Summer art wardrobe

My kids finished school last week. I now have a 4th grader and a 2nd grader which I find to be crazy! Last Wed. we were at the pool sweating and having fun in the 100 degree heat. By Thurs. the temperature dropped 50 degrees! Only in the midwest does this happen.

I have been wanting to play in my art room with my new paints and papers, but I haven't had any time or sparks of creativity lately. I feel torn! To try to get inspiration, I have been looking through blogs and every now and then I check out Michelle Ward's GPP Street Team. I love her Crusades and have wanted to participate. I took the challenge as this one, No. 52, spoke to me.
I looked through some of my journals to see if I change my summer art wardrobe. Interesting thought! What is in my head rarely comes out on my pages. You see, I LOVE the dingy and distressed look of old. I love the pale colors that remind me of time gone by. The softness grabs me and I think how soft and how much history must be there! But, then I get going and what shows up?

Almost all of my pages are filled with bright color! I enjoy the combinations I come up with and believe it or not, there are times when something more dark emerges. I usually end up continuing with the layers because in my head, I think it looks like mud. See what I mean here?? It's too dark and dingy for me.

I didn't Gesso over this page. I worked with it, incorporating a dog and some other images from a collage sheet from Teesha Moore. I will admit it. I don't really like the page. I think it all works well together, it just is lacking some ooomph for me!

These are representative what seems to just seep out naturally!

I find it a little more challenging to create in the summer because after so many LOOOOOOOONG months of cold and snow, I feel I need to be outside every chance I get. I don't really enjoy lugging everything I want to use up from the basement and outside. It is crazy windy here in the plains. It's super hot as we don't have any shade in our backyard. Then I have to lug everything back down to my room and put it all away. It's just too much effort when I really want to be outside enjoying the sun, my kids and the pool. On top of it, my daughter insists my markers are better than hers and she just HAS to use mine! I know how to share, but sometimes I just want to be selfish with my stuff and enjoy my hoard! Is that bad?!?!?!?

40 and summertime!

Here are some recent journal pages and as you can tell, I was influenced by Ingrid Dijkers in my writing. I like drawing lines of varying thicknesses and filling the words in. I also like filling in the circles of the letters with marker. It's very relaxing!

I graduated from PT on Friday which was the day before my birthday! I have started Pilates and am loving the fact that I can do something again. It is hard, but it feels so good! Now, if the fat would just start to melt away........

I created this page after a party. I needed to get my annoyances out of my head and it really helped! I really feel this way and would much rather spend my time with people who are truly interested in an authentic friendship where there is a give and take.

As I mentioned, I had a birthday over the weekend. My birthday was Saturday, June 4 and it was a big one. I turned 40! I still can't believe I have been alive for 40 years. It's kind of crazy. My kids have 1 hour of school tomorrow and I will then have a 4th and 2nd grader! How? When did this happen? I had a great birthday with my family during the day and then a party with my friends at night. My husband cooked everything and nothing was left. In fact, I didn't even get to try any of what he made. It was all gobbled up, which is of no surprise to me as he is an excellent cook. Good food, drinks and time with friends from near and far who came to help welcome me into the club. I was the last one to join it seems and now my membership is authentic!

We only got a few pictures from the party, but this one is my favorite. I miss my girlfriend Lisa and her husband Jeremy. They walked in the door and were headed to the kitchen trying to find my chocolate chip cookies they knew I had made. It's been that way for the 10 yrs. we've been friends. The first thing they eat are my cookies, but I hid them. When we lived in the city, we had dinner together every week. I miss them too!