sort of ok with it. near the end of the movie i had an epiphany, what oprah would call an aha moment. like a rapid-fire slide show i saw my life as i'm choosing to live it and knew i was not really living at all. i've isolated myself from the world and humanity in so many ways. the truth is i've been hiding out. hiding from failure and disappointment. isolating myself from challenges. filling the precious hours with joyless tasks. honestly, i just don't know what i want to do so i do very little. there i said it -- i do very little.

one of my dearest and closest friends sent me a one line fb message recently. it read: "you are the bravest person i know." i cringed inside and said to myself well i have one person fooled. i know what she meant. so many women have used the b word (brave) in connection to my decision to leave my 10 year marriage and my corporate job. as it turns out the leaving and the quitting were quite easy compared to the moving on. for years i had created a story in mind. it went like this: 50-something free-spirited woman's creativity is being doused by a claustrophobic marriage and a corporate job. all her dreams will magically come true if she can rid herself of these chains. guess what friends? i've not yet found the magic wand that will make it all happen quite so easily.

it's way past time for me to face the truth and dare to dream new dreams!

truth -- i am a rudderless boat in a slow-moving stream and the view is becoming quite boring
dare -- i dare myself to do SOMETHING -- take a class, join a book club, learn to belly dance, train for a mini marathon, anything. for god's sake, woman (that's me!!) you are rotting on the vine.

truth -- i isolate myself from joy
dare -- i dare myself to sing and dance and laugh every day!! sing out loud to the shins, dance the pony to some old time rock and roll and laugh to old movies like tootsie and trains, planes and automobiles.

truth --i need a real job with real challenges and real benefits
dare -- i dare myself to drag out those big girl panties, think outside the box and get it done already

many bloggers pick a word as their mantra for the new year. words like grow and shine and learn are popular. i've decided that for the month of january my word will be truth. i'm going to look it square in the face and stare it down. once i've peeled back all the delusions and exposed the bare naked truth, then maybe i can move on to a new word in february. i'm liking the sound of thin and young and sexy. hee hee

and now a little art!!

2011-10-16T09:40:00.000-04:00

amish laundry on october day

rusty relic

happy hen in garden

vintage clothespins

dewey dancing hyacinth

i've been working on altering some of my photographs in photoshop by applying a watercolor filter. it is so fun to see how the photos come to life and resemble paintings! above are a few that i've listed in my etsy shop. if you click on them you can see all the luscious watercolor effects i've added. click on the titles to go directly to that listing in etsy.

in other news, i've decided to create a second blog called butterscotch farm. it will focus on all my farm activities so i can go back to dedicating this blog to my art.

also, i've been scoping out farm animals in the area to photograph. recently, i've photographed llamas, piglets, donkeys, mules, amish work horses, goats and painted horses. i've hooked up with a couple of artists who paint or collage from photos and they've been purchasing some of the photos. it is THE most fun i've had in a loooong time. laying on the ground to get good shots of piglets and letting the llamas sniff my face to get acquainted makes my heart swell with happiness. so far my client list includes elizabeth st. hilaire nelson and kimberly kelly santini. they are both amazing artists and i'm proud to be providing them with creative images for their work.

everything's coming up EGGS!!

2011-10-05T08:54:00.000-04:00

what you lookin at?

always outside looking in

searching for grub

majestic beauty

we continue to get eggs every day . . . the total count is up to 26 eggs!! we lost a hen last week so now we're down to 10 hens total. so sad and disappointed when one came up missing. no signs of hen feathers or remains anywhere just poof she was gone. the thrill of reaching into the nesting boxes and latching on to a fresh egg has not waned. gathering eggs is pure happiness!

aaaaah fall!!

2011-10-04T08:46:00.000-04:00

last evening my daughter megan and i took the kids for a walk on the cardinal greenway. it was such a lovely day. ben ran and ran and ran!

he picked flowers for us!

jenna rode her scooter sitting down. it was slow-going but she was determined.

cheese!!

we got to see the soybeans being harvested.

and lots of gorgeous scenery!

zip, zip, zip!!

almost back to the car. it was a 3.4 mile walk round trip and i loved every minute of it!!

ben started out in the stroller but that didn't last long. so proud of my beautiful daughter and the woman she has become.

a flower and a kiss for mommy!

amish horses in the field beside the trail.

i can't wait to get back out on the trail again this evening!! everyone have a gorgeous day!!

funky fungi

2011-09-27T06:37:00.000-04:00

all the wet weather we've been having is spawning some really strange fungi around the base of old stumps. i promised myself i would spend my day off on monday pulling all the weeds and dead vegetable foliage in the garden. but the nice weather and all the autumn loveliness called my name. off i went to the woods with my nikon, a song in my heart and a spring in my step.

gathering eggs -- finally!!

2011-09-26T17:14:00.000-04:00

yes, we are getting eggs from our hens!! we got 2 on saturday, one on sunday and one today. it feels like forever since we got the baby chicks in may. how gratifying to finally be getting eggs. the above photos are from sunday. jenna and i were doing a craft for her school project when it was time to let the chickens out. as you can see it is get out of the way time when we open up the barn door. i swear they would run you over in their excitement to get outside. the eggs have been found in a different nesting box each day. we can't tell which chicken laid the eggs but the golden one shown above was very vocal when we left the barn with the egg. jenna's little brother ben is 2.5 and he was confused when we said the chickens laid the egg. the look on his face was priceless.

as always, life is good here on the farm!!

she breathed in all the possibilitties of a new day

2011-09-03T08:21:00.000-04:00

she breathed in the cool morning air letting it fill her body with all the possibilities of a new day. off the dogs ran to the corn field hoping to round up the chickens. but it was way too early for the chickens to be out and around. she headed for the garden, noticing that the bouncy yellow/orange flowers were glowing in the golden rays of morning. the acorn squash and butternut squash glistened with dew while the zinnias danced a happy jig on the breeze. she reminded herself that the green beans and roma tomatoes would need to be picked. she was looking forward to making chili sauce with the romas and the beans would be fixed for sunday dinner.

the dogs rushed forward happy and energized by their romp in the cornfield. she wrestled them to the ground and joined in their joyful exuberance. then off they went to explore all the early morning smells lurking in the woods. she heard squirrels chattering away in the top of the beechnut tree. her feet rustled thru the first of fall's dried brown leaves. passing the giant spider's web hung between two trees, she reflected on how delicate nature was in all its glory. as the sun warmed her face she said a quick prayer for all the blessings in her life.

we've been squashed . . .

2011-09-01T21:03:00.000-04:00

. . . butternut squashed!! i planted 4 butternut squash plants in my garden in april and to say that they have done well would be an understatement. they bloomed like crazy and those little yellow flowers soon turned into little green squash that eventually turned a rich tan. when i planted them mom asked me what are we going to do with those? and i replied make squash pie!! i fondly remembered my grandma farmer's squash pie and since i hadn't had any for years, i planned to get my fill! and there are no worries about having enough; there must be 30 squash still on the vine in the garden!! already mom has made us two squash pies and we both ooh and aah and yum all over it!!

here's how to process the squash after picking: wash well and cut the skin off. it will be tough so use a very sharp knife. cube the squash, place in a saucepan and add an inch or so of water. steam until the squash is mushy. pour off the water and use a fork to smash it into a pulp.

here's the recipe for grandma farmer's squash pie:

1 unbaked pie crust
1 cup squash pulp
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour
1 egg
1 cup milk

mix all the ingredients but the milk together and then slowly add the milk until smooth and creamy. pour into the unbaked pie shell. sprinkle with nutmeg. bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

and, the best news is that this is one dessert you can eat practically guilt-free. butternut squash is very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. it is also a good source of vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium and magnesium, and a very good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and manganese.

excuse me while i head to the kitchen for a second piece of butternut pie!!

picking and canning and freezing! oh my!

2011-08-28T10:13:00.000-04:00

garlicky dill pickles

blue lake green beans

just picked

eggplant

roma tomato

if you're a constant reader here at julie king art then you've heard me say this before: in life, we are always either giving in or fighting back. there is no middle ground. for too, too long i gave in to the pressures of love, relationships, aging, work stress, caring for ailing parents -- just life in general. one of the things i've learned as i continue to fight back and find myself again is the value of feeling fulfilled and satisfied thru work. i can't seem to get enough of gardening, harvesting, canning, freezing and being one with the great outdoors. it gives me a feeling of wholeness that i've not let myself feel for a long, long time. i'm sure that part of that feeling is due to not working a stressful corporate job. my little retail job at the antique mall is just enough for me right now. i continue to plan and scheme ways to earn an income in an unconventional, bohemian way. many say i'm whack to pursue this; there is pressure to rejoin the leagues of unhappy people toiling to pay uncle sam and be fulfilled thru a big paycheck. thoughts of returning to that lifestyle bring on a mini panic attack. i simply can't see myself doing it. only time will tell if i can continue to support myself in the way i'm choosing. it is a choice that i'm very content with right now.

my dreams these days tend to be about homesteading on a small farm. i'd like a small house on a couple of acres where i could have chickens, goats and a big garden. i see myself driving a small tractor, making goat soap and putting my harvest in a root cellar. i could sell my wares at local farm markets, live in blue jeans and fall asleep each night to the sounds of nature. when i reflect on how i've changed my lifestyle and realized some dreams over the last year, then i know that the homesteading dream can be a reality for me. i'm fighting back, my friends. i'm fighting back!

dogs and chickens

2011-08-26T08:43:00.000-04:00

it is starting to feel like fall here which is my favorite season. i'm loving the cooler nights, the angle of the sun and harvesting the end of my vegetable garden. the cooler weather has found me out on the cardinal greenway, a bike path made on an old railroad bed. it runs behind the house a ways and is a wonderful place to bike or walk the dogs.

i'm still amazed at how well the dogs and chickens get along together. there is still the occasional urge to chase but the chickens aren't afraid so it never lasts more than a few feet. all the animals -- dogs and chickens -- have found the corn field and the bean field and like to explore beyond our property. i'm a nervous wreck when the dogs get into the field because i can't see them but they come right back when i shake their dog biscuit bag. smart dogs!!

the chickens are very curious and will come visit me in the yard no matter what i'm doing. they flock whenever we're breaking green beans and peck at the ends we throw on the patio. we put our pineapple and melon rinds out for them to peck on and they have quite a feeding frenzy. mom and i both have had our painted toenails pecked a few times. like i said they're very curious.

we hope to have eggs soon. some experienced chicken farmers have said we'll get eggs in august and others say not until late september. i give them a little pep talk when i'm closing them up in the barn every night. i tell them that we've been good to them for all these months and now it's time for them to be good to us. then i close with "think eggs, girls, think eggs"! last night when i went into the shed one of the hens was sitting in the nesting box. fingers crossed that that is a good sign!

