What are you doing for Derby?

If you live in my neck of the woods, this is the statement of the day? Actually for the month. With the Kentucky Derby on your home turf, it’s a huge deal around here! The Derby festivities kicked off 2 weeks ago with “Thunder over Louisville” and a must-see air show, followed by a Hot Air balloon race, Steamboat race on the Ohio river, a mini-marathon run, Pegasus float Parade, a Bed-race and a bunch of Chow-wagons to feed you throughout town. And I’m sure I’ve forgotten something, too. It’s actually treated like a Holiday here. Did you know there is no school the day before Derby? What a deal, wish I grew up here!!

The one thing that really surprises me, is that I’ve never even stepped foot inside of Churchill Downs. I’ve gone to horse races at Longacres Racetrack in Seattle and Arlington Racetrack in Chicago. But that’s the extent of it. This doesn’t really bother me much since I’m pretty clueless about horses and I’m not much of a gambler. We do go to the occasional Derby parties and have a good time. These parties usually have an informal bookie where you can put your bet in on the 6th race. This year, I’m pulling for Dublin at 12-1 (in honor of my Dad’s mom being from Ireland).

Diane- the Derby Jockey……She loves her sport!! Why else would she want to be on a horse that’s got a mind of his own and weighs over 2000 pounds? Gotta love it!!

I’m such a little collector!! I thought it was time to photograph all my little birdies together. Now, this is when I really miss Renee. Because she belongs in this collection too! She resides in the little tiny mail-art journal! I hope she’s having fun! Good Lord, I’m sure she’ll tell ya if she isn’t!!

Art Essay

I’m working on my lettering because you never know when you may need to know a few different fonts or styles. Actually, I really want to write like Aimee or Lori or Dawn . I don’t have much imagination when it comes to writing things out. An “A” is an “A” is an “a”, which is what I used to think until I saw all the cool artsy-words on Flickr and Blogs. So, being one that gets bored rather easily I had to try to change things up a bit. This is the result.

Copied from my journal 4/23: Art- I don’t claim it, it claims me!! I’m analytical, logical, practical. I don’t see myself as all that artistic…and yet it’s there. It shows up as I’m rearranging (misspelled this word on piece- Ugh!!) furniture, shopping for clothes or people watching. It’s the interesting and the novel that I’m drawn to. I’m the safe one, the grounded one, the first-things-first type. Then Art comes over and keeps me up drawing all night. It must be allowed to have it’s space, it's freedom, it’s time. It requires attention and energy, but it’s like a slingshot and you get something in return. Art is more about process than product. I’m about Product!!

I used a series of lines drawn a bit diagonally across the page. Then used my watercolor pencils to fill in each space, later using water to blend the pencil lines. Of course, a floral stencil in the center. Gotta love those stencils!!

And last my desk, (pic idea from Geninne who is an amazing artist and takes really cool pictures)

p.s. I really don’t stay up all night drawing!!!

I think I’m a Birdie-junkie…..

I’m having so much fun drawing these little guys!!  They just crack me up!!  This one is Terri the Tennis-Chic, in honor of my Ten years playing ladies tennis!  I so enjoyed this sport!  I always thought I’d get back into it when the kids didn’t need me so much.  But beginning it as an adult, it consumed a lot of my time.  Time which now has found other outlets!  Thank God, cuz I was pretty uni-dimensional then!! But Oh, did I have fun!


I did a couple new things here!  I put more elements in the background than I usually do, I think it helps keep the interest on the subject.  I also, was too lazy to go grab my watercolor pencils, which forced me to make the hair out of markers, which turned out o.k., i guess.  I had to put the “P” (for Prince) on the racquet since these were the only racquets I played with.  I probably would never have been caught dead wearing a little cutesy-dress like this but lots of ladies who played were “oh-so” fashionable.  They always looked adorable, too!


Terri- the Tennis Chic………..She is a young mom who has finally found some fun adult company while learning a new skill and getting plenty of exercise.  You’d think that playing 2 hours of tennis that day would wear her out, but not Teri….when she goes to get the kids in the nursery she has more energy and is more engaging!  She’s a better mom for having her own outlets        other than being kid-focused 24/7.  

…………….Trust me I know!!!……………..

Terri goes along with the bird friend series from this post.  I forgot to do an editorial like this on Sheila,  Bunny, and Patty.  I hate that their stories are going un-sung!  Ahhhh well, such is life!!

Just a bit of Blog Tweaking…..

Say Buh-Buh to this blog banner!  I’ve had this banner since the 15th of February!  That’s a long time for me.  In need of a face-lift this blog was!  I’m between projects right now , not entirely the truth but in truth I’m a bit flighty today so to clear my head I thought I’d redo my blog banner.   Plus it gives me a good reason to play with my digital elements in Photoshop! 
I also wanted to share with you fellow bloggers a feature that is not new to the blog world, but new to me.  It’s called Link Within and it will automatically pull in 3 stories for you at the bottom of your blog post once you install the widget.  Helps us blog jumpers so we can keep on reading at our favorite blogs.  No wonder why I don’t get anything done around here!  No wonder….

