Over Heard

A belated Mother's Heart Day to all you women out there that nurture and care for children, or anyone that needs that mother's heart in their lives. 

My Sweet Pea works full time at a Joann Fabric and Craft store.  There are many days that she will come home and I can see that she had been stocking or organizing something glittery like flowers, holiday decorations, or it may have even been the loose glitter from those flowers and decorations that had fallen to the floor that fluttered up with the breeze as she walked through it.

You who have crafted or love glitter know how it sparkles and glints the light it catches back to the onlooker. 

Just the other day My Sweet Pea had, after work, stopped by to see her fiance during his break.  Unbeknownst to her she hadn't realized she had sparkles of glitter on her face, arms, and neck.  After all it is a very common experience for her.  She heard that her fiances' co-worker, who must have also noticed all the shimmers from her skin, proclaim,  "Glitter is like the herpes of the arts and craft world.  You can never get it off."  

May you have a wonderful, sparkly day, My Lovelies.

Liberate Your Art 2013 Blog Hop

Another fabulous year of liberating art.

I'm always excited to find a a special something in the mail that isn't advertisement or bills.

But it is even more exciting when it is Liberate Your Art  time.

What a treat to see the beautiful art that is being done by others.

I was privileged to receive the beautiful photography from Kate.  I wish I could reach into that bowl of yummy looking granola, pluck out that blueberry and pop it into my mouth.

Dana sent a photograph of the cutest critter. It's hard to look at this squirrely character without smiling.  Thanks Dana for liberating this photograph.

Jo sent a photo of one of her pieces of jewelry.  That is amazing to me. 

 

Deanna  shared a beautiful photograph with quote.  So beautiful!  She has a lot of nice photographs on her blog as well.

Beverly sent a her amazing watercolor art.  I love it!

These ladies are all amazingly talented.

The last postcard in came from our fabulous Liberate Your Art host and enabler Kat Sloma. 

After this year's Liberate Your Art swap I have giving more thought about making my photography into cards or postcards to use through the year.  I'm feeling more empowered to liberate my art more often than once a year.  Thanks, Kat, for another fabulous year.

 

Spring

The best season of the year

New growth

Wonderful scents fill the air

Yellow flowers love to be in full sun

 

The sun is gonna shine.  Joyful.

Liberate Your Art 2013

I've joined in the Liberate Your Art Postcard swap again this year. 

I've been anxiously waiting for my first postcard to arrive and the first one came yesterday! 

This one is from Kate with a nice an appropriate quote from Flora Whittemore to go along with the picture "The doors we open and close each day decides the lives we live."

I love the reflections of the blueberry and grapes on the bowl.  

Do you want to know which photograph postcard I sent?  I'll reveal it at our the blog hop happening on May 10-12.

Hope your day is bright.

Sharing

I was at Mama Leisha's blog where she shared this video from last year's Listen to Mother Show.  I just had to share it with you as it left me giggling, still,  hours later.  I admire those who can tell a story.  It is a talent I wish I had.


Crazy funny.  Wishing you a joyful weekend.

Life

Long time, no blog.  

Life has been full.  

The break from blogging has been nice, stress relieving. 

During this time My Mann and I took off over the clouds

To find our island in the sun

We made some new friends

Ate delicious treats

Sailing the oceans blue

Along the way checking off one of my life goals - Seeing the Panama Canal.

And celebrated Mom's 83rd birthday on the sea.  My mom , the miracle woman who has been deemed cancer free for two years now.  The woman who survived pancreatic cancer! 

While chilling I've been thinking and reviewing the way I've been doing or not doing things.  There has to be some changes made.  Just haven't come to complete decision on exactly what changes.  It feels good to be here again and soon I hope to be visiting your blogs again as well.

I hope life has been full and good for you as well. 

I Did It!

I am so glad I took to doing Project Life digitally.  Because of that I finished my two months of 2012 only one month after the end of 2012.   

