Monthly Archives: February 2013

A Short and Sweet Post!

Good evening y’all!

Don’t mind the newly acquired southern accent, I have been watching reruns of Paula Deen! That woman does not know it but I am sure we have to be related somehow!! Like she could be my long lost grandmama!!! I just love her infectious joy!!! We all need people like that in our lives don’t we??

Well, I have had a very productive evening, prepping menus, and grocery lists, scheduling payments from our budget, and getting some new blog stuff done!

I am not sure if you have noticed, but I have added two new blog buttons over on the right hand side bar! YEAH!!! I was worried I wouldn’t be able to remember how to do that since it was literally years ago when I did it the first time!! and because I couldn’t decide on a layout, I put them both out there, so you can decide for yourself which one you would like to use on your blog!! So, please feel feel to share those with your readers!! The more the merrier!

I have spent the last few evenings squirreled away in my art studio arting up a storm, and as soon as I get some pics taken I will be very happy to share a couple of new pieces that I have completed with you!!

I am currently practicing various new (new to me, that is) mixed media techniques, and seriously HAVING A BALL!!! My inner child me is LOVING being back in the studio and just creating up a storm!!! Talking about storms, I posted pics of my arting space all cleaned up a few days ago. I should take pictures of what that space actually looks like while I am in full on artist-mode!! It is a little bit different!! LOL!! I have a feeling that 1. you will get a kick out of those, and 2. I think it will help you see that I am just like you!!! 😉

With that said, I am so ready for tomorrow, seeing that it is Friday!! and the weekend just cannot seem to get here fast enough right now! I get to go up to Portland to hang out with my aunties!! I JUST LOVE doing that!!

Anyway, I am an early to bed kind of girl, and it is getting late, so without further ado…

Here is to a FABULOUS evening! 😉

If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

Oh! and good night Grandmama Paula!!! 😉

My Artsy Advice for the Day!

Good morning,

Just a quick thought as I zip off to the office this morning!

When I find that I am suffering from artist block and the creative process just seems to be stuck, these are some of the steps I take to get unstuck!

Step away from what you are trying to work on. I once heard that Albert Einstein used to go to the movies whenever he was stuck with an idea, and usually half way through the movie he would have to leave because the idea would just hit him without him even trying.
Go for a relaxing walk. Fresh air, nature – nothing could be more rejuvenating for the soul.
Commit to something smaller – a post it note is way less intimidating than a large blank canvas. Once your creative muscles start flexing again, then your original project might flow better.
Doodle.
Pare down the supplies at your disposal for this project – sometimes too many choices can hinder your progress.
Put on some fun or inspiring music to help change your mood.
Sleep on it! Sometimes my best art work has come after a great nap, or an even better night’s sleep.

Just remember to hang in there! We all suffer from artist block every now and then, but not to worry! Before you know it, you will be back to creating up a storm in no time!!

I would love to see your work sometime!! Post a link in the comment section and I will be happy to see what you’ve been up to! Please don’t forget to subscribe.

Here is to a FABULOUSLY creative day! 🙂

If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

My Art Studio!

Good morning!

I am so excited to be posting this, this morning!

I started cleaning my “art studio” in my house, last Saturday! I thought it would be something that I could just take a weekend and get it done, BUT what it actually ended up being was the entire weekend, and every available hour all week, and part of another weekend to get this place under control!!

I went through every box, cubby, file, container, bucket, and every nook and cranny to make sure I touched EVERYTHING!!! Making sure that every single thing that I came across would be allowed to stay in my creative space!!

I am happy to report that it is now FINISHED!!! Whoo! Hoo!! 😉 Even though I realize that this room may stay this pristine for all of 5 minutes, at least I have photographic evidence that it was done, at one moment in time!! 😉

Please click on any picture to show larger. 🙂

The last thing that I want to do in this room, decorating-wise is to skirt the tables so that all of my miscellaneous clutter…er, I mean supplies are hidden. In the meantime, I am just so excited to get in here and start creating again!!

Here is to a FABULOUS day!! 😉

If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

Bliss List Friday

Good morning!!

“We seldom think of what we have but always of what we lack.”
–Schopenhauer

This was one of the inspirational quotes that floated across my desk today, and I felt this was fitting seeing that today is Bliss List Friday!

I firmly believe that happiness is based on focusing your energies on all that you have and not on what you don’t have. That is my motivation for Bliss List Friday; I want to share with you all that I am thankful this week, those things that bring me ultimate bliss; a reminder to myself that life is good and I am blessed. In turn I hope that this weekly list inspires you to focus on all that is good in your life.

