a natural beauty

today I give you a natural beauty....taken during my trip in Guatemala.

One of my all times favorite shots.

2 years ago today

There is something about adoption that seals certain dates in your mind forever.

The sort of dates that are so monumental they change your life and another eternally....

...like the day you hold your daughter for the first time.

It was two years ago today we waited our turn to be called up to the nursery, watching the parents before us on the same monumental journey to met their child.

Our daughter's name was called, I felt full of emotion.

The anticipation, the joy of meeting your child.  

We walked into the infant room and a nanny at the care center placed our sweet girl into my arms.

For the first time I felt her soft skin and smelled her sweet smell.   I looked into her beautiful soulful eyes.

She looked into my eyes with confusion, a bit of anixety not knowing who I was....

not knowing she was meeting her mother, that I was her "forever mother".

At the same time I looked into hers knowing she was indeed my daughter forever.

Two years ago, God's plan came together....and I was right where I was suppose to be.

2 years ago....

In these 2 years my heart has grown and is full of abundance, gratitude

my life is fuller because my sweet girl is in it.

Our family is complete.

Here she is 2 years later...our sweet girl.

big hugs

I keep sharing photos from this engagement photo session....I can't help it!
 It was so full of love and big hugs like this one.  

silver lining....

This post is an ode to the silver lining....

that was once hidden in a drawer and  is now on display in my dining room!

I have all sorts of silver trays, bowls, lids that I have inherited from Andy's family.   

It is the sort of thing that a couple generations ago people used all the time to entertain....

and now they are being repurposed as beautiful wall accents.  why not!  it is beautiful!

What I am also loving about this is the photo display on the little table....

I have always loved old family photos and having them around this space feels

even more appropriate since almost everything in this room was 

inherited from both of our grandparents.

I recently purchased this beautiful vintage photo cube from my friend's Etsy shop

The Vintage Violet

Yep, that is me playing dress up as a little girl on the inside of the cube.....

this cube is beautiful and holds all those treasured family photos.  I love browsing through this little cube seeing the generations of photos... 

My children will be able to see these photos that go back 5 generations. 

Isn't that amazing... I love, love, love it!

buffet makeover

In my thrifting madness I came across a deal through a friend of a friend.

$25 buffet....and I have the perfect spot in my dining room for it!

It was in need of an update....

I got so excited and didn't get a true "before" as I added this great stencil to the back of the display.

I loved the dark terracotta color I mixed up for the stencil so much I started dry brushing it on to the piece....this is the before, pretty basic.

   I actually like the mustard color, but wanted more character for this piece.   So I wanted the mustard to pop through the terracotta color.

Love how the mustard is popping through and the terracotta is giving this piece a sense of style...

Funny, I never thought I would be so excited about a formal dining room buffet.   

I mean formal dining rooms are almost a thing of the past.

Maybe it is a sign of age.  Or perhaps nostalgia for all things beautiful.   

My grandmother's simple white and silver china that has been in drawers for years will now be on display....and that to me is beautiful.

Lovin my cheap buffet and what a little paint and dry brushing can do!

Voila! 

intuitive painting

Recently, I came across my very first painting.  I painted this while I was pregnant with Jack about 6 years ago at an art therapy class that was about expression.  I remember the many steps  in creating this painting.  I wasn't given any direction and was just told to paint whatever felt right.  I did....and it wasn't easy.  While I really enjoyed the process of playing with the paint I was much more interested in producing something beautiful.... a "real painting".   I remember in the end feeling frustrated with the result....I don't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't it.

When I look at my paintings I remember the experience of creating it....some are effortless and full of joy, others have stumped me, frustrated me and had many evolutions.  But I am always left with a feeling(s) for each one.

Over the last 5 years I have grown so much as an artist.  I have found both a love of painting from a reference as well as painting intuitively.   Letting the painting lead me.   The Message from Swaziland series was a very intuitive process, one I truly loved and felt passionate about.   Knowing how much I loved this process I know it is something I want to explore further.

Soooooo,  I am indulging myself in an on-line e-course called Brave Intuitive You by artist Flora Bowley, an artist whose work I really love and admire.  Her work is so inspired!

This course is all about connecting within, preparing your soul to express itself intuitively.  No expectations, there are no mistakes just the process of creating.   This feels like right where I am suppose to be....indulging in intuitive painting, not being constrained, just loving the paint and the process.....

I am so happy to be an artist, to be able to be free to create and share this intuitive part of myself on canvas.

Here are the first couple steps of one of the paintings I am creating in this workshop....in the end it will look nothing like this! 

The 1st step was a warm colored layer....

The 2nd step involved just painting with no intention, no mistakes.  