watching the chickens is very relaxing. they seem to have their own ebb and flow of moving around slowly pecking for insects and then all of a sudden they will all take off running across the yard. they are definitely a flock and huddle closely together most of the time.

for some reason they are attracted to this plant on a stump in the yard. i call it playing queen of the hill.

and so goes my life on the farm. my next post i'll give a report on the overwhelming veggie garden harvest. life is good my friends. life is good.

still lifes

2011-08-02T21:08:00.000-04:00

many days

i only see the world

in still lifes

textures patterns

light shadow

nuances of artistry

in my still life

my simple life

my bursting

with color

life

shhhhh

listen for the stillness

where truth lives

on and on and on

simply be

2011-07-22T07:16:00.000-04:00

lately i've been wondering about those people who seem to be content to simply be. laid-back and happily content, they don't seem to question their existence or place in the world. do they secretly yearn to be more? has some light illuminated them to a secret truth i've not yet learned? do they laugh at the constantly buzzing bees like me who can't seem to light on any one thing for any length of time? whereas i scurry to create and learn and plan and scheme and maybe even prove something, they watch quietly from the sidelines.

when i decided to quit my corporate job a few months ago a part of me wanted to simply be. i was burned out, waaay out. i felt like i had not let myself simply be for a long time, maybe never. for a month or so i vegged out and did as little as possible. but as soon as the sun warmed the earth my simply be mode rapidly kicked into a new notched-up gear. spading earth, planting veggies, hoeing weeds, building fence, hammering up nesting boxes and roosting poles, mucking the chicken house and much more has consumed me. this week i've silently asked myself -- are you trying to work off some debt? pay a fine? prove something? is your slaving a way to hide from something? where is all of this taking you?

i have only a few glimmers of insight into the answers. work has been a kind of mind-numbing therapy. sore muscles at the end of the day actually feel good. doing it myself, all by myself, can be daunting and frustrating and physically challenging. yelling a few obscenities when the lid of the chicken watering can won't budge is an exhilarating cathartic rush. taking a deep breath and slowing down actually works. i haven't figured out exactly what i want to do in life; it is easy to know what i will choose not to do again. it's ok to be sad and cry once in a while. mom's (apple or cherry or strawberry cream or butterscotch) pie heals (almost) all wounds. this all just part of the journey. try to enjoy it.

as i'm writing this i promise myself that i will take one day a week to simply be. but even as i'm typing these words i know that i'll need to modify that promise from one day to one hour.

huge BOGO sale in my etsy shop!!!

2011-07-21T22:35:00.001-04:00

the suffocating heat has me spending my evenings inside working on my faithful mac, playing in photoshop and dreaming up ways to increase sales in my etsy shop. check it out -- buy two prints and receive one free print of your choice AND/OR buy one original canvas or wooden panel and receive one free print of your choice. simply tell me in the message to the buyer which print you'd like to receive free.

i've also been watching a lot of my old fave movies like you've got mail (i can now recite loooong dialogue exchanges of the movie by heart hee hee), bull durham (still find kevin costner a hot hunk in this one) and runaway bride (i personally think joan cusack is the real star of this movie -- she totally cracks me up!!).

and, i've been dancing along to this tune from the bull durham movie. get up and swing along to this one, gals!!

idle hands create beautiful dishcloths!!

2011-07-21T10:27:00.000-04:00

i spend a lot of time watching these days . . . watching the chickens scratch around in the flower beds. watching the zucchini grow (by leaps and bounds overnight!!). watching the sprinkler mist the garden. watching bella and zoe loooove being farm dogs. the serenity and fulfillment i get from these idle moments fills me joy. i've started taking my crochet basket outside with me to my orange year chair where i can sit and crochet while watching. i simply can't let my hands stay idle for long.

next thing i knew i had over a dozen sets of dishcloths done and nesting prettily in my basket. i've listed two sets on etsy. above is faded glory and below is pistachio. click on the name to be whisked off to my etsy shop.

life is good on the farmer chicks farm!!

vintage sheet music destash!!

2011-07-17T23:44:00.000-04:00

i've had such good luck selling off my stash of artful blogging, cloth paper scissors and other art books that i've decided to start listing some of my huge collection of vintage sheet music. above is lot no. 10. click here to see it and others in my etsy shop.

hanky panky in the garden

2011-07-15T00:47:00.000-04:00

stella scarecrow knew a thing or two about loneliness. all day and all night she kept vigil over the garden, safeguarding the strawberries from pesky crows. she was happy to let her skirt blow freely in the wind. but her heart yearned for more.

one morning a strong northerly wind blew stella around and she spied a newcomer to the garden. oh how rakish he was in his natty red hat. her heart skipped a beat and her skirt lifted in his direction.

the next morning passersby were shocked to see that stella had discarded her dress and was letting her (unmentionables) freak flag fly. speculation was rampant about what kind of hanky panky had transpired in the garden.

but the mystery was solved with a quick glance to the south which revealed mr. natty scarecrow's ardor being misted down by an early morning cold shower.

fiction is grand fun but the truth is my two oldest brothers took time away from the chore list mom had given them to have a bit of fun with my scarecrow. the owner of the unmentionables shall remain unmentioned but they are not mine!! hint, hint!

late night photoshop fun

2011-07-12T08:22:00.000-04:00

i've been playing around in photoshop late at night again. i own several books of old wood cut illustrations and am having fun pairing them up with backgrounds and words. i think these would make cute designs for pillows, tea towels, t shirts, signs, etc. what do you think? i'd love to get some feedback on whether these would sell as jpegs or pdfs that someone would buy and then print as an image transfer to be ironed onto fabric, etc.

thanks for any feedback you'd like to give AND also for your outpouring of love and willingness to send a card to my friend "d". please email me if you'd like to participate int he get well card shower. thanks!

etsy shop update!!!!

2011-07-10T18:35:00.000-04:00

a new original in my shop -- 6 x 12 on wood panel. the words read "her gentle wings carried her far".

another 6 x 12 wood panel original. the words read "wings for soaring high". click here to see it in my shop.

pristine condition soft cover book about printmaking in mixed media. a steal at $6.50 plus shipping. click here to see it in my shop.

still working to sell off my large collection of art magazines at loooow prices. get them while they last! click here to see it in my shop.

i've been hanging on to this one. i looove it and hate to get rid of it BUT i am serious about reducing the number of totes i have filled with art stuff. it all must go! click here to see it in my shop.

hope you've had a wonderfully relaxing weekend!

prayers and loving support needed

2011-07-09T00:25:00.000-04:00

i'm reaching out to all my blog friends to ask for your prayers and loving support for my dear friend "d" who is battling cancer. after fighting breast cancer in 2010 and reaching a healthy level of remission, she is now fighting the good fight again. in addition to being a loving mother and grandmother, "d" is fun-loving, full of life and can be found most saturday evenings dancing somewhere with her hubby of 41 years. my heart is breaking for what she is going thru right now.

i would love to shower "d" with a boatload of love and support. if you'd be willing to send her a card please email me at juliekingart(at)gmail(dot)com. it would REALLY be appreciated.

((hugs)) and thanks!

julie

lokking out my back door

2011-07-07T12:15:00.000-04:00

this was soooo funny! the girls and the hens are getting along great . . . no fighting and just a tad bit of chasing. mostly they all just ignore each other.

this hen jumped right up on the windowsill and watched us eat supper! now all of them are doing it. i feel like it's feeding time at the zoo. and I"M the one in the cage!

my new finch feeder drew finches the very first day. loooove watching them out the window.

this little guy was quite the poser!

and now another music video! you just gotta love CCR!

in my room

2011-07-07T00:00:00.001-04:00

as adults, we really don't get very many chances to go back. back to our childhoods. back to our youth. back to times of innocence and simplicity. on the rare occasions that we do get the chance, nothing seems the same as we remember. everything looks smaller. or darker. or backwards.

i've moved in with my mom . . . to take care of her and the garden and the chickens. i'm sleeping in the same bedroom i shared with my sister 53 years ago when my parents first built our house. oh the memories of that innocent, naive girl (me!) who spent so many hours dreaming in this room.

that girl was a mischievous tomboy who liked to show off her football throw and do back flips off the diving board. that girl was a shy goody two shoes who didn't question authority or talk back to her elders. that girl believed everything she was told: when my biology teacher told us he would freeze three mice and bring them back to life at the end of the term, i believed him and argued with my dad about it all year. that girl longed to be julie andrews in the sound of music and practiced singing the hills are alive with the sound of music while dancing around the room. that girl rarely backed down from a dare!!

i know i appreciated my parents, our house, my life back then but none of that compares to the depth of understanding and gratitude i feel returning as an adult. this (old) girl has lived a wonderful life, loved a lot, lost a bit, raised 2 wonderful children, worked hard to succeed, faced hardships, laughed til i cried, cried till it hurt and perhaps become just a tiny bit cynical. witnessing what my parents accomplished in their lives if just downright humbling. being there for them has been a privilege. loving them an honor.

i suspicion that my mom is telling people that i moved in here so she could help me out while i continue to find myself/go thru this midlife moment. i know that i moved in to watch out for her and take the load off of taking care of this property on her own. honestly, we are helping each other out and it is so good for both of us. living in the country is definitely good for my soul and the hard labor is the best therapy i can imagine.

life is really just all about perspective, isn't it? how we choose to look at things makes all the difference. i am where i am because of the choices i've made. and i can live with that.

writing this post has me thinking about the beach boys and THIS song!!

now i'm off to my room to practice singing and dancing. you never know when they may decide to do a remake of the sound of music. i need to be ready!! lol

farm update and an announcement

2011-06-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

I used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in deep contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation. It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mosses from and Old Manse

yes, this is how i spend my time and how i feel when in the garden . . . amazed, joyous, proud and blessed. i couldn't be happier with how my garden is coming along. the only tragedies i've had are the muskmelon and watermelon plants which did not survive the cold and wet weather in may. i'm still cutting spinach and lettuce off the first 2 rows and the other 2 rows are coming along nicely. we should be able to pick cabbage in a week or two and the summer squash are starting to develop. mom and the grandkids each had a strawberry right out of the garden yesterday and reported they were yummy!!

we had our meat chicks -- cornish rock X breed -- slaughtered on wednesday morning. i was completely impressed with the amish farm we took them to; it was clean and orderly and exactly what i wanted. our meat chicks were a bit on the small side with only 2 being over 3 lbs. we will wait a bit longer to have the next batch slaughtered. i ordered 25 cornish rock Xs this time and they will be delivered to the post office around july 14th. i have some work to do to the barn to make 2 separate pens for them but it will be quick and easy work.

the hens are doing wonderful and loooove free ranging. we sadly lost one hen this week. we suspicion that a hawk flew down and took one away. there were no loose feathers and no evidence of any "foul play" and it was both puzzling and disconcerting. we're now only letting them out to range while we are out in the yard. so sad.

and now i have an announcement. i've decided to move in with my mom. i spend most of my non-working time there with the garden and the chicks and she enjoys the company and needs just a bit of watching over due to her health, especially her diabetes. i love being there in the country and playing out my desire to be a farm girl. so the question came down to why not. i think it will be a good move for both of us.

happy sunday to all of you!

woot woot!!

2011-06-14T22:28:00.000-04:00

my sing a joyful song art print was included in this lovely treasury by lady lucy!!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/Njg0MjA5NXwzMjkzNTg0MDQ/forever-young

numero uno!!

2011-06-14T07:11:00.005-04:00

introducing rosie, jenna's #1 favorite hen!

my strawberries are ripening! can't wait to taste that first one!!

the first green pepper is forming on the vine!!!!

my hens are free ranging for the first time!!

they loooove every minute of it and how fun it is for us to watch them.

the first of our meat chicks will be slaughtered this week

the first weigh in -- this one weighed 5.5 lbs.

first came mr. scarecrow

then mrs. scarecrow showed up to make sure the crows were properly

deterred from eating the strawberries!

i am smitten

2011-06-13T21:53:00.000-04:00

softly quietly

summer

whispers my name

caresses my face

warms my heart

slow dances my soul

like a long-last love

come to woo me

once again

i am smitten

lettuce eat good food

2011-06-07T08:03:00.000-04:00

last evening i harvested the first lettuce and spinach from my garden. it was so yummy with red wine vinegar and olive oil drizzled on top. there's something quite rewarding from eating food you've grown yourself. tonight i'm going to mix up an organic pesticide recipe i found online to keep the worms off the cabbage and broccolli.

lettuce eat good food. lettuce give thanks for all the ways we are blessed.

watching food grow

2011-06-05T08:40:00.000-04:00

a few shots from the garden. that's my mom watching the food grow early one morning. it's amazing how much veggie plants can grow overnight. friday evening i planted a few more things -- pimento peppers, golden peppers, sage and greek oregano. i have 3 french lavender plants to plant as well but want to corral them so they don't spread all over the entire garden. i think i'll bury a plastic tub to plant them in. i'm very proud and happy with my garden. so looking forward to harvesting and eating all the goodies.

i'm working at the antique mall from noon to 5 today and then coming home to do some art. looks like another hot day in the making!

vintage fork plant markers

2011-06-04T07:16:00.006-04:00

what fun i've been having in the art room!!! last summer i bought a big plastic butter tub full of vintage silverware. it's been sitting in my art room waiting for inspiration to strike. last week out of the blue i envisioned the forks holding little original pieces of mixed media art.

the "canvas" for each of these is two pieces of vintage sheet music glued together. the art is made of acrylics, ink and pastels. i cut the words from a 1941 thesaurus of quotations.

i love how cute they look in my african violet pot. i have a couple of ideas for using the spoons in the set as well. not sure about the knives yet but i'm sure something will brew to the top of my creative brain.

the forks don't match and are different sizes and patterns. fun!

i updated my shop with a few of these, some new originals and over 35 zines and art books!!

as i destash all my art supplies, i'm thinking about moving my bedroom into this big room (the current art room) and moving my art area into the smaller bedroom where i currently sleep. i'm liking the idea of a cozy organized art space. we shall see!

pooped in the coop

2011-06-03T07:16:00.002-04:00

it was a gorgeous day here in indiana today! lower temps and humidity made it feel like june. lol above is me inside the chicken run wiring the top fencing to the sides. i was absolutely pooped when my niece kyley took this photo. but the good news is that we got it all done. so glad.

here is kyley on her first day of summer vaca. she was the best helper -- helped weed, hold wires in the coop and keep us all entertained with her funny talking and stories.

here ky is sweeping out the chicken coop. she volunteered to do this and insisted on doing it all by herself. i was very proud of her. unfortunately her day ended bad. she was throwing her softball up onto the roof and it rolled off and hit her in the eye. she had a huge knot and the beginning of a black shiner. at the end of the day i was pooped in the coop and she was popped in the eye. hee hee

selling all my art zines and books!!!

2011-06-02T23:15:00.000-04:00

as i continue my efforts to live simply and reduce my material possessions, i've decided to sell off the bulk of my large art zine and craft book library. starting tonight i'm listing them singly in my etsy shop. i have a large number of cloth paper scissors, somerset studio, artful blogging and a few odds and ends. plus i own a large number of craft books about mixed media, digital transferring, sewing, etc. it all must go! if you are interested i will make a deal to someone on lots in lieu of buying singles.

key

2011-06-01T22:51:00.000-04:00

the keys to more abundant living: caring about others, daring for others, sharing with others. --william arthur ward--

noone can drive us crazy unless we give them the keys. --doug horton--

have the courage to say no. have the courage to face the truth. do the right thing because it is right. these are the magic keys to living your life with integrity. --w. clement stone--

a catless writer is almost inconceivable. it's a perverse taste, really, since it would be easier to write with a herd of buffalo in the room than even one cat; they make nests in the notes and bite the end of the pen and walk on the typewriter keys. --barbara holland--

sometimes i equate my life to a sticking typewriter key. it has to be hit over the head multiple times before it makes an impression. --julie king--

green acres is the place for me

2011-06-01T08:02:00.001-04:00

despite the overwhelming amount of rain we've received my garden is looking great! i am so proud of it. other than a tiny hobby garden i had in englewood about 10 years ago, it is the first garden i've had since i was 30. and i went BIG! i've planted strawberries, cabbage, broccoli, peppers, eggplant, banana peppers, roma tomatoes, better boy tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, onions, carrots, green beans, peas, sugar snap peas, mesclum, spinach, romaine lettuce, acorn squash, butternut squash, watermelon, muskmelon, thyme, parsley, basil, sage, rhubarb, sweet potatoes and red potatoes. whew! i've lost track of the number of hours i've spent planting, hoeing, spreading straw, weeding, rearranging, etc. i am having fun and it is THE BEST therapy around!! above is grandson ben checking out one of the summer squash plants.

the hens continue to grow and develop their personalities. they've mastered getting in and out of the coop via the ramps we made into the run. i love sitting in the shade and watching them peck around, squabble over worms and do their little chicken dances. lol we lost one of the meat chicks over the weekend due to the extreme heat. we now have fans blowing on them. gotta to protect all those chicken dinners!!

the sweet potato slips were slow to green up and grow but have really taken off this week. can't wait to start harvesting everything. a friend of my mom's was cleaning out her mom's basement and gave us a huge stash of canning jars. thrilled to get them!! i'm looking at a small used freezer today. i'll need one in order to hold all the chickens and frozen veggies i plan to put up.

so far the rabbits have stayed out of the garden but we've seen evidence of a deer walking thru. the big holes above are hoof prints and were placed there before i strung the lines for the sugar snap peas to grow on.

i continue to love this life i'm creating away from the stress and chaos of big city life and corporate work. as i drive from place to place in the countryside my eyes have started to search for a small hobby farm to rent. emphasis on small!!! all i need is a tiny house with a small barn or shed and a spot for a garden and the chicks. a pond would be nice and lots of shade trees. dream on, dream on -- in a good way!!!

happiness dwells here

2011-05-26T07:11:00.000-04:00

she wakes to the sound of a motor purring softly at her side. radiating warmth and yawning widely the "motor" stretches out and then softly nudges to be petted. she stretches as well and gently scratches between the cat's ears. she hears the birds twittering madly in the trees and a lawn mower at work down the street. opening her eyes she senses the sunshine peeking thru the blinds. yay, she thinks, i can work outside but just a few more minutes of this blissful wakening. this quiet moment of gratitude for this much-dreamed of life that has come true.

with coffee on her mind, she arises and heads for the kitchen. cat meows and dances her between the legs sashay which translates to feed me, feed me now. a can of fancy feast turkey in gravy spoons its way into the red cat bowl. a few sprinkles of cat chow and she heads to the living room to open the mini blinds. satisfied with the luminous light filling the room and her life, she leisurely makes coffee.

she grabs her current read "and i shall find some peace there" by margaret roach and settles into her fave porch chair for caffeine and inspiration. this book is one of many that she has read recently about women leaving their corporate jobs to find happiness and fulfillment by simplifying their lives. she finds solace in their stories and affirmation that her quest is not completely insane.

a passing car diverts her attention to the bed of iris at the front of her house. planted by a long-gone previous tenant, she is delighted by the quantity and variety of irises that greeted her this spring. on a whim she grabs her nikon and heads out for an ab-lib photo session, her favorite kind. her heart soars as she sees the remains of last night's rain shower. millions of sparkling rain drops bling the flower bed. these are my diamonds, she thinks, my much-cherished gems. and she gathers them one by one, capturing each shiny droplet in eternal images of delight. and she knows that happiness dwells here just like she always knew it would.

vintage upcycle

2011-05-25T07:16:00.001-04:00

yard sales, garage sales, flea markets -- here i come!! i've been piddling around in my art room with some vintage items i've purchased in the past. i'm upcycling them by adding some art, painting and giving them a new, happy life. above is an old frame i bought at goodwill for .25. i added my original art and hope to sell it at the antique mall where i'm working now. i have 2 more of these frames and hope to get the art created tomorrow on my day off.

this is also a goodwill find that i painted white (it was black) and embellished with my harmony original.

i created an indesign art file, printed it out on several different colors of card stock and then cut out to make these little tags. love this "typewriter" font so much!!

chicken farmer

2011-05-22T23:55:00.001-04:00

my life as a chicken farmer is sooo much fun!! this week i moved the chickens from mom's laundry room to the coop. the meat chicks went first as they had gotten huge and had outgrown the large plastic tub they were living in. i rigged a pen in the corner of the barn for them to live in since we don't want them to get a ton of exercise. calm, quiet chicks = tender meat!! the hens were moved a few days later into a large metal horse trough in the barn. still under the heat lamp for the cool evenings, the hens had so much more room to move around in the trough.

today we gathered at mom's to build the chicken run attached to the barn. my brother brian and my son matt helped me construct a 12' by 6' welded wire pen. brian cut a hole in the barn door and rigged it with a weight and rope so we can open the door into the run from outside. we still need to add a roof and will be working on it one evening this week. then we'll construct a fence wall in the barn so that the hens can be moved out of the trough and be able to go in and out of the barn all day.

we couldn't resist letting the hens out to play in the run once the fence was up. we had to hand gather them and then set them thru the door until they get the hang of it. they seemed stunned at first and huddled together in a tight circle. but within 5 minutes they started to peck in the dirt and were able to pull up a few worms. there was a flurry of running and short distance flying when a worm was discovered.

