Top 5: Prince and the Revolution

You can always tell when the groove is working or not. 

-Prince

Some of my most cherished memories are from the 80's. 

Cruising Riverview

High School dances

Happy Joe's Pizza

Working at Jack's and King's Daughters and Sons

and 

Music.

This was the age of MTV, Friday Night Videos and USA for Africa. 

Music permeated the halls of our high school, 

our cars, 

arcades,

sleep-overs, 

dances...

our lives.

The songs and artists are still Iconic some 30 years later.

Cyndi Lauper, Culture Club, Duran Duran,  Hall & Oates, Micheal Jackson and Prince.

The summer of 1981 stands out as one of the best of my life. Swimming in my backyard, long walks under the stars, Jamie and John, Rose and Renee...and music. Oh I LOVED music from that summer...

Bette Davis Eyes, Arthur's Theme and Controversy. 

I had NEVER heard anything quite like that song in my life and I wanted more. 

I found the cassette in one of those K-Tel type "cheap" bins at Jacks and snatched it up. The album was down right raunchy at times...but as I would soon find out..that was just Prince and I loved it! 

I found out later that another one of my favorite songs from the late 70's was actually a PRINCE song!! "I Wanna Be Your Lover" topped Billboard's Hot 100 at #11 in 1979. 

Lucky for me and the rest of the world Prince would go on to become a Pop Legend...burning up the charts with Five Number One Hits including "When Doves Cry". 

Here are MY Top Five favorite Prince songs of all time...

Number 5: Controversy...My first "taste" of Prince...I knew it was love!

Number 4: The Beautiful Ones...This song is from the soundtrack Purple Rain. I can still see him sing this one in the movie. I love it! Classic Prince.

Number 3: I Would Die For You...how could I NOT have this one in my Top 5?! The Purple Rain album was the soundtrack of my life back in the 80's!! 

Number 2: 1999...the first time I heard this all I could think of was ....WOW!!! I can't get enough of this guy!! My friends and I belted this song out more times than I can count...all the while not believing it would actually BE 1999 one day!

And my NUMBER ONE Prince song is from that same album..."Free". It never made the charts (that I know of) but it is the BEST Prince song out there. Take a listen....I think you will agree!

I still can't believe one of my childhood favorites is gone.

It is Good to Love Many Things

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” 
― George Bernard Shaw

I have been creating "my" art since I was 42 years old.

The only things I had created up until that point were my beloved

scrapbook pages and the occasional hook rug and fabric wreaths. 

I never considered myself an "artist".

A page from my journal 3 years ago

A 6x6 canvas created 4 years ago for a sale I participated in.

A page from my journal last year

Another 6x6 canvas I painted 4 years ago. It is still one of my favorites!

Another page from my early days of journaling.

Throughout the past 7 years I have stuck primarily to my journals, canvas's, 

acrylic paint and Words. 

It's what I know.

It's what I love.

“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.” 
― Vincent van Gogh

But like Van Gogh says it IS good to love many things.

And I do.

One of my favorite things to do is ooooh and awwww over the gorgeous art 

in the Stampington magazines. 

Art Journaling 

Somerset Studio

 and

Somerset Gallery 

are my favorites.

I keep promising myself to try new things,

add fresh techniques to my pages.

I find myself getting into a rut

and getting bored with my work.

My art feels stagnant.

I am ready to spread my wings and try new ideas, new projects 

all the while breathing new life into ME.

I have a few plans in mind that I wanted to share with you today...

I LOVE how Bonita uses such fresh, bright colors in her work along with gorgeous 3-D flowers. 

Note to self: Use my chunky little bits!!

Carolyn Dube just uses EVERYTHING to create so many varieties of projects. She doesn't just stick with journals and canvas's. Because of her I have my eye on a bookcase that is getting renovated by ME!! 

Diane Salter's work has inspired me to really break out of my rut! I spent most of the afternoon painting background papers and collaging them onto an old cigar box. 

I will share the finished product next week:)

And finally I have to tell you about Jodene. Oh my!! She adds her faith, little bits she finds on her walks (think twigs, rocks, flowers, etc) and more to her canvas's. She is one of my FAVORITE artists!! So grateful to be taking her "Consider Birds" on-line class in May!!

