currently: ten things

1. Making mail art. I have been using some prints of my favorite canvas BE BOLD.  "Be Bold. Take a chance. Live life right!" It reminds me to hold my head up and take a chance on life. I like spreading that message and what better way than through pretty mail art. I have also been adding in some yummy vintage grocery stamps from the sweet and talented Michelle and some cool retro postage stamps from my fellow Art to the 5th pal, Barbara.

2. Trying to make a new house our home. I am trying to make a list as I go. For every negative I try to list a positive. NEGATIVE: My laundry room went from the size of a small bedroom to the size of a small closet. I lost five cupboards, two countertops and room for three drying racks and an ironing board. POSITIVE: My new laudry room has a window. A beautiful, bright, sunny window. I can see the tree line of the lake from that window. I can see the sky and thank God for all His blessings from that window. I am making progress.

3. Carving some stamps. I love feathers and wanted a feather stamp. I had some erasers and the tool. What I ended up with is something more akin to a leaf or branch, but I like it. I haven't had much time in the studio, so ten minutes of carving filled a void. I can't wait to carve some more. I need the practice.

4. Packing up the last few loads.  A person really never knows just how much they have accumulated over the years until they go to pack it all up. I did a more than thorough job of purging and still had more than I could imagine. I gave it all a second look with this thought in mind. "Is this just a THING I have collected or is it something that has meaning in my life. Does this object have a purpose or does it add value to who I am as a person?" I was able to donate several more boxes of perfectly good "stuff" to the church this way. And then I had a thought. If I could get rid of so much excess physical baggage in my life, then I could do the same for mental luggage I have been carrying around as well. I choose to leave those thoughts and feelings that weigh heavy on my heart behind this year, hopefully lightening the load on my mind as well.

5. Creating challenges for The Documented Life Project. I have found this to be a fantastic way to keep track of all the little things in my life, as well as for making time to add a little art to the daily grind. You can read more about the project here. This months' challenges introduced us to the New Year as well as to each other. February is fast approaching, and with it, a whole new set of fun challenges! I hope that you will take the time to check it out and document alongside of me and the rest of the Art to the 5th.

6. Playing with light. I have been taking a few moments lately to play with natural light in photography. I love the way it can tell the story of a photograph. This new home of ours is filled with windows. The selling point for me. Windows galore. No longer will an indoor photo be off the table.

7. Appreciating family. For every single thing that you think is going wrong, something good comes out of it in the end. I lost sight of what real family was for awhile. I was so caught up in worrying about what everyone else would think about me, us, that I forgot that I was not in control of the big picture. God was. He leads my family. And while I may not always have the tightest grip on what that plan is I know that I trust Him. My family might not be picture perfect in alot of peoples eyes, but it is the most beautiful thing in my possession and I will not lose sight of that again.

8. Putting my studio back together again. Like most of the other rooms in this house I lost a lot of space in the studio. In addition I lost a walk in closet and two full walls of space. I did gain two more beautiful windows and a view of the front porch. The lighting is beautiful and the layout works. I am learning that by trying to follow the layout of the old studio I make the most progress. With a few small revisions and a truckload more of purging I think it will work.

9. Amazed at how God continues to speak to me. I have had so many prayers answered lately that I can not find the words to describe my thankfulness. Loud and clear His answers come. Most recently He gave me two tangible reminders in addition to my anwered prayers- a beautiful heart rock to add to my collection and this lovely coral cross. Sometimes we just need a little reminder to look up. For me, all it took was a quick look down.

10. Wishing I could have a real live peony bush. I love these flowers. To me they are just so lovely. I have this pretty "silk" version, and they make me happy just to look at them- but I long for the real thing. I wonder if they would even survive the brutal temperatures of the Florida sun? Is there an indoor version? Do they like the shade? I guess I have some research to do.

currently: ten things

1. Writing it down. I have had to crack down on myself lately when it comes to journaling in and on my artwork. I have always liked to write. It has been easy for me to write IF I thought no one was reading. To ask me to write in my journal was like asking me to sing on stage. It wasn't happening. SOMEONE might see it. Read it. My writing was for me only. How could it help someone else? For as long as I can remember I have written down what I was feeling. As a teen it was the usual- he said she said stuff. The stuff you write down to make yourself feel better, prettier, more loved. Writing things down kept you from saying them outloud and regretting them later. It was, is a perfect way to get things off your chest. It wasn't until my son died that I turned to writing as grieving process. I was young. 25 years old. He was my first born child, my only son. I was so upside down in my feelings that writing was the only way I could communicate with myself, and God. I would write pages and pages at a time, the words coming faster than my pen could keep up, the tears flowing thicker and faster than the ink itself. My world was over and I had to write it down. You never heal from that kind of tragedy. It is the kind of wound that if treated with time and love and tenderness FEELS better, but it never heals. It breaks open time and time again, raw and new all over again. Getting through those first few years was a whole separate tragedy in itself. I lost more than my son that day. I lost a huge chunk of my heart, my marriage, my faith. And so I wrote. It took many years to get to the point that I could rebuild my life, regain my faith- one tiny piece at a time, but writing helped me to get there. I write in my journal now. A little bit. I write on my artwork. A little bit. If words could help me heal, A LITTLE BIT, then maybe they could help someone else.

2. Relishing the chaos. Christmas at my house has always been a big mess if not a big deal. With five children how could it be anything else. I like order. I crave order. I need order. It is part of who I am. Sitting me in a room filled to overflowing with kids, gifts and unending wads of torn paper was like sitting me in the middle of a dust storm with no mask. I panicked. I wanted to pick up every scrap of paper as it flew from their hands. I wanted a system. But it was Christmas. There can be no system that does not disrupt the pure joy that a child feels on that morning. And so I sat on my hands and let the paper fly. All these years later, our children are now no longer "little." 12, 15, 20, 22, and 24 they still sit around our tree, giddy with excitement over what is about to transpire. They are old enough to know my torment now and tease me lovingly with their messes, opening their gifts with the greatest of care only to crumble it at the last minute and toss it my way, letting it land just outside the provided bin. I no longer have to sit on my hands. I can take their heat. They love me and my quirks, just as I love theirs. I know my time with them encircling me is bided and so I relish the chaos and the mess and look forward to all they leave behind.

3. Dressing up my planner. It sounds weirder than it is. I am lucky enough to be part of a fun group of artists who will bring in the new year with something awesome- The Documented Life Project. (Click on the link to read all about it) It involves using your daily planner or agenda as a springboard for creatively documenting your everyday life. This week I played around with my sewing machine and some vintage quilt blocks and came up with a "dress" for my planner. A removeable fabric cover really. It is so cute. I may not use it every day, but I have the option to take  it on and off. Cool. The bonus? It also fits my small Dylusions art journal- yahoo!

4. Playing with my kids. It doesn't matter that most of them are taller than me- time together in any form of play is needed for a family to thrive and be healthy. We are a big game family. Let me clarify. Board games, card games, not video games. We do not own a video gaming system. ONE of the things we have stood our ground on. I think maybe because of this one thing we have come back to the table time and time again to "play." There is the usual family banter and bickering. EVERYONE can't be the winner of course, but we love it and we stay true to this tradititon. Every year we get a new family game. This year it was Dominos. We spent the entire Christmas evening playing it and in the process learned three new jokes, listened to the same CD twelve times and laughed harder than we have laughed in weeks. I guess the old saying IS true. The family that plays together, stays together.

5. Giddy over a great find. You know that feeling when you find a great deal? The kind of deal that makes you want to buy the whole truckload? Well I stumbled on that deal this week- and while my husband was relieved that I restrained myself and did not need the truck after all, I did score big time. I have been going through a ton of washi tape these days with that project I talked about. I walked into my local Dollar Tree this week and found this awesome display of yummy washi tape. I was impressed with the quality and color and pattern choices, so I loaded up. If you would like to see it for yourself, they sell it online too, HERE, but you have to buy a case. Maybe that wouldn't be so awful after all!

6. Working on a new pattern. If you have read any of my posts before, you know that counting calms me. The repitition has a way of helping my mind let go of some of the worrisome stuff for a little while. I have been wanting to make a scarf that felt less rigid, more like it was knitted. I like it so far. It is a much more "open" stitch and so it feels lighter, softer already. I think I will make it an infinity scarf. Maybe that much counting will calm my heart for good.

7. STILL catching up on December Daily. I want to be caught up, but I have learned something about getting behind. Once that hole is dug, it has an uncanny way of getting bigger, wider, deeper, every day, IF WE LET IT. But we don't have to let it. I know that December Daily is just a little thing, something I could never finish and my life would still go on, but there are bigger things. I have shared a little in previous TEN THINGS posts, about how life can catch you off guard. REAL LIFE has been in my face just about constantly the past two years and with it there have been holes dug. Some are small, some are big. Some  we can climb out of , some we want to hide in forever, but there are holes. But holes don't have to be so deep we can't see the light above. I know, for myself, that the hole I have been in all year felt like it was closing in on me. From the bottom I saw nothing but a pinpoint of light. It was scary. But then I remembered that every garden starts with holes. An arena for life, for growth and thriving has holes. My hole in life did not have to be so deep I could not get out. I just have to tend to it. My garden, my life, was never perfect. But it was something I had put ALOT of time and effort into. Now I find myself in a place where I have to leave it behind, climb out, and start over. That sounds scary. It is scary, BUT where I am headed, my holes will be little holes, new holes. I am starting over.