It has allowed me to do something I longed to do, but just couldn't seem to find the time to do if it meant working with paper and printing photographs.

Now I have two complete months of Project Life done.  I started very late in the game, but it feels good none the less.  With this being the end of the year I will now have them printed to put in a binder.

I'm so excited, I just can't hide it.   See the big grin?  :)

Things are starting to fall into place.  I am getting some things documented.  Woohoo!  I think this project has helped me to grow (my one little word from last year) in confidence, created a desire to continue, and given me some new insights into myself.  I'm liking simple.

How about you, My Lovelies?  Have you found out something new about yourself this past week?

Ciao

Sounds

Have you heard something that captures your attention and is totally unconnected to what you are seeing or doing?

I was on a tour admiring the walls around the old city of Cartegena when I realized I was hearing a happy sound.  A clippy, cloppy sound.  A pleasing rhythmic sound on the cobblestones.

I turned to find a horse pulling a buggy.  The horse was making that joyful sound that I was hearing.  It almost seemed out of character for the area.  I recognized a fleeting thought race through my head wondering how I could capture it.  At that time all I had was my Canon which was zoomed out to 200 and only a few seconds of time when I finally jostled myself into action.  I quickly snapped a shot before the horse happily trotted by in the 90+ degree heat and high humidity of Cartegena.

Why do I take photographs? Kat Sloma in our Finding Your Eye class asked us to ask ourselves that question.  I haven't really put much thought before into why I take pictures.

I guess one of the reasons I do it is to capture those moments, those colors, those thoughts, those memories, that are so fleeting or that tug at my heart, the corners of my mouth, or gaze in some way.  For instance this picture of the horse is nothing to scram home about, not something you would find in a National Geographic magazine for its composition or technique, but it means something to me.  I had forgotten the smile I had when I heard the clippy sound of hooves on the cobblestones until I saw the one single photograph of the horse while going through the 700+ photos from last week.  Yes, I think that is why I take photographs.

What about you?  Do you take photographs?  Why? Have you ever thought about that before?

Joyful

I made a calendar to keep my one word of the year on the fore front of my mind.  I put this calendar where I can't help but see it at the very least 3-5 times a day.  This worked so well for last year's word that I thought I would spotlight my word in the same way again this year.

For each month I chose a quote that expresses something about my word or what I am hopeful of achieving during the year.  I thought I would share, each month, the quote of the month with you. 

JANUARY

"Let there be more joy and laughter in our living."  Eileen Caddy

Do you have one little word for the year?  What is it?  How are you focusing on it this month. 

Time

Time.  How quickly it passes.

I am really glad that I started doing Project Life again.  I am really liking these quick scrapbook pages.

It has given me the chance to reflect about how things have changed.

From the ornaments we purchased for the children each year to one year when they get married to take for their own Christmas trees.  To now when it is actually coming to happen. 

When I think about being a little behind on these weekly Project Life pages I am chasing that thought away by joyfully remembering that at least I have these pages.  And how much easier it is, for me, to do this digitally and to get something done in snippets of time and no mess to clean up. (Got enough mess without scrapbook stuffsa to add to all the other stuffsa that I have trouble finding time to clean up.)  I should probably be joyful that I able to see, seeing all that stuffsa!

Working on my word for the year.  Joyful.  How about you, My Lovelies?  Are you having any successes this week be it ever miniscule as mine was?  But, a success none the less! Ya! for us.

Ciao

The Haps

It's been a while. 

A little catch up of project life.

I love looking back on these pages.  And the memories they evoke.

It's hard to believe that this was over a month ago.

So much has happened for a December that is already normally full with Christmas and holiday happenings.

I am just beginning to unbury myself from the fun and excitement.  How about you?  Am I the only slow one?  I still don't have Christmas decorations put away.  Have you all recouped from the holidays and the New Year?

