What I like Wednesday...

Whew...I just made it! I am going to start this Wednesday thingy with a few of my weekly picks. I challenge all my blogging buddies to do the same, then we can share our favorites!
1. Lisa Leonard Jewelry  I own several necklaces similar to these, but I must say, one of these will be on my next wishlist! :)
2. This class GOT PAINT? starts tomorrow, and I am taking it! It is taught by Emily Falconbridge, so it will be "thinking out of the box" good! She rocks! (Oh, and the other classes on Big Picture Scrapbooking are all great too. I've taken several over the years)
3. Old Navy is my one of my favs this week, for the silliest reason. As some of you know, clothing is a bad word for Erica. She loves, loves clothes, but with sensory issues, it isn't the easiest to find comfy things she likes and are "her style". Yes, at seven, she has a style. (I would call it, "Wanna dress like a big girl, but still wears little girl sizes" style!) We found quite a few cute things for her at their kids sale! When I find something she loves, we usually buy it in every color! :)

So...there's my first What I like Wednesday...stay tuned...

Art journaling...or as I call it, Art Therapy

Ramblings from my Art desk:
I started putting together a page in my art journal last night, and as I got more involved in it, I just didn't like the way it was looking. Some say I am a perfectionist, but if you've seen my art journal, you'd say I have given up on perfection. It has been a very freeing experience! Anyway, it wasn't gluing well, it was not what I had envisioned, and so I quickly removed it from the background page, before it was too late. It was sticky and a big mess. I put it aside, and started working with something else. I kept looking at that paper out of the corner of my eye...thinking, it's still pretty, I picked it for its colors originally. (strange, I know!) So...I picked it back up, and started tearing it up. First in big pieces, then into smaller sizes, not knowing what I was going to do with them yet. I started pasting them down, one by one, on a white background page...and it started looking like a mosaic. Sorta pretty, after all...Once I glued them all down, I modpodged over them, and continued on with my original plans for that page. The journaling that was opposite the page was about made up and legitimate reasons we don't just do something anyway!

I thought about God, and how he created each and every one of us. How he never chooses to toss us aside, regardless of how wrinkled, crumpled, or what kind of sticky situation we get ourselves into. He loves us no matter what! My page may not have turned out exactly how I originally planned, but it turned out pretty good after all. I think God would say the same thing of us...we may not have always followed what he wanted us to do, but for the most part, we turn out pretty well...
xoxo, m

Words of Wisdom from another Mom...

 As I try really hard to feel better, I read Becky Higgins blog this morning. This quote from a former professor of hers really struck home for me. The purpose of the task is to strengthen the relationship.
Translation? Everything you do matters. Helping with homework, making dinner, doing laundry, driving kids to school, making lunches, and so on...it ALL matters if you look at it with the relationship to that person/people in mind. To keep in mind that it is all for the relationship, really makes it seem more important than just a task on the to do list. Which, by the way...my list is very long at the moment! Wish me luck...

A love song from Erica...

Love is something when you give it away, give it away, give it away

Love is something when you give it away, you ending up having more...

It's just like a magic penny, hold it tight and you won't have any,

Lend it, spend it, and you'll have so many, they'll roll all over the floor, floor ....



I cannot wait for this online class to start! Online classes seem to be the latest with the art/crafting industry, and I love it! Watch the tutorial when you can, watch it again if needed, and then dive in to the project~ I recently set up a flickr acct just for that kind of stuff. That way I can share my projects with my class. My Soul Restoration class has hundreds of Brave Girls in it from all over the world. If you are interested in joining me in "class" go HERE 

I don't know about you, but ART helps me BREATHE....



Art Journaling...

I started my journal five weeks ago, when I started the Soul Restoration class. I had no idea how valuable this process of journaling would be, or how much I would enjoy the art I would create inside to go along with it. I've painted, stenciled, glazed, sanded, wrinkled, and inked the pages that are inside. The other pages are filled with words. Thousands of words, written from my heart, about the happiness, the sadness, the past, the future, and every thing in between. Melody Ross, our teacher/mentor has a way of writing a journaling prompt that gets your mind and creativity in sync, and get the most out of your journaling. Because I am such an artsy girl, I always want to do the art stuff first. So I made myself a deal...if I do a journaling prompt, then I can do an art page. Deal? Deal! Stay tuned for some photos of my journaling art/therapy...it sure has been good for my soul.

Gotta love freebies...

I just added a new blog layout from LeeLouBlogs  and it was FREE! You can change it for each season, but I just picked one that was kinda cute :) Anyway, what's up with me? Beside managing life with the kiddos, I am in week 4 of the Soul Restoration/Brave Girl class. This weeks project is fun, and very thought provoking. Getting us to the truth of our lives...good stuff. Jessica is still waiting on letters from a few Ballet programs for Summer. It looks like it'll be the Boston area or Los Angeles for her this year (staying at Pepperdine, I think she'll survive!) Erica is celebrating her 100th day of school today, and is feeling much better. It's amazing to me how quickly she bounces back. Her and Bill are attending a Sweetheart Ball this weekend with Indian Princesses, and she is super excited about it. New dress, new shoes, Sissy is doing her hair...so fun! I will be sure to post photos.

Oh, and if you see me less on FB lately, I am going to do more of my updates, etc on here, since I can still link it to FB, and I can have this made into a blog album at the end of the year! Very cool, huh? Is it okay to be 40+ and say Cool? I think so!
Happy 100 Day~ M