~The Art of Life~

Slowing down in the Carpool Lane

2012-01-31T10:13:00.000-06:00

~Last year I was driving in my car, my heart feeling pressed down with the weight of anxiety. In my mind I was playing over all the things I hadn't gotten done, all my weaknesses and fumbles.

"I'm such a scattered girl. Why can't I focus? Why am I so forgetful?"

~The heaviness pressed in hard until I prayed aloud, "Lord, why can't I just be one of those put-together girls?! You know; the ones who always have it all under control?"

~The answer came so clearly that it startled. In a voice tinged with a smile and almost audible I heard,

"Now why would I want that?"

~Huh? Did I just hear that? What did You say Lord?
~And the gentle response;

"If you were a put-together girl then you wouldn't need me
and what I want above all is a relationship with you."

~I wanted to pull the car over, let the words soak into my trembling frame. He loves me like this?
Scattered & forgetful? Imperfect & fumbling?
~My weaknesses only serve to draw me closer; to remind me of my desperate need for the One who is my only strength.
.................................................................................................................................................................

~Months later and I wake on a Monday feeling frantic, world spinning before my feet hit the ground. The anxiety is there again; like a snake coiled around my shoulders hissing lies into my ears.
And it's in the car again that I'm reminded of that truth-~-Relationship.

~He doesn't expect me to be perfect, only prayerful, letting my weaknesses draw me into His arms.

~And peace isn't a state of being where life is smooth and under control.

Peace is a person,

Jesus

walking me through my worries and whispering reassurance

to this Momma,

sometimes in the carpool lane.

Chasing the Sunset

2011-10-13T11:17:00.000-05:00

~I sit on the park bench, feeling the coolness in the air. I watch my daughters disappear in and out of the maze of blue, red & yellow pipes, tubes and slides. The trees surrounding the sandy lot are just starting to put on their Fall coats.

~Just this morning I had watched the video; the interview with Ann, her voice quiet and gentle.
And I had felt God speak to me, the tears coming up to my eyes.

Slow. Still. These Mothering moments go by so fast.

~My heart longs to be Mary but my mind is all Martha. How many times am I with my girls but not "with" them?
Sorting socks, stacking dishes into the cupboard.
Endlessly chasing after order.
This business of running a business and a home has put my inner Martha into overdrive.
And so I went looking for Mary at the park.

~It was just us girls as my Dear Husband was working late.
I watch my oldest dig her hands deep into the damp sand; patting, stacking, building a castle. She will be 10 soon. Every day she is growing more and more into a young lady.
I watch my youngest; fearlessly swinging across the monkey bars. She is so brave.
I try to press the images into my heart.
Suddenly the bustle of the playground stops and all the little eyes turn towards the sky. The honking and squawking is a flock of geese and we watch their V-shaped line move across the pink sky.

~The air grows cooler and I load my girls into the car, listen for the click of seatbelts, and head home. As we turn west onto Warner Street we all catch our breath together.

The sky!

It's like a painting; vibrant colors splashed across the canvas.
"Take a picture Momma! Oh! Take a picture!"
And so we chase the sunset. Driving further west, turning onto side streets, looking for the perfect view.

~Finally, standing on a sidewalk downtown I try in vain to capture the shifting colors of the sky. I talk with my girls about how much God loves us.
"Look at the beautiful things He makes just for us to enjoy!"
This moment is full.

~The sky grows darker and we turn again towards home. And there in the Eastern sky:
A beautiful, full, radiant moon.
This was almost too much!
Too much gift for a stumbling, struggling Momma.
His love, shining there.
"Look Girls! The moon!"

When the Wind Blows Through

2011-07-02T16:08:00.000-05:00

~~These past two months the winds have blown hard, starting with the very literal winds of a tornado that blew through our small town. My hard-working husband was hours away with business and as the storms drew nearer I made the decision to leave our house with the girls and go to a friend's who has a tornado shelter. I had no idea that we were heading directly to the path of the tornado.
It was a strange sensation, feeling the pressure change as the twister raged over,
hearing loud crashes,
bangs,
and then silence.
~~Our friends received some damage and a lot of debris but thankfully their home withstood the storm. There were many others that day who lost everything.
My heart broke when we saw the damage.
~~The storm also went directly over my parent's home and while century old trees fell in all directions, by some blessing their house withstood.
~~It seems that these winds continued to blow through the weeks.
Blow life into a busy whirl.
Much of that has been blessing.
Our business has reached its peak season-the time when there's hardly room to breathe.
This is our second time to come through this cycle and while we know to expect the ebb and flow, it's still an adjustment.
~~My personality is the type to hold onto stress and anxiety no matter how much I try to change that.
When life is good I stress. When life is hard I stress.
I don't know why but it is my natural bend that I'm slowly trying to unwind.
And in this busy time my anxiety reliever, my art, has suffered.
The times when I need it the most are also the times when it tends to get neglected.
But if we listen our hearts will send signals.
Quietly at first and then
Loud.
~~I've been battling my health for two months now. Sinus infections, ear infections, all types of strange problems. I've been to the doctors, tried different solutions,
nothing worked.

~~This week the girls and I headed North to a summer camp in Kenora, Ontario Canada.
My parents run it in the summer and it's been in my family for generations. My girls are running free; making memories on the same grounds that I used to explore as a girl. And as I sit by the lake with the breeze blowing gently, I feel the anxiety fall away like a heavy coat.
We've only been here a couple of days and my health is improving. I'm breathing easy, sleeping deeply.
And somehow, there is a lesson I must learn here.
~~Learn to take this peace back home to my whirlwind life.
One can't help but feel close to God when you're surrounded by His beauty.
And though it may be harder to recognize at home, I know that this same closeness can be found there too.
~~So this week I will dig out my sketchbook and allow my heart to rest.
I will look for the answers in the light sparkling across the lake.
Listen for them in the loons, calling across the water at night.
And carry them 1200 miles back home in a very grateful heart.

When You Can't Decide

2011-05-18T10:37:00.000-05:00

~~I recently watched a TED talk that really resonated with me. It helped bring light to a problem I've had since I was a little girl: the problem of making a decision.
We live in a world of endless choices. Never before in history have we had so many options. (I just read that Sonic Drive-In claims to have 398,929 drink and slush combinations!)
And all of these choices are meant to give us more freedom;
right?
But instead they're causing paralysis.

~~All of my life I've struggled with decision-making. I wish that I could be a decisive, driven, determined person. But in order to be driven you have to make a choice and then go for it.
And there is my problem.
~~I was the little girl standing helplessly in front of the ice-cream case.
Do I choose chocolate?
.....or mint chocolate chip?
.....or strawberry?
~~The choice was so hard because I was afraid.
Afraid that I would make a wrong decision and miss out on something better.
Or more often for me, afraid that I would disappoint others if I chose wrong.

~~It sounds silly when you're talking about ice-cream but this tendency follows you through-out all life's decisions.
And when you're too afraid to make a mistake you tend to not choose at all.
~~I'm also a perpetual choice-deferrer. (Did I just make up a word?)
If someone else can make the decision for me.....
great!
Just tell me what to do.

When I let someone else make the decision I'm freeing myself of the consequences.
I'm placing the load on their shoulders.
If it turns out to be the wrong decision, well, I can't be blamed.

~~I'm not sure of the answer to this situation. Life will always be full of choices.

But I think the only way to go is to step fully into our own lives.
To gather up courage to simply decide.
My friend Abbi made some wonderful graduation wall art for her sister. It says:

"Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run there's still time to change the road you're on."

Be brave. Decide. And then Move.

My Heart is Light ~ Illustration

2011-05-17T10:19:00.000-05:00

~~My heart truly is feeling light this morning.
I'm feeling healthy and well; something I haven't felt in a while and something I won't take for granted.
It's a beautiful, bright May day.
I hope this finds you with a light heart too.

I don't need a telescope....

2011-05-16T12:46:00.000-05:00

~~I love to listen to music while I work and today's soundtrack was Ocean Eyes by Owl City.
I've listened to this album many, many times before but for some reason today the words in one line jumped out at me.

"I don't need a telescope to see that there's hope

and that makes me feel brave."
~~I know that for me, hope is a great motivator. It pushes me to try new things and at this time in my life I could use a little bravery. :)

Finding my Balance Again.......Sharing some Links

2011-05-09T14:09:00.000-05:00

~~I'm finally getting to the other side of a bad inner ear infection; something I'd never experienced before and wouldn't wish on anyone. Dizziness, fever, chills,
and all from a little place in my ear being out of balance.
It had me thinking a lot about balance
and I'm sure there's a blog post in there somewhere,
but for now I'm just happy to start seeing the light at the end of this tunnel.
~~So I hope it's okay if, instead of sharing my own thoughts, I share some of the wonderful inspiration I read this morning.

**For When You Feel Behind
When I read the title of Emily's post it almost brought tears to my eyes because she put into words exactly how I've been feeling. Life seems to rush by and so many times I do feel like I'm constantly on the chase.

**When It All Feels Like A Mismatched Mess
"I haven’t got anything together and I can stop looking for some hidden door that’s going to someday open up to my real, perfect life and I can stop waiting and I can start laughing praise, because this wondrous mess, this is it."
Ahh!! Yes!

**Giving Oneself Completely and Unapologetically to An Obsession
My dear friend writes so open and honest and her post resonated with me this morning as I'm still seeking to become more and more comfortable in my own skin.

Hello Friend! ~Illustration

2011-05-02T13:44:00.000-05:00

~~Hello Friend!

I'm so glad you're mine.

~~Pencil and ink drawing, colored in Photoshop.
Here is a picture of the printed result.

~~Thanks for stopping by today!

Motherhood and Grace

2011-04-28T16:22:00.000-05:00

~~Nine years have passed......
Nine years since they wrapped my baby girl tightly in a blanket and placed her in my arms......
Nine years......
and I still don't know how to be a Good Mother.
Oh I try!
Every day I pour my heart into these two life-filled girls; they are my gifts.
But no-one ever told me.

~~When the nurse handed me my green-eyed girl on that cold December afternoon,
she didn't tell me that there would be days when my heart would nearly burst with love.
And that there would also be days when the weight of this heavy responsibility would press down hard.

I am responsible for leading and training two little lives!

And how can I help them to stretch and grow when I am still growing myself?

~~My firstborn, Sierra, the one with the splash of freckles across her nose and the waist-length chestnut hair,
she is changing before my very eyes.
Reaching out and dipping her toes into this new stage they call "tween-age."
I watch her grow into her personality; her own likes and dislikes,
stretching,
becoming.
And I can't help but want to pull my little chickie in close under my Momma wings and keep her small.

No-one ever told me that when your children grow, you will be the one to feel the growing pains.

I am not a perfect Mother
and I stumble often.
But every morning I wake,
and I breathe in new grace,
and I pray for wisdom to lead these two daughters of mine.

Nine years......

Blogging and Vulnerability

2011-04-26T09:30:00.001-05:00

~~Day after day I sit at this keyboard, at this cursor on a screen, and I spill out my heart.
Over 4 years I've come here. Four years of writing and growing.
This blog started as more of a scrapbook; a place to document the journey of life.
But over time it has become more.
It has seen hard times and joy, encouragement and growth.

~~I have been told, more than once, that as an artist I should keep my blog professional;
Only share about art and techniques.
Never talk about anything too personal such as children or beliefs.
You might offend people.
But how can I share about my art without sharing where it comes from?
Some days the empty comment box blinks at me and I wonder......

~~But life spills out into art and through this place I have come to see
that maybe my words can be art too.
If my risk of being vulnerable encourages just one person
than I am willing to risk.
And so I dip my brush into the paint,
I place my fingers onto the keys,
and I write.

***Just read this wonderful post: "What Will We Do With Our Words?"***

Welcoming New Little Ones......Two New Prints

2011-04-25T14:13:00.000-05:00

~~Just over a week ago my sister and her husband welcomed a new baby boy into the world
and we are over the moon about him. Little Kiptyn was the inspiration for this artwork,
"Welcome Baby."
~~The very same week we also learned that we will be getting a new little niece this Fall.
So in honor of her we have "Welcome Baby" in pink. :)

Singing to the Trees

2011-04-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

~~I pull into the school parking lot on a breezy, warm afternoon in Spring.
I'm early so I park, roll down the windows and grab my book to wait for the ending bell.
The parking lot faces the playground and through the chain-length fence I watch pre-schoolers,
running around in pure, unbridled joy.
*Little girls with pigtails flying, skirts blowing in the wind.
*Little boys in cowboy boots and shorts, happily involved in a game of tag.
I watch them and I smile.
Such joy!

~~With my windows down I hear a little sing-song voice and then I notice her;
a girl, standing near the fence under the Bradford pear trees in full bloom.
She is raising her small fingers up towards the sky and singing!
Singing to the flowers.
~~And there it is; the secret to the joy.

~~As you know I've been reading the book One Thousand Gifts. Re-reading actually.
In the book Ann shares how she discovered that the secret to joy is in thankfulness,
eucharisteo,
couting God's blessings all around us.

~~And there on the playground I see that the joy is so easy when we are young.
The curiosity of children is a natural expression of thankfulness.
They see. They marvel. They linger.
Maybe that's why Jesus told us to be like little children.

~~As I drive away from the school yard my heart sings its own song, not to the trees,
but to the maker of the trees.

to the One who shows us His love in a multitude of ways,
including Spring flowers
and little girls.

Seek and you will find

2011-04-18T10:46:00.000-05:00

Lovely Links for Your Thursday

2011-04-14T10:20:00.002-05:00

~~One of the things I love about the time we live in is the ability to connect with people all over the world through the internet, and my favorite way to do that is through blogs.
So today I thought I'd share with you a few of my recent finds.
Hope you enjoy!

~"A Holy Experience" is the blog of Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts.
Just like her book, Ann's blog provides so much encouragement, inspiration and motivation.
Her words and thoughts always challenge me and push me to grow.

~~When I found Emily Freeman's blog, "Chatting at the Sky," I couldn't help but wonder if we were somehow related. It was like reading the words of a sister. Emily's heart, like mine, is to encourage other women that they too are artists. She's written a book titled "Grace for the Good Girl" which will be out September 2011. As you know, I understand the "good girl struggle" all too well so it's nice to find a kindred heart.

~~"Inspired to Action" is a very recent find for me but when I read the author's "about page" I knew that I wanted to read more. Kat writes, "I pray that my simple, strained words would ignite a blazing inferno that drives you to Him, fuels your family and sparks a relentless revolution in your heart and life."

~~(In) Courage is a group blog that is full of inspiration. I found out about it through their book club when I was reading One Thousand Gifts. Written by women of all different ages and stages of life,
(In) Courage is just an uplifting, encouraging little place on to visit.

My "Thank You" Gift for you!

2011-04-07T12:48:00.002-05:00

~~This is something new for me and I'm very excited about it!
I appreciate each and every one of you who stop by my blog or Facebook page and leave your encouraging thoughts. It means so much!
~~I've been stretching my wings artistically and trying some new things.
I would love to have your true and honest feedback.
So I've created a "Happy Spring" card that is free for you to download. Just click the link below:

Happy Spring Card

*Print the pdf out on card stock or high quality paper.
*Fold in half.
*Use a paper cutter or scissors to trim the edges.
*Share with a friend. :) (I've sized it to fit in a standard 5" x 7" card sized envelope.)

~~The only thing I ask is that you let me know what you think.
Feel free to share it on your blog or website with a link back here (www.theartoflifeblog.com)
~~And thank you so much again! I truly do treasure each one of you!

**PS: If you're having trouble with the download will you please leave a comment and let me know. This is a new thing for me and I'm still working out the kinks. :)

When You Don't Hear the Train

2011-04-06T13:44:00.000-05:00

~~As I lay awake in the late hours of the night, thoughts of the day racing through my mind, I hear the train.
First quietly, and then loud. Roaring.
It blares its horn all the way through town, breaking the stillness of the night.
And since our home is only a few blocks from the tracks it is a sound I have come to know.
In fact I know it so well that most of the time I don't even hear it.
~~Trains come through our small town with a surprising frequency at all hours of day and night
and yet I don't notice them. I have become immune to the sound. It has become ordinary.

~~Our loving Creator displays His love for us in numberless ways day after day.
In the little gifts that we take for granted.

*The morning songs of birds in the trees.

*Brave spring flowers, poking their heads above ground.

*The smile of a stranger.

~Time after time in the clear Oklahoma evening sky God trumpets His love loud in beautiful watercolor sunsets.
The message could not be more clear.

"I love you my Child!"

~~But I have seen these sunsets before
and I am busy with my life,
my plans,
my duties.

~~As the sound of the train grew dim I am left once again with only the quiet click, click, click of the clock in the kitchen.
Stillness.
~~I must learn to find stillness for my heart in these busy days of mothering and life
and I can do it with thankfulness.

When I take the time to truly see and count the blessings I find stillness.
The blessings are there.
Everywhere.
And they are anything but ordinary.

When I Let it Go.....

2011-04-01T09:32:00.001-05:00

~~There's a song by a group called "Sierra" and the words have been stuck in my head for years. It's strange how some songs can do that.
Many mornings I've woke up with the words running through my mind.
For a long time I thought that it was there because of the catchy tune (or maybe the fact that my husband and I listened to the album quite a lot when we were expecting our own "Sierra.")
Only now, years later, are they truly sinking in deep.