Using various tools to create marks and interest.   

This painting has no intentions at this point, just intuition!

  

who knows how it (and the others) will evolve!  isn't that awesome?!  So excited!

click here to more about Flora Bowley

heart.....photo challenge

a couple in love

about to start their life together in marriage....

Photo taken this January 

(amazingly there was no snow in WI then!)

in Camp Randall field, home of the UW-Madison Wisconsin Badgers

Harmony...her feature

So, I have this new and wonderful friend!  Her name is Harmony and we found each other in this blog world.  She is an artist, a mother of boys and a daughter from Ethiopia, she grew up in WI and went to UW-Madison, she loves wine and coffee.  Do you see where I am going with this?  She is awesome....and blogging intersected our lives.

This is when we finally met in person this winter:

I admire her passion for art, for her family, for life.....her blog is awesome.
www.harmonysart.blogspot.com
Her artwork is amazing....touching, soulful.   See for yourself in her Harmony Pyper Etsy shop!
Our sweet girl has a beautiful Ethiopia painting that Harmony created just for her.

Harmony is starting a Friday Feature every week on her blog and today I am honored to be her first!
Please visit here!!

Friday Feature

Harmony.....

thank you for your wonderful feature on your beautiful blog!

I am honored and grateful beyond measure.
Hugs-
Jeni

Currently.

Currently, I am....

attempting a-day-in-the-life self portrait....me computer-side in the kitchen.   
This really feels authentic.  It is where I like to type away, in my kitchen, the hub of the household.  And this is what I often look like in the winter with my hat on  a "not doing my hair kind of day".
For the Paper Mama self photo challenge

Obsessing over…

All things vintage....I am so into vintage right now that I can't stop thrifting!   The thrift store in town now knows me....I am one of those crazy regular customers.   I am really excited that my friend, Marcie and I, have established our little business "Serendipity Seven".   SS will be all things  creatively repurposed and vintage...and awesome.  Seriously, how awesome are these mugs below!!!  If I can part with them they are soon to be listed on Etsy...

Working on…

I am currently taking an e-course with artist Flora Bowley!  That is 5 weeks of inspiration from an amazing artist.  While I would rather take her workshop in person, right now this is the most I can do.  I have found myself painting intuitively often, but this class will be taking it to a new and different place, which I am really geeked about!
I am in the beginning stages of a new painting....so exciting to see where it will all lead~

Thinking about…

My balance- how to achieve a better sense of balance as an artist, as a mother, wife, friend.   How to achieve physical balanceI am certain of one thing....this is a never ending challenge!

Anticipating…

travel!   My hubby and  I are surprising the kiddos with a trip to Disney!  I can't wait for the surprise....and then to see them all soaking up the magic!   I also have a yoga retreat with one of my best friends coming up in March!   Seriously so excited!!!

Listening to…

My little ones playing.  At the moment I don't hear any cries or screams....all is well.

Eating…

I am eating in points right now as I just put myself on Weight Watchers.  It was necessary to get control of how the scale has been slowly creeping up since my back surgery.  Must get back on track!!!

I just finished a Special K protein shake.....that is 5 points.

Wishing…

Wishing I could live closer all the people I love.   My family is in MN which is a five hour and difficult with how busy life is here.   The sweet babies above are my neice and nephew, only 11 months between them.  Their Auntie misses them and need baby snuggles.   And many of my dearest friends too far away....wishing we could just meet for coffee.


Currently.  That is me today.  Thanks for going me!

hitting the beach...

Hitting the beach....Guatemala style in Monte Rico.     It was a wonderful day....lunch seaside (at the large hut below), then out to the beach to hit the waves!

The beach was all ours.....and we loved it!   Notice that beautiful sand?  

It is volcanic sand and a wonderful charcoal color 

( I now have a glass vessel of it on my fireplace mantel!)

This isn't the sort of beach you can just go swimming at.  The current is incredibly strong, so much so that it is very dangerous.  Really this is the sort of beach were it is most fun and safe to let the waves push and pull you around on the shore.    Judson was the first to dive in to the waves, roll around in the sand and embrace it!   I did too and had a blast.  The water was the warmest ocean water I have ever experienced.  It was a beautiful day!

 Gosh, I just LOVE this photo of my sweet boy.

One of many giant splashes....and then it was time to dig in the sand.  Karin and Javi did the digging

Jud and Roni (Karin's brother) became a mermaid

And then the surf came in and engulfed that mermaid!

Karin's son, Javi.  This was his first visit to his homeland in 9 years.

This could be one of my favorite shots ever....so symbolic of my sweet boy growing up.

A day at the beach in Monte Rico= bliss