Beauty, Inspiration and Family Heirlooms

I was taking a much needed break from all of the orders I have to paint and complete in time for the holiday season and I stumbled upon some beautiful artwork. As I surfed the web I discovered beautiful fine art paintings at a website called Invaluable.com. From landscape paintings to seascape paintings to oil paintings and portraits they have it all. I was inspired beyond words as many of the paintings made me feel as if I was actually alive and living within the scene. That's one of the best things about art...it can take you back in time and to places you've never been.

As I sat in my living room and continued relaxing I looked around me and felt even more inspiration. My husband's grandmother, Alice Loedding, painted as a hobby and quite a few of her paintings were handed down to us over the years. Grandma Loedding painted so often that I believe most of my husband's extended family have a few pieces of her artwork as well. We have a few small watercolor paintings and a few beautifully framed oil paintings of flowers. My mother-in-law has some in her home as well. Yes, Alice Loedding was incredibly talented and her memory lives on through her paintings.

Of all the paintings we have I cherish one more than any of the others, it's my absolute favorite. The painting that I treasure most is a painting of a local landmark in our town's community park. We live across the street from Buhl Park, a place we frequent almost every day in an attempt to get some exercise for ourselves and our dog. We love our beautiful park and spend a lot of time there. Our children grew up playing on all of the different playgrounds and swimming in the park pool. We feel blessed to live so close and have the opportunity to visit this spot pretty much any time we'd like.

The subject of Alice's painting is the Lake Julia Bridge as she saw it back in 1981...here's a photo of her painting:

The Lake Julia Bridge was recently renovated as it became very worn out over the years from so much use by the locals. While the renovation was much needed it did change the appearance of the bridge a bit. So Grandma Loedding's painting is even more treasured by me because it shows the bridge as it was many years ago. I look at her painting and the memories flood into my mind. I have tons of memories of my kids looking over the side down at the ducks and the swans swimming below us. We used to take them over there every few days and feed the ducks, swans and geese our old bread. I recall the many times we took them fishing and we held our poles off the side of the bridge. I remember so many times we just stood on the bridge and admired all of the beauty and nature that surrounded us. And my husband often shares a story of how his older brother, when he was a teenager, was fishing off the bridge and his eye glasses fell into the water below! Yes, we have many stories and happy memories to share. So you can see why this particular painting evokes such a sense of nostalgia for me.

This painting of Lake Julia Bridge by my grandmother-in-law will hang in our living room for years to come. Then someday in the future this family heirloom will be handed down to one of our children. I'm sure when they grow up they will treasure it as much as we do.

More fun and sharing to come...until then,

Today's Yin is Yesterday's Yang

Yesterday we had an early day. Our morning schedules overlapped each other and everyone needed to be ready and out the door by 7:40. Sunday evening we put our heads together and figured out a shower schedule and decided who was getting in the shower and when.

Monday morning came and went perfectly. I dropped the kids off at school and as I was pulling back into the driveway my husband was pulling out and was headed to work. I thought to myself, "This morning went off without a hitch...how perfect...how peaceful. A great way to start the new week."

Today, however, was the exact opposite. GGRRRR!! I use my radio as my alarm clock. I didn't sleep well tossing and turning most of the night. I finally fell asleep and didn't wake up until 6:50. I am usually up by 5:45. I saw the clock and thought maybe I was dreaming so I jumped up and ran to the dining room to look at the clock out there. No luck...it really was 6:50. I couldn't figure out why my alarm didn't go off. After investigating I learned that the volume somehow got turned down so I never heard it. Regardless of that issue I woke the kids up and within minutes everyone was moving around. Yes, the chaos ensued.

When all was said and done everything worked out fine. Even though it was a rushed morning I dropped the kids off at school in plenty of time. But as I was driving home I had to laugh. It's so ironic how you can have such a smooth morning one day then 24 hours later you are running around and freaking out.

But isn't that life? Isn't that what happens all the time...even with things you don't even realize? As I was making the beds I contemplated the concept of yin and yang. Everyone has good days, everyone has bad days. You can't have light without the dark. You can't appreciate your health if you've never had sickness.

