Heather's House

Running Away...A New Start

2011-03-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

I'm bagging this old blog. It doesn't fit anymore. Should you like to see where I'm running to next you can find me here. She Runs...

2011-03-07T08:09:00.001-08:00

My attempt at doing something creative today. :)

Heather

Giving it away...

2011-03-04T06:54:00.001-08:00

It's really hard to get something you want when you're not giving it away. Putting it out there and being patient to see it come back to you. With no expectation of how or when you'll get it back.

Case point #1: Art and creativity
So you want to be more creative. Ok, easy enough. Most of us would say you must do something creative every day to get the juices flowing. Even the smallest act can help. You don't feel like creating? Then get inspired by reading your favorite blogs, taking a field trip, sorting your supplies, browsing your favorite store, and so on. But personally, if you can take it one step further, that is where you'll witness your creative growth.

When I very first started playing with mixed media art I became so emotionally attached to every piece I created I COULD NOT let it go. Regardless if I like the piece or not. I'd find a reason to hang on to it. "I hate it, so I must hide it.", "I love it, so I must hang it on the wall and stare at it for years in amazement that I created it." Even the few ATC swaps I participated in were difficult for me. I was creating 6 ATC cards that were basically the same and I took every ounce of effort I had to mail them off. Why? On some level I felt like I was just giving my creativity away. That if I let the piece go I would lose that part of me. How VERY wrong I was.

Nearly a year ago I had a friend stop by the house to borrow something. She loved my art. Loved so much of what I had hanging on the walls. She was moved and touched by the pieces. I hesitantly pulled them off the wall and sent them home with her. And it was painful. A few weeks later I was creating again like crazy after a fairly long dry spell. I didn't make the connection.

Fast forward to the last holiday season. Determined to do SOMETHING for the friends I love so dearly (who had not received gifts from me the year before), and way to broke to buy them all gifts, my only option was to make their presents. Sure enough, after Christmas, another hefty dose of inspiration and creative flow. I still didn't get it.

Three birthdays in the last month, again financially unable to shop. One gift was made on the spot, the other two were pieces I had made and hidden in my stash some time before. Same outcome, I was nailed with a dose of creative flow. And this time I got it!

As artists our job is not to hang on to our art. It is to SHARE it!!! The more we share it, the more it comes back to us and the more inspired and creative we become. Regardless if you love your work or not...you created it for a reason...that gift came from a higher power...and it IS meant to be shared with the world. LET IT GO!!! Get it out there!!! You just may be surprised at what happens. :)

And thanks to Jen Osborn for inspiring this post today.

I needed a break...

2011-03-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

I can't even begin to explain how long it's taken me to come to this realization. To step out of all the frustration long enough to accept what was standing right before me.

For over 2 years I've fought the creativity battle (among a huge list of others). Feeling guilty I wasn't doing something. Anything. Pushing myself to try and then getting frustrated when nothing would flow. Then feeling guilty for even trying cuz hello....there are dishes in the sink that need to be washed and 10 loads of laundry to be done.

Back and forth...back and forth...a vicious circle.

Then...light bulb moment....If I'm right where I'm meant to be right now, then this is where I meant to be. Doing....NOTHING. And learning to do....NOTHING. And learning to NOT feel guilty for doing...NOTHING.

Who made these freaking rules anyway? I mean really? Whose standards have I been living by? Not my own. And THERE is where unhappiness begins.

And I have to remind myself. I AM THAT I AM. And then I accept it. And love it. And I take another step forward.

Busy Week

2011-01-14T07:30:00.000-08:00

Lots going on this week. Hoping to post some new pics of artwork and Gut Art updates over the weekend. Until then, I'm leaving you all with this song. Cracks me up every time I hear it. D says it reminds him of me. :)

Gut Art.....Beginning

2011-01-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

So amid all my "New Year's Revolution" stuff I mentioned I started the Gut Art Class offered by Mystele Kirkeeng. All I can say is WOW!

After watching her introductory videos I knew I was in the right place. Finding my creative spirit again is huge for me. And in that I'm also very much wanting to discover my voice. My SELF. To create from ME, and only be inspired by the work of others, not influenced. To create with MY voice, not use someone else's. I want to discover and get to know ME. Seems easy enough. HA! Not so much!!!

When you're in a place that you finally want to get to know who you really are, that damn 4-letter word, FEAR, sneaks up and bites you right in the ass! One thing about myself and fear, it really pisses me off! Grandpa taught me that. He did his very best to teach me to never ever be afraid of anything. I've spent years being afraid and stuffing it down. Hiding it. Ignoring it. Pretending it wasn't there.

Week 1, first project of Gut Art. I'm scared...oh yea, real scared. But the desire to kick fear's butt is stronger. No longer denying it, or pretending it isn't there, now I'm just out to beat it. So I, not so politely, tell fear to shut up. He can come along for the ride, but we ARE doing this. I drag myself to my studio, sit at my desk, dig out the graph paper, and tune in to ME. Shutting out everything else around me, focusing on the "inside". Focusing on the emotion, the stirrings, of ME. And I'm sick. Fear is hen pecking me like crazy! "You really don't want to know Heather. You really don't want to see what lies beneath. Don't go there. Don't do it. You won't like what you find. It hurts, remember! Remember how bad it hurts!" Doesn't matter. I let fear chatter away, and keep pushing forward. And I metaphorically throw up. All over that graph paper. 30 minutes tops. I stand and walk away from the desk. Covered in goosebumps, and elephant sized tears in my eyes. And I feel...good. Peace. I let go. Of something. A little piece of something that has held me back for a long long time. I unburied it and threw it out into the space outside of ME. Gave it back to wherever it came from in the fist place. I no longer need it.

And so it begins....

New Year's Revolution

2011-01-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

I hate resolutions. I always have. Mine has always been not to make any. So as 2010 came to an end I found myself really wanting to focus on finishing out the year with really no thoughts of 2011. However, Jan. 1, it was on! I've spent the last week really thinking about my life, who I am, who I'm becoming, and what I want. And a New Year's Revolution is in order. Piss on the resolution crap (still!).

So much has changed the last two years. I've lost almost everything I thought was valuable to me. Hurt people I loved. Been hurt by people I loved. Hurt myself. Beat the every living hell out of myself with shame and guilt. Found new hope, new beginnings, new love, new friends, and a new acceptance of myself.

I really want those who have been hurt to know that was never my intention. EVER! And while it may be comforting for you to believe that somehow I've enjoyed it, nothing could be further from the truth. Walking away from a marriage, a home, a life I had worked so hard for, was well.....devastating. And if that wasn't bad enough, losing my life's work was the icing on the cake. One of the few things I took pride it came crashing down too. And the minute that started happening, the one person in the world who was supposed to support me bailed. Proving that as long as I stayed where I was, it would always be about the money. Brutal lesson for me to learn.

Much of what has happened was beyond my control. And much of it was also based on choices I was forced to make before I felt I was ready too. I did the best I could. I know that. And I don't regret any of it. But it's time to let it all go now.