~~My nature is to want control. I like life to be predictable, manageable,
held tight in the palm of my hand.

~~For so long I fought the idea of letting go.
Doesn't letting go mean giving up?

Giving up our hopes?

Giving up our dreams?

~~Oh, but now I see!
When our palms are closed tight we can't receive the numerous blessings our Loving God wants to give.
And they are everywhere!
He takes our small little dreams and makes them bigger. Opens our eyes wider.

Fills with grace.

"I meditate on all your works and consider what Your hands have done.
I spread out my hands to You;
My soul thirsts for you like a parched land." Ps 143:5-6

Thank You Lord, for Grace.

(If you would like to listen to the song, you can hear it here: "Let it Go."

Because Creativity is Important

2011-03-30T13:33:00.000-05:00

~~It is evening and as I carry the dinner dishes into the kitchen images are dancing through my mind.
I leave the plates in the sink and grab sketchbook and pencil; hoping to capture them.
~~Once settled at the kitchen table I put pencil to paper, erase, lay down line again.
Trying to get it just right.

~~My little one sees me and runs to get paper and pencil of her own. She pulls up a chair next to me and I smile as I watch her fingers fly across the paper.
Her face is a mixture of delight and concentration.
She doesn't erase.
~~When she's satisfied that it's done her little hands hold up the paper for my inspection.
"Do you like it Momma?"
******************

"Oh yes! I love it!"

And then she's off; down from the table and away to find another game.
~~How many times have I told myself the lie that my art is not as important; that it is selfish?
After all, there are dishes in the sink and laundry to be done.
But don't I want my daughters to believe that creativity is a gift?
Don't I believe it with all my very heart?
~~I am reminded that my actions speak louder than my words.
That I am teaching them with every stroke of pencil laid, every wash of paint spilled.

As Ann says;
"All our lives we all need to create because creativity is the life breath of our Creator Father and if we don’t create we breathe stale air and we wither dry."
~~I peek into the living room to see tinker toy sculptures overtaking the rug. Both girls have been busy building.
And I wonder.
Maybe I have it backwards.
Maybe they are the ones who are teaching me.

The Wings of the Morning

2011-03-29T09:42:00.000-05:00

A Friend is.....

2011-03-28T12:56:00.001-05:00

~~I've been enjoying playing around with a more "illustrative style."
Seeing what happens when I allow myself to loosen up and experiment.
It was my dream as a young girl to be an illustrator and I wonder if my heart is trying to pull me back towards that direction.
Thanks so much for looking!

Pieces of my Heart

2011-03-25T17:24:00.207-05:00

~~It's scary to open up and be honest. But it's my hope that by baring a little of my heart in this place, I might be an encouragement to others who are going through the same thing.

~~I was 5 years old when I first gave my heart to God.
Or, more realistically; I prayed, asked God to forgive me of all my wrongs and hoped desperately that my name would stay on the "let into Heaven" list. The preacher had given a fiery sermon on hell and damnation and my little 5 year old heart was shaken to the core.
And as I look back now I believe that moment was the beginning of my "good girl disease."
The moment that something clicked in my mind:
***The best way to make God happy is to always be the good girl.
***Never rock the boat.
***Make everyone happy-at all costs.

~~From the outside, no one can tell that good girls have a problem.
In fact, it appears to be just the opposite.
Most of the time the good girl herself doesn't even know.
But she does know that something isn't right.
For the good girl life lacks joy.
Stress, anxiety, perfectionism; they all sink their sharp teeth deep into her tender heart.
~~The good girl is constantly striving to be better; never feeling good enough.
Never feeling worthy of love or attention.
Even her relationship with God is based more on duty than actual relationship.
And so, for three decades I lived with this "good girl disease."

~~On the 18th of October 2010 I woke up to my 30th birthday and the sudden realization that I had absolutely no idea who I was. It hit me like a ton of bricks-knocking the wind right out of me. I had become so good at figuring out what others expected of me and then squeezing and twisting myself to fit into that mold.
I was tired!
~~Somehow I had lived 3 decades without moving any closer to my true heart. Everything in my life felt like duty.
My art. My writing. My life.
I was constantly comparing it all to others and coming up short.
I had been stripped of joy.
And there I sat, at the bottom of a dark hole I had dug with my own two hands.

~~And there I resolved to do what all good girls do.
I was going to climb out of that hole!
All I needed was to be more disciplined,
more organized,
more motivated.
Self-help books.....Searching the internet.....More comparing.....How do others do it?
What is wrong with me?!
I dug and stretched and grasped and finally fell back down...
into my
own
muddy
mess.
~~On a cold and snowy afternoon in January I gave up. I finally raised the white flag and asked for help.
And that was the moment it all changed.

~~God reached down and did what I couldn't do:

He lifted me out of the hole.

I took the time in those cold snowy weeks to start reading and the words were like healing balm to my cuts and bruises.

And through that quiet time of surrender,

God began to fill my heart with joy.

The truth poured in and I began to see the true meaning of relationship with Him.

Oh, He had tried to tell me time and time again.

But I had always fallen right back into my good girl ways; seeking to earn His love.

~~The utter freedom of truly accepting (for the first time) God's unconditional love for me turned this Martha into a Mary.

And the joy is coming back into my art,
back into my writing,
back into my life.
Because I now have freedom from the fear of failing.
As my dear friend Mandy wrote about, it's as though I'm taking a long, deep inhale.
"We breath back in to let ourselves know we are okay. We breath back in to recover."

~~I'm honestly thankful for hitting rock bottom. If I hadn't I might have continued to coast along.

Good girls are very good at coasting.

I know I'm going to trip and fall; stumble right over those same stones that have knocked me down before.

But this time I know what to do when I fall.

I'll ask my God to pick me up...

and I know that He'll be smiling.

~~I thought I would share some of the books I've been reading:

*Captivating, Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul,by John and Stasi Eldredge

*Desire; The Journey We Must Take to Find the Life God Offers by John Eldredge

*One Thousand Gifts, A Dare to Live Fully, Right Where You Are, by Ann Voskamp
(If you read only one book this year, please make it this one! )
Truly life changing!
To get a little taste of her writing go to her blog here.
*Desiring God, by John Piper (This is my current read.)

***Thank you for letting me share my heart!

Everybody is Talented

2010-11-29T14:32:00.002-06:00

Why be creative?

2010-11-22T09:43:00.002-06:00

Shining the light

2010-11-18T10:19:00.000-06:00

~~Evening is my favorite time of the day. When the skies start to darken I walk through the house, turning off the overhead lights and switching on the small lamps that we have in each room. There's something so comforting about the warm, dim glow. In the softness of lowered lights it's easy to overlook the things that can bother you in bright sunlight; like crumbs on the floor or dust on a bookshelf. No, in the evening the house has a feeling of shelter and comfort, especially on these cold, blustery fall evenings.

~~This evening as I sat on the floor, combing through my daughter's wet hair, I thought about how the feeling of "home" has nothing to do with the things in the house. It's not about decorations or style, paint colors or trends. Instead it's that feeling that you get from being surrounded by those who love you. It's the feeling of being comfortable and accepted.

~~As I mentioned before, I've been learning so much this year about the calling to "relationship." And God has been bringing this blessing into my life in the most wonderful ways. Today, as I visited with a group of women who have become so special to me I realized how true relationships can have the same feeling as "home." God has called us each one of us to reach out, to lift up, to encourage. For timid people like me, this isn't always easy. You may feel like you don't have much light to offer; that you're just one small candle in a big world. But in the warm light of friendship great things can grow.

~~How often have I held back, more concerned about my own insecurities?
And how silly is that, really? Our God has called us to relationship.

~~I'm reading the book "Saying Yes; Accepting God's Amazing Invitation to Artists and the Church." (Even though I just started reading it I've already devoured about half the book. It's that good!) In it Cindy says,

~I know that I've been blessed by others, shining the warmth of their lights on me.

And I'm so incredibly thankful.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2010-11-17T17:10:00.001-06:00

(Click on the photo, then right click and save to your computer to print. Scrapbook kit found here.)

~~I just wanted to pop in on this blustry Fall day and share a new recipe. Fall always makes me crave anything pumpkin flavored and these little treats are a pumpkin party in the mouth.
**The original recipe says that they can be made ahead and frozen for up to 3 days. I made mine for a get-together the night before and kept them in the fridge.
Have a wonderful evening and stay warm!

Relationship

2010-11-14T16:59:00.000-06:00

~~This year has been life-changing in so many ways. I haven't wanted to talk about it for fear of sounding over-dramatic or too much of a drama queen. But the truth is that I am the type of girl who feels things deeply. I won't apologize for that. I'm learning to see it as a strength, not a weakness.
~~God has been shaping and molding me this year; pulling me more towards Him.
And I think the deepest most wonderfully over-flowing message I have been hearing is:

Relationship.

~~I've never been a girl with a strong self-esteem. It's easier for me to see my own weaknesses. But this year I've been opening up, spilling out and seeing that God made me just the way I am for a purpose. He's made each of us for this purpose:

Relationship.

~~I'm sure it's no surprise to know that I'm a rule follower.
A "goody two-shoes."
"Teacher's pet."
And for so much of my life I have believed that the way to happiness comes by simply following the rules.
But life comes with no road map.

~~I can't tell you how much of a source of frustration that little fact has been to me this year!
Oh, how I've desperately wished for God to reach down and hand me His plan.
He knows I'd follow it. To a "t."
Just give me a bullet-point list and I will check it off one-by-one.
And wouldn't that make Him happy?
~~Are you ready for this?
The answer is a big fat NO!
~~He wouldn't be happy with this because it would take away the need for that one truly important thing:

Relationship.

~~I believe that God has a purpose for each and every one of us. That's why He made us each unique, with our own passions. But even though we come with a definite purpose,
I don't think there's always only one direct way to get there.
~~That's the thing that holds me back so often; fear of making the wrong decision.
Fear that if I turn to the right instead of the left I might wind up farther away from the place He intends me to be.
~~But the reason that we aren't given a road map for life is that the journey is just as important as the destination. The journey is what draws us to Him.
~~If relationship is the most important thing, then I can actually start to believe that God has given me not only my strengths, but also my weaknesses for a purpose. If I was a perfect human being I would have no need for Him.
~~The trials, uncertainty, the ups and downs are all meant to draw us into His arms. Can you imagine that the Great God of the Universe,
the One who made all the beauty of nature around us,
He desires a relationship with us!?
~~It is in this relationship that we will grow and flourish. It's there that we will find strength and wisdom.
You are not an accident.
You were created by a Master Artist.
You are never alone.
My heart over-flows!

Daddy Date Night 2010

2010-11-11T18:15:00.000-06:00

~~Every year our church has a "Daddy Daughter Date Night." It's something that both Dustin and the girls look forward to. Daddy's are to take their daughters out to dinner at their favorite restaurant and then meet up at the church for dessert, pictures and fun together.
~~My girls are both "Daddy's Girls" all the way. He is their hero. Savannah calls him "my Prince." It makes my heart so happy to see the special bond that they share.
~~I didn't get a whole lot of creativity in today but I did make the girls' corsages this afternoon. Dustin wanted to have something special to give them and it just so happens that I worked in a flower shop during college. :)
Happy Thursday everyone.

Stretching my Wings

2010-11-10T21:17:00.001-06:00

~~A few days ago I posted a sketch. It was the beginning. Just me trying to catch a little idea from the cloud of thoughts floating around my mind and put it down on the paper. It needed a little work and a lot of love. So I've been playing and working and trying to bring this little sketch to life.
~~I've decided to use AEDM as a time to stretch my wings. I want to give myself permission to experiment and play. In all honesty, I've been struggling with a lot of uncertainty as to the direction I need to take my work. So I'm going to let go of my expectations, allow myself to be more childlike, and simply have fun. Maybe that will give me some clues as to where my heart is pulling me.
I would love to hear your thoughts about this little piece.
Thanks so much for stopping by!

Blueberry Scones

2010-11-08T20:58:00.001-06:00

~~This weekend I decided to try my hand out at some fancy scones.
Blueberry scones
It was fun and a little bit challenging. But I have to say that all the extra work was worth it. Yum!
I found the recipe here at Annie's Eats.
~~I always find that baking helps me creatively. There's something so satisfying about mixing together ingredients and seeing how they will come together in the end. :)

AEDM Day 5

2010-11-05T19:21:00.001-05:00

~~Playing around with sketches again. :)
Now I'm off to pop some popcorn for family movie night.
Have a great weekend everyone! (and thank you so much for stopping by!)

Cheerily, my little Man

2010-11-04T17:38:00.002-05:00

~~I'm not sure what to call this one. Still thinking about it. I'm not even quite sure that I'm finished with it but I wanted to share.

"Oh for boyhood’s painless play,

Sleep that wakes in laughing day,

Health that mocks the doctor’s rules,

Knowledge never learned of schools,

Cheerily, then, my little man,

live and laugh,

as boyhood can."

~John Greenleaf Whitier

Filling up the Cup

2010-11-03T17:07:00.002-05:00

~~I know that we're supposed to actually do something creative for the AEDM, but for me today was about refilling my cup. Julia Cameron talks about Artist's Dates in her books but as a busy Momma I'm not very good at actually putting that idea into practice. It's hard to sneak away for a little time on your own when there's always a list of things waiting to be done.
~~Today I made the time to get away (with a little help and encouragement from my Husband.) I had no agenda, just a few hours on my own to explore.
~~One of my stops was the bookstore, where I always end up in the children's section. I sat on the floor and slowly flipped through page after page of inspiration.
Words. Colors. Pictures.
Just a little bit of time in the kid's section of Barnes and Noble and I'm itching to run home and paint.
~~An author/illustrator who I'm really loving right now is Peter H. Reynolds. He may write children's books but their stories touch children of all ages.
The North Star
The Dot
Ish
Deep wisdom in little books!
~~Sometimes it's good to fill up your cup!

Unique

2010-11-02T18:41:00.002-05:00

~~My youngest daughter, Savannah, is in Kindergarten.

I love Kindergarteners!

Just last week I visited her classroom for the Fall Party. There's something about being in an Elementary school that makes you want to be a kid again. The walls are decorated with colorful art and craft projects. Construction paper bats, pumpkins and leaves made the room a cheery, happy place.

If I had another life to live I really think I would enjoy being a Kindergarten teacher.

~~The thing I love most about the 5-6 year old age, however, is their innocent self-confidence. They just sparkle with it. Kindergarteners know exactly who they are and what they like. All you have to do is take a look at their outfits. As every Mother of a 5 year old knows, there comes a point when you have to give up the dress debate.

**So you want to wear your cowboy boots with your shorts? Okay.

**So you really, really want to wear the purple sweater with the green tights? All right.

**So you absolutely have to wear your sparkle shoes every single day? As long as it gets us to school on time.

~~As I was looking around Savannah's classroom at all her cute little friends I could see this sparkly self assurance and it made me happy.

Oh to be more childlike!

At what age do we start listening to all the voices that say;

"You know, purple doesn't really go with green."

"You should wear this to fit in."

"Stop being unique."

~~This morning as I was sitting at work I started thinking about the idea of being unique and I couldn't help but think of those Kindergateners.

I grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and sketched out an imaginary little girl. It was fun to simply play with pencil and paper and see what came out.

~~For even more fun I scanned her into the computer, printed her out and had my Girls color her when they came home from school. I loved seeing the ideas they had for her.

~~My heart is challenged to be more childlike and to celebrate my own uniqueness.

How about you?

Art Every Day

2010-11-01T10:42:00.001-05:00

~~Last week I had the absolute blessing of getting together with a group of Artist Moms. These were women at all different stages of their life; from a Mom of a new little one to a Mom who's youngest will be leaving the nest soon. And yet we all related so incredibly well to each other.

~~We talked about art and Motherhood, about guilt, about finding and making time, and about following God's call to our hearts. We literally talked for hours and probably could have talked for more! I left with my heart overflowing. I could hardly even sleep that night.

~~One of the things we talked about was picking a goal, declaring it, and then breaking it down into small steps. Encouragement has great momentum and we knew that if we held each other accountable we could do great things in bite sized pieces.

And I want to encourage each you you out there to join in too!

~~There are two great challenges going on in the month of November.

**NaNoWriMo is a writer's challenge. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

**AEDM (Art Every Day Month) is a creative challenge. The goal is to bring more creativity into your life and do something artistic (painting, drawing, knitting, sewing, cooking, decorating, writing, photography, clay, jewelry-making or whatever) every day.

~~I have so many people tell me they're not an artist.

Let me tell you right now; that is not true!

God created each of us with a desire to live creatively. You don't have to know how to paint or draw to call yourself an artist. If you're struggling with that thought I highly encourage you to download and read my friend Mandy's Messy Canvas E-book. It's free and it just might change your life. :)

~~I know that I want to live creatively. It's a desire that burns deep in my heart. It keeps me awake at night. My problem, as I'm sure you've figured out, is fear.

The War of Art calls it Resistance.

My resistance manifests itself in a lot of different ways;

guilt, excuses, procrastination.

But today I'm going to start kicking fear to the curb.

