bless my soul *[happy]

....seeing old friends at campbells
....sitting with a group of older democrat women
....riding on the back of denny's harley [WEE!]
....delilah and the gentleleader
....g making the golf team
....margarita at little mexico
....slowly catching up
....kim's phone message and hearing her voice, it was just as i thought
....christine's new chickies
....new jobs coming in
....homemade meals
....blue sunny skies
....mati sharing her "eat pray love" but, straight from san francisco

happy friday ya'll

have you....

have you ever bought a pile of
paper at a craft store, get it home
and realized what you thought would
be full of funky vintage style paper, is
only full of ugly crappy paper...ugh.
$4 wasted.


have you ever rented videos, forgotten
to take them back then found out that
you owe a hefty late fee....so late that
you make you kids swear not to tell you
husband.

have you ever stopped traffic on the way
to a concert, to run across to the nearest
corn field to pee, because the 4 beers you
have drank on the hour ride to the pavilion
have finally caught up with you

have you kissed a shaun cassidy poster

have you ever not answered the phone all
day, just because you didn't want to talk to
anyone and that's okay

have you ever thought about packing up
all your belongings and just moving in
the middle of the nite

have you ever wondered why i write this
silly stuff...

well have you?

sick and tired

sick and tired,
sick and tired....something has
latched onto my lungs and won't
let go.

i am so wiped and with that comes
rushing to get jobs finished, a shear
panic has surfaced from my weary
soul.

ugh...please lord, send me some health.

but even in the dark - comes some light.
c was home for spring break last
week and made sure i had warm tea, fuzzy
socks and best of all she left me alone to
rest. she is the best. she is also preparing
to sail the seas to london and rightfully so -
so excited.

i have an opportunity to do several designs
for a greeting card submission. make note
to kelly - find some damn time! right now
i am working on several logos, two websites,
and quite a few itty bitty jobs that always
seem to bring a bit of change.

i took my pops to lunch today and watching
his face beam when discussing c's trip was
almost too much.

if anyone out there has some extra time
or energy, please send it my way. this
tired chickadee says thanks ahead of time

happy wednesday ya'll

the girl in the middle

in the middle of a painting......

wow...two weeks of not posting. i have been
a busy busy girl. i am thankful for the numerous
jobs that have been sent my way. but with that
comes less time for painting. the above image
is a painting i have been working on for about
3weeks. hoping to finish soon. it is a bit different
from the girl series, yet it should be familiar. its
a large piece 24x24 and i can't wait to finish her.
today, marisa haedike was kind enough to give
me a little shot out on her podcast....can i get
an amen! i dig her podcast. it was one of the
few reasons i made myself dig in and paint. todays
topic is time management. so slip over here
for a little peace and listen.

so with that, here are where my happiness is today....
cheri's acceptance to the study abroad program, look out london!
a quick trip to arvey paper
my new exciting logo design job
the many primed boards sitting behind me
my three healthy spirited kiddos
blonder hair
our new spunky car
and of course, the many creative souls who bless my world
each day

...and since today is a day of shout outs. i would love to give
a shout out to sir henry tucker. for those of you who don't
know henry. he is a young chap right here in middle indiana.
he is working really hard to fight cancer and just went through
bone marrow transplant. so stop by and visit his blog. i told
him you were all really nice. say some prayers, send zen and
many happy thoughts. he is one of my heroes.
happy thursday, ya'll!

studio friday *[quoted]

camp indigo...happy messy studio


{ as long as habit and routine
dictate the patterns of living, new
dimensions of the soul will
not emerge. } ~ henry van dyke

quoted?!
journey here....

bless my soul *[fins]

g's on his way to the state meet as an alternate
this weekend. i am so proud of his accomplishments
many seconds of dropped times, a new place
to exist. watching him walk out to the car with
bryce this am, big fat smile on his face....proud
of himself, of his teammates. and momma couldn't
be prouder too...not because he is going to state,
but for the hours he put in when he was sore
and tired. all the 5am mornings, the long weekends,
and the smile on his face when he spotted the
his time on the board, when he passed those who
have been passing him for 3 seasons and because
he always looks for me in the crowd.

swim boys swim.....