2011 has found me in a new place. Where I'm finally ready and willing to dig through all my crap, release it, get rid of it, and move forward. I'm going to finish out January focusing on the changes I want to make this year and setting them in motion. First on the list, find my creative spirit again and use it to help heal old wounds. Thanks to Dale Ann Potter for posting some artwork on Facebook which lead me to finding the Gut Art class I'm now taking. It's really so amazing how God steps in when he knows you're serious about following your path and cleaning up your crap. He did that for me through Dale Ann, and this class.

This too shall pass...

2011-01-06T07:37:00.001-08:00

I love mornings like today. I get up early, get moving, and catch the wave. A good place I know I can peacefully ride out for the rest of the day. I feel strong enough to face the day, no matter what. And I remind myself...this too shall pass. That has become a standard in my life. Constantly reminding myself that the way things are now, will change. There is much comfort in that on the hard days, and it creates a lot of gratitude on the good days. And also pushes me to stay in the moment. To accept I'm right where I need to be right now.

Blondie, this one is for you!

2011-01-05T12:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know it's been MONTHS since I posted anything. I was politely informed of this last night by a very good friend. Share, I had no idea you read my blog. :) May be inclined to post a bit more knowing someone reads it. LOL! Anyway, this post is for you!!!

I'm going to miss you horribly! And remind Donnie that I really hate him right now! Flipping him the bird in my head often these days. I'm also plotting a very special care package just for him. :)

Ok, seriously... Thank you!!!!! Thank you for being one of a handful of beautiful women who walked back into my life just when I needed all of you the most. Thank you for allowing me room and freedom to go completely off the deep end one second to laughing my ass of the next. Thank you for providing me with a place to land that was safe and comfortable when all I really needed was some time alone. Thank you for letting my cry, laugh, dance, quietly sing, scream, bitch, moan, drink, go nuts, love, hurt, fight, fall, get back up, and all of the other thousands of stupid things I've done, with never once passing judgment. Thank you for accepting and loving me just the way I am. Thank you for being my friend and my sister from the south side of the tracks. I love you girl! I love all of you girls! And honest to God, I'm very excited for you and can't wait to hear about all the amazing adventures you're going to have. And if you ever question anything...just remember...YOU'RE F-ING PERFECT!!!

More Jabberwocky

2010-07-12T09:57:00.001-07:00

Jabberwocky
by Lewis Carroll (Charles L. Dodgson)
From Through the Looking-Glass, 1871

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought--
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One two! One two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Busy Busy

2010-06-30T10:19:00.001-07:00

Lots going on around here, and I really need to play catch up on the blog. Hopefully next week. I'm excited to share what's been going on. :) Until then, I thought this was really so cool!

A little friday kick....

2010-06-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

Friday friday. YAY!!! I had the graveyard shift last night and am just barely getting going for the day. It's 3:00pm. I don't see my day being very productive, LOL. But I really really wanted to share this.

Crazy Show, on the left, was totally inspired by Teesha Moore.
She seriously has some great YouTube videos if you are so inclined. She uses some really great tools and is just so inspiring.

This was a really fun "no think" project. Loved it! And I'm so looking forward to creating more like this.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend. I've got more to share tomorrow. My mother ROCKS! And she deserves a post all her own. :) Love ya mom!

Finding Balance and Inspiration

2010-06-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

I'll admit I'm a blog reading junkie. It's nearly everyday I surf art blogs seeking out inspiration. And I adore Wed. mornings when the kids are still sleeping and I can have my coffee, surf blogs, and read my newest issue of whatever.

A couple of weeks back D became a little frustrated with the computer and me. Asked my why I was always looking at others work instead of working on my own. Why was I looking for ideas to copy instead of coming up with my own. He read me all wrong on this one. The time I spend reading the magazines and blog surfing is feeding my creative soul. Filling myself back up so I can pour something out on canvas, paper, or whatever. Yes I love to learn new techniques, but what really inspires me is looking at the creations of others. It inspires me to create me, to put me out there in some other form than my physical body. I love nature and art, so it only makes sense that nature and art will inspire me. :) I explained this to him, and he got it.

I quickly want to mention that the new issue of Artful Blogging totally ROCKS!!! Read it cover to cover! My favorite issue yet!

The trick with all of this "inspiration seeking" is not to let it distract me from creating my own projects. It's so easy to get immersed in all the beauty of everything else I don't take the time to create my own things. Once the creative soul is filled up, it's got to come out somewhere or it becomes stale. And there you have a creative block. Finding a balance in feeding a creative spirit can be very difficult. Inspiration needs to be of flow of going in and coming out! This is where I struggle. Too much looking, not enough creating. I'm working on that. :)

Finding a balance in everyday life is difficult too. The kids need this done, the house is a mess, gotta work today, 15 trips to the store, dinner to help with, blah blah blah blah blah. And when I finally take time to work on projects......I FEEL GUILTY! Not ok! I'm working hard to correct this mindset. To realize that as others have inspired me, maybe I can too inspire others. And there is no guilt in that, it's called paying it forward. :) At least that's my justification for it! I'm honestly much happier and centered when I'm consistently creating. Even if it's just a little everyday.

Jabberwokkies, Frog Hunting, and Black Widows....

2010-06-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, I just really love this word. My kids love this word. One of our fav parts of the new Alice In Wonderland. The whole theory behind all of it is very metaphorical to me right now. I'm Alice, trying to slay my own Jabberwocky. :) (LMBO!!! Sorry, I do make myself giggle, alot. Totally had a visual of me in Alice's armor. HA HA HA!) To the ladies who commented on yesterday's post, a very very loud "THANK YOU!!!" I really needed to know I am not alone in the this whole process of discovering myself....again. So, being one step closer to slaying the Jabberwokky, I'd like to share how that came to pass yesterday.

Monday's are not my fav day. I try to get everything done the first couple days of the week so I can goof off later in the week. Yesterday, aside from my emotional craziness and the usual Monday Meltdown and trying so hard to find the balance in all of it, I'm pleasantly reminded that God gives me just what I need when I need it. Tools to slay my own personal Jabberwocky. Starting with the amazing women that commented on yesterday's post.

Late afternoon rolls around to the summer tradition our household has found our way into. The charcoal is lit for the BBQ, beers on the front porch while watching the kids entertain themselves, us and the dogs. Good food (D is an amazing cook), good beer, kids, dogs, summer, and I say who could ask for more! But still, stress lingers.

Dinner turns into a frog hunt. All five of us wandering the neighborhood hunting ponds left over from three days of rain, listening for the croaks of our prey and reassuring local law enforcement we are just on a family outing. All at once I have to make a mad dash home to welcome my monthly visitor. Of course my, oh so observant, 12 year old son picks right up on this and I'm caught in a conversation with him and my 9 year old daughter about the curses of womanhood. All D can do is shake his head and laugh. Probably from the kids standing five feet away from me like I have just contracted leporacy. The frog hunt is a bust......well...almost.

Heading back to the house, D is packing Meg on his shoulders and gets this bright idea that "hey, I can do this with mom too!". And before I know it I'm hoisted on the shoulders of my 6 foot tall significant other, riding down the street like I'm a kid again. Only freaking out that I'm going to fall and having strong visuals of my face meeting the pavement. And D would tell you that my balance needs some serious work! LOL!

