Make Your Soul House

Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open.  ~John Barrymore

Happy Wednesday!! I have been a busy woman....working out, packing lunches for my kids, attending softball games, creating, working, cleaning and working some more. I must tell you  my heart is as full as it's been in MONTHS. I am so happy!!!

I am in the middle of Week 6 of my healthy lifestyle makeover and going strong. Working out and trying to make better food choices. I have a goal in mind to hit by Sunday. Sugar is still tough for me and our snow cones from Kool Kats are killing me. I sit in there and each flavor just taunts me!! Today when I head to work I'm packing plenty of water and a healthy snack:) I wore a pair of shorts that haven't fit in over a year!!

If you are friends with me on Facebook {and if you're not then head over there and friend me already!!} then you have probably heard me talk about The Art Experience. It's a fabulous place in Maryville and I have the joy of working there!! Here is just a peek...I will share more in a later post.

So my friend Lisa owns The Art Experience. She is awesome and she encourages me to create my art and share in her studio. In the past few weeks I have sold 10 pieces!!!

This summer I was inspired to create my Soul House which is now gonna be a class in September and October!!!

This is the display in the Studio.

Isn't this just soooo cute?? And do you see my Soul House???

Here it is.

I had the BEST time collaging and painting and putting my soul into this sweet, little house.

I used all my favorite colors....colors that really speak to my heart. Colors that show up in all my artwork.

I added words and phrases that remind me who I am and where I want to go.

Of course I added my signature girls.

This sweetie shows up in so much of my work. Love that snow heart.

Speaking of hearts....mine has taken flight!

I AM living my creative dreams....I am listening.

For the first time in my artistic life I am embracing my style, my colors, my message. 

If you are in the Maryville Area be sure and check out The Art Experience website for class dates and times.

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot

Have you embraced your artistic style? Are you still trying to find it? Do you think your art isn't good enough? Please share here!!

5 Random Movies That I LOVE

I love movies. Scary movies, comedies, dramas. war movies, silly movies, Disney movies, 80's movies, 70's movies, classic movies. I love them ALL!! I also happen to be in love with lists and make lists out of everything. So as I sit here on a quiet Sunday night I thought it would be fun to share 5 of my FAVORITE movies and why I love them so much. So in no particular here are 5 movies that I LOVE.

1) The Graduate. I first saw this film my Junior year in college for a film class. Not only do I love this movie but I LOVE it!!! This was Dustin Hoffman's first and I must say one of his best. From the cool camera shots to the outstanding soundtrack....this is one movie I have seen many times.

2) Sweet Home Alabama. When it comes to romantic comedies this has all the elements of a good one. Reese Witherspoon is perfect as a sassy, spunky southern girl who thinks she has it all until she goes back to her not-so-perfect southern roots. Patrick Dempsey stars. LOVE....

3) Nacho Libre. Okay....so this one might have surprised you. It's one of those movies you either you either love or hate. In the Ackman Family it's our most quoted film. We LOVE it!!!

4) I just happen to LOVE a good scary movie. You know one of those edge of your seat nail biters. Skelton Key happens to be one of those movies. I have seen this film at least 10 times and still get chills at the ending.

5) Yep, another RomCom...Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. I have watched this flick a dozen times and never get tired of it. Cute, sweet and one of the best romantic movie endings EVER!!! A definite LOVE:)


So there ya' go. 5 movies I LOVE. What about you? I would love to hear yours!!

What Brave Girls Club Has Done for Me

So life has been humming along the past few weeks.
There have been bumps and bruises along the way and even a few tantrums on my part. But overall we are moving forward in The Ackman Household. We are putting all the yucky stuff behind us and looking towards a bright future.

Five weeks ago I made a promise to myself that no matter what I would be more active throughout my day. I bought a pedometer, a workout DVD and set a few goals. As of today I have kept my promises. I wear my pedometer daily and strive to get in 10, 000 steps. I have quit making excuses for not working out...even when my neck is screaming and all I really want to do is sit. I lace up my shoes and get my bum downstairs and MOVE. Not only am I noticing a difference in my strength but my posture is improving, my appetite is decreasing and mentally I just feel better.

