Thankful Thursday - Mushies Everywhere

Everywhere I turn in my yard there is a little (or big) mushroom poking out of the soil. They are so beautiful! I'm hoping to find the time to do either a photographic or painted study of them. They really are enchanting. I'd like to find some to eat too (don't worry I'll be very safe about this).
Thanks mushies, you make me smile!

Thankful Thursday - Calmness

'A Blend Of Calmness' by sparkleandposy

NEUTRAL tweed SLOUC... MARYsworks $25.00	Hand Embroidered Fl... TropicalGarden $25.00	Handmade Silver Bir... dreamyvintage $16.00
Anatomy of a Flower... legendsphotogr... $12.00	Note Cards - Oak Le... fionadesigns $20.00	Rustic Cables Cowl ... KnitFrekkles $56.00
Indoor Garden N5 - ... MilesOfLight $30.00	Neutral Stripe with... pillowville $39.00	SALE OFF 15% NzLbag... NzLbags $70.00
Ring. Chrysanthemum... ripeshop $12.00	World Peace Hoodie ... BucktoothedBun... $45.00	Bronze Keishi Pearl... newhopebeading $38.00
Custom bird in flig... HandyMaiden $50.00	chairs fineheartworks $30.00	Underwood Standard ... bygrassdoll $215.00
Large Wooden Dutch ... ethanollie $49.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Here is a treasury that I created today on Etsy (for my second shop - Sparkle & Posy). I'm enjoying, and I'm thankful for, a day filled with calmness.

Thankful Thursday - Guilty Pleasure

Alright, alright, I admit it, I'm totally addicted to a reality show. Work Of Art - The Next Great Artist just started up again, and I'm so excited. Do any of you watch it? It's an art competition, and I think it's fascinating. It's this fun glimpse into other artists minds. I also really like the challenges that they put the artists through. I'd love to follow along and do the challenges myself (ahh, if there were only more hours in a day). This week the artists had to choose a from a variety of "bad" art pieces. They had a clown on velvet, dogs playing poker, etc. The artist's then had to create a "true" work of art using the bad art as inspiration, keeping at least some aspect of the original intact and recognizable. It was fascinating to see what they did. A few pieces seemed worse than when they started, but many of them were really creative and wonderful. They went in directions I never would have thought to go. It's really inspiring. Who knows, maybe I'll make a trip to the thrift shop. However, whether I paint along, or not, I will certainly be watching.
How about you, do you have any guilty pleasure that you're thankful to watch?

Thankful Thursday - The Sun Came Out

Today, I'm thankful that the sun came so that my sky light/roof could be patched. I'm also thankful that the leak missed my art table by a few inches, hooray! That could have been a very sad story, and I'm so glad it wasn't. I prefer to enjoy my rain outside, thank you.

Thankful Thursday - When Things Just Fall Into Place

For the longest time I'd wanted to take a picture of this lovely dilapidated old barn. Many times I'd whizzed by it wishing there was a safe spot where I could pull over to take a picture of it. Then one fine foggy day, I was stopped, for road work, right in front of this beauty. What are the chances? To make it even better, my camera was on the seat right beside me. Eureka! I was so happy. I love it when things go like that! 

Thankful Thursday - Forgiveness

I've been thinking about the power of forgiveness. It really can help me to feel better when I can manage to let go of the bitterness and forgive someone. And of course it can feel so good to be forgiven. It's not always easy, and hanging onto resentment sure does come easily, but I'm on a mission to work on forgiveness whenever possible. Olive branch anyone?
I also wanted to send a quick thank you out to Nat and Carol, I sure had a great time at the concerts. Thanks! You guys sure are fun to pal around with. xoxo