8. Learning to like night photography. It is a tricky thing. I am not a pro and I do NOT know the rules, but I am experimenting and learning along the way. So many cool things happen at night, in the dark. I hope that I can one day take advantage of more night shots that actually TURN OUT.

9. Taking the time I can get when I can get it. I don't get to see my few real friends that often. Jobs, location, schedule, LIFE sees to that. I have learned that I need to focus more  on taking what I can get and less on planning the perfect outing. Life is short. The people we love and the time we spend with them is a treasure and our time is always measured. I KNOW we don't always get notice on when our time with them is up. I KNOW that life can come out of the blue and suddenly someone you love it gone. I think that if we could get past the worry of planning the perfect outing, making good use of our time, and making sure we meet "for a reason" we would find that every moment counts. I will meet in the middle for an hour anyday- just to have the time.

10. Spending a few minutes on art as always. I think that out of all the lessons I have learned this past year, one factor has made itself known over and over again. Time. I can't get back what I have lost. I can't count on tomorrow and I have to use what I can get. 15 minutes in the studio might as well be 15 hours for how it makes me feel. I love art. I love to create. Why wouldn't a few minutes be enough when I might have none at all?

currently: ten things

1. Trimming the tree. A huge tradition in our home has been that we ALL trim the tree together. I usually surprise the younger kids each year by hauling a truck load of baubles, berries, garland and lights from storage locker while they are in school. I get most of the house to resemble something out of the North Pole by the time they arrive home, but leave the tree for ALL of us to trim together. This year that proved to be almost fatal to our tradition. Just like the family Christmas photo, it was next to impossible to get everyone here at one time. It worked out in the end, but by the skin of our teeth. Our tree sat shimmering with nothing but 1500 white lights until this week. I am sad because I don't want our tradition to end, and yet I know the time has come to ALTER our tradition. Three of our five children are over the age of 20. This alone speaks volumes as to why we can't all agree on a date and time to be present together. I know LIFE is happening around here, but I am clinging to last bit of time I have with my "kids." To me, that is what they still are. Kids. I don't want them to stop trimming the tree with me because they have families of their own. Instead, I want to enlarge that circle of custom to include their children too. So maybe we won't all be present on the same day next year. Maybe we will trim the tree as we go. Adding to it, little by little, like we have added to our precious family over time. Maybe I will embrace the fact that instead of ONE day with all of my children I will get SEVERAL days with them as they come and go according to their harried schedules. I think I could live with that.

2. Treating myself to a Christmas coffee. I was a long lover of coffee. An over-indulger to say the least. I have recently made the choice to let go of that habit, that addiction- at least on the scale that I was partaking before. Most days I have no coffee. It was a long haul getting to that point. Headaches, cravings, more headaches, but I feel better not drinking so much of it anymore. Once in awhile I treat myself to a special cup '0 joe and it is just that- a treat. It tastes better, smells better and I enjoy it more. This week I treated myself to a cup of Christmas at Starbucks. Awesome.

3. Digging through all my drawers and bins to purge old papers, tags and trims so I could make something cool like this. There are so many projects going on out there right now in the art world, and I, like most of us, want to try them ALL. Over the last two years our lives have changed so dramatically around here that I have gone from never batting an eye at spending to budgeting everything in my life, right down to that aforementioned coffee. I hated it in the beginning. I have never had to worry over money and it was a huge life change. Did I say I hated it? I cried, I whined a little, and most of all I worried. I worried about lifestyle changes and what people would think. Crazy, right? But human. It took me a whole year to realize that I have always been thrifty. Just because I could no longer go to the mall on a whim and spend $200 didn't change who I was. I have always shopped thrifty, always cut my coupons, always looked for the deals. The only difference was now I HAD too. And guess what? In the end it didn't matter at all. No REAL important thing changed. So I didn't have a new outfit every time I met my pals for lunch. So what. The big picture is this- I am happy. I like re-purposing, recycling, reusing. It is WHO I am. So when it comes time for awsesome projects, I no longer allow myself to head to Dick Blick. I can't. I use what I have and I like it. AND I feel good. I stick to my budget, I use up some stuff that I have on hand and I move on. The end.

