Category Archives: Community

We Are Officially Camping!

Good evening!

Well, we have made it to Beverly Beach, and after a couple of hours futzing around, we finally made camp! WHEW!!! I love our version of roughing it!! We have two queen size air mattresses, fully loaded with all the trimmings!! Comforters, fuzzy blankets, high thread count sheets, and goose down feather pillows. The works!!! Does that make me spoiled??? 😉

That is alright, I will take spoiled any day!! I work hard for this mini vacation!!! 😉 Anyway, Jason is totally in his element, being my outdoorsy man and all, and our two girls are shivering and not really sure what to do with themselves yet, but as soon as they saw that the tent was up, they knew EXACTLY where they wanted to be (they have camped with us enough times)! They want to be snuggled up in bed!! That’s my girls!! 😉

I just LOVE camping with Jason!! He is such a hoot! He is constantly making me laugh, and he lives to be of help, so he likes babying me, and I like letting him! He is pretty much in charge while we are camping, which is almost a complete role reversal from our normal, everyday lives. Maybe THAT is why I LOVE IT SO MUCH!! Thank you, Honey, for taking such good care of me!! 😉

We weren’t planning on it, since I did bring so much reading material from home anyway, but Jason decided that since we WERE AT THE COAST AFTER ALL, that we just had no choice but to go to our favorite little used book store in Lincoln City. It is Robert’s books, and to say it is little?? Well, not so much! It is actually HUGE, and I could literally spend all day there looking for all sorts of reading treasures!!! So when he suggested it, I had a fleeting moment of but, honey, I already have all of these books, and then stopped myself mid-thought and said, “Sure! Why not?” and so we stopped!! Thank you, Love, for knowing what mamma really needs!!! 😉

Anyway, we are out camping, but forgot a “few” things, of course, and so we have driven the 15 or so miles to the nearest Wal-Mart to pick up those “needed” supplies! I am sitting in the car, keeping the girls company, or are they keeping me company? It is hard to say! It is starting to drizzle outside, which is fine – we knew it would, so we are absolutely prepared, being true Oregonians and all!! You have to be ready for any and all chances of rain!!

Work went pretty well today! I had gotten a HUGE assignment done and off to my end user today, which made me feel good. It has also given me the freedom not to worry about the office so that I can just relax, stay in the moment, and just enjoy our trip!

My sister, Alice, and her family will be joining us tomorrow a little after 4 pm. I can’t wait!! I really miss seeing my adorable little nephews!! They know all about their crazy Aunty Chrissy and her ever-present camera. It is something that my family just pretty much humors me with, because I am almost constantly taking their pictures!!! I think they secretly like it…I’m just sayin’! 😉

Anyway, we are going to head back to the campgrounds, and take our girls for a nice walk, before crawling into bed so we can get up nice and early in the morning!! That is one of the BEST perks about camping – it is perfectly acceptable to live without the presence of clocks of any kind. Time is an illusion, one that quickly becomes a non-factor when we are on vacation together!! Oh, SWEET BLISS!!!

Until I chat with you again tomorrow…

Have a FABULOUS evening!!

A Tuesday Art Night!

Good evening!

I know I told you that I was going to try and post pics of the new pendant I made, but unfortunately it was very cold in the room it was drying in, and apparently needs more time to dry, so I am not going to mess with it this evening!

In lieu of that, I have decided to share a picture with you that I had taken a couple of weeks ago that I had taken while I was out on an artist date with myself! I have not been able to stop thinking about this art work for some reason.

This artist’s art intrigued me right away because the theme for her work for 2010 was “Fearless” and if you might remember that is a word that is becoming near and dear to my heart. The artist’s name is Dayna Collins.

These paintings are all on display at Venti’s in downtown Salem – you know my favorite little bistro to have dinner on my solo artist’s dates!!!

Well, one of my most recent artist’s dates I was enjoying my dinner there, I picked up a copy of the Salem Weekly. I was pleasantly surprised to see an article in there about Dayna and her art. It seemed rather serendipitous, to say the least. Dayna is a mixed media artist, and these pieces came about because she was afraid of drawing, and more specifically, she was afraid of drawing faces, so she knew that drawing faces was exactly what she was going to have to do if she was going to overcome this fear. Something that I myself am trying to do with my own artful endeavors! 😉

Well, I am very glad that she did, because I have thoroughly enjoyed looked at her paintings. There is just something unique about them that make you want to smile!  I also found out by reading the article that she actually hosts Artist’s Way Creative Cluster, and now I am intrigued to look into that and see what all that is about, and if it is something that I might be interested in being a part of!!