I'm jumping in, head first, to the AEDM challenge and I hope you'll join me by throwing out some of your own excuses.

We can do this together and see what great things God has in store!

~~I would like to share some of my friends who have committed to make November a creative month:

*Teresa

*Mandy

*Abbi

(And I'm cheering for Rebekah and Amy too!)

If you're joining us will you leave a comment and let me know? I'd love to cheer for you too!

Rest

2010-10-29T13:48:00.000-05:00

"So Plentiful" Kit found here.

♥ Our Family ♥

2010-10-25T10:20:00.008-05:00

~~My Sister-in-Law is a truly gifted and talented photographer. She puts such heart and vision into her work. So of course we were beyond thrilled and honored to have a family photo session with her.
Here are just a few of the beautiful pictures that she captured. To see more please visit her blog:
Life Captures by Kriscinda.

Thank you so much Kriscinda! We will treasure these forever!!

YNOT C

2010-10-25T10:05:00.009-05:00

(Waiting at the eye doctor's office this past June.)

~~I've been thinking about Faith. That word has been running through my mind all morning. Faith.
What does it mean to have faith, particularly as it applies to my hopes and dreams?
What does it mean to have faith as an artist?
~~The more I think about it, the more I realize that faith is not a passive word.
Faith is full of action.
Faith is a verb.
But far too often in my life I've fallen into the trap of thinking that faith is a noun.
~~It's always been easy for me to have faith in most areas of my life. I have faith that God is providing for me and my family. I have faith in His unfailing love. I have faith that when I lie down to sleep, the sun will rise again and a new day will begin.
~~But what about my dreams?
~~I will admit that this is one area of my life where I struggle far too often. For some reason I think that I have to take the lead in order to get anywhere as an artist. Thoughts run through my head telling me that I have to make the opportunities.
I have to open the doors.
I have to search and seek and know all the answers or nothing will ever happen.
And of course, the end result of those thoughts is fear. Crippling, freezing fear.
~~But what about faith?
~~I think that far too often we think that faith is the same as wishing; hoping.
Just sitting and waiting with our head in the clouds.
"Okay God. I'm here. I'm ready. You can give me all the answers now."
Then, when that doesn't work we resort back to self reliance.
~~But God has been speaking to my heart. Opening me up to a much bigger plan. Something I've known in my heart all along.
Faith in action.
~~If I look back over the past 30 years, I can see a clear thread of God's hand in my life as an artist. He has been leading me gently along the way, opening doors, and making many delightful "coincidences" that have all lead me right to where I am.
~~There have been times when He opened doors to opportunities and I missed them because I was too afraid. I was lacking faith. I can see that now.
~~There have also been times when I stalled on my journey because I was trying too hard on my own. I was lacking faith.
~~So faith must be action and belief. Action and trust.
~~I must whole-heartedly give my dreams to God every day and trust that He has a plan made specifically for me. Then I also must move on those whispers and nudges that He places in my heart. Every day I should check in with Him to make sure that I'm not doing this on my own.
~~I was contemplating the idea of faith this morning while driving in the car. I pulled up to a stoplight and noticed the tag on the truck in front of me:
YNOT C
Why not see?
My heart smiled and I felt like God was whispering to me.
~~Why not see what He has in store for me? Why struggle and think that my plans need to be my own?
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29: 11-13
~~His plans are better than anything I can imagine or dream up.
Why not have faith?
Why not see?

Sierra with her new glasses. She can see!

Life

2010-10-01T13:40:00.005-05:00

~~I just wanted to pop in, say "Hello" and share a little inspiration for your weekend.
I came across the Holstee Manifesto when I was browsing online and instantly loved it.
You can go to their website here where they have a link to the printable version.
~~I've been spending more time painting and dreaming up some big goals and plans. This month will mark my 30th birthday and something about starting a new decade has me feeling a push to be braver and to dream bigger than I ever have before.

~~Mandy wrote recently about how situations in life can cause us to re-evaluate and how that can honestly be a good thing.

I shared my own story of burn-out not too long ago and so I related very much to Mandy's post.
Honestly I feel as though I'm still in the stage of "building a new shelf."
And sometimes I get so frustrated at the gap between where I am and where I want to be.
But truly, in a strange way, I am thankful for these "growing pains."
They are proof that God is still working on me.
Life is Short.
So go out and start creating!

Sleep my Baby

2010-09-20T13:59:00.007-05:00

~~This piece was very much inspired by Jessie Wilcox Smith.

In a world of flashiness and fads my heart is drawn to
simplicity,
beauty,
innocence.
My desire is to hold onto vintage childhood,
even in our modern day life.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

2010-09-09T08:50:00.002-05:00

Happy, Happy, Birthday to my very Best Friend!
I think our 30's will be great!
I'm excited about all the adventures they hold in store.
Thank you for everything you do and all that you are.
XOXO,
~me

I Want to be a Songbird

2010-09-07T13:44:00.005-05:00

~~This past weekend we decided to take the girls on an overnight camping trip to the Great Salt Plains. Camping was one of my favorite memories as a child and it's something that Dustin and I are excited to pass down to our daughters. So we loaded up our tent, sleeping bags and board games and headed off on an adventure. The girls were so excited!
~~As we stood on a small strip of sand along the bank of the Great Salt Plains Lake, the wind was blowing intensely. It pushed hard against our bodies and whipped our hair around our faces. Now, I was born an Oklahoma girl so I'm no stranger to the wind.
But this wind was incessant and strong.
I closed my eyes and wondered if this might be what a hurricane felt like.
~~Dustin and I sat up chairs and watched the girls as they played in the water. After they had spent some time building lakes and tunnels in the sand we turned around to walk back to the campsite.
Suddenly we all realized that there was a large flock of birds floating above us.
Not flying..........
Floating.
They held their wings open against the driving wind and effortlessly soared like many small kites all together.
It was a beautiful sight and we stood there watching for a while.
~~Spontaneous and daring.
Those are not two words ever used when describing me.
Cautious and calculating would be more like it.
My husband is sweet and supportive but at the same time I think I must drive him a bit crazy.
On the two hour drive to the campsite I had been talking, once again, about different worries on my mind.
~~It's as though I'm desperately flapping my wings,
pushing against every wind,
looking for all the right moves so that I can fly.
~~As I stood there, watching the birds so graceful against the sky,
I realized that they soared because they had surrendered. They weren't fighting the wind
but instead were using it.
~~I know who I am. I know what I do best. I know that God made me with my own unique purpose just as He made each of us.
In my heart I even know the steps I need to take.
So why don't I just do them?!
Quit reading and searching and trying to figure it all out.
Quit trying to fit myself into every mold and stop looking for the right way to be me.
How very silly that is.
~~This morning I was listening to the beautiful songs of Jillian Edwards.
I was struck by the words to "Songbird" and my heart echoed right along.
Yes!
I want to be a Songbird.
To soar freely in the love of my Saviour.
To learn. To grow. To treasure.
There is freedom in surrender.

I wanna be a songbird
And I wanna watch sunrise
With my love by my side
And I wanna grow and I wanna learn
I wanna fire and I wanna burn
I wanna rise and I wanna fall
I wanna run and I wanna crawl
I wanna be a songbird

And I just wanna try to know how far and deep and wide
This love is that You give
That's what it is to really live
To just try and look around
See You in our breath and hear You in our sounds
I wanna be a songbird
Ahhh ahhh

Learning

2010-09-02T10:12:00.004-05:00

~~On Monday as I was writing in my journal, the thought of "finding joy in the ordinary" kept running through my mind. As I put pen to the page, words began flowing out.
Finding joy in beautifully normal days.
~~I typed the post into my blog and saved it for another day.
~~That afternoon when I picked up Savannah from school she looked like a wilted little flower. Mother instinct told me that this was the beginning.
Sure enough. My normally busy little munchkin curled up on the couch,
took a nap,
and soon had a high fever.
~~The last few days have been about snuggling a warm little body, keeping the fever down, and moving at a much slower pace than normal. The nights have not been easy and the sleep deprivation is catching up with me.
~~I started this week ready to "go at it." To push myself harder at making clear goals.
To get a lot accomplished.
~~Instead I was given a reminder of the importance of stillness and rest.
I was given a chance to truly practice what was placed on my heart.
The same words that I write on my art website and biography;
"to find joy in everyday life."
~~That doesn't just mean every day that goes perfectly.
It means every beautifully imperfect day.
~~I'm enjoying the moments of holding my little girl close, reminded that both of my beautiful daughters are growing so quickly. I'm allowing myself to move a little slower this week instead of being frustrated with my sleep-deprived foggy brain.
At least.................. that's the plan.
I am nowhere near perfect.
But I am learning.

~~I wanted to share a blog post that I recently read. It's called "Balance"
Christina Rosalie shares about being a writer, artist and Mother and I related to this post so deeply. She writes:

"My sons teach me, with their buoyant little boy hearts,
that the only moment we have
is now."

Saturday Night Bike Ride

2010-08-30T21:32:00.000-05:00

(Click to see larger.)

To Forever Cherish

2010-08-28T16:47:00.004-05:00

"To Forever Cherish"~ 16" x 20" Acrylic & watercolor on watercolor canvas~Copyright 2010 & Beyond~Kasie Sallee

~~All children have special things that they cherish. It may be a teddy bear, baby doll, or a beloved blanket. These special "lovies" are dear to their hearts. They comfort in sickness and chase away the fears on dark, stormy nights.
~~As I was working on this piece I had another idea of its meaning.
To Cherish.
This painting is about so much more than a teddy bear. It's about cherishing those special moments with our children.
Cherishing the memories of an ordinary day.
Because all too soon our little ones will be grown. The "lovies" will be displayed on a shelf or stored away in a box.
But the memories we make each day are the things that we will forever cherish.

New Beginnings

2010-08-27T17:41:00.007-05:00

~~This time of the year always makes me think of new beginnings. I'm sure it all comes from the "back to school excitement." When I was younger I loved getting ready for school;
Fresh new pencils and crayons.
Brand new notebooks waiting to be filled.
The excitement and nervousness of a new school year.
I loved it all. And thankfully my girls seem to have inherited that same love.
On the first day of school they were up early, practically buzzing with eagerness.
~~But this year is different than most in that it truly feels like a new beginning.
~~The summer has been life-changing. That sounds so trite and over dramatic but there's really no other way to describe it.
We started our new business and have been learning the ups and downs of small business life. It has truly been a family effort, requiring all of us to stretch and grow as we learn how to adapt to our new life.
Then we experienced my Mother's life-threatening health emergency. That time pushed me through the gamut of every emotion I've ever known. I witnessed a true miracle and the absolute amazing power of combined prayer. I've been moved deeply by the sincere kindness of strangers. But I also faced many of my deepest fears head-on.
~~When I came back home after being away for two weeks with my Mother, I tried to pick up and go on with normal life. I thought that I had done a good job at handling the stress and emotions of everything that had happened. Honestly though, I think I was just avoiding my feelings. I felt the need to retreat a little; to pull back, to shut off. I quit blogging. I hardly painted, and I kept myself busy with our business and day-to-day life.
~~It wasn't until just recently that I finally realized that I was in the middle of burn-out.
Emotional
Physical
Creative
Burn-Out.
~~That realization hit me hard. But it was what I needed to begin cracking open the door to inspiration. I've spent a lot of time in the last few days praying, journaling, and opening my heart to the little whispers inside. My wonderful husband has been such an encouragement to me. For a while I was afraid that the inspiration was gone but I'm coming to realize that it can never truly go away. I'm starting to feel little sparks of excitement and ideas again. I'm learning that when I hand my dreams over to God, He can fan the little sparks into a burning flame. And I'm also learning to accept that life has its cycles. It's okay to go through a down and to pull away. In fact I think at times it's absolutely necessary.
~~It seems that I've been stumbling across so many things that are encouraging me to "begin again;" to pick back up with my painting and pursue the dreams that I've kept hidden for so long.
I have to mention "Messy Canvas," the blog of Mandy Steward because I believe God helped me to find her writing at this point in my life. Like me, she's a Mom with a big, deep love for her children and big, deep creative dreams in her heart. One of the first posts of hers that I read was called: "Taking my Art Seriously"
She wrote:
"I’ve decided to take my art seriously, to dare to believe in it as not only a valid calling but also a valid ministry."
And that line pretty much rocked my thinking.
~~There's also Kelly Rae Roberts. I've been reading through a lot of her blog archives and following her along her journey to becoming a first-time Mom. She's so inspiring because she decided five years ago to whole-heartedly chase after her dream to create art.
And in that short amount of time she's become a successful artist, bestselling author and inspirational teacher.
But what encourages me the most is that she did it all through little baby steps.
~~So I'm picking up my paints and dusting off my poor, abandoned blog.
I'm handing my dreams over to my Saviour and then taking one little baby step at a time to reach them.
I'm filling my heart up with gratitude for all the everyday blessings in my life.
I'm focusing on faith and courage.
I'm feeling excited to begin again.
~~Have you ever experienced periods of burn-out in your life? If so, how did you handle them?

Miracles

2010-06-15T14:28:00.011-05:00

The Girls and my Mom at a fun little tea shop in Canada last year.

~~How do I put into words what has happened when it still feels like a strange dream?
Three weeks ago today I received a phone call that turned my world upside down. My Mother was having a stroke. And to make matters worse she was 1200 miles away, in Canada.
~~When I first heard the words I couldn't comprehend them. Stroke? My Mother is young. She just turned 50. She's healthy. Stroke? How could that be?
~~There's a beautiful little summer camp called Pleasant Point Lodge that has been in my family for generations. It's located in Kenora, Ontario. My great-grandparents owned it and passed it down to my Grandparents. Now, my parents have taken over operations. They spend the summer in Canada and the winter in Oklahoma and had only been in Canada a few short days when Mother had the stroke. Thankfully my Grandparents (Mother's parents) were also at the camp when it happened.
~~Mother was rushed by ambulance to the nearest town. But the hospital there is small and not equipped to deal with major emergencies. It was there, while doing scans for the stroke, that the doctors discovered a large mass in her uterus. They immediately told her it was cancer and wanted to do surgery right away. We found out later what a terrible idea that was. The hospital wanted to transfer her to a larger Canadian hospital but my Dad and Grandparents worked to get her medi-flighted to the U.S. She was taken to a hospital in Duluth, Minnesota. This happened on Wednesday. My Grandma went with her on the flight and my Dad drove down. Grandpa stayed behind to take over the camp.
~~On Wednesday afternoon, thanks to some dear friends, my brother, sister and I were able to get a flight to Minneapolis. And even though we were standby, we made it with no problems whatsoever. We got a rental car and drove to Duluth to be with Mom, who was in the Intensive Care Unit. By this time she was in a lot of pain.
~~The doctors in Duluth were wonderful, and so caring. Their first priority was to figure out what had caused the stroke. They knew that Mom would need emergency surgery but didn't want to go into surgery without knowing her stroke risk. The days in Duluth were a time of many, many tests and simply sitting with Mom, hoping to give her some comfort. The situation with the mass was getting worse and every day felt like an eternity while we waited for answers.
Even after many tests the doctors were unable to determine whether the mass was cancerous or not and the cause of stroke was still a mystery. This was another worry for them as cancer can cause stroke.
~~By Saturday the 29th the doctors made the decision to transfer Mother to another hospital in a suburb of Minneapolis that had an oncology unit. They wanted her to be able to get the care she needed if the mass was indeed cancerous. Also, the Obgyn/surgeon at this hospital specialized in cases like Mom's. This meant a 3 hour ambulance ride for her.
~~At the new hospital, more testing began. Mom was being seen by an Obgyn, a neurologist and an internalist and each one wanted different tests run. Every day we waited for news.
~~Finally, Mother was cleared for surgery and her procedure was scheduled for Thursday, June the 3rd.
~~The morning of the surgery we were greeted with some news. They had finally discovered the cause of the stroke. Mom carries one gene for for a hereditary blood coagulation disorder. On it's own it most likely wouldn't have caused problems, but combined with everything else it caused the stroke. Finding this was actually good news because her future stroke risk could now be controlled. Also, it gave more hope that the mass would be non-cancerous.
~~The surgery was intense. The longest 3 1/2 hours of my life. We were told that this was a very risky surgery. The mass was very large and meshed into her other organs. Plus there was a big risk of hemorrhaging. Mother was already very low on blood. In the six months prior to the stroke she had slowly been losing blood until she was at less than half the normal amount on the day she had the stroke. And of course, there was still the risk that she could have another stroke during the surgery. So we waited, and we prayed, and we watched the clock.
~~I will never forget the image of Mom's doctor; all smiles with thumbs up as she said, "It's all good!" She was just as happy and relieved as we were! Mother came through her surgery wonderfully and the best news of all was the the mass was non-cancerous!!
~~My brother, sister and I were able to stay another day and a half before flying home. Mom was released from the hospital on Tuesday; two weeks after the stroke. It is going to be a long recovery for her but she is doing so well. I am amazed by her strength! On the stroke side her recovery is very good. She is walking and never lost any memory or speech. She is getting better and better at using her left hand and they expect that with time and therapy it will all come back. My parents went back up to Canada where they plan for her to spend the rest of the summer recovering. Knowing my Dad, he will be very careful to make sure that she rests and doesn't overdo herself.
~~And so, three weeks later I am here at home; trying to make sense of things. I can honestly say that I'm not the same girl I was three weeks ago. I don't mean that in a silly, cliche way. It is the truth. Sitting in the waiting room of the ICU changes you. Hearing stories and meeting people who are going through their own heartaches puts life in sharp perspective. All that waiting gave me plenty of time to think. And I suddenly saw how silly it is to worry about little things. When life strips away everything else, you see clearly what truly matters.
~~At the beginning I will admit; I was clinging to my faith and yet struggling with so many questions. Why there? Why this? Why my Mother? Ask anyone who knows her and they will tell you that she is one of the sweetest, most thoughtful and caring persons you could know. I am so glad to know that our Great God can handle our questions. So I gave them all to Him and waited.
~~And I began to see God work miracles. The numbers of people calling and writing to let us know that they were praying was overwhelming. We felt lifted up by so many friends, family, and even people who didn't know my Mother personally but were touched by her story. My Mother would cry every time we told her of all the people praying. When you are in a situation like that, prayer means more than anything else. And hearing the story of a friend who got down on his knees for the first time in years made her cry even more. Afterwards a friend told me that he felt God's plan included my Mother having an impact here on this earth. And even though it was not in a way that I would have wished, I can see how that is true. I believe God's timing is perfect. I believe he brought her to the right place at the right time. I praise Him for the miracles he worked in her.
~~It was so hard for me to leave Dustin and the girls. I was gone for nearly two weeks. But I am blessed with a wonderful husband. Even though our business was incredibly busy, he somehow managed. And thankfully his family was here to help him. What a blessing it is to have family!
~~For several days after I came home I kept waking up in the middle of the night, thinking I was in the hospital. I came home to a busy, busy time of life. I told Dustin that it feels like I jumped onto a treadmill turned up to full speed. Our business is busy, busy which is wonderful and exactly what we prayed for. And yet I can't get these images out of my head.
My Mother, hooked up to machines, sleeping to avoid the pain.
Nurses with their caring smiles.
Cancer patients, walking down the hall, pushing i.v. poles and wearing kerchiefs on their heads.
Families waiting.