4. Enjoying the lights. Much to my surprise they are everywhere this year. One of the things you do on a newly formed budget is ALL THE FREE STUFF YOU CAN FIND! Turns out I wasn't the only one in the family who loved taking drives to see the Christmas lights. When we took our daughter back to college last week we took the long way. The scenic route, no highways, just lots of stoplights and neighborhoods. We were thrilled at the amount of good cheer we witnessed in the form of lights! Regular people were still making an effort. It made me smile. We are not the only family in the world to be affected by the economy over the last several years. Certainly we are not the only ones to put what matters first. GOODWILL TO MEN. Just the idea of spreading cheer through beauty and art is heartwrenching.  Every other house we saw was spreading the cheer. But the thing that touched me the most was this- most homes weren't decked out with 6 million lights. Most homes were humble in display- a simple lit wreathe on the door, or a single strand of lights strung over the railing- they were spreading their cheer, sharing their light of the season, no matter how small it was, and it made me realize  that this world might just have a chance at healing itself.

5. Finishing up the prepping of my planner for a big project starting next year! This is going to be the best way to document your everyday life. The good, the bad, the busy. Even the ugly sometimes. Life is real. It is happening. Every day, whether we like it or not. It took a long time for me to realize that, but despite if it is perfect or not, it is still ours, and for that it is worth remembering. I hope you will read more here about THE DOCUMENTED LIFE PROJECT and join in on the challenge! I will be documenting my life alongside of Lorraine, Roben-Marie, Barbara and Sandi as we host a year long project that will leave you smiling!

6. Catching up on December Daily. I was not great in the beginning, but I am getting there and will be on target by the end of December. Hopefully. I have enjoyed creating the entire project from all of those re-purposed supplies I talked about earlier. I have been using photos of every day life. Not necessarily things that remind you of the season, but to me will represent OUR December this year. This year has been filled with trials and lessons learned- something worth remembering. It has been rewarding to see it come together, especially knowing you started with a handful of stuff you thought you would never be able to work with. I will be posting a few peeks of my miniature book and pages along the way on the blog! You can also find some peeks on Instagram here.

7. Taking my busy stuff with me. I spend a great deal of my afternoon in the car. Like many of you I am the head taxi driver in my family, and from the moment that last school bell rings we are on the go, shuffling kids from here to there until dark. Having some busy work with me not only passes the time, but often sparks inspiration. I usually take my art journal, a book, my camera and some fabric or yarn project. Crochet is a great and easy thing to do in the car!

8. Finding new uses for old things. I had a bunch of leftover tags and stuff from another project that I was packaging up for the school when I came across this cute card. It asks you to list the contents of your pockets. I must confess. I am a weirdo when it comes to pockets. A. I try to have them in all things I buy. B. Anything small I pick up off of the floor I stuff in them. Yes, I know, this is usually a healthy mix of  lint, threads and paper scraps. I toss them all when I pass a trash can. I have been stuffing garbage in my pockets since my first child was born. Don't want anyone crawling around and choking on something now do we? C. I have my hands in my pockets whenever I can. I do not know why. This is something I have done since I was a child. I think maybe I used to hide my hands because I bit my nails. Who knows. I just know that this little card spoke to me! I had to use it in my planner for The Documented Life Project, along with a few art pops from my friend Roben-Marie.

9. Tis the Season to do puzzles. We always seem to drag a big, complicated puzzle out at this time of the year. We leave it set up and all take turns working on it. At any given time one or all of us will be at the table looking for that sure to be lost piece. This years' puzzle might just prove to be the toughest. Coincidence? I wonder. Our year has been, continues to be the biggest, toughest puzzle to date. We are a big family. We don't ALWAYS agree on everything but we do always find a way to work it out, work together in the end. To some degree, each one of us has been lost this year, like that puzzle piece- Just waiting to be found. And somehow we always manage to pick one another up off the floor and dust each other off. Next year will be better. Maybe. Who knows. But I do know this- we have each other. We will continue to support one another, look out for one another and count on one another to make our lives whole. Not unlike our puzzle.

