I'm late, I'm late...

crabapple tree, Washington, D.C.

I am late with these spring photos as well as with an award I received a looong while ago from the lovely Kay. Her blog is "Georgia Girl with an English Heart" and so worth visiting. She lives here in northern Georgia and at the same time a piece of her heart is at home in England. Her blog posts are always an interesting mix of thoughts, questions, and gorgeous photos!

azalea in our garden

A while ago she so kindly gave me the Versatile Blogger award in which I am to tell seven things about myself.

chinese fringe tree, Savannah, GA

I thought I'd intersperse those seven items with spring photos, some of which are from our yard, some from Savannah and the rest from our recent travels up the East Coast.

Rather than just telling you seven facts about myself, I thought I tell you seven things (if I can come up with that many) that have surprised me in the last few years.

camellia, Duke Gardens, NC

1. I love to write. 

That's a big surprise! I never considered myself even mediocre at writing, but starting my blog three years ago has changed all that. Not only does this kind of writing come easily to me, I also truly enjoy it and wouldn't want to do without it anymore.

not sure what this was, Washington, D.C.

2. I can no longer imagine my life without making art.

Another huge surprise. I lived very happily without making any kind of art or much of anything creative for 43 years. Then suddenly I started painting and everything has changed. I now consider myself an artist. Just goes to show. It's never too late and life always has surprises in store for us...

tulips, Duke Gardens, NC

3. Blogging has brought me closer to my German roots.

This is something I truly did not expect! Never!! But through a few blog visitors from Germany, I became familiar with the German blog world (my list of great German blogs in on my left sidebar), which is every bit as creative and beautiful as our blog world here. This has brought me in contact with everyday life in many parts of Germany, some of which I've never even been to and I am loving it.  I moved away so many years ago and it's been so enriching being able to connect to that part of myself. Vielen Dank!!

tulips and violas, Duke Gardens, NC

4. Through my blog my world has become much bigger and at the same time smaller.

When I started my blog, it was basically to have a record of my creative unfolding when I started painting. I didn't know the first thing about blogging. I didn't know that anyone could follow my blog. I was doing this only for myself, my close friends and my family.

The day the first "stranger," a fellow artist left a comment for me and I visited her blog, it changed everything. And now, on a daily basis, I visit my blog friends all over the world which has so enriched my life and significantly expanded my horizon. At the same time, there are no barriers of distance in this medium, which makes our world so beautifully small.

magnolia tree (deciduous), Duke Gardens, NC

5. Finding a truly supportive community. 

I did not expect that when starting my blog, but I find that this blogging community is truly something special. Most of us have never met in person, yet we care about each other. Truly. And not just theoretically. I've seen it again and again. In very tangible ways - the uplifting of someone who has had bad news, the support (even financial) of someone who is going through a tough time, or the rallying together of many to send a surprise package or a flood of handmade cards to someone whose life has become overwhelming. It makes me proud to be a part of this group!

dogwood tree, Jamestown, VA

6. I stick with things. 

Here's a big surprise. You know how we all have opinions about ourselves, some of which being incredibly false? Maybe they are leftovers from the past. For me one of those was thinking of myself as someone who doesn't stick with anything. So not true!!

I've been blogging almost daily now for three years - actually yesterday was my blog anniversary if I remember that correctly (yeah!!!) - and I have no plans to stop! In fact, I love it! So, you all are stuck with me for a while longer...

lenten rose, Duke Gardens, NC 

7. I actually finish things.

Another huge misconception being proven wrong. I always thought of myself as someone who loves to start projects but then loses interest and doesn't finish them. Again ... not true! In the last three years I have finished over 150 pieces of art and knitted and crocheted and sewn probably again as many things.

It seems that slowly but surely I am discovering my true self and I like what I'm seeing!

ornamental pear tree, our garden

Now I am supposed to pass this award along to seven other people. Here's something else I've learned about myself - I don't like to exclude anyone. So, instead, just go to my english-speaking blog list on my right and/or my german-speaking blog list on my left sidebar and pick one you haven't visited yet, leave them a comment and maybe make a new blog friend!

I am so grateful for all of you! You are making this creative journey of mine even more fun than it already is...

And thank you again, Kay, for passing this award on to me!! I'm so glad we met in blog land and I am sure we'll meet in person one of these days, both of us living in Georgia...

Kindnesses - Awards

Quite some time ago, I was honored with awards by two of my blogging friends, one of whom also happens to be my  amazing sister-in-law, and I have been so remiss in thanking them! 