So back to the front porch, chatting with D and the kids. And our catch from the frog hunt reveals itself in Paige's hair. A black widow just bigger than a quarter. Mom instincts kick right in as I see this amazingly beautiful spider navigate the brown strands of my oldest daughters hair. And in the same moment I'm struck by how gorgeous this spider is, and seeing my sweet girl's life flash before my eyes. I pulled the clippy out of my hair to extract the widow, and Paige, bless her heart, was stoic. She held completly still and let me do my motherly duties before she had a complete freak out.

At this point Meg is on the couch asleep and I'm done for the day. I head for bed while the three left still standing head out for another half hour of frog hunting. Next thing I know the bedroom light comes on, D is heading for the shower, grabs his pillow and a blanket, kisses me goodnight and heads out to sleep on the tramp with the kids. And all I can say is WOW! And I am reminded that even in the face of some really tough decisions and hard times, we still manage to pull it off. And the stress for the day is gone.

Overwhelmed...

2010-06-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

This is what my life "vehicle" feels like right now. I'm frustrated and overwhelmed. Having trouble getting my blog operating the way I want. Having a few creative blocks. And facing an absolute huge decision that will certainly change my whole life. Trying to count my blessings. Really I am. I just have so many questions. About everything.

What am I supposed to be doing? How am I supposed to do it? Am I honoring myself and my kids? Can I really make a difference? Should I really follow my "dreams"? Can Art really heal me? Do I really need to be healed?

I'm struggling to find my way back to the stillness of myself to find the answers to all my questions. And the pressure is on. I pray. ALOT! I cry. ALOT! I laugh. ALOT! It's infuriating to know I have the answers and I can't shut my head off long enough to hear them. I'm terrified. All this emotional chaos is not helping my creative efforts either. Really, I wish I was 2 for about 10 minutes so I could throw myself down on the floor and have a temper tantrum. Complete with throwing myself on the floor, kicking, and screaming. Honestly, if there's anyone else out there who has struggled like this please share your story. It would really help.

SX37FUTH4BS9

Add your link

2010-06-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

And so it begins...

2010-06-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

Here it is...my first Etsy listing out of my comfort zone. LOL. I'm excited and totally motivated. Have a few other things I'd like to get listed later on today. :)

Huh.....What's Next?

2010-05-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

So a recent job change reminded me that miracles really do happen and our path in life is not entirely up to us. The Big Man has plans for us too. I'm not going to go into any detail about what has been going on, the point is, things are finally working themselves out. I love my new job and things are starting in a good direction with my art. :) Heading down the road...in the face of storm clouds and all. And I am ever so grateful!

The Road Not Taken

2010-05-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost

A lucky charm... :)

2010-03-29T08:19:00.001-07:00

I created this a couple weeks ago and just haven't had a chance to post it yet. And yes, I'm fully aware that Easter is in less than a week. But I'm always running a little behind (you'd think I'd get used to that!).

I simply recycled a bottle cap from work. Paige loves it and I've had a few requests. Should be a good weekend project. I'm really so excited to do some for the girls at work, personalized of course!

Hope everyone has a great week. Running behind this morning...as usual. I've got more I'd like to post later on so be sure to bounce back.

Friday...Woohooo!!!!

2010-03-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

There's just something about the weekend arriving that totally helps me relax. Even when I have to work. So with it being Friday, I'm breathing a big, deep, relaxing breath. Yay!!!

The girls and I had a bit of a "crafting" afternoon on Wed. I've loved these felt hair clips for little girls and thought I'd give it a try. Didn't turn out real great, but hey, it's my first one. I have another one in progress that I think may turn into a pin to wear on my shirt. Not big on wearing stuff in my hair.

It really has been a great week with the kids. Parent/Teacher conferences yesterday and I'm thinking MY KIDS ROCK!!! They are all doing amazingly well and to celebrate we did homemade milk shakes. It's a good thing I wasn't being evaluated on my smarts lately. LOL. I totally started the blender without the lid on and decorated the kitchen with Oreo shake. I'm chalking it up to my creativity subconsciously taking over. I haven't figured out how to explain the fact that I left my grocery list home when I went to the store. Made it half way there and my cell goes off. Kurt was taking care of me, called and said "Um Mom..." I cut him right off "I forgot my list didn't I?". I've been terrible at stuff like that lately. But refuse to start thinking maybe I'm getting old.

Finally got a chance to take pics of the new canvas I started last week. Haven't been able to work on it any more, but fingers crossed for some time on Sunday. Not sure I love it, but it's so not done yet either. There are still so many elements I want to add. And knowing me it could look totally different by the time I'm finished. Can't wait to see how it turns out. I'm hoping this doesn't end up in my stack of "unfinished projects". I've only got about 9 or so canvases to complete. Guess I better get on that. I can see an Etsy shop in my future. Some of them are going to have to find new homes. I don't have the space to save everything I've made. Yet it's hard to even think about selling my work. Usually every piece is so personal and has a very special inspiration and story it's like parting with a piece of myself. I have high potential to become a hoarder. May even be in the first stages. LOL.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! :)

Roll the ball..

2010-03-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Our last night of the bowling season came and went with us taking 2nd place. D says that's pretty good for a team that was thrown together with two out of the four having never really bowled before. Thinkin' he may be right about that.

I seriously thought D had lost his mind when he suggested we bowl leagues. I mean really, I can't bowl to save my life. That also meant committing to one night a week for 28 weeks of making a total idiot of myself. I have some commitment issues. But I managed, we managed, and I'm so proud of myself for sticking it out. And it really was great fun. I got to know people I didn't know very well before and it was the first time I had ever participated in something with my significant other for an extended period of time. Plus I had the chance to hang out with some old friends I don't see very often. I also have to say that there is really nothing like bowling at Bedrock Lanes. :) Makes for an experience every time!

So now the season is over. Spring is here and summer is just around the corner. Things will be changing at a staggering pace.....again.

Meet Ben aka "Marley"

2010-03-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, I already posted this morning. However I had forgotten to share this from the weekend adventures. This is Ben, our 130 lb. Chocolate Lab. Some good friends of ours agreed to dog sit for the weekend. (Thanks again to Kris and Danielle. :) It was very very appreciated!!!) D and I were both a little beside ourselves. We've never had to leave him for any longer than to go to work and just so used to having him around all the time it was sad to be without him. Saturday afternoon I send Kris a text to check on him, and this was the reply I received back.

"Everyone is getting along well now, but he bulldozed my fence, now I get to fix it tomorrow...".

Kris and Danielle had officially been introduced to Ben aka "Marley".