10. Sitting on my stool while I can. I would sit in the studio all day and make art if I could. Which one of us wouldn't? I have been blessed these last ten years with a big beautiful studio and I love it. I took my time, over the years, making that space mine. It has served as more than a studio though, it has been a lot of things to all of us. This room is the birthplace of winning science fair boards, countless works of art, and loads of school projects. It has seen some of us huddled over a pile of beads with the glue gun making Harry Potter wands for the entire family. It has seen some of us printing dozens of term papers, year after year. It has seen some of us sneak in to write his Christmas cards late on Christmas Eve. It has seen some of create the first beautiful thing we ever saw published.  It has been more than a craft room, an art studio, a print center. To me, it has been a haven. A perfect place to retreat too when I want to be alone, think, dream. It has been a blessing. Today as I write this I am faced with the fact that I will be leaving this room behind in the New Year, and it has been sad. I will miss everything about my home, our home. We built it, we tweaked it, we worked on it for years to get it just so- we made it ours. It was perfect. It is perfect. But LIFE is not always perfect, and so we must make adjustments, arrangements, concessions. All along I have known it would be difficult to move after so long. We will be giving up alot when we do so. Alot of hard work, time, money and love went into this place. Times change, I know that. Jobs change, the economy changes, and so we must adapt. I will have a studio again, big or small, and it will be mine. I am a smart person. I know this, and yet I grieve. I saw my little girls grow into women here, my son a into a young man, my baby mature into a teen. I welcomed my first granddaughter into this home. That 's a lot of years to leave behind...and so I won't. I will grieve this "house", I will mourn the loss of my little haven, but I for one, I am taking my HOME with me.

currently: ten things

1. Feeling good about letting go. Letting go of the worry, the deadlines, the chaos that this Life always seems to offer. I am feeling good about taking a breath, stepping back and enjoying MY Life. It isn't always pretty and sure as hek isn't perfect, but it is the Life God chose to Bless me with. I can not continue to be anything less than 100% happy with it. I thought I wasn't. I thought I wanted more. Sometimes I still do. More money, more recognition, more fame, more luck, more time, more of the easy life- but then God shows me, in His own special way, that it isn't always better. Happier. More peaceful- so I choose MY Life. I choose to embrace its' mediocrity and hang on. I guess I just kinda love my Life.

2. Laughing at the things my kids do. They are just being their own quirky selves, but it can be annoying and endearing at the same time. I like to think they are spreading their own naive happiness around without even realizing it, and yet- Do I want to be mortified when I catch my teenage son shaking hands with a Santa mannequin at Walgreen's? You bet. But then I look around and see the smiles he has garnered from all those around him. People who were bored, tired, sick of waiting in line. People who weren't smiling before. So I laugh a little. And then I smile inside because I realize how very truly blessed I am to have him around all the time, letting his quirky happiness rub off on me.

3. Attending Fall Awards Banquets. These things at the schools never change. If you have been to one you have been to a hundred and yet we drag ourselves their year after year. I won't miss them. I dread them sometimes, but won't miss them. They are part of the bigger picture in our lives, my Life. I have been and always will be a Mom above all things. From the carlines to the science fairs, I am on board, literally. I do very little that allows me to miss these tedious events because they define me. This is who I am. I am a Mother. Lately I question whether I am a good one, but then I look at that bigger picture I mentioned. All of my children might not be following the exact path I tenderly trimmed back for them, but they are moving forward. They are making their way. I really can't fathom a life where my perfect plan for them had worked out- but I imagine it would resemble something close to the lives of the Stepford Children. All I do know is that it's ok. It's all ok. God has them in his palm. How could it be less than ok?

4. Seeing my son's artwork on the wall. He is not a huge fan of patting himself on the back. He is quiet, smart, humble and wise. But he is talented too. He is taking an art class this year for an elective. His first. It is a basic drawing and painting course, but he is exceling and loving it too. He is hard on himself.  He is detail oriented and overly concerned and so he thinks his work is not good enough. But he is surprising himself. We were walking out of that aforementioned Awards Ceremony the other night and there on the wall of the front office is his latest piece of art. It was beautiful. I knew it immediately and so I did what all mothers do- I cried. Yep- right there to the great and horrifying mortification of both my husband and my son I wept. I was surprised and happy and proud. He knew it was hanging and never told us. He didn't think it was good enough. My reaction was genuine, but it struck my son with such emotion that I think he finally realized two things. One, it doesn't matter if he is good at something or not, I love him and am proud of him. And two, he was good enough. Good enough for us, good enough to get on that wall and good enough for himself.

5. Staying true to my 15 minutes of mixed media challenge. I know you are probably sick and tired of hearing this, but it really is a big part of my daily life right now. December is a month that I rarely have days on end in the studio, so this little bit of time each day is something I love and something I have really grown to look forward too. Like a little art rush! I find myself letting go much more easily than I normally would with a piece of art or a journal page. Because the clock is ticking I am not afforded the luxury of OVERTHINKING it. And we all know I NEVER do that!

6. Working on making some "t-shirt" yarn. I love reclaimed fabrics and in one of my recent hauls I found about a yard of jersey knit. It had the sweetest little vintage floral print on it. I tore it into one inch strips and then got foruteen blisters stretching each long strip until it was a miniature tube. I attached them all together and rolled them up into a yummy ball of extra fat t-shirt yarn. Right now I am just enjoying looking at it. I am thinking about what I will make with it- as soon as the blisters heal.