Words

They say a picture paints a thousand words.  I wonder if you really need that many words.  Last year I realized the power of one word.  I have, for the last two years, focused on one word that I felt would encompass what I needed or wanted to accomplish for the year.  Instead of writing out specific goals that could be checked off, which by the way I've done for at least 40 years prior to this, I instead took one word that would encompass all my hopes and dreams for the year. 

I began with one word in 2011.  I was in the midst of a very dark fog due to situational depression.  At that time I didn't have the strength in me to write yet another goal that I could not physically or emotionally accomplish.  My OCD behavior just didn't have it in me, but because of my OCD I had to have something.  Hence the one word.  That year I didn't really pick the word as much as the word picked me.  In fact I threw it out several times, but it just wouldn't go away or let go.  It was TRUST.  I had to give myself up over to trusting others, trusting God, trusting that things would work out.  I had a bracelet that I wore frequently with the inscription "Trust in the Lord"  That was my hardest challenge.  But the repetition of seeing the word, even when I didn't feel like I could trust, offered a thread of hope to keep going.

By the end of the year I hadn't accomplished my word.  Not by a long shot.  But,  the seed had been planted and it was starting to sprout.

In 2012 it was time to think about another word.  By this time I was feeling like I would like to embrace trust a little more.  Additionally, there were other things I was now ready to try.  I felt like there was a new dawn finally breaking in my life.  There were some things I wanted to pursue.  I could feel some eagerness, finally, to do something.  Again my word chose me.  I would not have intentionally thought of it.  The word was GROW.  It was the perfect word.  I could continue to grow in trusting others, God, and myself.  I could grow in my creative skills.  I could grow in my relationships.  I could grow in liking myself again.

This year for 2013 I had my word chosen  just after Thanksgiving.  JOYFUL.  Last year my sister made me a calendar with pictures and quotes about "Growth" for each month.  Everyday looking at that calendar help remind me of my word and goal for the year.  I thought that worked so well that I made a calendar for me this year with pictures and quotes for my word and as thank you to my sister I made one for her with her word.

I am looking forward to Joyfully continuing to grow and trust.  I will also be reminded to find Joy in the most obscure and least likely places not just the easy places.  I think this One Little Word idea has given me wings to fly where specific goals had tethered me to the ground.

What about you, My Lovlies?  Have you chosen a word for the year?  Have you gained any insights by focusing on that word for the year?

Ciao

Caught by Surprisde

I've said it more than a hundred billion trillion times to My Boy, "Good-bye", always followed with an "I Love You."

Some separations have been for short periods and others I knew would be long; separated by time and/or oceans and distance.

Saying good-bye in the past wasn't terribly heart wrenching or sad.

So, when I said it today to him and his bride I was totally unprepared for the emotion that sprang up from my heart and, out in the form of tears, from my eyes.

This time my heart knew that he would never be coming back.
He and circumstances are changing.

I couldn't be more pleased for him and My Girl (his bride).

In the fast pace of the holidays and wedding I guess I forgot to tell my heart to be prepared.

So after hugs, kisses, and some tears, on my part, as I watched them drive away

I sent up a silent prayer for their new life and learning to be one instead of two

I decided to take my sorrows inside and drown them in some cranberry salsa.

Gluttony, take me away.

Wishing you and your families a great New Year.  Ciao, My Lovelies.

On a Clear Day

I am now in week three of completing my project life.  So far it has been working out well to do it digitally.  I am getting epiphanies each time I tackle the weekly project.

The epiphanies have been organizational.  I don't know why it didn't occur to me to get my digital supplies for project life in one folder just like had when I was doing project life in the paper form. 

The picture in the center of this page is a panorama  picture overlooking Los Angeles.  I was playing with my phone's panorama camera while at the Griffith Park Observatory.   Not only was the weather beautiful, the view was pretty amazing.  Way out in the distance you can see the fog over the ocean.

I've had comments on the Week Of  cards.  I found these on Becky Higgins sight in her freebies.

Do you do any digital scrapbooking and if so what organizational hints do you have?

Have a great day, My Lovelies.  Ciao