If you've ever seen the movie Marley & Me you know exactly what I'm talking about. We live with a chocolate version. And I could totally see Ben going right through that fence and looking back at Kris with a "what fence?" look on his face when she flipped out. LOL!!! This is the dog that really HAS eaten the wall, and the vacuum, countless shoes, barbie dolls, garbage bags, and whatever else appeals to him in the moment. This is the dog that the first week we had him tried to get in the bathtub with me, tries to jump on the trampoline with the kids, and has separation anxiety every Tuesday and pees on the bed. He is also the dog that whenever anyone in the house is sick he won't leave their side. And nothing is more heartwarming that watching my little Meg cuddle up to this dog who is four times her size, or getting up every morning to him snuggled up in Kurt's twin sized bed that cannot comfortably fit them both, or watching Meg climb on his back to catch a ride down the hall. He has no clue how big he really is, although reminds me on a regular basis when he climbs up on the couch and piles in my lap just so he can get closer to D and I've left him no room to sit between us. Reminds me of the saying "a face only a mother could love". For as big of a stinker as he is sometimes we love him. He's a part of our family and life is not the same when he is not with us. And he really is just a great big baby with a bark that can literally make the walls shake.

If you have any great dog stories I'd love to hear them. :) Always nice to know someone else feels your pain, and your love for something.

The great escape...

2010-03-22T06:56:00.000-07:00

5:00am Saturday morning and D is kicking my grouchy butt out of bed. Gotta get going. Paige had a dance competition bright and early and then we were off to Lehi for the State Bowling Tournament. Congrats to Paige, her team took 3rd place. :) Watching her grow up is so bittersweet. I'm so proud of her and the way she faces her fears. She just digs in and gets it done, no matter how afraid she is. I really admire that about her. I often times find myself completely paralyzed by fear these days. So I do nothing. I never really used to be like that, and fear infuriates me. But it's a little hard to keep pushing forward in the face of total destruction and failure. That's finally getting easier. I just feel like I've been in survival mode for so long I'm not sure I remember how to really start pushing forward again. But I'm trying. :) The creative juices are flowing again and I KNOW that's a step in the right direction.

Lehi was great fun! There was a group of really great people from home bowling as well, and that made all the difference. D and I hit Texas Roadhouse after for dinner and that was an adventure. I'm surprised we didn't get kicked out. The food fight was probably pushing the limit a bit. :) My sincerest apologies to our waiter and those we were seated near us. :) I should have warned the staff when I made our reservation. You really just never know what's going to happen when the two of us are together. We honestly could have a great time ANYWHERE! And I love the times we get to hang out just the two of us. It's always fun with friends, or with the kids, but we don't very often get to have it be just us.

And now we're to Monday and there is so much to get done. :) But after a great weekend I am feeling a little more motivated and de-stressed. Hoping for a little time to take pics of the new project I started last week to post here. I'd love some feedback. Hope everyone has a fabulous week!

A New Day...

2010-03-12T08:44:00.001-08:00

I had forgotten how great it was to get the kids off to school and have an hour to surf my favorite blogs with my morning coffee....ahhhhhh the bliss. So easy to please these days it's almost disgusting!!! And I can feel "ME" coming back. I even started a couple new projects yesterday. Ideas in the works. :) Kim would laugh. "I have an idea!" It's been so dang long since I could create anything, but I still got it!!! Dug out some old Artful Blogging magazines and was totally inspired. :) I've missed that!!! I've missed all of it! The creativity, the new ideas, the creation of something new, the longing to create something new, it's all been hiding for way too long. :)

Land of the Living

2010-03-11T12:32:00.000-08:00

Wow!!! I cannot believe I haven't posted since Nov. 2008. So much has changed and life is so different now. Looking back it's hard to believe I'm where I am now......Starting all over.......AGAIN! And to say it's difficult is the understatement of the century. I know there are those out there who will say I can't do it, who don't agree with the decisions and choices I've been forced to make, and who think I chose to have my life blow up like Hiroshima. And to you I say, be very very careful how you pass judgement. Karma sucks!!! I wouldn't wish the last two years on my worst enemy. But somehow I have survived, my kids have survived, and we ARE going to be OK!!! I am too resilient to just lie down and die. So sit back and watch. It's going to take some time, but I REFUSE to give up!!! And it's time to rejoin the land of the living and put my life back together. Starting over is not always a bad thing. :)

Balance, Art, and Healing

2008-11-21T21:59:00.000-08:00

We've all been there. Everything in your life seems to cut loose all at once and you suffer some serious growing pains. And live through another major wake up call that you really must find some balance in your life. We struggle, we fight, and finally we bend. By this point all our creative juices seem to dry right up. Then one day the flood gates bust open and it's time to start healing. And the art comes like crazy. And somehow, through the creative process, we begin to once again find balance and the wounds start to heal. You realize having a creative personality DOES have it's benefits. And you've just taken another step to become the person you were meant to become.

Wow! It's been awhile...

2008-11-20T07:25:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged for months. And it's been a pretty wild few months at that. There has been so much going on. But finally I'm coming up for air and crawling back out of my shell. Slowly, but I'm getting there. I want to tell everyone THANK YOU!!! And you all know who you are. Your support has meant more to me than any of you will ever know. And I couldn't have gotten through the last few months without you. BIG (((HUGS)))!!!

I also want to mention that the BC Crop was so much fun! I met so many amazing women, and really had a great time. Tara and Sonja, you girls are the best. I totally enjoyed getting to hang out with you. And when I have more time I'll post our pics. :) I took a couple extra days and went to Victoria after the crop and had the most amazing time. I actually was able to relax! And I can honestly say that both my trips to Canada have been fabulous. I hope to get back there sooner rather than later. It's my favorite vacation spot! I found the coolest little restaurant right on the beach and totally indulged myself in some amazing fish and chips. I hit another spot in Brentwood Bay right on the harbor. It was the coolest place ever. Little tiny joint that was totally dudded out New Orleans style. Had the best time!

Ok, gotta get to work. :) Thanks again for hanging in there with me. :) You all mean so much to me. Again with the BIG (((HUGS)))!

The Happy Couple

2008-08-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

This is a big weekend for our family. We're heading to Salt Lake City tomorrow for my sister's wedding. I still can't believe she's even old enough to be getting married. And Christopher is just the sweetest guy ever. We all adore him.
So after all the wedding festivities I'll be heading down to CKU Provo to hang out with Little Yellow Bicycle while they are teaching their classes. They've created the most amazing Halloween Album and even used some Pageframe Designs album inserts with it. I'm so looking forward to meeting these ladies. It's going to be a great time for sure.

Things were so crazy this week I didn't get to do the giveaway. But I have something fabulous in mind so keep checking back.

My Son the Photographer :)

2008-07-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

Kurtis took this pic the other day for the BC Crop for Kids site. That kid is so stinking fabulous with a camera I just can't believe it.
I'm really getting so excited to get out to Vancouver! It's going to be a fantastic trip for sure. Watch my blog next week. Going to do some give aways. :) Hope everyone has an amazing weekend. :)

Crazy Wonderful....

2008-07-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

I've missed blogging so much. The last couple of months have been so busy I've had to cut a few things out of my regular routine, blogging being one of them. But I'm happy to say that things are absolutely fantastic. My trip to Canada was AMAZING!!! I happened to be there on June 21, my 32nd birthday. That day turned out to be one of the most monumental of my life. So much changed for me that day and so many doors were opened. Aside from the personal aspects of my Canada trip, I have to say that Victoria is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. And the people there were just the best. I came home with a whole new perspective on myself, my business, and my life. It really was the best trip EVER! I'll be heading out to Vancouver in September for the BC Crop For Kids. I'll be teaching a Pageframe class there and get to see some friends. I'm so looking forward to going back. I'm also looking forward to instructing again. I've missed that so much.