my SIL candy selected our hens for us and gave us a nice variety; i have 2 each of aracuanas, barred rock, buff orpington, golden comet, new hampshire and rhode island reds. all of the hens will lay brown eggs except for the aracuanas who will lay a greenish blue egg.the goal for now is to keep them happy and well-fed and watered as they grown and mature. when they get a little bigger we will let them free-range on mom's 3+ acres. it will be september before they start to lay eggs.

all 12 of the meat chicks are cornish rocks. we visited a local amish farm this week to set up an appointment to have them slaughtered on june 22nd -- 7 weeks after they were born. mom and i plan to have a little celebration feast of the first chicken and then we'll freeze the rest.

i've already named 2 of my hens -- one of the rhode island reds is named hermione and one of the golden comets is named luna. both are tributes to my love of the harry potter books.

in other news, i'm working a part-time job at a local antique mall which i am loooooving! i assist the customers, run the cash register, enter new inventory, do a little cleaning and get first look at all the new antiques that come in. it is low-stress and perfect for me right now.

flying practice

2011-05-07T07:16:00.002-04:00

these pics of my two grands pretty much sum up how all of us are feeling these days . . . carefree and joyously exhilarated to be outside in the fresh air and sunshine! these were taken on easter but earlier this week the kids were practicing flying again and i thought maybe i'd give it a try. so there i was at 58 years old with my arms spread wide zooming around mom's back yard. i made the vrrrrrrrroooom noise (my best imitation of an old bi-wing plane) and made lots of dips and sharp turns as i sped across the yard. and it felt good! the rush of oxygen, the giddy happiness, the looks of delight on the kids' faces all combined to make me feel much younger than my chronological age. it was delightful!

go on, try it! i know you're just dying to get out there and soar!

a bird in hand

2011-05-05T23:44:00.001-04:00

i've often wondered during my almost 6 decades of living what the big deal was about a bird in hand. lol well now i know! when in michigan last weekend we went for a long nature walk in the kensington metropark. my sil had a bag of peanuts because she had heard that chickadees would eat right out of your hand. and eat they did! above is a downy woodpecker eating out of my hand. it was the oddest sensation when he landed on my hand with his little clawed feet wrapped around my pointer finger. the cheeky little guy ate 2 or 3 nuts before heading back to the trees and then came back two more times for more!

in this photo my sil candy is holding the nuts while my mom gets a bird's eye view (pun intended!!) of a little chickadee having an afternoon snack. the chickadees were so quick, diving in to sit, grab a nut and then flit off again.

this was mother nature at her best!!

chick day!!

2011-05-03T10:15:00.000-04:00

it is official!! our chicks are home safe and sound and i am now a chicken farmer!! mom and i drove to michigan on sunday to my brohter's house in new hudson. he owns grand river feed where on monday they held their annual chick day. they had over 1,000 chicks for sale, many of them reserved for customers who had pre-ordered the number and variety of their choice. we picked up our chicks yesterday morning and were home by 4:00. we had to keep the heat on high as the chicks need to be at a 90 degree temp for the first week. believe me, it was roasting in my car for the 4.5 hour drive!

ben and jenna were so excited to see the chicks. ben entered my mom's house chanting baby chicks baby chicks baby chicks. he was tentatively curious but jenna was enthralled with every aspect and helped me feed and water them.

we have 12 broilers which will grow very quickly and need to be slaughtered in 7 weeks. we also have a variety of egg laying breeds which will start producing eggs by early to mid autumn. i tried to explain to jenna in the most basic of words that the light yellow chicks won't be around long and she should not get attached. i am sure that this is going to be a very hard lesson for her to learn.

the broilers will stay in the house under the heat lamp for about 2-3 weeks, depending on the weather and then be moved to the shed. the hens will need to stay protected under the heat lamp longer, about 3 to 4 weeks if it gets warm and stays warm by late may.

i just came home from mom's and all the chicks are alive and doing well. they already seemed bigger, more active and voraciously hungry this morning. for some reason they like to congregate in their food bowls which is so funny. they are also curious about their reflections in the water bottle.

zoe and bella were of course very interested with lots of soft whimpering and scampering around the tubs. i want to introduce them to the chicks from a young age so they understand that these are not play things and are off limits. eventually the hens will free range at mom's and i want to be able to turn the dogs loose without any incidents. bella and zoe are soooo well behaved that i am confident i can train them to leave the hens alone.

this is jenna and me watching the royal wedding news on et. we were both pretty worn out as you can tell. already this morning, mom and i are talking about getting more hens and having eggs to sell. also i'm planning to order meat chickens so we have fresh meat every 7-9 weeks or so.

i've longed to raise chickens and gather my own eggs for so long. i am a happy, happy chicken farmer and i looove it!

etsy shop update!!!!

2011-04-28T18:49:00.000-04:00

just in time for mother's day: i just loaded NINE new originals to my etsy shop!! please check it out and pass the word!

the magic of the woods

2011-04-28T10:07:00.000-04:00

may apples

dutchman's britches

mossy log

mr. toad

miss snails's home in the woods

stacked toadstools

mayflower gathering

as she stepped from her car she could smell the rich, wet forest floor. it flooded her senses with nostalgic memories of innocent childhood days spent frolicking and collecting and losing herself in the magic of the woods. she smiled as she recalled the games she and her brothers had played so many decades ago. the wide open woods beckoned her, a siren's call of images and scents and sponginess beneath her feet. she followed the call and entered the magic kingdom.

she delighted at the vast gatherings of may apples, like delicate ladies at a hat convention, each wearing a simple frilly white hat upon her coat of spring green. toadstools of every variety and color and shape sprouted everywhere, just waiting for their moment of fame, their chance to be photographed. her eye caught a slight movement on the forest floor and to her surprise and delight she spied a toad. he patiently paused in his afternoon foray, posing as if to say 'yes, i'm part of the magic and happy to participate in your excursion'.

she meandered over the hill, dodging low-hanging branches and climbing over fallen logs, long dead yet alive with all manner of forest growth and fungi. she wondered when someone had last walked this woodsy way. was it an indian maiden hunting and gathering mushrooms and herbs? or had it been a squirrel hunter hoping to feed his family during depression times? she chuckled at how the woods spurred her imagination, making her feel so alive and creative. she sat upon an old stump to rest, her eyes turned to the vast canopy above her head where she could see the sun streaming thru a few clouds. as the sun hit her face she soaked in the knowledge that this was the best free therapy she could ever ask for. gone were the aches and pains, the money worries, the restless questions about what to do next. she was at peace, one with nature, happy in her skin and content beyond measure.

the farmer 6

2011-04-26T07:59:00.001-04:00

this is me and my siblings and my mom on easter sunday. with two of my siblings living out of state we only all get together at mom's a couple of times a year so this was a very special day. i cherish this photo!

cloudy days

2011-04-22T21:58:00.000-04:00

cloudy days

don't ruin my sunny disposition

even though it's sunny days

for which i am wishin

cloudy days

challenge the artist in me

by reflecting and enhancing

the things that i see

life with cats AND dogs

2011-04-22T07:16:00.000-04:00

zoe and bella at 2:16 am --

patiently waiting for me to stop making art

and start going to sleep!

zoe and bella at my mom's

wanting to run, run, run free

all over her property.

me? i had to take a break

and ask them to chill for a bit!

willow likes to play and sleep

in my plastic tub of tissue paper

and vintage sheet music.

willow looooves the flower bed

i dug up in the front of my house.

she wallers and lounges and chases

bugs and guards the house!

i'm seriously thinking about giving up tv. all the entertainment needed in my house is provided by the 4-legged companions who share my home. at any given moment you can witness a stampeding pet parade, willow air boxing bella's ears or zoe jumping over the couch to try to playfully catch willow. there is never a dull moment. late one night last week i took bella and zoe out for a walk and about a block from the house i noticed that willow had snuck out the door and was following us. i swear she thinks she's a dog!! she has even started sleeping on the dog bed with one or both of the girls. yesterday willow was trying to catch a fly and before i knew it all three of the girls were in on the chase. willow was on jenna's desk, zoe was on ben's desk and bella was leaping off the couch into mid-air to try to win the prize.

my cup runneth over with love and joy and delicious blessedness!!

reaching

2011-04-21T07:16:00.000-04:00

reaching

for a helping hand

up to lofty heights

into the void

out of my comfort zone

reaching

the rainbow's edge

my heart's desire

a soulful solace

home sweet home

reaching

to find myself

lose myself

reclaim time

replace lost love

reaching

searching

believing

hoping

accepting

i often wonder how we know when we've arrived. do dreams ever end? are we ever done growing, learning, reaching? will there be a time when i'm old, old, old that i'm past dreaming and wanting more? i'm not talking about material things. i'm talking about sunsets, and sweet kisses from grandsons and walks in the rain. i'm talking about that first summer strawberry, the warm purr of my cat, a laugh with my mom. i feel i'm always reaching for more -- more life, more living, more doing, more being, more loving, more blessed exhilaration in the face of nature and all god's beauty.

please don't let me ever lose this thirst for life. make me humble in the face of god, grateful for every blessing, accepting of love and giving of myself. this is my morning prayer.

after the rain

2011-04-19T23:30:00.000-04:00

she stretched luxuriously as she read the last few lines of her book. she had enjoyed every word of it and couldn't believe she had spent the better part of the day lazy and content in her reading chair. even the dogs and the cat had shared in her tranquil mood. looking out the window, she noticed that the sky had brightened and the sound of rain on the roof had stopped. this was one of her favorite times to stroll with her camera. in two shakes she had her shoes on and the camera slung around her neck. she was out the door, off the porch and turning a keen eye toward all of nature's bounty. the funny thing about a warm rain is that it changes so many things. flowers open, puddles form, drips hang suspended in a lovely dramatic play waiting for an audience to applaud. her applause was the whirr and click of her nikon. her standing ovation was the smile on her face and the gratitude in her heart. nature's encore was the appearance of the sun as the clouds parted.

she trekked several blocks enjoying the squeak of her wet sneakers on the reflective street. skirting puddles and admiring the winged birds, she marveled at how human beings are so like nature. each season is a reinvention of new shapes, forms, colors and nuances. she was reinventing herself as well. or maybe she was simply finding herself after a long absence. either way, she was taking on new dimension and texture in her life. her tapestry was being woven with vibrant hues of confident colors. she was infused with a joyful balance. after the rain, the sun must come and she knew her clouds had parted to let in the wonderful glow of life.

