bless my soul *[ sacred ]

my sacred life - frida

[ there is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's
going to be a butterfly. ] ~buckminster fuller

i have a frida pendant that i wear almost everyday. and
it amazes me when people ask if i know anything about her.
then they always make a big comment of [she was crazy,
or have you seen her art?! almost offended, and i get this
crazy sick gratitude, when i answer - why yes! because
i am not at all offended by frida.

she is the butterfly.

-see other sacred lives here-

IF...*[ alphabet ]

illustration friday - alphabet [ H.O.M.E. ]

" a wonderful realization will be the day you realized that
you are unique in all the world. the world is an incredible
unfulfilled tapestry, and only you can fulfill that tiny space
that is yours." ~ leo buscaglia

h.o.m.e.
10x30x1.5 canvas
mixed media
acrylics, ink, graphite, silver leaf and found papers

bless my soul *[ art show ]

ahead 10x10 and love wide 24x24 - mixed media paintings

these two pieces have been selected for the
downtown fall art exhibit. needless to say, after some
disappointing news last week, this has lifted my spirits.

i will say, when i saw the envelope in the post, i didn't
even want to open it. this is a juried show and these
two pieces will sit somewhere in a downtown storefront
window.

i am a happy chick!

downtown crawfordsville fall art exhibit
september 28 - october 7, 2007

i would say please come and be part of it, but those of
you i talk to are no where close, but i love that i can
share this bit of good news with you.

....and thank you to each of you gentle souls who have
encouraged me, supported me and held my hand along
the way.

peace, ya'll!

love wide [revisited]

remember katrina....

we sat and watched, horrified and saddened by what
we viewed from our living rooms. please remember the
victims of katrina. for those who died, those who sufferered
and those who are still, STILL waiting for help they were
promised.

my blessings are here:

3 gorgeous, healthy, funny kids
1 understanding, patient husband
1 silly pooch

the sturdy roof, that houses us safely
walls full of color, a studio that allows me
to retreat and keep my sanity

my extended family of friends, who make me belly laugh

listening to marley, ben harper and the be good tanya's
discovering donovan frankenreiter

and making it through 17 days of no refrined sugar, dairy
or wheatt. try it! you will feel better!

peace ya'll

pick it up and fly

beginnings + new canvas

today is a new day, a fresh start of sorts. summer is
on its way out and i am working on a new game plan.
some days the life of a freelance designer is scary and dim,
but what else can you do - but pick yourself up and fly.

the last five weeks if i have learned anything it is that i am
surrounded by friends who believe in my abilities, my talents
and simply ME. i am a blessed chickadee and i honor that.

peace, ya'll

bless my soul *[brunette]

blonde to brunette

one christmas, my sister erin
and i each got a brand new
sleeping bag and a doll. not
just any doll, but the velvet

and chrissy dolls. you could
make there hair grow, by
cranking a knob in there
back.

our sleeping bags were the
most groovy bags ever! red
with mod flowers all over it

and each flower was wrapped
with these phrases....

[ redheads are for real ]

[ blondes have more fun ]

[ brunettes are groovy ]

wednesday i decided that i had
had plenty of fun and now i just
wanted to be groovy.

groovy + brunette = groovy kelly

i jump everytime i catch a glimpse
of myself in the mirror!

day12

my daily grind

the past 12 days i have been on a yeast detox.
in the past 12 days i haven't put any refined
sugar, flour or dairy into my body. no diet sodies,
peanut butter m&m's, not even a bag of popcorn
touched my lips at the opening of friday night
frenzy.

days 2-5 were filled with exhaustion and a
headache that felt like someone had split my
head in two, with an ax. i took a nap each of
those days at 4pm sharp. by day 5 and 6, my
head felt clear and my body felt light. not at all
like my daily dose of heaviness and foggy brain.

today is day 12. Day 17-i will finish this journey.
i have lost approx. 6lbs in 12 days and i work
hard not to focus on the weight lost, but how
good my body feels. i have also been walking
in the mornings. have i told you how i hate to
get up at 4:40am to walk by 5am?!

