esty bitty step

etsy is now open! four prints to choose from
note cards coming soon.

you can find the happygirlshop here!

c'mon let's play------------------->

for caroline

i am caroline [copyright 2007 kelly barton/indigosoul]

i had so much fun with this piece! a sassy super
girl for a very spunky brave girl....

Caroline was diagnosed with Juvenile
Myelomonocytic Leukemia on December 19, 2006.
It is an extremely rare form of leukemia.

if you would like to read more about caroline
and her family....you can click here to visit her
caring bridge site. please take the time to stop
by and even leave her and her dedicated cutie
mom a note of encouragement....and tell them
kelly sent you!

and by the way, her favorite color is purple, just
in case you couldn't tell!

saturday aches

little miz campbell, the aviator

i woke up this morning with my neck out of sink.
i hate feeling like this, allergy season is weighing
heavily on my body.

we had a long week and i am not sleeping well.
of course, that could be because, i am burning
the candle at both ends again, not eating right
or exercising and i need to get back into surrounding
myself with those who i love most.

on the brite and happy note - i am painting in the studio

almost daily. fresh varnish coats my latest creations
and campindigosoul will soon be live, along with the happy

girl etsy shop. my feet are barely touching the ground
i am so damn excited!

my life is filled with many blessings, but today i ask
that you send prayers and zen to these amazing
heros in my life, each who are hanging tight in the fight
against cancer. they and their loved ones are my
daily reminders of what life is truly about.

henry tucker - caroline harmon - wilbur isom

blessings ya'll

illustration friday *[signs]

blue [copyright kelly barton/indigosoul] mixed media

12x12x2 inches deep

paper, acrylics, silver leaf

and graphite.

hmmm...signs is the IF subject for this week. most

people think blue means sad or in a funky mood.

but to me, it is when iam in my creative mode.

i love the word blue, i dig it. so blue is the sign

of my creative happy mind.

looking for more signs.....walk this way!

happy weekend, ya'll!

bless my soul *[indigo]

find this here!

once again, i am a copykat. miz kellyrae posted this on her site.
i can't help it! i just love seeing my name spelled out! if you want
to see something really crazy, visit sasha wizansky at her new
publication called meat paper. she is a really talented chick!
this is what i found at meat paper....the hamburger alphabet.
i wanted to throw up when i first saw it, but shit - its funny!

i swear someone could hire me to research great new sites!
if only....imagine getting paid to surf the net, for funky finds.

so it thursday and i've been blessed, here.....

my new garden and buddha shrine
my mother's day easel....no more painting on my lap!
tom's honesty and friendship
c, turning 21 and heading to london for the summer
this happy studio, that is growing with new paintings

artistic creative chickadees who have taken the time
to include me in their world

oh and here too....miz delilahblue the sassy airepooch
nothing better then a 60lb pup climbing in your lap for
a snuggle and finally - b, g and little c who i spend my
everyday with whether the sun shines or not.

blessings ya'll!

bless my soul *[buddah happy]

happy yard, mothers day 2007

mothers day was spent in the yard, planting,
moving, fixing and spreading. sipping cold
beer, uhing and ahing over all my new buddahs
and such. it was a gorgeous day, where a long
drive took us to a local greenhouse that carrys
many eclectic flowers and art. i giggle each time
i look out over the yard and see our creations.

how did you spend your day.....

bless my soul *[ b ]

b and me, st. louis - april 2007

i honestly don't know what i would do if b wasn't
in my life. he is my rock. and right now i need
a big rock. i am sure there are days he gets tired
of being that rock, but he sucks it up and keep
me on the right road. he is conservative and i tend
to miss the path. i am the one that leaves the
path too look at the flower in the middle of the
field, or the person walking by who i think i recognize.
i tend to get off focus, he is always focused. i live
in the creative mode, he lives in the prepare for
tomorrow mode. i love color, he could care less.
i lead with emotion - he with his practical thinking.
i cry and he looks and me and says [what on earth
are you crying about] and most days, i need that.
i am really beginning to wonder if i am going to be able

to maintain this creative path. i lost a big job

recently - i couldn't even tell bryce for 4 days. i was

embarrassed, worried and actually pissed off. pissed

off because, i did everthing i was asked to do. as far
as i am concerned, i was brought in as a buffer - and
when it didn't work, they went back to the old way.
now i know why i need contracts. i am tired of being
considered the clean up point. i am tired of being stepped
on and i am really tired of feeling second rate.