Oh, the creative possibilities that open up right in front of your eyes if only you are open to seeing them!!!

God is good!!!

Anyway, I am going to toodle my booty into bed and get a good night’s rest!!! We are heading out camping for a long weekend tomorrow, but no worries, I am still going to take some opportunities to blog while I am out – so you won’t miss a thing!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

Fearless!

Good evening!
I thought the word “Fearless” would be an appropriate term for this evening!! I just got done with my belly dancing class, and I am feeling TERRIFIC!!! Tonight was the last class of a three month session, and we are now off for a 3 week span until the next round of classes start. That is a little bummy, but I MUST tell you, that I just CAN NOT BELIEVE that I DID IT!!!

pssst…Let me divulge a HUGE secret to you right now, I am a 320 pound woman, and I am

BELLY DANCING!!

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!?!?!?!

I still have to pinch myself to make sure that I am ACTUALLY living my life and not just dreaming all of this!

Within the past 3 months, I have found a confidence that I NEVER thought possible, and NOW I REALIZE NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!! My momma was right, I CAN do anything I put my mind to, if I am willing to do the work to earn it!! Man, she was ONE SMART COOKIE!! It is too bad that it took me 35 years to learn that she was telling me the ABSOLUTE truth!!

Something happens to me when I am dancing! Time flies, I feel like a child again, and even though I am sweating and starting to get sore, I push through because I am having such a FUN TIME, and for one brief moment, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and say, “WHO IS THAT WOMAN? I WANT TO BE HER!!! and I look again, and realize IT IS ME!!! LOL! 🙂 THAT, my friends, is called GROWTH!!

I think I realize that THE KEY, for me is to find the FUN IN FITNESS!! Dancing, swimming, hula hooping, skating, bike riding! These are the things that I NEED to be doing to get healthy, but not doing them to get healthy, but just for the act of bringing more fun into my life – fitness will come, if I can play in this kind of way!

So, for now, my word is FEARLESS! I can do it! I just have to be FEARLESS to take that first step, EVERY SINGLE DAY!! FEARLESS!! I can do it, and I know that you can too!!!

Something to think about: What is something that you can do to add a little more FUN back into your life???

Have a FABULOUS evening!!

Back to the Art!

Good evening!

My youngest sister, Trina, has gone back home *SNIFF*, so life is returning back to normal around here, at least for a few days!!

I decided to come straight home this evening and get back to do some serious creating!!

You can’t be an artist if you don’t take the time to create!

One of the biggest mental blocks that I have been struggling with is that I have a tendency to really judge my creations rather harshly, which I would NEVER do if it were a friend of mine creating them. So, I have decided that I am going to create a piece and just put it out into the universe so that it doesn’t matter what I think of it, good or bad!! The point is to get the art expressed, to get it out there and move on, and in doing so, learn, try some more and get better!

I have been doing some art for the past week or so, and I have decided that today would be the day that I would share it with you – AKA, the Universe!!! 😉 If you would like to comment on any of them, that is fine, but please be kind, I am just learning, and experimenting!!

Like Coco Chanel once said, “I don’t care what you think about me, I hardly ever think about you!” AND although, NOT my sentiments exactly, I understand what she was trying to say! This is the thing that I have to remind myself about my inner critic. I don’t care what you say, it is not worth listening to anyway!

So back to the art:

Here is a sketch I did while I was sitting in the car with all of the windows down, listening to the ocean waves crashing on the beach! That was a GREAT moment!!

Here is the picture of what I was actually looking at!

Here is a mini collage, that helped get me unstuck creatively! It is only about 4 inches by 6 inches – THAT, I felt, I COULD commit to!! This took me less than 20 minutes, but I really like it!

This is one of two gel skins that I created a couple of days ago!!

Here is the other gel skin. My only problem now, is that I am not exactly sure how/where to use them!! I may have to create a collage just to feature these skins!! 😉

Here is an experiment on wood that I have been working on! It was gorgeous and then I thought I “messed it up”, but decided to keep moving forward with it anyway! I am really loving how the light plays through all of the blues, greens, silvers on this piece. This may have to become a background for an awesome word, or a fairy or such!! It just seems very dream-like to me.

Wanting to use EVERY opportunity as a possible creative one, I did this little doodle while I was doing my Artist’s Way homework (for week 8, as you can see), but also people watching! So these rough sketches are a mish-mash of all sorts of people I was seeing.

Here is a continuation on one of my very first pieces, and I think that I am very happy with it. It represents a well-used life to me. About all of the people who come and go in and out of your life, and leave impressions behind of themselves – both good and bad! Yes, I think that this one is FINALLY done!

