Encouragement

Pieces of Soul via 2 STAR art

Etsy Offerings

Fast Friends

Fast Friends Hand-Painted HAPPY Friendship Greeting Cards – Your Choice of 3

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Turkey Tote Bag

Thanksgiving Turkey One-of-a-Kind Hand-Painted Denim Tote Bag

 

Warning

Amazing Things

I Love Halloween 3

CostumeWorks.com via Living Locurto

 

Inspira Spaces

Thoughts on a Thursday 10-17-2019

We Love Earth

 

We got an early start to the day with a doctor appointment for my husband followed by a glorious, large keto breakfast (for me) with the addition of hash browns and toast and jelly for my husband at The Dari in Greenwood. We did errands on the way home, so we’re in for the day now.

I re-lost some poundage and am again ready to get into new territory on the scales – hopefully tomorrow. To date I’ve lost 43 pounds and 45 inches.

I’m on DAY 45 of daily yoga practice

Why Kol

and DAY 30 on the getting-serious-about-keto-macros eating plan.

The fact that my husband and son are saying, “YUMMY!” about our dinners (THANK YOU, Suzanne Ryan of Simply Keto), I’m finding it easier to make the substitutions desired while we all eat together. For example, I have roast beef and salad while they have corn or other more high carb veggie with the meal. Or they have rice while I have either zucchini noodles (Zoodles) or yellow Squash noodles (Yoodles) or Cauli-rice under a sauce of chicken chunks, onions, mushrooms, and cream of chicken/mushroom soup. (I have my substitutions ready to pop into the microwave from individual portion bags in the freezer.)

I love the Cronometer.com website. I have entered my macro (5% carbs, 25% protein, 70% fat) into their program. I can ‘play’ with what I’m going to eat for the day. If I find that I’m planning to eat something that will trash my efforts for the day, I can delete that and plug something else in BEFORE I mess up.

I finished my first experiment with Unicorn Spit Stain/Glaze.  I have to say I had a BLAST playing with it and can’t wait to start another piece.

 

I finally harvested our onions from the garden. I still need to clean them up a bit more, and then I’ll put them in a large, stretchy, mesh bag and hang it in the pantry.

 

I hope that you are having a wonderful Thursday, too. :0)

 

 

Can You FEEL It?

Zen to Zany via Contemplative Monk

Animal Portraits as Gifts!

Gary Wing – GaryWingIllustration.com info@garywingillustration.com

 

 

Niki Firmin – Millie

 

Niki Firmin – Katie

 

Niki Firmin – Niamh – NikiFirminPetPortraits.com

Straw Art 3

Tokyoweekender.com- wara-art-festival

 

Wara Art- Elephant

 

Wara Art- Monkey- Laughing Squid

 

Wara Art- Mountain Goat- Laughing Squid

 

Wara Art- Walrus- Laughing Squid

Happymaking

2 STAR art

I Love Halloween 2

Good Housekeeping

I want to sweep this little one up and keep her forever. Isn’t she CUTE?

 

Art and Home

I love the creativity people show in carving jack-o-lanterns. Every year I just tried to do the traditional thing, never really doing it well. Now I just LOVE seeing what others do, thinking totally outside the box.

Alina Ciuciu Art – Cormorants

“Cormorants and a Boat” – Alina Ciuciu – LinkedIn

 

 

“Solitary Cormorant” – Alina Ciuciu – LinkedIn

Halloween Totes – Totably Yours on Etsy

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This is a hand-painted, one-of-a-kind XLG hand-painted tote bag. It is painted on one side and then sprayed with Scotchgard for protection.  It is 18″ wide x 12″ tall (without the straps) x 5″ deep with an open gusset in the bottom.

It would be a bit large to use for trick or treating for a small child, but an older child would enjoy it. It could also be used to tote your holiday supplies to a Halloween dinner party. I’ve even used one similar to this as ‘wrapping’ for another house-warming gift.

It is called “Ghost.” 

 

This one is the same size as the previous tote. It is called, “Jack-O-Lantern.” 

Free shipping to anywhere in the United States. Please order right away to be sure you have it in plenty of time for the holiday.

I Love Halloween

Pinterest

I have always loved Halloween. A hundred years or so ago, kids went trick-or-treating with a group of friends. Parents were off limits. We would leave, gather as much candy as we could, and then go home again, tired and happy, already full of candy.