Doodle Directory…..stimulus

Had a little time recently so I’ve added to my Doodle Directory. I find I really like to work within the constraints of a small square. I think too much white space makes me nervous. I want to fill the space I have before me and I don’t want to take all day!! Borders make me happy!

Tammy’s post this week talked about constraints and creativity. The constraints I used for this (other than the size) is the color palette. I limited myself to just red’s/green’s and black. I adore red’s and green’s TOGETHER! I’m such a little elf, aren’t I? I guess Christmas decor is a year-round occasion! LOL!

Along these same lines, I want to put a shout out about this book (Doodle Diary-Art journaling for girls) by Dawn Sokol, which comes out very soon. You can pre-order it now at amazon. Dawn’s got some cool stuff at her blog that’s right up my any doodler’s alley.

Here are a few more Doodle Directory pages.

Page 8…..

Page 9…..

I’m thinking that I need better access to these so I’m going to make some .jpg prints of them. Much easier than fumbling thru my moleskines to find them.

As you can see, it's still all about shape and color for me right now!

Patty the Party-Girl birdie

Went to a party this weekend!! Now….I didn’t look like this or act like this because well, I wasn’t on my own turf. HaHaHa! But every now and then I think I need to put on my party hat and celebrate! Not so much my birthday, but other’s! People who are special to me! When the kids were little, I always had parties for them! Sometimes we invited more people than at other times, it’s always dependent on what’s going on in our world at the time. But with the kids, we definitely had to have the party hats, the balloons, the cake, the fun! Now, with the kids almost both adults, we are much more subdued. We’re quieter, we do make sure they get their “meal of choice” and “a cake from wherever at whatever the cost”. And we always make the birthday girl or boy wait until their birthday to open up any gifts received (either from afar or local). This is just the way we do things in our neck of the woods!

The party this weekend was for an 80 year old!!! I still can’t believe she’s eighty!!! She is so strong and healthy and young-at-heart! She often says she’d do so much more if there were more hours in the day! And what a fun lady she was to spoil!!! Part of enjoying the party is seeing someone enjoy their gifts! I must take note of this!

And while I was in Chicago, I was able to check out this place. I’ve heard so much about it, thru Tammy and Wet Canvas, I had to see it for myself! Unfortunately my camera’s battery died just before I arrived and I couldn’t take cool pictures of the thousands of paintbrushes and the paints upon paints lined up on shelves. Being a marker-girl I was lucky I could walk on by those aisles!

(photo from phone)

Have you been to any birthday parties lately?

What do you want to be when you grow-up?

Find your Passion- What are you good at? Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you, to leave this world better than you found it. -Wilfred Peterson

Well, at 8 I wanted to be a teacher, then at 11 I wanted to be a P.E. teacher. Six years later I thought I’d show the world I could be a Navy Pilot. Yep, sure did. Living in a city that trained Navy Pilots, it seemed logical. However, I didn’t want to cut my hair. I wasn’t afraid of the physical side of training (that much…just don’t make me run too much). But the shaved heads scared me. Yikes! And it didn’t matter if you were male or female…..equal rights and equal opportunity employment. But being the practical gal that I am, and knowing how much i hated Physics, even though I loved math….I had to reconsider. Fell into my profession since the counselor’s at my University seemed to know where to steer the “undeclared”….so off I went to study biology, microbiology, botany, chemistry, bio-chemisty and medical technology. It’s been a good profession. I’ve been able to work anywhere I’ve lived, full or part-time/ half-days or full-days. But was this my passion? Ummmmmm……I wanted to help people, and stay healthy (hence medicine), but CSI- work (non-field) can get a little mundane.

So, armed with all my little mini-ideas of professions. I asked my DD who has one year left in High School. What do you want to study? What are you interested in? At first the only answers were 3 words: “I don’t know”….”I don’t care”….followed by her quick exit from the room!!!! You see she’s young, she has no clue what’s out there, she doesn’ t know what she doesn’t know. But, I’m thinking “throw me a bone, here!" Please! Anything. I see my role with her as a supplier of information. If she said she was interested in veterinary school, well then I’d be feeding her all kinds of articles about dogs/cats/ cows! Heck, I’d even be planning the pictures I’d make to put on the walls of her clinic! I’d be so excited! But…this isn’t about me.

As hard as I’ve been on her over this issue, I think I’ve figured it out. She doesn’t want to make the wrong choice, so she’s not making any choice. Now, you’d think I’d know how to treat a pre-college student concerning their future since she has an older brother. But as easy as he made the path for me, he made it twice as hard for her. He knew at 5 what he wanted to be. I thought it was me that helped him figure it out way back when! But….this isn’t about me.

