Back to school= quiet house

Back to school 2012

that's deserving of a blog post!  Really, my house is quiet.  The tears of sending Jack off to Kindergarten have passed.  

I have a moment to share these photos....

Jack Jack is ready....so ready for Kindergarten!!

He was ready to take off.....

he has been watching his brothers run off to the playground for years

and now it is his turn!

Below Jack is in the "Kindergarten Line-Up".

I love how he is looking at his teacher, Mrs. Tordoff!   

Ah, look at that unsure face.  ;)

When the line marched off I couldn't help the tears.  

3rd time and each time it feels monumental!

Drew going to 3rd grade.....

Judson is off to 5th grade....his last year in elementary school.

How did this happen?

The boys said taking this photo below was "so embarassing".  

 And when did a simple photo becoming a total embarassment!?

ha!

My house is quiet and peaceful for the moment.  

Ahh.....

all tape & glue

All tape & glue....

that is how I feel lately.   

Pulled in many wonderful directions 

and so there is little time left for blogging.

But just in case your wondering all is well.

You know how someone will say something and it really sticks in your head?   

For me that often happens when someone is showing a vulnerable part of themselves.  

Misty Mawn (amazing artist) said at an art retreat last May that she was "all tape and glue".  

That stuck for me.... I loved the visual.  I loved the honesty.   

That while I am here, seemingly put together, I have done so with much help, with much tape and glue.  

I have been feeling pulled in so many directions.   Wanting to create, both for Serendipity7 but also to get in the art studio and create art.  Wanting to have real moments with my kids and not be chasing my tail in the grind.   So hoping to slow down a bit...  

Since my last post in April...

there have been

soccer games for 3 boys, baseball, school ending, a trip to FL, summer school, an art workshop,

 a trip up to Minocqua for a grown-up weekend, days at the pool, days at the boat house, visit to MN, 3 birthdays....Drew turned 9 May 18th, Judson 11 on July 1st and Tessa 3 on July 1st too!    

A birthday party, family visiting, a baptism & becoming god-parents to sweet Parker and Cooper, 

potty training, regression and more potty training, 

and a huge landscaping project here at home.

phew!

Its a lot and the part of me that wants to document it all just doesn't have it in me at the moment.   

I am really wanting to be present.

Hopefully, I am documenting these moments in my mind forever....and less here.

Maybe that is just where I am at....overwhelmed a bit and allowing myself to just be.

So, here is what I have to share today.

Life is full, it is good and I continue to try and find the balance

ha, ha!

so you have photos to look at here is our sweet girl, who is growing way to fast.

Today I took these sweet photos in the Ethiopian dress we purchased for our sweetie while in Ethiopia.  I can hardly believe it fits her now!   

geez.  how did that happen.

the dream continues

Today I saw a dream come true
A dream came true

for my dear soul friend, Margo.

For years Margo has been on a path to share the spirit of yoga.

I have seen her work so hard on this journey.
Margo imagined,
she dreamed and
and in the end she did the work to create this moment.

She took a leap of faith and went to teacher training  with Baron Baptiste.
She stretched outside her comfort zones.

She began teaching her first classes at Yoga Pearl in Portland.
I knew then as I took my first class, with tears in my eyes
 that she had indeed discovered her gift and would share it.

Later becoming a sponsored athlete by Nike,
she traveled, offered up yoga to all who knew her.
She grew in it.

Along the way she went abroad to Spain to teach yoga...and then

came back to begin a life in Chicago.

To take a leap of faith and open a yoga studio, Vessel Yoga.
She became the teacher to other yogis.

All along she held onto her dreams.

Dreams to share her passion for yoga,
and its power to transform our lives.

She became a mother and a wife.
Embraced family.

All along the dreams.

There were growing pains along the way.
moments of questioning, uncertainty.
moments of belief and hope.
and then moments like this!
Triumph!

Today I witnessed my friend triumph

 on the OWN network Super Soul Sunday!! 

after a wonderful interview with Deepak Chopra

in their "Breathing Space" segment,
click here to watch the piece on OWN

With her beautiful presence Margo lead a class as Oprah,

yes Oprah, 

spoke these beautiful words. 

"In today's Breathing Space we take a deep breathe with yoga.

In sandscript the word yoga means 

to unite.

And for centuries this practice has been used to unite the mind, body & spirit.

It's an invitation from the soul to slow down.

be present,

be here now and focus on each movement.

And while some poses appear quite simple,

they are deceptively complex.

It takes a lot of concentrated effort to be in the moment.

Even if you don't do yoga.

let it inspire you.

How can you be more in balance

and in harmony.