7. Listening to the sweet sound of the violin. We attended our daughters Winter Concert at school and as always it was delightful. We have known all year that she was First Chair, an accomplishment she has worked hard to keep. Regular challenges make it a coveted spot and one that you really have to work hard for- and she works very hard. It was a testimony to the hours upon hours she spends practicing to see her name on the program that night, followed by the title- Concert Mistress. Even she had to admit that all the time IN that chair was well spent. Now she is on a mission to earn that chair at the Art Center where she is part of the Youth Orchestra. oh happy Strings!

8. Painting more miniature artist board canvases. I love these and have been painting them like crazy and turning them into magnets. It really does a lot to pretty up a full family calendar! You can see some of them here and here!

9. Continuing my daily photo prompt challenge. For the most part. I do try to post something on IG each day- something creative, whether that be through art or photography. I push myself to do more with my phone camera this way. I like the fact that I am getting real time documentation of my Life. It isn't always the most interesting stuff- but it is me. It's us.

10. Enjoying long awaited and much deserved time with my better half. As of a week ago he no longer works 19 hours a day. He is no longer gone all night, five nights a week. He is home. He is here. In the present, working normal hours. Awake and alert and enjoying us as much as we are enjoying him. It is funny how quickly we forget that even the most trivial parts of our days, our nights- our lives are worth having. We don't stop to think, in the moment, that having someone by your side is what we need. We don't remember, until it is no longer in front of us, that having your spouse there to back you up is critical to family life. We don't realize until too late, that having 90% of your day to do as you please with isn't all that it is cracked up to be. A soul mate, a best friend, a comrad when things are so bad you can't bear to open your eyes in the morning - that's worth half the pay. It's worth downsizing. It is worth taking two steps back in life. I have learned a lot in the last 6 days. Most importantly, that no matter where I end up in this Life I want this man by my side. For always.

currently: ten things

1. Making Christmas ornaments and mourning a favorite sweater. That dreaded terrible thing happened. I put one of my favorite vintage sweaters in the dryer. It was wool. Ahhhhh. I seriously cried for three days. I have owned that sweater for years and have taken special care with it's perfectly vintage lovliness. One word. Rushing. My life lately. Soooooo, I lost one awesome article of clothing and gained a handful of sweet ornaments. Nothing like sharing your favorite cardigan with ALL your pals.

2. Smiling every time I look at my new travel cup. Just look at that sweet striped straw and mason jar body. The awesome part is that is is really plastic, not glass AND has a double insulated center so it doesn't sweat. Great for someone like me who sweats enough for both me and my travel mug. TMI?

3. Not believing how close I am to finishing the series of LOST. I know. I am years behind the rest of the planet, but I am on board now and loving it. NOT loving that it is coming to an end. I am actually being a total wierdo about it and rationing out the last season and a half that I have left. I. DON'T. WANT. IT. TO. END. Anyone who really knows me, knows that is a really, really big deal. I don't watch TV. Really. At all. Hardly ever. So for me to be hooked is kinda crazy and wonderful all at the same time.

4. Staying true to my timer. This 15 MINUTES OF MIXED MEDIA rocks! I am cooking through my journal like there is no tomorrow AND I like what I am creating. Go figure. I always have been a deadline kinda girl.

5. Wishing I could wave my magic wand and have all the kids here, dressed and ready, smiles on, eyes open and cheerful for the annual Christmas photo. I can't even find ONE day in the next three weeks that everyone can BE here. What the hek people- mama has to have her Christmas photo. So what you moved out three years ago. This weekend for sure. Because I said so.

6. Thinking that if all the signs in Wal-Mart were true I would have a hek of alot more surprises in my life. So far, all I can find under that thing is a long line.

7. Crocheting again. It is the perfect thing to do when all you want to do it count. Oh, and it is a awesome way to pass time in the car too if you are big scardey cat like me and don't like to watch the road. Yes, great for that! I have been checking out some easy patterns online and experimenting.

8. Sewing up some new pillows. Happy to see the stack piling up. They are so bright and fun and feel so good. The combination of hand drawings, painting and silky flowers is working just fine for me!

9. Taking lost of pictures. December is kinda busy in the school department. Lots of concerts and awards ceremonies and other fun, annual sorta stuff. I must have hundreds of photos that are just alike, only my children look another year older, but how could we live without them? How could I NOT take one more concert photo? One more photo of a child, big or small, with a certificate of achievement. They work hard to reach their goals and I feel more than obligated to document their milestones for them. Not having something tangible to hold onto and help you recall years from now- well that would just be plain sad. Even if it was just one more concert in a school cafeteria.

