thoughts

Feeling a little full of thoughts today. Just read a friend's blog and it got my mind spinning around life, passions, inspiration, moods, the "what's important" in life stuff. I'm an art therapist...so between the thinking involved in therapy and the thinking involved with art...I'm in trouble! Sometimes I need to shut my mind off or get it out somewhere. Since I'm at work - I can't do any of my own "art therapy" right now. That usually helps. So I am going to blog. I think I'll list what I'm grateful for in this moment to sort out my thoughts, stay in the moment and remain positive.

- the Girl Scout cookies on my desk that I received today. They will go well with the tea I'm going to get in a few minutes.
- talking with Cary about apartments last night has me excited (and nervous) today.
- the butterscotch candy I'm eating
- quiet
- anticipating some fun "me" time this weekend while Cary is at guard drill weekend.
- I have my parents and they are healthy
- I can relate to so much of what my friend was writing about today. So often I feel like I'm alone with some of my internal struggles and feel like I'm in a different place.

Thanks for reading!

winter is still here

Two Peas Blog Challenge: Do you feel now that the weather is getting nicer with Spring on the way, that your being more creative?

This is a funny question for me to answer. Especially given the photo I took on my walk this morning. We had a snowstorm on Friday so its not looking like Spring here! But I have been feeling more creative. Not sure what my excuse is. I do tend to feel more motivated in general when Spring comes. I want to buy new spring-like clothes, walk outside instead of on the treadmill, start new projects, get my hair cut, colored. You name it. I get motivated for change when the seasons change.

But...even though it was looking wintery out today I still got outside and did a lot of art. I finished my Christmas 2007 Album. Now I just need to find a cute 8x8 album to put it in. I don't like the cheap one I picked up at AC Moore. It will do for now but I want something more. Just not sure what "more" is right now. I also did an entry in my Art Journal about "friendship" I topic I've been struggling with lately. I also did a "One Word" project and framed my word....BALANCE. So...it has been an art therapy day for me.

Love is...book project

For the last week I have been sick with the flu and haven't felt like doing anything. Finally feeling almost back to normal, I was inspired by Ali Edward's "Weekend Creative" so I gathered the stuff and got to work. I rarely follow a project and had so much fun with this. Had so much fun at my LSS getting supplies. Always gets me in a creative mood. I was going to work on the book tonight while my guy was out with friends but couldn't wait to get started! So as soon as I got home with the supplies I jumped right in. Most of the supplies are the same as she suggested except I bought some chipboard in place of the cardboard she used and used some different accents, colors, etc. I bought the lace cardstock in a teal. At first I intended to have the white paint be opaque like Ali's. But after the first coat it looked sort of antiqued and I decided I kind of liked it. I also added another layer among the pages- a grid pattern Hambly overlay is layered in front of each extra thick Hambly overlay. It is difficult to see in the picts. I might add some quotes on the extra overlay. Haven't decided. It also still needs photos. I have some ideas for each set of pages. One spread will be Cary and I, another will be my family, and the third will be pictures of home. Not sure on the page titles yet. Maybe {us}, {family}, and {home}. Simple. But anyway...here it is...a work in progress...

Belated Valentine's Day

This is a late Valentine's Day blog. Since I have been really sick with the flu since the 15th I never got to share! My sweetie gave me chocolate covered strawberries, flowers and a balloon. I haven't gotten a heart balloon in years. He also made me a card. Yes. He made it. It's become a tradition. Cardmaking has always been my thing. This year for Christmas he made me one and he has continued it for Valentines. It was beautiful. He got into my "stash" and found some glittery red paper and cut out the heart shape all by himself! Very sweet. He may have made it at the last minute like most guys are in the card aisle of the store on February 14th but it is the thought that counts! Unfortunately I only got to enjoy some of the strawberries before I got sick the next day...but I have the Valentine!

What is good about today

On a day when I still don't feel well after 4-days home with the flu, piles of papers to read and grade, midterm grades approaching...I am going to stop a minute and think about what is good about today:

1. I have a delicious Japanese cream puff pastry from the Studio Mgr at school that is welcomed after days of not being able to eat much. Perfect with my tea as I finish up reading papers and getting ready for class.

2. The sun is out here in New England and its bright in my office.

3. I have my IPod playing my tunes.

4. Cary was so good to me while I was sick, soup, gatorade, saltines, hugs...all to make me feel better quick.

5. Friday is in 2 days and I get another try at having a fun weekend full of walks and time to make some art.

just a test

I'm new to this whole blog "thing." Not great with computers so the image in my header is blurry and nothing quite looks like the way I want it to! But it will do and I'll learn as I go. This post is more of a test...to see how it works. I'll write something more later. I'd really like this blog to be about creative inspiration...

handpainted welcome sign