looking up

2011-04-11T11:54:00.000-04:00

seeing all the world's possibilities

embracing hope

nurturing self

taking time to heal

this is where i'm dwelling now . . . on me and healing and getting better and getting over whatever has been ailing me for a couple of years. i've hinted at it a few times here and maybe said it right out loud. i suffer from depression. this has been quite a battle for me because my entire life i've been a happy-go-lucky gal who laughs at all of life's trials. i was never one to dwell on me or feel sad or take life too seriously. looking back i can see the series of events that lead me down this current path -- ailing parents, the loss of an adored job, the loss of fantastic work friends, the isolation, a new stressful unfulfilling job, and relationship challenges. the truth is i let it all get to me and became overwhelmed. i did not reach out for help, share my feelings with others or nurture myself. i simply plunged on and let it pile up on me.

it got so bad that last september i left my husband and moved to my hometown. last month i quit my job. the idea of getting a new job is scary and weighs me down. i know the reality -- my money will not last forever and i will need to have additional income. but i find myself channeling scarlett o'hara and whispering tomorrow. maybe i'll be able to focus on that tomorrow.

i've had over a month to simply be, to sleep and meditate on my life and heal. surrounded by my family and the overwhelming support of my daughter i have started to put the pieces of my life back together. the spring weather has helped immensely. my doctor switched me to a new med last week and already i feel a big difference.

but, the bottom line is that i need to see someone who can give me the professional help i need to finish the healing process. it has taken me getting better to realize that this is the next step (even though so many people have encouraged me to do so for some time). a month ago i was still too overwhelmed by the heaviness to focus. i do not want to be on anti-depressants for the rest of my life. i want to return to that free-spirited gal who loved every second of her life. despite my desire to do it all alone, i know that i cannot.

what is most frustrating is that i have NOTHING to be depressed about. i am so very blessed in my life. when i look at the world and what others battle and endure, i am ashamed that i feel depressed. and, that is how i know that this is clinical and a sickness that i must treat medically and psychologically.

why am i sharing this with all of you? it is simple . . . so i can tell others that you really can't fight depression alone. that you need to get help. do it early on before the burden becomes so heavy that you have no fight left and the only course you have is flight. because that is what i've done -- flown from everything that i couldn't deal with.

if you know someone who suffers from depression, please pass this on. my heart goes out to each and every person who is battling this.

((hugs)) to all of you for continuing to listen and support me. it means a lot!!

hello front porch

2011-04-07T07:16:00.001-04:00

hello front porch

i've missed you

good evening potted violas

thanks for welcoming me home

it is sooo nice to be able to sit out on my porch and read or simply watch the world go by. i have a rope hooked to the porch railing so bella and zoe can hang out with me (without running off). yesterday morning i ate my cereal out there and took a few breaks from cleaning out there as well. willow likes to come out with us and so far has not wandered too far off the porch. she runs back up to my lap with every dog bark, door slam or big gust of wind. it is so funny to see her wallow in the sun!

this is the simple life i've been craving!

she (still) loved books

2011-04-06T14:36:00.001-04:00

of all my artwork, prints of my original "she loved books" mixed media sell the best online and locally. i like to think that it is because reading is such a universal passion. there's just nothing like getting lost in a good story. so i thought it was time to create a second version of the same theme. above is she loved books 2. the original is available in my etsy shop. the story reads:

"she loved books, devouring them like decadent chocolate eclairs, each one more delicious than the previous. attracted to the aged, mellow colors of the frayed covers, she was soon intimately involved with the rich characters she found inside. these charismatic, often quirky soul mates were her nightly bedfellows and her traveling companions. even during her strolls in the park, she found her mind wandering to her current read, anticipating each delightful revelation and turn of phrase. the sweet scent of the old, dusty pages filled her head with aromatic visions of far-off places and oft-forgotten times. her fingers itched to caress each page as the story unfolded and wove its magical spell. her home was overflowing with stacks of much-loved, well-worn tomes, stepping stones to a life she could only hope to live one day. but for now, she was content to exist within the toothy vellum pages of the hardbound books she so loved."

it is warm enough for me to have my windows cracked a bit here today. looove! i'm doing some spring house cleaning and plan to drag the spade out of the garage later this afternoon. i need to start cleaning up the flower beds around this little house. and, of course, i plan to create some new flower beds as well. my flower beds are all being created in the "volunteer" method. all the perennials i plant will be starts donated from family and friends -- the ultimate in recycling!!

have a great day!

vintage clothespins

2011-04-05T07:16:00.002-04:00

so many things in my life remind me of my mom and bind me to her. but for some reason the thing that seems to tug my heart strings the most is her old clothespins. as you can tell from the photos, she has used them for decades. they stay on the line thru all the seasons -- bleached by the sun, frozen by the ice and snow, windburned and rain-sodden. hanging clothes on the line was one of my favorite chores as a child. you had to hang them just right so that they dried with as few wrinkles as possible. and oh the smell when you brought them into the house after a long day of sunshine and fresh air was just divine.

i've already used mom's line to hang out all my bedding and one day this week i hope to hang out my shower curtain and bathroom rugs. spring is here and my heart is singing a happy tune!

tea bag cranes

2011-04-04T10:50:00.000-04:00

i stumbled onto these tea bag cranes while browsing blogs a couple of weeks ago. i fell in love with them immediately and knew they would look adorable hanging above my kitchen sink. the best part was that all the proceeds went to the red cross japan relief efforts. there is something so serene and light-hearted about these cranes as they swing in the early spring breeze coming in my window. you can find them in the artinredwagons etsy shop.

2011-04-03T08:44:00.000-04:00

a couple new pieces i created last weekend. the top one is old pattern tissue paper crinkled up and then glued down. i added acrylic paints and pastel chalks to the top of the hard tissue paper for color, etc. for the second one i applied i thin layer of dap to the bare wood and used a pencil to draw shapes and texture in the wet dap. after it was partially dry i added all the colors.

bella and zoe and i are headed to my mom's today to clean out the shed in preparation for getting our baby chicks later this month. excited!!!

goat stampede

2011-04-01T18:46:00.000-04:00

i got a little cabin feverish yesterday and grabbed my camera for a drive in the country. it was wonderful to ramble down some roads i've not been on in over 30 years. i experienced that "wow, it looks so much smaller than i remember" feeling a few times. and, i managed to get lost . . . but only temporarily. the highlight of the trip was stumbling upon this herd of goats. they were way across the field when i pulled up and got out of my car. the second i stepped toward the fence and said hi goats they stampeded toward me. my photos don't capture how quick and anxious they were to see me. most of the goats were content to stand back but a few couldn't get close enough. i must say i burbled over with laughter at their antics to get their heads stuck thru the fence holes.

as i was editing and naming the photos here at my mac, i couldn't help thinking that people are a lot like these goats. some have a zest for living and want to push ahead to experience every ounce of life full tilt. others are much more content to be take a second row seat, observing the livelier ones. in my life, i've been both kinds at one time or another. lately i've been more comfortable in the 2nd row but then i think not. after all, i was the one who stopped on a desolate road to befriend the goats. hee hee

tulips

2011-03-31T07:16:00.000-04:00

tulips are one of my favorite flowers. they herald spring, come in a large variety of colors and have such a lovely shape. little bouquets of them for sale at wm or kroger really pull at my heart strings. i give in and buy them occasionally. but mostly, i just try to enjoy them in their natural setting or by taking photos of them.

i read online that "tulips are like a favorite pair of jeans or your mom's fresh-baked cookies in that the meanings of tulips express genuine coziness and comfort in all of the right ways. a comfortable flower choice, tulips are not too elegant, too romantic, too big, too small, or too bright; the tulip is always just right."

no wonder i like them soooo much!

the benefits of napping

2011-03-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

willow and i have fallen into a wonderful habit since i'm not working away from home. we nap! some days i may stay up up til 2 or 3 in the morning in the art room, sleep in the next morning and then take a late afternoon nap. other days i may get up extra early to be creative and then go back to bed around noon. it's not that i'm not productive, because i am. i just go with the flow of how i feel and when i feel like getting things done.

lest you think this is a lazy woman's path to the poor house, google gives the following benefits of napping:

Naps can restore alertness, enhance performance, and reduce mistakes and accidents. A study at NASA on sleepy military pilots and astronauts found that a 40-minute nap improved performance by 34% and alertness 100%.
Naps can increase alertness in the period directly following the nap and may extend alertness a few hours later in the day.
Napping has psychological benefits. A nap can be a pleasant luxury, a mini-vacation. It can provide an easy way to get some relaxation and rejuvenation.

i really didn't need an excuse to nap but low and behold now i have several! in addition to napping, willow also likes to have her picture taken. she's quite a poser!

quiet solitude

2011-03-29T07:00:00.007-04:00

"quiet solitude"

6 x 12 x 1.25 wood panel

mixed media collage

months and months ago i bought an old beat up thesaurus of quotations at the thrift shop. it is copyright 1941 and the guts had come completely unbound from the hard cover. it is broken into topics like hope, retreat and virtue. each topic starts out with an all-caps headline which are pure perfection for adding words to my art. i must confess that sometimes i get lost in the quotations themselves. on saturday i challenged myself to pick two words from the book and then create a piece of art that depicted the words. an hour later i had cut out numerous words but settled on quiet solitude. i liked the idea of a single flower to represent solitude and the mix of blues and greens have a quiet air about them. i used old tissue paper pattern pieces to create the 3-d vase, petals and stem. a bit of acrylic paint and some bright quilting thread accomplished my simplicity goal.

i love quiet solitude and feel somewhat sorry for those who are not comfortable in their own company. i am at my best when i'm alone; perhaps that's not actually a good thing though. hee hee

that's how you know

2011-03-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

in the middle of repotting a bunch of root-bound plants yesterday afternoon, i noticed a delicious stream of sunlight poring thru my south-facing kitchen window. i immediately grabbed my camera and placed this glass cake stand in the light and clicked away. the "cake stand" is actually a glass candle holder and a glass plate that i glued together. each piece was a .49 steal at goodwill. it sits 5 1/2" tall and 7" wide. i keep my shamrock plant on it on my kitchen countertop. i love the daintiness of it and someday i may make a large cupcake to sit perfectly on it. but that's another day, another project.

anyway, the thrill that shot thru me when i saw that shaft of sunlight was quite exhilarating and a long time coming. it got me to thinking how one way i gauge the level of my depression and overall well-being is by my interest in photography. on blue days where i have trouble getting up and dressed, my camera sits idle and lonely on the coat closet shelf. on my good days, photo ops seem to present themselves quite frequently. so i've promised myself that i'm going to use my camera as my therapy. hopefully, on the blue days i can spark some good vibes simply by getting lost behind the lens. it certainly was cathartic today!

she followed her heart home

2011-03-27T17:49:00.000-04:00

"she followed her heart home"

