Artfully Yours

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T12:39:00.002-05:00

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=WQ26144948

Cleaning...Clearing...

2010-04-05T11:13:00.003-04:00

I rarely blog here anymore....Today, I realized that I have 15 blogs!! LOL.....count them 15!!
Whatever was I thinking.....So I am cleaning and clearing out the blogs that I do not post to...have not posted to in years!! They were all good ideas at the time...but that time has come and gone!!
I am keeping this blog....this original blog....my baby....can't seem to throw it out with the bath water so they say....
Spring brings this type of mind set to me....it makes me start to regroup...renest....rediscover what is important to keep....and what is not....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

Easter and Spring Greetings...

2010-04-04T10:10:00.001-04:00

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2010-03-17T07:31:00.001-04:00

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Who am I Meant to BE!

2010-01-01T08:39:00.001-05:00

Take the quiz!!
http://www.oprah.com/survey/omagazine/20091001-omag-meant-to-be-quiz

HERE I AM!!!!

YOU ARE STRIVING TO BE CREATIVE
You are an artist: You came out of the womb with a paintbrush in your hand. Or maybe it was a flute or a castanet or a fountain pen to go with your poet's imagination. The point is, you're an original, and you know it. Even if you don't have a singular gift, you're drawn to the arts—anything creative, for that matter—and you have a unique way of looking at the world. Your need for depth and authenticity in relationships can lead to both great joy and profound sorrow, depending on whether others reciprocate. You don't care so much about adapting to group or societal expectations; your independence and sharp intuition propel you on your own path.

What to watch out for: When fear of conformity overrides your creativity, you can assume the role of "outsider" or "orphan" and end up feeling alienated. You may even go so far as refusing to vote or pay taxes. This lone-wolf stance might be a defense against feeling vulnerable. Try to be aware that blaming others for your banishment, or pushing away those who want to get close, only makes things worse. Also, dramatizing your emotions can interfere with your creativity.

Looking ahead: As long as you genuinely express yourself, you feel like the person you were meant to be. How you do it is irrelevant. A chef or architect can be as much of an artist as a painter or sculptor. Many advertising and public relations executives are also highly imaginative. Beyond work, there are opportunities everywhere you look to coax out your inner artist: Design your own jewelry line, create an innovative blog, dream up a comic strip. Relationships are another avenue for self-expression.

Find careers that match your striving style.

YOUR SCORES
Many people have two or three strong striving styles, and they can all be important in leading you to the person you are meant to be. If you have a few "highest" scores, read each matching description, and see what rings most true.

Striving to help: 15
Striving to be recognized: 12
Striving to be creative: 18
Striving to be spontaneous: 11
Striving to be knowledgeable: 17
Striving to be secure: 17
Striving to be in control: 14

STRIVING TO HELP
You scored: 15
You are a nurturer: You are caring and supportive in your personal relationships as well as in your job. Unselfish and altruistic by nature, you often anticipate the needs of those around you before they are aware of them. If there is one thing that brings you satisfaction, it's tending to others.

What to watch out for: When you're doing things for people only to feel valued, you can become resentful. And if you sense that your help is not appreciated, you may end up playing the martyr. So before giving your time to everyone else, make sure to take care of yourself (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). And practice waiting until someone asks for help: While you may be able to perceive what a person needs, that doesn't mean she wants you to attend to it.

Looking ahead: It's important for you to be genuinely of service in acknowledged ways. Whether you foster a child, care for an elderly aunt, rescue animals, or support a rock star's career as her personal assistant, look for opportunities where you can help other people or bigger causes. Volunteer work has your name written on it, as do many careers: nursing, teaching, customer service, healing, social work. Don't feel pressured to run the company or lead the project; you may be even more effective as someone's right hand. And you'll likely find working with other people more meaningful than flying solo.

Find careers that match your striving style.
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STRIVING TO BE RECOGNIZED
You scored: 12
You are an achiever: Ambitious, competitive, and hardworking: That's you. With a clear image of who you are, you work tirelessly to make sure your accomplishments are recognized. Your drive for success extends to your family, and you invest a lot of energy in helping them live up to your expectations. Thanks to your knack for diplomacy and abundant charisma, you often inspire others.

What to watch out for: You are prone to becoming a workaholic, slaving away toward success while neglecting your personal life. Because you're driven to gain approval, you can find yourself performing for others like an actor; if you become overly concerned with your image, you end up feeling superficial. To keep your ambition under control, get involved in group activities that require cooperation. Also practice listening to those around you and think about sharing the spotlight from time to time.

Looking ahead: Any career that allows you to scale the ranks and gain recognition, status, even material rewards, lights you up. Actress, entrepreneur, salesperson, politician—you get the picture. And consider balancing your professional challenges with personal ones: Run a 10K, train for a triathlon, compete in a tennis tournament, bike from one end of your state to the other; or join a debate team, play in a poker circle, enter your purebred spaniel in a dog show. Whenever you can win at something, you're happy.

Find careers that match your striving style.
Back to Top

STRIVING TO BE CREATIVE
You scored: 18
You are an artist: You came out of the womb with a paintbrush in your hand. Or maybe it was a flute or a castanet or a fountain pen to go with your poet's imagination. The point is, you're an original, and you know it. Even if you don't have a singular gift, you're drawn to the arts—anything creative, for that matter—and you have a unique way of looking at the world. Your need for depth and authenticity in relationships can lead to both great joy and profound sorrow, depending on whether others reciprocate. You don't care so much about adapting to group or societal expectations; your independence and sharp intuition propel you on your own path.

What to watch out for: When fear of conformity overrides your creativity, you can assume the role of "outsider" or "orphan" and end up feeling alienated. You may even go so far as refusing to vote or pay taxes. This lone-wolf stance might be a defense against feeling vulnerable. Try to be aware that blaming others for your banishment, or pushing away those who want to get close, only makes things worse. Also, dramatizing your emotions can interfere with your creativity.

Looking ahead: As long as you genuinely express yourself, you feel like the person you were meant to be. How you do it is irrelevant. A chef or architect can be as much of an artist as a painter or sculptor. Many advertising and public relations executives are also highly imaginative. Beyond work, there are opportunities everywhere you look to coax out your inner artist: Design your own jewelry line, create an innovative blog, dream up a comic strip. Relationships are another avenue for self-expression.

Find careers that match your striving style.
Back to Top

STRIVING TO BE SPONTANEOUS
You scored: 11
You are an adventurer: Action-oriented, curious, outgoing, and often technically gifted, you live for new experiences. You are drawn to risk-taking and aren't afraid to fail. Generally restless, you tend to job-hop or choose a field that offers constant novelty. If you had to name your favorite place, it might be the center of attention—you're a born entertainer, and can easily adapt to any audience. While you collect many acquaintances, you're less likely to develop deep, committed relationships.

What to watch out for: When you can't satisfy your thirst for variety and excitement, you may see yourself as trapped, which can lead to impulsive and self-destructive behavior—drinking, drugs, breaking off relationships, ditching financial responsibilities. Try to find value in some traditions; if you learn to appreciate repetitive experiences, you won't always feel the urge to bust free. And when a new opportunity thrills you, keep in mind that just because it sounds exciting, that doesn't mean it's good for you.

Looking ahead: Life will have meaning for you as long as you feel stimulated. That might mean chasing twisters, exploring the polar ice caps, getting a degree in dance therapy, or becoming an astronaut. It might also mean reading new books, attending workshops, or letting yourself get swept up in an intoxicating romance. As a risk-lover with a lot of energy, you're a natural entrepreneur. You'll be happiest if you change jobs every so often and travel extensively. Movement is what keeps you going.

Find careers that match your striving style.
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STRIVING TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE
You scored: 17
You are an intellectual: As a leader, you're often ahead of your time. As an employee, you try to surpass the competence level of peers, even managers. Incisive and curious, you're driven to deeply understand how things work. But that's things, not people. Oh, your family and friends are important; it's just that you don't need to spend hours engaging with them. Social validation isn't your goal—you're secure enough in your cerebral pursuits.

What to watch out for: When you can't find a way to be the expert, you may withdraw or simply withhold information, which can make you seem smug or arrogant. If you feel yourself retreating into your own world, seek a friend's help to pull you back. Also balance your cerebral tendencies through physical activities like jogging, hiking, or dance.

Looking ahead: You discover who you are meant to be through accumulating insight and knowledge. So follow your curiosity. Are you drawn to learning Mandarin? Join-ing a philosophy society? Studying and practicing Buddhist meditation? Delving into the complexities of computer programming? Writing a historical book? Pursuits that place you near the leading edge of technology, science, psychology, academia, or business are good bets. But any situation that allows you to work independently with freedom to investigate and innovate will fuel your drive.

Find careers that match your striving style.
Back to Top

STRIVING TO BE SECURE
You scored: 17
You are a stabilizer: You are the rock in a storm, the one others lean on. Loyal and com-mitted in your relationships, you maintain a support system of like-minded people whom you look out for. (So what if you do it behind the scenes and don't get credit?) You're careful with money, cherish the familiar, and defend the traditions you care about.

What to watch out for: Rapidly changing environments (like a shaky economy) are very hard for you. As a result of such instability, you can spiral into a state where everything seems catastrophic and you're sure life will only get worse. You can also become overcontrolling, rejecting any suggestion that doesn't conform to your idea of the way things should be. To avoid being too rigid, each month try changing one habit. Exper-iment with clothes, drive a different way to work, initiate conversations about subjects you wouldn't normally discuss. And when the opportunity arises to do something new, avoid the impulse to immediately say no—this may be nerve-racking, but the more you practice, the less anxious you'll feel.

Looking ahead: You find meaning in pursuing safety and certainty. Focusing on family can give you great satisfaction. Also consider planting a vegetable garden, hosting class reunions, volunteering as a lifeguard, teaching at your church or temple. In the work arena, look for positions where you're responsible for others, and for making sure everyone is following the rules. You work well in any environment that is stable and consistent. Careers in government, finance, the military, law enforcement, and product manufacturing are strong options for you.