And last but not least, this one is a collage that I have been working on, and finally finished! I think that this is a happy collage, one that reminds me somehow of the sky, wind, movement, and dancing!! I see dancing when I see this one!

Well, at least that is my take on it all! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they say!! I will continue to create and use my bravery muscles to keep sharing, no matter how dreadful I think something might be – again, not the point is it!!!

I would encourage all of you to get out there, find what you are good at, put your bravery muscles to good work and get your creativity flowing!! I can’t wait to see what you make!!

Until then…

Have a FABULOUS evening!

Megan’s Last Soccer Game of the Season!

Good evening!

This weekend we got the opportunity to watch Megan’s last soccer game of the season!!

Here is “Coach Lynette” AKA our sis!! and I just love that in this pictured John and Christopher are wrestling in the background – I hadn’t realized that when I took this picture!! LOL! 😉

This is how we found Morgan, hanging out with Michael, taking pictures – just like Michael!! HOW SWEET!! 😉

Here is my sister, Trina, watching the game!!

 

Trina let me do her hair that morning, and she even liked it enough to wear it for the day!!!! I LOVE BRAIDING HER HAIR!!! 😉

 

Go Pink Panthers!!

Megan’s tongue out is for balance!! She is very AERODYNAMIC!! 😉

Jason and Trina watching the game!

“Hey coach, my shoe keeps coming untied!!” 😉

“Michael, let me help you “Fix” your hat! Can you see now??”

Here are the ‘boys’ playing to get a wooden egg that Uncle Jason has under his foot!

I know it is hard to tell in this picture, but Uncle Jay-Jay is actually spinning Morgan all the way around!!! WATCH OUT CHRIS!!! 😉

This is what the kids call “Tunnel”! Whenever you finish a game, the adults make a tunnel with their hands and the kids run through while everyone is whoo-hoo-ing!! I think the next day I have a bad day at work, I am going to request a tunnel too! That will cheer ANYONE up!! 😉

Here is the entire Pink Panther team!!

Megan and her Uncle Jay-Jay!

Jason and his sis, Nette!! Aren’t they cute?

Here is Megan after her awards ceremony! She won the “Dazzling Defender” medal!! and she is A DAZZLING DEFENDER!! I am just so proud of her – it is always amazing to me to see these pictures of her and realize just how grown up she is getting!!!

Well, I have waaaay more pics of our time together – her soccer game was just the beginning, however it is getting late, so I have decided to share some more of our pictures tomorrow!!

Until then…

Have a FABULOUS evening!

SLUMBER PARTY!

Good evening!

I would LOVE to write this evening, but my sweetie, Jason, my youngest sister, Trina, and my niece, Megan, are all in the middle of a very happening slumber party, and I just can’t stop the party now!!

I have take a TON of pics today, and I am sure that I will have more tomorrow, but they will all have to wait until tomorrow!!

I am soooo blessed! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening!!

Happy Coastal Friday!

Good evening!

Trina, Jason and I  all spent the day at the Oregon coast today, and had a blast!! We have gotten home not too long ago and we are all pooped out!! But we REALLY had the MOST fun!! 😉

My youngest sister, Trina, and my sweetie, Jason! Aren’t they soooo cute!?!?!

Now Trina and I!

Me and my sweetie!!

We followed this flock of birds that were flying really low to the ocean. We started with them in Depot Bay, and when we got back to Lincoln City, we were SURE that we saw the same group of birds again!! TOO FUNNY!! 😉

Look at this happy girl!

Her and Jason had found two little “friends” while exploring down at the beach!

I am not sure who is the bigger kid here!! HAHAHAHA!!! I just LOVE these two kiddos!! 😉

This is what my sweetie looks like when he is absolutely having a GREAT day!!! 😉

He picked up a new piece of drift wood that he is going to spend the next few months having fun carving! I can’t wait to see what he comes up with!

I just LOVE going to the beach, and going with family makes it even that much more special!!  We spent the day playing at the beach, shopping for used books, searching for saltwater taffy and peanut butter fudge (yes, Daddy, we heard you!! ;-)), eating good food, and hanging out having a FANTASTIC time!! 😉

I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening! 😉

Mamma Needed That!

Good evening!

I had a pretty rough day today, and it just seemed to get worse when I got home – HOWEVER!!! I just finished watching one of Craig Ferguson’s comedy shows, and I

LAUGHED MY HEINIE OFF!!!

I REALLY NEEDED THAT!!

Laughter really is the best medicine, isn’t it??