12 x 12 x 1.25 wood panel

mixed media collage

i've had 2 very productive days in the art room with a total of 7 new pieces created and ready to top coat. woo hoo! i moved my art table so that willow could lay in the sun while i worked. it was a win-win for both of us. she got a sunny nap and i got some creative time free from miss noseyness playing with my brushes, chalks, pencil and rubber stamps. the sun has moved to the southwest at this early evening hour so now she is snoozing on a pile of old pattern tissue paper laying on the table near my west window. she sure is wonderful company!

so now i'm going to take a nap, too. all the creativity and the tail-end of my cold have me feeling wonderfully pooped!

more photos soon!

in my little life

2011-03-24T15:53:00.000-04:00

i'm so pleased with how my art looks hanging in the "across the street antique mall" in hagerstown!! it's surreal to walk in there and do a double-take. i need to get back to the art table now so i can have a fresh selection to hang somewhere else.

thank goodness for mucinex!!!! it is keeping "stuff" at bay and my coughing to a bare minimum. my ribs are so sore that i'm also taking tylenol a few times a day for somewhat pain-free breathing.

i put willow on canned cat food today. she is sooo skinny even though she eats all the time and has been wormed. she goes back to the vet on monday to get her sutures out and i'm anxious to ask what the weight loss is all about. she loved the canned kitten food and now is all snug asleep on my feet. i'm so blessed to have her in my life.

a few good books i've read recently: room by emma donoghue was the most unique book i've read in a long time. it had me thinking about survival and the lengths we'll go thru to protect someone we love. the help by kathryn stockett was phenomenal and i highly recommend it. lisa scottoline's think twice was very compelling and a quick read for me. jodi picoult's latest, sing you home, was good altho not my favorite of her books. well worth reading!

that's it for today -- all the little happenings in my little life.

recovery

2011-03-22T10:25:00.000-04:00

i've been down sick with a terrible cold for a week and a half. i caught it from the grandkids who seemed to spring back much more quickly than me. being under the weather has allowed me time to ponder a few things about life -- not just my life in particular but life in general.

sunshine improves everything! my coffee tastes better while sitting in a spot of sun. the need-to-do list seems shorter and the desire to do anything at all is stronger when the sun is streaming in my windows!

perhaps forcing a cat to be an indoor cat is not a good idea. i decided that i wanted to shelter willow and keep her inside all the time. since spring has sprung, she has been plaintively meowing at the doors and windows. yesterday i broke down and let her come out on the porch with me while i read in the sun. even though she wandered off the porch to explore the bushes in the neighbor's yard, she never wandered far and ran right back to me when i called or if a loud noise scared her. we will continue our short supervised forays into nature as i know how special outdoor time can be.

my camera is at the center of my recovery. during cough-free moments i've traveled out into the neighborhood with my camera. seeing the world thru a lens focuses all my energy away from me and my miserable cold. it lets me transcend the physical world and enter a magical world of make-believe. that dead leaf is really a magic carpet dancing in the wind. the feisty squirrel in the tree is telling me to please go spy on someone else. each photo i capture tells its own unique fairy tale of mystery and lore.

i'm off to my mom's to hang my sheets and blankets on the clothesline, a task i really, really love to do!

"we should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry. -- e.b. white --

dorky me!!

2011-03-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

what happens when you try to bend your glasses just a hair so they fit better? you end up looking like a gigantic dork!! luckily, i found my back-up pair and can still create art and take photos! big sigh!!

bird watching the willow way!!

2011-03-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

yes, willow has taken bird watching to a whole new level here on north plum street! the last photo cracks me up -- see the look of panic on her face as she tries to figure out how to get down?! after dangling for a few seconds, she simply let go and fell gracefully to the desk. she's my kind of cat -- living a daring life, backed up by faith and perseverance!

so far she has not tried to do this again -- yet!

early morning art class

2011-03-12T22:09:00.000-05:00

i had jenna and ben overnight last night and our morning started with some art in the sunshine. jenna is already an accomplished mixed media artist in that she truly loves to combine paints, marker, crayons, glitter, tape, pastels and ribbon all together on one piece. ben is perfecting his coloring technique -- the straight-up-and-down-method. lol if you ask him what color he is using he always says blue or wellow. and that is not a typo! best of all, jenna likes to mimic her grandma julie by creating her masterpieces in her pajamas.

my cup runneth over!

sweet yellow crocus!!

2011-03-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

i was walking the girlie girls yesterday morning bright and early and what did i see?! these gorgeous little yellow crocus were blooming in a neighbor's side yard. there was a whole row of them in front of the house. after our walk i went back out (alone) with my camera and shot these uplifting photos. my heart was singing so loud that it almost drowned out the sound of the church bells ringing. lol

the smell of dirt!

2011-03-11T16:41:00.000-05:00

i spent the day with my mom today and it was just glorious! just us girls -- mom, me and bella and zoe! we went out for lunch, did some shopping, repotted some indoor plants, staked out where we want our garden to be plowed and scoped out the future chicken coop. yes, we are going to have chickens in the shed at mom's. i'm so excited!!

while we were busy the girls ran around the yard and the woods with their noses stuck to the ground. oh, the smell of fresh dirt must be heaven to their noses after such a long winter!!

one day in the country is worth a whole month in the city!!

little fish

2011-03-10T23:24:00.000-05:00

i got this little guy for $1.25 at goodwill!! he is 6.5 x 4 and has no markings on the bottom. probably not worth a thing but he begged to come home with me and i said well sure! he'll make a cute little vase on my kitchen windowsill.

i have tons of art in process and hope to have sunshine tomorrow so i can get some decent photos. a local antique store called 'across the street antiques' is letting me hang my art on a commission basis. woot!!

on a wing and a prayer

2011-03-09T23:10:00.000-05:00

it may be that when we no longer know what to do
we have come to our real work,
and that when we no longer know which way to go
we have come to our real journey.
the mind that is not baffled is not employed.
the impeded stream is the one that sings.

- wendell berry

life is like a cup of tea

it's all in how you make it

-unknown

on a wing and a prayer

- the bee gees

tomorrow i awake to a new day and a new life.

no job

no dress clothes

no schedule

no impediments to happiness or following my dreams

my heart is soaring on a wing and a prayer

i'm jaded!!

2011-03-03T21:24:00.000-05:00

many women adore diamonds. others ask for furs. me? i'm collecting jade. a quick trip to the thrift store at lunch today netted these lovelies. all for just $6. i'm a happy camper now that i've gotten my weekly thrift fix.

i could live in a book

2011-03-02T11:37:00.000-05:00

i love books!! i love to read books, pick them out at the library, browse for them at the bookstore and collect them on my book shelf. and, now i am buying for them at goodwill and the thrift store so i can make these adorable vintage book bird houses!!! it took me three tries to get this one that i like but once i figured out the process it was quite simple. i'll try to post a tutorial soon on how i made this! i have a grouping of three hanging in my living room and they are tres cute!

seeking the shine!

2011-03-01T21:52:00.000-05:00

after weeks of trying to keep willow out of my plants in the south-facing dining room window, i gave up. i moved all the plants aside and placed a folded-up towel for her majesty's basking. she's very content and purrs her thank yous to me as i pass by.

i find myself seeking the shine as well these days. when stopping for a bite of lunch, i politely ask if i can be seated in on the sunny side of the diner. i park my car so the sun streams warm it up for my afternoon drive home. and, already i have spent an hour or two reading on my sunny front porch. yes, i had a coat on, but STILL!!

each day is getting brighter

2011-03-01T19:45:00.000-05:00

i've been noodling and tweaking a few new things in my studio, including these wood panels. i used photoshop to combine some of my original photography with my original poetry.

i printed them out on high quality epson paper and mounted them to 6" x 12" x 1" wood panels which i painted matte black.

each panel is signed on the back by me and can sit on a shelf or hang on the wall.

my favorite is the i am enough one. i have one hanging in my kitchen where i see it and read each time i open my cupboard for well, you know, a sweet treat of some sort. it's a wonderful reminder of who i am, what i can do and where i want to go.

each of these is available in my etsy shop.

at almost 7:00 this evening it was still twilight out which really gives my heart a boost. i'm counting the days until i have more free time to enjoy the sunshine, get some exercise, eat healthy and be good to me! only 6 more work days and then i'm out of my corporate job and onto my next journey. i can barely control my creative wings which are fluttering and bursting with energy.

thanks to each of you for continuing to follow my sporadic posts. your words of encouragement mean so much to me! ((hugs)) to each and every one of you!

her gentle wings carried her far

2011-02-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

her gentle wings

mixed media collage

fine art print available

in my etsy shop

she had a gentle spirit and demure presence. many thought of her as shy and often wondered what quiet thoughts she was harboring in her solitude. she had big dreams but few knew what they were. those she kept to herself as well. she wasn't shy about showing her wings off to the world. she had an innate awareness that her wings were her vehicle to all her soul's longings. and she was so right. her gentle wings carried her far.

a new series i started a few days ago. the original sold but you can buy a print in my etsy shop.

we all need a little color!!!

2011-02-27T16:28:00.000-05:00

sun tea is brewing on the porch

birds are twittering in the trees

seeds are planted on the window sill

snow is melting on the ground

hands are busy in the art room

life is sweet and joyous

each of the above originals is available in my etsy shop! we all need a little color to brighten our lives these days! enjoy!

give me wings to fly

2011-02-25T16:53:00.000-05:00

after months (years?!) of scheming and figuring and praying and cutting back i made the decision this week to give notice at my corporate job. my feelings waiver between uncontrollable, giggling euphoria and mind-stopping, heart-thumping fear. omg, what have i done? i told my co-workers i just can't do this anymore but the truth is i CHOOSE not to do it anymore. this is a drastic lifestyle choice and change. i'm trading in dress clothes and a loooong commute for jeans, sandals and a diet of peanut butter sandwiches. i'm blessed that i love peanut butter! i'm blessed that i'm surrounded by my family who think i'm nutso but are here to spur me on and prop me up.

how does one come to this kind of decision? for me, i've envisioned for a looong time the kind of life i'd like to lead. it's about simplifying and having less. it's about setting your ego aside and not equating your self worth with the amount of money you make. it's about making a list of all your skills and talents and developing concrete plans for making money doing those things. it's about believing in yourself.

give me wings to fly . . . please.

my studio "helper"

2011-02-22T13:17:00.000-05:00

me: willow, please get down and don't jump on my fabric!

willow: i just have to figure out what is causing all that rustling noise.

me: willow, please don't make me scoot you off the art table. i'm trying to cut this fabric out so i can make a new slouchy hobo bag.

willow: aaaaaah . . . i not only like the sound but i like the feel of this crinkly paper as well.

me: willow, you're going to get that pin stuck in your paw and then you're going to bleed all over my fabric.

willow: can't she tell i'm not listening to her? when have i ever listened to her in the past? the worst she's going to do is pick me up and gently set me on the ground. and then guess what -- i'm going to get up and we'll start the whole process all over again.

hooked on art

2011-02-20T10:07:00.000-05:00

i found these cute hooks at hobby lobby and bought them with no idea where or how i would use them. last weekend i was noodling how to fill an empty space on my dining room wall and voila! this idea came to me. first i added some extra color via fluid acrylics to the face of each of the hooks. then i hung them on the wall via velcro sticky back tabs. looove these tabs so much! then i sorted thru all the small art pieces i've been collecting for the past few years. i selected one piece by flor larios, one by courtney p and one by cori. i spray mounted decorative scrapbook paper onto a heavy piece of mounting board then added the print to the face of that. the ribbons are glued to the back of the board.

i have so many creative projects in the works and hope to finish at least a couple of them today. i'm still driving back and forth to dayton to work every week day and never miss an opportunity to take a nap or two on the weekends to catch up on my rest. soooo, it will be a nice mixture of rest and play.

i hear it raining out my art room window. i guess i'll be walking my girlie girls bella and zoe in the rain today. thank goodness it isn't snow!!

wip it wip it good!!

