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,

Sharing My 'Sunshine' Art

Summer is here and the sunshine is fantastic! Sunny days have inspired me to share some of my artwork that features the warm beautiful sun...my sunshine art!

Here are a few of my creations that celebrate summer...

This first creation is actually a mixed media type of collage. I began by painting the sky in a bright blue as well as the water at the bottom of the painting. Next the house, sun, clouds, tree and flowers are all pieces of paper I cut from a worn out old geography book I bought at a local flea market. Once I arranged and adhered the papers in my inspired design I painted everything with acrylic paints. I chose to paint the house pink because when we vacation at the beach in North Carolina I see lots of houses painted in this vibrant color. These little pink houses always make me feel happy and summery! I have yet to add this painting to my website, but I hope to get to that soon. I also plan to offer prints of this design.

The next creation I am shaing is one of my favorites...it's my 'Sailing at Sunrise' foot stool. I have this item displayed on my website as Beach or Cottage Décor since it is actually a piece of home décor. The top of this little stool is wood burned then painted with a wash of acrylic paint. I currently have it displayed for sale in a local gallery. I've gotten lots of positive feedback on this item at art festivals. There's a huge part of our local population that loves the beach so this design resonates with many. I also offer prints of the design--only the top of the footstool so if you like the artwork but would rather have something to hang on your wall you can do so with this little beauty!

And finally, I like to call this little painting 'Sundance' but my official name for it as it is displayed on my website is 'Purple Daisy Painting'. I painted this sweet 8"x8" darling a few years ago and had it displayed for sale in a local gallery. I am happy to report it was sold a few months ago. Although the original is gone I still have prints of this painting available on my website. Yay!

As I share a few pieces of my sunshine filled art the skies are gray and the rain is falling. But looking at these paintings helps me to be grateful that this is the sunshine season and the nasty, cold winter weather is long gone! I hope I've been able to spread a little sunshine into your day!

More fun to come...until then,

Buhl Farm Park - The Jewel of Our Valley

As many of you may know April is "Keep America Beautiful Month" which is a non-profit with a mission to build and sustain vibrant communities. Recently I was contacted by Tiffany Pham, the community manager of Dropcam, which is a cloud-based Wi-Fi video monitoring service which makes it easy to stay connected with places, people and pets, no matter where you are. Tiffany asked me if I'd be interested in participating in Dropcam's new campaign by sharing on my blog what I consider to be my little 'Slice of America'. She asked me to explain what it is that makes my neighborhood or town so special. I immediately responded with a resounding "Yes!" and I knew exactly what I wanted to share with my readers.

My family and I live in western PA about 70 miles north of Pittsburgh. There's a wonderful community park in our town that I, along with many others, consider to be the jewel of the Shenango Valley.
Buhl Farm Park is a 300 acre piece of land that was donated to our local community in the early part of the 20th century. Frank and Julia Buhl’s stated purpose for acquiring these lands was to create a park for the benefit and enjoyment of the public.

Back in 1996 my husband and I bought our house which sits directly across the street from this beautiful park. Our kids were babies when we moved here and we always felt so blessed living so close to the park. Here's a photo my husband took a number of years ago while walking in the park....

When our kids were very young we had a variety of play areas from which to choose on a daily basis. Over the years we spent as much time as we could taking advantage of this beautiful spot. Plus it's a great way to keep your kids active.

Now that our kids are practically adults we don't frequent the playgrounds anymore. But my daughter and I walk our dog almost every day. The outer perimeter of the park is about 2.5 to 3 miles long so we can get some serious exercise in as often as we choose and at any time of the day. Buhl Park has it's own police that drive around the park throughout the day and night so we never have to be concerned for our safety. We normally don't walk late at night, but in the summer it can get pretty hot and humid so it's nice to be able to walk after dark and not worry. Here's a photo we took a few years ago while walking in the evening...

For several summers we bought family swimming passes and were able to swim as often as the weather permitted at the park pool.

Buhl Park also offers summer recreation programs for kids grades 1 through 6 and, of course we made sure to sign our kids up for this wonderful program! The cost is minimal and it kept our kids occupied on those lazy summer days when there's not much to do.

There are so many more things to take in while visiting Buhl Park. The heart of the park holds a pretty little lake...Lake Julia, named after Mrs. Buhl...that is home to lots of ducks, geese and a couple of swans. Here's a cute picture my husband got a few years ago of the swan mommy with her babes...

We also spent many hours at the lake fishing with our kids over the years. My youngest son still spends time there fishing with his friends. Here is a picture of our little family fishing from about 10 years ago...

They have a beautiful performing arts center where, all summer long, they have free concerts a couple nights each week.