The first award came from my German friend, Elisabeth, whom I met through my dear high school friend, Verena. Danke, Elisabeth!! Since meeting through e-mail, Elisabeth has also started a blog and did she ever take off with it! I have never met anyone who posts as often as Elisabeth does. Every day there are little tidbits and thoughts from her and her sister, Angela, and it is always quite interesting! So, if you read German, head on over to her blog (click here) and have a look. You won't be disappointed!

The Beautiful Blogger award came from my sister-in-law, Patti, who has created a most inspiring blog and website called Lightspirited Being (click here to visit). her site is filled with inspiration and intriguing thoughts and even exercises that are extremely helpful. And if you need some extra insight, her readings are amazing (I speak from experience)!!

As part of the award from Patti, I am supposed to tell you seven things you may not know about me, and I've decided to keep it light tonight. So, here it goes:

1. I ate six cookies this afternoon and they were quite wonderful.
2. Winslow is sitting next to me right now and I am trying to avoid having him drool on the keyboard.
3. Daniel has a roaring fire going in the fireplace.
4. I am watching Rough Diamond, a British series I am quite enjoying.
5. Daniel just asked if I wanted more cookies, and I said YES! (When Christmas is over, I'll be ready to eat healthy again...)
6. I am wearing a scarf over my sweater right now that is making me feel quite bohemian.
7. Winslow just abandoned me for a Kong toy filled with peanut butter... ok, I spoke too soon, he's next to me again and drooling for cookies!

Thank you, both!! I feel quite honored.

Now, I know that I never quite participate in these awards as I am supposed to. I know I'm supposed to pass them on to specific people, but I just can't do that. I don't like the feeling that I leave anyone out.

So, I pass them on to all of you: you, who follow; you, who leave comments; you, who just visit quietly; you, who visit every day; you, who visit once in a while; you, who visit only this once. To all of you, who make my blogging experience as wonderful as it is... Thank you!

Long Overdue...

Ok, so I know that this long list of awards looks like I am just the most popular person, but actually the list is so long because I have been so remiss in honoring these *bows her head in shame*. I keep thinking that I'll do it when I have more time, but that doesn't seem to happen these days.

So, let me just take a few minutes and introduce you to these generous bloggers, because it is really is about them, not the awards:

This pretty Sunshine award I received from the uber-talented calligrapher and artist, Lisa Holtzman. If you haven't yet visited her blog, you must do so immediately. Check out her latest post on a hand-lettered genealogy book she created - AMAZING!! Click here and then return... Not only is she talented though, but also the sweetest person - her comments always are like sunshine to my soul! Thank you, Lisa!!

Rachel of the beautiful blog, Mozart's Girl bestowed the coveted Kreativ Blogger award on me. I so appreciate it! As Rachel's blog name says, she loves all things Mozart and although she lives in the UK, her spiritual home, of course, is beautiful Salzburg. Click here and head on over to her blog (but make sure to come back) - she could really use some blog love right now!
Well, doesn't this look like the coolest award ever?! And I received it from a just the coolest blogger, Zlatica of Pupa Art. Thank you!! Zlatica lives in Slovakia and is one of those super creative people - she paints the sweetest paintings and makes beautiful little folk art dolls. Make sure to go and admire her work before reading on. Click here!
My blog is over the top - can you believe it?! I couldn't, but the most talented Jamie of Dancing Down Serendipity Street thought so! Jamie is an author and an artist and simply a lover of all things creative! Recently, she has ignited once again the writing of her book - what an inspiration. Thank you, Jamie!! Visit her here (but come back)!
Now, here's something a little different. The super talented bead artist and all around wonderful woman, Bobbi of The Bead Goes On, tagged me a while ago. I guess the rules were to go into my first picture folder, pick the 10th photo and tell you about it. Well, needless to say, I was nervous. That photo could have been quite embarrassing.

However, it turned out to be alright. This was taken in October of 2006, the year we moved to Savannah. My cousin, Britta, was visiting us with a friend and we all went on our first kayaking trip. Here we are on Little Tybee Island, exploring the beach. It was an incredible day!! Thank you, Bobbi, for reminding me of that!!

Be certain to go visit her blog by clicking here. She makes the most exquisite beaded creations.

