Five Fabulous Things {and change}

"What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it." Alexander Graham Bell 


Life is a series of ups and downs...that is for sure. And my life the past week has been no exception. It's a summer of good, good things....and some not so good things. 

Change is in the air.


Some good change.
Some scary change.
Some expected...
some not.

"Change has a bad reputation in our society. But it isn't all bad — not by any means. In fact, change is necessary in life — to keep us moving ... to keep us growing ... to keep us interested . ... Imagine life without change. It would be static ... boring ... dull."

— Dr. Dennis O'Grady
in Bottom Line - Personal

Most of the changes we are going through right now involve our children. They are fast becoming young adults...

and that is kind of scary and sad and happy all rolled into one.

Emotions are running high and every now and then things at the Ackman house get a little high-pitched:)

All in all life couldn't be better and my young adult children make me proud:)

Speaking of change...We are into Week 4. I hope you are noticing changes in your days, girls. While I have been less than perfect with it all I am growing and learning and yes, changing.

 If I feel this empowered after just 4 weeks...I can't imagine what the next 48 will bring!!

I wanted to share a few things that have caught my eye recently. Sharing is good, right?!

1. Are you always trying to figure out what's for dinner? Me, too!! Love this blog called Eat at Home.


2. This art journaler just makes me HAPPY!

3.I am still surprised when my artist friends tell me they have never heard of this magazine!! Really??! This is my favorite!! And it's truly a BARGAIN! I am headed to St. Joe today for the latest issue:)

4. Several of us are playing along with my friend Kristin and her Color of Summer. Check that out here!!!

5. My friend Andria has compiled 100 Creative Actions!! Check them out and get busy!!!

Girls, I am so grateful for each of you! "Being Me" is my passion this year and I look forward to sharing with you all year. Thanks again for sharing this journey with me.

If you haven't started, don't know what "Being Me" is or just want to look at the last few weeks click here. Everything in one place:) 

Our FB page Mind.Body.Soul.

**Oh and be sure and share your BLOG on our facebook page!!!

You can leave it in the comment section in the post about sharing your blogs.

Why I Do what I Do

"Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich."  -Sarah Bernhardt.

If you have been following along this week with our 52 Weeks then you are on Day 5 of your Morning Routine...how are you doing?? Like the quote above...you should have more energy in your step, more life in your days. Remember...the longer you stick with your Morning Routine...the more Life you will have...there is not a truer statement, girls!!!

Speaking of Life....

Me and my Mom at the Dinner Theater in KC

I have been living mine!! It's been awhile since I posted photos of my days...so here are a few:)

My son Jackson and his darling girl Bailey. This was his very last track meet!! His Senior Year went by tooo fast!

Prom night was the first Saturday in May. They both looked stunning!!

Jacks and Bailey both have VERY colorful personalities...their outfits represent that perfectly:)

In May we also celebrated Jourdain's Birthday!! My Miss Emma painted these VERY CUTE mugs...He's Mine/She's Mine. He loved them!

This photo cracks me up!!

May 12th my son Jackson graduated from High School. A few weeks before that I treated my family to a day at The Plaza!!! LOVE this photo of my son and I!!!!

And here he is on his special day!

I honestly thought I would cry my eyes out on this day and had dreaded it for YEARS!!! Girls, it was one of the BEST days ever!!!

We are sooo PROUD of our son!!!

These are just half of his Speech and Debate trophies over the years!!

I am so grateful for my family!! They are why I try so hard to improve myself everyday!!

"A happy family is but an earlier heaven."  -John Bowring

Have you started our 52 weeks Being Me class yet?? If not click here!! 

Cleaning, Art and a Decision

Summer is in full swing in the Ackman household. Not the lazy days of summer mind you...but the CRAZY days of Summer!!

We are headed out again this weekend. My sweet cousin, Jessica is getting married Friday night!! Jessica is one of those beautiful souls...love her and am looking forward to her special day:) We are headed to Springfield, Missouri in just a few hours and will be there until Sunday. Looking forward to more family time with Dave, the kids, my Mom, cousins and Aunt. Soooo excited!!!

I made time for ME yesterday. Spent a few hours in my studio CLEANING!! I really should have taken before pics but was too embarrassed. Seriously...a MESS!! I always enjoy going through my supplies, sorting and finding little bits of inspiration. So relaxing to me.

