In Need of Change

My Brave Art

The Simple Life.

How I long to live it.

Always rushing from here to there...

From there to here.

I feel like my life is that

Dr. Suess book...

"Oh the Places We Will Go".

Always going and going...

only really going nowhere.

Just rushing.

Playing beat the clock.

Trying to fit it all in

but never really living the moment.

I am feeling the pressure

my kids are feeling the pressure.

Will Summer be different?

Will we be able to stop 

this crazy life?

I am in need of

CHANGE.

Big time,

life altering

CHANGE.

My weight has spiraled out of control.

The stress of all this going

has me up to 

my highest weight ever.

Nothing fits.

Yes,

I am in need of a 

CHANGE.

This weekend 

my little family is headed

to Osage Beach, Missouri.

It's a really fun

tourist town right on a 

beautiful lake.

My family and I 

need this break.

We need a 

CHANGE

of scenary.

We are going to 

cheer on my son Jackson.

He is competing in the State Level

Optimist Club Speech Contest.

Go Jackson 

GO!!

This weekend

I am going to 

relax

and 

savor 

the 

moments

with

my 

family.

Then...

come Monday...

I will be ready 

for the 

CHANGE

I so need in my life.

I have been extra 

GROUCHY 

with this extra weight.

Extra sad

and tired.

But no more.

It is time to embrace a 

major mind-shift...

a heart-felt 

attitude adjustment.

I 

KNOW

I can do this.

My Brave Art



So here's to
CHANGE.

Here's to
a beautiful weekend with my family.
Here's to my son Jackson!!


Best of luck, son!!
We love you!!

I Doodle-Do You??

My friend Sandi {fellow Brave Girl} is offering her very first e-course!! I am so proud of her!!! It's called..."I Doodle Do You?". There is still time to sign up for this awesome course!! Stop by and check it out today:)

You will learn how to doodle gorgeous sunshines, moons and so much more. Sandi's upbeat personality and excellent instruction will cheer you on. You'll be a doodling fool in no time!!!

I am taking this class {just getting started} and it ROCKS!!

Sign up here.

Do YOU doodle??

Embracing it All!

Happy Monday!! I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!! My family and I had church then it was High School graduation, receptions and lots of visiting. We finally got home around 7pm. Dave cooked us steaks on the grill and we ate outside. Very nice.

I did a craft show on Saturday...very last minute! I worked nearly 20 hours on Friday getting ready for the event. You should see my studio...looks like a hurricane hit it...oh my heck!!!

I will share photos later:)

Thanks to everyone that got me your addresses...prizes are going out...at looooong last!!

The next few weeks are CRAZY!!! Here is everything we have going on!!

*Sectional soccer game (away)
*Ozarks with Jackson for Optimist Speech State Contest
*Em's 15th Birthday and party
*My cousin's wedding in Springfield
*Possibly 3 more play-off games for soccer then STATE (the SAME weekend as wedding...3 hours away from wedding...)
*Em's surgery

WOW!!! It is NUTS!!


But I have decided to embrace it all and enjoy everything!!

Brave Art by me

Here are a few links I wanted to share...

The Summer of Colour is coming in just 3 weeks!! Join Kristin's inspiring challenge this summer!!

If you are looking for another FREE e-course...Ashton Elaine's is wonderful. Check it out!

If you know of any other awesome art challenges...please share in the comment section!!

Summer Art Challenge 2012

So yesterday I mentioned that this magazine from Somerset Studio was going to be my teacher this summer. I am sooo excited to share what I have planned!!

Remember this movie from a few summers back??

It is one of my very favorite movies and it's what inspired me to start "Words of Me Project". I just loved the whole idea of cooking your way through Julia Child's cookbook. And while I love to cook...I love creating a wee bit more.

So, I thought it would not only be fun but a challenge to "create my way through a book". I chose the Summer 2011 issue of Somerset Studio because it is filled with inspirational paper projects as well as many techniques I have never tried before. Sounds pretty sweet, right?

Here are a pile of tiny canvas's I painted a few weeks ago. Today I finished them using inspiration from the magazine. I can't wait to show you!!!

If you'd love to play along with me all summer long I would love to have you. Here's how it will work....

1. Every few days I'll post a project from the magazine.
2. You can re-create the project exactly OR take something you love about it and create something totally different...this is all about sparking creativity....so go wherever the muse takes you!
3. I will be posting my creation along with the original.
4. We will be using our Mind.Body.Soul. FB page to post our work if you want to play along.

I am excited at everything I will be learning this Summer!!!

Hope you'll join me:)

Moving on UP!

Me & Mom in The Old Market, Omaha.

The family 

is a haven

 in a heartless world.

 - Christopher Lasch

A few more photos to share from our Girl's Weekend to Omaha. Again...I am so grateful to my Mom for this amazing weekend!!

The Old Market in downtown Omaha is filled with art, music and so much charm!

Em thought this was pretty cool.

We stopped in a women's dress shop and found a man with this lizard on a leash!

Another pic of Em...this time in the Desert Dome at the Henry Doorley Zoo. 

We can't wait to go back with Dave and Jacks.

Spending time with those you love is so healing for the soul.

