tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57728377550337295852024-02-07T05:53:13.557-08:00A little art in every day!Juggling a creative life with everything else ...Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-67079249233878616542013-11-25T06:50:00.000-08:002013-11-25T06:53:08.545-08:00What's for Dinner?Anyone gotten as burned out by this question as I have?<br />
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Don't get me wrong - I actually love to cook. I just don't love planning the menu all the time. And, although everyone has their two cents to put in once dinner is on the table, I can't seem to get their input when I'm in the menu planning stage. UGH! Every week it's the same!<br />
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So, I decided I needed to somehow put a creative spin on the process.<br />
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This past spring I took a mini-course in chalkboard art. I made this cute sign for my son's high school graduation party,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJQ9R4n1KHNSnPpYEtdfOyILkNmNcRnQqvWLtKrrw3x8ZXOkxqe-JyJkUl5mhbQYEebtwqwCDcHkr2DswihQnX9JPwv1cia-UjQj9W0pAcMwvDuEc-LbM0VuL1Nvh0WOmWGu9BYwgFpcB/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJQ9R4n1KHNSnPpYEtdfOyILkNmNcRnQqvWLtKrrw3x8ZXOkxqe-JyJkUl5mhbQYEebtwqwCDcHkr2DswihQnX9JPwv1cia-UjQj9W0pAcMwvDuEc-LbM0VuL1Nvh0WOmWGu9BYwgFpcB/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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and this one for our church youth mission team send-off party,<br />
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and this one for when my two young missionaries came back to the nest.<br />
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When I came across a cute framed chalkboard for my kitchen, I knew I had the answer for both kicking my menu planning boredom AND getting my kids to stop asking me that dreaded question every night.<br />
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Love it! And, best of all, it works!!<br />
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<br />Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-68276430242386240352013-10-30T08:00:00.000-07:002013-10-30T08:12:29.856-07:00I'm being outgrown ...<div align="center">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When my kids were small, they loved blankets. The softer, the better. The bigger, the better. They loved to wrap themselves up in them like little caterpillars in cocoons. They wanted to take them wherever they went too. They'd drag them up and down stairs and all through the house and beg to take them with us in the car. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Often their favorites were the ones they'd started using as infants in their cribs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At one time, their tiny baby body was just a bitty bump under the enormous blanket. Gradually they grew into it, though, taking up more space beneath it. Gradually they realized that staying wrapped up in a blanket grew hot and restrictive and kept you from going outside too. Gradually they realized that carrying around a blanket (that was usually pretty tattered and torn by years of use) wasn't the coolest look either. So the blankets got less and less use over time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've been feeling pretty much like those blankets lately. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've been a stay-at-home-mom to four kids for 24 years and still counting. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My youngest will become a teenager next year, the next is nearly half-way through high school, the next just started college this year, and the oldest is out of college making a life on his own out of state. I feel privileged to have stayed home with them all these years. I feel blessed to have witnessed so many wonderful moments with each of them. I feel very grateful to my husband whose career and work ethic made it all possible for us. When I was in the midst of the busy childcare days of diapers and tantrums, snack time and nap time, play dates and preschool, soccer practice and dance lessons, I knew my job description and performed it well (most days). I never thought much about it coming to an end or even changing to a lesser role. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now, however, I'm starting to see it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The fact is my kids need me less often and in a different capacity than when they were small. They need less of my time and more of my heart. They need me to be less visible but always available. They've outgrown me just as they outgrew those blankets. I surrounded them just like a blanket with comfort and security and love when they were small. The bigger they grew -- no matter how hard either of us tried to stretch it -- the blanket only covered so much. The more independent they now become, the less my help and guidance can be stretched to meet all their needs. At some point, they each have to break free of the blankets wrapped around them and go out in the world to play.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, am I sad about this transition? Sometimes, but not always. Those blankets now outgrown are cherished treasures! And ... just as even a small blanket can be pulled out now and then for warmth and comfort, so can a mom -- no matter how big the child gets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Such is the saga of the career stay-at-home-mom. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you do it right, eventually you work your way out of the job.</span></div>
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Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-35491377845953342092013-10-25T08:30:00.000-07:002013-10-25T09:23:21.914-07:00Perfectionism - the little demon!<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I've been talking myself out of MANY things lately by claiming that I can't do <em>X</em> until all of this <em>Y</em> is in perfect order. I really want to do <em>X</em> and will do <em>X</em> as soon as I'm caught up on <em>Y</em>. If only I didn't always have so much <em>Y</em> to do, I'd be able to have time for <em>X</em>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">What is my <em>X</em>? In general, ART.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">What is my <em>Y</em>? Oh, so many mindless things ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">All the household junk that needs to be done but really doesn't need to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">consume my days the way I allow it to sometimes. It's the busy work I make for myself continually making 'to do' lists instead of just buckling down and 'doing.' </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It's the quick errands run that turns into a day of leisure </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">shopping because </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I don't want to go home and do the items on my 'to do' list. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It's too much and too often unnecessary computer time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Even when I commit to art I hold myself back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I want to make a project but need certain supplies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I take time to gather/buy all the supplies but need to learn the techniques. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I take an online class to learn the techniques but don't want to 'waste' the supplies by using them on something unworthy of keeping so I don't try anything at all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I take in all this knowledge through the course but don't allow myself the slightest </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">learning curve necessary to get started actually applying it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It's time to stop this madness! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Perfectionism needs to be kicked to the curb!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It's time to gently allow myself to be imperfect, inexperienced, and </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">awkward at something new instead of expecting to ace it the first time through. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">A book I'm currently reading, <u>The Gifts of Imperfection</u> by Brene Brown, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">is reinforcing this big time -- and boy, do I need to hear it regularly!</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">I'm imperfect and I'm enough!</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It's time to allow myself to make mistakes and create ugly art </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">but learn through </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">the process instead of expecting to create a masterpiece </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">every time I sit before a blank canvas. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It's time to start showing up to <u>practice</u> art instead of always having a </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">plan to make </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">specific art. Really, no art created is unworthy when the </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">process of creating brings joy and satisfaction. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It's time to just show up -- imperfections welcome!</span></div>