10. Decorating for the Season. I love Christmas. Twinkling lights and the smell of pine. These things make our home beautiful. Knowing and staying focused on the REAL meaning of the Season makes us feel blessed.

currently: ten things

1. Ordering photos. I can't stop ordering photos from Social Print Studio! I love them (and they don't even pay me to say that) and since I was so behind in developing my photos this was the perfect opportunity to get caught up. I am most in love with their mini squares. LOVE!

2. Keeping LIFE simple. Living simply. Loving simply. And learning not to let what the rest of world thinks dictate HOW I live or love. If it is right in my heart and with God, well that's all that matters in the end.

3. Painting up a storm. Using up old paints and finding a place in each piece for a bit of me. Allowing myself to work in small increments of time has, oddly enough, helped pushed me forward. No stress to committ to an all day affair with my studio. A little here and there gets the job done just as well.

4. Making time to LIVE again. I have spent so much of the past few years worrying over things I can not control that I forgot to do the little things that have always made me smile. Like walking in the rain at sunset. Nothing more peaceful or beautiful. Happy to be doing more of these things.

5. Catching up on some UN-favorite chores. It is no secret I love housework. This is includes my favorite chore of all time - ironing. It soothes me, what can I say? What I DON'T love it dusting. Too much stuff to move in this joint. But, alas, the time has come. Either dust or get on an inhaler. I guess dusting it is.

6. Loading up on homemade Christmas goodies for all the family. All but one are like me in that they love paper, notebooks, pens- office supplies in general. We tend to love and hoard them both. I am working on some pretty things to add to their collections. (and mine!)

7. Staying pretty true to my #photoaday creative challenge. Some days I can't fulfill the daily word prompt, no matter how creative I get, but I do try to take a photo and be creative with it - whether that be in altering it or in the actual shot itself. It is fun and I look forward to reading the daily prompt. Takes using my iphone camera to a whole new level. Want to see some of these shots? Follow along online here. IG- Raemissigman.

8. Enjoying the view from where I am. We spend so much time worrying about where we are headed and where we will go next, we forget to appreciate what it is that is right in front of us. No more. I am going to enjoy my view, from right here, for as long as I can. Tomorrow will come no matter what - me wondering what it holds won't change that. I will get to where it is that I am supposed to be eventually, me worrying about if that day will ever come is pointless. Nope- from now on you will find me right here, in the present, enjoying what I DO have. What is right NOW.

9. Grateful we were a part of such a wonderfully successfull fundraiser. The last time I checked we raised over a million dollars in toys in one night. It melts my heart to see what people will do for others. We hear all about what people aren't doing these days and not enough about what people are doing. This is a big deal. Focusing on the positive is a life changer. And through this event many, many, many children's lives will be changed, if only for the holiday.

10. Thankful for family. Thankful to have us together again this year. All of us. We are not perfect, in the rest of the world's eyes- but to one another we are as good as it gets. At the end of the day, we are all that matters. No job, artistic goal, bank account, or degree, could ever matter more than WE do to each other. It will not be a perfect day, guaranteed, but it will be time well spent. Because in all honesty, each and every holiday has held some less than perfect moment and yet all I can call to mind is the happiness. The love, the laughter, the good times. So, yes, I am thankful. For my quirky, less than perfect family. All of them.

just this: I am thankful

I am thankful for so many things - more than I could list. I am thankful for my family, with all of it's imperfections. I am thankful for my faith, for without I would not be here. I am thankful for my home and the sunshine that lights it. I am thankful for my friends and all the laughter they bring to me. I am thankful for second chances and time outs. And I am thankful for you. I am just thankful. For all of it. For all of you.

currently: 10 things

 

So here I am again, in Week 2 of TEN THINGS. This is a good sign. Here you have it.

 

1. Working hard on getting the technical difficulties worked out on the filming side of things in the studio. Hoping this latest fix will be the end cure. We will see. I am anxious to resolve this issue, NOT because I like to film- oh no- no, no, no, no. I actually dread and fear being on camera, but do my best to hide it. I am anxious because I have some cool new ideas that are easy, affordable and pretty, to share with all of you!

2. Finishing up some new things for the etsy shoppe. I am having fun with some new ideas and they seem to be well received. Always happy for an excuse to paint and sew.

3. Following through on the self imposed challenge of getting in the studio for FUN each day. No work related projects count. I mentioned here that often means just a few minutes a day. Well I have been faithful so far and loving it. It is amazing what can be accomplished in those few minutes when your mind (and timer) are set and your thoughts are focused on just plain art.

