Beautiful Day

It is beautiful outside today!!! Things are starting to bloom and the sun just makes you feel so good. I wish my art area was upstairs where I had daylight. Instead, I have a spot in the basement on the side that is unfinished. I can make a mess without worrying something will get ruined, but I feel banished! One day I would like to have a Gypsy caravan in the backyard that could be my studio. I need to go back and find the site, but I once discovered a site in Europe that sells actual Gypsy caravans. They were SO COOL!!!!

Anyway, I have lots of ideas churning around in my head. There are a lot of things I want to do

creatively. I think I will try making some painted sugar cookies I saw online. I know Gia (my daughter) will love it. Jake might want to paint some too. He is also creative! Monday is the start of teacher appreciation week and we need to send in a baked good (homemade or bought). Hopefully these will turn out great and we can send them in!

Winner!

Look what came in the mail today! Last week I found out I won Sharyn's giveaway on her blog. I thought it would be fun to get some goodies that someone else didn't want anymore. Can't wait to dig through it all and get started!

There is SO much I want to do, but so little time! I also came across this amazing bake site called Bake It Pretty. My daughter and I watched Cake Boss yesterday. He made the most awesome cake for Dylan's Candy! I just set our DVR to record it.

Tell Your Story

I am looking forward to this. It starts tomorrow! Tell your story.

Crazy Tooth

So I have this crazy tooth. 12 years ago, the crazy thing decided to commit suicide and it is dying from the inside out and eating away the bone in the process .This is a condition called resorption. How insane is that!!!! I have two different dentists who have been saving the tooth (had to have it capped). They were always upfront with me that one day the entire thing might need to go. Whenever I heard this, I became nauseous with the thought. It never looked perfect, but i dealt with it and no one ever noticed something wasn't right except me.

A few days ago, I had a raging headache and noticed the crazy tooth was smashing into one of my lower teeth. I looked in the mirror and thought it looked different, but then decided it was my imagination manifesting the situation because I was in pain. I drove over an hour to get to my regular dentist only to hear the cap had slipped down and the entire thing had shifted. I almost burst in tears! He filed it down so I wouldn't be in pain and told me it was time to take the entire tooth out!!!

The thing is, this is a front tooth!!!!! The next day, I drove over an hour again to see my periodontist and he agreed that the time has come and we need to get this sucker out. He is worried it is compromising my other teeth and bone around it. I almost threw up in his office, and I started to cry. He will need to extract the tooth, do a bone graft and put in a temporary. After 4 months of healing, he will determine if an implant will work. I am petrified, terrified, horrified and every other "__fied" word you can think of. He empathized with me as he reminded me he has always treated me like his own daughter. He reassured me it will be OK.

I am depressed, anxious and scared about the entire process. I know it is not life threatening, but this is the front of my face and I am scared. Logically I know it has to be done, but my emotional response is one of fear. Have any of you experienced something similar????

Miracle

I'm finding this whole passage of time thing to be so strange. Yesterday, my son turned 8. I can't believe it! How can he possibly be 8 years old already??? How can it be that he will be in 3rd grade this September? I remember everything about the day he was born. I was induced, and Will and I drove to the hospital like it was no big deal. We were going to have a baby!

Now he is 8. From this point forward, it is all big - - life, school, activities, the attitude, interests, need for independence, need for mom, etc.

I look at pictures and remember every moment that is captured. I look at myself and think I look the same, but logically I know this isn't true. It can't be true! I see the gray hair starting. There are times I still find it odd that I am somebody's mom. Me! a mom!

I love this quote by Einstein because I believe my children are miracles. The entire process has been, and is, a miracle. Every day, I look at them both and am amazed. I need things to slow down so I can truly take it all in.

Brush Markers

I am loving the brush markers by Tombo (ABT). While we were on vacation, I drew a little and fell in love with these markers. The best part is that there is a blending marker that shades the colors! I drove out to Dick Blick to buy another blending marker and lots more colors. It also mixes and shades multiple colors together, giving you really cool effects. Here are two pieces I drew while the kids were watching TV after a day at the beach and pool. Now I have to figure out what I'm going to do with these and find the time to get my art mojo back. After so many days of not playing, I feel lost. I want to make journal pages, but am having a hard time starting. TIme to recharge and get inspired!

Geneva Outing

My girlfriend Beth took me to Geneva, IL the other day because we have lived here now almost 3 years and I still haven't been
there. I kept hearing how cute it was and that there were great shops! The town was fantastic. It reminded me of Long Grove. Lots of home decorating stores, cool art and vintage finds. What I REALLY loved was how great it was to walk around. It made me miss Glencoe. I got the small town feel within the setting of beautiful homes, cute shops and places to get coffee/ice cream/sandwiches.

The local knit shop was fantastic! We found beautiful yarn, fantastic books and lots of fun accessories. We even found a kit to make your own pom poms.

Many of the shops are in homes from the 1800s. The architecture is awesome as is the way the stores display their items in each room. We came across a fantastic store called Cocoon. They had cards from Papaya, gift wrap from Pam Garrison and even prints and sketchbooks by Sabrina Ward Harrison. I couldn't believe it!!! I bought some of Pam Garrison's paper so I can use it in collage and my mixed media work and I had to have one of Sabrina's sketchbooks. It is sitting here as I am not quite ready to use it.

As we walked down the street, we came across this amazing sculpture. The entire thing is made out of wheels, gears and parts of bikes. I thought it was great and had to snap a picture with my phone.

Lots of family visiting this weekend, so I probably won't get to any of my art.

I definitely plan on returning to Geneva. Now . . . . if I can only figure out how to get there and back!

Journey

Not long ago I came across Jodie's blog. I have never left a comment, and I found yesterday's post to be a sign. You see, I have been thinking about starting a blog for a while. So many of us are on this visual journey and I have wanted to participate. I think it will be great to connect with others who love to create!

Jodie, I am answering your call! After reading your post the other day, I decided it was time for me to jump in and go for it. I have no idea if anyone will find me or read what I post. Either way, I am ready to get going and see what happens. I follow MANY blogs and take away so much from what I read and see. I am excited to see where this road will take me. Thank you for your motivation, tips, links and words of encouragement. Karen offers tons of free tips and tricks that I hope I can figure out. Her blog, and what she offers, is so beautiful and makes me dream of what this might become one day. You have helped me find the courage to go for it. So . . . . . . . here I go!!!!