Over the past few years I've realized that bad days don't have to upset us or piss us off. I try to look at it this way--perhaps crappy, stressful days can be used to our advantage and can help us appreciate the good days.

As I get older and my kids reach adulthood I've learned to look at things through a balanced perspective...or at least I try to do so. I try to appreciate everyday, good or bad.

Contemplating my moments of yin and yang reminded me of a name sign I made a couple of years ago...

Yes, "Balance" (and, of course, the Holey Pokey)...that's what it's all about!

More fun to come...until then,

"The Dragon King" - Book Review

I recently read a wonderful children's book called "The Dragon King" by Vivian Slade.

In "The Dragon King", Ethan is crowned king at a very young age after the sudden death of his father. Though Ethan is very sad over the loss of his father he still has his mother, Queen Sarah, to console him. Sarah spends time every day with her young son teaching him all the values that are needed to prepare a young king for any future battles. Over the years Queen Sarah makes sure that Ethan understands that all kings will, at some point in their lives, have to rise up and fight against great demons to protect their kingdom.

As expected one day out of the clear blue a huge and dreadful fire breathing dragon appears in the sky. This fear spreading monger terrorizes all of the people in Ethan's kingdom with his fiery breath leaving nothing but charred remains in his wake. Ethan summons his knights and they set out to conquer the beast. Sadly only a very few return with horrific stories of this cunning and frightening monster.

Finally the time arrives when Ethan realizes that he can no longer let the chaos continue. He decides that only he is the one who can take on and fight the dragon. Ethan gathers up his courage and sets out to save his kingdom from this ferocious enemy. Recalling the words of his mother, Ethan knows that all just and honorable kings are faithful, courageous and wise. Armored with these values Ethan knows that he must also use his imagination when fighting a beast. He must know in his heart and soul that he can defeat this monster.

This sweet and loving story has a bit of a twist to it as you approach it's ending and I don't want to give away any surprises. I wanted to share this story with you because I sincerely enjoyed it. While it was written for children I believe it can be read by anyone of any age. No matter the battle we all need to know that we all are kings of our own lives. We all must practice faith, courage and wisdom every day. And along with these three valuable traits we also must use our imagination. We must know that when we imagine ourselves defeating our demons--and make our imaginations come alive--we can will ourselves to win any struggle that life puts in front of us.

My review and promotion of this book is two fold. Of course I loved the story. But I also wanted to point out that the author, Vivian Slade, has promised that over the next three years she will give away 1,000,000 copies of the book to help children around the world. Vivian wants kids to truly understand that with faith, courage, wisdom and imagination they can dramatically change their lives. But to reach this goal your help is necessary! You can help the author by making a direct donation to their cause. Or you can purchase the Kindle and audio version of the book

Please consider this worthy cause!

More to come soon!

BAM 10,000 Facebook Fan Auction

I have one of my wood burnings listed in an auction that's being held on the Business Among Moms Facebook Page...

Click on over to see all the wonderful items that are up for bidding!

Business Among Moms 10,000 Fan Auction

My wood burned angel is included among all of the wonderful items. It has a retail value of $36.00 and the bidding starts at $1.00!!

Make sure to click on over and join in on the bidding!

More fun on the way...until then,

My 'Sugar Skull' Art

I just learned how out of it I am. Up until about a week or so ago I had never heard the term 'sugar skull'. I had the TV on for background noise...as usual. I overheard the term sugar skull and I wondered what it was. The term floated around in my brain for a few days and finally I decided to look it up. This is what I learned:

"The Sugar Skull is one of the main symbols or images seen during the Day of the Dead festivities and represents the past ancestors of Mexico. The reason they are called "sugar skulls" is because the authentic sugar skulls were made out of clay molded sugar."

Then I went on to do a search for images of sugar skulls. I was fascinated with how colorful, ornate and pretty they were. I love to paint with color and last night I sat down to paint my first sugar skull...

