Art Show in the 'Ville

Our local Coffee House is hosting an Art Show featuring our youngest community members.  

I love it!  No requirements to enter, just have to be able to hang your work.  

by KitKat age 11 ~ Acrylic

Of course,  Sprite and KitKat wanted to enter a few....ok MANY....but they narrowed it down to  entering only a few pieces (pictured here).  I will mosey up to enjoy a cup of joe and take a few pics once they display all the artist's works. Stop back and I'll post the photos of the local talent and we can see the newest generation's take on expressing themselves.  For now, here's a sneak peek.  Enjoy!

By Sprite age 9 ~ acrylic and finger paint
(this is a painting of GK and me...our heads are labled with our initials ;)
Did  you ever do that to your paintings at age 9?  I did!)

by KitKat age 11 ~ pastels

by Sprite age 9 ~ pastels

by KitKat age 11 ~ pastels

Measure...

Intense love does not measure, it just gives.  

~Mother Theresa

Growing a tree and a friendship.

Our family did not grow traditionally, we are blessed to have one of our daughters through the gift of adoption.  We have a pretty open relationship with both of her birthparents and often exchange letters and gifts through the mail.  It's been a newer exchange with her birthfather and our friendship is growing strong. He is a neat guy and truly loves our sweet girl.  His most recent gift is very reflective of this friendship.....a Genuine Tree Seed Germination Kit....for a Giant Sequoia!  AKA:  Sierra Redwood or Big Tree.......climbing to heights of more than 300 ft.!  They have trunks up to 36ft in diameter! YET their seeds are among the tiniest in the tree world. (sound familiar?) 

They are a hardy species and can grow in a surprisingly wide range of climates.  The can says, "100% guaranteed, Just add Water and Sunshine".  As our friendship with our adoptive extended family grows, I pray that our sweet girl will grow strong in her relationship with her birth family as well.  That we all will grow tall and wide with love and care for one another.  Sometimes it's hard to share her and I want to hold her tightly in my hand....but then how will the water and sunshine come in?  How would she ever reach her full growth potential?  Figure out where you have heard this seed story before?  How about that mustard seed?  I have faith that the Master Gardener, who grew our family and brought this sweet girl into our yard, will shine on us and water us sufficiently......100% guarantee of growth and hopefully, many birds will perch in our branches.  

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches"  Matt. 13:31-32

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you"  Matthew 17:20

Happy St. Paddy's!

My Pop's 100% Irish Eyes are bluer than blue and can smile even when his mouth doesn't ;) 

Traveling through time and country......

My mother taught me many things,  she is a free spirit and enjoys life.  It was 1955, she had graduated from college and taught school for a few years and, there was no prince charming worthy of settling down for yet.  Her sister was teaching at an American school in Germany.  Sooooo, why not move to Europe too?  No teaching jobs were available. She found a job planning parties for the military.  In her free time and in search of party props she would hop the train, with or without a friend, and travel to the many surrounding sites and countries.  No fear of traveling alone, just adventure to seek. She is 82 now.  I have not traveled extensively, yet!  But I have lived vividly through the photos my Mom took and the memories she shares.  Oh the sights and the parties....I hope to share a few with you here.  Will you travel with me through time and country?  This shot was taken in Italy, at the Trevi Fountain in Rome.  The boy? Who knows, my mother gathers new friends regularly.  She said that she was teaching him how to "wish on a penny."

Give away! Who needs spring puddle jumpers? ~ link to pretties and posies blog below~

Perhaps green for St. Paddy's day?

Melanie is hosting a give-away, a pair of Puddle Jumping Wellies, through her blog called  Pretties and Posies. Take a minute to enter by visiting her blog ~ you will feel refreshed (it is a serene,  inspiring and delightful blog) AND  by commenting on her blog, you will put your name in for the give away--->  

go to http://prettiesandposies.blogspot.com/2011/03/500th-post-giveaway.html

Puddle jumpin' wellies from  Zappos.com !  Perhaps a pretty pink?

Adoption Video~ "Children Of God" by Third Day Take five minutes..... worth watching 'til the end.

Wordless Wednesday

Creative Contact

Creative Contact .....

My two tween girls have been busy creatively using contact paper.  Who needs expensive wall decals?  Need a chalk board?  How about a dress form?  All supplied easily and inexpensively by using contact paper.

The idea stemmed from the desire to paint fashion items on my daughter’s walls with black paint.  I briefly considered using chalk board paint as I wanted her to have the option of continuously designing on the dress form or putting patters on the purse....a sort of interactive art piece.  

I decided to look for a more removable option and tried using black contact paper.  To my surprise it was EASY to chalk on and to erase marks, EASY to personalize by tracing a dress form from her own body, EASY to apply and EASY to remove.  

My other daughter is into hats and loves owl’s... she applied her own design to her door and desk.  She even covered a pencil tin.  

  

The options are endless!  We went a little crazy covering all kinds of surfaces.....

let the imagination take over!  

So, I am just a girl trying to live a life with fresh hope, a caring word, and an eye for the artful reflection of our awesome Creator. I live in a tiny college town with my hubby GK and our two beautiful tween girls, KitKat and Sprite. We also have a handsome fur baby named Beau. As I live this life my prayer is that I will "bring blessing". The verse from scripture that regularly comes to my mind is, "May the God of hope bring you joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13  May you be blessed by future posts and may you overflow w/ hope today dear friends! 


Ps... I plan to bring some spunk, frivolity, art projects, kid stuff, heartfelt posts on real life issues, posts on adoption....all spiced with a pinch of fresh hope ;-)  What will you bring to the table?......