Thankful Thursday - Going For A Walk

Today I'm very thankful that I took the first step, literally. Abby Dog and I used to go for a long walk everyday, and we loved it. Somehow that habit vanished, and that was a real shame. For months now, I've been wanting to get back into it, but... 
You know how it is, right? If you don't make it a priority, something else will always happens instead. First there was the shoe excuse. Zappo's fixed that. Heck, I even had a credit, so the nice walking shoes were $3 - score! Then I couldn't find Abby's leash. Eventually, I did find it, as you can see in the photo. What else? Too hot, too cold, too busy. Everyday there was something.
Thankfully today the excuses got out of the way. Hooray! We went for a walk, a nice long walk. Abby was actually smiling, and her tail was wagging so fast it's nearly an invisible blur in the photo. We had a few issues with pace. Little dog was ready to go, and go fast! I was thinkin' "man slow down, I'm outta shape!". Despite the discrepancy, a good time was had by all.
The test is to see if I will be back out there again tomorrow. I sure hope so. All encouragement will be greatly appreciated. Too bad Abby isn't able to remind me to make it a priority, we'd have been walking ages ago.
What are you feeling thankful for today? Is there anything that you have been avoiding that would feel great to get started on?

Thankful Thursday - Walls Notebook

This week I'm thankful that I bought myself a super wonderful gift. You may, or may not, know this about me, I am crazy about old bricks, rust, graffiti, all things grungy, aged, and urban. One of my favorite series of paintings that I ever worked on was a group that incorporated images of aged bricks (the photos above show some of those paintings) that I photographed while I was on a trip to Chicago.
Another one of my favorite things to do is art journaling. So, when I saw the Walls Notebook that was it! I was hooked, and it couldn't get it my mailbox fast enough! And here it is, isn't it great? A journal filled with page after page of gorgeous urban grunge waiting for paint, pens, and collage.What a cool way to tap into your inner graffiti artist!

I'll be sure to share how it evolves as I work with it. I can't wait to play! Thankful, thankful.

Thankful Thursday - Together, But Not

This is the view of my daughters (she is almost 21 years old) cabin from my deck. Isn't is wonderful? She is close enough that we can visit anytime, but I have a place all my own. Every time I walk into her messy cabin I'm so thankful. We are very tight with one another, and this situation couldn't be more perfect for both of us. Hooray for multiple cabins!
What are you feeling thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday - Laundry Parties

This is on of those lemon's into lemonade sort of deals. My new place doesn't have an area for a washer and drier so I had to get rid of my machines when I moved. I have to admit this is sort of a bummer. However, I am making the best of it. My buddy Kathryn, and I, have started having "laundry parties". OK, there might not be cake or noise makers involved, but it has turned into a really nice opportunity to stay in touch with a good friend. Our clothes swoosh and fluff around in the machines and we sit around and talk about all the stuff going on in our lives. It's a pretty lovely ritual, and I'm very thankful to have it. It really softened the blow of having to return to Lucy's.

Thankful Thursday - Wonderful Exhaustion

Today, I am so thankful, but so exhausted! Half of my belonging have been in storage for the last year and a half. On a regular basis you could hear me say "oops, wait, I think that is in storage". Not to mention how much I hated paying the rent on storage box. Well today I emptied it! Hooray! I was hoping to have help, but that didn't work out, so little by little, I did it myself. I'm feelin' alittle like an exhausted version of Wonder Women. I am one giant ache, but it feels great!
Sorry for the lack of pretty pictures again, but I just couldn't do it. I thought you would understand. I have some beauties coming soon, I promise.
It's 4:30 here, do you think it's too early for pajama's?
What are you thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday - New Digs

Exterior Of My New House

The View From All Those Windows

 Today, I'm very thankful to be moving into my new place. Here are a few quick pics. Check out all those miss matched windows. It's a total hippie house! Check out the view, nice right? You can see the fire pit, the garden area, and of course all the pretty trees. I'll share more pictures of the inside, and the other two cabins, really soon. I'm going to be without a computer for a little bit (should be back up and running by the middle of next week) so I'll be talking with you soon. In the meantime, what are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday - My Buddies

Today, I am so thankful for my wonderful friends. I'm not the sort of person that has a ton of friends, I tend to be a bit of a recluse. I'd rather not go to a big party, talk on my cell phone endlessly, or go out every night with a group of friends.  That's not my cup of tea. What is meaningful to me, is having a small handful of wonderful people in my life, that I genuinely love. And, I am so thankful to have that. 

