A Hurting Heart....

“I just want to make sure Mama. Sometimes I don’t even know what I want. A lot of times I’m just tired.” 
Mama reached up and smoothed Liza’s curls away from her face. “Well darlin’, that’s the sign of a life being lived. I think we’re all tired when we’re giving it our best.” 
― Gwenn Wright, Katherine's Journal

This is my Mom.

This photo really captures her.

She can be oh, so silly!

She is strong

and kind.

My Mom makes everyone feel special

and welcome. 

She goes out of her way to 

be a friend.

She loves to make things pretty...

her table is always set with most beautiful dishes,

her yard is filled with flowers 

and fairies.

The front porch is a place for rest and relaxation

with its plants and comfy furniture.

She has a way with adding flair to everything!

My Aunt Ruth is on the left and Mom is on the right.

My Mom has such STYLE!

She pays attention  to detail...

from her clothes, to her jewelry, shoes and even socks!

She loves to look NICE.

{my Mama always told me "Leslie Dawn it's important to always look NICE!"}

My Mom LOVES hats!

Big hats, little hats, hats with lots of sparkle.

The bigger the hat the better:)

I believe in the power of prayer...

and my blog friends...

I need your prayers right now.

My sweet Mama needs your prayers right now.

It's Cancer and at first we thought it was ok...

but there is more than we may have thought.

And I am hurting..

my heart is breaking 

and I don't know what to do.

Please 

just

keep

praying....

xoxo

I Woke Up

Today 

i 

woke

up.

I mean 

REALLY

woke 

up.

I am feeling 

alive

&

ready.

To 

DREAM

and

write 

and 

create

BEAUTY.

What 

a 

Beautiful

summer 

awaits.

"A warrior must learn to make every act count, since he is going to be here in this world for only a short while, in fact, too short for witnessing all the marvels of it."  -Carlos Casteneda

Let's Take a Break!!

"Every life experience we have, makes us who we are today."

So I have been doing a LOT of thinking the past few months about how much time I spend on social media...I think we all do that right?? I mean I see posts and comments on Facebook all the time about this very subject.

One of my favorite artists is Melody Ross from Brave Girl's Club...a few years ago she took a complete break from Facebook...sharing with us how she checked her phone every few minutes to see if anybody had commented on her posts...she said she was so caught up in seeing what everyone else was doing she forgot to live her own life...have her own experiences, make her own memories.

Beautiful flowers from a walk I took with my son last summer.

That's how I have been feeling lately...constantly looking at my phone...checking Facebook, Instagram, Timehop, etc. I find myself looking down at my phone instead of up at the world around me.

I want that to stop.

I heart rock I discovered on our farm a few years ago.

So the past week I have devised a plan for summer...one that doesn't give up social media completely. I mean I do enjoy keeping in touch with my friends and family on Facebook and taking Instagram photos is one of my favorite things to do! (And seeing YOURS)

One of my early Brave Art pieces


So here is what I have come up with...

Facebook will be taken off my phone...period. If it's not on there I can't keep checking it, right??

I am limiting myself to ONE HOUR a day on ALL social media. I plan on checking Facebook, posting in our Mind.Body.Soul. group, catching up with friends and my other groups first thing in the morning.

I may check again before bed...in case I have any messages...but only if I haven't used up my full hour that day.

I know myself...this is gonna be hard. As silly as that sounds...I know it will. Facebook is a great time waster:)

My Brave Art 

But instead of wasting time...here are my SUMMER PLANS:)

*spend time outside

*lots of walks

*CREATE

*ICAD Challenge

*Summer of Color Challenge

*BLOG

*get ready for my Art Retreat in October

*read a good book

*make so many amazing memories!!!

I would LOVE for you to join me on this Social Media Break!! It begins this Monday, May 26th and runs through Monday August 25th.

If you would like to join me let me know!! We can support one another!!:)

Being Me: The Final Weeks

Of all paths a man could strike into, there is, at any given moment, a best path which, here and now, it were of all things wisest for him to do. To find this path, and walk in it, is the one thing needful for him.  -Thomas Carlyle


Can't believe we are in the final weeks of "Being Me". When I started this nearly a year ago I honestly didn't know if I would finish it!! But here we are with the last 7 weeks of prompts.

Remember...you are NEVER behind!! If this is your first time here and you want to participate then go here. All 52 weeks will be here indefinitely.

Week 46:  Here's a question to ask yourself this week..."Where will I be exactly one year from this moment?"  For me looking back to this time last year...WOW how my life has changed!! And knowing what this summer may bring...I suspect I am in for quite a ride in the next 52 weeks. Be sure and create a page in your art journal with your predictions.

Week 47:  Spend some time thinking about your summer art goals. Summer seems to be the best time for me creatively. This year I plan on joining Tammy for her fun ICAD challenge....

This will be my third year participating in this fun and free challenge. Another one to try is Kristin's "Summer of Color"...

