The Artist At Rest

In a recent conversation with my artsy bestie, Ashlie Blake, aka Painting Bliss, we couldn't figure out what was up with the universal stalemate going on this summer.  We ended the spring with a bang! Published artwork, debut articles, and creative abundance.  But just like a kid mid-summer break, the doldrums have swept in!  No schedule, bad eating habits, and vacation slacking has taken it's toll.

"We are not lost and hell-bound!" We assured one another, "We are transitioning." 

 Now is the time for inaction! A self-gentle allowance to put down the work and enjoy our families, our friends, and all the silliness we put aside when we are hard at work.

 

 Time to hear the subtle changes happening around us. The deepening laughter of our children as they grow older, their nudges for independence, and our own vocal wavering as we reluctantly let them go to play a little farther from the safe shore of our arms.

Time to sleep in a bit later, take that nap, and admire the very good works of others instead of forcing our own growth.  Strong roots are not formed under duress.  And though we feel guilty if we aren't creating everyday the truth is no one, no thing, can perform 100% of the time. 

 So let us be still.  Let us listen to the universe and rest as we take it all in. After all, summer is a time of transition, marking the end of one growth spurt, and preparing for the next.

So to Ashlie, and all my dear friends, rest now.  We are not lost.  We are transcending.

 

LOVE  &  GROWTH

Summer Teal

Twelve years of school are winding to a close, college acceptance has been achieved, and vacation plans are now pen marked on the summer calendar.  Relatives will be arriving this week for graduation celebrations and laughter will replace the hectic hurry of the school year.  The squalor in the parlor has been neatly tidied and I am left to contemplate the simple joys in front of me.

Teal has always been my serenity color.  It calms me.  Soothing as the sea and crisp as line-dried linen, I could swim in this color forever.  It is the siren shade of fresh starts and reminds me that I have two months before Baby Girl leaves home and starts her new life three hundred miles west in San Antonio.  I think of all the blessings that have paved her path and I am so thankful for the journey of motherhood. Teal was Baby Girl's nursery color eighteen years ago, so perhaps it's no coincidence I am craving this color palette today.

She is wood and crystal.  Stubborn, like her father, and beautiful (like her mother- snicker snicker snortle!)- she is a simple country girl with the complexity of prisms in sunlight. I don't worry about her going off to college because she is a traveler at heart- a student of the world and she is not one content to be confined.  I know letting her go is the beginning to her own spectacular journey.  So for the days and weeks ahead I will enjoy the simplicity, wander our vacation world, and enjoy every moment alongside the teal waters under the rotund Texas sun.

 

LOVE  &  LETTING GO

FOLK Summer 2013 Preview!!

 

FOLK Magazine~ the perfect summer companion!

FOLK Summer 2013 is due to hit the stands in the coming weeks and it is alive with the spirit of New England! Perhaps it is because summer lasts for such a short time in the North East that the towns and people of this region burst into life, welcoming natives and tourists alike to take in the birthplace of American freedom and ingenuity.

Visually stunning (as always), FOLK lays out the North East from every angle.  Veteran FOLK writers walk the reader through the two biggest cities, New York and Boston, while FOLK readers have submitted their takes on other popular destinations such as Portland, Maine.  Vacation memoirs, reader's photos, and essays on iconic New England life fill the nooks and crannies of FOLK Summer 2013. 

Take in the artists of the North East as FOLK introduces artists such as, Johanne Cassia and leads a tour of her beautiful Ipswitch home. Stitch up a treasure with Trudy Honeycutt's complimentary primitive doll pattern.  Meet the creative minds behind jewelry innovators JuNxtaposition and Bel Monili.  Be tempted by the food sirens as well!  All hail the berry in this summer issue which includes mouth watering recipes for strawberry jam, cherry butter, blueberry sundaes, and fresh fruit parfait! 

Though FOLK Summer 2013 focuses on the North East, the constant theme of Homegrown America burns brightly.  In an ever-growing global community, FOLK unites people striving to rekindle Main Street America.  By sharing stories of family traditions, local history, and heirloom recipes, the fabric of the future is weaved with the past.  By spotlighting current retailers grounded on American made quality, consumers find the rewards of shopping local.  By reviving Main Street as a commerce destination, the dream of those early New England colonists' remains strong: an authentic life based on freedom and ingenuity.

If you haven't subscribed to FOLK Magazine yet, the Summer 2013 issue is the perfect time to start!

 

LOVE  &  LIVE AUTHENTIC!

Prim Party Time!!

It's celebration time in the Old Farmhouse Gathering!  Today the Etsy OFG artists bring out a sneak preview of summer wares, prims, quilts, painting and rustic country goodies to feather your nest!

Graphic by ewe-n-me printables

Search SFCOFG on Etsy to see prims on parade!

Hand of Bela Peck is represented by

Cecil.....

 Ambrose......

 LaDell....

And their fave pin cushion to rest their tired heads upon at night!

Swing by the Etsy farmhouse and see what's new for summer before all the goodies are gone!

 

LOVE  &  PARTY TIME!

Journey Satchel

If I could sum up the past year in one word it would be "JOURNEY".  Yes, all in caps because the word is so versatile it can swing from a romantic ideal to a sarcastic enthusiasm for the year's events.  There have been incredible highs, new opportunities, speed bumps, trying lows and nail biting suspense.  I have weathered it all, held fast to the ship and currently use the word journey with deep gratitude.

Along this journey I have made unbelievable connections and formed friendships with artists I've admired for years.  I have leaped out of my reserved shell to promote my business. Failures became opportunities to improve and be better from the fall. I feel the approving hands of my ancestors guiding me on this journey and that is why I chose the whaling ship as my summer satchel theme.  With family roots deep in the early American whaling industry, the sea air is the wind in my soul.

I have a special project in mind for the first dozen of these wee gems which I will share in a later post.  The Journey Satchel is made of aged cotton, lightly stuffed with a mix of fiberfill and lavender flowers.  I hand pick the shells straight from the Galveston shore where wee shorebirds have done the piercing job for me. Placed by an open window, the breeze sends in light whispers of lavender.  A perfect summer scent for whatever journeys await us all just ahead.

 

LOVE  &  JOURNEYS