Well, tonight is Chunky Dunker’s night, and I have to admit that this week I have been doing pretty well, foodwise, and have lost about 7 1/2 pounds total!! YEAH!! That is pretty impressive when I think that I have been steadily going up every week instead of going down, and NOW my body decides to cooperate! That is alright, better late then never!!!

My sister Trina is coming up from Roseburg tomorrow to stay with us for the weekend! That will be a lot of fun! I am taking Friday off of work so that we can go spend the day together over at the coast! I CAN’T WAIT!!! I just know we are going to have a lot of fun, and don’t worry I will make sure to take lots of pictures to share!!! 😉 I am going to miss her whole first evening in town, because I am working and have my dance class tomorrow night, but I know it will just give Trina and Jason time to spend some quality time together!!!

Have I told you that my sweetie has been sick?? He has been coughing like a fiend and is really congested in the chest – it almost sounds like bronchitis!! Not fun!! I am happy to report that he is feeling better today, he practically slept the past two days away!! So, to see him up and moving around, albeit slowly, is still encouraging!! He is DETERMINED to be better by the time Trina gets up here tomorrow!! One way or the other, the weekend is going to be a blast!!!

Alrighty, I am going to wrap this bad boy up this evening!! I am meeting some of my fellow Chunky Dunkers in the comments section of this post this evening!! So, I had better get to it!

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

A Day of Soccer!

Good evening!

I have spent the day slowly, but surely clearing out paperwork in my art studio/office today!! Sometimes I feel like I will ever get done, but I am determined!! I will share pics of my progress tomorrow. Tonight, however, I want to share some pics of my niece’s soccer game yesterday! Her team is so cute, they are called the Pink Panthers.

This is my niece, Megan. This is her people watching face. I just LOVE this little girl!! 😉

Here is the entire team in a huddle. Lynette, Megan’s mom, is the coach!! ISN’T THAT COOL!?!?!?

Here is Megan doing one of her power kicks. She likes playing defense, and played there for almost the entire game.

Here she is again, trying to get ahead of the ball!

These girls are just so amazing, running around the field like little banshees!

They seemed to almost never poop out! AMAZING!!

I am not sure if you can tell or not, but the field was soooo muddy!! Lynette warned me to bring yucky shoes so that they could get muddy, and thankfully I listed!! It was really slimy!!

The girls did a good job staying on their feet. Only one girl slipped and fell, but she rolled with it and hopped right back up again! She was kind of proud to have gotten muddy! EEK! 😉

The white team was called the Chiquitas, and they had some AMAZING talent and speed on their side!

Here is Megan talking with one of her teammates and friends! I just LOVE watching their little facial expressions when they are being serious! TOO CUTE!! 😉

This is the hands of the little girl that fell and got right back up, she was showing me the sparkles all over her hands. She told me there was pixie dust all over the ground!! LOL! 😉

Here  is another one of the girls guarding herself from one of Megan’s power kicks!! I would cringe too! 😉

Run girls, RUN!!!

These are two of the smaller girls on the team, aren’t they just adorable!!! I could just scoop them up and put them in my pocket!! 😉

And, I just HAD to get a pic of this little guy. This is one of the girls’ little brother, and he was all over the place kicking his little red rubber ball as if he were playing soccer too!!! Such sweetness!! 😉

All-in-all, it was a fun game to watch!! The kids seemed to really have a lot of fun too!! Unfortunately, I think the Pink Panthers lost, but they sure gave it their all on that field this week!! Both my sweetie and I will be going to her game next Saturday, we will also be bringing my sister, Trina with us – Megan will get a big kick out of that! She thinks Trina is waaaay cool!! We do too!!

GO PANTHERS!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

I’m Cutting It Close!

Good evening!

I know that it is extremely late, but I haven’t missed blogging at least one post every single day since sometime in mid-December, and there is no way that I am going to let myself break that streak now!!!

I have had a really good day today!! I got up and did my morning pages, as usual. Got dressed and ready, and headed out to watch my niece play soccer, I should have some pics that I can post tomorrow!!! Afterwards, I headed out to the craft store where I did some serious damage to my bank account!!! 😉 and then headed home to meet up with my sweetie so that we could go out on a date.

After picking Jay up, we headed over to Borders for a few hours, and then out to a nice visit where we were able to catch up on our days!! By this time it was kinda late for us, Jason really wanted to go watch the new X-Men movie, and the idea kind of intrigued me, so the new spontaneous Christina, said, “Why not?” So off we went!!

Well, I am so glad we did! It was such a good movie, with a great cast of characters! I highly recommend getting out there and watching it!!!

Well, until tomorrow, when I am not so pressed to beat the clock…

Have a FABULOUS evening!!!