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Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-55767751733855867512013-10-23T09:04:00.000-07:002013-10-23T09:04:09.391-07:00Change is a-coming!!<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">So ... a little art in every day ... not so much lately. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm dusting off my studio table after several months of inactivity. I<span style="color: black;"> let so many things keep me </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">from creating in the studio this year. Some have been very good things - family things that were wonderful to be present for. Some were necessary household things that we all have to make time for. Some were actually creative things that I was involved in outside my little home studio (which I may post on in the future?). </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Mostly, however, I've stopped being accountable to myself about the importance to me </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">of a little art in every day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">But it's time for that to change.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">When I was a young girl, growing up in a large household on the farm, every Saturday was house cleaning day. My sisters and I would have to get up early (often being awakened before 8am to the sound of the vacuum cleaner - my mother's not-so-subtle hint at what day of the week it was!) and help my mom thoroughly clean house. No Saturday morning cartoons, no games, no play, no arts and crafts, no going outside until the cleaning jobs were all finished. We were usually able to work together well enough to finish by early afternoon and were then free to choose our amusements until chore and dinner prep. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">I used to look forward to baking and creating art on those afternoons. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">I'd pour through the cookbooks for new recipes to try. (I baked my first loaf of braided Challah bread when I was about 13.) I'd also spend hours in my room coloring or cutting up construction paper and </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">glueing together collages, dioramas, and any other 3D art. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Both are still great pleasures for me. Both are creative things I still look forward to doing </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">'once my real work is finished'. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">On the farm -- with its never-ending list of chores to accomplish 24/7, and in the household I began when I married my sweetheart -- when we were busily having and raising our four children, this order of priorities was quite necessary. Increasingly though, with the independence of my children, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I think that order of priorities is a bit backwards for me.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The 'real work' I'd like to be doing is the creative work.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">What would happen if I flipped my priorities around? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">What would happen if I treated my creative skills with respect and allowed them to fill more hours of my day than ... say, laundry? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">What would happen if I allowed myself to learn more and dive a little deeper into art? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">For the longest time I've been placing my art at the bottom of the To Do list. I've only allowed myself time for it if and when all other tasks are finished. I now realize this is a mistake. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">I need art in my every day routine. It energizes me, uplifts me, calms me, strengthens me to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">do the unpleasant and mundane things I have to do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">I should be doing more of it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">I will do more of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Change is coming!</span></div>
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Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-33122213513827451922012-06-24T06:15:00.002-07:002012-06-24T06:15:51.384-07:00A watercolor vintage Valentine project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I didn't really set out to make a Valentine project this year, it just sort of happened. </div>
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I was surfing through the Live with Prima online video classes and came across <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/20182710">this one</a> and simply had to try it out. I had been <strike>hoarding </strike> selectively reserving Prima's watercolor papers for a very special purpose and now it was time to bring them out to PLAY.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfDROpXN4IKhwAXJEdneKiw0X2N5TaE6K_W_Hjfr9qaXzGX1vqPP5ougIhq6mMRvMX4HpPJeYIPmhP5FfrkkzwZVGZ9uFn6pQgx2APyTPK6dwv-7-2qapSp5Z2RlYNedmWChTXtF-iWxE/s1600/vintage+valentines+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfDROpXN4IKhwAXJEdneKiw0X2N5TaE6K_W_Hjfr9qaXzGX1vqPP5ougIhq6mMRvMX4HpPJeYIPmhP5FfrkkzwZVGZ9uFn6pQgx2APyTPK6dwv-7-2qapSp5Z2RlYNedmWChTXtF-iWxE/s320/vintage+valentines+003.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Using the watercolor papers (which start off totally black on white), some Distress Ink, Distress Stains, Glimmer Glaze, watercolor crayons, watercolor pens, watercolor pencils, and Glimmer Mist, this was what my pages looked like. I loved them too much not to make a book out of them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCeRjgKLJFgL1VuWCBpyJ46ZGpQd5Hz3sfuM2aZ1oRnB59S4vAcBNmM8zq19uTYqVp2NDCMgmoKcqv78TfYx9WDtaRhTpkb5P9oBn9Rf72Ge-4vN50sr0mev0WWOCb4oSQmMgph2xa09yg/s1600/june24+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCeRjgKLJFgL1VuWCBpyJ46ZGpQd5Hz3sfuM2aZ1oRnB59S4vAcBNmM8zq19uTYqVp2NDCMgmoKcqv78TfYx9WDtaRhTpkb5P9oBn9Rf72Ge-4vN50sr0mev0WWOCb4oSQmMgph2xa09yg/s320/june24+013.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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What better to share on Valentine's Day than the love verse from I Corinthians.</div>
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I mounted the pages on black cardstock, then on an old acrylic book I'd also been saving for too long. The book hangs from my 7Gypsies display stand.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHoUYnNqZq-FXmj0BDTzkLcurPGp_MqbBvBRYYAgBp6BIz0HLuuACxkh-2E2Wy-DlyDIWgz0W27MTPxx2HNL4jpztcaL0AiC08aO8ncFqr4cw4t8ZRQxVFmb3DczcgdzAig6muONaflAP/s1600/june24+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHoUYnNqZq-FXmj0BDTzkLcurPGp_MqbBvBRYYAgBp6BIz0HLuuACxkh-2E2Wy-DlyDIWgz0W27MTPxx2HNL4jpztcaL0AiC08aO8ncFqr4cw4t8ZRQxVFmb3DczcgdzAig6muONaflAP/s320/june24+007.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-8xc5iBahm_r-Asul1CfE9cqn_SuTqPoSTic04k7IZZ7szCG5CBOjkUSxgPkB4NGsdltxOeV-SEBEaRxf-Cs2ulwHlDzdTXKBHl-hk-BvgOFf-0oGeT99GuJUHArYR3Ac8j6IDIwoouF/s1600/june24+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-8xc5iBahm_r-Asul1CfE9cqn_SuTqPoSTic04k7IZZ7szCG5CBOjkUSxgPkB4NGsdltxOeV-SEBEaRxf-Cs2ulwHlDzdTXKBHl-hk-BvgOFf-0oGeT99GuJUHArYR3Ac8j6IDIwoouF/s320/june24+009.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Such a cool project to work on. </div>
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I did lose a pair of my favorite jeans in the process though. NOTE: Glimmer Glaze doesn't do well on favorite jeans or on carpet. Oops!</div>
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Thanks for looking.</div>
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Jill</div>
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<br /></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-28370447601124378802012-06-22T20:14:00.000-07:002012-06-22T20:14:00.088-07:00FINALLY, right?<br />
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Since life seems to be traveling at light speed for me, it's no wonder I haven't blogged since ... what? November!! Wow. Sorry. Been a little busy.</div>
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In a nutshell there were ...</div>
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the holidays,</div>
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the interim term and final semester of college for our oldest son,</div>
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the many phone calls of encouragement to said college son,</div>
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the frequent travels of my DH (LOTS of this),</div>
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the trip to California I took to visit old friends and my favorite beach (Laguna),</div>
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the online art classes I enjoyed (but have yet to do most of the work for),</div>