Find careers that match your striving style.
Back to Top

STRIVING TO BE IN CONTROL
You scored: 14
You are a leader: You approach everything as though you were born to be in charge. Confident, assertive, and decisive, you know what you want and you go after it. You also look out for family, friends, and community—you feel you know what's best for them—and have no fear of confronting anyone who challenges your ideas. Taking the driver's seat, you also generously donate time and energy to people and neighborhood projects.

What to watch out for: When you feel threatened, or others refuse to go along with your agenda, you can become confrontational and domineering, sometimes to the point of being dictatorial. Practice letting someone else take charge on occasion. Also try meditation; it can help you be-come more aware of your controlling impulses and ease the anxiety that may be provoking them.

Looking ahead: You discover your purpose when you take control of your environment. For you, finding a decision-making role is key. That could mean anything from producing a play to spearheading a global campaign for something you care about. In work, you're suited for leadership positions in education, government, industry, finance, religious institutions, or politics. But you can find satisfaction anytime you're given the autonomy to do things your own way.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-30T23:55:00.000-05:00

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Happy Holidays!

2009-12-08T09:12:00.001-05:00

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Happy Thanksgiving..

2009-11-26T09:52:00.003-05:00

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I wish you all the very best life has to offer for Thanksgiving. May it be full of good things to eat, good friends and loved ones, creativity, spirituality, gratitude and especially lots and lots of good memories to last a lifetime!
May you take a moment today to hear the message that sings in your heart....and be grateful for all that you have and all that surrounds you...
Blessings to all....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-29T17:17:00.002-04:00

An interview with ANNE MARIE BENNETT, author of Bright Side of the Road

2009-10-21T10:53:00.003-04:00

Good Morning and welcome to Artfully Yours. This morning I have the wonderful pleasure of interviewing, Anne Marie Bennett, the author of BRIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. A book, recounting her journey, with living with breast cancer. If you have been diagnosed with cancer...know someone who is living with cancer...or could use a positive and heart felt journal to clarify your own gratitude...this is the perfect book to read. Anne Marie is open...honest...and loving with herself and her reader. You will walk away from reading this book with a sense of knowing and seeing a warrior. You will get a glimpse into a way to rearrange your own priorities in a loving and meaningful way.
Grab a cup of coffee and sit down for a moment and hear the wisdom of a cancer survivor.

Pattie: Being a caregiver myself, for someone who is living with cancer, what is the one piece of advice you can give a caregiver?

Anne Marie: The most important thing for a caregiver is to keep in mind that cancer patients ARE NOT JUST CANCER PATIENT. They are still the same beautiful interesting, and loving people that they were before their diagnosis. Sometimes on my journey with breast cancer, I got really tired of people asking "how do you feel today?" Because they were referring to my physical symptoms. I really felt most loved and cared for by the people who remembered who I really was beyond the part about being a breast cancer patient. Here are some examples of questions that people asked me that really helped me remember who I was.....
Have you read any good books lately?
Can you recommend a good movie to watch?
Are you planning any trips later this year?
What does it feel like to be away from the theater (my job) for so long?
Do you have any advice to give me about my son?
How is your spirit?
These questions will vary from person to person, of course, depending on what your loved one's interests and passions are. In the presence of questions like these, I was reminded of my best inner essence. I was reminded that I wasn't just a cancer patient. I felt like I was being seen for WHO I really was.

Pattie: Despite all you went through as a person living with cancer, you remained positive. Do you think this helps with the healing/grieving/accepting process? And how can a person gently allow for the negative feelings while staying positive?

Anne Marie: For me, the grieving process had to come FIRST. Not just grieving, but ALL the emotions that came up for me, especially fear and anger. I couldn't walk on the "bright side" without first naming and accepting and hooring all those darker feeling first. I can sum up the essence of my recipe for th Bright Side Living like this: Feel your feelings, and then change your thoughts. First I gave myself PERMISSION to feel whatever I was feeling, and to accept and even embrace my fears and worries and angers and grief. Not an easy thing, because it is very uncomfortable and sometimes messy! I found that if I just kept doing that, I could much more easily hear the negative thoughts in the background of my mind. And once I could hear the negative, self-defeating chatter inside of me, I was in a grounded position to enter that dialogue from a clearer place and change it. So for me, the part about embracing positive thoughts and gratitude was only possible AFTER I allowed myself my feelings. I find that this is true for me even now, seven years later. No matter what the situation, if I allow myself the ebb and flow of my feelings, I am more able to be clearly rooted in the bright side of positive thoughts.

Pattie: We are all programmed since childhood about our appearance. What advice can you give someone who is losing their hair and/or other appearance changes?

Anne Marie: Yes, I can definitely understand this question, Pattie! My journey took me through several physical changes. I gained a lot of weight, lost my hair (and not just on my head!) got catapulted into early menopause and lost my libido. Trust me, I was not happy about ANY of this! For me, my resistance to those physical changes disappeared the day I realized (about halfway through the journey) that I could not do anything about it! I was on this journey, and this is just how things were. I could waste a whole lot of energy bemoaning the fact that I didn't look like I use to, or I could just relax and go with the flow of it all. It really became almost like a game to me, finding the bright side of any situation especially the baldness. What could be good about not having hair? Well, I saved a lot of money at the drug store, not having to buy conditioner and styling products! Also, I saved a lot of time every morning and there was a great freedom in that, not having to purposely "look good" every day. I recently came across a Deepak Chopra quote: " Happiness is a continuation of happenings which are not resisted>" This speaks to me of the magic of acceptance, which was one of the key factors on my bright side journey.

Pattie: What one thing can someone living with cancer do to help them strengthen their spirit during their treatments?

Anne Marie: That "one thing" is going to be different for each person because each of us is so different. For me, that "one thing" was writing in my journal. Also, continuing to sit at my art table and create collage strengthened my spirit immensely during my treatment. But, for someone else, that "one thing" might be listening to NPR or going to synagogue, attending regular prayer meetings, fishing with the guys, continuing to work at a job they love, making birdhouses in the basement...You get the idea! The most important thing is to stay connected to yourself at all times, so that you know what your own personal "one thing" is!

Thank you so much for sharing with us this morning Anne Marie. During this month of October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I can't think of a better person to interview....a better book to read. I wish you continued good health and awareness as your life on the BRIGHT SIDE continues to unfold before you.

Artfully Yours,
Pattie

For more information about Anne Marie’s book, Bright Side of the Road, please visit this page: www.annemariebennett.com To purchase the book, please visit this page: www.annemariebennett.com/how-to-purchase. For more information about SoulCollage® please visit www.KaleidoSoul.com...

Brightside of the Road Book Tour....

2009-10-14T09:22:00.004-04:00

I will be interviewing Anne Marie Bennett, who wrote Bright Side of the Road...A Spiritual Journey Through Breast Cancer on Wednesday, October the 21st... Anne Marie, is a Breast Cancer Survivor and boldly and beautifully writes from her heart about her experience.

For more information about Anne Marie’s book, Bright Side of the Road, please visit this page: www.annemariebennett.com To purchase the book, please visit this page: www.annemariebennett.com/how-to-purchase. For more information about SoulCollage® please visit www.KaleidoSoul.com...

This is BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH ...

I look forward to sharing with you some of the insight to this book and how it can guide you or help you with a loved one living with cancer.
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

Quote...

2009-09-12T23:13:00.000-04:00

"As you make a habit of not taking anything personally, you won't need to place your trust in what others do or say. You will only need to trust yourself to make responsible choices. You are never responsible for the actions of others; you are only responsible for you. When you truly understand this, and refuse to take things personally, you can hardly be hurt by the careless comments or actions of others."

~Don Miguel Ruiz

On the News Stand.....

2009-08-03T20:46:00.005-04:00

Once again I am pleased to be among the artist that are gracing the pages of Altered Couture!
This issue has a new look....a new feel....and it is something terrific!! The photography is amazing and my altered coolie shoes are gracing 4 pages!! I am one happy...happy...artist!
The Stampington publications showcase so many talented people, so I am always amazed when I see my work gracing the pages....If you haven't had the pleasure of seeing a copy... do yourself a favor and stop by your Barnes and Noble...pull up a chair ...grab a cup of Joe and get lost in a sea of fashion altered by artists....and dream of what you can do with something you have right in your own closet! Also....go to their website....they even have an on line store for supplies.....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

July 3, 2009

2009-07-03T09:50:00.003-04:00

I will readily admit that I have NOT been doing my journal this past week.....Something came over me....something that caused me to step outside of myself...my inner-ness and connect more with others.....But I will say that I missed it....So today...I will once again let my true voice sing...bringing about messages to myself!! I am careful today to take small sips of reality...sometimes reality is not what it is cut out to be...sometimes you need to check reality at the door...sometimes you need a reality check...so I am finding that if I take reality in small doses it serves me better!! LOL.....I was hit by the quote from Buddha as one of the writing prompts and when I did it the sun was coming out after days of rain.....and I was doing my journal page...exposing myself once again to myself....As I write about my soul today....I am aware of the patchwork that makes it up....scar tissue...wounds healed...some fresh...but that the majority of it is made of HOPE and GRATITUDE! And that my friends....is a very good thing!!
Atfully Yours,
Pattie

PROUD!