On another note, we revealed the new releases for Pageframe Designs today. Tons of new shapes, new overlays, and some pretty amazing chipboard. I can't wait to get the chance to dig into all of the new stuff and play. But, there's still so much to do it might be awhile. ;)

I also wanted to share my latest canvas. I finished this up a couple weeks ago. It was totally inspired by my trip to Canada. The pic isn't fabulous, but I think you all will get the idea. :)

Getting Excited

2008-07-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm getting so excited to share all of the new PageFrames releases with all of you. Just a few more days, but I promise you will all be thrilled. In the meantime.....here's a 12x12 Slant Easel I did a few months back. This is my baby girl. :)

It's Official :)

2008-07-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

I am the new owner of Pageframe Designs. YAY!!! We went to Canada a couple weeks back to bring everything home and get things set up here in the US. It's been nothing short of crazy. But crazy in a good way. :) We've been working on new releases for CHA, although we won't be attending the show. And just trying to get everything settled has been nuts. So excited about all this. Will keep you all posted. ;)

Coming together...

2008-06-24T19:17:00.001-07:00

Things are finally starting to move forward and I'm so relieved. The next couple of months are going to be really hard and a lot of work. But I know that without a doubt it's going to be totally worth it.

I was surfing through photos from our California trip last night and found a couple I just love. Mom took these and they are a great reminder for me to relax.

Complete Craziness

2008-06-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been nuts. I just returned from a quick trip to Victoria Canada and it was amazing! Kurtis asked me what my favorite part of the trip was, and I had to say the people. Everyone is so stinkin' nice there. It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I met some fantastic people. People I will never forget! And people I hope to see again. Victoria is just beautiful, and so peaceful! I really had a hard time coming home. :) I will try to get some pics uploaded, along with pics from our Disney trip very soon. And I will be better at blogging. ;) I have a big announcement to make here in the next couple of days too.

Honey I'm home...

2008-06-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

We got in at about 12:30am. That drive from Anaheim is just brutal. But we had an amazing trip and I can wait to post some pics. :) I have a lot of catching up to do today and probably tomorrow as well. I will try and get some pics up ASAP. :) Hope you all had a great week!!!

I'm Outta Here...

2008-05-23T04:54:00.000-07:00

Well we're heading out this morning. I'm taking the laptop so hopefully I will get time to post some pics from our trip while I'm gone. I hope you all have a wonderful week and I'll blog you when I get back. :)

2008-05-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I did get my call yesterday! YAY!!! I'm not quite where I need to be yet, but yesterday's news was one big hurdle jumped. Hopefully by the time I get home from California I'll be able to share a few more details.

This will probably be my last post until I get back. I hope all of you have a wonderful week!

Check out this super cute map purse! I'm totally going to have to make one of these when I get home.

Waiting...

2008-05-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, yes, I know this is my second post today. But I'm going a little nuts. Trying to get myself straight so I can get down to business and get done what needs to be taken care of before I go on vacation.

I'm waiting for a call. Not just any call, but THE call. The call where the man who holds the future of myself and my family in the palm of his hand says, "You got it! Move forward!". Mind you, this is extremely scary to me since the person who will be calling looks like a boy and is younger than myself. He's like the Doogie Howser of his industry. (Yes, I know I'm showing my age with the Doogie reference.)

I've never been very good at Limbo. Drives me crazy and makes me very uptight. I wish that damn phone would just ring already!!!

Crossroads

2008-05-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

Morning all. There has been so much going on here "behind the scenes". Things I've chose not to share here on my blog. Life is changing. Lives around me are changing. And the impact of all of it is just crazy amazing.

A few months back I came to a fork in the road of my life. I could choose to stay on the path I'm on. Continue in the same direction I have for so many years, or I could hang a left and see where I ended up. Well, for those of you who know me well, you won't be surprised that I hung a left. I've spent the last few month traveling down a road so thick with fog I've had to walk slow. I'm still not to where I can see the road before me, but I am continuing forward.

When the fork first appeared a good friend of mine said, "Heather I know you, and I know when you get your teeth into something you are just like a Bulldog." That one comment has been what I have had to lean on as I have been confronted with the new obstacles of this path. Thanks Kim, for such a strong vote of confidence. You'll never know how much I needed it.

I'm still not sure what I will find further down the road. But I have learned so much about myself during the journey. I have realized that I am capable of so much more than I thought I was. I can be absolutely terrified and move forward anyway. Yes, there are times when the fear and resistance slows me down, but I still keep moving ahead.

I'm climbing another mountain on this path, praying that it's the last in the beginning of my new travels. I know there will be more on down the road as this new adventure takes shape. But I have to clear this mountain to be able to move forward with life in this direction. I'm holding my breath and praying for rain. Keeping my fingers crossed, throwing salt over my shoulder, and trying not to step on any cracks.

Lookie where I'll be Saturday...

2008-05-20T07:27:00.001-07:00

Counting down the days! We leave for Disneyland, by way of San Francisco, early Friday morning. And while I'm not looking forward to being cooped up in the car with 3 kids for that many hours, I am looking forward to some new adventures. We are totally road trippin' it until we check into Disneyland on Monday. I've never seen the Golden Gate Bridge and I can't wait to get there and take some pics of my own.

It's the last week of school, and man, it's really wearing on all of us. We're all excited to get out of here and there is just so much going on this week. The kids are antsy, I'm antsy, and there is still so much to do to get ready. Seems like things just keep piling up too. I jumped in the car last night to find that my windshield has a huge crack in it. Hoping I can get it fixed before we head out of town.

By Friday I'll be enjoying new sites, and no schedule. YAY!!! A week or so of R&R will do all of us some good. And what a great way to kick off the summer.

Told ya so...

2008-05-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

yep, I knew I'd get bored with the banner. And that didn't take long at all. Hope you all like the new one. :)

New Canvas...KingFish

2008-05-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

This is the Canvas I was working on last night. I've named it KingFish. The girls love it. I can't quite decide if it's finished or not. Think I'll let him sit until I get home from California. But I did want to share. :)

This is so me...

2008-05-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

I seen this "what does your name mean?" thing on Kimber's blog today and thought I would give it a try. WOW! This totally sounds like me. I know that Cindy and Kim are both going to read this and be like "yep, that's Heather alright." What can I say, I am what I am.

What Heather Means

You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out.

Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia.

Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.

You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.

At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life.

You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home.

You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.

You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

I feel better now...

2008-05-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

So I was able to pick up the latest issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors the other day. Claudine Hellmuth has a little ditty in it about her studio that I could totally relate too.