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the homework (and extra projects - GRRR!) help for our 3 kids still home,</div>
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the many chorus and band concerts (we enjoyed but often came 3 a week),</div>
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the spring break trip to Utah skiing (that was great!),</div>
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the Easter weekend trip to Michigan to visit my mom on the farm,</div>
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the middle school musical, Cinderella, in which my daughter was "the studious sister"</div>
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the set for said musical, which I got to create! (So much FUN!)</div>
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the church dinner theater, Family Camp, </div>
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in which my son was the camp's nature guide and my daughter a Bonnie Bell scout,</div>
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the set for said dinner theater, </div>
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where this time I got to put up wallpaper for a faux log cabin and rock fireplace,</div>
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the weekend trip to Massachusetts my DH and I took to see our son's senior art exhibit,</div>
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the vertigo and subsequent ER visit for me on said Massachusetts trip (So. Not. Fun.),</div>
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the gardening (herbs, flowers, tomato and pepper plants),</div>
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the end-of-school-year wrap up events that make you <em>beg </em>for summer break,</div>
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the usual May and June events - </div>
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Mother's Day, my birthday, my in-laws birthdays, our anniversary, Father's Day, </div>
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and my husband's birthday (whew! those two are killer months!)</div>
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the graduation party and art exhibit we held for our college son - </div>
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Yay! He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree!</div>
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and, now that summer break is upon us ...</div>
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the summer band and chorus weeks,</div>
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the swimming lessons,</div>
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the endless requests for play dates, pool dates, sleepovers, and outings with friends,</div>
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the family game nights (YES!),</div>
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the later bedtimes,</div>
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the sleeping in (AHHH!),</div>
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the endless trips to the grocery store (man, these kids can eat!),</div>
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the picnics on the lawn and dinners on the patio,</div>
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the baby bunnies in the herb garden (second year! SO love those little cuties!)</div>
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the prep for our beach vacation for July 4th week (Yikes! that's soon!)</div>
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and the rest of the summer calendar is just as full.</div>
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So ... now that you've read my excuses (if you're still reading!), I will fill in the gaps with pics and details as I get them posted. I have managed a few art projects amidst all this BUSYness and would love to share. </div>
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What's keeping you busy these days?</div>
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Happy Summer! </div>
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Thanks for checking in,</div>
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Jill</div>
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<br /></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-52012929744161807472011-11-03T11:28:00.000-07:002011-11-03T11:28:05.398-07:00Soaking up more ...<div style="text-align: center;">When my kids were in Montessori preschool, the director likened their little minds to sponges soaking up everything possible for them to learn.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Well, I guess I feel that way too about art. So ... I'm taking yet another class to learn, grow, experiment, and just PLAY!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Fellow Brave Girl, Jeanne Oliver, creates gorgeous vintage art.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Just look at all this artsy goodness ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="365" src="http://jeanneoliverdesigns.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/creativelymadecollage1.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Online class begins in January but registration is open now.</div><div style="text-align: center;">To join me, go to <a href="http://www.jeanneoliverdesigns.com/">www.jeanneoliverdesigns.com</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Jill</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-91077568119348618682011-09-16T09:10:00.000-07:002011-09-16T09:10:20.696-07:00Lost in a Blue Friday<div style="text-align: center;">Today I'm finding myself in a blue mood - maybe it's the gloomy skies this morning or the busy weekend we have ahead of us, maybe it's stress from the last busy week(s), or that "busy" has become an all too common response to the question, "How are you?" lately. In the midst of this constantly busy life I realized this morning that I feel lonely. How can you feel lonely when you can't even keep up with your full calendar? Somehow, I can. Somehow, today all of our frequent moves and starting over is hitting me full force and, unfortunately for you (IS there any of you?) I've decided to share it on the blog.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This week I've been focusing on some home decorating. It's been an on-off project for the last year as we settled into our most recent home. While I'm hoping - no seriously praying - that this is our last house and last move and last start over, I'm also reluctant to decorate it. Partly this is out of spite - a home is something that is built over a long period of time and can't just be created in a year with new furniture and paint and silly store-bought accessories. I've always wanted our home to tell our story. I've wanted it to be welcoming to guests but more importantly I've wanted our kids to feel a part of it and feel the memories attached to it as they grow. How can I possibly create this when I keep having to start over!!? The home decorator in me is trying really hard to just make it comfy and inviting but the nearly 50 year old woman in me is just so sad that no matter what I put in here it feels too new when I feel old and it won't really tell our story. Our story is too full of beginnings. Just when I think I'm getting to a middle and putting down some roots and creating some real history, we end up starting over with another beginning again. Today I just feel so ungrounded - like I have been yanked up so many times I don't have any roots left to put down. Worst of all, I don't feel like the roots matter anymore. I want them to. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So, as I try to get out of this funk today and focus more on the house projects I'm supposed to be doing (curtains for my girls' rooms, painting my son's room and several other rooms that haven't been touched yet) I can't help feeling like I'm simply going through the motions of creating a home. Why? For myself and my family, you would think, right? I wish that was enough for me. It's not. I want to create warmth and charm and some form of fabricated history so others can see it and share it. I want people in my life. But starting over makes that so complicated. You see, they (whatever potential new friends we might find) are very busy people too. They are busy with their old friends and family that they've never had to leave and start over without. We are too far down on their wait list. What if, by the time we move up on that list, we end up having to start over again? With the fear of that happening - all that time wasted investing in new relationships - I find myself too tired of the waiting, too tired of being disappointed and moved away to invest any more time drawing people in. Focusing on the house for awhile seemed a good distraction. It's not really working. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Jill</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-46474088330398067382011-09-10T09:14:00.000-07:002011-09-10T09:14:03.512-07:00Heading back to the classroom ...<span style="font-size: large;">... to teach.</span><br />