I made these ATC backgrounds a few weeks ago...

Instead of my usual acrylic I used watercolors. Love the softness watercolors provide.

I have a grand plan for these cute little cards....inspired by my blog friend Andria from "Drawing Near". I hope to work on these in the next week or so. I will keep you posted!!

In the past 2 weeks I have had so many orders for my Brave Art. It is humbling, really. Several of the projects involve using objects rather than canvas. I am looking forward to putting my ART on other mediums and will share as I go.

Oh and one more thing...

Yesterday I made a proclamation to myself and my family. I am done beating myself up over my house, the laundry, etc. I spend most of my days picking up and cleaning. To be honest...I am tired. I have dreams and goals and art and a LIFE to create!! 

So as of NOW I am letting go of my high standards of cleaning and cleaning and cleaning and just going to be happy. So what if a few things are out of place? It's all good!!

And one more thing....

After spending time cleaning my studio and looking at all my work...

I realized I need studio hours!! 

Yes, I do!!! Sooooo, this weekend going to decide my times and post on Monday. Just making this one small decision feels like a huge step towards my creative dreams!!

Well, I am out of here. Off to family BBQ's and weddings and playing cards and sharing time with some of my favorite people.

So how about you....do you have studio hours?? Please share how YOU make time for your dream!!

This is the Life!

Happy Tuesday Girls!! I hope this post finds you happy and enjoying the first days of Summer!! The sweet photo above is my family at "Pirate Cove" mini-golf course in Osage Beach, Mo. We spent last weekend there and had a fabulous time!

Spooky pirate!!

Aren't these gorgeous?

We made the trip to support our son Jackson. He made it to the State Finals for the Optimist Club Speech Contest. We were so excited to get away!!  This is us having dinner at JB Hooks on the Lake. The contest was the next day.


I am proud to tell you that my son took FIRST PLACE!! 

He won a $2500 college scholarship!! We are so proud of Jackson!!!


Today is this sweet girl's 15th Birthday!!

Em at Dogpatch in Osage Beach

My Em is 15!! How in the world did this happen?? I remember her 1st Birthday like it was yesterday. Love you, Ems!!!

The rest of our week is filled with Soccer and traveling to Springfield for my cousin's wedding Friday night. Lots of fun going on this week.

I am looking forward to art journaling again very soon. And I am looking forward to my Summer Art Challenge!! I hope you'll join me starting June 4th.


What trips are you taking this summer?? Please share!!!

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!!

Embracing Life

He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts.  ~Samuel Johnson

I have been doing a lot of cleaning around our home. And when I clean I think. 

Lately all I've been thinking about is where I am going in life.

Me, this morning.

It seems I'm not alone...which has made me feel like I'm not so weird after all.;)

My mentor Melody Ross {please click on her name and read her post. It is wonderful!}  and friend Leanne from "Chaos Comes Happiness" have been wondering the very same thing. 

In my last post I wrote...

"Trying to 

decide

what's best 

for me 

at this

very moment in myLife.

Where am I going?

What am I supposed to do?

What do I want to do?"

Cover of March/April Cloth.Paper.Scissors

I KNOW I want to be BOLD. I want to let loose and have some FUN!!!!

My doodle I created last night.

I want to stop worrying about what I'm gonna paint next or if it's good enough to sell. I want to stop over thinking every time I sit down to work on a piece in my studio.

My friend Megan left this comment the other day...

"those sure are the hard questions! hope you get it figured out! or not, is it really so bad to do what you want in the moment and not worry about what's going to happen in the future?"

Oh boy, Megan!! Your comment hit me hard!! It has had me thinking all week long.

Is it so bad to just BE?

Is it so bad to not know what the future brings?

I just want to enjoy the process. 

Be free. 

Be spontaneous!

From one of my favorite layouts.

This was me 2 years ago in May...

Mother's Day 2010

I LOVE this picture of me...why? Because I had worked really hard and was on my way to losing 15 pounds. I see this photo and want to be there again so badly.

I have gained nearly all of it back. 

I have been in a funk.

From shutting our business down in December to family issues and financial struggles now, I have eaten myself back up to a size 14.