 Kristin always has the BEST give aways, too!! Last year I won a Dick Blick gift card!

Week 48:  Open up your art journal and see what pours out. I don't do this often enough!! Paste images, squirt your favorite colors of acrylic on your page or just start stamping an image. Don't think about it too much...just GO!

Week 49:  Always remember that life doesn't go as planned and it can be so hard sometimes!! But no matter what...it's important to take care of YOU!! I know this all too well from experience and I am still learning it. When life gets so stressful that I want to scream and eat everything in sight and just not feel anything...that's when I MUST hold on and take care of ME the most. As I type this my Mom just got a hold of me from her doctors visit....she has breast cancer. And as I type this I am thinking about my father in law...who we found out yesterday... has about 3 to 5 weeks to live from his pancreatic cancer. I am going insane....but I know that if I don't put me first right now I can never be of any use to them...and they need me now more than ever. So PLEASE take the time to eat right, take a walk, TALK to your friends!! PROMISE yourself you will do this!!

Week 50:  So I REALLY love this one...."James Joyce said that a man's errors are his portals of discovery. What mistakes have led to epiphanies for you?" Answer this question in your journal...I mean REALLY answer it:)  (taken from the book 642 things to write about)

Week 51:  Go have some fun! Play with your kids, your spouse, a friend...whomever!! Just go let loose and PLAY!!!

One of my favorite ways to play with my family is riding roller coasters:)

Week 52:  Let's GO BACK to our Mission Statement!! Re-read it...change it...tweak it...totally re-write it. Whatever it needs!!

There you have it!! 52 Weeks of Being Me!!! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey!! Feel free to share the class and enjoy. It's for everyone!

I look forward to what's next on my blog...MORE art, MORE challenges and MORE inspiration!!!

Being Me-Weeks 40-45

"I 'm not a genius. I'm just a tremendous bundle of experience." -Buckminster Fuller


Here we are...just 12 more weeks of "Being Me"and we are finished!! I know I haven't posted much this past month...instead I have been learning and growing and just trying to breathe. WOW! What a hectic month it has been!

If you don't know what "Being Me" is...please go here. It's a 100% FREE journaling class. Lots of thought-provoking subjects to help you become who you really are. This is a  self-paced course...you are NEVER, EVER behind!!

Because I haven't brought you any new material in a month it's time for some POWER Blogging:) So here goes...5 weeks worth of "Being Me"...Weeks 40-45. Enjoy!!


Week 40: If you missed my post a few weeks ago about Being Brave then be sure and read it. Being Brave looks like so many things...including walking away from something you thought you truly wanted. Is there something in YOUR life you thought you just had to have? What does BEING BRAVE look like to YOU? Create a page in your journal.

Week 41: Have some reading fun!! Go to your favorite bookstore or local grocery store and pick up THREE magazines you have never read before. They can be craft, fitness, cooking...any magazine you may have wanted to read but haven't before. Who knows what kinds of inspiration you will get by doing this!

Week 42: Do YOU have a blog? Have you thought about blogging?? Through the years I have had several blogs. My current one "Words of Me Project" has brought me so much joy and friendship! This is my 716th post!!! I find by writing my TRUE SELF is revealed.

“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.” 
― Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

Even if you don't think you will ever keep a blog...at least begin a weekly practice of keeping a writing journal. I know we all love to ART journal...but I KNOW that writing our thoughts and memories down can be therapeutic and life-changing.

Week 43: Be BRAVE and JUST LET GO!! Buy a big canvas and just paint! This canvas was my first attempt at just letting go and painting. Inspired by one of my favorites...Flora Bowley.

Check out her book here. So worth the price!!

Week 44:  "Let the important thing be how you look at things and not what you are looking at."  -Andre Gide  I tend to be pessimistic rather than optimistic. I honestly thought it was the other way around but then one day I caught myself in a grumpy mood and realized I was making myself feel that way...rather than the situation. This has been huge for me and has allowed me to take full responsibility for my own actions. That old saying "Attitude changes everything" is so true. Is it time to check your attitude? Do you look at things with a disapproving view and hard heart? Or do you try  to see the very best in ever situation? I am working hard on this subject and hope you will be honest with yourself so you can change if you need to:)

Week 45:  Spend time with the ones you love. If there is one thing I have learned in the past year...I KNOW that family means everything and every minute you spend with them is time well spent. My daughter has needed me this year more than ever. She is my priority at this time and there is nothing that comes before her. Who in YOUR life needs you right now? What are some ways you can spend extra time with them?

Our "Being Me" journey is about to end...be sure and check out next week's post... Weeks 46-52 will be up!! I would love it if you would share our class with your friends and art groups. Let's spread the word! 

If you haven't checked us out yet...stop by and follow our Mind.Body.Soul face book group.

Change....

I am here.

Growing 

and learning.

Making decisions

that involve 

MAJOR

life changes.

What to do....

what to do.

Leave it in the Lord's Hand.

He knows 

just

where 

I 

need 

to be.