I think this quote from an older art journal page of mine sums it up best.

Start Living in the Now

"We can start again countless times in our lives...a new job, a new relationship, a new day. Why does a fresh beginning feel so good, yet at the same time, just a bit scary?" -Flow Magazine

Lately, it seems all I do is say to myself...WHEN. 

When

I

lose

weight.

When 

the 

kids 

are settled

and 

on their own.

When 

we have 

enough 

money and security.

When 

the house 

is 

in 

order.

WHEN.

To be perfectly honest I am sick and tired of the word When.

I want so desperately to be living in the 

NOW.

As the big 5-0 gets closer and my life keeps 

looking more and more different...

I find myself standing still.

Not moving...

at 

all.

I am frightened.

Change can be hard.

But it CAN be exciting, too.

A canvas I created several years ago

Today I took time to sit quietly and write in my journal.

It's what I've always done for as long as I can remember.

In Jr. High my thoughts were printed in a tiny golden diary...the one that had a key  to keep all your secrets safe.

Most of that book is filled with daily weather reports and my crush on Donny Beger.

By High School I was writing volumes in my Garfield and Ziggy notebooks. Everything from 

my dreams of covering a political convention to what was bothering me...my parents, my friends, school...and yes, Donnie filled up more pages in these notebooks than I care to comment!

Today I wrote down my goals as I Journey towards 50.

I know I want more HAPPY in my days. 

It's not that I don't have that now...but I want more.

I want to live in the NOW.

No more living in the WHEN.

There is so much lost in the WHEN.

I am DONE for the next 6 months obsessing about my weight. 

My ENTIRE life I have never felt good enough because I was "fat".

Girls, that is ME on the far left in 1999 at my first Marathon. 

During this time I thought I was so overweight. 

I was constantly obsessing about food and exercise and putting myself down.

Looking at this photo now

I can't believe how healthy and in shape I look!!

I never saw that or felt that while I was living that.

Sad.

I WILL be taking long walks, eating healthy and watching myself...

but I am DONE saying WHEN I get thin. When I can wear a size 10.

I am 49.5 years old.

I wear a size 14.

I 

am

happy

with

that.

In the next 6 months I will 

write more

be kinder

enjoy coffee while I read a favorite book.

I will wear what brings me JOY.

I will be kind to 

ME.

I will be the best version of myself!

In Six Months can it BE?!

 “I enjoy the spring more than the autumn now. One does, I think, as one gets older.” 

― Virginia Woolf, Jacob's Room

This was me back in 1982.

I was 16 years old.

I remember the day this photo was taken...

one of my best girl friends, Chella took it in my room.

It was the days of 

sleep-overs with friends,

867-5309,

Journey,

school dances,

cruising with friends,

PYT,

 and 

getting the be-jeebers scared out of me by the clown from "Poltergeist".

Fast forward to today...

I am just 6 months away from turning the 

Big 5-0.

Fifty.

I have been anticipating this day for awhile now.

Somehow it scares me.

Life seems to be changing so fast...

yet I can't seem to figure out how to keep up.

This sweet, little gal is my favorite vintage image 

at the moment.

She best represents me at that age.

So full of hope

and dreams

and possibilities.

When I was a kid people that we were FIFTY were OLD.

Like Dead in the ground old.

This is what 49 and half looks like on me...

I don't THINK I look old.

But it's a question I have been asking myself often these days.

Should I REALLY where that?

Isn't it too young?

And let's not forget I am not young anymore...

I 

am 

old.

Or am I?

How old is old?

Is the saying really true...?

"You are only as old as you feel."

For the next 6 months I hope you will join me as I have hi-jacked myArt blog and turned it into my Art/Journey to 50 Blog.

We all get older.

And with age comes...

fear.

Right?

Or is it wisdom?

Is it possible that 50 and up can be even better than 50 and below?

I 

think 

so.

I still have Big Dreams.

I still have goals

and wishes

and aspirations.

I want to LIVE MY BEST LIFE...

starting

TODAY.

Here's to Life at 50...

well, almost.