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I've lined up several paper art classes to share at our local Hobby Lobby (on Rt. 59 in Aurora). Here is the docket for this fall:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Canvas Autumn Mini Book ($35)</strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREIKmIa8VKfWgbUMFBnUn0oywirPR8RiKuLI_6hICJatul0KPsoTjI9ZmFnHEsv9ZQkCiQldCk1Jt7cZNkm7XYI4ddt_zPDV2W2V-OtsSWDORV5m0_vBu058V1G1-V0Lku86atl5msvgq/s1600/sept10download+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREIKmIa8VKfWgbUMFBnUn0oywirPR8RiKuLI_6hICJatul0KPsoTjI9ZmFnHEsv9ZQkCiQldCk1Jt7cZNkm7XYI4ddt_zPDV2W2V-OtsSWDORV5m0_vBu058V1G1-V0Lku86atl5msvgq/s320/sept10download+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Tue. 10/4 9am-12pm or</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sat. 10/8 1pm-4pm</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Handmade Journal ($30)</strong></em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGdQH8kk8Gpj3mNfnmG_txXO3g0BQbwRj1rpHnJ75c90JDkSljHAzvHRc22XBLRZNnzk3KurCt9So2dxc7y42rsqGsQC_W4KjEfFcO99QE9sTLpFrEc9W2fAyKr7fXoKwJ9tjSz3mjR5J/s1600/sept10download+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGdQH8kk8Gpj3mNfnmG_txXO3g0BQbwRj1rpHnJ75c90JDkSljHAzvHRc22XBLRZNnzk3KurCt9So2dxc7y42rsqGsQC_W4KjEfFcO99QE9sTLpFrEc9W2fAyKr7fXoKwJ9tjSz3mjR5J/s320/sept10download+001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tue. 10/11 9am-12pm or</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sat. 10/15 1pm-4pm</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Scallop Mini Book ($25)</strong></em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLcwey8frt0FMmaVIbTCvKTJWBxQCdHzYzFQupcc-bClyVFEapdLIHtEL5b1HXNO84l8gP3z_6Ydwqamxqv07eoPneW0QMTEw1Yvns3RtFSegG3lfz6bakkg2Gbe2nTcPXxArTFAjiBgT/s1600/sept10download+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLcwey8frt0FMmaVIbTCvKTJWBxQCdHzYzFQupcc-bClyVFEapdLIHtEL5b1HXNO84l8gP3z_6Ydwqamxqv07eoPneW0QMTEw1Yvns3RtFSegG3lfz6bakkg2Gbe2nTcPXxArTFAjiBgT/s320/sept10download+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tue. 10/18 9am-12pm or</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sat. 10/22 1pm-4pm</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Paper Quilt Box ($25)</em></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqWkSiNuysNSlBzkS_oxpEtasNMoXcVgnlrj-ZvYBtEp_ZOVxNLPXl7lUz_hAqolC1oI9dWmxEwiioefIruX2uKYOgM7hFMd6qDqZojZ7EirWyDXoBXeFINSa649YGzZLGXF1TepI-Czc/s1600/sept10download+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqWkSiNuysNSlBzkS_oxpEtasNMoXcVgnlrj-ZvYBtEp_ZOVxNLPXl7lUz_hAqolC1oI9dWmxEwiioefIruX2uKYOgM7hFMd6qDqZojZ7EirWyDXoBXeFINSa649YGzZLGXF1TepI-Czc/s320/sept10download+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tue. 11/1 9am-12pm or</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sat. 11/5 1pm-4pm</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>The Notebook ($25)</em></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrgQmuLHSy5Rf4WLKXzVLrF-GrQ8NjtwXn1QeejXH0PenzSltlybuVy6bVk-Enzpql3kt_UmKX5wYLQFmBk_Ebpd5V3xyrwMrBqi9DUSyCkKAgzgVReXT3fAFfRtifndGyCcydUI3Oll0/s1600/sept10download+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrgQmuLHSy5Rf4WLKXzVLrF-GrQ8NjtwXn1QeejXH0PenzSltlybuVy6bVk-Enzpql3kt_UmKX5wYLQFmBk_Ebpd5V3xyrwMrBqi9DUSyCkKAgzgVReXT3fAFfRtifndGyCcydUI3Oll0/s320/sept10download+004.JPG" width="240" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tue. 11/8 9am-12pm or</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sat. 11/12 1pm-4pm</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Altered Frame ($25)</em></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6erocuCkC5DGzAyu1efc4SEIgxmfPfhjHWINSvYNTajhzafcTj9jDh6sQF3M5AlJatzu6sw7zBJHqdSyLfdf2VfsdVM7HdP_zBUYg0AdCUR5si5DolBKOZQRidZMSxnLNBsrx6F-xEOWh/s1600/sept10download+078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6erocuCkC5DGzAyu1efc4SEIgxmfPfhjHWINSvYNTajhzafcTj9jDh6sQF3M5AlJatzu6sw7zBJHqdSyLfdf2VfsdVM7HdP_zBUYg0AdCUR5si5DolBKOZQRidZMSxnLNBsrx6F-xEOWh/s320/sept10download+078.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tue. 11/15 9am-12pm or</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sat. 11/19 1pm-4pm</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Hoping to get plenty of folks interested. It's always a pleasure to meet new people in these classes. I'm excited to expand my circle of artsy friends. Contact me at <a href="mailto:gajgreen@aol.com">gajgreen@aol.com</a> if you'd like to join the fun!<br />
<br />
JillJillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-28948048342375220372011-08-31T07:22:00.000-07:002011-08-31T07:22:11.881-07:00Playing "Catch-up" ...<div style="text-align: center;">OK - so school has started and the scramble is on to try and </div><div style="text-align: center;">catch up on all the things I've let go all season. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Yeah, right!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I think instead of getting bogged down for too long with that lengthy list, </div><div style="text-align: center;">I will try to savor at least one thing this summer gave me:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>In the midst of my lovely landscaped yard I planted a few tomato plants and an herb garden. </div><div style="text-align: center;">While enjoying fresh tomatoes and a variety of fresh herbs just outside my kitchen door is wonderful itself, </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wUkxHRXRvShiwxnNjVoINN19YV8TNoeqNgwNLdMRACIhCIQCTtm0YAB1QusrVZCKoQjOzPwpooyWTAjtPpfHRPSUmiI8FS1l1b6Q6JMKOwb_6P3iH0t7svzGXo9YYezGRKo_2lGpP9nb/s320/august23download+353.JPG" width="240" xaa="true" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">nature left us something even more wonderful. </div><div style="text-align: center;">In said herb garden, a mother rabbit burrowed and treated us to a couple weeks of peeks at her babies. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeLyYbB3tDGIwUWcE9s_MZFuNaveQYDYsp5DhMeMAF_qGECIwGPKBjcs3NqYzw4lbEjjza_380_f9KiuMpCsqFjw7mK9ye8RVV_iQVtIVSg5JywniAJh6I4vxI3xMz9gZdUkly4NN8xNPj/s1600/august23download+349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeLyYbB3tDGIwUWcE9s_MZFuNaveQYDYsp5DhMeMAF_qGECIwGPKBjcs3NqYzw4lbEjjza_380_f9KiuMpCsqFjw7mK9ye8RVV_iQVtIVSg5JywniAJh6I4vxI3xMz9gZdUkly4NN8xNPj/s320/august23download+349.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div>Although only one of the two survived and all too soon the burrow was deserted, we all enjoyed their presence for the time we were allowed a view. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Through this time, I found myself nostalgic for my younger days. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Perhaps the farm finds the farm girl even here in the suburbs. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">For your viewing pleasure:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBSOOTQOTaxyTsCmD-_oAC4ie6RjFEBXyrYdKF_5dZJ9NEM7F5tYRshfx6k2VevLRXqL4bXRgFFyW11EeETM4m_sLqGgFtYFdDCjDcylAmuSMWTfDNhpIt8XPVjz2vN6xb6a_SzOl3XJQ/s1600/august23download+368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBSOOTQOTaxyTsCmD-_oAC4ie6RjFEBXyrYdKF_5dZJ9NEM7F5tYRshfx6k2VevLRXqL4bXRgFFyW11EeETM4m_sLqGgFtYFdDCjDcylAmuSMWTfDNhpIt8XPVjz2vN6xb6a_SzOl3XJQ/s320/august23download+368.JPG" width="240" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoKNNmXZvHZlmePN4gsRZMTY5hOG46gflsQElbmBCR79X5BvDfITUUXsug6nz66JnX_wgZBYpO_-V15Bl1qeQJIN-Xw6HFTcP_2qKNkMCgmjmSqOYUkjJ6YXe_RPH1px-1Rnnrrv0PMZT/s1600/august23download+372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoKNNmXZvHZlmePN4gsRZMTY5hOG46gflsQElbmBCR79X5BvDfITUUXsug6nz66JnX_wgZBYpO_-V15Bl1qeQJIN-Xw6HFTcP_2qKNkMCgmjmSqOYUkjJ6YXe_RPH1px-1Rnnrrv0PMZT/s320/august23download+372.JPG" width="240" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1zg0TyV-NBOGC7QsuvLdwEP2yZMQv0fbKg9kNjxgOClFkAr9DKJLRUQUHTVfnj-QtO6d0JTPsbUI-y9cev1pl17RN2sW0BSd0y2v8Z6eNGznc0CgB959_O87taib31zLmkmWoC2nOhmv/s1600/august23download+380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1zg0TyV-NBOGC7QsuvLdwEP2yZMQv0fbKg9kNjxgOClFkAr9DKJLRUQUHTVfnj-QtO6d0JTPsbUI-y9cev1pl17RN2sW0BSd0y2v8Z6eNGznc0CgB959_O87taib31zLmkmWoC2nOhmv/s320/august23download+380.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Thanks for visiting.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Jill</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><br />
Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-29386774621048143882011-06-24T00:00:00.000-07:002011-06-24T05:16:16.547-07:00The Lazy Days of Summer ...<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">... yeah, right!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I think we've been busier in our household now than during the school year! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I will admit it's at least more fun things for the kids but </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">it's certainly </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">more of a juggling challenge for me. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyone feel that way, too!?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In an effort to maintain my summer sanity, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I am <u>trying</u> to find ways for art to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">fit in to our busy days too.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">With that goal in mind, the ping-pong table in our basement was temporarily (or at least Greg sincerely hopes it's temporary!) converted into an art table for "She Art" Girl canvas art.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> (see </span><a href="http://www.christytomlinson.typepad.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.christytomlinson.typepad.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> and her She Art Workshop)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAWfFZLOl5zPsIab3QITcZ0nm8iROzsqWsTuyPr_-H03IDdXeonxnRlCju4katwQW-b10xC3AJ8cYnoNtkKWmQAGt0K9IoV0hqZux1YBsoHqRG781H_-EKxrw7rb5Ju6OLvoqfLUdHFxL/s1600/june17download+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAWfFZLOl5zPsIab3QITcZ0nm8iROzsqWsTuyPr_-H03IDdXeonxnRlCju4katwQW-b10xC3AJ8cYnoNtkKWmQAGt0K9IoV0hqZux1YBsoHqRG781H_-EKxrw7rb5Ju6OLvoqfLUdHFxL/s320/june17download+058.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zA6DqZy5BQz5Ip1Y-XV3Wmx2jaVP3iZTApU2erHEXWtNJape0YMEfkVDiuN6CaKn4DYwFh2BYPJdR5V3_dnSaPoCGBRwGHoRjcT_njhOVHbo7UHGG_Xzz3sbCJoKXQ_lxQFXDkGAtkoo/s1600/june17download+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zA6DqZy5BQz5Ip1Y-XV3Wmx2jaVP3iZTApU2erHEXWtNJape0YMEfkVDiuN6CaKn4DYwFh2BYPJdR5V3_dnSaPoCGBRwGHoRjcT_njhOVHbo7UHGG_Xzz3sbCJoKXQ_lxQFXDkGAtkoo/s320/june17download+063.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My daughters and I have seen 8 girls take shape over the past 3 weeks. They each made one for their room:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here is Mackenzie's -</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11USyEpOpJ16tHg_hcOD78uP8cfCvVXvD86qcJsJJNR0OMkAINTdZpyf44Uq4JusBgkbee-xfOXPgkaKoisRzR7_0P68nTi55VZlXtqzCOrk9isYF3cUDczjiRx1gNT7wVYDPzX3QQVoC/s1600/june23download+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11USyEpOpJ16tHg_hcOD78uP8cfCvVXvD86qcJsJJNR0OMkAINTdZpyf44Uq4JusBgkbee-xfOXPgkaKoisRzR7_0P68nTi55VZlXtqzCOrk9isYF3cUDczjiRx1gNT7wVYDPzX3QQVoC/s320/june23download+006.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span> </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and here is Paige's -</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTrgso4iEf0gHayhjEwS6wXT30Sq3t1HFJPOYnUbaCTI7zXYMiTI2KVYyGT_GBTJXWGrP4n3-0iTZBMgsIHVhaxsf043ctlWhyo8-LE1jc66uAmo0sAdJp7NPl0O4WCbuXZjXDbDb5snt/s1600/june23download+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTrgso4iEf0gHayhjEwS6wXT30Sq3t1HFJPOYnUbaCTI7zXYMiTI2KVYyGT_GBTJXWGrP4n3-0iTZBMgsIHVhaxsf043ctlWhyo8-LE1jc66uAmo0sAdJp7NPl0O4WCbuXZjXDbDb5snt/s320/june23download+005.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span> </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have been working on a girl for my oldest son's lovely girlfriend (Hi Allie!) and 5 girls to donate for a charity auction benefit for the Idaho Health Care Association. Special thanks to Christy Tomlinson for her permission for us all to use her workshop design to create for the auction and special thanks to Jana Darrington for this fabulous idea and opportunity to share our art with others!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here are my 6 from their simple paper covered canvas beginnings ...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9FWPdUqf3Mc_jX_5Rf7zHYC1ePhWxmQTuaXE3GC9pLLj1zhJTCgZA8oJSlTdFYBL0MBD8R6kmgu-XJqEe_2H4t_Zmw9HdAH6ZTx4NmxHblt94sPosnCol6uIQMKclo3hasOjo-SmhkrU/s1600/june17download+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9FWPdUqf3Mc_jX_5Rf7zHYC1ePhWxmQTuaXE3GC9pLLj1zhJTCgZA8oJSlTdFYBL0MBD8R6kmgu-XJqEe_2H4t_Zmw9HdAH6ZTx4NmxHblt94sPosnCol6uIQMKclo3hasOjo-SmhkrU/s320/june17download+054.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">transforming, layer ...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFa0GK4oFKs0gTce1GpPTTYILSVnPn4BDYmkTesbVTRXKoLQzVdlH6zK4WfK1vZ1wcIlmCeXHwAutwoRrLXFTaXUhZuUOzYSeE4iAapfzdhYPkApsNwbLwJtbs7r0-R2YABX3U2WZn6AW7/s1600/june17download+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFa0GK4oFKs0gTce1GpPTTYILSVnPn4BDYmkTesbVTRXKoLQzVdlH6zK4WfK1vZ1wcIlmCeXHwAutwoRrLXFTaXUhZuUOzYSeE4iAapfzdhYPkApsNwbLwJtbs7r0-R2YABX3U2WZn6AW7/s320/june17download+056.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">by layer ...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oiq8guXGiJH3uLr62Ipfa8OxEEz6SlT53X-1JraSAPyX8QFvtyIHfHa0q09KfwWEEXzcmRJlQcLVAuVO1xni_mkIFJxt8pei_XFl07V3ecQrAqgVKhMkVm2BuahP7UcmU9BhNwlbDWCN/s1600/june17download+060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oiq8guXGiJH3uLr62Ipfa8OxEEz6SlT53X-1JraSAPyX8QFvtyIHfHa0q09KfwWEEXzcmRJlQcLVAuVO1xni_mkIFJxt8pei_XFl07V3ecQrAqgVKhMkVm2BuahP7UcmU9BhNwlbDWCN/s320/june17download+060.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">by layer ...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLKQwS1UOD3dpziivoZeynBPrsgGRpa2I7SVsbvVIyK4Qoynw_Mm1sMPp62WYQqEc6OnnL9CXIkiclyklSxW2iM3aTl-bLMS81H3VFUowgm0lXG0JSOnwhh4Gd8ruQABKUcIcjxVMs3M4/s1600/june17download+064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLKQwS1UOD3dpziivoZeynBPrsgGRpa2I7SVsbvVIyK4Qoynw_Mm1sMPp62WYQqEc6OnnL9CXIkiclyklSxW2iM3aTl-bLMS81H3VFUowgm0lXG0JSOnwhh4Gd8ruQABKUcIcjxVMs3M4/s320/june17download+064.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">by layer ...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXdwn7VsQHUN6Ey49MB75R1YUemrLkiPpN8It800ss5kSF0bzTYsV2oJkRklpiaQT9hp9ydqgZWrZfhBI-XAwcck_3kjZ_DvmEYFXQ1RMlaxE4pNJ0sKYeho4qvVpLx7944psPoM86yc_/s1600/june17download+088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXdwn7VsQHUN6Ey49MB75R1YUemrLkiPpN8It800ss5kSF0bzTYsV2oJkRklpiaQT9hp9ydqgZWrZfhBI-XAwcck_3kjZ_DvmEYFXQ1RMlaxE4pNJ0sKYeho4qvVpLx7944psPoM86yc_/s320/june17download+088.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">by layer ... to these finished beauties.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxOw4vVNhS7t1Wr4k_AzkgOQOoyNVItAzB733JZlTZdKq8rkfSi5jZOj145IVhd4tXHG0OZmEbuwtrWJLP_32BY5GFqH65NoQO6M8gTfiTA7NvdJMskq7qIeWCteKJTDLn1inqkzIupg7/s1600/june17download+097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxOw4vVNhS7t1Wr4k_AzkgOQOoyNVItAzB733JZlTZdKq8rkfSi5jZOj145IVhd4tXHG0OZmEbuwtrWJLP_32BY5GFqH65NoQO6M8gTfiTA7NvdJMskq7qIeWCteKJTDLn1inqkzIupg7/s320/june17download+097.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKXu-OHvabLqjk7v7rDJg0PcioQF9_hm05_WHmLRRaXuzrzeiINdEacPasxa8SBfLBrDR9ZJg31KkuCk2vLdKnWaWU7_OlCFjdF5ghDZNEjdUFCw4dQQyXtaUV7loiH77mlkMj4YrYD1J/s1600/june17download+098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKXu-OHvabLqjk7v7rDJg0PcioQF9_hm05_WHmLRRaXuzrzeiINdEacPasxa8SBfLBrDR9ZJg31KkuCk2vLdKnWaWU7_OlCFjdF5ghDZNEjdUFCw4dQQyXtaUV7loiH77mlkMj4YrYD1J/s320/june17download+098.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">How fun it's been creating these!! Each girl is a little piece of me and touches me in different ways as she "becomes" art. It is sort of bittersweet to send them off to the auction but I'm hoping they will each find the girl who fits them perfectly.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So ... lazy summer days?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Maybe not as many as I'd like yet. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But, here's to summer art days at least - tucked in wherever I find a place for them.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thanks for looking. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hoping you get to enjoy a few lazy days of summer yourself,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Jill</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-86158298330429465742011-06-23T19:00:00.000-07:002011-06-23T19:00:03.064-07:00Art on Hand<div style="text-align: center;">I was feeling quite pleased with myself awhile back when I had the idea to </div><div style="text-align: center;">make up the foundation of a few of these exploding photo albums to keep on hand for last-minute gifts. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">All I'd need to do is decorate the covers to personal the gift and I'd have a handmade gift on short notice.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I made 8 of these to "keep on hand" and within a couple of weeks </div><div style="text-align: center;">promptly used each and every one of them. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3w9-Mxfe8pfp2ucSG8CQYjP44EL7BA-titNEbGu9TfzmQpHf1iXhx-GH_vXWuz-wGnejfTGusc1DiRVM2PsHpTHsXp6_XOqyp7vgANk5J2ECBYAGz_gzf6VfiwRo5SxGA-li0WPWeO7M/s1600/june17download+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3w9-Mxfe8pfp2ucSG8CQYjP44EL7BA-titNEbGu9TfzmQpHf1iXhx-GH_vXWuz-wGnejfTGusc1DiRVM2PsHpTHsXp6_XOqyp7vgANk5J2ECBYAGz_gzf6VfiwRo5SxGA-li0WPWeO7M/s320/june17download+045.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So much for keeping stock on hand ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks for looking.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Jill</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-54428125582581491462011-06-22T21:24:00.000-07:002011-06-22T21:24:48.690-07:00End of another school year - Teacher Gifts<div style="text-align: center;"><em>OK - a little chilling away from Blogger and the computer, and, what do you know, photos magically upload like a dream!!</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>So here is the entry I'd planned for this morning but aborted:</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Why, oh why, do I stress myself out making special teacher gifts at the end of the year?</div><div style="text-align: center;"> I always tell myself in March to get a jump on them but I never seem to decide what to do until May and then I'm scrambling. When my girls see how cute the first one is they suddenly decide they simply MUST gift all their teachers, not just the main. I'm such a sucker for this. So, here are the 3 designs of this little correspondence portfolio. I made 2 of each design for the SIX gifts the girls decided to give. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrvIXwX-RO1eDvSrOgi-VDSLu4wQtUdBIIkKu6QS9bAe1gqfK6cl8SA3qVuAztbvDtnjFbvi3EZeiKQbKLFM6lyBJ1KGbtfKa9p4St7uLM4x-CsULV0xGGqpi5M_xMhyphenhyphenxmPzEPKtG-KIS/s1600/june17download+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrvIXwX-RO1eDvSrOgi-VDSLu4wQtUdBIIkKu6QS9bAe1gqfK6cl8SA3qVuAztbvDtnjFbvi3EZeiKQbKLFM6lyBJ1KGbtfKa9p4St7uLM4x-CsULV0xGGqpi5M_xMhyphenhyphenxmPzEPKtG-KIS/s320/june17download+035.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Inside, each held 4 handmade notecards w/ envelopes, 6 sheets of stationary, and postage stamps.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhXHWcCSftmCHyGyMv8yjwHn2xOhXUIXj244Tzbg5r5GJGZLjEOEg6Wanfm8frs8hVgM_F48NHfZbY9DYWzlDznfwaUM_Dya_VGMDkvz95n2uzOexNlI7MATPbLJI6W_TfWHdUdyXIpcM/s1600/june17download+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhXHWcCSftmCHyGyMv8yjwHn2xOhXUIXj244Tzbg5r5GJGZLjEOEg6Wanfm8frs8hVgM_F48NHfZbY9DYWzlDznfwaUM_Dya_VGMDkvz95n2uzOexNlI7MATPbLJI6W_TfWHdUdyXIpcM/s320/june17download+036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rsSNDFXy_uVhxCwTs4jia_b0duJWL1Il-mrWPDoA5vq5OxKtBYla1UO4G-9ELK-G_TXnI-tb9H765VMM4yTe3xX5F1X5d4rletCI3k6XMhzwj5YomN7TTyYF7yqx_g4DyhMm8u642StW/s1600/june17download+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rsSNDFXy_uVhxCwTs4jia_b0duJWL1Il-mrWPDoA5vq5OxKtBYla1UO4G-9ELK-G_TXnI-tb9H765VMM4yTe3xX5F1X5d4rletCI3k6XMhzwj5YomN7TTyYF7yqx_g4DyhMm8u642StW/s320/june17download+037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkTVirDRU7Vw1Gduhj82EWrUx6jdG9c4GszrBaQZOMQVr2WBuBaBuGXWVIzLpmY4FoQ0E3v0I3wnplmhPRl8k90FGfzuou-Qa9siQaT_vb6KgB447kiXZECCsMf4hkRoTx_vimHfxEZz2/s1600/june17download+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkTVirDRU7Vw1Gduhj82EWrUx6jdG9c4GszrBaQZOMQVr2WBuBaBuGXWVIzLpmY4FoQ0E3v0I3wnplmhPRl8k90FGfzuou-Qa9siQaT_vb6KgB447kiXZECCsMf4hkRoTx_vimHfxEZz2/s320/june17download+038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Inspiration for these came from an online class (Mouse, Paper, Scissors Mom) I took from Heidi Swapp and Jessica Sprague. Thanks, ladies, for taking me through the first one. Now I'm hooked.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thanks for looking. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jill</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-22092083539119201592011-06-22T07:41:00.000-07:002011-06-22T07:41:40.315-07:00Giving up for awhile!!!! UGH!I've spent the past hour trying to upload photos to the blog as an update on the art that's been happening around here. It's been fun, I assure you (the art, NOT the past hour!), but there will be no photographic evidence displayed here until my temper cools <em>and</em> my photos are able to load. <br />
<br />
The problem??? Likely, many.<br />
<br />
1. I am a technological pre-schooler (OK, probably even that is tooting my own horn since there are plenty of pre-schoolers less intimidated than I on the computer) so if systems change on me unexpectedly I am paralyzed. I can be heard more than once a week declaring how much I detest computers and my lack of skill.<br />
<br />
2. I am not a photographer. I do not own or know how to use photoshop and have BARE minimum photo editing skills (i.e. I can crop and do red-eye redux and change pics to black/white but I don't know how to resize my photos to download - which is probably pretty important here, I know).<br />
<br />
3. I do not have unlimited hours to spend in front of the computer "training" myself in all these necessary modern skills to make my blog easier to maintain let alone the upgrades I've dreamed of having on it. <br />
<br />
4. I am convinced our computer is <em>extremely</em> tempermental. It has a mind of its own - works when it wants to, or not, at whatever speed it feels is appropriate, even though we supposedly have the highest available. <br />
<br />
So ... for now ... I'm calling it quits with the blog and admitting defeat. I've wasted enough of my precious little creative time on it. If you'd like to get in touch with me to find out what I've been up to, please feel free to email me at <a href="mailto:gajgreen@aol.com">gajgreen@aol.com</a>. <br />
<br />
I'll be in my studio now trying to do a little creative/anger management therapy.<br />
<br />
JillJillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-82660514817717713262011-05-19T05:59:00.000-07:002011-05-19T05:59:58.343-07:00Working on Wonderful<em>"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful."</em> -- Marilyn Monroe<br />
<br />
<br />
I read this quote yesterday and it hit home. <br />
<br />
For the last several months I've watched fellow Brave Girls blossom into the most incredible entrepreneurs and artists while I'm still trying for formulate the vision for my own future. At times I put way too much pressure on myself to come up with something that will be successful. I'm not much closer to capturing the vision yet but I've been dabbling in many artsy things and having fun with it. <br />
<br />
This quote hit home because, no matter what, I just want to be so stinking proud of what I do in all aspects of my life that I feel wonderful about who I am. Money wouldn't hurt, but this ... this would be the ultimate.<br />
<br />
I think there was more to Ms. Monroe than met the eye.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-48832334778969878022011-03-06T05:51:00.000-08:002011-03-06T05:51:36.315-08:00"She Art" mixed-media love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm in the middle of this wonderful online art course called The She Art Workshop. It's taught by the uber-talented Christy Thomlinson and is SO MUCH FUN! This was my first project. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made it for my daughter Mackenzie who is always drawing mermaids and who touches everyone around her with her magical smiles. I LOVE this process of creating art layer by layer. Christy, you may have created a mixed-media monster!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-L6XVOg9I3PS8MHN7b4zfB0RYlyjABglRsFzQHqTtJYUQAlyrSTYKNlxynFBOVGcxSZc2fBWiZmn59CV8pnrW_huUPxqVQTOCH5ZYzp_GfY6Z2DlygMF4FSK-GsjcbrUUeUI6Q2WbMz-/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-L6XVOg9I3PS8MHN7b4zfB0RYlyjABglRsFzQHqTtJYUQAlyrSTYKNlxynFBOVGcxSZc2fBWiZmn59CV8pnrW_huUPxqVQTOCH5ZYzp_GfY6Z2DlygMF4FSK-GsjcbrUUeUI6Q2WbMz-/s320/014.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Isn't she just the cutest mermaid you've ever seen?<br />
<br />
Thanks for peeking.<br />
JillJillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-20069686186408495882011-02-23T17:14:00.000-08:002011-02-23T18:02:34.986-08:00Dabbling ...I have unofficially declared 2011 my year to dabble in new art techniques and just have fun learning and playing.<br /><br />So ... a little show and tell of what I've done so far.<br /><br /><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Graphite on paper.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6Q2_oUD6aJg6S5fLivUyFZ8NATxXMAqr2FM5DUncL1ypVU2xD_le7Y0K01KS7o04lACAynQTxWHl9WlFnOZUjj86QTl-gG1MTbdT8i10NbDvw2i7-LNHS8vSI1M9HWiGUgJzf0XcKzPW/s1600/008.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577061233335796722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6Q2_oUD6aJg6S5fLivUyFZ8NATxXMAqr2FM5DUncL1ypVU2xD_le7Y0K01KS7o04lACAynQTxWHl9WlFnOZUjj86QTl-gG1MTbdT8i10NbDvw2i7-LNHS8vSI1M9HWiGUgJzf0XcKzPW/s320/008.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Watercolor on paper.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbOLSj1BDGLHhbbriLdrpjxJMyzazmzsa7qfvC-TTOJR0-xGz-Pz8W53vZ3PkO-bJacowrNKmL7D2lZgrzh5fsR5YSagdFuP_SDBeHvYNcl0IiMOPep6tGaq6D6n5b1AJf4p9tu37h7g8/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577060967899749730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbOLSj1BDGLHhbbriLdrpjxJMyzazmzsa7qfvC-TTOJR0-xGz-Pz8W53vZ3PkO-bJacowrNKmL7D2lZgrzh5fsR5YSagdFuP_SDBeHvYNcl0IiMOPep6tGaq6D6n5b1AJf4p9tu37h7g8/s320/002.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Watercolor Pencil on Bristol board.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWcurR1a9lD-D1WbKmuWe-ymNxQC-BMvYQLaVzpH7NGvPJsAZezGmcvAGvqlFq63b7OhHKc-y8xyV6uWT0gKIVQ-uf2HuPOrzeWRbx-6FcrcVL3_9QCBNzukaMA1Ji0DDj_ImfG4ninYf/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577060685653683218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWcurR1a9lD-D1WbKmuWe-ymNxQC-BMvYQLaVzpH7NGvPJsAZezGmcvAGvqlFq63b7OhHKc-y8xyV6uWT0gKIVQ-uf2HuPOrzeWRbx-6FcrcVL3_9QCBNzukaMA1Ji0DDj_ImfG4ninYf/s320/004.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Color Pencil on Bristol board.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErWfBzq7IJVroL2Smx8dnBOUb6alVmAJkmwnsEFUtWgDlyrNHJAyngdHuWcm7wgqFv8r8JMkJAKyZ3TuadGkgqy2Z28-qRyrbj_idNvNCEX3uI3ku5tD5ETaIzpfD_sdiatSNdbWj1WZK/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577060244749009986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErWfBzq7IJVroL2Smx8dnBOUb6alVmAJkmwnsEFUtWgDlyrNHJAyngdHuWcm7wgqFv8r8JMkJAKyZ3TuadGkgqy2Z28-qRyrbj_idNvNCEX3uI3ku5tD5ETaIzpfD_sdiatSNdbWj1WZK/s320/007.JPG" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And in case you're thinking I'm going all high brow, here is a paper crafty piece of pure FUN I did in a Paperbella e-course by Teresa McFayden last month.