 

100 Laughs

I’m still fascinated by people’s creativity – both in kids’ costumes and in carving of pumpkins. Since we live on top of a ridgeline, some 650+ feet up a steep driveway from the road, we don’t have trick or treaters. I still enjoy the holiday.

Adventure with Unicorn Spit

 

I’m on steps 2 and 3 of my experimental project with my new Unicorn Spit Kit I received from my wonderful sister-in-law, Mary Lou. I had never heard of it, and she sent it for no occasion, just thought I might have fun with it. And was she right!

I’m experimenting on two things –

THING ONE:  A wooden plaque my husband and I cut out in the shop YEARS ago.

THING TWO: A ‘watercolor’ on paper

I watched several YouTube demonstrations of what people are doing with this stain/glaze and then decided to just dive in and see what happens.

__________________

Yesterday I wet down the wood and then made several lines with three different colors of Unicorn Spit. I then covered the paint and wood with plastic wrap. I sprayed the plastic with more water, then ‘squeezed’ the color around under the plastic. I carefully took the plastic off, leaving the wooden plaque to dry completely.

I took the plastic wrap and put it paint side down onto a sheet of watercolor paper. Pressed it down and then lifted it off and threw the plastic away.

_________________

When I went up to the art room a few minutes ago, both the plaque and the paper looked kind of ‘chalky,’ the sign that the paint is completely dry.  I ‘buffed’ the wood lightly with some steel wool and then wiped the wood off.

I put masking tape around the beveled edge of the plaque. I sprayed both the plaque AND the watercolor paper with polyurethane spray.

WAS THAT EVER FUN!!!!  As I sprayed, the color ‘bloomed,’ becoming wonderfully rich on both the plaque and the paper. It was quite dazzling. :0)

I’m going to let them dry, and then figure out the next step in what I want to do. I’m trying to build a rich background on both and then paint something in white on both.

I am like a kid playing with a new toy. It’s hard to wait for things to dry before playing again, but I DO have some things I really should be doing around here….

 

Jeff Jett

 

 

 

Thoughts on a Tuesday 10-15-2019

We Love Earth

It’s not raining yet, but severe storms are forecast for us this afternoon. We scooted out the door this morning to avoid the worst of it while we did our errands. It only sprinkled on us a bit.  I’m hoping we just get a good bit of rain, rather than flying hairballs.

We put up a different mailbox decoration while we were out –

I added some Day-Glo orange paint to this one, so it shows up nicely when headlights hit it in the dark. :0)   Because of Columbus Day yesterday, the mail is being delivered later than usual.  We’ll check again after lunch sometime to see if we received anything.

I’m having a wonderful time playing in my art room, experimenting with the Unicorn Spit stain/glaze. I’m trying to use it on a wooden plaque we cut out years ago. I did the first layer yesterday. I’ll add a second layer today. I have no clue what I’m doing, but it’s exciting and fun.

Elliptical and yoga await later in the day. FIRST, I’ll play in my art room before I need to fix lunch. :0)

Have a glorious Tuesday!

 

Thoughts on a Monday – 10-14-2019

We Love Earth

 

“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue…” –  Other than the history of our country, this ‘holiday’ means to US that we have no mail and the banks are not open today. I’m sad that has become yet another controversial subject.

I’m feeling spoiled that Mother Nature is smiling on us again today, giving us another beautiful, cool, sunshine-y day. I just took advantage of it a bit, pruning the roses I started to do several days ago and doing some general clean up of a flower bed or two.

I’ll do my elliptical trainer and my yoga practice today. Did I tell you that I’m FINALLY feeling a difference in my energy level and the way I MOVE since I’ve been doing both of these daily? Another week or two, and I’ll consider adding something else to the mix.

I’ll watch more YouTube demos on Unicorn Spit and then I’m PLANNING to get up to my art room this afternoon to start experimenting!

 

I hope Mother Nature is smiling on YOU, too, and that you have a wonderful day.

 

 

Repost of a Story by Georgea Thomas

 

 

Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so, and she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to swim and play with balls. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letterbox at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith’ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, ‘When a Pet Dies.’ Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page were the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help and I recognized her right away.

