late fall, kitty eyes and gratitude

Fall arrives very late in northern California, especially here in the Central Valley. I always envy friends that post gorgeous fall colors in September and October since it's not unusual for us to have the ac running while we're carving pumpkins. But I can't complain because this past Halloween was perfectly magical.

 

 

By November it finally looks and feels like a real autumn. The Japanese maple in my backyard is bursting with miniature orange and crimson leaves.

 

 

There is a carpet of deep violet foliage under LaLou's plum tree, blanketing her favorite spot.

 

 

I still miss her dearly and it's nearly a year now since I said goodbye to that sweet little cat. I sat in her spot for a minute and wondered what the world looked like under her tree.

 

 

How did all the trees look through her pretty kitty eyes?

 

 

Did she like padding up the leaf covered walkway that led to my backdoor? Did she know how she made my heart smile when I saw her through my kitchen window?

 

 

I really miss my beautiful green eyed fur baby.

 

 

Maybe it's because my Luna has a little cold right now and I hate it when pets are sick no matter how insignificant it is. But she is doing better and I think she's ready for the cooking and feasting that's about to come.

 

 

I'm looking forward to seeing my small family tomorrow, mom, my brother, his wife and their two little dogs. I started on a few things and the rest we will do together tomorrow.

 

 

Whatever delights you will be enjoying this last harvest holiday I hope you're having them in a warm, cozy home and in the company of family and friends. I am truly grateful for mine.

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

 



sweet thank you and prom memories

A super quick post to give everyone a huge thank you for the sweet birthday wishes. I finally got to try the Pinkdelicious cupcake and yes it was fabulous....so was the Lemon Pucker. I had a lovely lovely day with my hubby and a wonderful evening with both him and our son. Cupcakes and ice cream cake all night.

I have cupcake pics but my computer is having major problems and I'm just stealing a few minutes before it dies again.

What are you doing this week? I have been looking at dresses for an event we're going to at the end of the month. Being that it's also prom season I really enjoyed seeing all the sparkly, frothy and slinky prom dresses out there. So different from the ones when I went to my prom way back when.

Do you remember your prom? What's your favorite or not so favorite memory? I remember the pale lavender nail polish I got to go with the pale lavender dress for my senior prom!

I'd love to hear yours. Have a beautiful week.

the power of words

Do you remember what your word was for last year?

Mine was FAITH.

When I chose it at the beginning of  2011 I didn't realize how significant this word would be as the year unfolded. I don't think I have settled on my word for this year. But I recently heard something that I thought was very inspiring and I just wanted to share it with you.

I have been watching a lot of Anderson Cooper's new talk show. He seems to always have interesting topics and yes I'll admit I think he's sort of cute. Last week his guest was designer and artist Gloria Vanderbilt who I didn't realize, is also his mom.

It was a great show and I became really captivated by this 87 year old woman who led and continues to lead such a fascinating life. She is of course part of the great Vanderbilt dynasty, so she lived a life of privilege and wealth. But she has also experienced great lose and tragedy from the time she was a little girl.

What's amazing is that she continues to have a positive outlook on life and still believes her next great love is just around the corner. Near the end of the show she shared her favorite saying which is

"We are not put on this earth

to see through each other.

We are put on this earth

to see each other through."

This really touched me and I thought what a wonderful thing it would be if we could all remind ourselves of this every now and then. I know I am guilty of becoming too caught up in my own personal drama that I sometimes have a hard time seeing beyond my own myopic world. Especially in situations where I feel someone's thoughtlessness caused me pain. It's very easy for me to let tunnel vision set in.

But if I can step away from my emotions and see that there is always a lesson to be learned from all of my experiences, I think I might be able to appreciate the reason why different people are put into my life. From the most casual of friends (and adversaries) to the person I chose to marry.

It's so easy for us to see right through another person in a way that we don't fully appreciate the value of our relationship with them no matter how small or how brief. And instead of focusing so much on how someone can't always meet our needs, maybe we can focus on helping that person get through whatever challenges they might be having. I know this often takes much more effort but I've learned that being stuck in a negative place only kills my spirit in the end.

I'm not sure if this is exactly what Gloria Vanderbilt meant but that's what it means to me and it's something I want to remember as I try to strengthen the relationships in my life. Perspective is sometimes all it takes to turn any situation around.

Thank you Gloria for the gift of these words.


See Gloria Vanderbilt's works of art here.

Have you decided on your word for 2012?

Do you have a favorite quote to inspire you this year?

Hope you're having a beautiful week so far.

clouds

I think I walked into a cloud of doubt and

can't seem to shake it.

The only way I seem to be able to get a creative fix is with my digis.

My paints and canvases make me anxious.

Even paper and glue.

I hate doubt.

I hope it goes away soon.

perspective

It's so easy to simply get caught up in our own little world isn't it? Blissfully surrounded by what's familiar and comfortable. To be fortunate and blessed to celebrate a birthday with loved ones.

To have the luxury to spend time to create from our hearts. To be lucky enough to be able to worry about finding inspiration or making wise decisions or even what silly trinket to buy with a gift card.

As I sit here in front of my computer in my comfortable little suburban home, my heart, thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Japan, who were hit by a deadly earthquake and devastating tsunami earlier today. In my wildest dreams I can't imagine going through anything like that. The images are mind boggling.

So many of us are beyond fortunate and immeasurably blessed.

Perspective is one of those things that comes around and slaps you across the face whenever you get too caught up in yourself. It gives you focus when you lose sight of the bigger picture. How fortunate am I to be able to worry about what to create next? Or whether to share my art or simply keep it safely tucked away.

I've learned lessons in ways I wouldn't wish on any of you. But the need to go forward on this creative journey comes from a place I have never known before. It gives me joy to play with my paints and papers and stripey napkins. I simply love/need to create.

So I put myself out here again. Unsure of whether the journey to finding my own creative voice is still one I'm willing to take. In light of everything else it's such an insignificant bother compared to what's happening in the world. The road winds ever onward and I have no doubt there are plenty more lessons for me to learn.

And so I count my blessings.

Today I'm grateful for family, friends, life and the amazing gift of perspective.

Have a beautiful day.

simple gifts and the joy of friendships

Surprises come in so many different ways.

Everyday I'm reminded of the simple gift of friendship from so many of you who stop by to visit me. A few little words, comments that say so much and reach across the miles and megabytes like a kind and gentle hug.

Last week my mailbox kept filling up with the sweetest treasures from friends who took a moment to share beautiful things created from their hearts. I love being surrounded by these tokens of friendship and seeing them makes my heart do a little flip.

I cannot thank all of you enough. I mentioned once that I love cupcakes and soon the cupcakes started coming in. Thank you dear friends for my beautiful card, sweet atc, my adorable cupcake girl and my delightful frosted cupcake. And thank you for making them calorie free!

Simple gifts also come in the form of wisdom and insight given with the kindest of hearts. This weekend has been full of surprises to say the least. But what has come from it is a gift  treasured and appreciated as much as the treats that filled my mailbox.
Thank you.

And perhaps my most treasured gift of all is simply having a friend who is always there for me through the  chaos, joy, heartache and laughter. Someone who inspires me and believes in me through all hours of the day....and into the dawn.

You know who you are!

And one day
I'm driving that
Airstream
down there
so we can
pig out
at

Sweet Tomatoes!!

It's gorgeous here in Tomatoland today.

Have a beautiful week!

moonlight sonata

I guess my parents always planned for me to play the piano. I remember pictures of myself at about one, banging away on a little toy pink piano (I wish I had that now, it would look so cute in my studio). At around 3 or 4 they bought a miniature toddler size baby grand. I vaguely remember playing it but there are lots of photos of me and my little brother pretending to play and sing along to a music book.

When I was 5 my parents bought the real thing. An upright with warm toffee colored wood. I don't remember the piano being delivered to our house at all. It just seemed like it was always there. The next thing I knew I was being driven to piano lessons to this place with red chairs and a gumball machine in the lobby. If the piano lessons went well my teacher would give me 2 coins (probably 2 nickels) and I would pop them in the machine on the way out. Strangely enough I think the dentist was in the building next door.

There was always a debate between my parents over who the piano was for. Was it for me, so they could see if I would turn out to be one of those musical prodigies? Or for my mom, who played a little but mainly loved the look of having a piano in the living room.

Over the next 13 years I took piano lessons nearly every week of my life. There were teachers I adored, ones that made me cry, recitals, little dresses with big bows in the back, temper tantrums and out and out rebellion when I hit my teenage years. By the time I was 14 I decided I hated the piano and refused to go to my lessons. But my parents wouldn't let me quit so I protested, then I had to go anyway.

Today I am grateful for all those lessons and for the gift of knowing how to read and play music (I also learned to play the flute later). I never mastered the piano as well as I should have. Although I eventually learned to love it again, I don't think I had a real passion for it in my soul. I loved to play and I practiced but I had a hard time playing without looking at my hands. If I looked at the sheet music I would start missing notes. I have the same problem with typing. I have to look at my hands or I will hit the key next to the one I meant to strike. Later I finally found out why I do this (along with other odd things like picking up the wrong toothbrush) but that's for another time.

What I did gain from all those years is a love for classical music. Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart and Debussy would have been on my ipod in high school if they had them back then. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata is forever my favorite. Haunting and sublime. Romantic but also sad. I also love Debussy's Claire de Lune and Reverie. I love to listen to these songs when I create, along with a hodgepodge of other tunes like songs in a different language. I love the way the words sound even if I can't understand them and I find that they're less distracting that way too. The little mini player on my sidebar is what I actually listen to when I'm painting and collaging away.

Maybe it was those songs that inspired me to work on this piece yesterday. Another of my girls with a little napkin dress. I love to paint moons, you might have noticed, and I did a bigger one to hang against a dark blue sky. Then I remembered this spray of Prima paper flowers (love love their stuff) and thought they would be perfect with her dress. And I debated between calling this Claire de Lune or Reverie, but this morning while I was finishing her up the song came up on my playlist and I thought it had to be.

This one is Moonlight Sonata.

It is mixed media collage on 10x10 inch canvas made with paper, acrylic paint, pencils, embellishments and glitter. The border is a deep aquamarine. I'm eventually putting it in my Etsy shop in a few days but for now I'm just enjoying having her in my studio while I listen to a little night music.

I hope you had a lovely week. It's hard to believe it's almost the weekend again. Do you like to listen to music when you're creating or do you prefer absolute quiet? Or maybe you like to have the TV on. Whatever it is you listen or don't listen to when you work, I hope you're inspired to create something beautiful from your heart today.

♥

Have a lovely weekend.

happy birthday petunia

I have watched the little cat on my PitaPata counter make it's way across the bar, one day at a time for the last 12 months. I remember  how exciting it was when the kitty was at the one month  mark, then the four month mark which was a big deal to me. Three or four months was my usual average before I would loose interest in my new 'latest thing'. But I didn't and I kept watching the kitty make it to 6 months, 9 months, 11 and now it's all the way across!

One year ago today I posted a picture of a lemon cupcake and talked about plans to blog about all sorts of cupcake related things. Ever since that first post I can honestly say that blogging has changed my life. I know it sounds a bit dramatic but it's really the only way to sum up the amazing experience I've had this past year.

I won't go into all the details because you probably already heard me go on and on about it before. I talked about how I was inspired to start blogging in my Art Saves story and you are welcome to read it if you like. But I will say one thing again, and that is that the best part I have found about blogging is the friendships I've made here in Bloggyland.

You guys inspire me, make me smile, encourage me when
I give in to self doubt and just color my world with art and magic and fun.

Thank you again
and again from
the bottom
of my
heart.
♥

So today is a party day! And I'm so glad you stopped by to join me.

Petunia and I have the most adorable cupcake to share with you.

A frosted pink vanilla sweet cake treat covered with chocolate morsels all the way around. Yum! And look, the little topper is a pink purse! How Frosted Petunias is that?

Did you know my blog was originally called Cupcake Alchemy? I knew I wanted to blog about creative projects but I needed a place to start. I love cupcakes so I thought why not start there? So I focused on cupcake themed crafts, like my first polymer clay charm bracelet, and real yummy cupcakes like this chocolate one from a shop near my house that just closed down a few months ago. Sadly not enough people were as cupcake obsessed as I was.

Then almost exactly a month after my first post I found myself doodling while watching the Winter Olympics (obviously Figure Skating wasn't on lol). I made a simple little girl and after I finished her digitally I came up with a new banner (1 of 999 banners to come) and a new blog name.

I was already blogging about other things like trips to the thrift store and non cupcake related projects. But I still loved cupcakes and frosting, both the sugary sweet kind and the icy kind that makes flowers and pretty things glitter.

And petunias were not just flowers I love but a name that always sounded whimsical, silly, but still deliciously lovely to me. Saying the word petunia makes me smile.
So Frosted Petunias it was.

living inspired....

You know the song I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack right? It has been around for a while, maybe 10 years. I always thought it was pretty and loved the message. I would even sing along to it every now and then but it never really resonated with me personally, the way it has for others I knew.

Then a week ago, while I was on my organizing binge, I looked through an older copy of Where Women Create. In the opening letter from editor Jo Packham, Jo talked about change, creativity, courage and growth. She also included the lyrics to I Hope You Dance which she said, meant a lot to her.

That was the first time I really felt the words and understood where it was coming from. I decided 'faith' would be the word I would choose to inspire me this year.

So while my electricity was out a few nights ago I worked on another one of my little collages by faerie lantern and candlelight. I have been making these girls and giving them skirts made from my favorite stripey Halloween napkins. My little girl looked like she was waiting. Perhaps to dance and that song again wandered into my head again.

"Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the chance to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance....

Never settle for the path of least resistance

Living might mean taking chances

But they're worth taking...."

I think these words can apply to everything really. From big life challenges to personal goals and just day to day living. We are challenged to make choices everyday. Simple things like what to have for lunch, and big things like who we want to spend the rest of our lives with.

Sometimes the choices are harder with risks involved. Risks that might break our spirit or our hearts, or push us out of our comfort zones. It's so much easier to stay where it's nice and safe and cozy. I know I did for years and years. I made excuses and decided I'd rather just sit it out.

Well I'd rather not sit anymore thank you.

 I think I would rather dance.

And I hope you will to.

I would love for my dancer to go home to one of you, where I hope she will inspire you to step out and follow your dreams. I felt so much joy creating her and I hope what I felt in my heart transferred onto canvas.

I Hope You Dance is a mixed media collage on 8x8 inch stretched canvas. It's three dimensional, made with sealed layers of printed pages, tissue, paint, pencils and glitter. The skirt is stiffened and sculpted into shape.

The 3/4 inch border is painted deep raspberry and it is ready to hang.

If you would like a chance to win her simply leave a comment and tell me what your favorite cupcake flavor is, or if you're not a cupcake person (OMG!) tell me what your favorite dessert is. The drawing will be open for 2 weeks and I'll announce the winner on Saturday, Feb 5.

I also created a button and if you would like to help me spread the word you can put it on your blog and let me know in another comment for a 2nd chance to win. Please add a link to this post. I have never done a drawing this way before but I thought if I couldn't share the love on my blogaversary when else would I!

Thank you for stopping by on my big bloggy birthday day. I'm so excited about what the next year holds for all of us. I hope it's filled with creativity, inspiration, passion, glitter, whimsy and lots and lots of dancing.

♥

Have a beautiful weekend.

faith...and paper

All month I have visited several blogs and noticed that many of you chose a word to inspire you this year. I really love this idea and think it's much better than trying to stick to a New Year's resolution.

I love the word BELIEVE. I know lots of you do to. It holds so much meaning especially for those of us trying to live a creative and artful life. It's so easy to doubt yourself and loose faith in your abilities. A tiny amount of of self doubt can snowball until you loose sight of your dreams.

One word seemed to keep popping up around me earlier this month. In messages, songs and even in things I would find in stores. After thinking about it I realized I had found my word for the year. It is much like BELIEVE but maybe because it can mean so much more I chose the word FAITH.

Faith goes beyond just believing in my dreams but having faith in the journey to finding them. It means having faith in my passion, my vision and any talent I can nurture. It means having faith in how the journey unfolds.

Last year I loved the word SOAR. I was discovering a whole new world and with each step I felt tiny wings starting to spread. I wanted to soar.  My wings will take me somewhere, I know. Maybe far or not so far.

I will try to have faith in the journey. Not just my creative one but the one I take everyday with all it's ups and downs. I've learned that chaos isn't always a bad thing even if it can seem that way at first. And that a new perspective is like a magic wand sometimes. Faith.

I have been having fun playing with different kinds of paper. Napkins, streamers and paper flowers! One night I came up with this piece and worked on it almost entirely by candlelight because the power went out. When I looked at it the next morning it made me smile. This is just a preview to tease you :)

It will be a gift to celebrate my first blog anniversary on Saturday.

I hope you'll come back and join me for a cupcake or two.

Did you choose a word for 2011? I'd love to hear.

♥

I'm also linking up with my friend Leanne's Word of the Year project.

Leanne's blog From Chaos Comes Happiness has been making me smile since we met early last year. I love how she writes about the chaos and happiness that is her life, so stop by and say hello.

Oh the little paper heart up there was a happy accident that happened while I was playing with a roll of silver streamers from WalMart. It's on it's way to some one's studio but I'm working on a few more for Valentines Day too.



ski lessons

First post for 2011! The bag challenge is underway and there are some absolutely adorable paper purses posted below. Remember the challenge is open all month. There is a button on the right that links directly to the post so you can see the bags as they're being added or you can add your own project too.

I'm taking an itty bitty break from my Art project....the one for my brother, Art {giggle}. I'm doing a series of little collages for him. Four down and six to go which have to be finished by next week.

Photo from Vintage Winter.

Working on this project with my brother reminds me of how I learned to ski. Art had already been skiing for a while and was at about the intermediate to advance level when my best friend and I decided we wanted to learn too. So off to Tahoe we went with dear little brother who took us to Kirkland. We learned a few basic moves, how to fall and all that, and practiced for a while at the bottom of the slopes with all the other wobbly novices. Then Art said OK it was time to go for a run.

Up we went on the little lift. Waaaay up....

We got off the lift and I stood at the top of the run absolutely terrified. Is this the beginners run I asked? 'No' my brother replied. 'It's the intermediate...but you'll be fine.' I inched and plowed my way down, falling every 3 feet I think, and finally gave up half way down the mountain. I waited for one of the ski patrols to come by and asked for a ride. It was time to kill my little brother.

After pummeling him with snow balls and a few more practices we decided to go back up. This time I  made it all the way down. By the end of the day I was having a great time. On the way home Art mentioned that resort is known for their more difficult runs. The beginner run is more like intermediate....and the intermediate more like advance. He said now all the other beginner runs would be a piece of cake. And they were. I forgave him for putting our lives in mortal peril. Trust me, I do not recommend this way of learning to ski. Looking back I'm amazed I didn't break anything!

This project feels the same way. I thought I would ease into doing more art this year. I am, after all, a novice. I'm comfortable doing swaps and sharing my art with dear friends but had not considered getting paid for my creations yet. This was going to be the year I would try. Then my brother proposed this project and suddenly I feel like I'm back on that intermediate slope hanging on for dear life.

I was very anxious at first and wondered what I got myself into but  now I'm actually enjoying it. Each piece has given me a little bit more confidence. I'm trying new things, learning as I go along. He had enough faith in me just as I was starting to spread my wings. Hopefully I'll be a fast learner. So I guess once again my little brother was right.

I'll be fine.

Oh I have stalled long enough I think. My tummy is asking for hot chocolate and buttered toast and I need to get back to work. I hope you're enjoying this first week of January. Did you know January is actually one of my favorite months? I'll tell you why later...in another post. OK I'm going now for real :)