I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON!

considering that i am surrounded by friends who
have no willpower where food is concerned. we
have all taken on the complacent attitude of
if you want it, eat it, this wasn't an easy process
to start. but i simply decided to treat myself to
a bit of good health. so i just don't go out to dinner
with anyone. instead i stay home and eat fresh
foods - it does make a difference!

of course, as with any detox or diet, the trick
lies in the days following - i remind myself each
day - DO NOT GO BACK TO YOUR UNHEALTHY
WAY OF LIVING!

here is what my days were filled with, little mexico,
bags and bags of peanut butter m&m's, diet pop,
sugary cereal, beer, margaritas on the weekends,
large portions. it is no wonder i have put on 30lbs
since bryce and i got married. and no wonder that
when i get out of bed each morning i felt terrible -
body aches, my feet ache, heart palpatations,
short of breath.

since i have started this, the inflated tube, i call
my belly has greatly diminished, i sleep better, go
to bed earlier and feel alert through out the day.
and i am not having sugar crashes.

can i get an amen?!

it amazes me that we all complain about our
bodies, how we ache, that our stomachs are
upset and the answer is so simple - we are a
society of induldgence and convenience. growing
up - my parents had a huge garden. my mom
canned all summer so that we had healthy foos
all winter - on our table. we may have eaten
out once a month. today - we are zipping through
drive-thrus to nourish our children. we just can't
understand why our kids behavior is so erractic,
yet we continue to shove tv dinners and mcdonalds
down their throats, because mommy and daddy
have other things to do, that are more important.

me - i am guilty!

instead of running to the doctor and sit there
while they write out another prescription or even
worse - put our child on an anti-depressant or
ridalin. why don't we slow our lives down and do
something simple like.....live as we are intended
to live.

when my family slows down, eats together - we
get along better, we are more productive and
happier.

just some thoughts.....happy friday ya'll

monday, monday

delilah and the squirrel - august 2007

this morning my mood is a bit - i will label it -
antsyness. sure i doubt is a word, but that is
how i am feeling - so run with it.
here are where my blessing lie.....

an extremely supportive husband
3 healthy kids
spilling onto the canvas
my eclectic circle of friends
my 4:40am wake up to walk
creative drive
and the last 4 weeks of learning

oh....and miz delilahblue who flashes those

big baby browns and makes me feel all better

.....happy monday!

bless my soul *[the road]

serenity - backyard - august 2007

[ if the future road looks aminous or
unpromising, and the roads back
uninviting, then we need to gather our
resolve and carrying only the necessary
baggage, step off that road into another
direction. ~ maya angelou ]

on my 40th, my sister and cheri' surprised me
with a night of maya, at clowes hall. her words
graciously fed my soul. i left that evening in
awe of this brilliant woman and the wisdom
she so willing shared.

peace.....

good morning' america - how are ya!

my sun august 13 backyard

school is back in session!

miz c is wearing a shiney pair of silver flats, that have
have yet to be broken in. I warned her - i would not
be bringing more comfortable shoes through the school
doors. i repeat....I would not bring the shoes! i will
lay down a $20, i will get a phone call from the school.

silly kids, you are so predictable.

the house is eeriely quiet. no bickering, no shut-ups being
exchanged - ah bliss. my domain has been given back
to me - peace at last. as of last nite, i was screaming
"serenity now!" [in my head of course]

just 11 short years ago, i was standing in the
driveway,

with a little squirt and his back pack, his
younger sister swirling around us on the tricycle - as
we waited for the big yellow bus to pull up and swing
that heavy door open. doogan, their favorite of bus
driving, smiling from ear to ear. we occassionally run
in to him at a store, the kids always so happy to see
him again.

today that squirt begins his sophomore year. the
swirling chickadee on the tricycle - she is now
roaming the 8th grade halls.

{ the purpose of education is to replace
an empty mind with an open one. }
~malcolm forbes

morn'

~ good morning world - hope today treats you fine. ~

bless my soul *[the interview]

2006 - poppies, mom and pop's yard

liz elayne at be present, be here - interviewed

me to other day, via email. she is such a sweet

chick and this was so much fun. it really slowed

down a very hectic - high strung week. so hop

on over and check it out if you would like. she

also has some really fun totes and flag sets on

her etsy site!

thanks liz! i can't wait to meet up one day
in INDIANA.

blessings ya'll!

goodness

goodness....i am tired, worn out.

it was a HUGE week last week. so many
exciting things. the printer sent me a lovely
care package with several final pieces that
i designed. YIPPEE! they were a success.
i love taking an old design and transforming
it - fresh and new.

i have a feeling that this week won't be any
mellower. but as i do everyday, one foot in
front of the other.

i put myself out there last week, we will see
if anything comes of that. i also packaged
up a disk with 3 of my paintings to be juried
for the fall art show. finally after 2 years of
saying, this year i am going to submit, i did it.
and....we will see if anything comes of that!

happy monday!

peace....

bless my soul *[launched]

the camp has launched!