The realization of how out of it I really am materialized when I showed the painting to my daughter and husband. They both already knew what a sugar skull was. My daughter rolled her eyes and informed me that she learned all about this stuff in school in Spanish class. DUH! Apparently I've been hiding under a rock for far too long! Oh well, I'll have to get over it!

Meanwhile, I had a great time painting it and I hope to be able to paint more!

Okay...got more orders to fulfill so I'd better get off this computer and get to work!

More sharing to come soon...until then,

Strive to be positive...

I know it's hard to have a positive outlook on life. Every time you turn around you get negative messages from T.V., the radio, newspapers, magazines, etc. And all of the beloved social networking sites display drama every other minute...it's difficult to shield yourself from it all.

I stumbled across this quote from The Daily Guru in my email this morning that I, from the depth of my soul, believe is true...

"Thoughts are like boomerangs. What you throw out there into the Universe will always come back to you." -- The Daily Guru

You must make it your own personal mission--every day--to keep healthy thoughts in your mind. I learned about practicing positive thinking years ago. And only recently I realized again how important it is to have a positive attitude and how it can change everything in your life.

You and only you can make yourself happy. Starting your day with a simple thought like this, "Today is a great day!" really can help. Just repeat it over and over again several times early in the morning.

I'm not saying your day will be perfect but it will be better than if you start out swimming in negativity!

Go on and give it a try! I have a feeling it will work for you.

Okay...more happiness on the way...until then,

Back from vacation

We got back from our family vacation a couple of days ago and now I'm ready to roll. There's a lot to be said about getting away from your regular humdrum days.

We vacation in North Carolina every summer staying in different cottages with family and friends. This year we had a great view of the ocean right out our front door...

Once we crossed over the dunes this was ours all day everyday...

One morning we woke up to this stunning view...

Ahhh...it doesn't get any better than that!

While on vacation I had several customers call and email but I had limited internet access and my cell reception wasn't great. I got a bit nervous when I couldn't get back to my customers and thought, "I hope I don't lose my customer base while I'm on vacation!" A couple of them are repeat customers and I'd hate to lose this precious asset.

Thankfully everyone that I put off for a few days completely understood. The common thought was that everyone needs a vacation from the hectic days of life!

So now I'm back in full swing, revitalized and completely grateful that I have a job that I love!

More fun and sharing on the way...until then,

My daughter's talent

Everyone thinks their kids are great and, of course, all three of my kids are the best!

But this morning I'm driven to share my daughter's talent. Elena has a beautiful singing voice plus she loves to act and take part in the school plays. But she also has incredible skills at drawing and painting...and the kicker is she doesn't even work at it! She just picks up a pen and paper and creates something beautiful!

I came out to my desk this morning and noticed a drawing she doodled on a small note pad. She used a marker that was about out of ink and to most people a marker like that is considered junk. But she used it anyway and I believe it worked to her advantage because of the soft style. This is what she came up with...

I just can't get over how good it is! Most artists know that drawing or painting the human eye is very difficult but she makes it look effortless!

Okay...enough bragging! I better get moving...I still have to shower and get my daughter up so she can get ready for work.

More fun to come...until then,

The Garden Gates - Bella Notte Linens & Bedding

My oldest son is heading off to college in about a month so I've been doing a bit of online shopping to gather all of his bedding needs along with the rest of his dorm room necessities.

I love to shop and buy things for my home and as I was surfing the web for my son I couldn't help but take a few detours and do a bit of online window shopping for myself. Along the way I found a gorgeous website called The Garden Gates that offers a large variety of luxurious home and garden decor items.

Since I was already looking for bedding I thought I'd take a look at the beautiful custom made Bella Notte Linens that are sold through their website.

Talk about gorgeous! All I kept thinking was, "Wow! Maybe someday I can get these gorgeous and luxurious bed sheets, pillow shams, window curtains and more for my bedroom!" They have 28 fabric choices in 17 different colors and each piece of bedding is made to order so you make all the decisions about how your bedding will look from start to finish. Use your imagination and create your own unique and one-of-a-kind bedding set.

And I have to mention that even though the luxurious fabrics that are used in creating each piece are linen, satin and velvet they are all machine washable. So you don't have to worry about any dry cleaning. Another huge plus for me!