I am not the same.

Excuses Be Gone!

2010-05-24T09:44:00.003-05:00

~~It seems that, no matter what stage of life we’re in, there are always excuses to keep us from our dreams. At the time they don’t feel like excuses at all. They simply feel like the facts. I know I’ve been there and allowed myself to buy into those excuses many times.
~~Before I had children I was busy with work and college; too busy to make much art on my own. To this day I’m still puzzled by that. My life was hectic, no doubt, but I had so much more free time then. My excuses stole it away.
~~When our first daughter was born I was, of course, even busier. Then came the 2nd daughter and full-on Mommy-hood.
~~Now, once again our lives have changed and we’ve come into the busiest season yet. I’m trying to figure out how to balance being full-time Mom, Wife, Homemaker and Business owner/Secretary. (Oh yes, and Artist!) Much of my days have been spent at our shop. The girls are there with me after school. They love it because they spend the afternoon riding their bikes, playing sidewalk chalk, drawing pictures, or crafting. Then we come home and have the normal things like laundry, dishes, housework, etc. Throw in music and tennis lessons for the girls and our lives are fuller than ever.

~~At this point I’m wishing that I could reach back in time to my “pre-business” self and give her a good kick in the pants. How on Earth did I think that I was too busy then?!
~~The point is, I’ve come to realize that life is never going to simply make my dreams easy to come by. It’s not like I’ll wake up tomorrow and find a cook and housekeeper, begging to work for free so that I can pursue my art. (A girl can dream!)
~~Recently I watched the movie, “Julie and Julia.” I had seen it mentioned on Mandy Stewart’s blog and was reminded that it was one I wanted to see. I’m so glad I made the time.
~~Like Mandy mentioned, the thing I admired most about Julie was that she simply “jumped in.” Her life was very busy and she could have come up with any number of excuses. But she didn’t.
~~As a Mother I can even let my children become an excuse. Now, don’t get me wrong. Motherhood is my number one priority and I will never let my art come before my family. But Motherhood means that I no longer have long hours free to myself. My time comes in snips and pieces. At times I’ve even thought, “What’s the use?” But now I see that as just another excuse. Taking those small amounts of time for my art each day will move me ahead baby step by baby step. Wishing and waiting for long hours free will not.
~~As a Mother I have to come up with new ways to have my creative time. Maybe that’s waking up early or staying up late. Instead of waiting for uninterrupted time, I need to learn to paint alongside my girls; to involve them in my art. Kathy Fincher, an artist who I truly admire whose daughters are now grown recently encouraged me with an email. Some of what she said was “Painting with the children at home was a tremendous gift to them..........
Bless your family by sharing your passions with them.........
Yes, our children are better for it!”
~~It’s not easy making time for your passion. It’s always a day-by-day choice. And some important things (laundry) will have to take a 2nd seat. But I’m simply not willing to let life go by while I ignore or excuse away the call of my heart.
So that’s it! No more excuses!

ETA: I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago. Then, this past Sunday Oklahoma City was hit by a massive hail storm. One of the fleets that my husband manages was majorly damaged. We are beyond busy at this point. Busy is an understatement. Nevertheless, I’m sticking to my guns. No more excuses! I’ve been carting my paints to the shop in a rolling bag and sneaking in time to paint in between writing estimates, catching up paperwork and making calls. And the amazing thing I’m finding is that those stolen moments are truly helping me stay calm in a time of craziness. I believe that God gives us creativity as a way to not only bless others, but to stay connected to Him. I am a better Wife, Mother and Business owner when I take those little bits of creative time.

Yummy, Easy, Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

2010-05-12T18:34:00.006-05:00

~~It's been a while since I've shared a recipe. (Honestly, it's just been a while since I've blogged regularly but......)

I thought I would share a recipe that I recently found. I love that it's quick, easy and very versatile. Most pizza crusts are more labor intensive and require kneading and lots of rising time. This one doesn't. And unlike a lot of whole wheat crusts, this one is actually very light and fluffy.
So, here we are:

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

~1 (.25oz.) package active dry yeast
~1 Cup Warm Water
~2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
~1/4 Cup Wheat germ
~2 tsp. Vital Wheat Gluten (optional)
~1 tsp. salt
~1 tsp. honey

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, wheat germ, salt, and if wanted the vital wheat gluten.
(Vital wheat gluten is a natural protein found in wheat. When you add it to bread recipes it helps to improve the texture and elasticity of the dough. I've found that it really helps whole wheat recipes to have a "lighter" feel.)
3. Another option at this point is to add some spices like garlic powder, basil, or oregano. I like to experiment with the spices and sometimes add these to the dry mixture.
4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the honey and yeast mixture. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for about 10 minutes.
5. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
6. Roll dough out onto a pizza pan that has been sprayed with olive oil. Use a fork to pierce a few holes throughout.
7. Let your crust rise, once again, for about 10 minutes.
8. Bake the crust, (with no toppings yet) for 15-17 minutes.
9. Once crust has pre-baked, remove from oven, add toppings and bake again at 350 for about 5 minutes.

***Tonight we made a Southwestern Pizza. I spread a thin layer of garlic chipotle salsa on the crust and then topped with black beans, bell peppers, and cilantro. When the pizza was done I added avocado and spritzed it with lime juice. The girls took theirs with black beans and cheese only.
***Another great topping idea is roasted veggies. Saute some bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, red onions, and olives in a small amount of olive oil. When the veggies are mostly cooked add a small amount of sucanat or brown sugar and a drizzle of agave nectar or honey and cook until the sugar dissolves. Spread onto the pizza crust and bake.
***The girls like to keep it simple with jarred spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese.
***My next plan is to make a couple of crusts ahead of time and freeze for easy dinners.
Enjoy!!

Simplify

2010-05-10T13:55:00.006-05:00

~~There are no flowers in my front flower beds this year. Shocking. I know. Planting colorful blooms seems to be a rite of Spring. But, for the first time, I’m at peace with it.

~~A few weeks ago I was struggling with thoughts of all the things I need to do to keep our lives in order. In the quiet I heard a whisper in my heart.
Simplify.
I felt it was the Holy Spirit, gently urging me towards this path that I tend to resist.

~~Simplify? Me?
I’m a chronic over-achiever.
I could start my own chapter of over-achievers anonymous! In school it was never enough to simply turn in the assignment. No. I had to go above and beyond. Meticulously hand drawn book report cover? I’m all over it!

~~As a wife and Mother I cling to my over-achieving ways still. But the quiet Spirit’s voice has been urging me to let go of this “disease to please.” Because that’s all it really is;
a disease.

~~There’s a silk flower garland hanging over our front door. The porch is neat and tidy. Windchimes peal in the breeze and my Great-Grandma’s rose bush is bursting with blooms. And for this year,
it is enough.

~~I know that the time I would spend weeding and watering (especially in the hot Oklahoma summer) is extra time that I don’t really have right now. So I will push away those thoughts of “what will people think?” I have family members who are serious, big-time gardeners. What are they going to say?
No. I will rest in the peace of simplifying.

~~I am seeking to learn to apply this art to the rest of my life as well. If I only have a few minutes, I’ll make a quick wipe-down of the sink and mirror; instead of waiting for the time to scrub the bathroom to a sparkle. Having sandwiches for dinner on occasion does not make me a bad Mother. (Morning Star Farms Chick’n patties are awesome, by the way!) And my Nana taught me that, with a few tricks, a boxed cake mix can taste even better than the real thing.

Simplify.

Let go of the “disease to please.”

It’s a very good thing. :)

New Babies

2010-04-14T09:24:00.006-05:00

My poor, neglected blog! Sigh....

~~As you can imagine, life has been quite an adventure for us lately since opening our business. It's been 6 weeks since we had our ribbon-cutting and Grand Opening. So much has happened in that short amount of time.
~~The day before we opened our business, our precious little niece was born. Both of our girls were so excited to finally have a "girl cousin" since they've been the only girls up to this point. They absolutely love their boy cousins but it was exciting for them to think about a little girl to someday share "girlie" things with.
~~When we visited her at the hospital, Sierra and Savannah took turns snuggling her and cooing over how pretty she was. I couldn't help but feel a little twinge of pain at how quickly my girls had gone from tiny newborns to big little girls. How did it happen so quickly?
~~A few days before we announced our business, Dustin posted a little teaser on Facebook. He said that we had some big news to share in a couple of days. Immediately, it seemed that everyone assumed that we were having another baby. It's funny how you say "news" and everyone thinks "baby."
~~We had a laugh over that and soon told everyone that no, it wasn't a new baby. It was a new business. But as I look back over these past 6 weeks, I'm beginning to see that there aren't a lot of differences between the two. In a way, "having a new baby" is the perfect way to describe our experiences. My girls may be older now, but I haven't forgotten those first years.
~~When you're pregnant you try to do everything possible to prepare yourself for the new arrival. (Especially if it's the first one.) You read books, talk to other parents, make plans, etc. Even though you're a bit nervous you think that in some way you're ready for the changes.
But as any parent can tell you, there's simply no way to understand parenthood until you experience it.
~~Dustin and I have been experiencing that same roller-coaster ride as new business owners. We didn't jump into this haphazardly. We planned, prepared, and prayed. (a lot!) And yet, like new parents, this new change in our lives has brought so many emotions. Joy. Peace. Fear. Anxiety. Confidence. Happiness. Worry. Stress.
Up.
Down.
~~Each time we took a new baby home from the hospital I secretly wished that they would send me some instruction manual. Something.
Just tell me what to do and I'll do it.
I'm good at following directions.
But babies don't come with instructions.
Instead we must learn how to be parents day-by-day. We get to know our precious baby by spending time with them. We're not perfect. We make mistakes. But we learn and grow together.
I feel that the first birthday is truly more for the parent than the child. It's a celebration of the fact that you've come a long way in a year.
~~Our business has brought about a lot of changes in our lives. It's truly a complete family project. It has brought us closer to each other and caused us to sink our roots down deep in our faith and family. I won't try to hide the fact that there have been some emotional times. Just like with a new baby it seems that all routine and normalcy has been thrown out the door. We're looking to find our "new normal."
~~As I look at our daughters, I'm so proud of each of them. Every day they grow more and more into their own identity. I'm definitely not perfect as a parent but I truly love being a Mother and the closeness and understanding that I share with my girls.
And that thought is an encouragement to me when it comes to our business. I know that as we simply take each day at a time we will grow as our business does.
I may have a few more sleepless nights now,
but I least I don't have dirty diapers, lol.

*P.S.
I'm sorry but I had to change my blog settings so that anonymous comments are not allowed. I was getting spammed at least once a day. I truly appreciate each and every (real) comment so I hope it doesn't keep some of you from sharing your thoughts. :)

Exciting News!

2010-02-22T16:36:00.003-06:00

~It has been so long since I last blogged, but for good reason. There have been some very exciting things going on here and yet I wasn't able to share.
~My husband and I have opened our own business! My thoughts and time have been consumed with planning, consulting with people, designing logos/website, searching out buildings, etc.
~But now the time has come to share the news.
I'm just going to link to a letter from my husband because it explains it all.
The Beginning
~I hope you all will forgive me for my absence. It will probably be quite some time before we are all in a regular routine again.
~Thanks for letting me share!

Walt Disney World

2010-02-02T17:51:00.002-06:00

**Vacation sketch: Cinderella's Castle**

~~I know that I've been absent from my blog, but for very good reason. Last week we made a getaway escape to Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida. I didn't exactly feel comfortable putting it out on the world wide web that our home would be empty for a week so I wasn't able to share our fun news.
~~We've had the trip planned since the end of last year and I could hardly contain my excitement. It's been a dream of mine to take my children to Disney World since before I even had children, lol. Neither Dustin or I had ever been before so it was a trip full of brand new experiences for all of us.
~~The girls had so much fun that they pretty much exhausted themselves every day. They were the perfect age for Disney World; old enough to remember it all and young enough to still be completely caught up in the "magic." The look on Savannah's face when she met the Princesses is something I'll never forget. Both had so much fun filling up their autograph books with signatures from all the characters.
~~When I first walked down Mainstreet towards the castle I got tears in my eyes. I couldn't believe that we were actually there. Magical really is the best word to describe that place, even for adults.
~~As you can imagine I have hundreds of pictures. I haven't even had a chance to sort through them yet. Don't worry, I won't try to share all of them. But hopefully I can post some of the highlights in the next few days.

~~This is one of my favorite pictures even though the air was damp and both girl have frizzy hair. (Only their Momma would notice that, lol.) It captures a little bit of that wonder.
~~Ahhh. To be back in warm, sunny Florida would be nice! We're currently still covered with snow here. :)

Walking Dream

2010-01-19T13:06:00.004-06:00

Papers found here.

~I've been thinking about "hope" quite a bit lately.
Hope is a wonderful thing.
Hope is that thing that makes you jump out of bed in the morning, excited about the day.
Hope is the drive that will carry you through the hard times.
~Hoping is different than wishing which is why I love this quote;
"Hope is a walking dream."
Wishing is simply throwing your dreams out into space and wondering if they will ever come true.
Hope has feet.
It is Expectant. Excited. Full of faith.
And when you have belief you will begin taking steps toward your dreams,
even if they are one baby step at a time.
Those baby steps will cause your hope to grow and snowball.
~Hope is more than a wish.
"Hope is a walking dream."

"Through Season's Change" ~Fluid Acrylic on watercolor canvas

2010-01-07T12:49:00.005-06:00

"Through Season's Change"~ 20" x 16" Acrylic & watercolor on watercolor canvas~Copyright 2009 & Beyond~Kasie Sallee

~~This painting has been in my heart and on my mind for a long time. I actually took the reference photos at the end of 2008 and filed them away. After finishing up the little angel "Joy", I felt that it was finally time to work on this piece.
~~The special relationship shared between Daddy and daughter is truly a treasure. It's hard to put into words that bond between them. They say that a girl's first love is her Daddy and I do believe that it's true. I know that both of my girls are infatuated with my husband and he's been wrapped around their little fingers since day one.
~~I wanted to try and capture that relationship in a painting.
Though the season's of a girl's life will change, in her heart her Daddy will always be "her Prince."
And even as he watches other loves come into his little girl's life, the Daddy will always be there to protect, defend and comfort.
~~I'm not sure if you can tell, but the little girl in the painting is dressed up as a princess. She's wearing a pretty pink dress and crown. I can't help but to also be reminded of the relationship that we can have with our Heavenly Father. Even if you didn't have the best Father here on earth, you still have a "Daddy" in Heaven who wants to walk with you, hold your hand, and be your protector.
~~This was the last piece of 2009. I finished it up on New Year's Eve. I'm excited to begin a new year of painting!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T16:22:00.005-06:00

~~Christmas 2009 was great. It was so nice to have time to simply be together as a family!
This year a big snow storm blew in on Christmas Eve and literally confined us to the house. We played games, baked cookies, and had no choice but to relax. :) When I realized that I was out of an ingredient I needed, Dustin bundled himself up and ran three blocks to the grocery store since our vehicles were buried in the snow. (Did I mention that we were in the middle of a blizzard?!)
~~On Christmas day we were able to un-bury the car and cautiously make our way to my parent's home in the morning and Dustin's parent's in the evening. Thankfully both of our families live fairly close.
~~Christmas break went by much too quickly and I was sad when it was time for the girls to go back to school and Dustin back to work. I enjoyed hibernating in with my family and taking a break from technology. There were a lot of card games, hot chocolate, wii, gingerbread cookies, and bonding and it was wonderful.
~~I've been spending a lot of time thinking about this brand new year and my goals. I love the feeling of a fresh beginning that the new year brings!
~~I just want to thank each and every one of you who stop by and share this journey with me. I know that my blogging has been pretty inconsistent lately and there are a few reasons for that. I truly appreciate the friendships I've made here and the encouragement that I've received. You all mean so much!