2009-06-18T22:02:00.003-04:00

I am extremely proud to have been selected to have a previously published article picked to be in this magazine. I am amongst some very fine artists! My heART t-shirts and the article that went with it is honored on two pages!
This is what the magazine has in store for those of you who purchase it next month:
HandCrafted is back with Volume 5 and is fresher than ever. The newest issue will showcase an array of Stampington & Company publications to bring you page after page filled with all your favorite crafting projects (along with instructions). Each article is hand selected by the editorial staff to bring you the best of mixed-media, wearable art, scrapbooking, and stamping projects. Highlights are included from Somerset Studio®, Belle Armoire®, Art Doll Quarterly™, The Stampers’ Sampler®, Somerset Memories™, as well as many of our special publications. Come revisit some of your old projects in hopes to revive that passion that has since been forgotten.
Click HERE to see my t-shirts....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

June 15, 2009

2009-06-16T11:52:00.004-04:00

I have been doing my pages every day...Some without color...perhaps I have only been seeing in black and white lately....but yesterday, I opened a little...the prompt about kites made me think of Mary Poppins....and then the song...LETS GO FLY A KITE...ran through my head for most of the day....and I thought about how I should continue to have my fist holding tight to the end of a kite!(not allowing the black and white to rob me of color and dreams)...How by seeing things that are right in front of me....I am more likely to see the color that surrounds me....So I toast to the day....to seeing different shapes....to taking a soul vitamin....in order to see the shapes...sizes and colors that surround me...and I venture....I step outside of the black and white that I have been in lately...
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

June 5, 2009

2009-06-05T20:16:00.003-04:00

Today is a day of toasting myself with a big cup of LOVE...self love! How by dipping into the soul vitamin of my creativity daily I can see a better picture...or paint a pretty picture!! I have been working in the yard...getting ready to trim some bushes and I discovered not 1 but 3 birds nests in those bushes that line my yard....So the trimming will have to wait for another month while the families that live there hatch and nurture their new little ones....I eyed these beautiful nests...these found objects of art...bits of paper and string...old plastic...dirt and leaves...all lovingly gathered to make a warm nest to rest and raise a little one or two....I saw these nests with new eyes today....the beautiful work of a busy bird going about its day with a song...and I am reminded to be more like the bird and be a little more comfortable in my own nest...and use my wings a little more....and sing a song that will make the art more beautiful....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

June 4, 2009

2009-06-05T20:12:00.003-04:00

Here's to a cool refreshing drink when you get hot...hot under the collar...to hot for comfort...HOT...HOT...HOT... You know those days when everything just gets to you....So I remember to take my vitamin C today....COOL....CALM...COLLECTIVE! And remind my self how perfectly imperfect I am!....And how I can swing to the left...swing to the right....stand up...
sit down...FIGHT...FIGHT...FIGHT!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

June 3, 2009

2009-06-03T08:44:00.002-04:00

Now, I readily admit that I am not one who remembers my dreams as a rule of thumb...but after being outside all day yesterday I remember dreaming of beautiful gardens...where I could rest peacefully....So, I toast today with that thought....I take a soul vitamin and let the night time magic reappear with the smell and vision of that dream....and the lesson that I learned this morning....To do something every day to help your own growth and to nurture your soul....I myself have been in the paint since 5! LOL....NURTURING!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

June 2, 2009

2009-06-02T21:50:00.003-04:00

Today, I got up early once again....I like getting up early in the morning when the weather is nice...birds are singing and the smell of the morning is uninterrupted and I am alone with my thoughts....So today...I toast to opening up the day with a cheery HELLO to myself....I recognize ME...and I remember that Soul Vitamins come in all shapes and sizes and colors...it could be digging in the earth that touches me...finishing a project...the smell of freshly brewed coffee...all I have to do is remember to be aware of them.....I wrote the prompt INNER SKY....and how I have been feeling as of late....and how I am beginning to move past and out of the rain...and back to myself...my art...my writing...the ME that I love....and I am reminded today....that ART HEALS!! and I need to be aware of that more often when my inner sky breaks loose and the rain comes....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

June 1, 2009

2009-06-01T22:30:00.003-04:00

The beginning of a new month....and changing my attitude...adjusting it...popping the cork and taking a long tall cleansing breath.....toasting to the fact that things could be worse...that things are worse for others and looking to the positive side of life.....I did my journal page EARLY....I am posting it LATE as the day got by me.....this morning I was up at 5:30...way to early for the amount of time I did not sleep and I was not very happy about it at first...but then as I settled into the studio with coffee in hand....quietly I listened to the sounds around me....and for a moment or two I was in the woods...smelling the dew...listening to the birds....and my attitude changed...
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

May 31, 2009

2009-05-31T08:20:00.004-04:00

It has been several weeks since I last did a journal page....Life sometimes just has a way with getting in the way!! LOL.....and although doing the journal page probably would of allowed some insight into what I could be doing...should be doing...would be doing instead of being in the middle of twists and turns....I tried to work things out the best I could ... now realizing that perhaps if I had just journaled the path would of been shorter....So today, I got up early...the morning songs outside of the birds and sweetness of the day allowed me to change my attitude...along with paint and pens....allowed me to sip the sweetness as I carefully removed the spiked top of the soul vitamins of that sweetness....Sometimes, you just have to be aware of the goodness despite the chaos....sometimes you just have to allow the bubbles of joy to float and burst around you...sometimes it is just the singing of the birds...the freshness of the air....the opening of the paint that can change your attitude from failure to success....Leaning a lesson today as this month comes to a close...
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

Fast Forward...7%

2009-05-29T09:54:00.004-04:00

I usually delete FW's that come to my mailbox....mostly because my good husband has so many bells and whistles on this machine that nothing opens up.....BUT....this one came through from 4 different people yesterday....I had to sit up and notice the subject matter 7%...but alas, I am still not one to FW to others....so I post it here....You can copy and send as you choose or just enjoy the words written by this 90 year old....wisdom comes whenever we choose to let it!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Its estimated 93% won't forward this. If you are one of the 7% who will, forward this with the title '7%'.

I'm in the 7%.

Remember that I will always share my spoon with you!

Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.

For The Women in my Circle...

2009-05-22T20:04:00.004-04:00

When I was little,
I used to believe in the concept of one best friend,
And then I started to become a woman.
And then I found out that if you allow your heart to open up,
God would show you the best in many friends.

One friend is needed when you're going through things with your man.
Another friend is needed when you're going through things with your mom.
Another will sit beside you in the bleachers as you delight in your children and their activities.
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be.
One friend will say, 'Let's cry together,'
Another , 'Let's fight together,'
Another , 'Let's walk away together.'

One friend will meet your spiritual need,
Another your shoe fetish,
Another your love for movies,
Another will be with you in your season of confusion,
Another will be your clarifier,
Another the wind beneath your wings.

But whatever their assignment in your life,
On whatever the occasion,
On whatever the day,
Or wherever you need them to meet you with their gym shoes on and hair pulled back,
Or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself ....
Those are your best friends.

It may all be wrapped up in one woman, But for many, it's wrapped up in several...
One from 7th grade,
One from high school,
Several from the college years,
A couple from old jobs,
On some days your mother,
On some days your neighbor,
On others, your sisters,
And on some days, your daughters.

Thanks for being in my circle.

Sunday Coffee Talk....

2009-05-17T07:53:00.006-04:00

I got up early...really early...to be alone for a moment or two with a "POT" of coffee!! (it is one of those mornings where a cup just won't do!!) and I sat down to read A Hand Made Life Zine that came in the mail yesterday, that I have the great pleasure of having an article in.....This Zine is put out by the lovely Robin Olson Mayberry, whom I have been in several swaps with and was blessed when she asked me to write for her zine.....Amazing to me that there are so many wonderfully creatives out there and someone is drawn enough to me and my work that they would single me out to do something like this....It is the sweetest Zine....filled with wonderful articles by different artist....Jim Dubois...Amanda Jolley....Dawn Rice...and of course Robin Olson Mayberry...
A Handmade Life...Issue 4: Creative Community is affordable and filled with inspiration plus!! Give yourself a treat....to order the Zine visit Robin at her etsy site Alchemy studios ...when it arrives pour yourself a cup of....and ENJOY! I have this morning....and it has been wonderful! Thank you Robin...for all your hard work and loving heart!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

May 14, 2009

2009-05-14T09:59:00.003-04:00

After taking time off to enjoy a VACATION....I fast forward to today....I readily admit, that I did not do my journal while away! Sometimes you just REALLY have to take time off for good behavior...but I am trying to get back into the swing of things today...I toast today to the REAL...real coffee...real paint...real pens...REALITY! And I sip the soul vitamin of safe travels down a U-TURN that I have been thrown...bursting the bubbles of FEAR from that turn one at a time....One of the prompts today talked about trash....but I did not do that one the way it was written, instead I was focused on how much trash people just left lying around at the vacation spot...thinking well, I suppose they hire someone to pick it up...but it was senseless trash...gum stuck under tables (I hate that especially if it is fresh gum that gets stuck to my clothes...when a napkin is readily available) and speaking of napkins...why let them fall on the ground and leave them there...pick the darn things up and throw them away....senseless trash...soda and beer cans left on the side of bushes...why? Lazy? Thoughtless?....I always have a small plastic bag in my purse for just such things if a trash can is not close....SIMPLE! OK...OFF my soap box!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

May 3, 2009

2009-05-04T00:00:00.002-04:00

As usual I have been keeping up with my journal pages...HOWEVER...I have been watching my little love for several days and he keeps me SO BUSY!! PLUS....I am getting ready to take a trip to Disney World with the husband and the little love....Today, as I did my page I was drinking out of my favorite cup...A cup that was purchased at Starbucks one Christmas...with the words LOVE...LIVE...WISH written all over it....and so I toasted the day with that cup....Taking this vacation is going to be wonderful...but it has been a long time since I traveled with a 4 year old...So I will take a little sip of the NO FEAR each day!!...I have been alone in the studio for at least 1/2 of the day today.....and realize the difference between being alone and being lonely....and I find solitude in the silence...and what it brings to me....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

PS: SEE YOU IN 10 DAYS!!

April 27, 2009

2009-04-27T22:15:00.002-04:00

what beautiful weather we are having here in upstate...uncommonly good weather....and I am so in my element and finding it difficult to stay inside in the studio....but I did manage to get my mandala done this morning...and my journal page....So here is to the cherry at the bottom of the glass!! Today, I got to enjoy so much...so many dreams appeared before me...spending time with those I love enjoying the perfect weather....So I did the prompt about phones....I phoned in my dream of being surrounded by my family to ground me....And I continue to strive to listen to the whispers of other dreams that float before me...
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

Coffee Talk....