--------> campindigo<------------

tagged

newly finished piece - [let go]
on the way to etsy....soon

i have been tagged by miz amanda
1.) We have to post these rules
before we give you the facts.
2.) Players start with eight random
facts/habits about themselves.
3.) People who are tagged write their

own blog post about their eight things

and include these rules.
4.) At the end of your blog, you need to

choose eight people to get tagged and

list their names.

~Don’t forget to leave them a comment

telling them they’re tagged and they

should read your blog.~8 random things

about me:

1. i dream of building my own tree house,
where i can sit under soft lite reading,
taking long naps and dangling my legs
over the side as i sip an ice cold beer.

2. i cry at commercials, because i can
always relate them to something in my life

3. i develop crushes....a lot. and b
knows about everyone. he is the
coolest husband, not at all jealous. but
if he told me he had a crush - i would
want to rip her eyes out

4. i am jealous/envious by nature. i
hate this characteristic

5. i am a closet smoker. i know - it's
gross. last summer i hid a pack of
cigarettes in my studio, sealed in a
ziplock - they are better fresh!
and when bryce would leave, i would
sneak out on the deck and smoke.
then i would bury the butt in the
chimnaria.

6. i have a learning disability. i have
known for years something wasn't clicking.
school sucked! but last year i went to
be tested for ADD, nope reading disability.
i feel better now.

7. i am a strong swimmer, but i have a
fear of drowning, i am also claustrophobic,
hate bridges and when i was little i always
thought someone was under my bed.

8. i hate going into parties. i don't like
that feeling of everyone looking at you
as you walk into the room.

okay...i am going to be the loser and
just say - whoever wants to play along
play along. the girls i know have already
been tagged! yikes!

tired

delilahblue...14months and full of sass.

big week and i am wiped out. i am sitting
here with a cleansing mask on my face. if i
weren't so tired iwould have taken a spc of it.

tuesday nite = jimmy buffett live in indy!
bus will be full of crazies, singing the whole ride
there, drinking ice cold beers, margaritas and
big o! kelly will be out of the studio wednesday!

fins to the left, fins to the right!

bless my soul *[sassychicks]

this little girl went wee wee wee wee wee.....all the way home

this girl was part of the [girls nite out] fundraiser for the
"caroline harmon fund". someone very dear to me decided
to take her home. in two short hours we raised $1800
there were tears, plenty of laughter, hugs - just plain old
kindess given by every chick who walked in the door.

i am so happy i was able to be part of it all. caroline's
family has received some bummer news. the first bone
marrow transplant didn't work as planned, so they are at
square one again....this time trying a double cord transplant.

as a mother, you can't even digest the pain they are
dealing with. we just do our best to support, love and
keep our sick children held high in prayer.

visit caroline here....

blessing ya'll.....now go hug someone and pass out
many smiles today!

home

6+ hours, journey home

at hour five i looked at bryce and asked him
if he had a sharpened pencil that i could
stick in my eye. after we got the kids
dropped off at their necessary destinations,
bryce and i drove back towards middle
indiana surrounded by high corn fields and
telephone poles. we called arnis as we
pulled into town, picked up the stromboli
and salad and headed home. poor delilah
was beside herself as we walked through
the front door, tail whipping anything it
came into contact with.

most of the vacation was good, i got to
read, sit by the pool and walk the dunes.
6 days was too long for 17 people. but
getting to see my 70 year old dad perform
a can opener off the diving board, while
his 10 grandkids bobbed up and down in the
shallow end, chanting...grampy - grampy

made all the crap worth it.

grampy and g...perfecting the can opener - g's smile, says it all.

bless my soul *[gone]

heading up the rode to sunny
michigan for a family vacation.
no - seriously, my whole
family is going. 15 people in one
vacation house. not my idea of
vacation, but i am going to
have fun no matter what!

i am so excited about finally

taking gabe and clancy
somewhere. the noise level
will be out of control and i am
sure the beer and cocktails
will be flowing. life is good.

it has taken me 3 months
to fire up for this little
getaway - i can honestly
say i am
happy to go.

blessings to each of
you - see you soon

how do you live

How You Life Your Life

You seem to be straight forward, but you keep a lot inside.You're laid back and chill, but sometimes you care too much about what others think.You prefer a variety of friends and tend to change friends quickly.You tend to dream big, but you worry that your dreams aren't attainable.

How'>http://blogthings.com/howdoyouliveyourlifequiz/">How Do You Live Your Life?

i have to say this is right on! with the exception of the friends.
i do love to meet new people, but i am very loyal. so how
do you live?

on a quick personal note....if anyone has a bit of time and would
like to visit a sweet little soul - please stop by and say hola to
caroline and her mom karri. they got some gloomy news tuesday
and could use a little pick me up. now go say hello!

peace ya'll....kelly