Pure2Raw Giveaway

2009-12-14T21:51:00.004-06:00

~~Oh my!!
I almost forgot to share something really great with you all.
The Pure2Raw twins are having a give-away!
I met the girls when Michelle was doing her studies at the 105 degrees raw cooking academy.
They are the owners of the Twin Cakes bakery and they make the most amazing looking treats that are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, peanut-free, soy-free treats that are sweetened with natural sugars.
~~They truly are such genuinely kind girls and I'm so glad that I was able to meet them and now keep up with them on their blog, Pure2Raw, where they share their journey with raw foods.
~~So, hurry on over to their blog because they're giving away an awesome sample pack of their yummy goodies tomorrow!

Stories

2009-12-08T21:26:00.004-06:00

~~I don't know how it happens. Your children keep growing, right underneath your nose.
And then one day, in a rare moment of stillness, you catch a glimpse and think,
"when did she get so big?!"
~~It seems like just the other day that Sierra was only beginning to learn her letters. Now she's an avid little reader. It makes my heart happy to see how much she loves books.
I was always the same when I was a young girl.
Her teacher requires them to read 15 minutes a night which is never a problem. The other night I kept asking her if she would like to take a break.
"Oh no Mommy! I have to find out what happens!"
And so my little bookworm read the entire 10 chapter book in one sitting.
One hour and forty minutes!

~~On a blustry cold Friday afternoon I took the girls to the library to read to "Gracie."
She's a big, beautiful Great Dane and the girls both loved her to pieces.
Savannah said, "I can't read but I'll show her the pictures."
Sierra read her two books and asked questions about what type of dog Gracie was and what she did as a therapy dog.

~~I think Gracie enjoyed it as much as they did!

Overwhelm and Rest

2009-12-02T12:00:00.004-06:00

~~Wow! I am alive!
~~It happens to me every year. Somewhere around the middle of November I wake up and realize that I have so much to do!
Christmas shopping,
Sierra's birthday,
school parties,
work parties,
Church parties,
Christmas cards to order,
cookies to bake.....
and the list goes on!
~~I love this time of year but I have a personality problem; Overwhelm.
I'm not a multi-tasker. Ask my dear husband and he will confirm. When I try to do too much or even think about too much my brain short circuits. (Please tell me that I'm not the only one!)
My coping method tends to be backing myself into a corner and procrastinating.
Sigh. Not good.
~~Lately I've been convicted that my overwhelm and stress is something much deeper than just a personality trait. Our pastor has been doing a wonderful series on idolatry and I've come to see that my big idols are; "perfectionism" and "fear of what others think."
Christmas tends to bring those traits out in overdrive.
~~I've been doing a lot of praying, reading and journaling and it has been a great help. Sometimes I just need the reminder to stop, calm down, and turn to the One who has it all in His hands anyway. What great peace there is when I stop trying to do it all alone! (And perfectly no less!)
~~Which brings me back to blogging. Somehow I realized that I've been missing out on a lot of joy because I've lost touch with what is truly important to me and my life. My days have been looking like endless "to-do" lists filled with "have-to's" instead of "want-to's." Even the things that I enjoy, like blogging, started to feel like just another "have-to" on my list;
another opportunity to let people down.
~~Plus, there's the whole other issue of "blog overwhelm." I love to read blogs and have a pretty long list in my Google Reader. But after a while it's easy to forget that a blog is just a tiny snippet of someone's life and not the entire picture.
You start to compare yourself to others and wonder why you can't seem to get it all together like they do.
You know;
that blog of the lady who
has a successful art business,
a beautifully decorated home,
an organized blog with perfect pictures,
AND still finds time to finger-paint with her children?
Well, it goes from being an inspiration to a guilt-inducing whack on the head.
I start to wonder; "What's wrong with me? Why can't I do that? Why do I struggle so much?"
My sweet husband reminded me, "You don't know the behind-the-scenes."
So very true.
~~So, I've coped with blogging in the same way I do everything else; retreat!
~~But I'm coming to the place where I don't want to retreat anymore. Instead I'm praying for the strength and wisdom to live authentically.
*To say "yes" to things that bring true joy
*And to learn to say "no" when necessary.
*To quit stretching myself so thin and ask for help when I need it.
*To replace my fear and "other's expectations" with the realization that the only One I need to please is my Saviour.
*To let go of perfectionism and accept that imperfect is perfectly acceptable.

~~I've been reading the book "Do You Think I'm Beautiful" by Angela Thomas and it has been feeding my heart. In the book Angela says;
"Do you remember the Pigpen character in the Peanuts comic strip? Pigpen is surrounded by a cloud of dust everywhere he goes. That's me-just dust. So dusty, in fact, that I take the cloud with me everywhere I go. So human. So prone to go forward and then turn around and move backward. I get it some days and forget it on others. Thank goodness that God remembers that I am just dust. His grace covers my inadequacies. His compassion waits patiently. His forgiveness removes my transgressions. He does not treat me as I deserve."
~Wow. There is the peace. There is the rest.
And I am learning.

Painting with feeling

2009-11-05T09:00:00.009-06:00

~~Just a little bit of a sneaky peek to prove that I've been working, lol. I've been pulling my easel into the living room to paint since it seems to be the central "spot" in our house. I also like being next to the window because the light is better.
~~I've posted this video before but I've been thinking about it again recently after reading another artist's post the other day.
"Realism and Emotion"
I love and admire all different styles of art but have always been drawn to realism. The challenge of creating something accurately always excites me. And yet I've never been interested in work that is simply photo-realistic and empty of emotion.
~~In the video clip Steve Hanks talks about how you can portray emotion in so many ways; the setting, the subject, etc. It's the reason that I only work from my own references. Paintings for me start with an idea and a feeling. Then I work to get the reference shots I need to help me. And from there I work to infuse the painting with emotion and feeling. I may change the overall color tone or emphasize some parts while pushing back others. The end result, I hope, is a painting that, while being realistic, is more about bringing out feelings and connections with the viewer.
~~The reason I've been thinking so much about this is because realism seems to get such a "bad rap" among artists. It's true. The blog post I read pretty much summed up the feelings that a lot of artists have. She said that, as a beginning artist your goal is to learn to draw accurately. But eventually, as you grow, you want to break away from that.
I just don't completely agree.
~~When Dustin and I went on our anniversary trip we watched a movie called Local Color. It was such a great "art movie" and it covers this subject so well.
~~Well, back to work for me! :)
Happy Thursday.

Recipes and Resources

2009-11-04T17:38:00.004-06:00

~~I've been thinking a lot about what to write concerning nutrition. Like I mentioned, it's become something that I'm personally passionate about so I could probably write for days. But don't worry. I won't!
~~One of the biggest things that I would like to share is that eating whole, natural foods is not a "diet." I hate that word. It brings up so many negative feelings for most people. Even if one of your goals is to lose weight you should approach healthy eating habits as "lifestyle changes," not a diet.
~~Another point is that I don't believe you should cut out foods in your diet. Instead, you should focus on adding in more whole and natural foods. Let me explain:
~~We are always hearing about the latest fad diet. Most of them are about eliminating certain foods or food groups or laboriously counting calories, fat grams, points, etc.
By their very nature diets cause you to over-focus on food.
~~How many times have you declared that you're no longer going to drink soda or eat fill in the blank? And what happens? You go a few days, maybe even a week, but before you know it you've given in. And all during that time period you're thinking about that forbidden treat you can't have.
~~Another problem that is rarely addressed is the fact that most Americans are actually addicted to processed foods, refined sugars, and simple carbohydrates. You may not feel like it but your body is driving you to eat these foods. (You can read more about that in Thrive.)
~~So, what is the solution? Instead of focusing on giving up bad foods, start adding in the good ones.
* Have fruit for breakfast or oatmeal with cinnamon and agave.
*Experiment with Green Monsters and have one a day. My favorite combo: almond milk, 1 frozen banana, hemp protein powder, 1 Tbs almond butter, 1 Tbs carob powder, and a whole lotta spinach.
*Have one big salad every day. Experiment with new combinations. My best advice is to buy a big box of organic salad mix. Then keep your favorite salad toppings handy in the fridge. You can add any combo of: avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, bell peppers, sprouts, broccoli slaw, nuts, seeds, beans, etc. Make up your own healthy dressings. (I'll give some recipe book and website ideas later in the post.) One that I enjoy is: one part olive oil, one part hemp oil, and some garlic powder.
*Make it a game to try new fruits, vegetables, etc. As your tastebuds start coming back into balance you'll find yourself very sensitive to the flavors of food. And don't be afraid to "re-try" things that you didn't think you liked. I don't believe that anyone should ever force themselves to eat something they don't like simply because it's healthy. Yet I found that as my tastebuds changed I began to like foods that I once wouldn't eat. Like avocados which are now one of my favorite things.
~~As you begin to add more and more whole foods into your diet you'll find that you begin to lose your cravings for processed foods. Believe me. It works. I was the girl who had to have a Diet Coke every day. And I never forced myself to quit. But as I began to eat better foods I found myself, first not needing it and finally, not wanting it. Now I actually cringe at the thought of putting those chemicals into my body.
~~Approach changes in your nutrition as an adventure. Have fun trying some new recipes. And speaking of, I thought I'd share some different resources that I've been finding helpful.
~~I mentioned Tosca Reno and her Eat Clean books. These are great resources for those who still choose to eat meat and dairy. I won't go into the "meat issue" right now but one big problem is that meat today is not the same as it used to be. Just yesterday I heard of another major meat recall. (Watch this.) If you do choose to keep those things in your diet I would definitely look for hormone/steriod free, free-range options or even search out a local butcher or meat processor.
This is one of the first books that I started with.

~~As I began learning more about the vegetarian and vegan way of living it made so much sense. (Watching Food, Inc. reaffirmed that.) So I began looking for family friendly vegan/vegetarian resources.
~~I'd like to mention Thrive again. It's an awesome book. But the recipes can feel a little overwhelming when you're first beginning to transition into whole foods. Brendan uses a lot of harder to find ingredients and super-foods. These are all great but don't think that you have to eat complicated things to be healthy. Tim VanOrden of www.runningraw.com says that he only eats things that can be found in any local grocery store. And you should check out his awesome accomplishments!
~~One of the best resources I've found is Dreena Burton and her wonderful cookbooks. She has a blog where she often posts recipes.

I have both Vive le Vegan and Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. Even if you don't plan to cut out meat you should definitely check out her books. And I have to say that she's the wizard of vegan cookies. Every single cookie recipe that I've tried has blown the traditional egg, white flour, white sugar recipe out of the water!
~~Blogs are another great resource. You'll find people with many different styles of eating from completely raw, to vegan, to vegetarian, to pescatarian, etc. There are so many out there but here are a few that I can think of:
~Pure2Raw (I was able to meet Lori and Michelle and they're super sweet.)
~Fitnessista (I also met Gina at the same blog meet-up. She's fun.)
~Heather Eats Almond Butter
~Peas and Thank You (Super Veggie Mom who will make you laugh every day.
~Oh She Glows
~Dani Spies
~Ani's Raw Food Kitchen
~Choosing Raw
~Say Yes to Salad
~Passionate Homemaking

~~And, as always, my best resource is Google. Seriously. If you've got an idea for a recipe then Google can probably help you find a vegan or healthy version.
There are also recipe websites like:
Vegweb.com
Chooseveg.com
PostPunkKitchen
Engine2diet (Another awesome and highly recommended book, by the way.)

~~See....I said I could go on forever, lol. But seriously, I always welcome any thoughts, ideas, or questions that you have. And feel free to email me happymommykasie (at) yahoo.com

~~Well, it's getting late and I've got to get my little munchkins ready for bed. :)

Time for tea

2009-11-02T12:12:00.005-06:00

~~It's an unusually warm and gorgeous day here. Savannah had fun morning at school and is now having a tea party in the back yard with her stuffed animals, dressed in their finest. (Have you ever seen a dolphin in a dress?)
~~I truly appreciate the comments and emails about my food post. I didn't expect to get so much support or interest. Some of you have asked questions about recipe books, websites, etc. I have a lot of great ideas and resources that I can share; things I've picked up and learned throughout this year. So I'm going to try to take the time this week to put together some posts that are nutrition related.
~~Today I'm in paint mode. I've been absolutely itching to paint and it's driving me crazy! Last week was so busy with school parties/etc. So today I'm trying to take advantage of any spare moment I can get.
~~I had to laugh when I read Kal's post today about sharing sneak peeks of art in progress. I completely understand what she's saying. I've always had a hard time sharing my work in progress with anyone because I feel like my poor painting is "naked." But I will let you know that I'm extremely excited about this piece because it's something new for me. It's a way to challenge myself and push my limits technically. It's still very much my style and subject matter, just in a new and different way.
Curious yet?!
Maybe I'll share a peek after I'm farther along. :)

~Hope your Monday is a good one. Better get back to my easel.

A Little Sunshine

2009-10-28T15:48:00.000-05:00

The Food Issue

2009-10-27T12:25:00.004-05:00

(I'll warn you ahead of time. This is going to be a long post!)

~~Okay. I've debated on whether I should say anything about this issue on my blog. Especially since I write mainly about my life as an artist and Mom. But cooking, recipes and food have always been a part of this blog and I'm sure some of you have been noticing changes.
~~For my family and friends it's the "elephant in the room." They know that there have been changes for our little family this year but I don't think anyone has ever come right out and asked us about it seriously.
~~One of the reasons that I've been so hesitant to bring it up is because I have learned the hard way that food and eating habits are extremely sensitive issues. Simply eating differently yourself and not even saying a word about it, for some reason, causes people to become defensive and upset. Dustin and I have been picked on and made fun of even though we've never tried to push our way on anyone. Which is another point I want to bring up. I'd like to share with you the journey that we've been on this year but in no way am I saying that our way is right and others are wrong. This journey started for health reasons and has simply become something that we're passionate about. Health is a journey and this is still a learning process for us.
~~At the beginning of this year I was not in a good place health wise. I've struggled with health issues for a long time. My Great-Grandma was hypoglycemic and I've had blood sugar problems off and on throughout my life. I can remember times when I would temporarily black out or almost pass out after eating.
~~My daughters are two of my greatest blessings in life but my body never really seemed to "settle" after having them. Since their births I've had thyroid and hormonal imbalance issues.
~~Back to January of this year....I was just so tired of being tired. It was a struggle to make it through each day and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I very clearly remember searching on the internet for some sort of vitamin because I thought that I must have been deficient or lacking in some way.
~~I also was starting to gain a little weight. It wasn't that noticeable to others but I felt the difference. And the irony was that the more I worked out and exercised, the more I seemed to gain. Everyone would say things like, "Your metabolism slows down when you reach 30. It's just a fact." But I wasn't even 29.
~~Around February I stumbled upon Tosca Reno and her idea of "eating clean." In a nutshell it means to cut out the processed food in your diet and get back to natural foods. The less man has messed with something, the better. It's amazing how much of the American diet is made up of processed foods. Just adopting those principles made a big difference in how I felt. She advocates choosing meat that is hormone/steroid free and buying organic as much as possible.
~~As many of you know, my husband is a competitive cyclist/duathlete. He and I both began wondering how food affects athletic performance. I bought the book "Thrive" by Brendan Brazier and we read it together.

