Sunday, November 28, 2010

Thanksgiving 2010



For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~


I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. There is so much for all of us to be thankful for.

We had two celebrations. One before Bo left and another with just the boys and I. We are very grateful for being able to have two turkeys and two celebrations with the ones we love dearly.






Thank you for the gift of sight...so that beauty I can see.


Thank you for my heart..for my love to the beautiful and loving family I have.




Thank you for the unconditional love of our puppy Kaiah, who gets us through our days.


Thank you for all the military men and women who spent their Thanksgiving away from their families to do their duty for our country so that we may live free. One of them to be my loving husband.




We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder~


Monday, November 22, 2010

Keeping busy



As the holidays are coming close I noticed the packed parking lots of malls, department stores, Walmart, and grocery stores. I just shake my head. I already picked up things for the boys and I for our second Thanksgiving. We celebrated it before Bo left, but I wanted to still do something special for the kids, plus I want to try my hand at baking new things for dessert. :) I am also looking forward to a little bit of a break of just staying home, other than bringing the boys to their wrestling practices. I will not be out on Black Friday. I will be chilling out with my boys making hot cocoas and hopefully playing some board games together. :) I believe in buying handmade gifts and so my gifts for my family will be from local artists or from Etsy.

This last weekend was hard for us with our first wrestling event without Bo, but the boys and I did have a good weekend together. I am really trying not only to stay busy with the boys and some of the projects I am working on, but also getting others lined up for the near future. I happen to stop by Barnes and Noble last week and picked up 3 books that I know I will dive into and be inspired to do the exercises. The first book I picked up just seemed to jump out of the shelf at me. The other two I have been waiting to purchase.

The books:


Inner Excavation Explore Your Self Through Photography, Poetry, and Mixed Media by Liz Lamoreux.

When I first flipped through it what caught my eye was the exercises on writing and taking photos. I love to write in my journals and you all know I take pictures constantly, but to put it across in not only a creative way but also in a way to show your inner self would really be such a benefit to me. Not only will the skill be handy but it will also give me the opportunity to express myself in a much more meaningful way. I am halfway done reading the book then will turn around and re-read it with actually doing the exercises. If things like this interest you, you should pick the book up. If you want to know more about Liz and follow her blog here is her link.http://www.lizlamoreux.com/



52 Creative Exercises To Make Drawing Fun. Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists by Carla Sonheim

I have waited to buy this book. The exercises look like fun and not intimidating like most drawing books. I don't draw too well so I think putting skills like this under my belt will be such an asset to my artwork. I cannot wait to start. If you would like to learn more about Carla here is her link. http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/



The Collage Lab by Bee Shay

This book offers different experimental ways to make art. Not only will it be fun to do the labs but it will give me the freedom to just explore and hopefully I can learn to just let go and create without that inner critic in me interrupting my work.

I think these books will sure make the time pass and yet give me the opportunity to just lose myself to experimenting and creating.



Just sharing how Kaiah has been everyday now. She literally sits staring at the door whining. Every time she hears a truck pass by her tail is already wagging hoping it will be Bo ringing the doorbell. It just breaks my heart at times to see her like this. She is also affected by his absence and will be waiting for his return.

It is late(insomnia)..excuse if I ramble at times.

Thank you for taking the time to come by and see how I am doing. The notes and emails of support really means a lot to not only me but my family as well. Thank you!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

As the days came and went...


"The butterfly counts not months but moments." ~R. Tagore~


As Bo has been gone it has been a struggle through emotions but I will find my routine and seek the strength in me to get through the days until it is time to reunite again.


The packed duffel bags.



Kaiah's last snuggle with him.


The night before.


What gets me through my day.


My unconditional love.


What keeps me busy.


A sunset means another day has passed.


Counting down until his return home to us.

"The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected."
~Nicholas Sparks-The Notebook~

Monday, November 8, 2010

Days flying..new projects and new website....



Sorry I have not been around. These weeks have been not only crazy busy but crazy emotionally. My husband leaves us for deployment with a different unit not even from this Army Post. I know I will have to be strong and get into a routine with the boys school stuff and sports but still my stomach has been in knots and I just try to take in every moment with him because the days are just going by too fast.

On other things happening...
Nick is now at wrestling practices with Jared. He did very well at Regionals this last weekend but the boys took 5th and they only took the top 4 to state and the fastest two runners of the team. I am very proud of him. He knocked off time on his runs every race and has been very dedicated to the team. It also helps that we have 2 very dedicated, organized and supportive coaches and an awesome group of parents that would host pasta nights for team bonding. Not only would the team bond but also the parents. I know most of them will be my support while Bo is gone and I am very honored and grateful to have met such caring friends.

Jared has been busy with wrestling and all his school work. I am also proud of how he has been and how I know he will be a help when I need him. I just want his season to be a good one.

As for me I have been working on an online mixed media journal class and is part of a sketchbook project.



My online class consists of 31 jump starts for journaling. The class is taught by Traci Bautista who is known for all her colorful journals and now a new line of collage papers and materials. If you want to learn more about her, her work and classes here is the link to her website. http://treicdesigns.com/create.html


I am enjoying all the different techniques and also the inspirations. I know this will help me through my dreary days while Bo is gone, but it will also add more techniques to my artwork.
Here a some of my work:








I have also been using some of the techniques in my own sketchbook/journal. Its nice to open it up and be inspired to work on my artwork by the ideas in my journals.


The sketchbook project:



"It's like a concert tour but with sketchbooks.

Thousands of sketchbooks will be exhibited at galleries and museums as they make their way on tour across the country.

After the tour, all sketchbooks will enter into the permanent collection of The Brooklyn Art Library, where they will be barcoded and available for the public to view.

Anyone - from anywhere in the world - can be a part of the project. To participate and have us send you a sketchbook that will go on tour, start by choosing a theme to the right."



Anyone can do the sketchbook project but it has to be turned in by Jan. 15, 2011 for it to go on tour.
Here is the link for more information and participation.
http://arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject

Besides all that we have been finishing up our unfinished part of the basement. It has our weight set and treadmill in it. We have painted the walls with an accent color on one wall and a lighter hue in the others. Then Bo laid down really good and durable mahogany laminate flooring down and is finishing it up with baseboard. We also added lighting and will finish the room up with a large mirror. I am hoping to be able to go down there and practice Yoga and Tai Chi and have that room for the boys to be able to work out at home. All the things on Bo's to do list will actually be accomplished before he leaves us. I know he wanted to get it done for us and so that he didn't leave with unfinished projects.

I have also been busy with a new website for my jewelry. Here is the link if you want to check it out. :)
http://www.abbyandbodesigns.com/

I am still in the process of adding more pieces.



I hope all is well with everyone...until the next entry.......