Located in Louisiana the Garden Gates is a brick and mortar store that is open 7 days a week. If you're fortunate enough to live in the area you can see for yourself all the beautiful home and garden decor they offer. But if you live too far away as I do, don't fret! You can shop 24 hours a day on their website and drool over all of the stunning home decor items. Oh and I almost forgot to mention that they also offer free shipping!

If you're anything like me and you love to shop for your home then you simply must take a look at this stunning website! It's beautiful!

Now I have to get back to shopping for my son and his dorm room! Not nearly as much fun but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

Okay, I'll have more to share soon...until then,

Illustration Friday - 'Sight'

The topic for today's 'Illustration Friday' is 'Sight'.

Here's my contribution...

"She sees the world through rose colored glasses and it drives everyone nuts!"

More fun to come...until then,

The Ribbon Retreat Blog

I recently discovered a fun and whimsical crafting blog and as I scrolled through their many projects I got very excited and immediately thought that I have to share this site with my readers. Over at The Ribbon Retreat Blog they offer tons of tutorials which include detailed instructions on how to make a variety of items using ribbons, fabrics and many other crafting supplies and tools.

I was simply delighted by many of the project ideas they share and the fact that they list step-by-step written instructions along with photos instantly enraptured my crafty soul. Most of the tutorials are, as I just described, shown with photos and written instructions. But they also have video tutorials as well one of which features a card making kit . What a clever idea! And the tutorial narrator was so happy and her happiness was contagious!
 
They share in a few simple steps how to make some really fun items like ribbon flip flops, hair bows for little girls and babies, car seat belt covers, aprons and so much more! They even had a tutorial on how to make a ribbon organizer. Here's my ribbon stash:

Do you think maybe--just maybe--I should make one for myself??? I'm thinking "Yes!"

Okay, I'm rambling here...let me get back to these awesome crafting tutorials!

One thing I thought I'd better warn you about is that some of the projects include the use of a sewing machine. Now to some of you that's not a big deal, but to someone like me it is. Sure, I can sew on a button, patches and maybe try to hem some pants. But using a sewing machine is another story. I have--or should say 'had'--a sewing machine a few years ago. I tried to use it and just couldn't figure it out. Darn!! Then I lent it to my niece to use for a school project. Then she gave it to my mom and eventually it ended up at my sister's house. I can't tell you how many times over the years I've considered learning to sew, but time never seems to be on my side. Maybe someday.

Thankfully The Ribbon Retreat Blog has many tutorials that do not require the use of a sewing machine so I can still give many of the projects a try. If you are a crafty person and you like to try your hand at fun and whimsical craft projects then this is exactly the place to go!

More fun to come...until then,

Playtime sharing...

I'm quite fanatical about collecting saying or quotes and every so often I simply hear something...no matter how trivial...and it sticks in my mind. One day a few months ago I came across this description or title and thought it sounded so sweet so I wrote it down:

I don't know why but I felt compelled to try and paint my version of the 'Bluebird of Happiness'. But being that my 'playtime' is so limited that note sat in my messy paint area for several weeks. Here's my messy paint area, by the way...

I finally got started on my Bluebird a few weeks ago. I want to add more to the background but here's where I am so far...

Now most people would paint the background first then paint the main subject, but I'm kind of weird and get ahead of myself at times. Either that or I'm just a backwards thinker!

Meanwhile, I'll keep looking at this and figure out what else to add. It could possibly be another 6 months before I consider it complete, but whatever. That's how my life is these days! Never enough time to do what I really want. Oh well! Someday I suppose I'll have more time.

Okay...more fun and sharing on the way...until then,

"The God Box"

I just finished reading a lovely book called 'The God Box' by Mary Lou Quinlan.

I connected with this author on a number levels. I lost my mom several months ago but at times it's still feels as fresh as if she only passed yesterday. I have many fond memories of my mother and I miss her every single day. But reading this book reminded me that my mother truly lives on through me. My mom, like the author's mother, was a devout Catholic and throughout her lifetime she constantly shared her faith with all of us.