2009-04-26T07:47:00.006-04:00

I use to make these cups...filled with little inspirational notes, but I can no longer find the cute little terra cotta plant holders that I altered.... I ran across this photo of them today...and the message it brought to me....dream BIG ...There are lots of things that I dream of....lots of things that I still have on my WISH list...I long to go to retreats....creative retreats and spiritual retreats....
I dream BIG...of attending Bliss Bootcamp!!! A retreat that is small enough to allow me to feel a comfort...large enough to bring me new joys...and affordable enough because it is all inclusive...
A retreat where I will be able to recharge my creative batteries...where a connection can be made not only with my muse, but with others....where the idea of creating 24 hours a day is alive with giggles and energy...where one bubble forms another...forms another...forms another with inspiration...kindred spirits...new friendships...laughter...sharing...nournishment for the creative soul...with talent...vision...and a deep sense of self...
This morning, while sipping my coffee...I dream BIG of a retreat....and this is the one I am dreaming of.....
BLISS BOOTCAMP!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

PS: Are you dreaming too? There are still some spaces left! Contact the head counselor and bring your tiara....I know we are in for a magnificent ride!

Enjoy the Ride...

2009-04-24T22:17:00.003-04:00

Press the link below....and ENJOY the RIDE!

http://www.lshs64.com/enjoytheride.html

The author of this powerful video is unknown. However, a large majority of its content is from a newsletter authored by Jon Gordon, which can be accessed at

http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-010708-20tipsforapositivenewyear.html

Artfully Yours,

Pattie

April 21, 2009

2009-04-21T17:47:00.003-04:00

It has been awhile since I posted a journal page...although I have been doing them...some with color...some without....but my mind has been occupied with many other things...Today...I toast to staying in the moment.....of taking a soul vitamin to make me feel taller (instead of the small child I have been feeling like lately) The rain stopped this morning....it was warm with just a hint of a breeze so being outside was enjoyable....and I bore witness to all the new growth around me....reawakening my senses.....I did the prompt about BREAKHEART PASS.....A vision of my heart wrapped in barbwire appeared when I first read those words....and it caused me to look within and see that the barbwire is of my own making...not others!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

INTERVIEW with BRENDA (BLISS BOOTCAMP)

2009-04-19T08:29:00.012-04:00

It's a beautiful morning....sun is shining and I am so happy to be interviewing Brenda today!
We have our tiaras on...sitting sipping tea and joyous to be in each others company. LIFE IS GOOD as they say on the t-shirts! Without further ado....I am happy to introduce you to Brenda, head counselor and founder of BLISS BOOTCAMP!

ME: What is the dream that you are bringing to realization in your life?

BRENDA: I have been dreaming for years of hosting art retreats where the artists are interacting the whole time with the students....where life long friendships are made and where, when an artist leaves, she/he says to themselves... "These few days changed my life!"

ME: How did you get yourself PAST the fear to put one foot in front of the other to do this?

BRENDA: I don't know if I am past the fear yet or not :) I am 50 years old and I could have waited, and waited and waited some more...and then it could have been too late, So I just put on my big girl panties and started planning! And support from Team Bliss didn't hurt!

ME: What do you hope these retreats will provide for the person who attends? And what can they expect to learn at them?

BRENDA: I want artists to be able to get away from it all and just enjoy the moment and create. When artists gather, they blossom! It gets creative juices flowing and an energy like no other spills out. We will all learn new wonderful techniques and uncover unknown talent. And we will all learn to Love ourselves just a little bit more!

ME: Why do you think attending a retreat is important for everyone who is on a quest to reach their potential important?

BRENDA: Retreats are a special place where one doesn't have to deal with everyday garbage. Where you are surrounded by your tribe. Wisdom is all around. Amazing things happen when a group of artists join together. It's like a bowl of popcorn...a bunch of little kernels, all in their own little hard shelled world, until you put them all together, add a bit of heat and POOF-- they open and expand and change shape and have so much more to offer the world!

ME: Besides retreats I know you make wonderful healing jewelry and talisman....are you going to be sharing with others your talent also?

BRENDA: Thank you Pattie! Maybe after I get a few Bliss Bootcamps under my belt---we shall see...I would love to teach someday.

Special Bonus Question of the Day...

ME: What is the one thing that just lights up your inspiration and creativity to help you move forward toward your dream?

BRENDA: There are many wonderful retreats out there that I have attended and memories from them all help drive me onward. Many artists are out there just waiting to be given the chance to teach and I want to be able to offer them that opportunity. I also have started the Bliss Bucket--a place where people can donate money-and the Bliss Bootcamp will match those dollars and offer scholarships to artists who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend a retreat.

Thanks for sharing yourself Brenda....I hope that it gives others the inspiration to follow their dreams...to step out on that branch and leap...to fly! I am wishing you much success on this new adventure....and want to let everyone who wants to have an experience that will change their life to sign up for the bliss bootcamp experience....your southern warmth and love...not to mention the tiara makes ME extremely happy and I am SO looking forward to this retreat!
Can we go and play in the studio now???!!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

PS: Click ANY of the words: bliss bootcamp and they will take you directly to the camps home page...where you will learn MORE about this exciting weekend!

FOLLOW YOUR BLISS!!!

2009-04-16T08:17:00.013-04:00

I want to take this moment to let you know that I will be interviewing the fabulous, Brenda Bliss,
on Sunday, April the 19th!! I met Brenda in 2005 when I attended a retreat that she also attended! Brenda began having a dream after that retreat for herself.....for others...about connecting....about art.....And she is taking a BIG STEP to manifest that dream into reality....
Check it out!!!! BLISS BOOT CAMP!! I can't think of anyone I would rather have a PJ party with!
Can't wait to interview her!!!!! Make sure you come back on Sunday....and GRAB one of the seats at the retreat before they are all gone!!! I certainly am!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie
PS: I had the honor of designing this logo for Miss Brenda Bliss....to add to the dream...

April 13, 2009

2009-04-13T21:37:00.002-04:00

I toast the day to my Anniversary of 24 years!!! And I eat a piece of cake (white cake and white frosting!) to remind me that life is much sweeter if you have a piece of cake every day!! LOL...
I used the prompt from Eudora Welty..."never think you've seen the last of anything"....
And I just know that I wore the crown today...because I laughed from the moment I woke up and I am still smiling....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

The Nature of Glass....

2009-04-12T16:15:00.008-04:00

I was recently in Tempe, Arizona...and had the great
pleasure of spending the day outside at the
Phoenix Desert Botanical Gardens...
and much to my delight and surprise there
was an exhibit amongst the cactus of the
glass art by Dale Chihuly...It was stunning!
If you ever have the pleasure to see his work,
take it....

It is truly breath taking...
ENJOY!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

You can learn a little bit MORE about it
by pressing this link!

April 11, 2009

2009-04-12T00:30:00.002-04:00

Today, I toast all the shapes that it took on...a baby shower...watching the little love...(which was a total surprise) the laughter...the stories being told...the connections....And during the day I took a sip of kindness for myself...and I did pass it along to others with good cheer and hugs....and of course the word pool prompt that I love so much.....Amazing the messages that come thru while doing one of them....Have you tried one yet? You just might like it....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

April 10, 2009

2009-04-11T00:05:00.002-04:00

It has been a FABULOUS Good Friday....I stayed out of hot water!! I grinned a lot...laughed a lot...smiled a lot....Followed the prompts today and did the Awe-awakened moments....and the juju....A GOOD DAY!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

April 9, 2009

2009-04-09T22:41:00.003-04:00

I have done my journal page for the past 2 days...but I have not had time to paint them....So this is what today's looks like BEFORE I put the paint on it!! I have been DEEP in the creative mode...working on a toy box for a baby shower gift ....And tonight I can say....TOMORROW is the last day...It will be waxed and completed just in time for the shower on Saturday!! ....I have been listening to my creativity in the garden of my soul....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

April 7, 2009

2009-04-07T17:32:00.003-04:00

So today, although the housework was calling me...I am deep into the paint...working on a toy box for a baby that is yet to be welcomed into the world....And as I let go of some of the "mundane" that needs to be done, I am also aware that some of my OWN cobwebs need to be cleaned out...Sometimes you have to clean the mental mind in order to get on with things...So as I paint....that is the type of cleaning that is being done...
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

April 6, 2009

2009-04-06T13:06:00.003-04:00

Toasting the day....Filling the day with good news....The parents (my daughter) of our 4 year old love gave us PERMISSION to take the little one to Disney World....SO EXCITING! So we will start to make all the travel plans to go in the beginning of May.....This balances some of the other things that are going on in my life....so I take a Soul Vitamin to maintain a HAPPY MEDIUM! Not to high...not to low!! LOL....I did the prompt of the Title wave again today....I like to use all the titles in one little burst of thought....And I have been taking running leaps to jump over the rope a lot lately....So I honor that and I am happy to be playing!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

April 5, 2009

2009-04-05T10:37:00.004-04:00

Up and creating early today! Sometimes you just have to weigh it out....and this morning was one of them....putting the most important things at the top of the list and eliminating some of the things that just don't belong there today....Today, is one of those days where I thought I had time for a deadline....and now realize the deadline is almost here and I haven't even started the project!! Got to love the clutter of a creative mind.....But NO WORRIES!! This is when I actually do some of my best work....not putting so much thought into "perfect" but rather going straight to the task! No inner critic....no time to be bothered with it!! One of the prompts was to make a spice rack....So I spice up my life today with a dash of this and a pinch of that!...I kiss the day with creativity and I pucker up to show myself the passion of it....Sun is out....and I am having fun...fun...fun!! So the day that was suppose to be filled with a little mundane....JUST GOT WAY BETTER ....well...as least as far as I am concerned!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

April 4, 2009

2009-04-05T00:44:00.003-04:00

Today I toast the day by layering color on this cold and rainy/snowy day! Painting with vibrant colors always makes the outside feel better!! So that is my Soul Vitamin also....Just add an additional drop or two of color to brighten even the grayest of days!....From the prompt by Maya Anelou (one of my favs!) I made a short list of things I believe....And then I just couldn't resist writing about the revolving door...causing me to remember when you get stuck in a continuous circle sometimes you just have to turn and go the other way.....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

April 3, 2009

2009-04-04T10:44:00.003-04:00

So I seem to be a day late!! LOL...Not that I did not have my journal page done yesterday...because I did! But I was enjoying my day so much with my littlest love ...my grandson! We actually drove the 20 miles to go to his FAVORITE toy store...the world's greatest as he says!! He has been going there since he was 2 with us...they have a whole train yard set up and it is amazing!! So I toasted the day...with homemade waffles and drank in the joy of it! My heart imagines so many possibilities...that it over flows...and I am feeling COOL...CALM...and COLLECTIVE!....And ever so CREATIVE!! All is good in upstate!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