I am hoping you give yourself a little time to get centered,

flex some new muscles and find your inner peace today.

Namaste." 

-Oprah Winfrey

And all along she held onto the dream.

it isn't the end of that dream.  
It will continue to grow and change as she does
..the dream continues.

I only imagined....

I could have only imagined this....me in Featuring magazine!!!

Featuring Magazine has now been published and is on its way from the Netherlands and out into the world!!!!

I hardly feel able to express you what all of this means to me.

This premier issue includes an article about my art series "Message from Swaziland" which was inspired by AIDS Walk Africa in Swaziland for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

The message continues!  It is being shared to the masses!   I am overjoyed and just so thrilled!
There is even a video on youtube with the magazine's "birth process"!

I could have only imagined all the ways art has affected my life...how it has helped me grow.  This is certainly one of the ways.

At one time it was only a dream to be able to paint and express myself. And here we are.

After returning home from Swaziland I needed to be able to share the message of the Swazi-people.
To tell the world that 33% of their population is infected with the HIV virus.
When I came home I knew I needed to do something to get that message out into the world.  And now that this has happened and continues to happen it  means other people will hear of this little country, Swaziland.  They will hear of the pandemic and, like me, they too might react.

As a mother I am so thrilled to think other mothers and children being affected by the HIC pandemic may be helped.

As an artist I am thrilled to see my artwork giving back to this cause and to the world.

As a woman I am incredily grateful for the blessings in my life and all the people who brought me to this place.

The Featuring Magazine is a collaboration of artists from around the world, 

with the publisher based in the Netherlands.

Featuring's website expresses their mission best,

"Creative people generally do not create in just one area. They are explorers. One day they dip their hands in ink and paint to find themselves the next day scrapbooking, taking photos or writing poetry.  Via the Internet, artists from all over the world inspire each other with their work, opening doors to even more creative possibilities and techniques. FEATURING wants to bring these creative worlds together on paper!"

I can't wait for my issue to arrive....

really, I feel like I need to pinch myself.

dreams do come true!!!

What's working...

Claudia has put out a challenge to say out loud what is working.....

I like the idea of focusing on what we are doing right around here.

WHAT IS WORKING?!

Here goes-

Coffee in the morning.  Meeting for coffee with a friend.  iced coffee.

(Not surprising this is what came to me first as I wake up with my cup of joe)

 Yoga.....i need it body and soul.  This photo is from my recent yoga retreat in Cabo.   Making that week to embrace health, relaxation and to get strong body and soul.

Making time for me...whether it is taking an art course, painting in the studio, time with friends, going to yoga, meditating, having a babysitter.  These are all things that are working for me.  That I need to make time for to create balance.

 Spring....thank goodness for Spring!  I love watching the blooms...seeing the regrowth.  The symbolism and beauty.   Seeing the fiddleheads again!  That works for me...just lifts me up!!

Serendipity 7 is my venture with my soul friend, Marcie.  It is all things vintage, up cycled and good.  I love it....we are getting ready for our first vintage sale on April 21st....this is working for me.  I am loving everything about it!   Time with my soul friend, a new challenge, creating awesomeness.

 Jack....my 5 year old boy.   I love the alone time we are getting in the afternoon.  This week we snuggled and watched a movie.   Went to the art studio and created.  I love his sweet snuggles.   Next year is Kindergarten for this big boy so this alone time is working for me.

 Alone time with my son and travel.....similar themes as above...but making alone time with my son away from home is priceless.  This photo is from our trip to Guatemala.  This time was precious to me.

You know what else is working but I don't have a photo of?   breaking the cycle of an old bad nuerotic habit.....I am trying to stop picking and biting at my nails.  I got a set of acrylic gel nails put on a month ago.   That stopped the old pattern right there.   I just filed them down and soaked off the acrylic gel to the natural nail and have a pretty decent manicure that I have no desire to pick at.  Really, really working on this and so far it is working.  gotta keep working at it.

Being a mommy and staying at home full-time.....this is working for me.

I love it.  It isn't perfect and neither am I in it.

But I wouldn't trade it or this time for anything.

my marriage is working....

we have our differences, our faults and some how we manage to raise above it.

We are getting awfully good at the art of compromise.

We are listening to each other.

We are aware of each others needs

my hubby is a wonderful, loving man.

He is the ying to my yang. 

   I love him and am so glad he is my partner in life.

There it is- what is working.
...I love staying focused on all of what is working.

Serendipity 7!!!

Won't you take a look at my new venture with my soul friend?!

We are seriously excited to be debuting our business...and sharing our

passion for all things vintage, all things up cycled, all things good!!!

