Live it Up!

I absolutely love this quote and think I should post it somewhere more visible to remind me that I only have one life, I'd better do all the fun and interesting stuff my heart longs to do.

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting 'Holy shit...what a ride!'"        ~John Mallow

Photo:  NY Daily News.com

Seriously, I want to really live.  I'm sure I'm thinking of this because I'm getting close to 40 and reality is saying that I'm not a kid anymore.  If I have desires and dreams I need to start doing them now, or at least planning them now. 

Do you have any wild dreams or just any dreams of things you really want to experience, but have been putting off  for some reason or other?

A few of mine are:  go to Italy, Greece, Bali and Bora Bora (I know, not very cheap dreams)!  I have to work on some cheaper, more doable ones, but I need to start now.  Perhaps I need to make that bucket list that so intrigued me from the movie with Jack Nicholson.

The Wind in my Hair

Lately my painting is leaning toward more abstract in style.  My newest creation is called "The Wind in my Hair," a colorful, girly abstract painting.  I feel so much freer when I'm not trying so hard to make something look real and not blend in with other colors.  That's part of the reason I named it The Wind in my Hair--it feels more like flowing and just feeling, not really "trying" so hard!  Hope you enjoy it!  I think it would look great in a girl's room or in a home where the lady of the house loves sweet pastels.





Cool New Site - Check out my Art

I just set up an account on Imagekind, a site where you download your artwork and they print it and send it to the customer.  What I like about it is customers can see it in different formats, such as framed, matted or even how it will look as a wrapped canvas.  So even if I already sold the original, this site creates a print or canvas and I can sell a few of the same paintings, just not originals anymore.  If you have time, please check it out through the link in the first line!

One of my paintings, Dance II that I sold at an art show is available here, just to show you an example.

Thanks for stopping by!

New Painting - Mazie's Garden

I just finished this painting named "Mazie's Garden" and listed it on etsy today.  It was fun to create because not only is it paints, it's collaged with some papers and paper doiley which I think gives it some interesting texture.  



I've got about four other paintings I'm in the middle of--just need to step back and put a few finishing touches on them before they're "done."  I hate when I just can't seem to say they're "finished."  Sometimes I wonder if I have a bit of perfectionist in me.

Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting!

Old Friends

I'm pretty excited, a few of us who went to grade school together have started talking on Facebook.  I haven't seen everyone except one friend since we "graduated" in eighth grade.  We went to a Catholic school so we were in the same class year after year from first through eighth grade (with a few exceptions of newcomers).

 Old classmates are sending each other pictures and it's been so fun remembering the fun we had in eighth grade.  Here's a picture of our eighth grade "graduation."  I'm in the top row second from the left.  Oh we did have some fun--Catholic schools had so many rules, and a few of us LOVED to break them.



This picture is taken in the church where a couple of us girls would go in and steal wine, put it in dixie cups and toast all the fun we were having.  I know, not good.  But we sure did have some fun moments. 

We're hoping to get our group together this summer and I hope it works out because it would be great to see old friends.

Be True to Yourself

I was the kind of young girl who liked whatever "the leader" of our group liked.  I hardly EVER stuck up for myself or my true likes or dislikes.  I look back at myself and feel so sad for that girl who just didn't have the confidence to be herself.  Having a daughter of my own I really try to instill confidence and originality in her based on my childhood of being a scared follower.  That's what I guess I was--a scared follower.  I was scared to be outed from the group.  I was scared that if I stuck up for myself, AGAINST the "leader" I would be embarrassed and singled out.  I was scared of not doing what everyone else wanted to do.  I didn't want to stand out for being different.  I hid my true self.

As an adult I now know how important it is to be an original and to be true to what is right for me even if it's totally different than everyone else.  I now like to be an original.  It makes life much more interesting, doesn't it?  One of my new paintings is below and it's a reminder to be true to yourself.  I think it would be perfect for a young girl who's just starting to find her true self.



Spring Dreaming

It's March 1st!  Spring is finally getting closer everyday.  By this time of year I'm in quite a funk living in Wisconsin.  My favorite time of year is spring when the birds are singing louder, the breeze in the air smells different and soon green buds will be popping up.  We haven't taken a tropical vacation in two years and I'm having withdrawals so I'm doing a little spring dreaming below with some warm-weather places I'd love to experience.  Photos are courtesy of Coastal Living.

A private island just for two?  Snorkeling in the clearest water?  I can't think of anything better right now.  My kind of vacation.  Sign me up!

Walking on this pier high above the water as the sun goes down.  Ahhhhhh.  Pure and peaceful. 

A little spring dreaming to brighten the cold winter days.