Here is my Bliss List, in no particular order:

Singing at the top of my lungs in the car while driving myself to work!
Having a FABULOUS husband who makes me feel loved every single day!
Enjoying the warmth of my morning oatmeal in the middle of a sometimes hectic morning!
My sissy, Alex! She one of my best cheerleader, and sometimes you just need someone by your side who believes in you more than you believe in yourself!
Getting to have an Auntie Night with my niece, Megan! I just ADORE this little girl!!
Having my own space to create and make a big mess while arting my evening away! I know I am such a lucky girl!
Have a great book with which I can fall into reading! I am such a sucker for a rich story!!
Being able to hear the stories of other artists, namely Marisa Ann Cummings, from Creative Thursdays!
Dancing like a crazy person, when no one is watching!!!
Getting that wild, zany, blasted art room completely organized from top-to-bottom! Aaaaaah!! My spirit really, REALLY needed that!!

What would have on your Bliss List? I would love to hear in the comments section!

Here is to a FABULOUS day!

If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

Time for a Change!

Good morning!

I am not sure if you have noticed, maybe you have, but I really haven’t been blogging here as much as I used to.

I started ChristinaVille on April 4th, 2010, can you believe it has really been that long? My intention for starting ChristinaVille was to have an outlet to share my day-to-day ramblings with whomever would listen. I didn’t really have any other goal outside of my own personal wishes, and in the last few months, I have been really convicted that I need to be blogging, not just for myself, but for others. I am a firm believer that we are here to learn from each others experiences. I have been having a hard time with the fact that my blog name is ChristinaVille. I know, silly right? but hear me out – ChristinaVille is a monicker my family gave to me a long time ago because I always want things done my way; I guess it is the plight of being born the oldest to 5 girls. Evens though I still struggle with wanting things done my way a lot of the time, I want my message to encompass more than me.

More than anything I want to help women realize that their wildest dreams can come true, and they can truly have the life that they desire. To help make that happen, I have decided that I will no longer be updating ChristinaVille, and have started a new blog called This Artsy Life. I will however, keep ChristinaVille up on the internet so all of the many hundreds of posts that I have written thus far will continue to be available to anyone interested in reading them.

My goal at This Artsy Life is to create a space where women can find resources, and encouragement to go after their dreams, while living a creative, art-filled life. It will be an evolving process, and even as I speak about it now, I am not sure how I will make it happen, but I know in my soul that this is the next step in my evolution. It is my job to be brave and take it.

Starting over is scary, but I think that having a clean slate is going to be exactly what I need to get from where I am to where I want to be.

I would be so honored if you would join me there, and subscribe to This Artsy Life. I know that I still have a lot more to share in my life, and I would LOVE for you to be a part of my journey!

Thank you so much for so many FABULOUS days! Here is to many, many more!! 😉

If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

The Big Gala!

Good evening!

This is going to be a short post this evening! I have a to-do list that seems to be a mile long, but I promised my sister, Alexa, that I would share some pictures as soon as I was able to locate them. Well, I found them!! GO ME!!! 😉

My sweetie and I

I should probably tell you what these pictures are from. For those of you who may not already know, my sweetie and I had gastric bypass surgery this past year. My sweetie has lost 150+ pounds, and I am floating around a 95 pound loss. Anyway, every year the center where our FABULOUS team of doctors, nurses, nutritionists, physical therapists, psychologists, and counselors all do their day to day magic, host a big gala for all of their patients who have had the surgery.

My sweetie looking dapper in his tie! 😉

Needless to say, this was our first year going, and I have to tell you I was really nervous because I had no idea what to expect! Everyone gets all dressed up, and goes to the convention center here in town for a formal sit-down dinner. There is a professional photographer there and you basically get to share your stories with others, see you how your friends are doing, and pretty much just show off the newer slimmer, trimmer you!! It was like prom night for formerly obese people – ok, so that may not sound so glamorous, but trust me IT WAS!!!

Myself & BobbieJo! One of my FAVORITE peeps!!

We really did have an amazing time!! I look forward to going again next year, after I have been out of surgery for over a year! I can’t wait to see what I look like then!!

Anyway, we have not gotten our professional pictures yet, but I will be very happy to share those with you when I get my hands on them!!

Here is to a FABULOUS night! 🙂

If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

Beautiful Creatives

Empowering your juicy life!

Monthly Archives: February 2013

A Short and Sweet Post!

My Artsy Advice for the Day!

My Art Studio!

Bliss List Friday

“We seldom think of what we have but always of what we lack.”
–Schopenhauer

Time for a Change!

The Big Gala!

“We seldom think of what we have but always of what we lack.” –Schopenhauer

“We seldom think of what we have but always of what we lack.”
–Schopenhauer