....reach and some monday music

(my latest little creation)

i am feeling transition and change

surrounding me....

i am not sure if it is

the slight change of weather,

the knowledge that fall is

right around the corner,

the inspiration i have been

exposed to as of late,

the heavy but meaningful

conversations that i have held

near and dear to my heart

over the past several days....

i don't know....but i feel it,

i taste it.

and slowly but surely i am starting to "REACH"...

i am starting to feel it is time

for me to put one foot in front of the other...

easing closer and closer to the edge...

and then...

taking that LEAP!!!!

anyone else want to join me???

here is my choice for today's music...

it's from a soundtrack i never tire of!

xoxo

question....

i am looking for a name to call my

little guy in this painting.

any ideas as i have several sketches with him??

....good find friday and a blessing

happy friday friends!

i wanted to share with you a few

"finds" that either

made me smile,

made me laugh,

made me cry...

or all three at ONCE!!!

* THIS brought tears to my eyes

and a smile to my heart...Tara and Bella

deliver quite the message we ALL

should take straight to our hearts!!!

(why aren't we all more like this??)

*i am simply in love

with THIS artists work....

if you haven't already...

check it out!!

*THIS lovely shop that

recently opened by THIS

lovely soul

AND

on a side note....

(but tHEEE absolute best part of my week)

i became an auntie again to sweet

Isabella Monroe Vancil

born yesterday!!

mom and baby are happy and healthy!!!

this news made me laugh,

made me smile and

made me cry

many many many tears of joy!

another blessing from above!!

so, did you find

any "finds" this week???

say whaaaaaaaat wednesday???

HAPPY WEDNESDAY FRIENDS!

i am not sure about everyone else out there...

but for me since summer is over

i am trying to get

back into routine,

get a little more structured,

get a little more disciplined

with my time,

etc...

so today...

tell me...

DO YOU HAVE A MORNING "RITUAL"

TO HELP YOU START YOUR DAY??

For me...

I like to try to rise before the rest of my household

(now that schools' back in session),

grab my cup of coffee (this is a MUST),

sit down and write my "morning pages"

and then head out on a walk before

my house wakes up!!!

what do you do???

please share!!

oh and....how fun was last week

reminiscing about our tween/teen crushes?!?!?

SOOOO FUN!!!!!

thanks for playing along!

xoxox

monday music inspiration.....

(first day of school)

when Sydnie was about 1 and Sophia

was 4....she turned, wrapped her arms

around her, looked at her and said

"ill stand by you".

(que mom....goosebumps, tears!!!)

now they are 10 and 7 and even

though they fight like cats and dogs....

(and let me tell ya...they DO!)

i know she would still say

to her little sister...

"ill stand by you".

so...tell me,

who do you stand by???

xxoo

.......say whaaaaaaaaaat wednesday???!!!

HAPPY HAPPY HUMP DAY

MY FRIENDS!!!!

thank you all for taking part in last week's question

about things we are DARING to do!!

so fun to read everyone's responses!

so today....

tell me this....

WHO WAS YOUR TWEEN/TEENAGE

FAMOUS CRUSH???!!!

having 3 daughters (almost 16, 10 and 7 going on 21)...

i always hear the "oooohing and aaaahing"

over taylor lautner, justin bieber, the jo bros,

rob pattinson....it makes me giggle

and takes me back to thinking

about who my big crushes were!!

this sexy many was my absolute, positive

#1 crush....there was really no one who came close....

i mean look at those long locks, the full lips,

the sex appeal!!! i think i have

seen him in concert more time than

i can count!!

and...

look at him now....

better than ever!!

come play along!!

can't wait to hear!!

xxoo

.....monday music inspiration

HAPPY HAPPY MONDAY!!!

hope everyone had a wonderfilled

weekend!!!

wanted to share a pic

of my oldest

Mackenzie.

today was her first

day of 10th grade

i can hardly believe she will be 16

in less than 2 months!!!!

and i can hardly believe

i will be an auntie

again in less than a month!!!!!

here is a pic of the journal

i made for my sis-in-law

and brother (and of course

their little bundle)

her theme for the nursery is

classic pooh

so i thought this would fit

perfectly!!!

i cannot wait to see what they fill

up the pages with!!!

And here is my choice

for today's monday music....

feels like a Beatles kind of day!!

so....what about you...

what music is

inspiring you on this monday???

.....a day late

i am a day late for my

"say whaaaaaaat wednesday".....

SORRY!!!

my days are all screwed up for some reason!!!

so....please watch this video

then answer

THIS question....

what do Y O U

DARE to do?????

i can't wait to hear!!!

xoxoxo

....loving things for what they are

i was out and about visiting blogs yesterday

and stumbled upon THIS fabulous post!!

so...i wanted to post some of the things

that i love for what they are.

my silly, silly girls who always make me laugh

the view outside my window on my trip

back home to illinois

rain on a hot summer day

seeing God's creatures in their natural habitat

the spirit of life that so obviously resides

inside my youngest

fun times with good friends

my goofy almost 16 year old daughter

at dinner last night

crispy green beans from P.F. Chang's

(truly addictive)

the way candlelight dances throughout

my home each night

"we love the things we love for what they are"

- robert frost

so...what are some of the things

you love for what they are???

.....sisters

"sisters" come to us in

many, many

different ways....

there are those "sisters" who

we can talk with for hours and who

make us laugh so hard

we pee our pants...

there are those "sisters" who become

sisters through marriage

and are better for it...

there are "those" sisters

who have an innate desire

to protect those younger than them...

there are those "sisters" who

you meet through blogging or

an art retreat

who "get" you and have your back...

who you find hard to believe you

didn't know your entire life...

and there are those "sisters" who

share our childhood,

our ups and

our downs,

and love us in spite of all our craziness

and will pray for us when we need it

and guard our secrets with their lives.

but quite simply....

when it comes down to it,

we are ALL

Sisters at Heart!

i am beyond grateful for all the "sisters"

i am blessed enough to have in my life.

so...

let your "sisters" know today

how much you love and appreciate them!!

i know i am!!!

because, after all...

what would you do without em???!!!

thank you my sweet sisters at heart!

xoxo

say whaaaaaaaat wednesday???

happy wednesday my sweet friends!!

i hope your week has been good to you!!

i am finally back from the couple

family vacations we have been on

and am hopeful to get all caught

up visiting everyone's blogs

very soon!

i've missed you all!!!!

so today,

i would love to know...

(just began this commissioned piece today...)

what have you been

working on lately

or

have been inspired to do??

sending love

xoxo

(if you get a chance....hop on over here

to one of my most favorite persons' blog and

wish her a big, fat happy birthday!!!)

highway 395

"Every good painter

paints what he is"

-Jackson Pollock