[look closely. the beautiful may be small] ~ emmanuel kant

studio friday *[drawing a blank]

happy 2nd birthday - studio friday!

7 blocks, ready to finish! seven!....8 months

ago, one canvas sat on my table, begging for

a bit of love. talk about drawing a blank. i finally

made myself finish her. there is something about

a canvas ready to finish. it exudes the possiblity.

for me - i rarely know how i will finish it. what

lies ahead. today - i am happy in orange, pink

and a bit of sunshine. sunshine, that is of a bit

of yellow peaking through. no sun outside today...

we are under a fresh blanket of snow.

to see who else is drawing a blank...walk this way!

oh and tell tine bravo, while you are at it.

blessing ya'll

bless my soul *[hands on]

lower 9th ward [nola]

today cbs - guidinglight shared footage of the

shows actors trip, to the gulf coast. 18 months

after katrina and those south, STILL looks like

the above image. common! we live in america

and this is all we've got?

november 2006, i traveled with a group from

st. bernards to st. gabriel of the archangel,

in new orleans. the devastation is wide, the

pain and suffering is deep.

as i watched the guiding light special, tears

ran down my face. i cry for the ones i had

to leave behind, still trying to gain control

of their lives, i cry for the new friends i met,

for the children who attended st. benedict

of the moor, on st. gabriels campus and i cry

because i yearn to go back.

if you are looking for something to do, something

that will forever change your life....please go

here. the hands on network is a great place to

start! they partnered with guiding light.

the girl series *[the girl bloomed]

the girl series one - the girl bloomed

mixed media 5.5x12 inches
acrylics, oil crayons,ink, silver leaf and papers
1 inch deep wrapped canvas
black finished sides
signed and ready to hang

the snow if falling rapidly here today in middle indiana.
i have spent the day downloaded files for a new
design job, cleaned our very dusty downstairs,
ate a warm bowl of chili, lots of candy and viewed
all of the warm and happy photos from the girly

show.

bryce and the kids are home today. central indiana
is basically shut down. i grew up here and i am
very used to this. but as always i am wrapped in
a new fleece blanket, sitting infront of the monitor
loving life.

more boards sit behind me, gessoed and ready for
new life. i can't tell you the happy buzz that fills
me as i paint. amen for nudges!

blessings ya'll!!!!

messy happy studio

happy messy unorganized creative space

don't forget this saturday....one night only

the girly show!

if you are in the LA area go say hello to these

creative chickadees.....

christine mason miller

penelope dullaghan

mati rose
kelly rae roberts
marisa haedike
outi harma

the girl series *[green pastures]

the girl series one - green pastures

mixed media 10x11 inches
acrylics, oil crayons,charcoal,
silver leaf and papers
1.5 inch deep woodblock
black finished sides

signed and ready to hang

the girl series *[ahead]

the girl series one - ahead

mixed media 10x11 inches
acrylics, oil crayons,charcoal,
silver leaf and papers
1.5 inch deep woodblock
black finished sides

signed and ready to hang

illustration friday *[red]

[sacred heart]

illustration friday - [red]

trying to practice more and paint daily.
to see more red....click here!

studio friday *[look who i found!]

look who i found!.....if you click the postcard
it will take you to 6 really sweet chicks. i have
followed 5 of the ladies for over a year, met two
of them and bent their ears. and have been
blessed by the art that each on puts her soul
into. they are some happy girlys......

if you are in L.A. the 10th of february, go to
the show for me.

The Girly Show - One Night Only
February 10th - 4-11pm

the girlys......
christine mason miller
penelope dullaghan
mati rose
outi
marisa haedike
kelly rae roberts

i must

[i must]

mixed media 5.5x12 inches
acrylics, oil crayons, ink,

swarvorski crystals, silver leaf and papers
on 1 min deep canvas
black finished sides

signed and ready to hang

she blooms

[she blooms]

mixed media
8x24 inches
acrylics, oil crayons, silver leaf and papers
on 1.5in deep canvas.
black finished sides

signed and ready to hang

i have found a really sweet site through my girl
christine miller. i am amazed at the talent and
pure happiness that i have come upon through
other sites. marisa haedike is one of those
sweet chicks. she allows you to not only
view her art, but she provides so many artisitc
outlets.

