One Word Wednesday...

The word is :

TIARA...

Happy Hump Day, Sweet Friends !

SP Wednesday - "Dressing Up for Ed McMahon"

The fantabulous Patti Digh (who came to visit my blog and left a comment here - OMG - it made my year !!!) "Life is a verb" wisdom for today comes from page 163 - the "Dress Up For Ed McMahon" essay. Here is the "Do It Now Challenge" :

"Dream Big. But remember that unhappy people who win the lottery are just unhappy people in a bigger and more public way. So enter the contest, but don't gamble the life you are living now. Keep on living that life just the same. Make your own house your dream home because of the people in it, even with that peeling wallpaper in the upstairs bedroom. Let's live a life that doesn't need TV's validation, shall we ?"

So this morning, I dressed up for Ed, or for myself really, and placed the focus on living my life right now. Chica and I are ready for our close-ups, and I think I look Mah-vel-ous, Dahlin' !

As I said earlier this week, I am un-beiging my life. Not that I ever wear beige really, but metaphorically speaking, I am removing the beige from my wardrobe. I have decided to focus on finding ways to love what I wear in spite of not being very happy with the body the clothes are fitted on. That means adding punches of color - my bright colors, anywhere I can. Don't you love the new gauzy scarf and perfect beaded bracelet I bought in my bright, bright colors ? I do !!! They make me happy ! And they make me feel like the me on the inside on the outside !

So the belly is big...the boobs are sagging...the chin ain't as firm as it used to be...

but

(butt - not so great either :( )

but

I Am Here Today...

Bright, and Beautiful

An Artist, A Seeker,

and a Lover of Life...

Living My Life

just the same...

Go Dress Up ! Today is the Day ! Happy SP Wednesday !

SP Wednesday - Ugly Beautiful

It is easy to love butterflies. It is easy to love babies. It is easy to love flowers, and puppies, and birdies, and pretty things...

(Sing like no one is listening - 2001)

It is so easy in fact that most people do love those things. A lot even.

But what about the less lovable things in life.

What about the warty, scary, scarred, ugly parts of life ?

Of people who we know ?

Of ourselves ?

Do those parts need less love ?

I think not ! I think that they in fact need more love

than the pretty, shiny, sweet parts.

Without love, those parts get uglier,

wart-ier, more scarred and scary.

But then, how do you really learn to love the UNLovable ?

(art journal page "Unlovable" - May 19, 2009)

I think you need to go slow.

Maybe you need to love one icky wart or deep, painful scar at a time...

After all, that ugliness, those scars, those warts, didn't appear all in one day.

And maybe, just maybe,

with a little more love and a little more time,

those scars, those warts, those scary, scared parts of life,

of people we know,

of ourselves,

can become ugly beautiful instead.

Kiss a warty toad part of yourself today ! Happy SP Wednesday, my Ugly Beauties !

This post was partly inspired by Life is a Verb by Patti Digh, p.134, "Love Unlovable People". Patti is coming to Deerfield, NH on June 2nd to read from her amazing, inspiring, lovely book and I will be there with bells on !

It is also inspired by Sheri Gaynor's Creative Awakenings, p.114 - The Toad Committee. Sheri encourages us to listen carefully to what the venomous toad parts of ourselves are yelling at us - their message may just be something we need to hear !)

Girl in The Glass - SP Wednesday

The Girl in the Glass

When you get what you want in your struggle for self,

And the world makes you queen for a day,

Just go to the mirror and look at yourself,

And see what that girl has to say.

For it isn't your father or mother or friends,

Whose judgment upon you must pass,

The girl whose verdict counts most in your life,

Is the one staring back from the glass.

You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum,

And think you're a wonderful gal,

But the girl in the glass says you're only a bum,

If you can't look her straight in the eye.

She's the one to please---never mind all the rest,

For she's with you clear to the end,

And you've passed your most dangerous difficult test,

If the girl in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years,

And get pats on the back as you pass,

But your final reward will be heartache and tears,

If you've cheated the girl in the glass.

Author Unknown

Check out - Misty Mawn & Co. - Self-Portrait Wednesdays

SP Wednesday - Child of Light

The soundtrack :

Snow Patrol - Run

"Light up, light up,

As if You had a Choice..."

"Child of Light" collage - 2007

Kim, Age 5

detail

"Child of Light" self-portrait - Ogunquit, April 2009

Happy Wednesday ! May it be full of light.

SPW And Purple Dreams

So Misty Mawn has unofficially declared it Self-Portrait Wednesday ! That is SPW if you like acronyms, which I don't, much. SPW reminds me of Hermione's SPEW (Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare) in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. Yes, I am a major Potter fan ! But I digress...

I was a busy Queen today. Got my mistress-piece of an apron packed up and ready to mail. I also made up a little gift for a friend who need some extra loving and got that ready to post too.
After a trip to the post office and the grocery store, I came back to the studio and created this piece in my journal.

Dream Big - Art Journal Page (click to enlarge)

Seems to be lots of talk about dreams in Blogland these days. My pal Julie at Land of Lost Luggage did a post today called "When do you dream ?", talking about how some of her own dreams came true recently. Sherry at Everyday Possibilities shared a video about one woman who really went for her own dreams in spite of the odds being stacked a little high against her. All of the talk is making me think about the differences between our conscious dreams, the dreams of of hearts and the dreams we have in our unconscious sleep.

Coincidentally, I woke up early this morning to a nightmare, or a "morningmare" I guess ? David woke up asking me if I was okay, as apparently I was shouting in my sleep. I remember the dream. Not so fun...let's just say it included betrayal, humiliation, loss of friendship and dancing on tables...all experienced by me ! Not a dream I want to take with me into my conscious time very much.

I am working on nurturing my own heart dreams though. Right now they are fragile and tender and definitely not ready to share. I can feel them growing though. And that my friend, sure feels good.

Feels good to be a dreamer again.

Kim the Dreamer - Self-Portrait Wednesday,

April 15, 2009