30 Days of Gratitude... Day 17

Love this painting! You can purchase it at Signs of My Life on Etsy.com.

Today I am grateful for...

Beautiful weather

A warm shower

My daughter making me breakfast (a bagel with cream cheese and orange juice :) )

30 Days of Gratitude... Day 15 and 16

Gratitude stretched canvas collage can be purchased at Kathy Norton Stanion on Etsy.com.

Grateful for...

My beautiful handmade quilt my friends gave me for my birthday a couple of years ago.

Lunch with my friend Gina.

Kyle's smile

Phone calls with my sister.

Amazon.com's excellent customer service sending me a replacement Kindle Fire.

Easy school mornings when everyone cooperates.

Happy Friday!

30 Days of Gratitude... Day 13 and 14

Purchase and personalize this beautiful gratitude necklace at Moon Glitter Jewelry on Etsy.com.

Grateful for...

Katie

Nikki

Kyle

A warm house when it is cold out side

I married a man who is smart with our finances

Life in general

Hope you all are having a fantastic week.

30 Days of Gratitude.... Days 9, 10, 11, 12

Purchase this Mixed Media Gratitude Girl Planner at JCSpock on Etsy.com

I think listing 12 things I am grateful for will cover the last 3 days and today.

Fresh pumpkin bread

A cool front (I think fall has finally arrived)

Healthy kids

Appliances that work, making my life as a SAHM easier

Being able to be a SAHM

My son's morning naptime

A computer to blog on

My own creative space in our home

My cats (one of which I am having to share a chair with right now and she has most of the seat)

My Dad

My husband

A quiet Monday morning to clean up after the weekend. :)

Happy Monday!

How to cure a severe diaper rash...

As you know, I have a busy 13 month old. I would like to call him a toddler, but alas he prefers crawling to walking, it is such a quicker way to get from point A to point B at this time.

Over the course of the last month, Kyle has had 3 very bad diaper rashes. Usually Boudreaux Butt Paste or Triple Paste will help, but the last rash was a real doozy. I ended up at the pediatrician's office and this was her recommendation:

Mix equal parts of the following well in a small tupperware container with a strong lid (this will make it easy to carry where ever you go).

Plain Vaseline
Original Desitin Cream
Ilex (pronounced eye-lex and is a burn cream that can be found in most hospital/clinic pharmacies sold over the counter)

Apply mixture to baby's clean and dry bottom. Then apply prescription topical Nystatin (a yeast combatant) on top of that.

I started applying the remedy around 3pm yesterday and this morning his bottom looks about 40% better already. Yay! The doc said once the rash is cleared up just to watch for it to come back, if it does, start the remedy right away.

I am so glad I went in and Kyle is much more comfortable today. Now we just need to work on the teething sore gums. Ahhh, a mother's work is never done. :)

30 Days of Gratitude... Days 6, 7, and 8

Art print can be purchased at Lori Portka's Shop on Etsy.com.

Ahhh, life has a way of taking priority over blogging 30 days of Gratitude. As I type, life is tugging at my pant leg in the form of a busy, runny nosed, 13 month old with a diaper rash from #&$!. :)

Today, yesterday and the day before I am grateful for...

Above said busy, runny nosed, 13 month old with a diaper rash from #&$!

Doctors to prescribe remedies/ointments for those diaper rashes

Health insurance

A clear shot on the left hand turn at the busy intersection going our of our neighborhood

Little girls singing the tune of Chopsticks doing art at the kitchen table

Coffee with creamer

Emails from a far away friend... you know who you are! :)

Naptime

Mild fall weather

Happy Thursday!

30 Days of Gratitude... Day 5

Colorful flower print can be purchased at 3 Wishes Creations.

Some days it can be harder than others to find an attitude of gratitude. I think those are the days it is most important to seach for something to be thankful for.

Today I am grateful for...

Breath

God's grace each morning, He gives me the chance to try it all again

Sunflowers in my sweet mother's old blue tinted Ball Mason jar

KSBJ (local, very uplifting radio station)

30 Days of Gratitude... Day 4

The above beautiful print can be purchased at The Wheatfield on Etsy.com.

Today I am grateful for...

Baby boy cuddles.

An afternoon at the craft show with my girls.

Pretty weather.

30 Days of Gratitude... Day 3

The above beautiful wood block can be purchased at Paper Bag Collection on Etsy.com.

Today I am grateful for...

A washer and dryer that works quietly and efficiently.

The fact that my hubby can fix almost anything, which saves us a large sum of money.

Precious moments when siblings get along.

Happy Saturday! Off to see my 4th grader sing with her school choir. :)

30 days of Gratitude. Day 1 and day 2.

Happy November! Won't you join me in 30 days of gratitude? Yes, I am one day late, but better late than never.