i have been catching up on her podcasts the
last couple of weeks. tonight i finished a painting
that has been sitting in the studio for eight months.
simply because of fear, fear of not being accepted,
good enough or no one "getting it".

thanks marisa for the gently shove down the
hill....please visit her here.

while i am passing out kudos. she will be part of
this.....the girly show!. six amazing artists
Saturday, February 10th - One Night Only.

bless my soul *[2006]

oh....sweet 2006.
well maybe not so sweet, some bitter too.

sweet of o6'

meeting up with two of my most favorite artists....
christine and penelope

eating under twinkle lites in sunny california
with bryce listening to bing crosby singing
[white christmas]

watching gabe excel his freshman year, splashing
through the water and showing his huge comical relief

actually painting a few canvas'

annual buffett fest

getting to witness miz campbell's birth

my new green buddha bank...i dig him

my pooch delilahblue....the spunky airedale

marc broussard at the vogue, g-love too - but bad bad
crowd for his set.

watching cheri work through college and getting to attend
a lot of her design classes, just by drinking in all of her
knowledge

discovering appleton estates - yummie jamaica rum, man

another year of freelancing

clancy's growing up....hope we both make it out alive!

finishing up my website....even if it is a month late

great meal and quiet new years eve with bryce

my colorful home and getting rid of the money pit of a saab

and as much as we all drive it other nuts sometimes, my
big extended circle family and friends


blessings...ya'll

blessings

today my pop's lays in the the care center
in carmel. he was taken in yesterday and
today the performed a heart cath on him.
they found blockage and did the good old
balloon treatments.

4 years ago this march - he suffered a massive
heart attack and again found himself at the
care center. there they put in two stints. he
had 98% blockage.

in the last couple of months i confronted him
on his health and told my mom, something
wasn't right. he reassured me he was feeling
great and i told him i didn't believe him. i hope
he listens to me next time. i now feel like his
keeper.

his best friend retired today and dad was supposed
to be the master of ceremonies at the roast. i fear
he is very down because he had to miss it.

they are two of the best men i know. loyal, faithfilled
and hard working family men.

my blessings are...

...more time with my dad

...seeing easy ed one last time driving through
town in the neal tire truck, sporting a santa hat.

...dedicated siblings

...laughing with steph and casey. i don't know anyone
more dark or demented.

....our family of friends -brother and sisters at heart
the labbes.

blessings ya'll

bless you charles schultz

main street usa....christmas 2006

Charlie Brown: (shouting in desperation) isn't
there anyone out there who can tell me what
Christmas is all about?

Linus Van Pelt: sure, charlie brown, I can tell
you. Lights, please. [a spotlight shines on Linus]

LinusVan Pelt: "and there were in the same
country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping
watch over their flocks by night. and lo, the
angel of the Lord came upon them, and the
glory of the lord shone round about them, and
they were so afraid. and the angel said unto them,
Fear not, for behold, i bring unto you good tidings
of great joy, which shall be to all people. for unto
you this day is born in the city of bethlehem, a
Savior, which is Christ the Lord. and this shall
be a sign unto you; you shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a
manger. and suddenly there was with the angel,
a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God,
and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good will toward men'". that's what
Christmas is all about, charlie brown.

merry christmas to all and to all a good night!

clancy's idea....


my execution....

what a day! i whipped out wedding stationary
samples, raced them to lafayette so that they
can be carried by the mother to her daughter
in sunny california! another job! and from so
far away, makes me feel rather wordly, ol' chum!

while in rainy gray and gloomy lafayette, i ran
over to the saturn dealership and hopped in
a midnight blue vue and took her for a spin.
loved it - hated the manual transmission.
the saab is manual and i feel like someone
kicked the shit out of me after every long
trip. she drives like a tank, i am ready for
an automatic, not ready for 2k more on the
sticker price. we also drove a caliber and
a jeep compass. caliber was at the top of
my list and compass last. compass is now
at the top, with vue running a close second
could move to first if i can find a automatic
in our price range.

clancy came to me with a vision and together
we got it done. i have been making notepads.
in the last month i have probably popped out
over 65 of them. i sold over 44!

i love that my kids are proud of me and want
to give my goods as gifts.....