My studio/office is in my formal living room. The very first room you see when you walk through my front door. The lighting is fabulous, but I hate that it's in my front room. Last weekend for Mother's Day Shane hung some cable from the ceiling that I have hung curtains on. That way, if someone comes to the door and I have a huge mess, which I usually do, I can pull the curtains shut and hide my studio. It turned out wonderfully! And if I feel like I need a bit more privacy I just close the curtains. :) I plan on taking pics, but I still have a few more modifications to make in my studio before I want to share it with the world. :)

Odds and Ends

2008-05-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share a few pics today. This first one is my table that holds all my paints, pens, and a few random things.
These are my Germies in progress. I can't wait to get them finished. And I love this little dish. Mom picked it up for me at a second hand store.

This is Miss Fortune. She's also a work in progress. I can't even tell you how much fun I've had working on her. Another project I can't wait to get finished. I've been working on her for about a month.

This is one of my favorite new additions to my studio. Mom picked this up for me to hold all my acrylic paint bottles. And I LOVE it! It's so handy to have my paint right by where I'm working instead of running back to the closet. And I love that I can organize them by color! Mom YOU ARE THE BEST!!! Thanks a bunch!!!

Feet...EWWWW

2008-05-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

So here I sit, surfing through google reader, catching up on all my favorite blogs. And I notice that old shoes keep popping up in several blog posts. I find myself thinking how envious I am of these ladies who can bring themselves to collect old shoes. Feet really gross me out! BIG TIME!!! The last thing that would be inspiring to me would be a pair of old shoes, (no matter how beautiful), because all I could think about is someone else's foot sweat and germs in them. GROSS!!! Now mind you, I live with a blue collar man and a 10 year old boy. I get my fair share of foot cooties just doing laundry. And how is it that their socks can get so nasty??? Ok, I'm getting nauseated just thinking about it. Moving on.

The Inner Battle Rages

2008-05-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

So I'm really curious if anyone else goes through this...

Not only do I love to create but I love business too. I guess that's pretty obvious since I have a business or two. Anyway, I have this constant struggle. Gotta work, gotta get things done, then it's gotta create, gotta make something new. The problem being my body can't keep up with all the things my brain wants to do. Now don't get me wrong, I love my work! It just seems that I really love too many things. There's never enough time. I try my best to prioritize and to give myself some free time here and there to work on my projects. But I really can't seem to find a balance. I wear myself out trying to do it all. And the crazy thing is... I want to do it all. I'm never bored, but often tired. And I can't even tell you how mad that makes me. I don't want to be tired, there's too much I want to do. I'm always telling Shane "if my body could just keep up with my brain I'd be in good shape." And that is so very true.

Speaking of loving things. :) Here are a few layouts dedicated to some of my favorite things.

We have a winner!!!

2008-05-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

Contessa Kris

you win the drawing!!! YAY!!! Congrats!!!

I have some fun stuff I want to blog but it's going to have to wait until later. Trying to finish up work for the day. :)

Blogworthy? RAK!

2008-05-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

What constitutes "Blogworthy"? And how on earth do you come up with something new to talk about every day? Now I don't think of myself as boring. Not at all! My days are crazy busy. I just don't see why people would care to read the same thing every day. And I pretty much do the same things every day with a minor variation in the details. Obviously I'm still struggling with this blog thing.

RAK: Now just to see how many people are actually paying attention here I'm going to give away a set of my clear acrylic stamps. :) Here's the set I will send you.Now all you have to do is post a comment in the comments section and I will randomly draw a name tomorrow. Be sure to include your email address in your comment so I can get in touch with you if you win.

Ok so Mother's Day is starting to really weigh on my mind. I'm a total last minute shopper with these holidays. My mom is pretty easy. But Shane's Mom, now she gives me stress. I did have Cindy do a necklace for Shane's mom that I think she will love, but I would like to add something with that. I can't post what I'm thinking about doing for my mom. She tends to read my blog sometimes. :) I LOVE YOU MOM!!! (my mom really is the best!)

2008-05-06T05:28:00.001-07:00

Happy Tuesday

2008-05-06T05:15:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday. :)

This is really important...

2008-05-05T09:50:00.001-07:00

Yes, I know I already posted this morning, but I came across some very disturbing information and wanted to share it with you. And instead of typing it all out I would ask that all of you who read this please go read this post over at Claudine Hellmuth's blog. If you find what she has to say important follow her links and sign the petition. Protect yourself and your artwork!!!

Say hello to my little friend...

2008-05-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

Check out what we found. :) We caught two of these horny toads over the weekend. The kids thought they were so cool. It's the first time we've seen them out on the desert. I understand there used to be lots of them and they have become scarce over the last few years.

This was one of our favorite finds of the weekend. This old car was just the neatest thing to run across. We all loved it, and the kids enjoyed posing for pics. Kurtis makes me giggle, he was trying to get the mob boss look going on for the pic.

This is one of the coolest things to see out in Joy Utah. I'm not sure if they really is someone buried here or not, but they say there are a couple people buried in this location. It's crazy because you are just driving through the desert and at this fork in the road here is this grave site. People are always leaving things behind. Kind of like a memorial. You always see flowers, boots, and sometimes booze.

Cactus! I love cactus! I can't wait until my kids are big enough I can plant it in my yard.
Pooped! Saturday was a big day for everyone. We spent the first half of the day target shooting at cans. I have to say, Kurtis is a natural. I was a bit rusty. It's been a long time since we've been out shooting, but it didn't take me too long to get warmed up. I'm still a pretty good shot, for a girl. :) After target practice we headed out to the west side of Topaz Mountain. We gathered apache tears, topaz, lizards, horny toads, and some really cool rocks. We did get skunked at the Geode Beds though. But it was getting dark and we didn't have a lot of time to pick around. By the time we made it back to camp the kids were exhausted. Mom and I were making dinner and when we heading into the trailer this is what I found. I was so bummed Kurtis woke up before I could snap the photo.I have to tell you what a trooper Cookie (my dog) was this weekend. When we took the bikes out she rode with Shane most of the time. And loved it. This is the first weekend she spent more time on the 4-wheeler than off. She's such a funny dog. She absolutely loves to go camping and catch lizards. Paige came home with two more lizard tails partly thanks to Cookie.

We found so much cool stuff this weekend. Paige came across the coolest old Canoe Paddle (totally funny since we're out in the middle of the desert), and she found an antique fly swatter. It's actually made out of leather. And check out mom and Robert. :) They found so much cool old rusty crap they had to bungee it on the bike to get it back to camp.

It really was a great weekend. We were able to check out some old mines, and explore a lot of different places we haven't seen before. I really tried to enjoy it since it's going to be a couple weeks before we get out again.

Hope everyone has a great week. :)

Finally sharing pics...

2008-05-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

I finally got my pics on my computer and am so excited to share. This first one is for Cindy. :) These are the Sunstones the kids and I gathered a few days ago. They are very raw, and haven't been cleaned yet.
I'll get pics of the Topaz we gathered after our trip this weekend. :)

This is the mountain (hill) we camped at last weekend.
I can't even tell you how amazing it was. Little caverns everywhere, and tons of amazing minerals. We found a huge vein of Quartz and Mica that was just awesome. Paige even found an authentic Indian Grinding Stone.
Below is the view down into the valley. See, I keep telling everyone how open it is here. Now you all can see why Alabama makes me claustrophobic.