So, now….I know as she gains experience and sees the real world and talks to real people about real work, and listens to herself…..listens to herself….listens to herself!!! She’ll figure it out.

This drawing is dedicated to her. Cuz it’s stuff that’s worked for me over the years. Wait, it’s not about me….but these are general truths so it’s all-inclusive.

Today- I’d probably answer that question as Textile Artist or……

What about you? What do you want to be?

Honest Scrap

Integrity is telling myself the truth and Honesty is telling the truth to other people. - Spencer Johnson

My friend Tammy at Daisy Yellow tagged me for this Honest Scrap session. I guess I’m supposed to tell you 10 honest and interesting things about myself that you don’t already know. Then tag 7 more people.

1. I don’t have a romantic bone in my body….but I’m extremely sentimental!
2. I don’t like to wear a lot of jewelry. Can’t stand clunky, chunky or noisy! But I love to see it on others!
3. Confession: My husband does most of the laundry around here. He’s a keeper!
4. I was a H.U.G.E. tomboy when I was little. I’d get very embarrassed if I Had to wear a dress.
5. I used to pitch fast pitch softball in little league. I even pitched a couple of No Hit, No Run games. Whew! Whew!
6. I’m a lousy diver and gymnast. I have very little flexibility, plus I’m a big chicken.
7. There’s hardly a cake I can pass up without eating a slice. But I always pass on the donuts.
8. I have never been able to cry to get out of a speeding ticket. Probably because I’m too mad!
9. I grew up in a family of 5 kids. Our ages for 7 wks out of the year would be like this for example; 7, 10, 11, 12, 13. I was the second youngest with two step-siblings in there. 3 boys and 2 girls! My poor parents!
10. So far….I’ve lived in 6 states. Illinois, Texas, Missouri, Florida, Washington, Kentucky. I think it’s helped to “round-me-out”.

So now, you know more about me than you did yesterday!! LOL!!

I’d like to tag the following people:

1. Sue Doodles
2. Janet
3. Serena
4. Elena
5. Lori Vliegen
6. Dawn
7. Mandy at Messy Canvas

Happy Easter

Happy Easter all you peeps in Blog-land!!

Hope you get your fair share of chocolate, jelly beans, and eggs!!

My Manifesto……

I got the idea to do a Manifesto from Here....This Massive list of Ideas for Blog Posts from Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online. I’ve never narrowed down the way I want to live my life into 10 key statements. I pretty much just winged it. The statements aren’t in any order of importance. I could’ve added 5 more statements, but decided against it since each one could’ve fallen into one of the original categories.

As my DH teased me about this Manifesto, he pointed out that Manifesto’s are usually in the form of a rebellion. I said “so”……So, I guess I’m rebelling from the way I used to think, or rather I’m directing my thoughts along lines that will better suit my life.

Here’s a definition from wikipedia.

Definition gotten from here.

Here they are…..my practical, simple, statements. I just need to be reminded of them. Walking the walk is not quite as easy as talking the talk. That’s why I need the visual reminder and the Kinetic-memory of writing them down.

1- Maintain Your Perspective: No matter how things “appear to be”. Whether you feel vulnerable or infallible…..do a post-check on your perspective. Remember the words King Solomon had engraved on his ring: This Too Shall Pass.

2- Exercise: and OFTEN!! Stick with your plan. If the best time for you to exercise is right after work- then do it!! Don’t let your car drive you home. You will be so glad you did!!

3- Eat Well and Take Your Vitamins: If you go to a celebration and eat more than usual or foods that aren’t so good for you…..just get back on track the following day. Don’t let any party become an excuse for unhealthy eating for days later.

4- Journal: It’s so easy to get out of the habit of documenting your day or your thoughts. I journal to work through my thoughts. And I always get answers. Many entries start with “Dear God”.

5- Pray: see Journal

6- Make Time: for the things or projects that are important to you. You get to decide. But you won’t get a pass if you decide to be a martyr.

7- Don’t Lower Your Standards: Just because you see someone else doing something not right, doesn’t mean you need to or should follow suit. Remember, after the moment passes and the hurried driver or the rude merchant/customer have gone their merry way. You are still stuck with the way you acted.

8- Take a Class: Even if no one will sign up with you. Go it alone and with a smile. You won’t be alone very long.

9- Keep Up With Family: and friends! Everyone is busy…..EVERYONE…..all these techie tools have made it so easy and fun to put a shout out to loved ones- text, email, snail mail, facebook, phone-calls, voicemail and personal visits.

10- Stand For Something: If you have strong feelings about something and someone asks about it….there’s always a pleasant way to express your Point-of-View especially if isn’t main-stream or p.c. Hey, who was the one that got to decide if something was p.c. or not?

Anyone else want to share some of their “manifesto” statements?