Gabi's Sketch Challenge

This was a challenge posted by my friend Gabi on her blog. I couldn't resist trying it out.

I think it worked well for these swim pictures. I am not thrilled with how it came out, but it finally got me to scrap some of the girls swim meets.

Thanks Gabz!!

If you want to try this challenge yourself check out http://goingforgreatness.blogspot.com

Sloth!

This blog entry is Part IV of the new Studio Friday mini series looked at from an artist's perspective in a different angle and light: "The Seven Deadly Sins"This week's topic for Friday April 13th: Sin #4: SLOTH!

This is a very interesting topic for me. Sloth is deifned bascially as the avoidance of physical or spiritual work....laziness.

The punishment in Hell is to be thrown into the snake pits....whoa...back the truck up...I am so not down with that!! So I guess I better get my lazy butt in gear!

Seriously, I really consider my art as part of my spiritual work. It is an improtant outlet for me. Getting the creative juices flowing keeps my mind clear & my spirit peaceful. My favorite thing to do is work on my Book of Me. The pages in that book are journaling & art combined. They are a true expression of me. I enjoy that I can do whatever I want with them & there are no boundries. No one needs to like them but me.

On occasion though the artistic process is not easy for me...it feels so much like work. I struggle with creating. I feel when I am struggling like that I am forcing my art & not just letting it flow through me. This often happens when I am making something for someone else. Instead of having fun with it I am striving for perfection. When I do this it seems that everything I touch turns to crap. I am never happy with the outcome. I am trying to notice when I hit these slumps & take a step back. Just put down what I am doing & maybe try to work on something different. See if I can open the channel up again for the creative process.

What I notice is when I clog up the channel & deny the gift of art I am so much less fullfilled. I think often it is my ego that gets in the way. I am thinking about the outcome, what people will think, wanting the work to be impressive, & forgetting that what I love is the process.

When I am creating & in the zone...I am really peaceful. When I am in this space, the spiritual place of creating the work, I am happily busy.

Bad Habits....Who me?....No way!!

This was a topic posted as a blog challlenge by my dear friend Gabi. I had to laugh out loud when I heard it. My response was...bad habits...who me??... come on... I am perfect.... no bad habits here. Of course I was totally kidding. I am sure if you asked my husband he could list at least 10 annoying habits I possess right now without even thinking to hard & he absolutely adores me.

So the question is which of my bad habits am I willing to take out of my closet & let see the light of day?

I have a few bad habits...things I would love to change...here are a few that come to mind...

1. Not cleaning up after myself when I scrap. My scrap room is always a complete & utter disaster.
2. Not putting my laundry away. I have stacks of folded clean laundry on my window seat at all times.
3. Eating way too fast. It started when my kids were little & I needed to eat fast so I could take care of them & now I have a hard time just relaxing & eating slowly.
4. Buying more scrap supplies when I don't really need them. I really should try to organize what I already have & not keep buying more unless it is something really cool, new, or different.
5. Putting important things in a "safe" place & never remembering where that "safe" place is.
6. Eating too much & not exercising enough.

All of these things I have tried to stop doing from time to time. I have often tried to change my ways. Sometimes I have even been successful for a short period of time. Eventually though, those old habits come sneaking back. It is funny how habits have some comforting factor. They are often behaviors that were developed to fill a need & even when they are no longer needed anymore it is hard to let them go.

Not just a scrapbooker....A life Artist!!

I was reading Ali Edwards' blog the other day & I came across this little piece & I just loved it...

A new name for scrapbookers/creative people who are into celebrating life through art: life artist. "Scrapbooker" just doesn't cut it - it is so much more than that name implies.

So, life artist it is

So who is a life artist? Do you take photos of your family, yourself, your environment, your world? Do you tell stories? Do you bring them all together onto paper, into your computer, onto a canvas (or some other cool concoction)? Do you create art journals with all kinds of wonderfully interesting pieces of your life and thoughts and emotions? Do you celebrate your life through your art?

You are a life artist.

I am a life artist.

And man, I love it.

I read this & I totally felt it in my body. This is how I feel. This is me. I was thinking right on Ali...you go girl!!

I don't scrap in order, I am not much into themed albums, I am not stuck in any particular style, I don't only scrap one size page, I love altered art, I do whatever moves me, & I love to create.