April 2, 2009

2009-04-03T08:30:00.002-04:00

After being off line for a little R and R...it is taking me a bit to get back into the swing of things!
But it was a well deserved rest....leaving behind many of the things that I normally do. Sometimes you just have to regroup...reconnect...and get some new energy. It was a beautiful day in upstate ...and I played outside for the better part of the afternoon....allowing me to be aware of how my R and R has reconnected me...allowing the sun to warm my spirit...It was a beautiful day!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 24, 2009

2009-03-25T08:46:00.003-04:00

I have been having trouble with my scanner again! Temperamental machine!! LOL ...So, this is yesterdays journal page TODAY!! I took the prompt that wanted you to use titles to movies by Curtis Lee Hanson and made running thoughts..that are about ME!....I toasted the day and took soul vitamins about my dreams....I have been doing that a lot lately...visiting my heart dreams!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 23, 2009

2009-03-24T00:23:00.003-04:00

I have been lost today in happiness....my journal page sat on my work desk, underneath so many projects it would make your head spin!! LOL....
Anyhow....I toast to sipping a dream to the very last drop....I am aware from the prompt about writing about the weather as it pertains to your life that I was in a storm but the sun is coming out!! And that I am finding and mending my heart that was lost in the forest of that storm...
Aware NOW of smooth sailing!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 21, 2009

2009-03-21T09:42:00.003-04:00

YES...it is my Mother's Birthday today....and she is 83 ...just like my father would of been! It was my Dad's claim to fame that for 1 whole day he was OLDER than she was!! LOL....So I pour a big glass of milk (my mother always told us to drink our milk!) in honor of her birthday and toast to Fabulous Mothers'....Now, as a grown adult I can honestly say there were times that i did not understand my mother....perhaps even ignored my mother....but as a grown adult I know that I have always respected my mother! Once I became a mother I certainly understood her better!! LOL....So if my father gave me my quick wit....then my mother most certainly gave me my quick temper!! (which I am learning to control much better with age!!)
So HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM.....May we all be able to enjoy many more with you!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 20, 2009

2009-03-20T09:56:00.004-04:00

HAPPY 1st DAY OF SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't even begin to tell anyone what this means to me...DEFROSTING!!! Coming out of hibernation....Stretching....planting roots...getting stronger after a long winter...READY to bloom!! So, today I toast to NEW GROWTH...to understanding that this is just my time of year....that winter is there for me to rest a bit...recover from the other 3 seasons!! And I will sip every drop of SUNSHINE from this point forward!! I decided to write from the prompt of subliminal messages....WHY? Because I needed to get it out and remind myself TO ACT on my OWN VISIONS!!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 19, 2009

2009-03-19T09:20:00.003-04:00

Today would of been my Father's 83rd birthday...he passed away when he was 61 years old...some 22 years ago..It seems so long ago when I think of it that way...and yet emotionally it could of been yesterday! I miss my father very much....his laughter...his ways....his cooking...the bigness of him....he was a giant of a man to me....So today...I honor him...today I miss him more than ever....One of the prompts was to revisit a part of our past....I did that for this whole page...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!! (yes ... a grown woman who still refers to her Father that way...always have....always will)
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 18, 2009

2009-03-18T01:09:00.003-04:00

Today I am dreaming BIG...making lists...following paths...figuring out this...and that...working on this and that....doing anything my little heart desires...WHY? Because I took a Soul Vitamin today to Jump Start myself...To Spring myself forward...to write with permanent black ink on a white sheet of paper....WHAT FUN!!!! Growing...forward toward my wildest dreams!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 17, 2009

2009-03-16T23:55:00.004-04:00

Happy St.Patrick's Day....I don't believe I am of Irish descent...but then again I have heard that EVERYONE is Irish on St. Patrick's Day!! LOL....So as I did my journal page today it was natural to have a few "lucky" clovers....and I will take 2 soul vitamins for a little bit of good luck!! I choose to do a prompt of a limerick ....(I use to be fairly good at them when playing drinking games in my youth!!...) And some days you just come full circle....And this is what mine says..."there are days when everything i do looks like everything i have already done and yet there are other days when it comes full circle and i am over joyed"...Today...is such a day!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 16, 2009

2009-03-16T14:45:00.002-04:00

Today is LIPS APPRECIATION DAY!!! LOL.....Today, I send out kisses from my heart....Sometimes I am very aware that a kiss is the most verbal thing that I can say....Done in many different ways it means so many different things......Today...I GET TO.....finish one project and start another!!! And all of it is SWAK!!!! To me from me!....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 13, 2009

2009-03-13T22:07:00.002-04:00

I have had a rough week in some ways....I haven't been feeling all that well...and today, I slept alot...Must have something to do with National Nap Day yesterday!! LOL....So as I read the prompts my journal page allowed me to be aware that it is all what I make it....now, I suppose I could get on myself for not being productive....but what for!! Instead I take a soul vitamin to take a moment...take a minute...take an hour... take a day to recharge!! And feel warm from the inside out!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 12, 2009

2009-03-12T18:11:00.003-04:00

Some days you just have to have a good shot of FIRE to light yourself up....to allow yourself to explode!!! Today, was one of those days, when I just did a little fire swallowing!! LOL....A seed of inspiration when taken daily will help you to grow, but creatively and from within....I took the prompt..."roman candles exploding like spiders across the sky" to do a little doodle....There were several prompts about naps...because it is National Nap Day!! ....I was all over that prompt somewhere around 4:00 this afternoon....giving myself the hour...to be refreshed and ready to go!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 11, 2009

2009-03-11T22:37:00.003-04:00

Today, is the day I finally met my own deadlines...you know the ones you put off and off and off...And I finally finished everything that I had on my TO DO list and sent them out in the mail...Now, if I ever clean off my desk I will find the rest of the list!! LOL....So I take a Soul Vitamin today and let my heart shine and sparkle for doing that! And I toast the day to my creative life....One of the prompts was abut windows...and I honor the ones that I opened wide today! And the Juju of how I DO take the time to explore what I have to say to ME every day through my art...my words...my affirmations...my JOY!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 10, 2009

2009-03-10T11:25:00.004-04:00

Flip side....Today, I did my journal page early!! SO I FLIPPED!! as I was reminded to give myself a fresh bowl of water....Give myself a bone and bark joyfully....Some days you just have to honor yourself with what YOU want TO DO!! And this morning has just been one of those days, here it is almost noon and I am still in my pj's happily creating here in the studio since 8 this morning!!! My kitties surround me....always were I am they are there to sit on my lap...walk in my paint...get fur over everything and drink from my brush water even though I leave a fresh bowl of water out for them....guess they want to be just like ME! LOL....sometimes in dirty water...sometimes in fresh! I am very aware of my animal totems....the guides I have....the fish that allows me to swim....The cat that allows me to love unconditionally....the bunny that allows me to hop from one thing to the next....and the bird...the sweet bird that allows me to fly!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

march 9, 2009

2009-03-10T00:12:00.003-04:00

I did my journal page late tonight....My little one was here for a visit...and anytime I can spend with him is a GOOD TIME! But I am very aware today...that GOOD ENOUGH....is GOOD ENOUGH! As long as I put my ALL into it! So today, I am remembering that all it takes is a cup of kindness for myself...and a SOUL vitamin .....And today, I did get to paint and write and draw and create....I remembered that the other night when I was out I had missed the exit to my house...how does one do that except when one is lost in thought.....and then I remembered that instead of beating myself up about that...and about other exits I miss....I must remember to look around me...listen closely and see much better the second time around!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 8, 2009

2009-03-08T14:04:00.004-04:00

Feeling as if I am back in the groove today with my journal page....So, I toast to riding the ebb and flow of life successfully....sometimes it just takes longer than others!! And I will not forget (or at least I will try not to forget, especially if I am riding a wave!) where I came from and where I am off to...to listen to my heart....to honor the smallest of steps...and to remember that there are NO MISTAKES...allowing myself to be ME!.....I am a fairly shy person (I know ...hard to believe) but I am in person....this machine allows for so many things to feel so much easier to express....and I am happy for the opportunities it has allowed me....And we all know that Uppity Woman break the rules...which is what I did with that prompt....I used all the words as a word pool instead of writing about JUST ONE!! LOL....Yup!! She is feeling better!! LOL
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 7, 2009

2009-03-08T09:38:00.005-04:00

I remind myself today, to take a shot of sunshine regardless of the weather....to drink in something that makes me happy...something that makes me smile....something that warms me!
I have always been aware of being a little bit left of center...not knowing until later in life that it was my creative side!! But I see things differently...I do not follow the norm...and it is certainly OK to be like that....the square peg in the round hole as my friend, Karen would say!! LOL....As I did this journal page I was thinking that regardless of anything one should always be semi prepared for the things that are going on around me...Perhaps that means that I should always have my hip boots ready to wade through the high waters...but most of all I should wear that smile that comes from my heart that I readily pin on my sleeve!!! I have a beautiful bouquet of flowers in my living room that welcome me each day with there fragrance and beauty....and they have lasted now for weeks....as I clip off the fallen ones and remove the leaves that no longer are nourished so that the buds may bloom and they remind me to take care of myself as I have taken care of them in order to grow...
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 6, 2009

2009-03-07T11:09:00.003-05:00

So, I am late with posting my journal page from yesterday...but I have a really good excuse for myself.....I WAS SLEEPING!!! LOL....Have you ever had one of those weeks when you were so filled with emotion that all you really could do was SLEEP!! Well....that is the week I have had...but yesterday, I felt a movement....I woke up with the Sun and a spoon full of Sugar!! I took a prompt from the day before to celebrate a ceremony for myself....of lighting my candle in my studio for the first time in a week and breathing....quieting myself...and once again listening to the beating of my own heart....I am aware that regardless of what is going on around me....I DO deserve all the good and wonderful things that come my way....I should not feel guilty about that...and I should not dismiss or push them aside....And my soul vitamins are now dripping back within and a hug is two arms wrapped around U!!! (or myself in this case!)
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 5, 2009