NONE of my clothes fit. And right at this moment there is absolutely NO WAY I can buy any new ones...

I started the New Year promising myself that THIS would be MY year! 

 My Word is Story and each one of my goals revolves around the Story I want to share once I reach each goal.

I had been doing so well with my clean eating plan in January but saw very little results. By February I was like..."Who cares, it doesn't matter anyway" and began eating my way through my days. That along with a family issue my body went crazy and all my stress put me in severe pain daily.

I have been in depression but just didn't want to face it.

Until now.

I decided...

ENOUGH!

Mt Brave Art~2011

With God all things are possible. 

And I KNOW I have faith. 

And when we have faith and go to the Lord

 He will always help us....

always.

So that's what I did. I prayed and prayed and asked for His help.

I cast my burdens on Him. 

And you know what?

I got answers.

I did.

And I went to the Doctor and was put on migraine prevention medicine.

I went back to my old chiropractor.

I began walking outside for an hour in the afternoons.

I stopped watching TV all the time.

I stopped beating myself up so much.

I stopped my negative attitude.

This is the Personal Manifesto canvas I made for myself in December. It is filled with Words and Phrases I want more of in 2012.

My favorite image is on the left...the girl holding the snow heart. Isn't she sweet?

Girls, 

I am taking my days back.

I am taking my time 

and spending it better.

I may not know exactly where I am going...

but that's ok.

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

To celebrate my new found energy to get my life back I am offering YOU a FREE 6 week challenge called...

6 Weeks: Mind.Body.Soul.

This challenge will be filled with ideas to help YOU be your BEST self this year! It's not too late!! We will combine the healing power of ART with life skills to help YOU be the YOU you were meant to be!!

More details to come soon!!:)

Starts Monday, March 12th.

Question: What is your Word 2012? Are you living it? Please share!

It's all those Little Things

Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day.  ~Author Unknown

Oh, girls...life has been hard in the Ackman house for sure...but let me tell you things are getting so much better!! I am grateful for all the little things that have helped me along the way.

Yesterday I received a sweet surprise from fellow blogger and friend Maggie. We met on the Brave Girl's website and quickly connected.  Turns out we have a mutual friend...how crazy is that?! Remember the little girl, Lizzy that had a stroke last year? Well her family used to live in Las Vegas where Maggie lives and they attended the same Ward {church} and they were {and still are} friends! Small world, huh?!

Anyway...check out this awesome card Miss Maggie sent me....

Along with the card she mailed me two fabulous necklaces and this!!!

Soooo me don't you think?

Maggie, I appreciate your thoughtfulness and have a teeny, tiny something headed your way;)

Painting has been helping me through the stresses of the past few weeks...last night I began working on backgrounds for my "Heart" series.

I want these pieces to be full of texture and depth. Many more layers to go here...can't wait to show you what the finished look will be.

I have also been working on more Brave Girls...

My friend Carolyn was diagnosed with Breast Cancer last fall. Her courage and attitude during this most difficult time has been the inspiration for these Girls. Each one is filled with Words to help those women battling cancer.

Each Girl sells for $20.  Now through June 1st...ten of that will go directly to Carolyn's Relay for Life Team. I am sooo excited to help with this wonderful cause.

Looking forward to reading these magazines!! I am a magazine freak. Love them:) 

I was over the moon yesterday when I went to the mailbox and found my latest edition of Somerset Studio.

Not so happy though with this note that came with it...

Hoping I can talk my husband into buying me 2 years this time around...I mean I get that totally awesome clip art CD FREE!

The last thing keeping a smile on my face this week is my daughter Em.

On the Ackman Farm-October 2011

It's been a rough couple of weeks...but my girl...we have overcome a lot and what I know for sure is that I love her. I will protect her and be here for her no matter what! 

We went to Wal-Mart yesterday and she found these....

Lotions and foot scrubs. "Mom, let's have a night of pampering!" I couldn't resist...and at just 98 cents a tube we bought both. Looking forward to spending some "spa" time with my Emma:)

I leave you with this thought...

There must be a tomorrow, because my life overflows today.  ~Lois Chartrand

What little things are you most happiest for today?? Please share!!!!

Word for 2012

Happy New Year!

I am ready to let go of those things that hold me back

and keep me down.