I can easily recall the countless times she would offer to pray for a friend or loved one who might be struggling with one of life's difficulties. My mom's practice of praying for others was very similar to Mary Lou Quinlan's mom, Mary Finlayson. The only difference between my mom and Mary was that Mary wrote down all of her petitions to God on tiny bits of scrap paper. After writing her prayers she folded each piece of paper up until it was very small and stuck it in her God Box. Once Mary tucked each little prayer in her God Box she believed the issue was no longer something to worry about. Her prayer was with God and the worry was His to handle. What a wonderful practice of letting go and letting God handle your worries!

The night before her mother's funeral Mary Lou, her brother, Jack and her father were exhausted and trying to hold themselves together. Everything in the house reminded them of their loving mother and wife. Suddenly they remembered the God Box but realized that even after all these years they had no idea where Mary kept it. Determined to find this box they went on a search throughout the house. Finally Mary Lou discovers not only one God Box but ten of them stuffed full of prayers that her mother had written down over a 20 year span.

The book shares how Mary not only prayed for her family, but also friends and even strangers. She prayed for help with simple life decisions like what kind of flooring to choose as well as overwhelming life scenarios such as loved ones dealing with infertility and her own battle with cancer.

In The God Box, Mary Lou Quinlan shares with her readers the emotional journey that unfolds as she discovers the varied wishes and concerns of her mother over the years. You learn about her family from the early days to the present and many of their struggles and happy times in between. This sweet and loving tribute will warm your heart. You will laugh. You will cry. And it's likely that you will finish the book with a desire to create your own God Box.

I highly recommend this darling book...it's a quick and highly inspirational read!

More to come soon...until then,

Illustration Friday - "Jump"

Haven't participated in Illustration Friday very much lately, but I had a chance this morning.

The topic this week is 'Jump'...

My illustration for 'Jump' is a part of a name sign that I painted a few years ago...the theme, as you can guess, was from the 'Hey Diddle Diddle...' nursery rhyme.

I actually have a variety of 'Jump' illustrations scattered throughout my huge collection of file photos of my artwork. I considered using images of  dolphins, whales, monkeys, other cows jumping over other moons and lots of small fish. But the details on my name signs, growth charts and more are usually pretty small to begin with. Then because I had to zoom in on most of the photos the images ended up being way too grainy.

Oh well...I had fun anyways! I love it when I get the chance to participate in IF...I hope I can join in more often.

Okay...more fun to share soon. Until then,

Quote sharing...

I haven't shared a quote for a really long time! Life at our house has been hectic lately so I'll blame my long hiatus on that!

Here you go...

"Success means fulfilling your own dreams, singing your own song, dancing your own dance, creating from your heart and enjoying the journey, trusting that whatever happens, it will be OK. Creating your own adventure!" ~ Elana Lindquist

I got the quote from one of my favorite inspirational websites, "The Daily Guru".

I loved it and needed to hear it this morning...especially the 'trusting whatever happens, it will be OK' part! Some days I get so caught up in the worry and fear, but I must make a point to tell myself that it will be OK. Things always manage to work themselves out.

And here's a photo of one of my paintings from a few years ago...I like to look at this one when I'm feeling overwhelmed by life...

OK...I have to get moving. Of all things we are bracing ourselves for a big snow storm today! What the heck?!?! It's April 23rd and Mother Nature is playing big time games with us here in the Northeast! Unreal! I say it all the time...why do I live here???

Well, there's not much we can do about it so we'll just hang in there for a couple of days. Then hopefully the warmth will be back!

I'll be sharing more goodies soon...until then,

Ribbon!

This is a photo of the shelf where I keep all the ribbon that I use for my personalized name signs,  door knob hangers and baby keepsakes.

Pin It

I took the picture a few years ago and I love it every time I see it! The colors make me happy!

More fun on the way...until then,

Writing My 'Master-Peace'

I have a sketch book that I like to use for doodles or simple little drawings. In looking over my sketch book most of my doodles or drawings are dated in the first half of each year. It seems that in late winter and early spring my business slows enough so that I have the time to spend doing what I really love and that's just creating my own little designs or doodles.