i have fallen behind, because i am constantly taking little
jobs that carry me through - but end up costing more
that what i can possibly make $$. i am the independent
designer, i have a lot to offer - but in this world of bullshiters
they go with who ever plays the part. i don't play the part.
i am not bells and whistles. i will not sell my soul to the devil.
i have been painting and finishing up my website. next i will
be photographing my originals for prints, and getting more
card designs finished for my site as well. my etsy site is waiting
too. but trying to get this all together and working on designs
jobs that pay the bills, trucking my kids all over town, cooking
dinner, helping friends, walking delilah - wow....i am pooped.

needless to say no much left over for me. and so, i need to
find the road of staying on point, and feeling good about the
blessings and talents that i have been given. today - i am not
feeling good about any of it. i am very fragile and i am going to
take a bit of time to embrace that. ignoring it hasn't worked.
so what the hell - i will try it this way - what can it hurt.

the funny this is - as much as b is my rock. i know that i am

a rock for others. and i am blessed by that. it feels good to know
that i have made a difference in others lives, that my kids learn
from me and that b loves me. so for today, i will make that enough.
if anyone has any advice or ways that you stay focused with your
creative career...i am all ears. in the meantime, i am going to make it
a goal to finish [creatively self-employed] i am sure that the stories
kristen shares will put me back on the path!

blessings....

blue

Your Aura is Blue

Spiritual and calm, you tend to live a quiet but enriching life. You are very giving of yourself. And it's hard for you to let go of relationships. The purpose of your life: showing love to other people Famous blues include: Angelina Jolie, the Dali Lama, Oprah Careers for you to try: Psychic, Peace Corps Volunteer, Counselor

What Color Is Your Aura?

nothing shocking here. i know this, my family and friends know this. hence

indigo - indigosoul. i love being blue.

bryce ran the mini today - maybe i will give it a try next year.

blessing ya'll

if *[remember]

[love wide]

illustration friday topic - remember....

i traveled to new orleans november 06, i have

not forgotten the damage....love wide.

24 x 24 inches, wood panel

mixed media

acrylics, oil crayons, graphite, silver leaf
dictionary pages and katrina images.

oh....i didn't think i was going to get this one done

blessings ya'll

dancing queen

auntie lynne [circa 1954...ish]

today is big BIG BIG day in the nation. i am

so disappointed after visiting many blogs, that

not one, that's right no one mentioned the

30th birthday of abba's [dancing queen].

so happy birthday girlie....you brought this little

girl many happy days listening to the old am/fm.

my mind swirls with disco lites and dizziness from

the constant circles of the old skate corral...all skate.

yes, yes - i know i am once again dating myslelf. but

i don't care! you are the dancing queen, young and sweet,

only seventeen...uh yeah!

today 30 years later, i still turn it up loud when it comes

on the radio. its on my mp3 players. if i am in the studio

i get up and dance, cmon - you know you do too.

if your you diggin the dancing queen...dance this way

[You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life

See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen]

bless my soul *[boots]

boots

mixed media
acrylics, graphite
silver leaf, and
found papers
24x24x.25 inch deep
wood block

...where have your boots taken you.

why

as the tragedy at virginia tech unfolds, please remember them in your prayers, thoughts,
daily meditation. please remember those who are lost, suffering and in need of human
kindness. and as you do this - don't forget to say thank you for all of your blessings that
have been sent your way.

on a daily basis, i become agited - stressed, etc....and sometimes i forget that i have to
accept those that i love for who they are, not for who i want them to be.
and if you have any extra room in your day, here are some that i would like to be
remembered.