I am ready to create a strong, fit body.

I am ready to open my heart 

I am ready to become all that I can.

I 

am 

ready

to 

tell

my 

STORY.

All of it.

Every last little bit.

The next 365 days will be real.

No fluff.

I will share my accomplishments and strengths
My failures and weakness's.

I am ready to write my heart.

Share my story.

Be real.

This is the year I live my truths.

This is the year I will forgive myself for not being perfect.

For not always doing my best.

For mistakes I will make.

I will take my time,

be patient

and give myself some slack.

This is the year I will share my STORY...

*I will submit my art, my blog and my stories for publishing

*I will write guest posts for others and ask other bloggers to share here
*I will spend time in my Art Journals weekly

*I will get in shape by eating clean and working out, inspiring & encouraging along the way

*I will read my scriptures and other church publications daily, making sure to share

This year my family and I have a very big STORY we wish to share. To celebrate Jackson's graduation in May 2013 we are catching a plane and headed to....

Disney World!! 

Sure, Disney is pretty cool on it's own...

but what makes this story different is

what we need to do before we 

get there.

Run.

And 

run

and run

and

run.

We are training for the 2013 Disney World Marathon

the second Sunday in January!!

This isn't something we decided on a whim.

This event has been in our hearts

for 7 years.

We were there during the race in 2005 

and couldn't stop talking about it.

We promised one another that someday we

would be a part of this race.

That someday is 

NOW.

I know all about marathons.

I ran two in my 30's.

I know the time and effort it takes to train.

It's hard to run 26.2 miles.

But you know what?

It's do-able.

And I can do it!

My kids can do it!

We

are 

gonna 

do

it 

together!!

2012.

My Year.

My Word?

Story.

What's your Word for the year?

Gratitude in my Heart

I believe that when we're in need of something the "universe" makes sure we get it. My universe is my Father in Heaven. He knows me. He knows exactly what I need to help me through my day, my struggles, my life.

Lately things in our life have been less than ideal. We are under stress that I imagine will last into Spring and maybe beyond...

Yet, despite all of this I am choosing to find the good in my life.

I am choosing to Believe that everything my family and I may go through in the next 6 months has a purpose.

I choose to grow and become a better woman.

I  choose to be grateful.

Last Sunday night as I was sitting on the couch making menu plans for the week, it dawned on me I should start a gratitude journal. Years ago I had kept one and loved it! Thanks to author Sarah Ban Breathnach and Oprah Winfrey I have a  book filled with the sweetest little memories of my children and my life that brought me joy and peace no matter what kind of day I was having.
So, I started a gratitude journal that very night.

The next day while I was reading through my favorite blogs I read a post by Lee Clements. The title of the post? GRATITUDE. I smiled and nodded my head as I read her lovely words. She shared about her gratitude journal and how Sarah Ban Breathnach had been such an inspiration to her. Wow! I couldn't believe it!! Less than 12 hours before I had been thinking about the very same thing.

About an hour later I picked up our church magazine the Ensign. The first page I flipped to read something like this..."100 reasons you should keep a gratitude journal".
Then I turned the page and their was one of my favorite church leaders Henry B. Eyering and his talk on gratitude. 


Now I know gratitude is a hot topic during this season. But I don't believe in  coincidences. I believe that because my Father in Heaven knows what's ahead for me...He is trying to gently remind me what's truly important.




We are not our things. We are not our house, our cars, our clothes, our stuff.


What's important in living a good life is family. It's love at home. It's prayer. It's knowing that we can weather any storm because we have one another.

That same night I was baking a few treats for our Seminary Christmas party. I had 2 packs of saltine crackers on a cookie sheet and was spreading them around in oil. I stopped for just a moment and couldn't believe what I saw. On one of the crackers was the most perfect heart baked right in. It was perfect. And no, I didn't get a photo. I was too busy showing everyone and laughing. We all thought it was just so cool. I thought it was more than cool. I knew it was another sign. I knew it was the Spirit witnessing to me that I was on the right path. That as long as I keep my heart filled to the brim with faith and love and gratitude...then everything would be okay.

"Peace I leave with you;

my peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives

do I give to you. 

Let not your hearts be troubled,

neither let them be afraid."
~ John 14:27 ~