Studies show that having an attitude of gratitude daily can benefit a person in many ways. By focusing on the positives in our lives, our overall outlook improves and this can improve our well being and our relationships around us.

I myself tend to look at the glass half empty. I would love to shift in to a gratitude mode. What better month that November to do so.

Each day this month I will feature an artist/crafter from Etsy with an item that is related to gratitude some way in addition to listing at least 3 things I am grateful for each day. I figure if I am always looking for things to be grateful for my list it will be impossible to have a negative attitude right? 

The above art is my own.

Yesterday I had gratitude for...

My faith

A beautiful family

A roof over my head

My health

Today I am grateful for...

My sister

My son's beautiful smile

Little girls chattering in the backseat on the way to school

How about you? What are you grateful for?

She Let Go...

My sister shared this with me on the phone last week. I loved it so much that it inspired me to do the above piece of artwork. I hope it speaks to you the way it did me.

She Let Go

She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.

She let go of the fear. She let go of the judgments. She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.

She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons. Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.

She didn’t ask anyone for advice. She didn’t read a book on how to let go. She didn’t search the scriptures. She just let go.

She let go of all of the memories that held her back. She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.

She didn’t promise to let go. She didn’t journal about it. She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer. She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper. She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope. She just let go.

She didn’t analyze whether she should let go. She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter. She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment. She didn’t call the prayer line. She didn’t utter one word. She just let go.

No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or congratulations. No one thanked her or praised her. No one noticed a thing. Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.

There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad. It was what it was, and it is just that.

In the space of letting go, she let it all be. A small smile came over her face. A light breeze blew through her. And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.

~Rev. Safire Rose

She would have...

She would have been 64 years old today.

She would have been off spending her annual gift card to the arts and crafts store to get more paint and canvases.

She would have loved to hear the memories that come flooding back as I raise my 9 year old daughter. How I recalled her spending an entire weekend studying over 500 spelling bee words so I could win the 4th grade spelling be and then go on to win the school spelling bee and represent my school in the district wide bee. I remembered this when I encouraged Katie to write her speech to run for Mrs. Stegent's 4th grade class representative. I want so badly for her to win, I can understand how Mom gave that time to me.

She would have grinned and said, "I remember too!" when I told her how my 7 year old wanted me to roll her hair in sponge curlers so she would have pretty curls for school today. More memories as I had her kneel in front of me watching t.v. with a cup of water to dip the comb in to dampen her hair.

She would have said, "I told you so!" when I told her how very right she was that the love for a little boy can totally overwhelm and knock your socks off and that girls are special and you will love them like no tomorrow, but there is just something about a boy. She would have loved her 1st and only grandson like nobody's business.

She would have tenderly brushed my tears away and said, "It's all gonna be okay Lanie." when I cried and told her there isn't a day that goes by I don't think of her and miss her so deeply.

She would have wanted me to smile, get busy, create and enjoy this precious life that I have been blessed with.

And so I will.

Happy birthday Mama...

Why I want to win tuition to Brave Girls Art School...

I am most excited about Brave Girl Art School because...

I have felt stuck for sometime. My dream is to create beautiful art that touches the lives of others and teaches my children there are no boundaries to what they can create or achieve in their lives. I am blessed to be a stay at home mom, but along with that blessing comes a struggle for me. I long for a deeper connection with other creative women. In addition, I am approaching the 3rd anniversary of my sweet mother's passing. I have a dream to carry on her legacy and pass it to my children through art. After viewing the video, I think Brave Girl Art School is just what I need to take a leap and be inspired to create from my soul art that can achieve those dreams.

M and S doodles to match Pottery Barn Kids bedding...

I finished the M and S that I was working on. I am so excited about these!

M is for Madden. It was requested that this match Pottery Barn Madras bedding.

and

S is for Sutton. This one was requested to match Pottery Barn Lahaina Surf bedding.

As I mentioned before, these were a new challenge for me. I am really glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something different. They were a lot of fun to do!

On to the next doodle! :)

Linking here:

  

Monday Musings... Friends

This is a photo from my 40th birthday celebration in January 2011. These lovely ladies treated me to an evening painting at a local business. We had a great time eating chocolate cake, drinking wine and painting. What could possibly be better?

Of course, that's me in the princess crown. To the left is Gina, to my right, Chris and Aamie. These are the three closest friends I have right now and I love them with all of my heart. I feel I can trust them with anything I tell them. I know they will love me and not judge me for who I am, quirks and all. We have been through so much together. Births of babies, deaths of loved ones, relationship situations and just the every day muck. We have also had the opportunity to share many joys together as well.  