Serendipity 7 blog 

join me...follow me on my quest for vintage and up cycled awesomeness!!!!

ser·en·dip·i·ty/ˌserənˈdipitē/

 

Noun:

The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way: "a fortunate stroke of serendipity".

return of the fiddleheads

Today was all about being outside , playing, soaking up a beautiful spring day
...and seeing if the fiddleheads had popped up!  

One of the things I love about our yard is that it is 4 acres of varying landscape.  We have  a large wonderful open area in the front yard, which is perfect for kick ball games, for football and for soccer.....your all purpose athletic field.   There is my mother's perennial garden which is a labor of love and in it's 2nd season so I expect it to really be beautiful this year.

The back of the yard is partially woods and the other area leads to a stream in the back of the property.   Near the stream it is the time of year for one of my favorite things to be blooming....

the fiddleheads!!!

Now, I know that I have  thing with fiddleheads and tend to humanize them, but that is just because they are so incredibly symbolic of our life.   

Their unfurling form, how they grow and change, sometimes alone and other times surrounded by other fiddleheads.  They truly are so special to me. I just love them and how they represent growth and change.

to add to my love of the flora and fauna of our yard....

these sprouts...

and then these mushrooms.   Recognize our family?   (again humanizing!)

so happy to witness the fiddleheads and their friends return for another season of growth and change.

Welcome- to my world

(when you pull into the front of out long driveway you see this sign I just made-

langauges included Amarchic, Chinese, German, French, Hawaiian)

Welcome to my world!

Boys reading in trees

my sweet girl growing up way too fast...

full of spirit and these sweet smiles

and watching spring  SPRING before our eyes.

I love this magnolia in my neighbors yard.  Every year I feel like it is deserving of special attention.

The buds are even beautiful after the petals fall off.... must paint these

Welcome to my world...or at least a part of that world.

notice how I didn't include the virtual construction zone in my front yard, the lack of potty training, cat box or general disorganization .    

Welcome to some of the best parts of my world!

retreated...

where in the world have I been?

I retreated...both literally and figuratively to a yoga retreat

retreated from life for a week

to a desert oasis at Prana del Mar (in the Baja desert of Mexico an hour outside of Cabo).

retreated to yoga.   

2 times a day.  vinyasa flow and restorative yin practices.  I felt my pratice strengthen.  There were growing pains as well as moments of realization.  My first tripod headstand since my back surgery was an emotional message that "yes, you are growing stronger...you are healing".  

retreated to friendship....

my bestie from high school, Margo Kellison, lead and inspired this yoga retreat and created this amazing environment that nurtured the body and soul.    

A week with my friend= priceless.

There were new friendships and connections made with 20 amazing yogis, my new friends.

retreated to a restful nights....many nights in bed by 9pm and naturally waking to the sunrise 

retreated to nurtrition.

organic, whole foods and more fiber than my body has ever seen.   So much so that at many points I didn't even feel hungry.  Learning that I can be fully satiated without carbs, processed foods.   And a week without dairy, which I now see clearly isn't my friend.

retreated to the ocean.

Its vastness and beauty in our view during sun salutations.  

Its sounds all around us.  
Its beauty ever present.

Its humbling reminder of how small we are.

How it calls us to its edge...our edge.

retreated to the sun....

waking to the sun rise over the mountains, soaking in its rays during the day

setting each night, as if it just drops off into the Pacific.

What a sight to behold.

retreated to serenity.....   

days of restortation and giving my body everything it needed.  my practice became stronger.  my back was able to stretch and strengthen.  my soul was able to relax and rejuvenate.

grateful. grateful....oh, so grateful.  retreated.

morphing....

morphing....this painting and I are both morphing.

I am so enjoying this intuitive painting process....and documenting the evolution of a painting!  

It is so amazing how the images emerge that I have to share.

   

This the second painting I am working on for 

the Blooming True e-course  with Flora Bowley.

Flora's process of intuitive painting is feeling so wonderful.

so freeing.

so inspired!

Here is the very beginning starting with my warm colored layer...

Then coming in with cool colors and markings.

I am always drawn to the fiddlehead shape.

more layers and adding black contrast....really starting to morph here.

morphing with layers of white contrast and imagery.

Now we are in the "ugly teenager" phase as Flora calls it.

painting layers and looking for shapes emerging.

Starting to come out of the chaotic teen years.

Decided to change orientation and see new shapes emerge...morph, morph, morph

more layers, simplifing certain areas to create focal points.

here is where it morphed today....in full bloom!

Can you tell I am so in love!? 

This is just the start

I feel like I am changing/morphing as an artist forever