My days are busy ones. I am working quite a bit at The Art Experience as well as spending 2 to 4 hours a day in our shaved ice shack...Kool Kats. I will also be substitute teaching this year in the Maryville School District. The bottom line is we need the money. But you know I have already noticed with working I am actually becoming more creative and creating my art more. It's true what  they say...

when you LOVE something you WILL make time for it!!!:)


Just a few things I am working on for my Blog....

*Twenty Ideas that Will Change Your Life
*First Annual WORD Challenge in October
*Guest blog posts
*Healthy, Easy and Yummy recipes

Throughout this past year I have learned soooo many life lessons. But the ones that keep coming back to lift me up are ones I learned from Brave Girl, Melody Ross.

*Fly Anyway
*Do it Anyway
*I am a Brave Girl
*I am worth it

The list is endless....


I am grateful for Brave Girl's Club philosophy. I encourage you to "Like" them on FB and visit their site today...it has the power to change the way you look at your life!!!

Girls, I have sooo many photos to take!! Kool Kats, my NEW class I'm teaching at The Art Experience, my NEW art, journal pages and more. Today I will try and get a few of those things done so I can share!!

Thanks for being here. Each of you truly matter to me.

Embrace Your Artistic Self

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong." -Joseph Chilton Pearce


A few weeks ago my friend Lisa and I were talking about our art. Lisa is the High School  art teacher at Maryville High School and owns the coolest place in town...The Art Experience. I am blessed to work in her studio several times a month as well as teach classes. Like a dream come true, really!

Anyway, so we were talking about her shop and the vision she has for it and how it's been a year but at last it's all coming together. I am so proud of her for going after her dream!! So as we were talking I let it all spill out about how I was so nervous to talk to her...let alone show her my work. She is my daughter's teacher...so I knew her that way and had told her about my work but never had I shown her anything of mine.

So I told her about how intimidated I was to show her my work. And about how badly I wanted to work for her but was too scared to ask.

She was shocked. She really was. She started to laugh and asked me..."Why?"

The answer was easy...I thought she'd laugh at my art. Say it wasn't really art and who are you kidding when you say you create...art? That's not art...I don't know what it is...it's just not art.

As I kept going on and on about how I thought she would not get my work at all and how I just KNEW she would never let anyone like me work in her studio she stopped me. She reminded me that what is art to some....may not be art to others....and that was okay. But who are we to judge? Who are we to say...That's not art?

I love that!!!

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.

Since our talk that day I have been on fire. I am looking at my art very, very differenly. I love my style and have decided to embrace it rather than try to change it. Because honestly...that's what I have been trying to do these past few years...change my style. Only because I didn't think it was good enough.

We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light. ~Mary Dunbar

It is time...heck it's past time...to find YOUR unique voice. Chances are you have already found it...you just gotta BELIEVE it.

Keep on creating girls. Keep on being who you are. Listen to your heart.

It's all GOOD

*I am on Week 4 of working out and taking better care of me
*I work till 5 at The Art Experience today
*Currently junking up a suitcase...SO FUN!
*Headed to Kansas City tomorrow for Em's BIG Back to School shopping trip {she earned all her own money this summer}
*Working in Kool Kats till 10 tonight...so grateful for all the business!
*Dreaming of Fall and cool weather
*Date Night with Dave this weekend


What is making you HAPPY???

Busy but....GOOD!

Just a quick post before the weekend.

First of all I want to say 

THANK YOU

to sweet Leanne

from Chaos Comes Happy...

She created my NEW blog look!!!

She is soooo creative and talented.

Second of all I am WAY excited 

for my SOUL HOUSE Class coming to

The Art Experience September

and October!! 

I will post 

photos of the house

Monday.

Third....

We are so busy!

WOW...school starts Thursday

and the nuttiness has already 

begun.

Em has softball practice 

everynight

and Jackson is

running on the Cross Country 

team every morning.

Plus we are working

in our shaved ice shack

Kool Kats 10 hours 

a day.