This morning I needed help, with a project that I'm working on, and  my dear friends were there for me - thanks guys, you're the best!

So, today I'd like to send a little shout-out to my good buddies (you certainly know who you are), and let you know how much I love you, and how grateful I am that you are a part of my life!

Thankful Thursday - Time Alone

Today I am thankful for, and I am looking forward to, some alone time. My daughter is leaving for Portland tomorrow, so some solitude is just around the corner. Don't get me wrong, I love all the sweet people that I am blessed to have in my life, but I do love me some alone time! I kind of wish I was the one going to Portland, because I do love going there to play, but staying home alone will be lovely too.

Do you have any thankfulness that you would like to share today?

Thankful Thursday - Change Is Great

Today, I am so thankful and excited. I said I might have some news, and I do. I'm moving, hooray! Let me share a little story with you. About a year and a half ago, I was in escrow to buy a house, at the last minute, the house was gone. It was a really, really sad time. Since I had already given notice on my rental, and someone else was moving in, I had to leave. In desperation, and thinking it was temporary, I rented the house I am in now. It is/was a nice place, but much smaller than my other house, so half of my belongs had to go into storage. I thought I could use the upstairs as my art studio, but I either bake or freeze up there, so my studio moved into the middle of my living space (and I've nearly stopped painting, so sad!). Then, my daughter moved back in with me. The only space for her was on the couch. So, in a nutshell, that is the squished into a house story.

However, now I am most happy and grateful to say I am moving, hooray! It is a really great hippie sort of cabin in the forest. It has lots of character and space. It is actually three cabins. One for me to live in, one for an art studio, and one for my daughter. It seems like a perfect fit for the current situation. I am so excited, I can't wait to show you pictures. Our move-in date is June 1st, and I can hardly wait!

So, how about you, what are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday - The Same Yet Different

Recently, it occurred to me that I am thankful for two totally opposite things. I love it when I hit it off with somebody and I realize all the things that we have in common. Or, when I'm reminded that we are all part of this human experience, and whatever odd little moment I'm going through, I am not alone. Somebody out there can relate. I love that feeling of camaraderie.
On the other hand, I love how unique and different we all are. The diversity is amazing. I am often in awe of other artists creativity. I love their expression of the way their mind is working. I think it's wonderful that my mind can come up with odd little thoughts, that feel so "me". I think it's great that all of you are out there thinking thoughts that are totally "you".
So, today I'm thankful that we are all the same yet different. What unique, or universal, thing are you thankful for? I always love it when you share.

Thankful Thursday - A Rainbow By My Bed

On this Thursday, I'm thankful for the rainbow by my bed. It makes me thankful in a couple of different way. It makes me so happy that all those pretty colors are right outside in my yard, and that spring is really here. It also makes my heart sing, to wake up in the morning, and start my day looking a something beautiful. It  makes a huge difference. Surrounding myself with simple, beautiful things lifts my spirits. I really am so easy to spoil. OK, do you feel like sharing something that you are thankful for today? I'd love to hear. 

Thankful Thursday - Bamboo Sheets

Today, or should I say tonight, I'm going to be very thankful for my very comfy bed. It has the softest bamboo sheets! Have you ever tried them? They are glorious. Anyway, they are going to feel so good in just a few minutes. It was a really busy and hectic day and I am so ready to curl up in my bed. Thank you cuddly bed! How about you, are you thankful for anything this week?

Thankful Thursday - When Wishes Shine

When Wishes Shine available here

Today, I am thankful that the sun is shining brightly. It seems like it's been awhile, and I'm so happy to soak up all the warmth and vitamins. What are you feeling thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday - My Location

I am sincerely thankful for my location in the world. So many people are suffering for no other reason other than where they happen to be. My heart aches for the poor people that are enduring such hardship. I really don't even know what to say, it all sounds so trivial.

Thoughts, wishes, and prayers.