Category Archives: Motivation

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!! 😉

A Random Monday!

Good evening!

It is a picture perfect beautiful day outside this evening! I have spent a good portion of my evening up in my art studio. I have been busy dabbling, as I have a tendency to do! I am trying so hard to be an artist that in all honesty I am just frustrating the heck out of myself!

When I got home after work tonight, I decided that I was going to make a few charms for a charm bracelet that I wanted to make, but the soldering gun that my sweetie and I had picked up is just too low of quality and doesn’t get nearly as hot as it needs to be to work properly. So, that will just have to wait a little longer until I get that jewelry soldering gun that I should have gotten in the first place – save money on the unimportant stuff, splurge on the things that you will need at your disposal for as long as possible! Lesson learned! 😉

I tell myself!
“Ok, I am not going to get frustrated, I will just have to try something else.”

So, I decide to get out my resin and try my hand at making myself a motivational charm for a stacked necklace. My resin charm didn’t turn out exactly the way I had intended, but it is upstairs setting all the same, and I will know in the morning if it is something that I will be willing to wear! But from initial thoughts on it – it won’t be perfect, but it will be something I can work with. It is only my first resin piece after all!

I am just LOVING the idea of making some jewelry. I think jewelry is so unique and can really express a person’s unique style so well, and it is something that, in the past, I have been pretty good at! Plus, I just LOVE beads, wire, soldering, hammering, the idea of metal smithing – because I have never actually tried it before, and I love the way that each piece turns out! There is something very gratifying knowing that you have made something that you see someone else wearing!

I really want to perfect some of the techniques that I am learning so that I can make some really cool personalized gifts that I will be able to give away for Christmas presents this year! I know that all of the women in my life will LOVE that! I hope!! 😉

You know what would be my ULTIMATE dream…besides a happy family, and owning that farm that my sweetie and I always dream of…it would be to have a way to make a living doing something creative that feels like I am honoring my authentic self – isn’t that just a novel concept??? Sometimes I am very envious of those people who have walked away from their corporate jobs and are fulfilling their lifelong dream of making a living doing what they love. If I could incorporate jewelry, art, words, people, flexibility, and fun into a career, I would be as happy as a clam!!! Anyone hiring for anything like that right now??? LOL! Let me know, will ya?! 😉

I am a firm believer that God provides for you everything you need, at exactly the right moment, I am just impatiently waiting for my moment, I suppose! 😉

Anyway, I have finally come down for the evening, and I have decided to watch a couple of quick episodes of The Andy Griffith Show before I climb into bed for the evening while reading a little of my most current book, I Am Number Four, by Pitticus Lore. It is pretty good, in case you were interested! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening!!

ONE LAST THING: I will make sure to take a few pictures of my necklace in the morning, and share them with you tomorrow! 😉

Motivational Quote of the Day!

Here is your motivational quote for today!

“Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music – the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.”
~Henry Miller

Have a FABULOUS afternoon!! ;-)

Happy Father’s Day!

Good evening!

HAPPY FATHER”S DAY!!

My dad is pretty awesome! He has always accepted his Father’s day gifts of ties, handmade ash trays, and who-all knows what else! No matter how old we get, us girls will always be his babies, and it both makes me blush, and proud EVERY time I hear it!!

You know my dad has been very protective of all of us girls for as long as I can remember. I know that when my sweetie and I got together almost 17 years ago, my dad was as protective as ever! Thankfully, my dad and my husband both became friends, and I have a hard time having them NOT rub off on each other when they hang out!! LOL!!! They are so similar, it is sometimes scary!! 😉

I must say that even though my dad and I have not always gotten along, I am so thankful for the relationship that we have grown, and nurtured! He is someone that I am VERY thankful to have in my life, and someone I love more than he will even know!!!

I love you, Daddy!!! Happy Father’s Day!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening!