Every Day Matters

Today was a pretty nifty day.

After three visits to the Apple Store (as though they need any free publicity) I finally got i Photo straightened out. It was ruling my life.  Third times a charm.  I am at Peace with i Photo....for now anyway.

We received a 60.00 rebate check...whooppeeeee.

That doesn't happen very often.

Visited my favorite store on the same "mall" block as Apple:

ANTHROPOLOGIE!

Headed to the Sale Bin and found a really cool book for half price.

Great photography, graphics, recipes and story line.

And closing out the day, I am sharing two sketches.

Last post I shared some thoughts about Danny Gregory and his sketch a day challenge.

Every Day Matters Challenge. click for website

I thought about keeping up with this and reasoned: if I don't make a huge hoopla out of one sketch a day, or close to that (I will never manage one a day); if I am willing to just use whatever is at hand and not over think things...... I am going to give it a try.  

Sunday and Monday sketches done with permanent marker and watercolor.

My take on my own photographs from last post.

I purchased this adorable cup and saucer at Anthropologie in New York last year.  It is definitely my favorite cup for morning hot chocolate...yup even in our torrid heat!
Heart Thought: sometimes we need to lower our expectations a wee bit. Be kinder to ourselves.  Not attempt to please everyone all the time. Little adjustments here and there can bring more GRACE to our days.
Be Kind to Yourself, dear friends. 

I have BEEN messing around

At the first of the week, I promised myself to post again  THIS WEEK.....And I have been messing around with paint, colored pencils, markers, scrap paper, scissors, glue......all the really messy stuff.

Interruption:  on Thursday my "usually very sweet, compliant" computer had to make an unexpected visit to the computer doctor!

It is now Saturday afternoon and I have brought her home, all better and ready to go.

So to keep my promise to post again this week, and behind in scanning all my "photos" of "stuff," due to lack of said computer, I thought I would share a really FUN and INFORMATIVE website.

Now this won't be a surprise to everyone who loves to sketch, but I really am impressed with
 Danny Gregory.  

He wrote books you might own, Everyday Matters, The Creative License and An Illustrated Life.

I haven't seen his website for a very long time...much to my loss.  So I went peeking around "before my computer got a nasty headache."

He has a great idea for all of us who would like to do some little bit of art every day, well almost every day.

EDM Challenge
Every Day Matters Challenge.

A very simple subject is posted and one sketches to the theme.

Click here.

Pretty fun, eh?  And not hard to do. Now not all sketches are in color, there is black and white, wax pencils, colored pencils, a bit of this a bit of that.
Follow the link to his website where you can view pages in his journals, see videos and all the books he has published.  So many informative and fun things to enjoy.

Tonight I will sketch a piece of FRUIT, how easy is that when there is such a plethora of fruit to choose from right now.  High Season for Fruit Lovers.

So my little goal is to follow along with the choices presented...then when I have actually done a few days worth, share in one blog.  I certainly don't need to bore you with one sketch a day.

Not much of an excuse to not sketch a piece of fruit!!!

Well time to get back to my ARTSY PLAYTIME...before my glue stick goes dry.

Rather Neglectful....Good Things to Come

I do manage to have big gaps in this blog.

Probably because I have been spending more time on

PHOTOGRAPHY and BLOG.

What is a girl to do? When she LOVES everything?

Well to get me settled down and painting again

I  signed up for Mindy Lacefield's

yummy class

Neat Stuff: a nostalgic journaling adventure.

I took her previous class but didn't complete enough to post. 

But I have good intentions to be a better student this time around.

Isn't it super to try something new.  

It is all about Kid's Play with lots of fun, messy paints, pastels, colored pencils, glue, paper scraps...

I will Eat my Cake (hmmmm TART)

If I don't pull through this time.

Ahhhhh ohhh, I just remembered that this week I need to make Pesto, Strawberry Jam and Peach Jam.

Maybe I will rub a few pieces of fruit on my journal paper to start the painting juices flowing again!!!!

Even if it is just background colors on journal paper, 

I will be back with something to post THIS WEEK!

(Whew I never make commitments like that!)

Take time out to HUG yourself and your Loved Ones!

Meri's Musings: Blessings

It has been a space of time since posting on Meri's Musings...Her space is so uplifting, giving pause for thought.  This week she speaks of blessings.  I suppose the word Blessing means different things to different people. 

 Tuesday I read about the suddenness of Cambodian children becoming desperately ill, some swiftly slipping into death. I vividly recalled just a year ago being in Cambodia, visiting the orphanages, viewing a hospital with mothers' lining the street with their beseeching children tugging on their dusty skirts.  The Cambodian people have been through so much, but there is a blessed resilience. The younger generation: the "littles" in their world, are innocent  brown faced children with moon shaped smiles. 


They are happy. They are optimistic.  They love people.
They bashfully yearn for recognition and attention, as these smiling children in a local orphanage attest to. 

I feel blessed to have briefly rubbed shoulders, touched hands, admired artwork, and seen joy in their faces.


This week, three in our family have had some health issues, some more serious than others.
We pick up a phone, call a doctor, get immediate help in a clean, sanitary environment with the latest equipment and testing abilities.


These children rarely have access to medical care.
I am grateful they are finding the "cause" behind this sudden illness befalling the "littles."  
That is a Blessing.


But I wish for MORE for these children.

The Big Bang

Are your ears still ringing?

Is your heart still palpitating as the flags passed by?

Are you feeling over indulged by BBQ, corn-on-the-cob and vanilla ice cream spilling over with whipping cream, strawberries and blueberries?

Still tapping your toes to Patriotic Songs?

Feeling bedazzled by flaring fireworks?

It is all pretty grand this country of OURS.

Who do you think enjoys America's

Fourth of July

more:

Kids or Grown Up Kids

I vote for the combination!

"It has got to start soon. I am getting pretty hot sitting here waiting!"

"Yay, hose squirting! I hope I get drenched."

Sights, Sounds, Colors and Fun.

"Ah, what a day. Too bad I fell asleep during the fireworks!"