caroline the divine princess and her family - new healthy cells for her body
henry, baby george and the tucker family - go away bad cells, we are tired of seeing you.
rachel and linda and uncle wilber- successful cancer treatments
a healthier heart for my dad [ he loves his food and beer]
and again, for the victims at virginia tech, their families and the community.

blessings to each and everyone of you and yours

illustration friday *[fortune]

blessed [part of the girl series]

mixed media
acrylics graphite
silver leaf
and found papers
10x11x2 inches deep
wood block

{my fortune lies within the simple tokens life has
blessed me with...healthy kids, bryce, my creative
soul and our funky house.}

bless my soul *[shaun]

dreamboat shaun cassidy

someone recently asked me who shaun cassidy was.

what?! are you kidding me. da doo ron ron, #1 hit
of 1977. hello. i felt like a knife had pieced my tender heart.
1976 was a great year, every stitch of clothing i had was
the red white and blue motif, but then the best year ever....
1977 how could anyone not know who my beloved shaun is?
but then again, you weren't even born yet.
shaun cassidy first stole my heart when i was a 6th grader.
not an easy age. i spent my meesly savings on tigerbeat
and teenbeat magazine. i then meticulously extracted every
image of shaun i could find and taped them to the wall directly
behind my bed. wallah...instant headboard. and oh so convenient
when i need a kiss goodnite. shaun never talked back. never
made fun of my hair, and he could of, considering he had better
farrah hair than i.

my mother flipped when i used six of my hard earned babysitting
dollars on his album. $5.99. it was worth the 3 nites of babysitting
it took just to make the $6. she just didn't understand that our love
was a true love....hmmmmmm.

so there you go tom, young as you may be. if you want to read
more interesting facts on shaun. you can find them here...
[you always know how to make me feel old!]

have you...

happy

have you ever wanted to smack
someone's face when they ask....
"whose shaun cassidy?" bite
you tongue child.

have you ever ran into your first
love and barely be able to hold a
conversation, because after 25 years
you still want to lick their face.
[ie, "lick their face" is my
little expression i use when i think
someone is attractive]

have you ever laid in bed at nite re-hashing
a job that isn't coming together, only to realize
why. for instance, javascript not working, maybe
because you have neglected writing the backcode?
....there's your sign.

ever sit in your house, and feel blessed that
you aren't listening to your two teenagers screaming
at one another, slamming doors, begging for
whatever it is they want. i call that a mini
vacation and i got one last week and loved
every damn minute of it!

have you ever laughed so hard you peed your
pants?! okay - i haven't, but close. i do laugh
so hard that my belly cramps up and my
cheeks hurt from the huge smile on my face

have you dreamt that you have missed a college
class for a full semester only to remember the
week of finals

have you ever had a wave of euphoria when
you realize how blessed you are

ever smoked off a hookah

ever had a green river

well have you?!

lites of broadway

remember the bees gees song
[lights of broadway] . well
here are the lights of the camp!

if you want to see your name in lights...go here
sorry, but the animation was driving me nuts each time i opend my
blog. but it is fun to see it so go visit!

i found this at something to say....i dig her. she
always has the best stuff. thanks kim!

Illustration Friday *[green]

greener pastures

mixed media
acrylics, graphic, silver leaf
and found papers
10x11 in, wood block

i posted this before, but it was appropriate
for illustration friday . now go check them out!

happy weekend!

warm butts and easter

easter egg hunt circa 1967

do you have heated car seats? have you

ever had the pleasure of riding with a warm

butt. i was in my pal becky's car today and

had the pleasure of warmed seats. ahhhhhh.

now back to easter...as you can see by the

vintage photo - an era gone by.....we hunted

only for hardboiled eggs. with a rare peep

jelly beans and a foiled wrapped chocolate egg.

no frilly hats or lace dresses. above i model

my ma and pa kettle farm look - black boots,

leggins, gingham check nightie and my brothers

hand me down winter coat. and the cherry on

top! the hoodie.

happy easter! now i am off to cvs to get some

peeps.

blessings ya'll

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?