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?!?!?!?