Hey...I need to tell you who WON our prize from Week 6!! Congrats to Annie Bella!!

Annie...please shoot me an e-mail with your address...les262@embarqmail.com

CONGRATS:)

Everyone that won prizes throughout the course...I am getting everything in the mail by the end of this week. Soooo sorry for the delay.

A few more things before I go. My wonderful husband, the love of my life, my very best friend...

Dave and I have made a promise to one another. We are DONE. Done with the heartache and sorrow that has plagued us for months. Done with feeling sorry for ourselves. Done with the depression, the late night eating and pity parties.

We are READY to move on. 

To look at our life for what it is. 

A gift.

 A gift given to us from our Father in Heaven. 

Despite all that has been wrong in our lives these past few months...

we are still so very blessed.

 We have our family 

and our friends

 and our faith. 

That is all we need.

 It really is.

Oh...and one more thing. 

This oh, so inspirational Somerset Studio mag from last summer is THIS summer's teacher. Stay tuned for more on that.

How are you all doing???

I Needed That!

What happens when you go away for a couple of days leaving your everyday worries behind??


You get silly, happy people!

Oh, WOW! Did I ever need to be silly and goofy and laugh!! We did all that and more!!

I came home feeling revived and inspired.

Girls, Tuesday I will finally draw a winner from our last give away and I will get everyone's gifts in the mail. Thank you for your patience:)

More photos of our Girl's Weekend, my latest Brave Art and what I'll be doing that's sooo inspiring this summer!!!


Have you gone on a weekend getaway recently? Please share!!




Linking up with Mingle Monday!!!

Say Hi!

The Light is Just Up Ahead

It has become clear to me why I write.

I write not only because I have to.

Not only because I love it.

Not only because if I don't I may just bust.

I write because it allows me to see.

What's inside my heart.

What is working in my life

and what is not.

I know that I am an original.

My life is an original.

My trials

My joys

My heartbreaks

are original to me.

I am a Masterpiece. 

One of a kind.

My Father in Heaven created me.

I have talents that are mine 

and no one else's.

Today...

for the first time in awhile

my heart feels full.

My Mom is one of the most generous women I know. She is taking Em and I away for three whole days!!

We are going to Omaha. We plan on spending Friday night at the Old Market, Saturday at the Henry Doorley Zoo and Sunday head back home. I am looking forward to spending time with my two favorite hearts.

Girls, my heart is bursting with gratitude for all of your kind words.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
I can see that now.

My Beautiful Heartbreak

Yes, my last post was quite depressing. But in all honesty 2012 is my year of STORY. It's the year I promised myself {and you} that I would be truthful and share all that's in my heart. Both here and in my art.

I woke up early this morning to write in my journal. I have a delightful Kelly Rae journal and love it!!
I made a list of NEW goals to inspire me and help me through this emotionally difficult time in my life. Just that small act has me feeling a bit better.


There's an alternative.  There's always a third way, and it's not a combination of the other two ways.  It's a different way.  ~David Carradine




For the time being I must go a different way. I must know that this too shall pass. I am reminded of the words of a great leader in our church, Henry B. Eyring:


"If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing. In all conditions, we can choose the right with the guidance of the Spirit. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ to shape and guide our lives if we choose it. And with prophets revealing to us our place in the plan of salvation, we can live with perfect hope and a feeling of peace. We never need to feel that we are alone or unloved in the Lord’s service because we never are. We can feel the love of God. The Savior has promised angels on our left and our right to bear us up.¹⁰ And He always keeps His word."



I am also reminded of my very favorite song by Hillary Weeks. If you haven't taken the time to watch and LISTEN to this...PLEASE do today!!! There are times I listen to it over and over again. It lifts me up when I am at my lowest. 







I have a mountain in the middle of my road right now. I have been trying to go around it...but in reality I MUST go through it. I must climb it no matter how long it takes, no matter how hard it gets.


Is my faith strong enough?


It is.


I know that my Lord DOES pick up the pieces.


When I am in pain and my heart feels like it's about to break....




I KNOW my Savior is here for me. Lifting me up.




He is here.


You are here.


I am so grateful.

Embracing the Hard Times

Worry never robs

 tomorrow of its sorrow,

 it only saps today 

of its joy.

  ~Leo Buscaglia

Life has been CRAZY.

No time to blog

or

create

or 

BREATHE.

My stress level

is

very

very

high.

Some days

I want to 

cry.

I mean have a full-blown,

sob in my pillow,

hypervenilating,

cry.

Page from my art journal.

I can't think of 

any other time in my

life when I was

more stressed

or 

worried

or 

sad.

This past 

week 

I have 

been thinking

about 

everything.

I 

have 

decided

I

need

to 

just 

be 

happy 

with

where 

I 

am

RIGHT  NOW.

My art journal

A peacefulness 

follows any decision, 

even the wrong one. 

 ~Rita Mae Brown

I need to

Embrace

the good

the bad

the ugly.

I need to fall in love with my life again.

My art journal

People often say 

that this or that person 

has not yet found himself. 

 But the self is not 

something one finds, 

it is something one creates. 

 ~Thomas Szasz, "Personal Conduct," The Second Sin, 1973