Once upon a time...

I sculped a line of jewelry and tiny figures that I sold to Country stores.

While recently digging in the attic, I came upon three little storybook characters I made in 1997...

Little Red Riding Hood.

Little Bo Peep who found a sheep.

And Goldilocks.

Each little lass stands 2 3/4 inches tall, their bases are 1 3/4 inches wide.

That makes each tiny scuplted face the size of my pinky nail.

They are 100% sculpted by hand without the use of any mold of any kind.

In all the crude flaws my eye sees, I think they are still rather cute.

It was while on this mission in the attic looking for family pictures that these were discovered.

I also found a school picture of myself in 7th grade wearing a sailboat pin that I sculpted out of clay.

I use to make jewelry and sell it to the kids at school in 5th & 6th grade.

Having been yearning to sculpt again, these tiny gals have re-inspired me.

Be Inspired every day!!!

 

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”-Plato

Last Saturday, on my B-day.  I received a call from a friend I hadn't spoken with in about 3 years. 

He lives right around the corner from me.   

He sounded distraught and asked if he could call on me to talk some time this week.  

I replied, "of course."

I pass his house every day on one of my several daily Mommy Taxi runs 

to & fro the schools my children attend.

We probably lost touch as I introduced him to a gal pal of mine, they dated, 

it went south and that was the end.

Today the call came and he & I sat on my back patio and talked.

He lost his Fiancee a month ago. She was 42, died in her sleep.

He found her and tried to revive her.

I never met her but saw her often outside his house and around town.

She was a petite pretty woman and always had a smile on her face.

He wanted to ask my advice as I lost my husband 6 years ago.

What do you do?

How do you go on?

Do you still miss him?

Where do you start?

I gave him as much advice as I could.  

We cried together.

In our rushed, hurried and very self centered society, we sometimes forget...that the person

speeding recklessly and whizzing by us, might just have something bigger going on in their life that we cannot see. (that is another true story)

As I have reflected about this all afternoon, the quotes of Plato and James Barrie came to mind.

Basically this:

…Be kinder than necessary, For everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle…. 

-James Barrie

We all face the winter some time in our lives...

May you have warm souls to help you weather Life's Storms...

As I awake.

I sleep on the side of the bed which is right at the window to my back yard.

I have blinds, but never draw them.

I love the color of the sky to beam in on me in the morning.

As that part of the house faces North, it is lined with Hydrangeas.

These are old hydrangeas and grow really large.

Right now they are just beginning to bloom and make me so happy to see the first thing when I wake up.

I Love my Garden!

Angels and Roses

It seems that life brings people to your life who are Angels and Roses.

I am a Lover of both.  I might even love roses almost as much as my friend Christie Repasy.

My honey is one of those Angels...truly one of the nicest Men you would ever meet.

Things have been a little stressful for both of us work wise.  

The Garden we love so much all though is what we like to call "controlled wild", well was just really in need of some serious TLC.  

As I have been busy in my studio today, I turn to see him patiently pruning one of my 28 rose bushes.

I find roses on my desk, on the counter 

and to my surprise...in the fountain.  Isn't that LOVE?

Could it be any prettier?

I fell in love with this angel when I found him at none other than one of the most dangerous stores

in the world...Home Goods.

How cute is he?  Both the fake angel and My Man Angel.

He'd die if he knew I were typing this about him.

He did see me shooting photos and said, please don't take a picture of me.

I laughed and said, "I am blogging this" 

but I respectfully took no pictures of him.

Don't forget to take time to smell the roses and be thankful for the Angels in your Life!

My Little Muses...

I have lots of little muses, don't we all?

But, the 4 that are the forefront of all I do are my children.

I painted this quasi self family portrait in 2004.

It was inspired by a Vogue magazine cover from the 20's.  The cover depicted a woman holding a carousel that had tiny fashion models on it.  The picture intrigued me.  Since my life almost always feels like a three ring circus full of kids and 4 dogs, I thought it apropos.

I snapped a pic of my kids holding hands and used it as the model for them.  My eldest at the time had long hair and dressed like a punker.

The bracelet is full of items I feel represent the myriad of roles I portray as well as some hobbies and my favorite things.

The heart locket is one I wear often.  It is one of those cool lockets that opens to reveal 4 pictures, one for each of my children of course.

The painting hangs above the main drafting table in my studio...opposing the wall which has my family tree on it.

By the time I am an old woman, I hope to add lots of little grandchildren to the photo...first one is on the way and will make his debut in October!!!

Be inspired every day!!!

Painting revisted

Being a painter by trade, thought I'd share some paintings with you again...

Ode to Mother

I adore and moderately collect Antique books.  While I don't quite have the collection or room for as many as I would like, there are a few dozen that are treasured.  This being one of them.

Purchased several years ago,

one might think the title a little morose..."A Tribute of Flowers to the Memory of Mother"

I found it sentimental and beautiful.

As Mother's Day is quickly approaching, we must remember, not everyone is lucky enough to have their Mother with them.

I opened the book and read this passage in the very beginning of the Preface...

 "We find that every man and woman whom the world has called great, and whose words have been saved for their wisdom and goodness, all cherished with the utmost tenderness their memories of Mother, of happy innocent childhood, and home. Their testimony is always interesting, often very beautiful: and they speak their common sentiment of the human race.  The Love of home is universal.  There is no place like home.  The ties of home should be, and usually are, the strongest and most sacred of any on earth."

 This book was published in 1882 by John McCoy, M.D.

It is full of poetry, of Love and Lament for a lost Mother.

For the love of literature lost.

And for the Love of Mother.

Enjoy!