Abbey isn’t sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your picture in so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I’m easy to find. I am wherever there is love.

Love, God

Straw Art 2

Gorilla – webneel.com

 

Praying Mantis-Laughing Squid

 

Rhino-Laughing Squid

 

smithsonianmag.com – dinosaur

Unicorn Spit

 

I told you that my sister-in-law saw this kit, thought I might have fun with it, and sent it to me!  ( it’s okay to be envious of me… :0) )

Last night, while my husband was watching yet another ‘no-plot-everyone-shoots-each-other’ movie in the living room, I escaped to our office and started watching YouTube Demonstrations. I LOVE YouTube. You can find all kinds of information there, and SEE people showing you how to do things, such as ways to use Unicorn Spit!

So far, I’ve found out that you can use this on fabric, wood, metal, glass – you name it.  You can mix the colors before you use it, or just squeeze some on whatever you’re staining/painting and go for a tie-dyed effect. You can use it wet or dry. One lady was doing streaks of color, then spritzing the piece with water, covering it with saran wrap, spritzing the plastic, and then using her fingers to blend the colors. The final step on whatever you paint is SEALING. You can do this with polyurethane in any form, and I’ll look for a water-proofing stuff for fabrics.  The dried unicorn spit looks ‘chalky.’ Then you seal it, with the sealer bringing the colors to gorgeous life.

I’m going to continue watching demonstration videos today, but I am already getting over my  intimidation about trying something new, and ideas of what I could do are starting to rattle around in my head. I’m hoping to make time to play in my art room this afternoon, probably making a glorious mess, but enjoying myself tremendously!

I hope that YOUR Sunday is a happy one.

Happy Fall

Adolph Kaufmann-“Shepherdess Returning Home” via Dr. Cryril Thiaudiere- Linked In

Be Yourself

happybrainlife.com via  2 STAR art

Trifecta!

NPR

I had a GREAT day.

1. I worked in the yard for an hour – finishing cleaning out the tomato planters and weed-whacking around them, and around in the back yard.
2. I did 35 minutes on my elliptical trainer, and
3. I did my yoga session.

This may not sound like much, but it’s a great day of movement for me – a THREE GOLD STAR DAY!

Straw Art

Straw Art-Boa-Laughing Squid

 

Straw Art-Crab-Laughing Squid

 

Straw Art-Dino-Laughing Squid

 

Straw Art-Duckling-Laughing Squid

Thoughts on a Saturday 10-12-2019

Beautiful World

 

It’s 40 degrees F this morning and sunshine-y.

It’s too cool to have our doors open this morning, but I am REALLY enjoying the relief from our relentless summer here. It’s nice to NOT have a ‘heat index’. Somehow, knowing that makes me even hotter. I’m planning to work outside this afternoon, cleaning up around the tomato planters where I pulled out the plants a couple of days ago. I may have to throw on a sweatshirt!!!! Woo HOOOO!

It makes me a bit sad that in one week our son will be going back to Thailand. He came home at the end of July (27 hour trip with the flights and the layovers) to help us through the aftermath of my husband’s stroke.  There were lots of tests and decisions to be made. It was a super tense situation, but we finally got the information we needed and did what my husband would allow to avoid another stroke. The crisis is over. My husband is almost completely back to normal. It’s time for our son to get back to his life. I’m collecting lots of hugs (thank goodness he is super generous with them. We communicate almost daily when he’s halfway across the world. He set up a secure chat program we use, plus a conference call program we use from time to time so we can see each other. The only thing missing is his world class hugs. We are SO lucky.

 

I am still fighting with technology, but I’m happy to have two shops on Etsy now –

ArtworthyNoteCards –  hand-painted personalizable stationery, note cards, and greeting cards

TotablyYours  – hand-painted, one-of-a-kind tote bags

 

Amazon

 

I’ve admitted that I’m like a little kid when it comes to motivation to do things I would rather not. I’ve been giving myself gold stars on my desk calendar each day when I practice my yoga, do my elliptical trainer, or do a job in the yard that is drudgery, rather than fun. This week – if I stay on track today and tomorrow, will be a 15-star week!  It makes me happy to look at all the stars on the desk calendar, but I’m also FEELING better for the exercise – and that is really the point of it all.