Loved this pic of Paige and Cookie. Paige loves to climb and explore so this was the perfect shot.

Another beautiful desert sunset. Did I mention how much I love wide open spaces. :)
And I thought this was just a dang cute pic of MJ. :) My little monkey butt! Gotta love her.We're off again tomorrow. Probably our last desert trip for awhile. The whole family is really looking forward to it. I'm really looking forward to it. I'll see you all when we get back. :)

Super Weekend!!!

2008-04-29T21:14:00.001-07:00

We really had an amazing weekend. Took off Saturday night to the desert. We spent all day Sunday rockhounding. The kids had an amazing time. Especially Paige, she love to hunt for treasure. :) I just have to share this story.

Paige and I are out on a little flat looking for anything that peaks our interest. I hear Paige, "mom look what I found!" I say, "awesome Paige, you're rockin' the Kasbah with that one". A few minutes pass... I hear Paige again...."hey mom look! Am I a rock in the cows butt with this one?" Yes I nearly peed myself laughing. Totally reminded me of that commercial where the guys are arguing about what the song really says and they are both totally wrong.

And now for your viewing enjoyment...the commercial.

Slacker...or not

2008-04-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been a slacker on blog posting this week. However I have been very productive. I'm finally getting caught up on things after being sick for a week. I still have lots to do, but things are getting to be manageable again. YAY!!!

This last little episode taught me a very good lesson. I have to slow down. I have to set limits, I have to be able to say "no" to myself. I tend to think I need to have everything done at once and push myself like crazy. I really need to take it easier on myself and give myself time to breathe. In light of that I did take half a day on Wed and create. I'll take pics later on so I can share. But it was very energizing to take a little time for myself. I will be doing that more often for sure.

We have family pictures tonight and I'm very excited. I haven't made time for family photos since before Meghan was born, so it's going to be fantastic to have some photos of the five of us together. I'm considering taking the dog too. :) I just don't know if she will sit still long enough to have her photo taken. She is a terrier and pretty excitable. One of the big reasons we love her. So for now I will leave you with this fun photo. These are my girls and I used a photoshop action from the Pioneer Woman website. Love it!!!

Finally back at it.

2008-04-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

Well after my shots I feel so much better and have hit the ground running. I have tons of work to catch up on this weekend so there won't be any creating for me. Unless I can steal an hour this evening. :) We'll be staying in, besides work, the wind is blowing like crazy and there is a possibility we'll have snow. Hasn't spring officially arrived yet???

Since I didn't have too much to say today I did want to leave my readers with some kind of something for the weekend. Mother's Day is coming up and if you love jewelry check out this Etsy Store. Such beautiful jewelry without being gaudy. This is one of my absolute favorite shops.

Good Stuff for Sure!!!

I also forgot to mention I finished Fools Gold while I was sick and it really was an inspiring book. It really taught me to look at things differently.

I just started The War of Art, and let me say it is AMAZING!!! Brutal, straight to the point, and no sugar coating, it's so straight forward I'm surprised I didn't singe my hands just picking it up. If you've read it I would love to hear what you think. :)

Sometimes you've just got to give in...

2008-04-16T06:34:00.000-07:00

So I've been fighting this bladder/kidney infection for a couple of weeks. And by last weekend it finally caught up with me. I've dreaded being put on an antibiotic because I already have a strong resistance to them and it seems like every time I take them I end up sick with something else. A breakdown of my immune system. Finally yesterday Mom talked me into going to the doctor. They're giving me rocephin shots everyday for 3 days. I'm still in a lot of pain but I can already tell a difference today. Hopefully I'll be feeling tons better by tomorrow. I'll be tanking up on the vitamins to hopefully build my immune system back up. But at least for a minute I will be feeling better. I guess this is the point where I have to finally give up Mt. Dew. :(

Lesson 1256: Sometimes you have to give up and give in for your own good.

I'm giving up Mt. Dew and gave in to getting an antibiotic. For my own good.

On another note, I just have to share today's photo of the day. I got Paige up this morning and sent her to the bathtub to get cleaned up for school. This is what I found when I went to help her wash her hair. :) How can this not make you giggle!

Photo a Day Challenge

2008-04-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

Summer Fullerton has started this Photo a Day Challenge over at Busy Bee. :) It's really inspired me to pay more attention to taking my camera with me. This is today's photo. I was so sick yesterday and when Shane went to the store to get me some Cranberry Juice he also picked these up for me. That man always knows how to make me feel better. LOVE HIM!!!

These are the photos I put up yesterday.

Love this old school. It has so much character.

And how do you not love a Utah West Desert sunset?

I challenge all of you to pick up your camera more often. Keep a photo diary of random things from your days. You may be surprised at what catches your eye.

Foolsgold...Food for Thought

2008-04-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

So I'm reading the book Foolsgold by Susan G. Wooldridge. (I'm all about anything that feeds my creativity.) First off let me say that my plate is overflowing right now so my reading addiction has been suffering. One of the great things about this book is that the chapters are short. I can squeeze reading in here and there. This is a really big deal to me since I hate to start something and not finish it. Even a chapter in a book. hmmm, maybe I'm a bit demanding. I live by the motto "How do you eat an elephant, one bite at a time". I eat elephants every day, and the only way I keep sane while I do it is one bite at a time. Anyway, back to the book. One of the things that really keeps hitting me upside the head is to let go. Give yourself time. Time to do nothing, to relax, to reflect on what's around you, time to be in the moment. And I'm also realizing how much getting out in the world make a difference and recharges us. Especially if it's someplace very organic and natural. Yesterday we loaded up the kids and headed out on the desert. One of our family road trips. We haven't done this for a long time and I had forgotten how much I enjoy it. I was tired, and hurting from some infections I'm battling, and just plain wore out. I guess when you go 90 miles an hour all the time you're bound to run out of gas at some point. But I really focusing on just being there with my family. We ended up at a trilobyte bed and spent the better part of an hour digging around in the rocks fishing for ancient remnants of these little creatures. It was so relaxing and invigorating. And then I'd hear "mom, mom! look at this! I found one!" The kids thought they had hit the mother load. Meghan (my 3 year old), even got in on the action. When she finally got bored she found new entertainment in throwing rocks at me. Silly Goose! My point is, during this time of just being, I noticed I was getting all these new ideas. And who knew the smell of sagebrush and cedar trees could be so energizing. I guess I did know, I had just forgotten. It's time to slow down, breathe, and relax. Remembering there is a lot to be gained in the little things. Sometimes doing something meaningless is the most productive thing you can do for yourself. I'm constantly telling Shane, "if my body could keep up with mind we'd have it made". And right now my body is tired and it is so frustrating. But I'm trying to understand maybe what my body is telling me is to slow down. Take it easy for a minute. Funny thing is, I don't remember how.

Anyway, if you have read this book I would love to hear your thoughts on it. What did you learn about yourself? What things did it make you look at differently?

Okey Dokey...Challenge complete

2008-04-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

so my blog has a new look for a little bit. :) Yay! Knowing me I'll get board in a month or two and change it up again.