<br /><div align="center"><br />Paper Lady's Slipper</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1t_Y27gDDi4mbBZZ0FKqGooUQED3sJ1PNq9qrWHbtIRCHwxewOSeNQufPXVQYBJrJiIAqjSDj1_OHDPnRxk8QOCB1Jeg9Ibxaeyub7osgNZ4-aGPz__FC5jWDAozlm4ToGDFweYBTKEco/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577059808063256322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1t_Y27gDDi4mbBZZ0FKqGooUQED3sJ1PNq9qrWHbtIRCHwxewOSeNQufPXVQYBJrJiIAqjSDj1_OHDPnRxk8QOCB1Jeg9Ibxaeyub7osgNZ4-aGPz__FC5jWDAozlm4ToGDFweYBTKEco/s320/001.JPG" /></a>More things yet to come. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Thanks for stopping by.</div><div align="left">Jill</div><div align="left"> </div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-44346983892579989822011-02-17T06:10:00.000-08:002011-02-17T06:37:18.956-08:00Sharing a little LOVE ...I finally got off my butt and created AND COMPLETED a project again. Been in a rut lately. Also still been in copy mode. This was a book design I saw on Heidi Swapp's webshow last year before Valentine's Day. I've wanted to make it ever since and decided not to allow another Valentine's Day to go by without doing it. So a month ago, I glimmer misted all the pages. I've been taking the photos since December and sort of putting the book together in my head. Now, here it is.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqGo_C4mEqhyw095anWW4C_-8zaB3f_yqQJxy5Ke2jTa32fMKCLVkwJ2um8b-0AN5uhbWBsVJAMteBkmqqPsOsay4_m6FPxLz-BPWj5IN83CnKcv1lCIK8aFYcTcrs21ZWuiruHMulPSK/s1600/feb15+008.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574664716463031570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqGo_C4mEqhyw095anWW4C_-8zaB3f_yqQJxy5Ke2jTa32fMKCLVkwJ2um8b-0AN5uhbWBsVJAMteBkmqqPsOsay4_m6FPxLz-BPWj5IN83CnKcv1lCIK8aFYcTcrs21ZWuiruHMulPSK/s320/feb15+008.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTsaA7PgcZoDl7ZgvgpxWl8Pw0O-m4tUnE1oadcQBxTUXqao7wQKdt1yySwqkibJaizYqDNFAECdc0WDkL4pFAOnVog3moZNRGvMAwE_U3U1ziTPtarsFhDpUuHx1B1G2KpPsASFFFwQC/s1600/feb15+010.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574664529034487890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTsaA7PgcZoDl7ZgvgpxWl8Pw0O-m4tUnE1oadcQBxTUXqao7wQKdt1yySwqkibJaizYqDNFAECdc0WDkL4pFAOnVog3moZNRGvMAwE_U3U1ziTPtarsFhDpUuHx1B1G2KpPsASFFFwQC/s320/feb15+010.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEO0Z1hSQeUyapbDDSSyCuZyRaly3sGZ4wPw5NAKgQJpHYGxxIVrtkgFlkiilBKf9X5UKK9s74fd290nb1gfKrY6lnF8SGBju_o-3uuRBWR1fRu0bNvVyKU8GcvKUiKxmUHEGWfi_Aq2Un/s1600/feb15+011.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574664299056912738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEO0Z1hSQeUyapbDDSSyCuZyRaly3sGZ4wPw5NAKgQJpHYGxxIVrtkgFlkiilBKf9X5UKK9s74fd290nb1gfKrY6lnF8SGBju_o-3uuRBWR1fRu0bNvVyKU8GcvKUiKxmUHEGWfi_Aq2Un/s320/feb15+011.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pSOoq-ag2OIbUxdwZTAhCExKyKpvuuy__cZuOAsiGxkxO4M94nI-wZ4FZ7bJdd9TGM2wnfL1o_PU4f5tkIwMegfwSx1AJJWOQHT9CDA7blzTMngBZ1xhaRNEoDf_PYwRAvC_64MMQ5Gd/s1600/feb15+012.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574664076085725954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pSOoq-ag2OIbUxdwZTAhCExKyKpvuuy__cZuOAsiGxkxO4M94nI-wZ4FZ7bJdd9TGM2wnfL1o_PU4f5tkIwMegfwSx1AJJWOQHT9CDA7blzTMngBZ1xhaRNEoDf_PYwRAvC_64MMQ5Gd/s320/feb15+012.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEojuHyz8V4K33wvk1Cj0GKvbP81e2uaAKzjW8Bp-uKzEUMpL3gv1Fj9wnk-8saSG2AkAtTQgwwBmjVOu1I3gXaGrgJT6dvxnJlLUv8KnMHP8dKQRjHpID1yCyFd46tC6nTxGUAhS0Jkgb/s1600/feb15+013.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574663860372823986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEojuHyz8V4K33wvk1Cj0GKvbP81e2uaAKzjW8Bp-uKzEUMpL3gv1Fj9wnk-8saSG2AkAtTQgwwBmjVOu1I3gXaGrgJT6dvxnJlLUv8KnMHP8dKQRjHpID1yCyFd46tC6nTxGUAhS0Jkgb/s320/feb15+013.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpGCxb90uE7NTOhFu3K4RZq0ps2HaoNVxnSiErYHUTpbrtVxmEec_SHfMnq6OlIQJvth2u_yvEkPsm4vcfETmJcG31FMaWUkrK3U76fzgXXuJT7V8PxNancJDFc21Rz_zeTNUHrbslUul/s1600/feb15+014.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574663612546759890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpGCxb90uE7NTOhFu3K4RZq0ps2HaoNVxnSiErYHUTpbrtVxmEec_SHfMnq6OlIQJvth2u_yvEkPsm4vcfETmJcG31FMaWUkrK3U76fzgXXuJT7V8PxNancJDFc21Rz_zeTNUHrbslUul/s320/feb15+014.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4CbQeummv9ZYt-7c4u2hDb-DygncbtdZ3XLnPcFynnDApyBnTLPSZblocTFpH-N8ySJpa5GGglyf1HdHS_sI_XGz_qNHLjn51SUqRGfx10-Q9SMEnhcBed4IXxNztlRaXXOZNAWLJIrd/s1600/feb15+015.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574663398407926498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4CbQeummv9ZYt-7c4u2hDb-DygncbtdZ3XLnPcFynnDApyBnTLPSZblocTFpH-N8ySJpa5GGglyf1HdHS_sI_XGz_qNHLjn51SUqRGfx10-Q9SMEnhcBed4IXxNztlRaXXOZNAWLJIrd/s320/feb15+015.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEPKhC4TiiKE08wq-mrLMNcaEsnfNNsDumWMKaVhpZ2a3lHWXWcGrFlp_ax-cIkeOkgBi9qj9rwuMhJgzYVVwh_BGbl1-uyPmmLn2p6siv7hvO0HrjuTPiJhThm8qMEngSDBMJVqCNTcj/s1600/feb15+016.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; 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MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574662715598821858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDttXh3yQuA68Sse4EwYF3HVMjiHuW-vye_AHX9DKmYlRGgYYSn1uB8HLmcUNMccZr17oLJwhLwZmhaGLureR06MEYSOQ7xwG87dbbhRM81jJY67HaMGlnRTRDoySIPSkSP3_yA80_Vs_o/s320/feb15+018.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurK5TJaGluPGYeUV8ALIhQcGEQDv10mcOP_resFjmWY1KFxkDS72bnATgF0sQ8vFovaqWzGhcXbD4axG3kilCQ064_QXVo7kxppSHw8mC06mPscH2XsimaAxKR6zk_aXjhdePW0m_imGV/s1600/feb15+019.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574662451069886258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurK5TJaGluPGYeUV8ALIhQcGEQDv10mcOP_resFjmWY1KFxkDS72bnATgF0sQ8vFovaqWzGhcXbD4axG3kilCQ064_QXVo7kxppSHw8mC06mPscH2XsimaAxKR6zk_aXjhdePW0m_imGV/s320/feb15+019.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWidO9mFPN1ah6GP9OcUpPPAKH0o-P1yu1OAiOtu-9Kx5Ct-mbhS5eLrLw9qllv4mtQi4GzmGobeJlCvGhU-WRYb6qiGhgLv8m-H1fioEwHrK5r9DS1baLxetWrfu0zH5WVb49tBTvTthi/s1600/feb15+020.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574662225903053970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWidO9mFPN1ah6GP9OcUpPPAKH0o-P1yu1OAiOtu-9Kx5Ct-mbhS5eLrLw9qllv4mtQi4GzmGobeJlCvGhU-WRYb6qiGhgLv8m-H1fioEwHrK5r9DS1baLxetWrfu0zH5WVb49tBTvTthi/s320/feb15+020.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLRMnVoNotTH454Ncxi_1PeTCbOqYd2FymCOgY0-7tr5Bh4UKOiMWtM2tB_6ywDO6k0j6jxaykXBe9TDtvrQDU2-PXpCZhdqy9ROOC5j49f1h3J31578q1f4FGLksBr9CkSxmvsqI4She/s1600/feb15+021.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574662025983518098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLRMnVoNotTH454Ncxi_1PeTCbOqYd2FymCOgY0-7tr5Bh4UKOiMWtM2tB_6ywDO6k0j6jxaykXBe9TDtvrQDU2-PXpCZhdqy9ROOC5j49f1h3J31578q1f4FGLksBr9CkSxmvsqI4She/s320/feb15+021.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldesh9krsA4WQADO7tnqZeNONZLZ4F3jJ525Og492T8ePDnSN4p2PCrkdBab2RsPOG-81wvEJ1Is36n8ZaWOAlz7dr3GIZrmS503zYO5Now1q9919CFkVg1k3rCf2z4_N5Bek3bTLEY03/s1600/feb15+022.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574661813929399154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldesh9krsA4WQADO7tnqZeNONZLZ4F3jJ525Og492T8ePDnSN4p2PCrkdBab2RsPOG-81wvEJ1Is36n8ZaWOAlz7dr3GIZrmS503zYO5Now1q9919CFkVg1k3rCf2z4_N5Bek3bTLEY03/s320/feb15+022.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohy-wWg_Cy0Y3NvJRz1KMMgEvl7vnVlv_jbJDskNUcthBrA2G6e7MDC_s_8f4xDrWCQRbvkkvbhFKQTsmCCYr3nn8RlSRNNuo3jVcIDF5Z-_znLyOenBm5cy73xrc3cpJny6VhCMBPmtg/s1600/feb15+023.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574661516592323458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohy-wWg_Cy0Y3NvJRz1KMMgEvl7vnVlv_jbJDskNUcthBrA2G6e7MDC_s_8f4xDrWCQRbvkkvbhFKQTsmCCYr3nn8RlSRNNuo3jVcIDF5Z-_znLyOenBm5cy73xrc3cpJny6VhCMBPmtg/s320/feb15+023.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EhwFiWrwMfo2Ipe_gbu6AyF048c93QkovXUnjMfpSaZLWq-4qJHEZucBTvi40WoGKinoi_A06LGWTIk_F82Nv7Rv4ghvSSrIfcTAgsfC_OX1aOOKdHB25Ms37J6CerBM1WTfX5pNp3x6/s1600/feb15+024.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574661310284822546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EhwFiWrwMfo2Ipe_gbu6AyF048c93QkovXUnjMfpSaZLWq-4qJHEZucBTvi40WoGKinoi_A06LGWTIk_F82Nv7Rv4ghvSSrIfcTAgsfC_OX1aOOKdHB25Ms37J6CerBM1WTfX5pNp3x6/s320/feb15+024.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWzceqgICtymVr7CkBTVOqKC7MVP9QVcTKP4MJaeORUUS0NLj4NfVB4ooKWa5yIOte_jbu3q-tnM58mlM9aSaNkvgzdIFQ5KC9rPly-VMVNSe2BW7hhXa0EW2CC33fkHXvLFyVSB98-br/s1600/feb15+025.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574661133600558738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWzceqgICtymVr7CkBTVOqKC7MVP9QVcTKP4MJaeORUUS0NLj4NfVB4ooKWa5yIOte_jbu3q-tnM58mlM9aSaNkvgzdIFQ5KC9rPly-VMVNSe2BW7hhXa0EW2CC33fkHXvLFyVSB98-br/s320/feb15+025.JPG" /></a><br />Thanks for looking.</div><div>PS - I'm really not a pink person so this was a step out of my usual color box. I like it though. </div><div> </div><div>Jill</div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-67530832432983638482010-11-10T04:24:00.000-08:002010-11-10T05:05:19.911-08:00Finally! Brave Girl Camp ... HOW WAS IT?Get ready for some rambling musings. I've tried to organize my thoughts and words in answer to that question and I just can't seem to do it as eloquently as others I've read. Bear with me. Life changing experiences are tough to put into words.<br /><br />So ... Brave Girl Camp - how was it?<br /><br /><div align="left"> </div><div align="center">It was beyond LOVELY in every visual way.