2009-03-05T23:09:00.003-05:00

I am all over the board lately....I have been up and down and over and under...so the prompt today was a good one for me about breaks...when to put your foot on the brake and when to take your foot off the brake!! So, I toast myself to seeing these things a little more clearly....and I will take a soul vitamin tonight to keep my dreams going.....and as I sit in this moment....reminding myself of my day....I breathe in the freshness...the beauty and the love with my foot firmly on the brake! (giving myself a break!!)
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 4, 2009

2009-03-04T16:23:00.003-05:00

Today, as I journal from the prompts in the Awe-Manac....I toast the day...with admitting with love that I have been wrong about some things...I have acted badly...And So I take a soul vitamin knowing that nothing is so impossible that I can not overcome it by admitting my weakness and my strength.....Today, some of the prompts had to do with marching...and I am aware that if I keep on moving...even if it seems like I am moving in place I am marching to the beat of my heart....And looking out a window at the different seasons I see the message that each one gives to me as I march into this spring of the year.
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

March 3, 2009

2009-03-03T22:11:00.003-05:00

The prompts today had a lot to do with the invention of the telephone....And my writings have a lot to do with the love/hate relationship I have with that phone!! LOL....I am an owner of a cell phone...BUT...are you ready...I rarely use it....I rarely have it on me...And it is rarely turned on!
Go figure....I just can't seem to step into 2009!! I like the quiet time in the car...in the store...when walking...no phones!! Time alone...to THINK!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

off line....

2009-02-25T23:39:00.000-05:00

I will be off line till Monday....See you then...but continue to do your art journal....I will!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 25, 2009

2009-02-25T13:01:00.003-05:00

This journal page is dedicated....to the BEATLES!!! There was a prompt on the page to do something for the Beatles...and seeing as I am of the generation that was born and raised on them....one of those screaming girls in the living room of my parents house when they were on Ed Sullivan's Show!!! LOL....I am reminded that ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE.....I 'M IN LOVE AND IT'S A SUNNY DAY....and GOOD DAY SUNSHINE!!! Here in upstate NY the sun is out today...the car is full of gas...and it is indeed a very good day!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 24, 2009

2009-02-24T19:23:00.002-05:00

To say that my day has been "ALL ABOUT ME" is really an understatement!! LOL....Some days you just have to grind the beans to get the full flavor of your day...and today, was just such a day!
I played in the studio....said NO to a great many things...even to going outside of my house for the majority of the day!...But I said YES to myself....YES to a nap...YES to playing...YES to MYSELF!! So today, I was very aware to make myself a soul vitamin cocktail and for the first time in a very long time....I MADE MYSELF #1.....TRY it ....You just might like it....even if it is only for a short period of time!! I try to give myself ME time daily....but some days it doesn't work out as I had planned....TODAY DID!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 23, 2009

2009-02-24T00:31:00.003-05:00

This is a late journal page...can you tell by the chicken scratches!! LOL....Anyhow it has been a day of FIRE and ICE!! But later this evening I took 2 Soul Vitamins and felt the magic when my littlest love came over for dinner.....Simple is better!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 22, 2009

2009-02-22T20:01:00.002-05:00

The toast of the day was fresh squeezed orange juice....a little bit of sunshine on this gray day! I am so ready for winter to be over!! Today, I met a friend for coffee...we talked...we listened...so the prompt on friendship was an easy one....And to kick down brick walls....sometimes you just have to wear steel toed boots!!...As for me I have donned my evening gown (fancy name for pj's)
and I am off to watch the Oscars and the red carpet beauties!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 21, 2009

2009-02-21T22:43:00.003-05:00

I did not do a thing to my scanner!! Must be magic!! LOL....The toast of the day is to leave my heart open...not to close it up because of fear in any way! There was a prompt to use the word by in a continuing sentence....I go forward by.....And when that asked you why you write....The Mosca Monument....tonight...while enjoying a glass of wine...Is to do a little dance...make a little love...and get down tonight!! LOL....ENJOY!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 20, 2009

2009-02-21T01:23:00.003-05:00

I am not sure what is wrong with my scanner...have to work on it tomorrow....I did my journal page very late tonight....and to force myself to write (or be right!!) would be wrong....So I doodled things in 2 from the prompts of Gemini!! A soul vitamin and a shot....and two lines came together as one in this mandala...But...the GOOD thing is I choose NOT to forfeit doing the page!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 19, 2009

2009-02-20T09:15:00.002-05:00

I had this journal page done...BUT...LOL...I forgot to post it and left it in the scanner till just now!! I toasted the day to sunshine and blue skies yesterday, even though light snow flurries fluttered all around me...dreaming of a WARM vacation!!! I was aware to be kind to myself even with the things going on around me.....And that "old spunky broad" within me...well...she had some kind words to say too!! LOL.....There are days that that "old broad" IS ME!!! There are other days when she only lurks in the background....and the child in me comes out!! And I guess she might just do some of the same things!! LOL
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 18, 2009

2009-02-18T12:23:00.002-05:00

Working on the AWE today was fast and furious....I almost could not pull myself out of bed today, dreaming of being some place WARM...So the AHA-PHRODISIA prompt came easily today...I am feeling a little on the "sad" side of life today...so I toast to being able to see the layers of colors today that lie above that layer of sadness...And I am reminded that I can TURN in any direction today to change my vision...to change my perceptions...to change my feelings....And even though I am making mistakes along the way....(such is life!!) I am giving myself permission to make UNLIMITED amounts of them....for I believe it is true...We DO learn from our mistakes...we may repeat them over and over till the lesson is finally engrained in us....and sometimes we learn them quickly...but they are ALLOWED...
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 17, 2009

2009-02-17T09:01:00.004-05:00

As I sat down and read the prompts today...drinking my morning coffee....I toast the day....I allow myself to be present and in the moment...not rushing ahead of myself and not lingering behind....Still intact! When I think of the people I most admire...several words come to mind and I listed some of them that were presented quickly....As I look in the mirror I have yet to see them shine through to me this morning...but then again, it is still early!! LOL.....One of the prompts on this page was to REMEMBER WHO YOU TRULY ARE.....and some days it is difficult for me to focus on myself (although I suppose I have this morning, because...heck, I have taken time to do my journal page and my affirmation page (FROM THE INSIDE OUT) and that is a very good thing!! So I am reminded that even if I only take 5 minutes (or in this case an hour!) than I am ahead of the game!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 16, 2009

2009-02-16T11:15:00.003-05:00

Today, as I toast the day to believing in the future...I also realize that some days you just have to have a GOOD WHINE to go along with the day...to get it out of you and to get on with things!! LOL There were several prompts about bumper cars...one with a word pool of sorts...and another that asked if you were a bumper car what would you be bumping into today....I realize that I am bumping into walls of questions in order to knocked them down to find the path I am suppose to be on!!....And the Martini Bird....is for a friend who loves martini's...the perfect "stem glass" drink!! Not to mention Warm weather!! LOL....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

Happy Valentine's Day...

2009-02-13T21:45:00.004-05:00

I may not be the most important person in your LIFE.
I just hope that when you hear my name you smile and say
THAT'S MY FRIEND!
Give this heart to everyone you care about .
Try to collect 5. It's not easy

I received this from a friend of mine.....It touched my heart....Send it on to friends of your own and let it touch theirs....
Happy HEART day!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 13, 2009

2009-02-13T18:21:00.002-05:00

I did this journal page late this afternoon....after receiving some news that concerns my future and that of my family....So the toast of the day is a SHOT of COURAGE!! One of the prompts on this page was to delete things from your computer....(clean house!!) I find that difficult to do...not only here in my studio...but also here on the machine...You never know when you might need it...but I looked at some things that I have had since beginning this adventure in 1999...and although I rarely go to them anymore...there is a sort of comfort knowing they are there...Same with the things in boxes that have been unopened for 20 years....BUT....I NEED TO DO THAT!!
Another prompt was to change your name and write as if you were now someone else...although the thought of being someone else (the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence!!) I just know in my heart that I can not nor would I even like to do that....BUT...just don't call me PAT!!! (it is a long story...but I just don't like to be called that!!)...And today...as I journal...I am very aware that TODAY is the beginning of yet another chapter in my life....
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 12, 2009

2009-02-12T15:58:00.003-05:00

I had the great pleasure of spending the morning with the littlest of loves in my life, my grandson, today!! We went together to build a bear and he made a puppy and picked out a iron man suit for the puppy to wear...We laughed and hugged and kissed and went for lunch...talking away as much as a 4 year old can do!! What a joyous day!!! So, i learned many important things...to make more time to play....that little ones make the world a better place...laughter brings huge smiles to your face and heart...and everything can look better when viewed from the positive side of life.
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 11, 2009

2009-02-11T09:05:00.003-05:00

Today, I am turning on my light!!! I am finally doing something that I said I was going to do for a long time!!.....Making me aware that as long as I continue to listen ...to pay attention...to trust myself....I will continue forward....I use to be caught up in the fact that I was not quite like others....that I did not fit into a mold of sorts....as the stars shine down and all around me...I am very much aware that I have been allowing myself just to BE ME more and more and more over the past several years...and I am very happy about that!!...And of all the things that electrify me
THE CREATIVE PROCESS just sends lightening bolts my way!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 10, 2009

2009-02-10T16:17:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you've just got to do it....bake something gooey!! And then wait a minute and eat them hot from the oven....I just love that!! So full of joy and comfort for me!!! I imagine my hips aren't that happy, but who cares!! The prompts today...gave me food for thought too...If I had a fire extinguisher I would put OUT all the STRESS in my life!! WOW!! That would be something!!
And the messages that I would LOVE to hear from myself every day....Going to keep these in the fore front now....Jimmy Durante...CHA_CHA_CHA....just made me giggle....and we all know that water helps everything to grow...So why not me too!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 9, 2009

2009-02-09T11:20:00.003-05:00

As I sat in the office this morning I did my journal page...passing time....I toast the day with making lemon-aide out of the lemons!! And as long as I am at it might as well make that PURPLE lemon-aide!! (because PURPLE was the prompt!)...Today, I will paint and make imaginary flowers to celebrate the past year...Because I am finally getting now...what I did not get then...I am beginning to learn the lessons of life ...more and more each day!! (heck it only took 57 years!!! Better late than never I say!! LOL)
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 8, 2009

2009-02-08T19:21:00.006-05:00

I consider Sunday, the beginning of a new week...Not sure why that is...as most people think Monday is...well, I guess I just have to be different!! Anyhow, I did not post my pages toward the end of the week as I wanted to HIGHLIGHT SHEILA!! If you did not get a chance to read her interview here...JUST PRESS RIGHT HERE!! And make sure you visit her at her blog!
Today, I am recovering from a well deserved R & R...and to top the day off I indulged in some COMFORT FOOD (to honor the little kid in me!)...Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chocolate milk (I am the first to admit that I do not usually drink milk unless it is fresh and very...very cold!! Today, it was!!)
As I pondered how to make my creative time MORE FUN...I made a small list...And my SUPER HERO persona!! LUMINOSITY....a name given to me by my mentor Jill several years ago!! This day has been all about PLAYING!!! A great day indeed!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

INTRODUCING: Sheila Earhart of Halo Hill...