2011-02-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

a few more photos of my wip -- work in progress little cottage. the vintage-ness of the kitchen makes me smile. all those white cupboards with the black metal inspire me and make me happy. i made the curtain from a remnant i bought at joann's and the good morning coffee cups art is a julie king original.

another kitchen shot with my mantra on the blackboard -- give more, expect less, laugh often, appreciate the little things and simplify. i'm so inspired by those words and my kelly rae calendar. loooove all the sunshine that streams into my south-facing windows.

i made the tiny room at the back of the house my bedroom so i could use the larger room for my art room. a creative girl knows her priorities!! i get wonderful afternoon and evening sun from this south-facing window plus there's another window that faces north. and, again i made the curtains from remnants from joanns.

more bright light streams into my art room. i bought the long white table for $40 at the thrift store in dayton last october. it was already knicked and scratched so it made the perfect surface for painting and getting messy. i'm on the hunt for a super-cheap chair that has height adjustment. the old dining chair at the table is too short. i'll be lurking in the thrift store and at goodwill again next week.

soon i'll show you the adorable bird houses i made out of antique books and creative ways i've been hanging art on the walls.

what are you "wip"ing these days?

seeing thru the haze

2011-02-18T21:42:00.000-05:00

the sun and warmer temperatures melted all the snow away this week. the icicles hanging over my front steps evaporated into the air. the large branches and small twigs that rained down during the ice storm have been carted off by the city crew. my heart swelled in my chest and my winter funk floated away. i celebrated my 58th birthday over the holidays so i've had lots of experience with the heavy winter blues that keep me isolated in a bear-like hibernation every winter. but i don't ever recall in the past having the moments of clarity and focus that i've been experiencing this week. maybe i just have to reach a certain level of low in order to look far enough up to visualize what i need to do and where i want to go. here are a few of the things i realized this week:

••• money brings comfort and security but it can be a trap that tears me down emotionally and physically.

••• the time to live, do, create, fly, follow my inner muse is now. i can't wait for the perfect time; it will never arrive.

••• when plagued by doubts, i need to stay the course, believe in myself and hold out for what i want.

••• it's ok to listen to my heart and pursue my dreams instead of always taking the safe, rationale path

••• no one else can decide what is best for me

••• quit sitting back and waiting, waiting, waiting . . . make it happen!!

hopefully it will be sunny and warm again tomorrow so i can start to put all this vision into practice!!

sweet little houses

2011-01-30T18:03:00.000-05:00

over christmas i bought a free style stitching foot and i looooove it!! click the above photo to see it large and all the random stitching i did by machine. these are each about 15" high by 5" wide and they sit on my antique church pew in the dining room. i never had my sewing machine set up permanently at my old house. here i designated a sewing corner in my art room and love how handy it is to just sit down and sew any time i want to.

we had gorgeous sunshine today here in indiana. i took a long walk and soaked up some rays. it felt marvelous!!

collaged cubbie!!

2011-01-30T07:16:00.000-05:00

i wanted to share a few pics of the finished cubbie i showed you here. this was so much fun and i just loved how it turned out.

it sits on top of my refrigerator and is a cute whimsical focal point. i bought this at the thrift shop -- 2 pieces for $10 and i didn't have to buy a thing in order to transform it.

i love everything kelly rae and my collage work was inspired by her piece shown here.

and, an update this piece!! i've not touched this old cupboard that i featured here. all of my china, teapots and other kitchen collectibles are still in mom's barn with the barn door frozen shut. i want to arrange a few things inside of it before i decide how to paint, refinish, collage, etc. please, please, please let spring get here soon!!!!!

a little of this, mostly that

2011-01-23T19:23:00.000-05:00

i've had such a wonderfully creative weekend -- and willow was right in the middle of most of it! above she is sitting in the torn paper scraps i was using to collage over an old wooden cubbie i bought at the thrift store. i'm not sure which she was most attracted to -- the paper or the wonderful sunshine streaming in my dining room window.

here's the cubbie. i bought it and a matching wooden chest with four little drawers for $10. yes, that's right -- only $10 for the set. it's very sturdy and will look so cute when i get it all done. pics to come!!

today at goodwill i bought this roll of 2,000 double tickets for $3.00. did you see that they are orange??!! let me know if you'd like some!!

memories slumbered

2011-01-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

in perfect silence

memories slumbered

as snowflakes

blanketed their beds

--julie king

as i was headed toward the cemetery on thursday afternoon i noticed another sojourner walking in the cemetery. she was bundled up against the cold but her stature and spirit were open. open to the beauty that surrounded her. open to the quiet. open to the joy that is walking in a snowfall. i wondered if she'd come to visit a loved one. was her heart heavy with sadness and loss? or was she like me -- buoyant and blessed by all god's bounty.

let me take a minute each day to be open to the world, to slow down, breathe in the essence of life and say a little prayer of thanks for the blessings.

winter's cloak

2011-01-20T21:42:00.000-05:00

winter's cloak

is woven with

hope

-- julie king--

have you discovered kim classen cafe yet?!! i recently did and i love my visits to see how she adds textures to photos, her free classes and her frequent email of free textures if you sign up fir her email blasts. hop over and give her a visit.

i am grateful that my work management allows me to work from home on bad weather days -- like today!!! the first snowfall we had this winter season it took me 2 hours and 20 minutes to get to work. it was not fun. i took a break from work this afternoon and headed out into the winter wonderland with my nikon. i shot the above in a hedgerow along the cemetery. i added kim's paper stained texture and then my gravestone 12 texture as well. i love all the depth and splotchiness.

welcome home

2011-01-13T19:56:00.000-05:00

i wanted to share a few more peaks at my house. welcome home to my living room! this first picture features 2 pieces of my art on the wall, some pillows i made and 3 of my thrift store finds -- the entertainment center, the coffee table and the plant stand. i'm planning to collage the top of the coffee table. i'm hoping to get that started this weekend.

here i've collected old wooden frames, taken the old photos out, removed the backs and placed them on the wall bare naked. then i've added photos of the grandkids (all taken by me) which i mounted to black foam core and hung with velcro wall-hanging strips. more of my handmade pillows and two of my kelly rae roberts canvasses are lit by another thrift store find.

i bought the old student desks at an antique store in new castle for ben and jenna. i say bought but really it felt much more like a steal. they were very inexpensive!! jenna loves to do art projects at hers and ben mostly likes to climb up on the chair and mess up the mini blinds. :) i made the curtains and love how they pull together my whole orange, teal and brown color scheme.

this is the view from the living room into the dining room. another of my fave collages and another handmade pillow keep things bright and cheery!

any of you who follow my blog regularly know that i've been on a roller coaster ride for a couple of years. ailing parents, the loss of my old dog presley, the death of my dad, my battle with debilitating depression and separation from my husband have tested my stamina, self esteem and perseverance. but i am a survivor and hope still lives in my heart. i'm regaining my footing, finding joy in simple pleasures and feeling at home in my own skin again -- slowly and surely. every time i come home i am welcomed by a new sense of possibility and renewed faith in myself.

i am truly blessed.

my next project

2011-01-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

in case you were curious, i am still lurking in the thrift store and goodwill at least once a week. i love looking thru all the old stuff and occasionally buying something. above is my latest purchase -- a china hutch. i'm guessing it is from the 70s but i could be completely wrong. it is not a high-end piece of furniture but i like the style of it and am looking forward to fixing it up a bit.

i had lunch with my mom on monday and then headed to her little barn to load up a few boxes of my misc. china and dishes i have stored there. it's been a few months since i packed it all up and honestly i'm not sure what all is in there. i thought i'd bring most of it home in anticipation of being able to display my collection in this new hutch. but, alas, after tugging, pushing, pulling, lifting and much grunting i had to give up. it seems that the barn door has settled in the ground and frozen in place. just another reason to yearn for an early spring!!

happily nesting

2011-01-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

ever since i moved into my little rented house in late september i've been happily nesting. i thought it was time to show you a few pics of where i now call home. this is my dining room which features the antique oak table and chairs i bought when my kids were little and the old church pew i bought for $25 and my dad refinished for me decades ago.

i love the big window that faces south and the curtain i made. my indoor plant collection is growing since i have such a wonderful place for plants.

here's a shot of nellie who you met here. i still haven't done the collage work on her drawers but i hope to start soon.

one wall of my dining room features these originals i purchased from the itsy bitsy spill. i simply adore magaly ohika's work and i am so proud to display these pieces in my home!! her shop is here and her blog is here.

more to come on my new little home where i've found peace and tranquility.

meet my willow

2011-01-03T16:21:00.000-05:00

after a few weeks of urging i finally relented and let my son matt bring me his favorite barn kitten. he had talked about how sweet she was for weeks and how i needed the extra company. i have to admit that i was a bit lonely when i didn't have bella and zoe here visiting with me. ( i get them every other weekend and one evening a week). so the little gray barn cat arrived in a flurry of excitement and peals of kittykittykittykittykitty and i named her willow.

she is the sweetest little thing, took right to the litter box and loves her kitten food. i'm sure she is pleased to get a whole bowl to herself since she was used to competing with several siblings for food.

after a couple of quiet evenings alone here at the house with me, willow got to meet her sisters bella and zoe. not one of the three quite knew what to think at first but after a couple of days they were all tentatively playing together. and all 3 slept in bed with me altho we did have one 4 am raucous when willow playfully ran across bella and zoe's backs.

notice the cute little bell in the first 2 photos. to save my sanity and ensure restful sleep, it has been removed. willow has not quite learned that lights out means no running, jumping, chewing of elbows or sucking of hair. i am hopeful that with time she will learn that this is a place of rest -- at least during the night.