They recently built a sweet butterfly garden that sits along the paved fitness trail in the center of the park. And speaking of the fitness trail, a few years ago I decided to try jogging and I used the trail for my early morning runs. That form of exercise was short lived! But, hey, at least I tried! My plan now that the weather has improved is to go to the trail in the mornings in place of going to the gym. This time, however, I'll be walking not running!

Another unique feature of the park is a huge open field in one area that the locals call the 'Kite Field'. We call it the Kite Field for obvious reasons...it's such a huge space and it's open with only a few small trees along the perimeter. Because of it's placement it's perfect for flying kites on a windy day. We took our kids there several times when they were younger to fly kites. Aside from kite flying many little league teams and soccer teams will use a small section of this field for practice because of it's large size and openness.

There are also tennis courts that you can use. You can take a walk through a beautiful flower garden that sits at the south end of the park. Many wedding parties, prom and homecoming dance attendees go to this beautiful flower garden to take group pictures.

And I have to mention a very important feature of this beautiful space...there is a golf course where you can golf for FREE! Yes, I said FREE! Buhl Farm Park has a 9 hole golf course and it's the only FREE golf course in the country! Thankfully my son is on the high school golf team and he can walk down the street to this beautifully maintained golf course and not have to pay a dime!

One other feature of the park that I have to share is the 'Casino'. No, this is not your typical casino where gambling takes place. From my research I learned that many years ago the word casino was defined as a building or large room used for meetings, entertainment, dancing, etc. I'm sure this is the definition of 'casino' when referring to this beautiful structure in Buhl Park. Here's a photo so you can see how gorgeous it is...

While the lower level of the Casino is used for park administration the upper level of the Casino can be rented for parties, meetings, weddings and more. The Casino was recently renovated a few years ago and, while it was always a beautiful building now it's absolutely stunning!

There are also a number of picnic shelters throughout the park that you can rent during the summer for picnics, parties, etc. Plus they have an indoor Activities Building that we've rented on a few occasions. My oldest son's high school graduation party was held there...here are a couple photos we took prior to the party...

We have this same building reserved for our daughter's upcoming graduation party that will be taking place this summer. I'm sure we'll do the same for our youngest son when it's his turn.

I could continue on and on, but I'm sure you get the gist of our beautiful park. There are so many things to do no matter the season. Almost every time I'm in the park I try to remember to offer up a simple 'Thank you!' to the Buhl's for the generous gift they left for the people in our town! Here is one more photo that my husband took years ago of our daughter standing by the memorial statues of Frank and Julia Buhl...

I also have to add this wonderful tidbit of information that is more proof of how beautiful our little slice of America is. It just so happens that a few days after I posted my initial story about Buhl Park this was the headline in our local newspaper, "Family Friendly - Forbes Ranks Area 5th Best Place in U.S. to Raise a Family"! And the photo on the front page was that of a family walking in Buhl Park! As you can see my sentiments about the park are the same as many others in our area.

In closing I will say that no matter where life takes us I know that the memories we've made at Buhl Park will be tucked away in a special place of our hearts!

More sharing on the way...until then,

Snowman Door Decoration - Snowman Decoration - Snowman Home Decor

I am honored and happy to see one of my wood burnings getting so much attention on Pinterest!

My sweet snowman wood burning has a high number of repins and this number is growing daily!

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/156148312052337490/

In actuality this snowman was made last year and sold. But I still have it listed on my website because I am willing to remake most my home decor designs. I've seen an interest in this piece on Pinterest throughout the year. However, because this is the season for winter decorating the interest in my pin has exploded. I get notifications from Pinterest every time one of my pins gets repined. This one is shared several times a day. I am now at the point where if I see one of these notifications I know it will be my snowman!

I am thrilled and happy at the popularity of my design and have remade a few for reorders. There are only a couple left in inventory so if you plan to buy one you might have to wait for me to make you another! They are going quickly!

More fun to come...until then,

Dragonflies...

I am intrigued by dragonflies because they remind me of my dad.

Several years my husband bought my daughter a book called "The Secret of the Dragonfly, A Story of Hope and Promise". I fell in love with the story which, in a nutshell, is about how a grandmother uses the life of the dragonfly to help her grandson understand how they will always be together even after her death. It's a sweet story about transformation that displays how even after death we are still together.

It has always meant so much to me because I was still in the grieving stages of dealing with my father's passing when we stumbled upon this book.

Then to tie things together even more...my dad was a fisherman. He loved going fishing with his brother up to Lake Erie. He had a little trailer there and spent lots of time over the summers doing what he loved. And if you've ever spent anytime by a body of water...whether large or small...you will see lots of dragonflies.

We live across the street from our local community park and over the years we've taken our kids there to fish in the little lake located in the heart of the park. Every time we would fish I would see so many dragonflies and I always felt it was my dad saying hello. We were doing what he loved with some of the people he loved most so it made sense that he would want to be with us.