2009-02-05T09:09:00.012-05:00

This is a photo of just a sampling of what Sheila Earhart of Halo Hill does as an artist. Now, I can't remember exactly what pointed me to Sheila's blog last year...perhaps it was a friend...a link...a group...but I left her a comment (yes, it is nice to let people know that you visited!) and we have become great internet friends since. Sheila lives in Oregon, and makes these beautiful charms, not to mention that she collects and sells antiques, has a family life, works outside of her home, blogs, has an etsy store front, keeps in contact, sends out love, and is a simply amazing woman.... I would like to take this moment to introduce her to you! Sit back...grab a cup of coffee and learn a little more about her...I think you will see that she is just one of the SPECIAL ones!! I know I feel that way!

Good Morning Sheila...Thanks for joining me here at ARTFULLY YOURS...All of us on the net have a wonderful life connecting with others, and even though we may never meet each other in real life, there is a certain bond that we share and one of them is the creative process...So, that is what I would like to talk with you about today....

Pattie:. Where do you create and when?
Sheila: If I'm doing collaging for my charms, I do that in my easy chair with my green bucket full of watercolor pencils (can't get enough). When I get to the glittering and gluing, and soldering, I am at the kitchen table. I am slowly getting my studio created, de-cluttered and squared away. When I do journaling/doodling/coloring, trying out new things, I usually sit in my favorite chair, with a pillow propped on my lap as a "table". When I'm painting backgrounds for journaling or collage I do it on the kitchen counter.

Pattie:. Where do you really wish that you could create? And why do you think that would be a better environment?
Sheila: I want to be in my new studio. Of course, I would like it to be PRETTY first, but I am not going to wait until then. I've started today. It is taking shape. I wish I had one of those cute little shed/workshop/studio places out back with windows and a coffee pot, nice tables and tons of storage, mostly in the form of old cabinets with tiny drawers. I would have billowy sheets hanging everywhere to cover things and divide areas. The colors would be everything from bright white to cream, beige and all they way to brown. No other colors to distract me, as my art work tends to be bright for the most part. This would be awesome because I think I would feel organized, and it sounds like such a haven. Ahhhh, I can see it now! White roses with pink tips in silver pieces everywhere.

Pattie:. What gets your creative energy flowing?
Sheila: I've been thinking of this question a lot lately. For me, there seem to be so many answers to that question. Earlier I was folding a freshly laundered vintage tablecloth straight from the dryer. The colors were beautiful and bright, and you guessed it... so are my journal pages this evening. I get inspiration from magazines, from a word, a book, vintage sheet music, words ripped from old books to collage with. I say a little prayer right before I do a custom charm, and it has really unleashed something, I can't explain it. I have had so many people email or call me to tell me "there is no way you could have known this but..." I put a number or 2 on each tiny collage for charms, as visual interest, or design. I had a lady tell me last month, that her son had been in a terrible accident and she was praying for a sign he would be okay. She went to the mailbox, had received the charm and the number I had glued there was her son's birth year. She said it really helped her. A friend of mine had her son pass away last year, and I of course prayed before I started, and a saying ripped from an old book of prose fell into my lap as I was working. It didn't make any sense to me, because it was a butterfly, so I called to ask her, and she started crying. They had decided that would be their sign when he had gone. Another phrase "fell" into my lap and I made an extra charm for her with it. It spoke to her and blessed her a lot. I'm not saying I'm special "that" way, but I am very happy and blessed that these meaningful things happen and I get to hear about it!

Pattie:. What is the BIGGEST hurdle that you have over come?
Sheila: Really, the biggest hurdle for me was being able to call myself an "artist" I mentioned that at a class I was in during Art Fest a few years ago and the ladies there made me say it. The most encouraging person was Hope of Paper Relics. I must tell her what a profound effect that had on me. I am an artist!

Ok, one more... I was told Photoshop was too hard to learn on "one's own" reallyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, I thought! Of course I stayed at it a few evenings, and I'm really getting there! I just created my own line of journals and postcards and have some listed in my Etsy shop!

Pattie:. Do you have a "special" time or place where you get your inspiration? (ie: the shower...upon waking...a walk).
Sheila: It seems I don't have a specific place or time, it can happen anywhere... in the shower, seeing someone on the street on my way into work, the huge leaves on the ground when I walk into work, a song. I LOVE the song "Life Uncommon" by Jewel. It speaks to me so strongly, I love the music, and the words are so very powerful. It inspires me so much! I hear it is kind of against blog etiquette to put a song on your blog, but I think I may have to do this one. It may speak to someone else who may visit my blog!

Pattie:. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Sheila: GOSH, can I have two favorites? Butter Pecan and Tin Roof Sundae!

My Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5094432

Thanks for visiting with us today Sheila....May you continue to FLY ON THE WINGS OF YOUR CREATIVE DREAM! And inspire others here to do so also....I am the proud owner of one of your wonderful charms and wear it when I need to be reminded of my own dreams...As for me...well...even though it is still morning here....I think I will just have to go and get a hot fudge sundae...chocolate ice cream covered in hot fudge and stawberries....and partake in it while I dream about my next creative project!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 3, 2009

2009-02-03T19:59:00.003-05:00

Today, it was a beautiful day out...almost 40 degrees!! LOL...well, for upstate NY that is a beautiful day in the middle of winter...AND the sun was shining...another thing to be thankful for!
As I toasted the day, I was reminded to see things more clearly....not thinking that the glass was half empty...but rather half full!! Reminding myself that I am half way to Spring...(6 more weeks of winter according to the ground hog yesterday!!) And prompted to ask the question...what age am I???? I am reminded to PLAY...TO LAUGH...TO ENJOY....for that makes me ageless!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 2, 2009

2009-02-02T18:38:00.003-05:00

With this journal page I wrote from my Shadow Muse....She likes to follow me everywhere... I have found that if I let her play with paints and pens she has a lot of wisdom to tell me...she likes to whisper so I sometimes don't hear her so she has to trip me sometimes to get my attention...
I use to be a little afraid of her...I use to think she was a negative in my life....I know now, that she is just a part of me, that I sometimes just don't pay enough attention to....Now, I listen.
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

February 1, 2009

2009-02-01T15:20:00.003-05:00

It is a new month....a short month...getting me that much closer to Spring!! Today, I have a feeling of a new beginning and I toast the day with flight! Today, I get to dream a little more about my future...my passions...I just love Sunday's ...they are so lazy...no where really to go and the break in routine....I did the word pool today....and I just love what they end up teaching me....today, I wrap my heart melodies in blue-cloud cloth.....(don't you just love that line!)
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

January 31, 2009

2009-02-01T15:16:00.003-05:00

I did not have the opportunity to post this yesterday....But the journal page was done!! I toasted the day knowing that I would be starting a new month...with new views...with new ideas...with new dreams...I am aware that I have been walking around with my heart more open lately...willing to give and take a little more freely....And of course my dose of mirth is my favorite of all quotes...I never seem to waver from it....My greatest hits....Just a short list but one that I do not give myself NEAR as much credit for as I should....And so now it is in writing.
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

January 30, 2009

2009-01-30T07:31:00.003-05:00

This journal page came fast and furious to me today!! Some days, I am aware that I have to put a little more "jelly" on the toast of the day!! A little more sweetness into my thoughts...my actions...my life....Lately I have been addressing things that are a bit uncomfortable...thoughts, and situations that have been left unspoken....although that is somewhat "uncomfortable" I am breaking it in (like a new pair of shoes) and I am sure that soon I will feel as if it is my favorite place to be...my favorite pair of shoes despite the blisters I might be feeling at the moment...because "WHO SAID" that I must stop living my life as if it were my own? Certainly not me....IT MUST OF BEEN SOMEONE ELSE!!! (that inner negative voice!!) So as my friend Royce, wrote....BE...GIN...BE...GIN...BE...GIN (with the beating of your heart) again...I hold on tightly to that saying and I breathe slowly...in and out to feel the beating of MY HEART while I work through the fear!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

January 29, 2009

2009-01-29T09:27:00.004-05:00

Do you ever notice that some days you just have to pay a little more attention to your soul...to your passion...to YOU? Today, is one of those days for me....So today, I am reminded to take 2 soul vitamins instead of one!! To pay closer attention and listen to what it is with a better ear that my heart is telling me....With the prompt about carnations a sweet and wonderful memory came flooding back...of how my Dad (who has been gone for over 20 years now) would buy them for me...for my sister and for my mother....not wanting to look like a sentimental softy (which he was by the way...all 6 foot 2 of him!!) he would say he got a good deal on them...and that they lasted a long time so they were so worth the money!!) It still brings a smile to my face knowing that my father would go to the florist and purchase these for his girls...with love...silently letting us know how very precious and sweet we were to him!!! I used the prompt from Oprah...to write to myself about the lessons that I am learning as I journey down my path...how, I am growing into my wisdom...listening closer to my messages...and becoming aware that I can change my thinking....ENJOYING life more and more...
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