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">I was surrounded by BEAUTIFUL people, beautiful ART (this part was pretty intimidating!).</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Melody and Kathy and their incredible friends were THOUGHTFUL and GENEROUS beyond belief.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">We were PAMPERED at every turn and served the most incredibly DELICIOUS food all week.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">But it was also hard, very hard and very brave for me to be there at all.</div><div align="center"> </div>I'm an introvert (classic, quiet, invisible middle child!) and flying from Illinois to Idaho all alone knowing not a single soul was truly brave. No wonder it was hard when I got there.<br /><br />But maybe it was hard to the part of me who doesn't want growth and change in my life? I was elated to be there, to be a part of something this BIG, but I couldn't shake the role of observer rather than active participant.<br /><br />It was hard to see so many women in need of caring and compassion and give to them when I'm so very nearly tapped out of both after this past year and a half. But ... dig deep and it's there - that immense capacity to love we women possess. I have felt it even more since my return home.<br /><br />It was hard to believe that women could possibly bond so quickly after only a few days together. I want so much to believe that is possible though. What beautiful women they are! What lovely souls! What inner strength I witnessed! I want never to forget them. I want more moments together somehow to grow what began at Brave Girl Camp. Time will tell ... but the country feels a bit smaller knowing Brave Girls are scattered all around me.<br /><br />It is hard to tell where I will go from here - as a woman trying to find a new direction in life, as an artist trying to find her niche, as a mother and wife trying to be the best she can without losing sight of herself in the process. Here I go anyway. I am a Brave Girl.<br /><br />It will take many weeks to process all that I experienced in that one. But I am so grateful to have had that one incredible week.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bravegirlsclub.com/">www.bravegirlsclub.com</a>.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-59220194204688746952010-10-27T14:20:00.000-07:002010-10-27T14:23:57.618-07:00Brave Girl Camp - How was it!??Forgive me as I'm still processing my incredible Brave Girl Camp experience.<br /><br />LIFE has also had a way of intruding (how rude of it to continue at the same frantic pace upon my return as it was coming at me before my trip!) on my thoughts and my time.<br /><br />More details coming soon ...Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-62472555868111343222010-09-28T07:39:00.000-07:002010-09-28T07:47:55.075-07:00Farm Girl Goes to Art CampI don't believe I've shared this here yet but ...<br /><br /> I'm about to go on an adventure.<br /><br />I'm heading to Brave Girl Camp in Idaho next week for 5 art-filled, girls-only days in the mountains near Eagle, Idaho. This shy Michigan farm girl is going to spread her artsy wings and see what she's got. I'm incredibly nervous, super excited, ready for the break from routine "duty", a bit nervous to go alone knowing NO ONE that I'll be there with, hopeful that all that won't matter and we will become fast creative friends.<br /><br />Have a gazillion things to do before I head out on Tuesday but for now I'm on Cloud 9 and trying to feel brave.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-70424373679406866412010-09-25T17:29:00.001-07:002010-09-25T17:36:56.394-07:00Warp Speed - HIGHLY overrated!!!Life is traveling at warp speed around here these days and, the sad thing is, I don't think it's likely to change any time soon.<br /><br />Hold on - I'm sure something creative is bound to spin off soon. Maybe if I gave up sleep!?Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-71682820372776219592010-06-23T04:36:00.000-07:002010-06-23T04:54:47.839-07:00Settling in ... and SummerWe are finally in the house!!! Yay!<br /><br />It's been 2.5 weeks since we moved in and things are starting to look like we actually live here. My goal this week is to get more than one room totally box-free! Each one still has that one last box in it full of stuff that I just don't know what to do with. So ... I'm almost there.<br /><br />I'm trying not to rob the kids of too much of their summer settling in to the house though. Our June has been super busy but come July I'm hoping to kick back and enjoy the season.<br /><br />My studio, you ask? Well ... it's sort of unpacked. There are only a couple boxes left but it is really just simply unpacked (OK, sort of the equivalent of having the boxes spontaneously explode into one room is more like it). I have no idea how I'm going to organize the room and haven't had the time to devote to it yet. I'm itching to finally PLAY again though!<br /><br />Looking forward to posting project pics again soon! Until then, enjoy your own piece of summer!<br />JillJillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-88263999359926532542010-05-01T10:34:00.000-07:002010-05-01T10:39:08.801-07:00OK - back up, here!I just want to make sure that those few of you who check this blog be sure to get your money's worth.<br /><br />I THOUGHT I was being really organized one day when I uploaded about 3 posts worth of photos and wrote blog entries to go with each of them. I did them all on Wed. April 28. When I went back to edit and then post each one days later I couldn't figure out how to change the date so ALL of them got posted April 28. However, they're in some goofy order ...<br /><br />so ... please be sure to scroll down to check ALL the posts dated April 28 since there are some pics definitely worth looking at.<br /><br />Thanks and sorry for my technical inability.<br /><br />JillJillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772837755033729585.post-20800594354768920932010-04-28T10:09:00.000-07:002010-04-29T12:07:48.179-07:00Guess what my girls are up to ...?Counted cross-stitch!!! Can you believe it? The '80s have been revisited by my little crafty souls. Mackenzie is doing her name in a cool calligraphy font for a wall hanging in her new room. She's so into it right now that she's choosing it over TV! WOW!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNi7pIeA4Az4vBGo9lvU7R63ODQfhv6a7cTYlb_2TQF0biSK3ZV7FQJFqrSuHTYuWp90ZXrCwvoobcb19FAPBu6c4OhGUyMT393ka68awDeqYLW4-YD6N2zEwmGmKxT-KEsSnjNdWrJWk/s1600/april28download+016.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465238064542067474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNi7pIeA4Az4vBGo9lvU7R63ODQfhv6a7cTYlb_2TQF0biSK3ZV7FQJFqrSuHTYuWp90ZXrCwvoobcb19FAPBu6c4OhGUyMT393ka68awDeqYLW4-YD6N2zEwmGmKxT-KEsSnjNdWrJWk/s400/april28download+016.JPG" border="0" /></a>Paige went with us to get Mackenzie's Aida cloth and didn't want to be left out. We picked up this teeny kit for her and she's really taking off with it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_mNqi-n7oaIPC1f8z7KaFkVo12iwwuydRwZs0-KKi0fjMz7jQYc-LaIf8z7gZVBM9brlZKBlpzUzriRyJQD1RjzfQEv8npQXp5_VLNe6dWBUZ5JdfF9G8V54W1iokjZ1rkXYy7QfcVeD/s1600/april28download+015.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465238055764373986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_mNqi-n7oaIPC1f8z7KaFkVo12iwwuydRwZs0-KKi0fjMz7jQYc-LaIf8z7gZVBM9brlZKBlpzUzriRyJQD1RjzfQEv8npQXp5_VLNe6dWBUZ5JdfF9G8V54W1iokjZ1rkXYy7QfcVeD/s400/april28download+015.JPG" border="0" /></a> The girls seemed a little skeptical at first about my ability to teach them cross-stitch. Then I showed them these beauties ...<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fYcB2t2DNhQKIZLstuGdib5vhlS86kxVkCM6Q9cnyuykToQ3e7vhS0864EgQt52cKgX-MZyvkFFfbjcHg599hOieStxa5_Itr0vFj0QZcI148yEXxpNUsQ1jEKxLKoEWPb_l3j1npIkT/s1600/april28download+020.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465238041543384834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fYcB2t2DNhQKIZLstuGdib5vhlS86kxVkCM6Q9cnyuykToQ3e7vhS0864EgQt52cKgX-MZyvkFFfbjcHg599hOieStxa5_Itr0vFj0QZcI148yEXxpNUsQ1jEKxLKoEWPb_l3j1npIkT/s400/april28download+020.JPG" border="0" /></a> ... my 1980s Amish works. Still love them even though they are so country and so dated.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPZnRNoKj2ioynZH92bB6h6So6Ky5r6vy25r5_77yKw-bJ3qRZDgF84fdwfpuR3SnJnLtOL4PHsx1Z1Yp9oqzaPX7wd1zSc3Mi2tgnteKQUDVm0cfPOPeSNFl9oKVMcuQAp_w8FgcDZXw/s1600/april28download+021.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465238028627368498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPZnRNoKj2ioynZH92bB6h6So6Ky5r6vy25r5_77yKw-bJ3qRZDgF84fdwfpuR3SnJnLtOL4PHsx1Z1Yp9oqzaPX7wd1zSc3Mi2tgnteKQUDVm0cfPOPeSNFl9oKVMcuQAp_w8FgcDZXw/s400/april28download+021.JPG" border="0" /></a>Mackenzie noticed the dates and my initials on them and asked why I don't do this anymore. Well since most of them were done pre-1990, I'd say that 4 kids, 4 moves, my degree, rubberstamps, scrapbooks, photography, and a whole lot of LIFE have gotten in the way. I'll pick it up again though, especially if the girls keep at it. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I'm so proud of them! So happy they are finding pleasure creating something by hand. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Jill</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422411938120675422noreply@blogger.com1