Springing forward...

I am feeling the pull of spring.

Renewal, rebirth, changes, big ones...

But the momentum feels good and right.

When I am not spending time loving on this little monkey loving 4 month old,

I am decluttering, streamlining, making space for the new.

I haven't been creating nearly as much as I would like to, but I joined in this awesome Stitch and Swap project with my bud, Deb Taylor. (http://diddebdoit.blogspot.com/)

I really got started last night, listening to tunes and hanging out with my fabric bits and thread.

And this morning, at 9:30 that feels like 8:30, I hurried back to the studio for Sunday morning sunlight stitching!

The birds are singing that "it's almost time" song out there. 

Let's joyfully spring forward, beautiful Ones!

The Month of Impossible Waiting…

How does a warm weather loving Rock Fairy spend the dull, cold days of February ?

Rocking a new hairdo and puffy, chapped lips.

Lighting candles and sending love to friends in need.

Painting rocks.

Trays of them.

For a spring wedding of an old friend.

Spending time with fast growing and oh, so sweet little Jayden and his Mom.

Trying to take good time for myself and get back to some creating just for me.

A great therapy and escape from winter blahs.

Which I remember whenever I put myself into the studio and give myself a little push !

Creating without any goal in mind.

Letting the spray ink blobs guide me…

Adding in color where it wants to go.

And on this page, finishing it off with some found poetry.

Grabbing a bit of text from a book and circling words that want to fit in…

Leading to a little tale of impossible waiting.

A tale this warm weather loving, winter weary chickie can relate to.

I hope your impossible waiting time is filled with love and light, and sweet creating, Beautiful Ones!

Looking up to the Winter Night Skies...

Ah, winter...

It really is the harshest season, isn't it?

Especially in the North, though its harshness has spread more south than usual in the US this year as well.

I am feeling very blessed this year.

My usual depression brought on by lack of sunlight and my hibernation mode hasnt really appeared.

(Knock on wood !!!!)

I think some of it may have to do with this incrediblely cute little boy ladybug baby.

There is something so instantly soothing, calming and heart filling about holding a little guy in your arms. 

And this little cutie definitely has my hearts strings all tangled up !

I have been spending a lot of time with Jayden, helping his mom, Amanda, when she needs childcare.

I am so grateful that my niece and I have developed a trusting, caring relationship and that she genuinely appreciates the bond that I have made with her son.

It has brought so much joy to my life.

I haven't been spending much time creating artwork these days though.

I am missing that.

So yesterday in the midst of a busy day full of prepping for a trip to Montreal, 

I made the time.

I grabbed my old Rock Beings journal, sprayed some inks, sloshed some paint, and made some marks...

then I collaged a Rock Beings shape made from old dictionary pages, and some found poetry on to my page

and "Winter Night Skies"  came into being.

"Winter Night Skies" - Rock Being Art Journal, February 12, 2014

It felt good to get my hands a little dirty and to dwell in that creative place for a little while.

I need to keep making that time happen !

David and I have headed north to Quebec early for a Valentine's Day weekend with our other favorite kiddos, Kate and Thomas, and my sister Kristina and her hubby John.

We wanted to miss driving in this next major winter storm that will hit today in the North East.

Today, David is working from my friend Suzanne's place and I am just hanging out. Tomorrow, we will head two more hours north to be with our peeps in their winter wonderland of La Conception.

Looking forward to seeing Katie's new smile, minus her front teeth ! That famous kindergarten smile of cuteness !

So to those facing the storm, espcially those in the south who are far less used to its kind of wrath, please be safe.

And to all of you Beautiful Ones,

a Happy Valentine's Day !

Be kind and loving to one another !

Where you been, Queen of Arts ?

I am missing blogging.

But life has been keeping us busy around here.

Surviving winter…

Kind of fitting that I started the month and the year with a barefoot romp in the snow,

and that I just ended the month poking my toes outside this morning.

I was letting out the dog and felt the warmth of the sunshine on the back deck and had to step out

and play with my shadow for a minute.

Not ready for bare feet walking out there at all but the minute I spent out there reminded me that warmth and spring will get here eventually !

Little Jayden has been conducting our lives a little as we help out his mom where and when we can,

keeping our hearts all mushy and filled with baby love !

That, and some major house de-cluttering, as well as some big life changing decisions coming down the loop,

have kept me from getting to making much art these days either.

I am feeling the itch of that though, as I always do when I go too long without getting messy.

Making a promise to myself to get back to that asap.

 

I was thrilled to receive my contributor’s copy of this beautiful new book by Patti Digh,

the Geography of Loss in the mail yesterday.

 

I was so pleased with how my art work was featured on page 19,

with a perfect “Embrace what is:” inspiration.

It is so special to see your own art work in a published work of writing like this !

I so appreciate how Patti encourages and supports artist in such special ways.

Thanks for letting me be a part of it, Writer-Lady.

There is more in store for us as collaborators coming soon !

 

So yes, big changes look like they are on the way for David and me.

If things work out as we think they will, this will be the last winter we spend in the North East US for awhile…

More news when things come clear.

Happy Friday, beautiful Ones !

Big Love !

Haiku My Heart - Let Love be the Guide.

Babes in the Wood -

(Art journal spread, Moleskine journal, spray inks, acrylic paint, India ink, Faber Castell pens, Distress Ink pens, and white paint pen)

Sweet, as you wander,

Keep your heart open to love.

Let it be your guide.

 

*****************

Keeping my big heart open.

Sometimes that is pretty scary.

As scary as things that go bump in the night.

Vulnerable, knowing hurt may be around the corner.

But choosing

to

LOVE

anyway.

That’s what feels right in my soul.

And that can’t be wrong ?

Right ?

Happy Friday, beautiful Ones !

May your heart be open to big old loving !

 

For more haiku love, join us at recuerda mi corazon.

Boo, black and white and shiny all over…

Boo, my oh so black black kitty cat,

came to visit in the studio as I sat down to lose myself in doodles today.

It would seem that since I was working in black and white

he thought that his blackness would be of help to me.

The black was inspiring, but the chewing on my pen and the lying down on my page was not.

In spite of Boo’s help,

this little black and white doodle emerged.

As I was doodling, I was listening to Pandora radio.

I was suddenly filled with thoughts of my friend Joe Spado who passed recently.

This favorite song of mine by David Gray came on the radio at that moment.

I wrote a note to Joe on his Facebook page.

I saw that some other friends and family are still writing to him there as well.

He is no longer here in the physical world,

but oh how I could feel his bright spirit shine today.

Sending love and peace out there to you and yours, my friend Joe.

Shine on, Man.