So this explains why anytime I see dragonflies I feel like it's my dad saying hello.

Plus I also love dragonflies because I've seen so many colorful ones over the years. I recall being up at our local dam with our kids when I stopped to take a break and sit on a bench to rest for a minute. As I sat there a very colorful dragonfly came and rested on the back of the bench. It was bright blue and had some red on it as well. I couldn't believe how colorful it was. Since I love to use lots of color in my artwork I am drawn to dragonflies from that perspective as well.

Meanwhile, a couple weeks ago after running to the store I pulled into our driveway. As I walked around the van to start grabbing grocery bags I saw this dragonfly sitting on the tip of my husband's car antenna.

It was unreal how it just sat there and didn't fly away as my kids an I hovered around it to take pictures. I got very close to it and I honestly believe it had a smile on it's face. I tried to zoom in on it's face but it fluttered away before I could get to it. The cool part of this is that my dad was always smiling! That was one thing that everyone always said about him...he had a great smile! Here is a picture of my dad, me and my sister around the year 2000 or 2001. Look at that smile! It was always so bright! I sure do miss seeing it.

So I really believe it was my dad stopping by to see us once again.

You may think I'm crazy to feel this way, but that doesn't matter to me! Everyone has their way of coping and this is one of my tools to help keep me from falling into the sadness of knowing that my parents are both gone now.

To each his own, right?

Okay...I better get a move on. I have lots of work to do today. I'll be sharing more soon so stay in touch! 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,

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,

My Puppy Catching Some Much Needed Rays

I titled this post as 'My Puppy...' but she's hardly a puppy. Button--her legal name--is about 8 years old now, but I always call her 'Puppy'.

We've had a pretty mild winter up to now. The last few days it's been up in the 40's and 50's. Today it's rainy, but yesterday was pretty sunny.  Dr. Oz has said it a million times and I know it's true. We all need our daily dose of vitamin D and one way to get that daily dose is to sit outside in the sun for about 15 minutes each day.

Sitting in the sun for 15 minutes is easy in the warm weather, but when it's cold out that won't work for me. So I take my daily dose of Vitamin D in the form of a pill. Simple.

My husband and I noticed something a few years ago and it always strikes me as interesting. Every time we have a sunny day Button automatically goes out onto the deck and sits in the sun. It happens every day in the summer...unless it's raining.

So any time it's sunny and she goes out and sits on the deck I call it her time to go out and 'catch some rays and get her daily dose of Vitamin D'. Maybe this is something that's instinctual for animals.

Or maybe I'm completely off my rocker and she just likes the sun! To be honest I don't even know if animals need vitamin D!

Most likely the real deal is that I'm just a nut case that thinks too much and Button is just a simple dog who likes to sit in the sun!

Okay...more 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,

Bizzarro weather today!

Just this morning I wrote a post about SAD and included a photo of our backyard today compared to last year at the same time. We had tons of snow last winter and this year we've had very little.

Lo and behold, after a mostly sunny day the clouds got very dark around 4:00 p.m. and it became very windy. A few minutes later I looked outside and it was almost a whiteout...snowing like crazy. It looked so bad I even sent a quick text to my husband who is working that he needs to be careful on his drive home...I wasn't even sure if he realized the weather had changed. Then literally 15 minutes later I looked out the window and saw the sun shining again.

I thought, "What the heck is going on?!?!" It was so strange but beautiful at the same time. The sun was shining and reflecting brightly off the top half of the snow covered trees while the bottom half of the trees and everything else was gray and dismal! I took a few pictures to share...

  

  

  

I guess it's not entirely 'bizzarro' as I titled my post, but this has been such a strange winter for us here in PA. As I said in my post from this morning I'm much rather have it be muddy rather than snowy. But I have to say that the snow can be so beautiful at times!

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



Seasonal Affective Disorder - SAD

I think I might have this -- Seasonal Affective Disorder otherwise known as SAD.

First of all I was thrilled to walk out to my kitchen this morning and see the beautiful blue sky and the sun! It's been dreary and cloudy here for days...if not weeks. But that's pretty typical for this neck of the woods at this time of year. We usually have more snow, but this year we've gotten very little--something I won't complain about.

Here are a couple photos to show the difference between last winter and this winter. It's the same tree from pretty much the same point of view:

Our backyard Winter 2011

Our backyard Winter 2012

What a difference! Yes, it's a bit muddy this year because it's been more wet than snowy...but I'll take wet over snowy anytime. Well, except on Christmas Day. That's the only day I want to see snow. But I digress...

Now getting back to SAD, seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that is triggered by the seasons of the year. The most common type of SAD is called winter-onset depression. Symptoms usually begin in late fall or early winter and go away by summer.