Every person should read this book! Brenden has done so much study and research into nutrition and yet he lays it our in a way that is easy to understand. We began to learn about the acidic/alkaline affects of foods, how what you eat helps or hurts your recovery as an athlete, the idea of the protein myth, and so much more. We began to cut out meat in our diet and add more greens, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains. People think that vegetarians/vegans must eat boring salads all day but we started discovering the most amazing and delicious foods. It was almost like our taste buds came back into alignment and we could actually taste the flavors of what we were eating instead of the generic sweet or salty of processed foods. And speaking of salads......we learned some tricks to make some pretty awesome ones. We're not talking about soggy iceberg lettuce with tomatoes and ranch. Nope. These are flavor-filled salads with things like avocado, peppers, dulse, sprouts, and broccoli slaw, or wilted kale salads with olive oil and sea salt. We both now find ourselves craving salad.
~~Another step in our journey was seeing the movie "Food, Inc." We had naturally become more interested in food and where it comes from. "Food, Inc." is a movie that every person should see. It doesn't try to change your eating habits. It's not about becoming a vegetarian or vegan. It's simply about awakening consumers to the knowledge of where our food comes from. We're so used to going to the store and seeing things in boxes and packages. We've become very out of touch with any connection to food. It's a life-changing movie. It was hard to watch. But I cannot recommend it enough.~~Our youngest daughter, Savannah, was born with severe milk protein allergies. She wasn't just allergic to dairy but also the milk proteins casein and whey (which are in so many processed foods!) As she's grown her allergy has turned into more of a sensitivity but we've always tried to avoid too much dairy with her. Sierra also has always had a dairy sensitivity and both girls have struggled with eczema since they were babies.
~~As we kept learning more about the affect of certain foods on the body I naturally began to replace our recipes with vegan or vegetarian ones. Amazingly we've found that we all love the vegan recipes more than the traditional ones. They focus so much more on flavors and spices. And, as a Mom, I can feel good knowing that the girls aren't eating the things that cause their tummies to hurt.
~~Like I said, it's still a journey for us. I heard someone say that "Health is a life-long journey," and I like that. I don't like labels and as a family we don't really fit under any certain one. We eat highly vegetarian and often vegan, especially me. Yet we will, on occasion, have seafood or chicken. I buy the girls hormone/steroid free turkey or chicken and free-range organic eggs. We eat a lot of raw food but I can't say we're raw foodists. Our overall attitude is to stay close to what God made. I am a Christian and I have to say that learning about food has greatly inspired my faith. Our God has provided us with the most wonderful, nourishing, health-filled foods. If you read or study about any fruit, vegetable, seed, nut, legume, etc, you will find out that each one has it's own unique health-boosting properties. They're filled with all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes that we could ever need. It's truly amazing!
~~So.....for those who worry, I have to tell you that I feel better than I ever have in my life. I have more strength and energy. My endurance in running/jump-roping has improved. That baby fat that I used to fuss over has melted away.

~~I feel that I am a better wife, Mother, and artist because of the changes that I've made/am making. If I have to endure some teasing or ridicule for that, well, it's more than worth it to me.

~~I would love to continue to share recipes on my blog. Not as a way to push anything off on anyone but as my way of sharing the exciting things that I'm learning. And don't let a label, like vegan, deter you from trying something. I promise you, these recipes are good!
~~I'd love to know your thoughts on what I've shared.
~~Whew! It feels good to spill the beans!!

***If you're interested at all, I highly recommend signing up for Brendan Brazier's free 30 day online program called Thrive in 30. It's free and very informative. It's basically a break-down of his book.

Simply Great

2009-10-21T17:56:00.004-05:00

~~There are times that I feel as though I should wait for some "special event" to blog. But then I realized that most days are filled with special moments disguised as "ordinary." It's those special little things that make up our lives and if we aren't careful we'll overlook them.
~~The morning started off like most school days do; with me trying to juggle making breakfast, getting my sleepy-headed girls dressed and combing their hair. Then I double-check the homework/permission slips, pack Sierra's lunch, make sure the teeth get brushed and that the jackets aren't forgotten. Whew! It's no wonder that most of the time I take them to school with my hair pulled back in a clip and no make-up on, lol.
~~I came home and drank a beet-romaine-carrot juice while finishing up some cleaning and paperwork. The morning seems to fly by so quickly and before I know it, it's time to pick up Savannah. (She only goes half a day.)
~~Today was a special day because I had planned to have lunch with Dustin. He works in a town about a 30 minute drive away. I love having lunch with him and I also get a chance to pick up some of our groceries at the neat little health food store there.

~~It was a bit chilly today so soup sounded like a great lunch choice. I had tomato soup in a sourdough bread bowl. Yum! I love getting to spend time with my favorite guy during the middle of the day.
~~Savannah and I then headed over to Nature's Supply for some raw cashews, brown rice noodles, tamari, an organic lollipop....you know, the necessities, lol. Next was Wally-World for the rest of our groceries and then back home to pick up Sierra from school.
~~Maybe it was the busy day or maybe the sound of the rain on the windows, but Savannah crashed on the way back.

~~I found a spot in the car-rider line and pulled out the latest issue of VegNews to read while Savannah napped. Mmmmmm. I see black bean tamales in our near future.

~~Picking up Sierra is always a bright spot in my day. She usually jumps in the car mid-sentence and then proceeds to fill me in on all the "2nd grade happenings." Today she was very excited to tell me about "haunted gym class." She also wanted to show me her chia pet that had been grown in class. She has plans to give it a haircut and a ponytail. :)

~~The rest of the afternoon was spent putting away groceries and preparing supper. I had a really nice run yesterday and was planning to get weights in today. The problem is that if I wait until evening after homework, baths, cleaning up the kitchen, etc, I'm usually pretty beat. My goal is to get back into the habit of waking up before everyone else and getting it done. I miss that.
~~Today has been a simply great day; the kind that I enjoy. The leaves outside are painted in many bright colors. The quiet rain makes our home feel especially cozy. I have a new drawing in progress as the start of a painting. My little family is healthy and well again.
Yes. I have so much to be thankful for!

Twenty-Nine

2009-10-19T09:06:00.008-05:00

~~Hello Monday morning!
I'm ready to start this new week, although I have to admit that it was a bit hard to crawl out of my cozy bed this morning. Fall days are like that and flannel sheets are oh-so-wonderful!
~~We had a great weekend as a family. Saturday we took the girls to see a movie at the theater. It's a rare treat for us so it's always so exciting for them. We watched Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and both girls giggled through the whole thing. It was cute and silly and right up their alley.
~~Sunday was the beginning of my last year as a 20-something. Yes. My 29th Birthday. I'm honestly not so terrified at the thought of turning 30 and yet something about this being my last year in the 20's makes me feel like I should make it extra special. I think I need to make a list of 30 things to do before I turn 30 and dream big.
~~After Church I had dinner with my family. It's always so nice to get together with all of them. We had oriental food and my fortune cookie said, "Don't be afraid to take the next step." Hmmmm.
~~The afternoon was beautiful and fairly warm for a Fall day. Dustin and the girls worked together to carve a pumpkin while I baked some pumpkin oatmeal cookies. Okay, in reality Daddy did all the carving while the girls watched and cheered him on. They were quite grossed out by the inside of the pumpkin, lol.
(I think Daddy did an awesome job by the way!)

~~In all it was simply a truly nice day made even better by the fact that we are all healthy. Thanks for all the "get well" wishes.
~~And since they turned out absolutely delicious, I thought I'd share the Pumpkin Oatmeal cookie recipe with you:
Happy Fall!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan)

*2 Cups whole wheat flour
*1 1/3 Cups rolled oats
*1 tsp. baking soda
*3/4 tsp. sea salt
*1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
(If you don't have pumpkin pie spice you can use 1 tsp cinnamon & 1/2 tsp nutmeg.)

*1 2/3 Cups unrefined sugar (I used sucanat.)
*2/3 Cup canola oil
*1 Tbs. molasses
*1 Tbs. maple syrup
*1 Cup pumpkin
*1 tsp vanilla

*1 Cup pecans
*1/2 Cup raisins (Soak in hot water and drain first. This makes them moist and plump.)

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets or use parchment paper.
~Mix together flour, oats, baking soda, salt and spice.
~In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, oil, molasses, syrup, pumpkin and vanilla until very well combined. Add dry ingredients to wet in 3 batches, folding to combine. Fold in nuts and raisins.
~Drop by Tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. They can be placed fairly close together since they don't spread much. Flatten tops with your fingers to press them into a cookie shape. Bake fro 16 minutes. If you are using 2 cookie sheets, rotate the sheets halfway through for even baking.
~Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
Enjoy!

We are Surviving.......

2009-10-14T13:06:00.003-05:00

~~The terrible, horrible flu. Uggg. Slowly but surely our family is finding the way back to good health.
~~Last Tuesday Dustin came home from work because he was feeling achy and miserable. Soon he was on the couch with a fever, covered in blankets. I became a girl on a mission, both to get him better and to keep the rest of the family uninfected. By Wednesday evening I was feeling exhausted.
~~I kept trying to deny it and tell myself that I was just tired yet during the night I found myself shaking and adding more blankets to the bed. Thursday morning I checked and sure enough; fever. I got out of bed to get the girls ready for school only to find that Savannah also had a fever. Sierra seemed fine but had a cough so we decided to keep them both home from school and make a family doctor's appointment.
~~The four of us made it to the doctor's office. I did my best to calm my coughing while trying to check us all in. The poor receptionist handed me a mask through the small crack in her glass window and said, "You might want to wear this."
~~We got back to the doctor right away and she said that she could tell just by looking that we had the flu. We all were tested and the strange thing was that even Sierra tested positive. Her cough has gotten better and she still hasn't had any symptoms. The doctor said that the scary thing about this flu is that there are a lot of people like that; carrying it around without any idea that they have it.
~~There was no doubt that the rest of us were sick and the doctor said the only thing to do was rest, lots of fluids and ibuprofen. So back home we went to be miserable together.
~~Dustin seemed to gain his strength a bit by Friday but I had a fever that simply wouldn't break. It didn't drop below 100 until Sunday evening. Savannah also had her last fever on Sunday.
~~So, today is the first day of Fall break and the girls and I are still stuck inside, recovering. The cough is the last thing to go and it is exhausting. I cough until my head is throbbing and I feel as if I might pass out. Savannah and Dustin both have a lingering cough as well but I seem to have gotten the worst.
~~I'm looking forward to healthy days and a healthy family.
Oh, that will be so nice!

State Fair 2009

2009-10-05T14:14:00.003-05:00

Sierra showing her two winning ribbons!

~~I've had these photos ready to blog for a while and just haven't finished the post. The weekend before this last one our little family ventured out to the "Great State Fair of Oklahoma." It's a family tradition. You can't let September go by without a trip to the fair.
~~Every year I enter a couple of my pieces in the art competition and this year Sierra entered two of her own. One of them was her painting of our cat boy Brenden. We don't know how or if we've placed until we visit the art building so it's always a fun surprise.
~~Sierra walked in, looked around, spotted her pieces and lit up with the biggest smile. Her two pieces had won 1st and 2nd place! The look of excitement on her face was worth so much. I know that winning isn't everything and I had even made sure to prep her against being disappointed if she didn't place. But I was secretly thrilled that she had done so well because I know that it will encourage her to keep going with her art and I already see so much natural talent in her.
~~Savannah has decided that she's going to enter next year also and, even though I'm a bit biased, she too has quite the drawing skills.
~~The experience of the Oklahoma State Fair is an unusual one, to say the least. Pretty much anything that can possibly be fried and put on a stick is sold at the food vendors. Cheese, mashed potatos, twinkies, sandwiches. You name it and they fry it. The air even smelled a bit greasy. I wanted to go home and drink a gallon of green juice after just walking through the food court.
~~The weather was beautiful, though a bit hot. We watched a trick riding show and a sea lion show and walked through a lot of different buildings. The highlight of the day for the girls was getting to ride a horse, which neither one of them had done before. They sat on their ponies with the biggest smiles on their faces. Sierra especially, was beaming. I felt a bit sorry for the poor horses who had to spend all day walking in circles but my girls gave them extra love, pats, rubs and hugs for the ride.
~~Well, it's almost time to head on out to the school pick-up line. This day has been going by so quickly. Life itself has been breezing along. I have so many things percolating in my brain and I'm trying to figure out the best way to share them. I've had some wonderful experiences lately and have been continuing to grow and learn. All for another time.
For now I'm off to get my happy little 2nd grader. It's always fun to pick her up and hear her stories from the day.

Little Angel "Joy"

2009-09-24T10:08:00.007-05:00

"Little Angel Joy"~ 16" x 20" Acrylic & watercolor on watercolor canvas~Copyright 2009 & Beyond~Kasie Sallee

~~Well, here she is; the little angel finally finished. For some reason she's showing with a bluish tint on screen. I may have to come back and try to fix the photographs.
~~This little girl was so much fun to paint. She's very petite but full of personality. She was so happy when I photographed her, although it took her a bit of time to warm up to the chicken, lol.
~~It feels so good to get her finished. Paintings done during the summer take so much longer because they're done in little snippets of time.
~~I hope everyone is enjoying their week.
Happy Thursday!

Wedding Weekend

2009-09-19T14:56:00.003-05:00

~~We are here in Eureka Springs on a very wet, drizzly rainy weekend for Dustin's little Sister's wedding. She's getting married tomorrow and we're praying that the rain will move on out (although it's not looking too good.)
I got these pics of the girls this morning, just before the rain started.

~~Eureka Springs is such a neat little artsy town. Dustin & I came here once before and I loved wandering through the art galleries and shops. We tried to do a little sight-seeing this morning but ended up coming back to our cabin a little cold and soggy. The girls don't seem to mind. They're playing happily in the corner of the room, building houses out of pillows.
~~My poor blog has been so neglected lately and I'm starting to miss it. It's like I told a friend; I feel like life has just rolled me right off the blogging train.
~~So much has happened since I last blogged that there's no way I could possibly catch up.

**Dustin & I took a quick get-away weekend to Austin for our 10th wedding anniversary. We enjoyed our trip so much!
**Dustin has done a couple more races, placed very well, and is steadily working his way towards becoming a Cat. 3 racer. (Yay!)
**Both girls are enjoying school so much and love their teachers.
**Savannah and I were rear-ended on the way to school (right after I had dropped Sierra off.) Everyone was okay and the damage isn't too, too terrible but it still shook me up quite a bit.
**Gina (aka Fitnessista) had a "blog-meetup" at the brand new 105 Degrees Cafe and it was so nice to meet her. Dustin came along with me and we also met some other great ladies including Michelle.
I have been anxiously waiting for the opening of 105 Degrees. It's an all raw, vegan, living food restaurant. The food is unlike anything I've ever tasted. Absolutely incredible and soooo good! And what could be better than eating a delicious meal and knowing that it was actually good for you?!
**Best of all, I'm so very close to being finished with my painting. Whoo-hoo!

Well, the rain is still coming down outside the windows but I'm enjoying this time with my little family. I hope you all are having a great weekend as well.
:)

Grey Squirrel

2009-09-01T11:09:00.004-05:00

~~Savannah was excited about the new song she learned at school today. I thought we could all use a dose of "cuteness" on a Tuesday afternoon so......
here is Savannah singing "Grey Squirrel."

Grey Squirrel,
Grey Squirrel,
Swish your bushy tail.
Grey Squirrel,
Grey Squirrel,
Swish your bushy tail.
Wrinkle up your funny nose.
Hold an acorn in your toes.
Grey Squirrel,
Grey Squirrel,
Swish your bushy tail.

Angel Waiting

2009-08-24T10:13:00.004-05:00

~~There she sits, smiling at me. She quietly whispers, asking me to come, sit and paint.
~~On the other side of the house the dishes in the sink and laundry in the basket are not so polite. They don't whisper, they yell. They demand attention along with all the other household chores that never seem to be finished. So many times I let the "urgent" pull me away from the "important."
~~Today I'm going to listen to the quiet. I'm going to get out my palette, turn on some music and escape for a little while.
The dishes can wait.

First Day of School!

2009-08-20T20:07:00.007-05:00

~~I have to admit that I'm a bit tired tonight. But it's been a good day. Today was the first day of school for both girls. I wasn't quite sure that I was ready for that. Last night I lay in bed crying. Not because I was worried about how they'd do, but because I still can't figure out a way to keep them from growing up, lol. This morning I woke up feeling much better and ready to help my little girls on their big, adventurous day.
~~It was a rainy, sleepy morning and both girls had a hard time waking up. Once they remembered school however, they were happily getting around. We had some pumpkin muffins and fruit and then gathered the umbrellas and backpacks and headed out into the downpour.
~~Sierra was the first stop. She's in 2nd grade this year and couldn't be happier. She got the teacher that she had her heart set on and both her best friend and also her cousin are in the same class.

~~Sierra and her best friend have had the same teacher every year since Pre-K.

~~Savannah was more prepared for school than her Mommy was. She couldn't wait to go!

~~I walked Savannah into her class and we found out where to put her backpack and how to choose a "center." Savannah chose puzzles first. She gave me lots of hugs and kisses and then said, "Bye Mommy!" I kept hovering for a while and she said, "I love you! Bye Mommy!"
Sigh.
I guess she's ready.
~~Savannah only has class in the morning and I was excited to pick her up and hear about her day. She told me about the book they read, the treat they had and how she got to see the gym. She said she loves her teacher and wants to "do this every day!"
~~In the afternoon we picked up Sierra. (Not soon enough for her sister who kept asking when it was time.) She also had a great day and was very talk-ative when she climbed in the car. She loves being a 2nd grader and asked if we could stop by the library to get some American girl books for her to read. Although it breaks my heart to see them grow, at the same time I'm so proud of the big girl that she's becoming. I love to see her personality shine.
~~So now this tired Momma needs to get some sleep so that we can wake up and start the routine all over.
~This time I might cry a few happy tears.

