speaking of....

a few art journal pages in the works:

latest reading...

my SO gifted me with a wonderful read for mother's day! journaling is a form of meditation/therapy that i've always been drawn to but found difficult to maintain for extended periods of time. working my way through some major life changes and working on renewing my creative spirit has been the challenge of the last few years. i'm happy to say that with changes new opportunities present themselves. the real key is being open to them in mind and heart...letting go of the old and embracing the new! this book is a wonderful inspiration to further you down that path...i'll keep my progress posted!

cock-a-doodle-dooooo

have to start with the big VIDEO....got 'brownie' on camera doing the adolescent rooster crow!!!!

and now to some journal pages i've been working on today! loving the oil pastels and gesso this morning!

 and a little peek at what the mom's got for mother's day ;)

art update

it's getting busy in studio B! i'm finishing up a few pieces now that will be available on etsy this coming week! i feel ashamed i didn't make some wedding collages in honor of will and kate...but really...not! i didn't know the wedding had happened until i read the news this morning! <gasp>
i'm really excited to start on the new chalkboard/collage windows!!! the mirror/collage is fun but i think the chalkboard selections are going to be fantastic!  here are some photos of what i'm finishing up now! 

here's ONE way to photograph a mirror!!! that top mirror panel is reflecting the ceiling ;)

the vintage pencil border is too FUN!

in the works!

 

true blue

life is all about learning. some of us are slow learners. but i believe in the old adage "better late than never". i've reached a place in my life where i am realizing who i've been, who i am....where i've been and where i want to go.  i've been thinking that if i were ever to spend one day loving myself and encouraging myself as much as i do that for anyone else (yes, even those people who talk to me in the checkout lane at the market!) what a wonderful place that would be.  i've always been so busy people pleasing, placating and fixing everyone else that i've never taken care of myself. focusing on pleasing other people and trying to be someone else robs a person of their very essence. when i feel the NEED to create there is no one else in this world that feels it the same as i do, nor who would create the same thing i do. i believe that need to create, those voices in my head that urge me on...should be embraced and encouraged! i'm happy to say that i've set some goals for myself...what better method of accountability than a BLOG! 

-laugh more and out loud!

-create something every day

-embrace mistakes

-let others find their own solutions and fix their own problems

-do something nice for myself each day

-stop being self-critical

-take care of myself and accept myself as i am

-practice self-respect

-say what i mean and mean what i say

-let go of the past, embrace the future

-make a 'wall' on encouragement in my studio just for me 

i'll come back to these and see how i'm doing. it's difficult, but hardly impossible to get rid of old habits and replace them with new ones. 21 days is what they say! ;) 

and....a couple of wonderful books to share! 

blue moon

i've only ever posted 2 or 3 articles on my blogs. we all read enough news ;) however, i read an article today that put into words what my friends and even my sons and i have discussed in the past. this writer did an excellent job of expressing the thoughts and concerns of a lot of people i know. evidently there are others out there that feel the same. living in the 'bible belt' you might think this article wouldn't be applicable as in some of the east and west coast cities. i think it is even more applicable here than anywhere else i have lived or traveled in the world. i'll hop off the soap box now....just sharing some solid food for thought. 

CNN: Parents, don't dress your girls like tramps

spring chicken

most important news of the day is that 'brownie' is evidently approaching adolescence as we heard the first 'cock-a-doodle-doo' this morning!!! it wasn't a full blown crow but it was enough to confirm out gender suspicions. exciting stuff these fine feathered friends...:>

i'm loving the spring...we had a long hard winter for this part of the country and i'm delighted that flip flop season is here!  spending time outside (sans shivers), gardening, walking, taking photographs and all the art projects that require outside work are getting done now! the first window frame was completed this weekend. now to photograph and then list. i have so many ideas for more ...can't wait to get started. i also picked up an old chair from someone's trash pile the other evening and have exciting plans for that!!! pix soon!

our 2 newest additions staying warm under the lamp

a rush to get out the door in the morning!!!

who rules the roost?!?!?!

this one survived the winter and is blooming beautifully!

from our walk last night...fabulous colors + textures. makes a great desktop! ;)

spectacular tree bark

proud parents

our baby chickens have learned to go in and out of their hen house door to get to their outside pen! who knew how fun + exciting having chicks could be!!! there are more new + exciting things going on at our place...pix to follow.  i'm super excited about the etsy shop opening tomorrow morning!!! my first small items will go up and by the weekend i'll have a few major additions :D  once that is up and running the blog and etsy stores will be open to the public and i'm excited to get my first followers! stay tuned......and check out these photos!

 

and other things i'm working on....

*sold*

part of a larger project....stay tuned!

for my oldest son's 22nd b'day! music man that he is ;) i'm thrilled to say he loved it!

spring chickens!

for real! we have been talking about getting our own chickens for some time....and now we have! we are the proud parents of 6 bantam chicks! we've been very busy the last 2 weeks building their coop in our backyard so they could move from their cozy box to a bigger area. now they are all settled in and loving their space to run around! at this point we are letting them out on nice days and back up for night but soon they'll have free access in and out. with five cats and a dog security was the top priority for their pen and we've been relieved to see that we seem to have covered all the bases. it's also been amazing to watch pepper, our great pyrenees with the chicks. she was so excited and intrigued initially but now she's accepted them as part of her 'herd'. which means that now when the cats get close to the pen she chases them away! pepper the protector! we've been making regular trips to the ag store to keep the chicks in mealworms and crickets (which STINK by the way!..who knew live crickets would stink?!?)  they eat a LOT and watching them chase after and fight over bugs is great entertainment!!! and....we just love it when we open the door and walk in and they look at us and come running. wow. anyway....it's going to take a lot of eggs to pay off the coop but we wouldn't trade them for anything. :)

 outgrowing the heating box....

 first taste of freedom!!! and bugs!

a cozy spot for the chilly spring nights

new beginnings

beginnings....exciting, scary, daunting, challenging, and necessary. there are times in life when  it is time to turn a corner or reinvent ourselves in where we are and where we desire to go. BokieART for me is a new beginning. what started as a vague idea is now a dream come true! with each passing day elements of this new venture are coming together and it is so exciting! when the creative energy and passion are focused the progress truly begins. blogging is a way to record the steps and track the development....and, it's fun! so with this first post BokieART takes on a life of its' own and i look forward to sharing it with friends old + new. 

the BokieART business card i designed. this is the proof.....printing soon!