If I can get my technical problems solved today, I’ll try to get up to my art room this afternoon. I have the BEST of all dilemmas – whether to experiment with my new crayon melting tools or experiment with my new Unicorn Spit stain/glaze kit my wonderful SIL sent me.  :0)

 

 

I hope that you are enjoying YOUR Saturday, whether it is with relaxation or fun.

 

Sparkle

Inspire Your Beautiful Soul via Begin With Yes via Desiree Angelique Hackett

Yoga as Therapy

Animated GIFs

 

After acting like a slug most of the day due to my back reminding me that I MIGHT need to remember my age, I did a S-L-O-W careful yoga session this afternoon.

After initial protest at lying flat on my mat, my body slowly breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t do my normal routine today. I just did what I though I needed, doing several poses over and over again, feeling my body finally start to loosen up.

I knew yoga was good for me in general. As we age our bodies stiffen up. We tend to hunch our shoulders, and protect ourselves from possible harm by moving more slowly, shortening our steps, tensing up if we feel our balance might be in jeopardy.

Now I’m beginning to consider the therapeutic value of my yoga stretching. When I’ve overdone and my back is yelling – as it was today – I spent most of the day trying not to move so much. Resting is good, but it seems that if I had made it a point to do the yoga stretching this morning, rather than waiting until late this afternoon, I might have had a more comfortable day. Food for thought, anyway.

Spectacular Drawings

Saverio Scoleri – Tom Petty

 

 

Fiore Cagnetti-Small Elf, Berries and Owl

 

Gary Wing – Arfa

Fall is Definitely Here

T.L. – LinkedIn

After having summer yesterday, it was 36 F. this morning!  (It’s 45 right now.) It’s really difficult to get my head to wrap around this. I’ll need to wear a JACKET when I get my hair cut this afternoon!

Fall is my favorite time of the year. I LOVE thinking about fires in the fireplace, warm throws to snuggle under, hot chocolate, sweaters, boots, layers of clothes, being able to work outside without worrying about heat stroke…

The glorious COLORS bring me back to life.  Arkansas doesn’t do as well as someplace like Vermont, for example, doing a wonderful display, but it’s good enough. The cooler weather brings me the energy to ALMOST enjoy getting the yard ready for winter.

For today, I’ll just enjoy the IDEA of fall being here, while reading, then napping in my chair under a throw this afternoon.

Slug-Fest

The Spectator

Today I’m emulating the celebrated slug.

Yesterday I overdid, trying to get all of our tomato plants cut up, pulled out, and relocated to an uncivilized part of our property. I accomplished all, except for the final weed-whacking and clean up around the two brick planters – AND before we got the rain last night, so that was good. What WASN’T good, even with doing my yoga stretches afterward, was my body decided to remind me – YELLING LOUDLY – that I’m not as young as I used to be.

This morning my husband slathered arnica gel all over my complaining back. I also took 2 Tylenol. I’m still walking around feeling every one of my hundred years or so, so I’m going to take things very easy today.

We got the rain I was hurrying around about. It was a glorious storm with wind, lots of rain, lightning, and a truly wonderful, rolling thunder. We don’t think we got any damage, for which I’m grateful.

A nice, sedentary day is planned, with only a couple of errands and a haircut for me, otherwise.  I foresee a S-L-O-W, careful session of yoga and a nap in my future today…

Worth My Salt Today

Bright Side

This is me after 3 sessions (2 hours) cutting up, pulling out, and hauling off our tomato plants this afternoon. I feel confident in saying I’m worth my salt today.

I got to thinking about that expression, and looked it up. “The expression to be worth one’s salt, which means you’re competent and deserve what you’re earning, is most often said to have its roots in ancient Rome, where soldiers were sometimes paid in salt or given an allowance to purchase it.”

I may have earned my salt today, but right now I’m so pooped I’m not worth spit.  (I seem to be full of cliche’s today.)

I did finish the bulk of what I wanted to accomplish. The sky is darkening now as we come closer to possible severe storms here this evening and throughout the night. I still need to clean up and weed whack around the planters, but that can be done another day.

I was so tired that I went ahead and did my yoga session, stretching out the kinks a bit. I may go in and imitate this kitty.

 

Perfect

Country Livin’-via Martha Kirkendall-Ghearing