Here's a pic of the canvas I took my header from. TFL!!!

New Counter

2008-04-13T09:14:00.001-07:00

Free Counter

TGIF!!!!

2008-04-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

I can't even tell you how excited I am it's Friday. With no place to go this weekend, I'm hoping to get caught up on my housework, projects, and get some work done on Busy Bee.

I was able to get another set of ATC cards done last night. These are for another swap on the ATC World Yahoo Group. The theme is Blue Beaches and I just love how this turned out. The background was created with tissue paper, gesso, and acrylic paint. Then I stamped a swirl Fontwerks stamp with some Twinkling H2Os. The title is stamped with MaVinci's alpha stamps. My favorite part is the real sand I used and the real seashell. I mixed sand from Shell Island in Florida with acrylic medium and smeared it on the card with a paint brush. While the sand was still wet I pushed a shell down into it. Worked great! I apologize for the pic, but my scanner doesn't love bulky items. I'll be busting out the photobox today and see if I can get some better pics. The sand really does look so cool.

Well, I'm off to get some work done. But hopefully I'll get to do some creating this weekend so I have some more fun stuff to show by the first of the week. I am working on a top secret project for Busy Bee that you'll get to see the first of May. It will really have you thinking outside the box when it comes to your layouts. :)

Luminarte

2008-04-10T05:17:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite new finds we picked up at CHA. Ok so it's not really new, but it's new to me. Luminarte has these amazing watercolors called Twinkling H2Os. You can purchase them in cake form, daubers, or mist in a spray bottle. I just got these uploaded to Busy Bee last night and I just can't even tell you how much I love them.

Being watercolors they blend and bleed easily to make the most amazing effects. Plus you can stamp, paint, smudge, color wash, and so much more with them. They also have a "shimmer" to them which just adds more dimension to your project. I love using these on my ATC cards and collage art because I always get a unique look that can't be duplicated. This is one of my favorite ATC cards and I used the spray shimmer mists and daubers to create it.

More goodies.

2008-04-09T08:49:00.001-07:00

I just started a photobucket album of my atc cards. The link is off to the right, but here are pics of what I uploaded today.
I did these for swaps in my Yahoo Group. If you're into ATC Card swaps you'll want to check this group out. It really is a lot of fun and there are tons of swaps to choose from. The group is ATC World, and really, you won't be disappointed.

I've been given a challenge this week to fix up my blog. Which is actually pretty funny since I'm having a heckava time figuring blogger out. :( Oh well, I guess we'll see what I come up with.

One last pic for today. This is what my new tattoo looks like. And no, I won't be posting pics of my old one. I'd have to show you my kangaroo pouch (that I acquired by having 3 kids), and no one sees that but Shane (poor guy).

A Quickie...

2008-04-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

So I wanted to share this pic from Saturday too. Mom and I met up with my sister and soon to be brother in law to pick out dresses for their wedding. No orange is not one of her colors (DANG IT), but this is the dress style. Only the one I'm getting will be brown. But since we were just trying stuff on I got to pick the color. I went for the lime green first, but they didn't have any in my size.

And Fuzz, (the soon to be brother in law), what a trooper. I had to get a pick of him hauling Em's crap around, and just to make it good I talked him into wearing her sunglasses too. But shhhhh....don't tell him I posted it on the net. :) Anyway we had a great time. He fits right in with the family and will even argue with me. :)
Ok, off to work. Lots to do today.

What a Weekend!!!

2008-04-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

Check this out..I had a very interesting weekend. So fun!!!

Mom and I got this bright idea to go get tattoos Saturday. We had so much fun. And I have to say, it didn't hurt nearly as bad as my first one. :)

Busy Busy Busy

2008-04-04T04:52:00.000-07:00

Finally got my '07 crap itemized for the Tax Man. YAY!!! But I'm still buried up to my eyeballs in work to get done so no creating for me this week :(

Speaking of work...check out the Busy Bee Blog. There's some really cool stuff going on this month.

Things are looking a bit boring around here so it's time to add a pic. :) This is one of my favorite projects. Its all constructed with a 12x12 freestanding pageframe from Pageframes. Super fun stuff to play with. Supplies from each of these companies were used as well: Cherry Arte paper, Heidi Swapp goodies, Queen and Company, Christina Cole, Bazzill, Doodlebug and Fancy Pants.

What Kind of Thinker Are You?

2008-03-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

This is Me :)

Your Thinking is Abstract and Random

You are flexible, adaptable, and creative.

There's many ways that you can learn - and you're up for any of them.

You relate well to other people, and you do well working in groups.

You can help people communicate together and work with each other's strengths.

You don't work well with people who are competitive or adversarial.

You prefer to work toward a common goal... not toward conflicting goals.

What Kind of Thinker Are You?

Very cool Blog

2008-03-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

I found this blog that I just love! Every Saturday she posts vintage images that you can use in your own work. Just be sure to link to her blog and post in her comments section. :)

http://paperflowers1.blogspot.com/

One for mom

2008-03-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

Mom went off to Kansas a couple weeks ago. If you know anything about me you know I'm the biggest mama's girl ever, and I like it! Anyway she was gone for a week and I missed her terribly. While she was away I decided to try my hand at paper dolls. And made this one just for her.

I have to say it was so much fun to do something a bit different than what I usually do. I have plans for a few more dolls and hopefully will be able to find some time to work on them soon. :)

I also want to say "Thanks" to Cindy for getting me thinking "outside the box". :)

I'm so bad....

2008-03-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

Popped in the thrift store today for some old books and just look what I found.
$10 for this amazing set of stamps. I can't wait to play with them. (You didn't think I bought them just to look at did you!)

On another note, I was totally inspired by a rusty pizza pan that came out of my dishwasher last night. (not a good thing when I have so much work to get done!) But my will power was not strong enough to resist. And I have to admit, I like the pizza pan much better now.

To Blog or not to Blog???

2008-03-14T17:40:00.000-07:00

Ok seriously...it's just one more thing to add to my day. One more thing I feel guilty if I don't do. But in the midst of all the chaos lately I have decided to have a personal blog. Again. But this time, I'm doing it just for me. I may pop in and say hi or let everyone know what's going on. But if I don't post...I refuse to feel guilty. :)

Things are nuts right now. Lots of shipping, lots of new product, lots of stuff to do. And in the middle of all this my creative juices are screaming. I keep telling myself "work, then play" and it's really hard to stick to that. But so far so good. I have been giving myself a few minutes every night to do something creative. It's my payoff for working so hard.

Check out my new toys.
I'm just itching to play!!! We'll see what the evening brings.

Merry Christmas To Me!!!

2007-12-13T12:47:00.001-08:00

No I am not a health nut, (though I wish I was), but I love to juice! I have been dying for one of these for so long I can't even tell you. And finally, this year, this is what I'm getting for Christmas. Of course I couldn't wait for Christmas so as soon as it came we had to open it right up and make some oj.

The best part of the whole thing is that you don't have to prep your fruit and veggies much before running them through the juicer. You can run an apple through it whole. Love that!

Maybe all the fresh juice will help me kick this stinkin' sinus infection! Gotta love winter.