May 31, 2013

Drawing Animals

In my  attempt to work on drawing, I found a children's book about drawing animals. It started with a grid to show how to take apart what you SEE and break it into pieces to make it easier to draw.

The first exercise had a graph filled with jumbled pictures and numbers.

You were supposed to fill in an empty graph with the pictures where the numbers were.

The picture is upside-down and hard to figure out as you're drawing piece by piece.

When finished, I turned it right-side up and voila, the animal! It isn't perfect, but it certainly got the point across to me ~ small pieces does a big picture make.

Have you done an exercise like this before?


May 29, 2013

Pieces of Home

EVOO with lots of seasonings is perfect for sauteing summer vegetables.

Birthday party candy bagged for treat time.

Apple-cinnamon water even in the summer. Yum!

Sunflower seeds for snack time.


What are your current favorite pieces of home?


May 27, 2013

Summertime Art

Being outside lately in the sunshine and soft breezes has been heavenly. One of my daughters and her friend have loved using chalk to make art in the front yard and I love seeing their work.



May 23, 2013

A Little One Cheers my Soul

A few weeks ago, I had a little visitor come to play for the day. I know there's no such thing as a perfect child, but this little sweetheart comes close!

Her striped socks matched my Raggedy Ann doll. She and I were both a little mesmerized by it.

We walked to a park nearby where she loved getting pushed in the swing. Wish you could hear her giggle!

Doesn't she leave behind the cutest little shadow?

When my *baby* girl came home, this little one was completely taken. They blew bubbles forever!

There is something so powerful about children and their ability to bring happiness into the world.


May 20, 2013

In Case You Missed It


There are so many incredible blog posts each week that it's hard to catch them all, so I thought it'd be fun to share some of my recent favorites with you:

The cutest anniversary date ever! 


The most delicious looking grapefruit and brown sugar muffins .

The sweetest (but not too pink) little girl’s room.

One BEEeautiful art journal painting + easy, peasy banana cookies.

A clever use of old or messed up Polaroids {don’t throw them out}!


Happy Reading!


May 17, 2013

Sometimes Sour, Sometimes Sweet

"Life is like a piano, white keys are happy moments. Black keys are sad moments, but remember both keys are played together to give sweet music." ~ Unknown


It's true that life can be wounding and refuse to let up. We can't always change our circumstances, the people around us or the pain we feel; but there are ways to soften the blow.

1. Find the Sweet.

There are many sweet things in life and we each have our own version of them. Some of mine happen to be: a tender hug, a new haircut or a long, hot bath. When life gets too overwhelming, I make sure I have something like this to focus on. Sweetness can give a simple reminder that life is good even when everything is falling apart.

2. Allow a Soul Touch

Walking alone in pain is sometimes necessary to a degree, but sharing your struggles with a trusted friend allows you to lay down a piece of it. When we're in pain, each piece we set down, makes for a lighter load. After talking about my burden, I often feel physically lighter.

3. Do Something for Someone Else

I don't understand it, but the act of reaching out to another person always changes my perspective. Maybe it's the reminder that I'm not only one hurting, or perhaps it just takes me out of my self-focus long enough to see what's around me. All I know is, when I'm sad, doing something nice for someone else lifts my spirits.

This week has been tough for many reasons, but I am grateful for the beautiful, tender and sweet reminders that life is also good.



May 8, 2013

Saying Goodbye


Memaw passed away last night in peace. She's truly one of the best women I have ever known.


May 6, 2013

In my Studio Cupboards

The studio muse and her sidekick, washi tape.

There are so many uses for distress ink: backgrounds, definition, canvas corners, shading, and on.

I have a slight obsession with alphabet letter stamps.

As well as bugs, shapes, patterns and homemade stamps.

I have a dream of sewing someday . . . so here sits the pretty material waiting to be used.

A close-up of more fun-to-play-with stamps. Did I mention I like stamps?

What fun stuff is hidden in your cupboards?