4. Trying on an old, but favorite, gown from a few years back. Have a big BLACK TIE AFFAIR planned for this weekend that involves fun, food, family and raising a whole hek of alot of toys for less fortunuate children.

5. Editing some photos from a local Art Show this weekend. Some bonding time with my girls and art. What could be better?

6. Sorting through some photos. Getting ready to challenge myself to yet another project that requires weekly dedication. Do I need another project? Um. No. But I promised myself I would get caught up on this memory making stuff and since I am TOTALLY hooked on these sweet photos by Social Print Studio and in love with the concept of Project Life (tweaked to be me, of course) I think I will give it another whirl.

7. Counting. It's back. The need to count. Yikes. I hate it. I love it. I hate it. It happens either way. So I count. It makes me feel better. (p.s. I have three bullets to go)

8. Making Apple Pie. Yum. The good old fashioned four inch tall, so fat you can't cut it kind of Apple Pie. And homemade whip cream. Yes.

9. Re-thinking having the Mr. home every night again after three years. (just kidding. I think) I DO want him home again at night. I miss him. We miss him. We miss him at dinner and we miss him at Orchestra Concerts and Golf Matches and everything else in between...but...with the light at the end of the tunnel getting brighter and brighter I am paniced. I have had this awful time sleeping for three years, BUT I have come up with a pretty smooth and peaceful routine every night too. It's a system that works for the kids and I am pretty sure that system isn't going to sync with Big Daddy. Am I happy he is going to be home at night? Happy he will be an actual present part of this family again? Absolutely. I'm just saying - a girls' got a routine.

10. Thinking about Christmas Cards. Wondering what I will do this year. Better add it to my project list.

currently: 10 things

I have to thank my pal Sandi for turning me on to Ali Edwards CURRENTLY  last year. It was a way to share what is really just REAL in your life right now. A way to touch base with our readers without overwhelming them on a daily basis. A little peek into the real us. This year Ali tweaked it to this, and following her and Sandi's lead I am playing along. I used to be really faithful about this stuff. I fell off the wagon. Whatever. Sometimes there just isn't a whole lot worth sharing. I promise to TRY to be better this year. Wish me luck.

1. Loving this new app - Printstagram, by Social Print Studio. It makes printing photos fun again.Has brought me back to my roots a little- scrapbooking with a mixed media twist. Loving the tiny prints. Super cool to make miniature layouts, like the size of baseball cards. Love. Love. Love.

2. Parking myself in the studio each day no matter what. Ten minutes or ten hours makes no difference to me as long as I get in there. It makes me happy, so I need to do it.

3. Creating new things for my etsy store. I have been behind. Life has a way of happening - over and over again, but I am making an effort and with it, great strides.

4. Planning on shopping for a video camera this week. I have THREE workshops planned and ready to film. I just refuse to film one more time with a camera that runs solely on batteries. Yea. No wonder I have only filmed two of the five so far.

5. Collecting eggs daily. A treat to have fresh eggs each day.

6. Learning to build my routine around a new infant. Babysitting three days a week for my granddaughter and loving it. Chaotic schedule and all. I. AM. IN. HEAVEN. I guess I knew I was born to be nothing more than a mother. Having six of your own should prepare you, but the love that gushes forth for that first grandchild is unfathomable.

7. Organizing my paint bins. Because that is what I do. Organize. Over and over again.

8. Watching LOST on Netflix. My friends got me hooked. Thanks guys. I want to do nothing after the kids go to bed but watch 47 episodes of that crazy good show. In the middle of season four and trying to pace myself. It suddenly dawned on me the other day that this was going to come to an end soon. Noooooo.

9. Missing my Mr. His work schedule keeps him away 19 hours a day. That is followed by a few short hours of sleep. So yes I miss him. We miss him. All of us. This has to end soon. I pray daily that the Lord will show him a path that is less consuming.

10. Giving up coffee. At least for the most part. It has been difficult, but rewarding. I am finding that I can live without it afterall.  For the most part.

currently: absence is bliss

Being absent isn't always a bad thing. A few good reasons I have been missing lately.

Week long fun with nieces, nephews and my own kiddos. Finally having time to watch my son play golf. Refinishing furniture and making baby bedding for the arrival of our first granddaughter. Putt-putt golf- rain or shine. And my personal favorite - beach days. Glorious beach days.

Thanks for sticking around in my absence. I promise to return on a more regular note. I just can't bear to let these summer days go by without clinging to the little and precious time I have with my children, both grown and not so grown. I know from experience LIFE HAPPENS and then we can't get these days back.

Enjoy your summer and CHERISH your time!