Homegrown Hospitality

Ready or Not...

Today is my last day of school. My last day at the elementary school I jumped feet first into the first day Jack started Kindergarten (He will be an "official" senior in high school tomorrow). Gulp.My last day of doing the job I said I'd never do. My last day of cleaning lunch tables and "reminding" littles not to run on the blacktop.  My last day of handing out band aids, writing office passes and Hawk High-Fives. My last day of defusing tether-ball arguments.  My last day of being "campus" "officer" or my favorite, "camping supervisor"

After today, I become summer documentarian, A Project-Lifer, mom to two high schoolers wife and home-keeper summer gardener 100% creative artist/teacher/reminder/traveler lake walker street runner and everyday life enjoyer.

After today, everything shifts...and I am ready, kinda. Ready or not..here I go!

Hello Color...Hello Summer

Today's Monday morning color play is about trying something new or something outside the box, and for me that is watercolor paints. I am playing around, not loving it, almost ready to put them away but, pushing through.  Here is a look inside my book:

I do not have a fancy set of colors but not the Crayola kids set either.  To be honest, I have no idea what I have because there is not label on the set and I have had them for quite a while.  I created a little color chart on a page to show the actual color on paper.  One of the things I do like about watercolors is that they dry really fast.

The way I "watercolor" is not the correct or traditional way, but is simply just the way I do it. I am not "watercolor painting" persay, but actually doodling with watercolors.  Here is a page of flowers just in black, and this, I kinda really like.  I think I like it because it is still inside my bounds with my style.Now, here is a page that is full of color and random all at the same time (and definatly NOT my favorite but this is where I am "pushing through".)  It is way outside my comfort zone and is full of colors I like, but don't love.  Again, pushing through. How did I do this?  Paint, waterbrush and paper.  No plan, no penciling in ideas, just paint to paper and go!

Try it.

you might like it...you might not, but you won't know until you try.

Here is a look at a few more things in my book:

and then a little something inspired by Dina Wakely.  I am not sure where this is going, but I am going to push through this one too! Play with a little color and see what happens!

In other news (this is a long post) our summer officially starts on Wednesday!  I think we may be the last school district to break for summer and I am ready.  I am going to document my summer and would love for you to join me, follow along, be inspired and just ENJOY summer.

Here is a little info about this "follow along" project.

and one last thing..

I am adding class dates to my line up this week!  I will be heading to Oklahoma City and Boston this summer and just added the 52 Pickup class to the "Craft Shack" class lineup on my return trip to Florida in just a few weeks!  I hope to see you along the way!

Speaking Of Pushing Through It..

I got a new pad of black paper yesterday and just started doodling... and this morning finished it up. As I sat and looked at it for a second, it reminded me of our lives.  Busy, beautiful, going this way, that way, congested, blooming, different, full of crooked lines and smooth transitions (I am sure you could add your own adjectives here) but there is one thing that keeps it all flowing (even when it is upside down, backwards and pretty much crazy) and that is what is at the center..

What is at the center of your life should keep you centered, balanced and at the end of each day, okay. If things are out of whack, a little off or completely upside down, try re-adjusting and re-focusing.  It is pretty easy in this day and age to "fall off the wagon" but the lucky thing for us is we can all get back up!

Pickin' up what I am putting down?

Push Through It

During class last weekend, I used the phrase "Push Through It" a few times.  Okay, maybe more than a few more times, but that is because my classes are not just about Mixed Media, Doodling and Stitching.... 
What I was talking about is when you wanna stop doing something because you feel a little resistance, you know like:

• when you are running or working out and you just wanna stop..
• when you are cleaning the house and you tell yourself you can do the other rooms tomorrow..
• when you are creating something and you don't like where it is going so you want to set it aside or throw it away..
• when you are doing the laundry and you tell yourself you will put the clothes away later..

stuff like that..

I say to others, "Push Through It " but I am here to tell you that I also HAVE TO tell it to myself, pretty much on a daily basis..no, hourly basis.

The surrounding world , media, magazines, books, people,(well, or Adam & Eve) etc. have helped us to create this terrible habit of procrastination and/or wanting a quick fix, immediate results, all or nothing and there seems to be such an attitude of entitlement by so many that it is hard to see straight sometimes. Sit in an airport for a few hours...anyways, we have got to get out of the habit of wanting it all and wanting it now, and practice patience and gratitude wherever we are, whether on a creative, spiritual or personal journey.

Right now on my creative journey, I am learning to watercolor, not the theory of watercolor, but simply creating using watercolors, and I am not loving it BUT I am pushing through it and am practicing, practicing, practicing...and reminding myself of this:"Be encouraged by any progress you do make and refuse to be discouraged by how far you think you have to go" Page 95 - "Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Ones" by Joyce Meyer

Today

I am unpacking, re-organizing, planning, creating and playing with a little color...
What are you doing today?