So yes....I am a life artist & man, I love it!!!

Sometimes you just need to vent...

Before I start this I just want to say I have a fabulous life. I have a wonderful husband & great kids. Having said that I will admit that there are things that challenge me from time to time.

One thing that has been a source of frustration lately for me is trying to have a peaceful blended family. Both my husband David & I were married before & we each had two childre coming into our marriage. All four children live with us. Our boys are 11 years old, almost 3 months apart in age, and our girls age 9 are also about three months apart in age. It is really pretty cool, but not without its challenges.

The problem I have been having lately is managing the issues between all the personalities. It can be so difficult. Before I was married I was a single mom for four years. The kids & I were a team. Then all of the sudden after I get remarried a new husband & two more kids moved in. Wow talk about adjustments!!! We will be married three years on May 8th & all the kinks are not quite worked out.

It has been particularly hard on my kids. They went from having me all to myself & their own bedrooms to having to share their bedrooms, & also giving up some coveted mommy time to my husband & two new kids who really were in need of a mom in their lives.

I love my new life, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that some days I mourn the loss of my old life. Things were a bit more simple. I only had to answer to myself. There was no other parent that I had to consult before making decisions. I didn't have to deal with my kids needing more time with me. I didn't have to worry about being the evil step"monster." I didn't have to figure out how to get four kids to agree on something or anything.

On the flip side I didn't have a fabulous man to share my life with. I didn't have these two additional fabulous little people in my life. I didn't have a house so filled with love & energy I thought my heart could burst.

When I was a kid I used to say I want four kids when I grow up...I guess you should be careful what you wish for...you just might get it!!

I am incredibly blessed & yes... sometimes I am cranky about it.

This was a blog challenge for one of my favorite scrapbooking boards...http://www.scrappinmojo.com

Decorating Eggs!

The girls & I decorated Easter eggs today. We had three different kits & just went to town.

I am glad they still want to do this with me. I love to decorate eggs & it is so much more fun when they join in.

It was funny I said to Rachel, "Hey go ask the boys if they want to help." & she said. "Oh but Kailey & I want to do it...I don't think the boys are really interested." I told her that she should ask them anyway. So she goes into the room where the boys were & wih a tone as if she was asking them about taking out the garbage she says, "You boys don't really want to have to decorate eggs do you?" Of course they said no...pretty smart girl. Although at 11 years old I don't think the eggs were more interesting than the Discovery Channel dinosaur show they were watching.

The girls had so much fun & I got some great photos. I can't wait to scrap them.

I have to admit, even when they aren't interested anymore, I will probably decorate a few eggs!

My Scrap Space

I am a scrap addict. I have this great little space, a room, in the back of my basement.
It has three work stations, a computer, tons of storage, & my ipod. Everything I need. The problem is that when I create I am a total slob. Everytime I get it somewhat clean, I just want to create more & mess it all up again. I would love to be more organized & figure out a way to have a place for everything & everything in its place...but it doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

I sometimes think that the chaos of the room is what adds to my creativity. Othe times it seems that the clean work area just begs for me to create more & gets the mojo flowing. All I know for sure is that having my own space to create makes me a much happier person.

There is nothing better than to be down there working away, paint on my hands, ipod blaring, & singing on the top of my lungs!

The picture is of my daughter Rachel creating at one of the desks in my studio. I love that too, my kids can come down & join me. It doesn't get much better than this.

Signs of Spring

It is hard to believe Spring is here when you look out the window & see the gloomy rainy weather today. Rachel & I were out running errands & getting soaked as we ran from store to store.

This morning though I found some pictures from last Spring. They were pictures I took of the kids from a trip to our local Rita's Italian Ice. It was our first visit since they had opened up for the season. It is funny trees budding, flowers poking up from the ground, the grass getting greener....those are all signs of Spring. The one thing, however, that gets the biggest reation is when the kids see the sign "now open" at Rita's. It cracks me up, but that is one thing that let's my kids know that warmer days are ahead.

In honor of Spring I finally got those pictures into this layout & I am just loving it.

The Comforts of Home

All I want to say is how grateful I am to have my husband home again.
My husband David travels quite a bit for work & this month is particularly awful. He is gone more than he is home. This is really the first time I have seen him in about 10 days.