A lot has happened in the year an a half since this celebration. Of course I found out within a month of this photo that I was pregnant with my third child. What a birthday gift! Gina had been in the process of looking for a job for almost 2 years and has since found one, joining the workforce after around a decade of being a stay at home mom. Aamie's family moved to Rio last summer and we went almost an entire year without seeing each other. She has been home for the last month and is heading back to Rio this Wednesday. :( I miss having her beautiful smile just 3 houses down. And Chris, well, this woman prayed fervently for a child in the 6 years since I had met her. Having had 2 miscarriages, she and her husband were on a quest to adopt a child at the time of this picture. In May of this year, their prayers were answered and they are the parents of a sweet baby boy. We get to raise our sons together!

This spring, I had a falling out with a person I thought was a friend. She acted like a friend and there are some wonderful things she did that I am eternally grateful for. But in the end, I learned the lesson of friends vs. acquaintances and she should have only been an acquaintance. I guess I can thank her for the lesson I hope I have learned about discernment of who true friends are and who are just acquaintances. I also was reminded of the beautiful blessings in the above photo. My true friends.

I found this quote while writing this and to me it sums up what true friendship is so well...

“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey


Gina, Chris and Aamie, thank you for always being there for me. I love you all so much!

I know there are other true friends who are going to read this. Friends who are now in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, and Ohio to name a few. Friends who stood by me through a lot over the years. You know who you are. Don't ever doubt I remember, appreciate and love you too!

 

Two new doodled letters for little boys in progress.

Can you tell I got a new phone? It is an HTC 1X. I love it and now, I am on Instagram. I'm not so keen on these two photos. I think my regular camera will work much better for pictures of my artwork. But, since I haven't added color to these two tropical letters, I think this will do today.

I received a request to do an S and an M to match some bedding. I will be showing the black and white uncolored artwork today and going over what colors to use with the "client". We will also be discussing what name or saying should be hidden in the letter as well.

I am pretty excited about these. This was a challenge as I am used to doing girly flowers and butterflies in my doodles. But as I got going, I had a really good time. I hope she likes them. I'll be sure to post the finished doodles when they are colored.

I'll keep you posted.

Monday Musings... A space of my own

Part of my space.

This is my drawing table. I have been working to turn it into a place to channel creativity. Upon it you can find a black and white picture of my mother, a small print of a painting my mom did, a picture of my children, a rosary and added just last week, a beautiful orchid.

Habits can be hard to develop, but I realize the importance of some time to myself. It's just making myself do it. I am sure before long I will look forward to sitting at my table once I get in the groove of spending time there.

My mother, rest her soul, didn't take time to nourish herself as we were growing up. She worried a lot about my dad's wants and needs and about what us kids were doing, but she didn't take care of herself. She didn't eat right, she didn't rest when she needed to and she didn't spend time alone spiritually. At least not that I know of. Unfortunately, I have developed my mother's habits of worrying about everyone else but myself. It isn't her fault, she did what she knew and learned from her mom. I think it is time to make a generational change and do my best to save my daughters from the same attitudes.

It will start at this table.

Do you have a space of your own? Is it a corner, a table, or an entire room?

Reminder... Oh Sully! Let's help an artist realize a dream!

Please take a moment to click the link and help Kevin get his great book published. It has such a wonderful message! As of this posting, Kevin is 30% funded. His deadline to reach $15,500 in funding for the project to be published is July 11.

Please take a look and contribute!

Monday Musings... What a difference a year makes!

Last year.

This month last year, we found out we were having a boy. So exciting!

Last year.

This month last year, we were deep into one of the hottest summers on record for Texas. I was getting big, starting to waddle and was very hot and very tired. I'd do it again to get this end result... 

This year. On the go baby!

Keeping up with this little guy is a challenge, but worth every second!

Inspire Me Friday (6/22/12)

Another installment of Inspire Me Friday. My favorites from around the blogosphere this week.

Don't forget to grab a button to the right if I featured you!

Make a cute Pom Pom Garland with Craft-o-Maniac. Fun!

A yummy recipe for Ice Cream Sandwich Cake at Tatertots and Jello.

Beautiful Embroidered Handprints at Ducks In a Row.

Cute, sweet and yummy recipe for Jello Cookies at Just Helen.

Braided Seed Bead Tutorial at One Artsy Mama.

Cool off with an Orange Whip recipe from The Gunny Sack. 

Patriotic Scrappy Fabric Bunting Tutorial at Craftholics Anonymous.

Other links that struck my fancy...

ENVY - A Love Story at The Daily Love

50 Roadtrip Ideas for Kids at Six Sisters' Stuff.

A Parents Guide to Better Photos at Making The World Cuter.

Gorgeous Guest Post: Amanda Oaks of Kind Over Matter at Kelly Rae.

Wakefield Upheld: Italian Court Gives Case to Family of MMR-Vaccine Injured Child at Real Food Media Blog Network. 

Happy crafting and cooking! Have a fantastic weekend!