PS: Don't forget to pop over and see Shelia!! She is full of life...A STELLAR artist and a MARVELOUS person!!

january 28, 2009

2009-01-28T10:03:00.003-05:00

This morning as I worked on this AWE journal...once again AWING MYSELF with the things that it is revealing to me...I am aware that I am picking the sweet fruit from my own vine...I am taking the "berries" of life and enjoying them...Allowing myself to be "GOOD ENOUGH" ...taking the steps to allow perfection to fall a bit and rising above that need...Trying to be "perfect" to everyone and all things is an exhausting thing to do!....So today, I honor my creative time...connecting with others...doing NOTHING and not feeling guilty about that....but most of all allowing myself...with all my insecurities...with all my mistakes...with all my imperfections...with being a little off center... to BELIEVE that is GOOD ENOUGH!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

January 27, 2009

2009-01-28T01:01:00.003-05:00

I did not get to journal till late tonight...life just got in the way....but there was a prompt on the page today that it was National Chocolate Cake Day!! That made me laugh right out loud...so I decided it was a good reason to celebrate!! To remind myself to celebrate the day for any apparently silly reason!! The Ode to chocolate cake was a fast and furious writing...but you can see...I really like vanilla cake!! LOL....Got to love the fact that one can find humor in the simplest of things!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

PS: While doing these journal pages and interviewing Jill...I was reminded of how many very talented friends I have here on the net....So next month I will be interviewing my friend Shelia over at Halo Hill...Stop by her blog...say hello...and watch for her interview in February!!

January 26, 2009

2009-01-25T22:32:00.005-05:00

Today, as I give myself a toast....I am reminded to FLOAT....Not to weigh myself down...to ENJOY and sip life slowly! To look for the good things today...the ice cream of life...the happy things...the things that allow me to float...to not take everything so seriously...to be grateful. There were many prompts today...but my focus seemed to be on the one where you make up a bird to represent your work...This little bird tells me to nest and hatch my creativity...my dreams...and to believe in all the tools that I have to do that. I have also, been aware of playing tag with questions...especially here on the net...I have played it many times and have revealed things not only to others but also to myself...Try it....it's FUN!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

January 25, 2009

2009-01-25T09:13:00.003-05:00

Today, is Sunday....and although I have some domestic goddess things to attend to...they are FEW and so I get to PLAY ALL DAY in my studio....my studio...my room!! No one but me likes to be in here....so cluttered...so messy...so full of creative chaos!! My "dream" room would be organized...neat and orderly...a place where tops were on paints and things were not piled on the floor...I was looking at a magazine....WHERE WOMEN CREATE...dreaming of these nice clean orderly places...and realized that I would NEVER be able to find anything if it was that clean!! LOL....The chaos somehow fuels my energy....Wonder if they will ever show a REAL working studio in one of those magazines?!?!?! One of the prompts today, was to use the word "pieces" and I made a list of the first 5 things that came to mind when I thought of that word...and then wrote a small quick story for myself using those thoughts....Causing me to realize that the "pieces" of my life come together so much BETTER when I do allow my creativity (even in the chaos of life) to shine through!! So, now....I am off to PLAY and ENJOY this creative day!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

January 24, 2009

2009-01-24T12:41:00.004-05:00

I will EAT...DRINK...and BE MERRY today....It is Saturday...and I have no where to go and nothing pressing to do....So, I am just going to ENJOY this creative day!! The prompts on this page had a lot to do with compliments...I listed some of them for those who read this journal...
YOU have touched my heart by being here....Thank you for listening...I BELIEVE in you!!
Using as many B's as I could I gave myself a compliment!! LOL....A BUNDLE OF DREAMS!!
Of course, I had to get the extra credit for using a title from a Neil Diamond song and make it my own....Now, if I could just come up with a little music for it...that was of course danceable!! I would rate it a 98!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

January 23, 2009

2009-01-23T21:13:00.002-05:00

I have had a very busy day today....but doing my journal page tonight lightened me up quite a bit!! Thinking of my feet...what a wonderful instrument that we do not pay homage to as often as we should...we say a lot of negative about our feet..."oh, my feet hurt"..."I've been standing on my feet all day and they hurt"...oh, my aching feet"...but the truth is...they are marvelous!! And we should pamper them more...tonight I think I will decorate my toes with new polish to let them know just how much I appreciate them...I adorn my toes with rings and bracelets...and try very hard to wear "sensible" shoes to pamper them...SO tonight I toast my feet!! There was a prompt about X-RAYS...and I was reminded of an altered book of Muses I did several years ago with 4 other extraordinary women and the X-RAY Muse came to mind...So I wrote a little about her and that brought a smile and a memory to me....and the feelings that my creativity makes me feel....PRICELESS!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

January 22, 2009

2009-01-22T08:02:00.004-05:00

Today, as I set about doing my journal page with the prompts from the Awe-Manac...my imagination was playing....The conversation with my cats caused me to laugh right out loud...what would they say to me??? Better yet...how would I answer?!?!? Thanks to Kitt and Ivy I have learned the fine art of the CAT NAP!!! and do so enjoy it snuggled under my blanket mid afternoon with one cat at my side and one nestled behind the bend in my knee!! The Journal Juju was to take the book title...Lines and Shadows and see what came of it....It was a negative and positive thing for me....and the little drawing showed me no color....But it also make me aware that if I am in the negative all I have to do is flip the coin...turn a corner...take another step...or a CAT NAP and things change! I am also aware of how many times I don't make opportunities for myself...that I transfer things from list to list and that at the moment of the thought is when I should react...I should just allow the opportunity to be written down...and made available to me...not putting it off....It was a good journal day of learning and allowing my imagination to play!!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

January 21, 2009

2009-01-20T22:35:00.005-05:00

The journal prompts today gave me some food for thought....What I am most aware of as I toast the day is how full my cup of life is...and I will sip slowly in order not to spill any and to savor every drop of this day....So I breathe deeply...and relax into this day. My credit report looked good today....I did some very important things for myself...in order to take care of myself...and I am looking forward to going to the movies with my sister and mother this afternoon to treat myself...I try very hard NOT to envy people...As I made my envy list...I just could not help but give myself a counter balance for each envy!!! And what would people envy me for??...it has been said that it is because I create every day....I do that...in many different ways...but it started very slowly...with first dreaming it...then allowing it...now doing it....one small step at a time to arrive to where I am....It 's a good job if you can allow yourself to have it and enjoy it!! LOL
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

January 20, 2009

2009-01-20T16:21:00.004-05:00

There was a lot to ponder on today's page...but today is the Inauguration and I have been lost in the media hype of it all...and then, I watched a movie about Ernie Davis, a football player in the lat 50's who played for Syracuse University (Express) both of these things reminded me of doors..opening doors...going through doors that might have been locked at times...but continuing on to follow your dream....So today, I write my favorite Door quote by Joseph Campbell...and I see a door before me...that welcomes me...and behind it lies all sorts of wonderful and happy possibilities! Today, may your doors open before you...and may the door to our lives be ones that never have locks on them.
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

January 19, 2009

2009-01-19T13:25:00.004-05:00

Working on the journal page today, I raise my cup of coffee in a toast to the sunny day outside...to the sunny day inside...and remind myself to make it a ... GOOD morning....a GOOD afternoon....and a GOOD night!! The magic potion that I drink today...is a MOTION POTION...filled with sparkles...filled with sunshine...filled with gratitude for this day...I recommend it in HIGH doses (especially during the winter months here in upstate NY!!) For it will make you SING...make you DANCE....and allow you to ENJOY life to the fullest while continuing to dream BIG even if the sky here is Grey!! The Juju today was to use the line...
"I wish I could write..." and so I did my wishing...but while doing so....my heart gave me the answer that I was looking for....FOR I am happy to write...I am happy to share my hearts thoughts with myself every day....from the inside ....out!
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

January 18, 2009....AND THE WINNER IS.....

2009-01-18T12:46:00.004-05:00

Big drawing for the Awe-Manac book....and the WINNER IS: KATE! (I will contact you for your addy ASAP....so the book can be sent off and started!!)
Today, as I did my journal page...the prompt that spoke to me was that of MAINTENANCE!
And as I focused on that word...it brought to my attention WHY I do these pages...WHY I sit with the Awe-Manac every day....I do it to clean up and clear out the negative...the cobwebs...and it makes me focus on the positive side of my creativity....I listed 3 things that work for me when I stay creative....and the fruit of my common sense tells me to take ONLY as much as I need....sometimes I am very guilty of biting off more than I can chew!! Doing to many things at once and then not finishing anything!! Losing interest before completion...So today, I work on completing things here in my studio...one piece at a time!! Slowly ...chewing to completion...maintaining a positive attitude!!
CONGRATULATIONS KATE!!! May you discover your MAINTENANCE every day while doing the Awe-Manac. Thanks to all who joined in on leaving a comment....I appreciate it! You can run out and buy the book....you can order it over the net....(do yourself a small favor today...don't put it off...start your maintenance!!)
Artfully Yours,
Pattie

January 17, 2009

2009-01-17T23:19:00.004-05:00

I have just now gotten to my page in the Awe-Manac....it has been a busy day here in the studio trying to complete custom orders....I choose not to make a mosaic for my parachute for one of the prompts...but rather choose words that HOLD me UP....I use these words as much and as often as possible!! The Journal Juju was to write about the various relationships with your hair....I have lost my hair completely twice in my life time...Once when I was sick and I wore my baldness as a badge of honor....a survivors helmet!! The second time was unexpected and for no reason that anyone could tell and no one could say if it would ever grow back...my eyebrows and eyelashes fell out too....At first I was so sad...somewhat embrassed...and tried wigs...but they never looked like me...one day I looked into the mirror and saw myself for the first time in a long time...the inside self...and it was at that moment that I never wore the wigs again...because the baldness did not define who I was.....MY HEART SOARS now as I learn more about myself from the inside out....And after 4 years my hair grew back....GO FIGURE!! (perhaps it was just a SELF lesson!)
Artfully Yours,
Pattie