It is funny, I love it sometimes when he is gone & it is just me & the kids, but it gets old real fast. David is part of what makes our house a home.
He is a supportive and loving man. Just pure sweetness & as I like to tell him... he is just delicious. I don't think he always believes me, but I mean it with all my heart.

So having said all that I just want to say again...I am glad he is home!!

Inspiration

Where do you find your inspiration?

Today I am taking a moment to reconnect with my creative side. For some reason I have been struggling. I have not been happy witht he art I have been creating...scrapbook pages, altered pieces, ATC's, whatever it is it seems to be a struggle.

So I am going to take it easy on myself & visit some websites, read my art magazines, & have some fun!!!!

I know that creative piece in me will be back soon.

The Gift of Grace

The Gift of Grace

Today has been a trying day for me. Do you ever have one of those days where you feel like your children are trying to test your limits? That is what it felt like today. It is just one of those days. UGHHH!!!

I think maybe it is because I was away this weekend. I went to a Design Team weekend at a friend's house in Long Beach Island. I guess the kids missed me.

The weekend was so much fun for me. I was together with 10 other women from the Time To Scrap Design Team. We talked, laughed, scrapped, & ate lots of junk food. It was really neat. I knew some of the women before the weekend & some I only knew from online. After the weekend it felt as if i had known them for much longer than a few days.

One of the highlights of the weekend was having a chance to spend time with my dear friend Gabi. We so rarely have time to hang out without kids. Usually all of our conversations are interupted by at least a few "mama can you...." type of things.

Even though it was a great weekend I am glad to be home. Unfortunately I was only able to see David for about an hour Sunday before he headed off to the airport for yet another conference. This time he is in Georgia. He won't be back until Wednesday night...boo hoo.

It will be so nice to have him home again.

I have been wanting to scrap or paint or something. The thing is I tried doing some today & my heart is not in it. I was also struggling this weekend at the TTS Design Team crop. I am not quite sure what is going on with me. So I think I may need to take a step back & let things go a bit. I want the creativity flowing again.

A Lazy Day

Today was a day of doing nothing, something I rarely let myself do & especially not guilt free.

The kids were home from school today, so we stayed in comfy clothes & watched LOST all day on DVD. We only stopped for breaks to play with dog, talk to a landscaper, & eat meals. It was totally decadent & I loved it.

Normally when I do something like that, I feel guilty, thinking about all the things I "should" have done. Today I just really enjoyed not doing anything.

So much of my life is spent rushing form one thing to another. One of the hazards of having a household with four kids. Today really served to recharge my batteries.

I am now ready for the busy week ahead!!

Why I am starting a blog...

I must admit this whole idea of having my own blog is sort of intimidating for me. I am also excited about the idea.

I love to write & I love the idea of having a place to put down in writing some of the everyday things as well as the extrodinary things that happen in my life.

These days my life has been full of changes. It feels a bit like everything is off balance. I am normally one of those people who like order...I want to know how & why everything is happening. These days it isn't really like that for me. I am having to feel my way...go with the flow...see where life takes me. A little scary, a little unsettling, & yet very liberating & very exciting.

The changes in my life are all good, but like many people I resist change, the urge is to dig my feet in & stay right where I am. I know though that in order to have the juicy life of my dreams it is important to let go of my cotrolling ways & let the universe guide me.

I am so blessed in my life. I have everything I truly need. I am healthy, I have an awesome delicious husband who adores me & supports me. I have four absolutely fabulous kids. Our life is full & rich!!

As long as those core things are there for me the rest is really just gravy.

I hope this blog becomes a place to express my true self, my art, & share the grace that surrounds me.

Grace is defined as unmerrited favor & that is exactly waht describes who I am. I have been granted the gift of grace. It seems to define the space I live in & I seem to have the gift to grant grace to those around me. What a wonderful gift to have.

One of my goals recently has been to be honest with myself & with others. So I am sure many of my entries will be the kind of things most people try to keep to themselves. You know the stuff I am taking about...the ugly truth about our lives. The things you can't believe anyone is thinking but you. The truth I have found out about the human condition is that w all have these thoughts & when we share our experience, strength & hope it takes some of the shame away. When these thoughts see the light of day, they really don't have much power over us.

"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness" ~Chinese proverb