The Great Escape

2009-08-12T21:46:00.006-05:00

~The last couple of months (actually a bit longer) have bit hard on our little family. I don't like to complain because honestly the problem is that we've been over-blessed. Dustin is an autobody technician and paintless dent repair tech. Normally summer is the slow time of the year in the college town where he works. This year there was a large, extremely damaging hail storm at the beginning of the summer. It backed his shop up so much that they were scheduling several months out. His work days got longer and longer as they all tried to keep up with the deadlines. It got to the point of 10-14 hour days for him including weekends. It was also the reason that the girls and I went to Canada without him. He just couldn't get away. Life has been far from the ordinary. Poor Dustin has been physically exhausted and I've had to take on the role of temporary single Mom. And as you all can imagine, my two "Daddy's girls" have been missing their Daddy very much.
~Finally, when it looked like he might be able to take a break, Dustin scheduled time off on the calendar and we made a get-away trip to Branson, Missouri. It was so much fun and just what our family needed. I loved being able to simply spend time together. It was hard to come home. Today was our first day back.
~So I apologize for not keeping up with my blog this summer. Somehow among the rest of life, writing a post just seemed to come in at the bottom of the list.
~The end of summer is quickly closing in on us. School will soon be starting and Savannah will be in Pre-K. It's only half a day but this Momma is having a hard time with the fact that my baby will be in school. They're both so excited and I am looking forward to the normalcy and routine that school time brings.
~So, mainly for the Grandparent's enjoyment, here are some photos from our little get-away.

Friday night at the coffee shop

2009-07-31T19:23:00.003-05:00

~~Friday night at the coffee shop; Hot chocolate, coffee, Zingo and family fun.

Silly Girls

2009-07-29T16:40:00.003-05:00

~The girls were having fun playing around with the webcam today. They made a short video for PaPa and Grammy in Canada who they are missing very much.

Little Angel "Joy" in progress

2009-07-27T11:20:00.003-05:00

~~Hello my poor neglected blog! Summer has such a way of throwing you out of any routine, doesn't it? In a way that's fun and is the very thing kids love so much about summer; staying up past bed-time, vacation, swimming, going to Grandma's, etc. I'm determined to enjoy each day with the girls especially with the realization that there are only a few weeks of summer left!
~~I do have hopes of reviving my blog posts especially since we have a laptop computer on order. It's something we've wanted for a long time and will be a great help. I use the computer while painting to pull up all my reference photos and have them together and handy. Now I will be able to paint (and blog) without having to be hidden away in our office. I'm looking forward to that!
In the meantime you can always be my friend on Facebook, lol. One line status reports are just so much easier to keep up.
~~And......in between the life and laundry I have been painting. Slow going I admit but that's just part of summer. This is a quick snap with my camera so the colors aren't correct. I just felt like this poor "art blog" needed a bit of art!

Ye Olde Chip Truck

2009-07-10T16:05:00.005-05:00

~~The girls and I are in Kenora, Ontario Canada. Dustin was so busy at work that he wasn't able to take off and go with us. My grandparents own a camp here and are in the process of turing it over to my parents. They run the camp during the summer months and return to the States during winter. I've been coming here since I was a little girl and this place has such a special spot in my heart. But I've never made the trip on my own and I was very nervous about that. I followed my sister and her husband so that was a great help but for 1200 miles it was just me and the two girls in the car. I truly believe that we had lots of prayers going up for us because the trip went better than I could have ever expected. While driving across the Trans-Canadian highway last night we saw a momma duck and several ducklings, a momma fox and her pups and a young black bear. So neat!
~~We made a trip into town this morning and the first stop was the "chip wagon." Canadian style chips are really big thick home-made french fries with salt an vinegar. Not the healthiest thing to eat but full of yum and memories. This place is a family tradition.
~~The air here is crisp and refreshing. If it even reaches 77 degrees they think it's hot, lol. Such a change from the 100 degree weather at home. It's so beautiful and relaxing. I love looking out at the mirror-like lake and hearing the loons calling out over the water at night. If only Dustin were here with me. I'm missing my best friend!!

Parades and Cookies

2009-07-05T17:30:00.002-05:00

I have got to get better at coming up with blog titles!
~~We had a great Independence Day. The weather was perfect. Usually the 4th is incredibly hot but not this year. It was cloudy and overcast most of the day but that kept the heat down.
Dustin had a bike ride in a nearby town so the girls and I dropped him off and headed to the big parade. They loved it! I let Sierra have control of the camera for most of the parade and ended up with no less than 202 pictures of horses, floats, puppy dogs, old cars and clowns, lol.

~~We picked up Dustin and had a fun afternoon just spending time together.
In the evening we packed up a cooler with Boylan's rootbeer (a once in a while special treat for us) and cookies and headed to the big fireworks display at another nearby town. On the way there the clouds began to grow dark and the wind became very strong. Halfway we decided to turn around and go back home. The girls weren't too disappointed because we had our rootbeer and cookies on the living room floor, played several games of Zingo and then watched the big Boston fireworks display on tv.
~~And now, since it's been a while, I thought I'd share a recipe. Dustin and the girls have proclaimed these to be the best cookies in the world.....even topping the Big Fat Chocolate Chip cookies which is quite a feat! I couldn't be happier though, considering that these are actually vegan cookies and a much healthier option for a treat. I found the recipe on the Eat Drink and be Vegan blog and then changed them a little bit.

Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This makes a small batch; about 9 cookies.

~3/4 Cup + 1 Tbs whole wheat flour (the original recipe calls for spelt flour)
~1 tsp baking powder
~1/4 tsp baking soda
~1/2 Cup quick oats
~1/4 Cup unrefined sugar (I used sucanat)
~1/ 4 Cup raisins (soak them in hot water for a while & then drain before adding)
~1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
~1/4 tsp sea salt
~1/4 Cup pure maple syrup
~1/2 tsp blackstrap molasses
~1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (using the real stuff makes a big difference!)
~1/4 Cup canola oil

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add oats, sugar, drained raisins, pumpkin pie spice and salt and stir until well combined. In a separate bowl combine syrup, molasses, and vanilla and then stir in oil to incorporate. Add wet mixture to dry and stir until just well combined. (Do not over stir.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly sprayed aluminum foil. Spoon batter onto baking sheet, evenly space apart and slightly flatten. Bake for 11 minutes (no longer or they will dry out) until lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to cooling rack.
Enjoy!

Creative Hearts

2009-07-01T11:48:00.003-05:00

"And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 18:3

~~The girls have been enjoying this quiet Wednesday by crafting and painting. I was cleaning and taking care of things around the house with a very busy mind. I stopped for a while and just watched as they happily created, lost in the joy of their work. My heart was filled to the top and I was reminded of why God tells us that we should become like little children.

~~There was no fear or worry. Just complete joy in the process. So many times I allow that inner critic to steal the joy of simply being creative.

~~I had to laugh as the "model" for the painting was even enjoying the process. (Or at least the paper towels.)

~~Sierra was so proud of her finished piece. It was the good kind of proud; that feeling that comes when you've worked hard at something and are happy with the results.

~~Let go of the critic. Let go of the fear. Don't allow being a "grown-up" to steal the joy of living a creative life.
~~Happy Wednesday!

Little Entrepreneurs

2009-06-30T13:57:00.003-05:00

~~We've been enjoying our summer just spending lots of time together. We made it through the crazy, busy and fun week of Vacation Bible School and now have been finding ways to stay cool in the 100 plus degree weather. Last weekend my sister had a garage sale and my two little entrepreneurs came up with the idea of having a lemonade stand. They were so enthusiastic about the whole idea. There was a carefully drawn up sign, a kid-sized table and a shady spot. They decided to add cookies to the menu.

~~Every good entrepreneur tests her products before selling. (In our case I think they drank and ate half the profits, lol.)

~~Hardly anyone could resist two cute girls cheerfully selling lemonade and "coockies." (Notice the sign above.) I love my girlies so much!
~~Right now I'm actually sitting and watching paint dry which reminds me of watching grass grow, lol. I'm working on the background for my new angel painting. The background requires many layers which have to be fully dry before adding the next one. I'm anxious to get a move on this piece so I guess this is a good practice in patience.
~~Happy Tuesday!

Make it beautiful

2009-06-22T16:44:00.003-05:00

~~I'm doing my best to live by these words. Sometimes in the busy-ness of life it's easy to be out of touch with this present moment. I know that, if you're like me, you're always making "to-do" lists in your mind and thinking of all the things that need to get done. (Like taking care of my poor neglected blog!) But if we aren't careful we can miss out on some truly sweet times.
Hug your loved ones a little closer today. Enjoy these precious moments. Make them beautiful.

Artist Mom~A Day in the Life

2009-06-05T09:23:00.009-05:00

~~I enjoy reading blogs where the authors share a little glimpse into their everyday life. One blog that I've recently found and have grown to love is Sarah's from LovIN my Tummy. She's a Mom of 2 little girls with a great sense of humor and a knack for words. She blogs about the ups and downs of being a busy Mommy and gives you a little slice of their life in photos every day.
So I thought it would be fun to post a glimpse of an ordinary day around our house.
I, unlike Sarah, am not so wittty so I hope this little post doesn't get too dry and boring for you guys! Here was our Friday:
~~I woke up early so that I could get my workout in before the house got busy although I did let myself sleep in a little later than my normal 5:30 wake-up call. Hey! It is summer! Today was upper body weights and I listened to a station based off Jem on Pandora while I pushed through it. My arms were like jello when I was done!
~~I enjoyed a bowl of oatmeal with almond butter and half a banana and when I was just finishing up I heard the pitter-patter of little footsteps coming around the corner. It was Sierra and just a few moments behind her was little Sis. We had some "Good Morning Snuggles" (since Mommy wasn't too sweaty.) The girls watched a little Larry Boy (gotta love those Veggie Tales) while I set about fixing breakfast. Today's request: scrambled eggs and pineapple for Sierra and pancake with blueberries for Savannah.

Normally they want the same thing but this morning they decided to be individuals, lol. The pancakes are a yummy recipe from The Eat Clean Diet for Families and Kids and I just keep a bunch in the freezer. Pop 'em in the toaster and you've got a quick, easy breakfast.
~~While the girls finished up their video and breakfast I took a quick shower and had my quiet Bible/prayer time. I have to be careful not to leave this part of my day out. I tend to hit the ground running and sometimes it's hard for me to slow myself down.
~~The girls went outside to play for a bit while I did some housework and attacked our ever-present laundry pile. Good grief! How do the Duggars do it? I only have laundry for four! The mornings have been nice enough that I can keep the back door open and peek out at the girls while they're playing.

They look so sweet in this picture! It's not all sugar and spice all the time though. Not long after I snapped this they were standing at the back door yelling, "Mommy! She hit me!" "No! She hit me first!"
Aaaaah. So much for my Kodak moment.
~~It was already starting to get warm at lunch time (Hello Indian Summer!) so the girls decided to have their picnic lunch inside.
For them it was turkey lunchmeat, cheese, pretzels and grapes. I put together a yummy, crunchy summer salad for myself.

*Spinach, romaine and purple cabbage
*Dulse
*Cucumber
*Avocado
*Baked plantains
*Yellow bell pepper
*Broccoli slaw
*Bean sprouts
*Popped Amaranth

I'm loving this combination. It might sound complicated but really it isn't. I just keep a bunch of salad ingredients in the fridge and then throw them together at lunchtime.
~~After lunch I started to get things around for my photo-shoot in the afternoon. I had arranged for the cutest little girl to model for me for another angel in the "Little Angel Series." I've been so excited about this photo-shoot because I'm anxious to get started on another large painting. I got out the props I needed, checked my camara, printed out my model release, and made a list of notes for myself. I also started getting the girls' things together for their planned "camp-out" at Dustin's parents house in the evening. They were both very excited.
~~I met with my little model and her Mom in the afternoon and the shoot went wonderfully. I'm not going to spill the beans on this painting yet but after looking at my photos I'm incredibly pumped to get started.
~~After the photo-shoot I took the girls to the library for craft time. My girls are little craft-aholics so we couldn't miss the chance to make a beaded inchworm and glitter bookmarks, lol.

We came home after crafts and finished getting ready for the camp-out at the Grandparent's.
Dustin came home and we dropped the girls off with lots of hugs and kisses.
~~Since we were going to be on our own for the evening, Dustin and I decided to go on a once-in-a blue-moon real date. This is the point in the day that I forgot to bring along the camera and I was a bit bummed about it. We ate dinner at a wonderful Asian restaurant and the food was delicious!
~~After dinner we did a tiny bit of shopping and I snagged some of the Ora Keily dishware from Target. (Yay!) Then we headed over to Barnes and Noble to sit, drink coffee and read.
We're quite adventurous on our date nights, lol.
After being around two busy, talkative little girls a quiet evening just sitting together was a tiny piece of heaven.
~~And that's how our Friday went. Busy, full and good.
Oh....and since I had to have this song stuck in my head all day, I thought I'd pass it along.

Musical Art

2009-06-04T10:16:00.003-05:00

~I just discovered Theresa Andersson and all I can say is "Wow!" I want to be her! She is cool. Theresa is literally a one girl band. She uses live looping to create a wall of vocals and sound. I've never seen anything like it. You should also check out this song where she jokes about how she created a character for each of her "singers" in the band. Fun.
Hope you're having a great Thursday!

Cowboy~Fluid Acrylic on Watercolor Canvas

2009-06-02T16:27:00.003-05:00

~~Here is the final version of the cowboy commission I had mentioned before. It took a bit of time because I wanted the final result to be exactly what my client had envisioned in his mind. I had an old, grainy black and white photo to work with and the story of a man who was a tough-as-nails true cowboy. The man was my client's uncle and I felt honored to be asked to help preserve a bit of family history.
~~I decided to go with a dark, sepia toned palette instead of simple black and white because I felt that the brown tones would add life to the piece. This was a challenging change of pace for someone who is used to painting the soft-toned skin of children! Even after I thought I was finished I ended up adding several more dark layers to the skin to add a "rough" texture. I was afraid of having it look too rough but my client said, "Oh no! You can't get too much texture because he had skin like leather."
~~So here is the final piece and for fun I thought I'd also post the reference photo.

Artist Mom

2009-05-26T13:09:00.005-05:00

~~I should spend these quiet moments catching my blog up to everything that's been happening lately. The end of the school year is incredibly busy. There've been more activities, field trips, programs and parties than I could list. Yes, a lot has been going on around here.
But instead of posting a boat-load of pictures and stories I'm going to take this small pinch of time and pull out my paintbrushes.
~~You see, I started this blog as a way to share my journey as an Artist Mom. And it is a journey. There are ups and downs, twists and turns. It's a learning experience every step of the way.
~~I've been so incredibly busy with life lately that my art has been pushed to the side. And that's not good. This morning I made a list of all the "to-do's" that were on my mind and I felt overwhelmed just looking at it. I made a dent in my list during the morning but then I made an important decision: I decided to drop my "to-do" list for the afternoon and nurture the artist part of myself.
~~Someone asked me recently how I balance life as an artist and Mom and I don't really have an answer. Most of the time I don't feel like it's balanced at all. But I keep going, keep trying and like my Hubby said this morning, "keep moving forward."
~~I once read a story about balance that compared it to riding a bike. It said that balance isn't a state we reach but instead is a process that we're continually involved in. When you ride a bike you must keep pedaling in order to stay upright. You're constantly shifting your weight without realizing it. You turn your handlebars, look straight ahead and enjoy the ride. I like that thought. I will never reach a place in life where everything is "balanced." Instead, every day I will make small and large decisions that will keep my life in balance. Maybe being away from my blog for periods of time is simply part of that balance; part of this journey I'm on.
~~I'm still here. I'm the busy Momma with paint on her hands.
Happy Tuesday everyone!

Joe Martin Stage Race 2009

2009-05-14T09:22:00.007-05:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

~~Hello Everyone!
Thanks so much for your kind comments and emails about my tummy troubles. I'm thankful to say that I'm doing so much better! What I hadn't mentioned was that Dustin had a very exciting stage race coming up last weekend which was one reason I finally gave in and went to the doctor. I knew there was no way I was going to miss going.
~~Friday morning we headed to Fayetteville, Arkansas. (About a 4 hour drive.) Dustin was competing in the Joe Martin Stage Race. We got there in time to see the pros getting ready to head out. Dustin was able to meet and talk with Floyd Landis which was truly a highlight of the trip. (Floyd won the 2006 Tour de France but had it taken away after supposedly testing too highly of testosterone after one stage. Dustin & I have read his book and both honestly believe that Floyd is innocent and still deserves to be called the winner.)
~~Saturday Dustin had hard time trial and did awesome! He placed 6th and had a time that was better than some of the upper level categories. (Dustin is currently a Cat 5 but is working his way up.)
~~Saturday afternoon was stage two; a 46 mile road race. This is where things went bad. About 6 miles in Dustin had a flat. He had to wait for the sag truck to come up behind with his spare wheel. By the time he was changed out the lead group was pretty far ahead. In cycling you go faster and save energy by being in the pack. They work together to draft off each other and share the pull. Dustin had to spend so much energy catching back up to the pack that by the time he was there he was burnt out and had to pull off and finish solo. He still did a wonderful job and I was so proud of him but he was dissapointed because he lost quite a bit of time in the overall classification.
~~Sunday afternoon we watched the pros race the critierium. A criterium is a closed lap course where you race in time increments instead of miles. They are super-fast paced and fun to watch because you get to see the riders come around so many times.
I can't even describe the excitement of seeing the pros race. Americans are missing out on truly one of the most amazing sports. These men are fearless and literally fly. We stood at the end of a hill on a curve to watch. When the lead motorbike topped the hill you could actually hear the hum of hundreds of wheels coming. As they flew down the hill at 41 mph (there was a speed gauge right beside us) you could feel a rush of wind. They would lean into the curve and zoom around us. It was amazing!
~~Dustin's Crit was in the afternoon and was one of the best, most exciting races I've ever seen him do. He rocked it! He pushed so hard and was flying by in the lead group every time. It started to lightly rain but the girls and I didn't care. We were screaming and ringing our cowbells every time he went around. He layed it all out and placed 2nd, coming very close to winning. I was so proud of him! At first he had considered not racing the crit because he was so dissappointed about the road race results. He knew that he was too far behind in time to place in the GC. But he's too driven to quit and I love that about him. Getting 2nd in the crit was a big boost for him and was a great way to end the weekend's racing.
~~God was so good to me and Friday was the first day that I didn't have any bad spells during the day. Throughout the weekend I would have smaller spells with my stomach but nothing like I'd been having. It has gradually gotten better and better each day and now I'm almost completely over it. I'm so thankful!
~~Catch up with you all soon!