she pushed through the pain

2010-11-22T22:09:00.000-05:00

she pushed thru the pain and tried to keep up the pace set by her two little rugamuffins. they were tres excited to be out for their first walk of the day, noses to the ground, tail stubs raised and warm breath puffing out in steamy clouds. she held tight to the leash and reminded herself to take a couple motrin after the walk. a gentle breeze brought whiffs of a nearby farm to her nose while the sun seeped into her stiff morning joints.

catching the inquisitive spirit of her walking companions, she admired the dewy glisten of all she passed. what a lovely morning! most of fall's bright colors were faded but the sun and dew were partnered up this day to reveal a magical wonderland to be enjoyed. she'd been so caught up in the changes in her life that she had not truly enjoyed all of nature's fall bounty. she thought about how many things in life are like that -- there for the taking but overlooked by stress and confusion and the business of life. one of the reasons she'd started this new journey was to simplify her life and have time to enjoy all the nuances and well, to just slow down.

eventually the girls tuckered out and she herded them toward home. thinking that she had to put her intentions into action, she made a fresh cup of coffee, grabbed her nikon and loaded the girls into the car. she smiled to herself as she thought what a delight it was to have nowhere to go and everywhere to go all wrapped up together. retracing her morning walking path she stopped the car frequently to capture all those images she'd admired. each one was a testament to her commitment to slow down and savor each moment. it had been some time since she'd allowed herself the freedom to simply live.

and as she clicked away she realized that those aches and pains that had slowed her down earlier had flown right up into the sky, fading away as quickly as her spirits soared. these were the life lessons she needed to grab onto and hold dear -- act on impulses, get out and enjoy nature, never feel sorry for yourself. live, just live!

need it, want it, gotta have it NOW

2010-11-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

need it • want it • gotta have it

mixed media collage

8 x 8 x 1.25 wood panel

funky fanny has been feeling a little down in the dumps lately. her mojo is down, way down. there's no kick in her step or air fanning her tail. she has the blues, a case of the slumps, a lessening of the proverbial flowing juices. faced with this depressing dilemma, she does what every sassy birdie does in time of need. she flits to the mall for a bit of retail therapy. you know the kind -- the need it, want it, gotta have it now adrenaline-pumping kick in the pants each and every one of us girls needs to experience now and again. look at her -- she so full of mojo, she's glowing.

hee hee -- loving this new series i'm working on. it is fun, fun, fun. my mojo is glowing as well -- but with me, it's from creative happiness. fanny is available in my etsy shop!

what gets your mojo going?

happy cake day

2010-11-02T06:00:00.004-04:00

happy cake day

mixed media collage

8 x 8 x 1 wood panel

SOLD

i'm wonderfully, creatively, joyfully, colorfully inspired these days, my friends and i'm loving every second of it!

"happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open." ~john barrymore

little seeds

2010-11-01T06:00:00.001-04:00

little seeds

listen closely as i share

my message of hope

with you

little seeds

hope is enduring

and soulful

and the future for us all

little seeds

wear hope like a cape

that will keep you

warm and secure

little seeds

fly, fly away now

and deliver our message of hope

to the world

halloween eve

2010-10-31T20:45:00.000-04:00

i couldn't imagine a better place to spend

this halloween eve than the cemetery.

there were no costumes

or bustling crowds of children.

only me and the shadows

and the sound of the wind

rustling the crispy leaves.

this lone angel kept watch

while my nikon captured

mother nature's

late fall beauty.

one of the things

i love most

about this particular cemetery

is the vast variety of headstones

from old to new,

from modest to grand,

from big to small,

there's intricate detail

to be admired all around.

this halloween eve

i did not wear a costume

or beg for candy

or dip for apples

but i did stand tall

in the cemetery

paying homage

to all those who

peacefully rest

surrounded by

beauty

nellie

2010-10-29T20:19:00.000-04:00

dear, sweet, nellie, the moment i saw you i knew you were coming home with me. hidden away behind an oversized armoire your essence of small perfection was a siren call of friendship. i saw your beauty shining thru despite the dust and years of misuse. in you, i felt a kindred spirit, a knowing that our journeys had been similar. once smooth and shiny in youth, your scrapes and worn edges revealed character that had developed over time. leaning close, i heard your soft whisperings and yearnings for a home to be at peace, a home to simply be who you were always meant to be. touching the soft patina of your side, i said come, come home with me. i will help restore your beauty and you will encourage me to spread my wings and fly free. free to be joyously creative at my pace and in my own way.

yes, nellie is the old drawers i posted about here. isn't she just lovely? i'm sketching and planning the next step in her renewal (collaged drawer fronts, words of inspiration?!). despite the fact that i bought her for my bedroom she has wandered into my dining room and made herself quite at home, adding a bright spot to the middle of my little cottage home. she and i are settling in quite nicely, thank you very much!

the one place in the world

2010-10-27T23:15:00.000-04:00

she slipped on her worn tennis shoes and headed out the door. a brisk breeze ruffled her hair as she stepped onto the sidewalk. this was her first walk late at night since returning "home". heading south she shuffled thru a large pile of crisp maple leaves, swinging her feet high to choreograph a whirling leaf dance of reds and golds. two fenced dogs snuffled their hello and she whispered back "hello, my neighbor doggies. isn't it a lovely night?"

admiring the twinkling pumpkin lights and lit jack-o-lanterns on doorsteps and porches, she slipped from darkness to light and back again. although it was closed, she hopped up the library steps wondering how many times her feet had climbed these very steps in her lifetime -- so many trips, so many books from childhood thru middle age. and now she was back and could enjoy this friendly literary place once again.

chuckling to herself, she slipped a couple of letters into the mail drop box next to the post office. the experience delighted her -- flooded by street light, sliding the letters into the slot, hearing the whoosh and then the soft plop. yes, these were the simple joys she had longed for, the kind of things most people take for granted. the essence of simple living was vibrating in her life like never before.

main street was deserted at this late hour allowing her to leisurely window shop and peek into closed doors. signs of construction work at willie and reds told her the grand opening couldn't be far off. a collection of antique bottles caught her eye at reed's antique store and a sign announced free painting lessons at the art center every saturday afternoon.

a lone pickup truck slid by as she prepared to cross the street. she liked how susan had the windows decorated at the old oak corner shop. she made a mental note to come browse on saturday. beachlers furniture store was now an antique mall. she wondered if she could find an old twin size metal headboard there. she also wondered what she looked like as she stood against the large window pressing her hands and face close for a better view. yes, she thought, i'm still weird my hagerstown neighbors, i'm still weird.

further on, she noticed a storefront for sale. it was small and cute and her mind raced with ideas for what she could do there. perhaps a bakery with home baked pies and cupcakes with art on display (for sale of course). maybe a small design firm (one creative woman strong!). maybe a consignment shop of homemade items from across the country. oh yes, she had dreams, this girl. she had dreams. and she felt in her heart that this was the one place in the world where they were sure to come true.

the last hurrah

2010-10-23T22:44:00.000-04:00

each gorgeous fall day we've been having lately has me thinking 'oh this could be the last hurrah". we may not see a 70+ degree day for 7 months. that red rose is the last one on the bush, hanging on for dear life. getting to see the sunrise on my way to work (late) one morning this week was so bittersweet.

so i try to spend some time every day with my nikon in hand, hitting the streets and country roads for some sunshine, fresh air and inspiration.

my nest-building is coming along nicely. i made new curatins for the dining room today and i love them. pics soon . . . maybe tomorrow!

2010-10-21T19:53:00.000-04:00

"sweatered yellow bird"

mixed media collage

8 x 8 x 1.5 wood panel

i've never really been one to sketch a lot. for me, the fun in creating art has always been about all the color. but a couple of months ago i bought a clearance sketchbook and already it is about 1/3 full of doodles and words and scribbles and art ideas galore. how freeing it is to simply let my mind and hand wander freely with no destination and no pressure to create a finished design. i've noticed one of the patterns in my doodling is accessorizing birds with cute hats, sweaters, scarves and boots. i've also been humanizing a lot of inanimate objects. i can tell that i should have been sketching all along as my creative mind is more free and original when in sketch mode.

maybe my creative burst is at least in part because i'm not watching tv these days. when i first moved into this sweet little cottage my daughter gave me an old hand-me-down tv that fit just perfectly on the $20 goodwill entertainment center i purchased. the first two weeks i watched glee and grey's anatomy and had it on for background noise a few times. but alas on tuesday night it would not even turn on. thank goodness glee was a re-run. i may buy a tv eventually but for now i am quite content.

simple abundance = old drawers

2010-10-14T06:00:00.001-04:00

"simple abundance"

8 x 8 x 1.25 wood panel

mixed media

in my life, i've had it all.

blessed with loving parents and 4 wonderful siblings, my early life was humble and happy.

raising 2 children as a single parent was a gift beyond measure.

i've had love, lost love, found love and walked away when love wasn't enough.

less than a globetrotter, i've traveled just enough to be in awe of god's vast creations.

i've had a new car, a new house, new furniture, diamonds, all the latest technology and enough clothes to fill 2 large closets.

yes, i've had it all, and my most profound lesson in life is that all i really need and want is simple abundance and the time to share it with my loving family and friends.

as i start my new journey as a single woman (again) i long for simplicity in all that i do and all that i own.

for example, i want old drawers. yes, you read that correctly. i want old drawers . . .

. . . this kind of old drawers!!! i bought this heavy old solid wood dresser for $20 at the salvation army family store. i love it! i plan to paint it and antique it and collage it and make it a personal work of art. maybe it will be a family heirloom one day. you know THAT piece of furniture that the kids and grandchildren will fight over when i'm gone. hee hee (my daughter megan is groaning right now!!)

simple abundance . . . treasuring old over new, slow and meaningful instead of fast and trite. living fully to be rather than working tirelessly to have. time in the art room to create to my heart's content. the little 8 x 8 wood panel piece is an experiment in a new simple style that i am so enjoying. more to come and an etsy shop update too!

what does simple abundance mean to you?!

october sundays

2010-10-11T10:33:00.000-04:00

october sundays

oh how i relish
your vibrancy

your sunshine
fills my heart
with longing

few in number
your glory
fades so quickly

i cling
to your
bittersweet nectar

holding it
close to my heart
and soul

on cold winter days
i will recall
your loveliness

and yearn
for an encore
when october comes again

i am enough

2010-10-04T20:42:00.000-04:00

i am strong enough

to carry the world

on my shoulders

i am vulnerable enough

to ask for help

when i stumble

i am proud enough

to demand the respect

i'm due

i am humble enough

to admit the mistakes

i've made

i am confident enough

to laugh at myself

on good days and bad

i am woman enough

to take it all

and give it all

i am enough