In the 'custom artwork' business world your time is spent catering to creating the designs and themes that your customer wants. In turn you have less time to create what's in your own heart and what is inspirational to yourself.

This issue has been something I've dealt with for the past few years. I've been pining away  trying to create a part of my business that is all about 'my' designs and 'my' themes and 'my' ideas. But it's always a struggle because the custom artwork is the niche of my business that pays the bills.

So here we are.

But back to my sketchbook full of doodles and drawings...

I pulled out my sketchbook and took some photos of some little quotes that I doodled a while ago. They are very inspirational and I thought I'd share them with you.

The designs are utterly simplistic and certainly nothing to write home about, but what I like is the message. Our lives are really in our own hands and we are the authors of our own life stories.

On the second page I like how I used the word 'Peace'. I have a really busy life and I've suffered from a high level of anxiety for many years. I continually tell myself that I need to take more time for me so I can feel 'peace' in my life. I am constantly learning about little things you can do to make your days less anxiety-ridden and using the word 'Peace' throughout my days has helped me greatly.

So I'm spending my days attempting to write my own 'Master-Peace'.

Okay, I just got back from the gym and I need to get in the shower and get my day moving. I'll have more to share soon...until then,

Sharing this simple thought...

I have a small board in my work space that I consider my 'inspiration board'.

I also have a small TV in my work room and I almost always have it on. Even though I don't really watch it because I'm painting and my eyes are elsewhere in the room I can certainly listen to it.

Every so often I hear someone say something that strikes a chord in me and I'll jot it down quickly and post it on my inspiration board.

Here's one I heard and saved a few months ago...I wrote it down but then also took a photo of it...

Pin It

This thought resonates within me because many days I am constantly on the go. I run here and I run there and then I run somewhere else. The next thing I know...I'm exhausted and it's time for bed.

But every so often I get one of those days where things aren't quite so hectic. Yet instead of enjoying the down time these feelings of guilt creep into my mind. Rather than relaxing that negative voice in my head tells me that I'm being lazy and irresponsible. What??? Are you serious??? Why would I ever let those thoughts bother me???

Well, I decided that I have to lay blame on the perfectionist part of my personality. I'm a Virgo and while you might not think I'm a perfectionist by looking at the dust on my furniture or the clutter on my dining room table, I am definitely a perfectionist when it relates to my work. I am highly critical of how each finished product looks and if I'm not satisfied with even the tiniest detail I HAVE to fix it or it will eat away at me.

Sometimes I tell myself that my perfectionism is a good thing. I have many return customers who praise my work and refer my websites to their friends and family. So perhaps it's the 'love in the details' that makes all the difference with my artwork. Or maybe it's the 'devil in the details'??? Hmmm...that's something to ponder for sure!

Meanwhile, as the guilt oozed from my pores last week when I had a slow day I looked up at my inspiration board and saw it and thought to myself, 'Jane, it's okay to take a day to rest! You don't have to constantly run, run, run. As the quote says we are human 'beings' not human 'doings'! So just 'BE' and enjoy it!

Okay more sharing on the way...until then,

Just finished this custom piece...

I really like how this custom sign turned out! Sure my customer likes it...my fingers are crossed!

My family and I LOVE the beach so when I was painting it I visualized us soaking up the sun and watching the surf on the lookout for dolphins. Hopefully we'll be able to go to our favorite vacation spot in North Carolina this coming summer.

Here's a beautiful photo of the sunset from our trip last year in August of 2011:

Simply gorgeous!!

Okay...more fun to come...until then,

Daily Sharing - Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012

Today I'm sharing a simple little sign I made years ago and then sold in an online auction. I always liked this one...

Taken from the Bible 1 Corinthians 13:4-8...

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

This passage was the gospel reading at my wedding during mass. And my mom always loved it as well. It was displayed throughout our house on various plaques or printed on the back of prayer cards that were displayed on our kitchen window for many years. It's a beautiful passage and it has deep meaning for me.

More to come...until then,