Tummy Troubles

2009-05-06T16:43:00.002-05:00

~~I just wanted to pop in and apologize for neglecting my poor blog. I've been struggling with a health issue for a week and a half now. Something's up with my stomach. The doctor said gastritis or maybe a stomach ulcer. I'm a girl with a pretty high pain tolerance but this keeps knocking me flat. Uggg. I'm on medication and today was my best day yet. Savannah and I were able to get out to story-time at the library. (Can't miss it!)
I would truly appreciate prayers. I'm not a very patient patient, lol. I can't stand lying down.
I'm hoping and praying I'll be back to normal soon. :)

Art and Fear

2009-04-28T13:11:00.004-05:00

~~I came across this quote that I really like:
"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. " Dale Carnegie
It got me thinking about fear. Fear is a strange thing. A certain amount of fear is healthy. It keeps us from being unsafe. As a Mom I know there are times when I've wished my daughters weren't always so fearless; when they've climbed to the top of the monkey bars or ran into the street after a ball. Having a healthy amount of fear is almost more about respecting danger than it is about being afraid.
~~Honestly though, the more I think about it, and the older I get, the more I'm coming to realize that fear is a great thing. I think we've got it all backwards. For most of my life I've wanted to live without fear. Being afraid is uncomfortable. It's not a good feeling. So my solution has always been to back away, to avoid fear.
~~This year I've been working very consistently at my fitness. I've made it a habit to wake up early every day and workout, either with weights or cardio. Even though it was a difficult habit for this night owl to establish, I've now come to truly enjoy it. I know how good it makes me feel. And, strangely enough, I've come to appreciate the hard parts of my workouts. (Not exactly enjoy, but appreciate!) When you're into your run, facing a hill with the wind in your face-it's hard! You have two choices; keep going
or quit.
If you keep going and push through the resulting feeling is amazing. It's wonderful to finish a workout and know that you accomplished something that was hard for you.
~~In weight training I've been using the Body For Life program by Bill Phillips. Basically the idea is to focus on one body part at a time and use RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) on each set. On a scale of 1-10 a 1 is no effort and a 10 is all-out, unable to complete. You want to start your sets at about a 6 and gradually add weight until you finish at a 10: to failure. How strange does that sound?! Your goal is to reach failure!
~~I love hitting 10's. It's hard. It hurts. But I know that when I've reached a 10 I've pushed myself to the limit and I will see results from it.
~~So, what does that have to do with art or life you ask?
I am learning that fear is actually an opportunity in disguise. Instead of our goal being to live without fear, it should be to face every fear head on. We will never get to the place where we're not afraid of something. Instead of seeing fear and running we should see it as our opportunity for a 10. It's our chance to push ourselves and truly grow.
~~Am I any good at this? Nope. Not really. I'm a scaredy cat at heart. To tell you the truth I'm a little nervous to write this because it will probably give me some opportunity to practice what I preach, lol.
~~But I do know this; I want to live a life of growth. I want to experience new things. I want to feel that "runner's high" not only on the trail but also at my easel.
~~Remember: Fear is just opportunity in disguise.
So, have you reached a 10 today?

Sailor Girl~Illustration

2009-04-22T16:44:00.004-05:00

~~Yay! Another illustration to share with you all. I was happy with the "vintage feel" that came out in this piece.
As always, thoughts and opinions are welcomed. :)

Cowboy~Illustration

2009-04-21T14:13:00.004-05:00

~~Here's another fun illustration piece that I finished up today. I'm working hard to get back on a roll. Life threw me for a loop there for a while but I think I'm finding my artistic groove again. Yay for inspiration!
~~The illustration pieces I've been doing are mixed-media. They're a combination of fluid acrylic on canvas and Photoshop. I would truly love to hear your opinions and thoughts on this style. I'm always listening and appreciate every comment!

Swinging~Illustration

2009-04-20T16:59:00.005-05:00

~~I wanted to pop in quickly before the girls and I are out the door for soccer practice. This is one of the illustrations that I've been working on and truly enjoying. I love to capture the carefree feelings of childhood and one of my favorite childhood memories is swinging.
~~Well, off to wrangle some shin-guards and cleats onto a wiggly girl! Happy Monday everyone.

Catching up....

2009-04-16T10:28:00.003-05:00

~~Easter Sunday. We were all a bit soggy from the rain!
~~I suppose blogging is a bit like exercising; after you get out of the habit you feel a bit stiff and wobbly when you start up again, lol. Life has been an absolute adventure lately. I truly should blog more just so that I can remember all the little details. Soccer games, music recital, Easter, Dustin's races, school play, etc.
I'm trying to soak in every minute and cherish these precious times.
~~Life is good on the art front also. I finished the cowboy comission except for a few minor touches. The client has the piece right now and so I'm unable to take pics. He wanted to show it to a relative and as soon as I get it back I'll share. I'm honestly quite pleased with how it came out!
~~I've also got another angel painting in the works. I'm bubbling over with excitement about this one but I'm not going to share secrets yet. ;)
On top of that I'm finishing up some illustrations and will post them soon.
So, I have been busy with art in between everything else. Whew! At this point I feel like I have all these ideas incubating inside, just waiting to hatch. I'm optimistic and it feels good!
~~Thanks for stopping by today. Hope it's sunny and bright wherever you are.

Wedding Pictures

2009-04-09T12:46:00.003-05:00

Photo copyright "Captured by Michelle" Photography.

~~The photographer who did my sister's wedding photos did an amazing job! She was so creative in all the poses and also had a great eye for capturing the candid moments. Lindsey and I were looking at all the pictures last night and had a very hard time deciding which ones were our favorites. There were so many!
~~Today she's posted quite a few wedding pics on her blog "Captured by Michelle." Ceremony pictures are here and after-honeymoon pictures are here. You could spend a long time being inspired by all the photos on her blog and also her Flickr page.
~~I love that Michelle is a young mom pursuing her passion. I can totally relate to that! So, if you're anywhere in the central Oklahoma area and need photos I highly recommend giving Michelle a call. You won't be disappointed. :)

So Thankful!

2009-04-03T18:58:00.002-05:00

~~I just wanted to pop in and give an update on my Papa and also to thank everyone who has been praying for him. I truly believe in the power of prayer.
~~Papa suffered a stroke on Tuesday and was in a very bad condition Tuesday night. He couldn't speak, walk, eat, etc and was experiencing pain. My parents made it to Alabama safely that evening and were very afraid that he wouldn't make it through the night.
~~By God's grace and through prayer he was actually able to sleep through the night and began showing slight improvement the next day. He has improved more and more every day this week and when I spoke with my Mother this afternoon she was in awe of how much he has recovered. She said that she's never seen anyone recover so quickly from something so terrible. Today he is speaking. He's also walking and eating on his own and is in very good spirits. Thank You Lord!!! My parents are certain that with time he'll be back to his usual self although it will take more recovery. He's still struggling with speech and some motor skills. It's also a difficult adjustment for him to accept help since he's such an independent person.
~~I believe in miracles and I truly believe that we were given one. It's been one year since Nana unexpectedly passed away and this week has been an emotional time for all of my family. Papa's stroke brought back a lot of memories and fears from that time but I'm truly thankful that we've been given more time to share with him.
~~I know I've been slack on blogging and I truly intend to work at getting into a routine with it. I'm putting the final touches on my cowboy commission and I also have some illustration pieces to share so please check back with me next week.
~~Thank you so much again for your thoughts, prayers and kind comments!!! I'm thankful for every one.

Needing Prayers

2009-03-31T10:21:00.002-05:00

~~I'm struggling today. My Papa in Alabama isn't well. My parents left this morning to be with him. Once again I'm stuck in this hazy cloud of uncertainty. We're not sure how serious it is. For those who believe in prayer will you be praying for him and also my parents as they're making the 12 hour drive.
~~I don't know the answers but I trust in a God who knows all things.

"We’re waiting here
Waiting for you God
With our hopes and fears
We come, empty hands held out.
Lord draw us near.
Heal these broken hearts
And lift us up to fall before everything you are."

Inspiring Illustrator~P.J. Lynch

2009-03-27T11:17:00.003-05:00

~~So today is cold, yucky and rainy outside. Call me crazy but I love these kind of days! It's the perfect day to stay in with a warm cup of coffee and paint, which is exactly what I've been doing. Savannah has been happily playing with legos and playdough and I'm working hard to get this cowboy finished.
~~This week at the library I picked up a book for the girls called "When Jessie Came Across the Sea." The first thing that drew me to it was the beautiful illustrations. This morning I finally took a few minutes to look up the illustrator and I'm so glad I did! The artist is a man named P.J. Lynch and he's been an illustrator of children's books for more than 2o years. I'm now going to be looking for more of his books. His work is beautiful; realistic but with a softness that makes it perfect for illustrations. I always love to share other artists and so I encourage you to check out his website here and also his blog.
~~Well, back to work for me!
Happy Friday everyone.

Thinking about Creativity

2009-03-23T12:46:00.004-05:00

~~Every day, somewhere around lunch time, I call my Husband at work. We catch up with each other and chat for a little while. It's one of the highlights of my day.
~~I'm currently in the process of working on a commissioned painting. It's a portrait-type piece of an older cowboy and is very different from my normal style. I took it on because it was a request from some very dear friends. I'm helping them to preserve a little bit of family history and am honored to be able to help.
***This might seem like a rabbit trail but hang with me, lol.***
~~A few weeks ago I listened to a TED talk by author Elizabeth Gilbert. It's called "A Different Way to Think about Creative Genius" and was thought-provoking and inspiring. She talks about the view of artistic talent in ancient Greece and Rome. In those times people didn't believe that creativity came from human beings. Instead creativity was viewed as a "divine attendant spirit" that came to humans. The Romans called these spirits "geniuses." They would say that a person "had a genius."The great thing about that was that it separated an artist from their work. If the work was wonderful, they couldn't be proud. (It was the genius.) If the work wasn't good they couldn't feel bad. (Their genius had an off-day.)
~~As times changed, however, the idea changed and it became an adjective for the person themselves. No longer was it "they have a genius" but "they are a genius." No longer did the people believe in a divine spirit but all talent was seen as coming from the person. And this is where struggles like pride, fear, self-doubt, etc started coming in.
~~Very interesting!
~~It caused me to think about how I personally view creativity. As a Christian I believe that God gives every person certain gifts. We all have areas that are our strength. Now, while I don't believe that I have a spirit (or genius) that comes beside me and paints through me I do believe that God Himself is the helper behind all of my art. He is the one who gives me the desire and the ideas. He is the one who enables me to learn and grow and He has a plan for my work if I will simply follow. The mistakes and mess-ups are simply stepping stones along that path.
So, if I truly believe with all my heart that God is the one who gives me my art and creativity and that He has an ultimate plan, then I should be able to separate myself from my work. I should be able to step away from the fear and uncertainty; the worry of messing up or what others will think. It reminds me of an interview I saw with Akiane, a truly amazing child artist. She said, "Every painting is a collaboration between me and God. He is my tutor."
~~Back to my husband;
As I was talking with him this afternoon I mentioned an email I'd received about Southwest Art's Emerging Artist competition. He immediately said, "You should enter!" I then hemmed and hawed about how I'm not quite sure and I wonder if they'll lean more towards western art, etc. He said without hesitation, "You should enter the cowboy piece." (That is why I love that guy! He is 100% certain of a piece I haven't even finished yet!) Without pause I said, "It's not good enough."
~~Right after the words came out of my mouth I immediately thought about Elizabeth's talk. Isn't God the genius? Isn't He the one who guides us? Why am I always so quick to be critical and write off everything I do? Can't I trust that it's all in His plan? It doesn't mean that my work is great. It doesn't mean that I should be proud. It simply means trusting that I'm not alone in this creative process. I do have a Helper.
~~What an encouragement that is to me!

What Kind of Mom....

2009-03-20T10:52:00.003-05:00

~~So, the other day I popped onto Facebook. (I know. Should have been doing something else!) I never stay on very long but I've sadly found that it's one of the only ways I can keep up with my out-of-town family and friends. Anyways, one of my friends had taken a quiz that caught my eye. It was the "What Kind of Mother are You" quiz. I never do the quizzes, games, tags, etc but this one piqued my curiosity. What would it say about me?
~~I clicked on the quiz, answered a few questions, and this was my result.
I seriously had to laugh at that. It was too true.
And even though it's just a silly game, I couldn't stop thinking about it later that day.
~~Why do I stress so much? Why am I always frazzled? Why is it that the harder I try to stay on top of things, the more I feel behind?
I think the answer is that I'm trying to be too many Moms all rolled into one.
Let me explain:
We all know women who we admire. They seem to be so good at what they do.
There's the:
~Photo-taking/Scrapbooking Mom: She's always taking pictures and documenting memories. She can tell you when her kids took their first steps or lost their first teeth. She gets family pictures taken regularly and each kid has a professional portrait taken on their birthday.
~The coupon-clipping frugal Mom: She makes weekly menus and grocery lists. She clips all the coupons and organizes them well. She scours the grocery adds and every week saves her family money by her careful planning. No fast-food runs after soccer practice. She's got a home cooked meal waiting in the crock pot.
~The Super-Organized PTO Mom: This lady is on top of her game. You see her come to the meetings dressed like June Cleaver, carrying her calendar, notebook and extra pens. She volunteers for all the school functions and heads up the 1st grade carnival. She organizes the teacher luncheons and knows all the staff by their first names.
~The "Martha Stewart" type crafty decorator: This lady has a home that looks like it came from a magazine. Neat, organized, clean. She has a knack for decorating and loves to make crafty little things to display around the house. She can sew, crochet, etc. and her home has lots of special, personal touches.
The Super-Fun Play Group Mom: Kids love this type of Momma. She's never, ever too busy to get down on the floor and play with the kids. She's very good with kid crafts and never worries about messes. Finger-paints, play-dough, paper mache; it's all good with her. She always has time to bake cookies with the kids or run to the park. Stress rolls right off this Momma and you'd be more likely to find her outside running through the sprinkler with the kids than inside cleaning the bathroom.

Me?....
I really don't fit in any of these groups but I find myself trying to be a little of each. I take a lot of pictures but never scrapbook. I'm happy just to get my pictures burned onto cds. I'm horrible at getting the girls pictures taken professionally and really bad at keeping track of all the little milestones in their lives. I guess that's part of why I blog.
~I'm a semi-coupon Mom. I try so hard with this one but it just ends up causing me even more stress. I clip coupons but not regularly. Do you know how long that takes? I was trying it for a while. I make menu plans and use coupons when I have them and I do believe that I save my family quite a bit of money but I've been known to do the McDonald's run after soccer practice more than once.
~The PTO Mom? Not me. The lady in the dress suit with pearls and heels makes me nervous. I go to the meetings and I'm the Mom in the sweater and jeans. I whip out my Palm pilot to take notes because I forgot to bring a notebook. I love being involved with my daughter's school and offer to help her teacher any time I can but when it comes to all the big events and planning, I just don't have the extra time to fit it all in.
~The "Martha Stewart" Mom: yikes! I do tend to go off the deep end when it comes to cleaning. I can't function unless things are neat and organized. I'm a little obsessive-compulsive that way and I'm truly realizing that I need to learn to let go a little. But as far as the crafty/decorative side; I don't really do well with that. I'm an artist, not a crafter. I don't know how to sew and although I do love to decorate our little home, once I fix up a room it stays that way for years. I'm not really the type to constantly be changing or updating things.
~The fun Mom? Oh how I want to be her. I try and yet I struggle. This is the area of my life where I'm constantly seeking balance. It's hard to fit in art, work and play. I do make time to play with the girls, go to the park, library, etc. We read together and I do believe that they think I'm a fun Mom. Yet I struggle with how to fit art and the rest of life into the daily alloted 24 hours. Do I sit and paint while they're playing in the back yard or do I put down my brushes and join them? It's a daily juggling show.

So....
What kind of Mom does that make me?
I'm not sure.
But maybe the best thing to do is to discover who I truly am as a Mother and accept her. Love myself as the Artist Mom I am. Let go of unrealistic expectations. All of the Moms I listed above are good people but they're not me. I don't have to be all of those things rolled into one. I only have the be me.
Hmmm. Deep thoughts for a Friday but I thought I'd share.
Happy Weekend!