I noticed a few years ago that I always wanted to just stay home and curl up under a blanket and keep warm and cozy until spring. But being a mom of three with my own business and a husband with his own business, well, I didn't have the opportunity to stay put.

Last winter I didn't notice much of a SAD feeling. I actually felt pretty good considering I had just lost my mom to Alzheimer's disease. But I believe that in reality I was in shock and denial. While my mom had Alzheimer's she died rather suddenly in early December. But that' another story for another day.

So to combat the extra 20 pounds I've been hauling around for years I started going to the gym everyday. On top of trying to lose weight and get healthy I hoped to eliminate my chances of getting SAD. While I've lost a few pounds so far I've noticed that I feel tired...not all the time, but more tired than I ever expected. It's confusing me. If I'm exercising every day why am I tired??? Shouldn't I have more energy?? I don't have an appointment to get my yearly check up until March. At that point if I'm still feeling this way I will talk to her about it.

So for now I attribute my tiredness to SAD. I'll keep exercising plus I've upped my daily dose of vitamin D-3 from 1000IUs to 2000IUs. My husband says I should take even more, but we'll see how I feel with this small increase first.

As well as those two things I'll pray that we continue to get more sun! A beautiful sunny day with blue skies always lifts my spirits no matter how cold it may be outside!

More sharing on the way...until then,

Poconos Family Resorts

For those of you who may not be familiar with Pennsylvania let me tell you that our state is rich in culture and filled with surprises. We have big cities, such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but we also have a variety of quaint small towns tucked all over the state. We have beautiful mountain areas, lush forests, sandy beaches along Lake Erie as well as historic battlefields in Gettysburg.

But one place in PA that is well known to many is the Pocono Mountain area. Nestled in the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania the Pocono Mountains have always had a great reputation for skiing. And, as I recall, it was considered a beautiful and secluded spot for honeymooners. ;D

Meanwhile, as I spent the past several years of my life in my own little world on the opposite end of the state, the Pocono area grew--greatly. Much more so than I ever realized. A family friend spent most of her summer as a nurse at children's camp in the Pocono region. It was through her that I learned how this area has changed and grown. The Poconos area now offers a large variety of family attractions as well skiing. I was completely surprised at how much there is to do!

And if you've ever tossed the idea of a little family get-away to the Northeast then you must consider the Great Wolf Lodge as it is one of the leading Poconos family resorts.The Great Wolf has a fabulous water park which was designed with every age in mind...from very small children to teens to grandparents! My kids would love it!

Beyond the water park the Great Wolf also offers great dining options plus some great retail therapy--Shopping! (My favorite!) They also have a spa for adults and even a spa for kids. How cool is that?? My daughter would be in heaven! Then for the health conscious visitors they also have a fitness center. You can work off those extra calories that you take in at their fine restaurants.

Plus the entire Poconos area has a variety of other attractions. As I mentioned earlier they offer skiing, as well as snow boarding and snow tubing in the winter. Then in the warmer months you can take in the incredible natural beauty of eight different waterfalls in the area. You can go canoeing, kayaking, biking and horseback riding. And for the golf enthusiasts they also have gorgeous golf courses! There is also a wild animal park nearby which is fun for every age. Or if you love history, you can visit a living history farm. Plus they have a local theatre which presents some very popular shows. Goodness! There is so much to do and the options never end!

Okay, I need to close for now. But I have to say that sharing all of this information has seriously got me yearning for a vacation! I need to talk to my husband about planning a trip to one of the top Poconos family resorts this winter! We have a little time off after the holiday season so maybe...just maybe...we can plan a get-away!

Okay...more interesting topics in store...until then,

Illustration Friday - "Silent"

This week's topic for Illustration Friday is 'Silent'...

The beach was deserted...all was silent...

More on the way...until then,

In A Celestial Mood This Evening...

Maybe it's because of the full moon...

More fun on the way...until then,

Wordless Wednesday

My first day of participation in Wordless Wednesday...

My daughter and I walked almost every night this past summer. We live directly across the street from our community park. Buhl Farm Park ...it's the crown jewel of the Shenango Valley.

Every night--as long as we had clear weather that day--we got to see these glorious sunsets. And almost every night I'd kick myself because I always forgot to take my camera with us. FINALLY I remembered and got these beautiful shots!

I still walk at the park eveyday by myself while my kids are in school, but it's too cold to go at sunset. So for now I'll have to enjoy these beautiful photos.

More fun on the way...until then,

Fuel - Illustration Friday

Here's my post for this week's topic at Illustration Friday :

"FUEL"

Why did I choose this image? Fuel is something that provides energy and our beautiful sun provides energy for our entire planet...hence my choice!

Enjoy your weekend! Hope to be posting more fun soon! Until then,