I am currently adding my Brave Art

to a suitcase, a chest of drawers and a desk.

Before and After photos soon.

These pieces are for the studio I work in...

The Art Experience.

Lots of GOOD things!!!

How about you??

What GOOD things

are in your world

today???

Making Time to JUST DO It!!

Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.  ~George Eliot



Okay....so I know it's just August 8th...but I am sooo excited about the return of Fall and all that comes with it. Cooler days and even cooler nights, football, soups and homemade bread, long walks outside, craft shows and the list goes on.

It seems each time a season changes I am ready to sit down and map out a new set of goals for myself. Here is what I've come up with for this Fall.

Home:
*get a rotation of meals to go including plenty of crock pot meals
*Keep up with my Weekly Home Blessing Hour on Mondays
*Try not to be so worked up if house isn't perfect
(I am going back to working full-time in the fall so this is important)

Spirit:
*Read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John by January 1st in the New Testament
*Make cute cards and treats for my Visiting Teaching Sisters

Family:
*Continue our family game night on Mondays
*Family Scriptures and Prayer 3 times a week

Blog:
*Write 3 posts a week
*Have a NEW Challenge in October {stay tuned}

Body/Health:
*Lose 10 pounds by my Birthday {October 12}
*Be able to wear my BLING jeans comfortably
*Share my healthy meals on Instagram
*Be able to complete ALL 5 miles on my walking DVD

Art:
*Finish my Soul Neighborhood Part 1 {Can't wait to show you this!!!}
*Make and KEEP Studio hours
*Pick a date for my Soul House class
*Teach at lease one, maybe two classes at The Art Experience
*Try new techniques (I really want to paint like Flora Bowly)
*Buy a few NEW items {copics and modeling paste top my list}

I am already on my way with several of these goals. Nearly 3 weeks ago I began working out to Leslie Sansone's Five Big Miles. I am getting so much stronger!!

Not only do you walk....you jog, do squats and lunges and work your upper body. What makes this different than other tapes I've tried is that I CAN DO IT! Before I've always tried Jillian Michaels or the PINK METHOD. Right now they are just too hard. I do not want to give up!!!

I am nearly finished with my Soul Neighborhood Part 1. This piece has taken so much time...but soon it will be done and I can share!!!

I do pretty good at getting 3 blog posts up each week...just holding myself accountable here.

The art classes at The Art Experience are already in the works. So excited about this!!

So even though this may seem like a large list...I am in the middle of working on many of these. I know I can accomplish them.

source

Do you set new goals for yourself in the Fall? What are you hoping to get done in the next few months?

Giving Them Wings

Summer is winding down...and despite everyone around me saying how happy they are that school will be starting soon and the kids will be back in school...I am not.

My "baby" is a Senior this year. In just 9 short months he will be done and off to college. I am having a real problem wrapping my mind around this. Where did the time go?

Emma and I have enjoyed our summer this year. Working at The Art Experience, late night walks and drives, slushies, working at Kool Kats, going to movies. Once school starts the mayhem begins. Softball practices, homework, seminary, football games, speech team, appointments, work, the list goes on. Our calendar is already filling up.

So many changes headed my way.


Change always comes bearing gifts. ~Price Pritchett


I am trying my best to see the gifts in all the changes ahead...Jacks last year, me working full-time, new business, etc.

A good friend told me once to be Happy about Happy things and Sad about Sad things. I am holding on to her words and reminding myself that even though this is Jackson's last year and very soon Dave and I will be living in a house minus the sound of kids coming and going, nightly family meals and chaos most days...it is time for my kids to sprout their wings and fly. It is time for them to go out and live their BIG DREAMS.

I will always be here for my kids no matter where they are. They will always be a part of me. They live in my heart.

It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't. ~Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams



So this weekend we are working in Kool Kats (i need to post pics here), enjoying Olympic games at our church and a potluck and more working at Kool Kats. Sunday is church and some quiet time. I hope to squeeze a bit of art journaling in there somewhere.

How is your weekend shaping up?? If your kids are grown, how did you manage to let them go???