Then, today (and this is when I finally got my act together to post these), the talented, hilarious, inspiring and lovely Anne of El Milagro Studio: Little Miracles of Art, honored me with the Beautiful Blogger award. Thank you so much, Anne! If you haven't yet been to Anne's blog, make sure you visit. She is an incredible textile and mixed media artist. And her blog posts will always make you smile and often laugh out loud!
And, finally, a different kind of award both Daniel and I received today! We passed our boating exam!!
What a relief and how exciting!!

And whom do I pass these awards on to? Well, of course, ALL OF YOU!! You all deserve every award in the book, so pick the one (or two or three) you like best and share the love!

An Award - Happy 101!

Imagine my surprise when I received the same award from two different, wonderful bloggers (make sure you visit their blogs - you are in for a treat!):

1. The beautiful Dawn of May All Seasons Be Sweet To Thee. Her photos are so stunning as she shares with us her creative life in Austria! A wonderful treat!!

2. And the most lovely Rachel of Mozart's Girl. Her love of baking and cooking had me hooked the first time I visited her blog. And on top of that, she's a Mozart fan - what's not to love?!

I feel honored and grateful!! Because I've done several list of the 10 things that make me happy, I thought today I'd do something a little different.

I took 10 minutes this morning, walked around the house with my camera and took pictures of those things that make me smile. Truth is, I don't have to go far to find my happiness. So, come with me on my joyful walk...

1. A sun catcher given to us by one of my dear childhood friends. I love the way the sun reflects off of it...
... the way it paints our kitchen cupboards in rainbow colors, ...
... lights a rainbow path to our refrigerator (in case I get hungry and can't find my way) ...
... and makes the whole world rainbow colored when looking through it!
2. Our bright and busy fish that swim along every time I walk past the aquarium in hopes I might feed them.
This eel is especially nosy and always follows my every move. He and his brother are two of my favorite fish in our tank!
3. The table runner we brought back from Guatemala. Can you see how the colors reflect in the candle? I love that!!
4. More splashes of color in our living room - flowers of the variety that never stop blooming...
5. Our two little fairies made for us by our dear friend, TJ.
6. My favorite pair of big butterflies from Oaxaca. A lovely lady butterfly (I only took a partial picture of her because she is bare-breasted and I wasn't sure about blogging etiquette!) ...
... and her admirer! Just look at those eye lashes!!
7. One of our many Virgen de Guadalupe statues, also from Oaxaca ...
... and a painting of one from New Mexico.
8. Bookshelves filled with books (some still waiting to be read), photos, art and trinkets!
9. Sweet Winslow sleeping on my favorite blanket.
10. And not-so-patient Ramses willing the back door to open, which seems to work quite well for him - he stares and I get up to let him in!
Daniel was at a meeting while I was doing this, otherwise I would have included a picture of him - because he makes me happiest of all!

Usually, I don't pass on awards except in a general manner because I find it so hard to choose. But this time I decided to pass this on to 10 blogs that are fairly new to me. So, here they are in no particular order:

1. Anne of El Milagro Studio: Little Miracles of Art - She is a multi-talented woman and her art makes me smile!

2. Lori of Lori Times Five - She is someone I felt an instant connection with - an amazing woman ... and the photos she takes are must sees!!

3. Inge of Autumn Glow 2009 - Inge writes her blog from Germany, which I find especially endearing. Her blog makes me smile big!!

4. Jamie of Dancing Down Serendipity Street - I'm not sure how I found her lovely blog, but I'm so glad I did!!

5. Gail of Shabby Cottage Studio - An all-around inspiring blog - her mixed media art is wonderful!

6. Catherine of Edith - A super courageous young woman on her own path to finding happiness!

7. Kary of My Farmhouse Kitchen - A beautiful and comforting blog - especially if you love gorgeous photographs, delicious food and the wonderful pets!

8. Gloria of Gloria's Blog Vivalavida - Gloria's love for life shines through every word and photograph on her vivacious blog! You'll love it!!

9. Karen of Journey To Spirit Through Art and Creativity - Karen is a wonderful artist and a beautiful soul all around. Her blog inspires me!

10. Theresa of Faerie Moon Creations - Theresa makes beautiful jewelry, she knits and she is a warm and loving person! You'll see that and much more when you visit her blog!

Of course, as always, feel free to pass this award on or simply to enjoy it and know that your blogs make me smile every day!!

Two Necklaces & One Award

Last night, I was perusing my latest copy of Artful Blogging and admiring all those beautiful and artistic blogs and their inspiring photos! As I was taking it all in, I decided that this year, I want to break out of my way of doing things and try something new. Not in major ways, but for example in how I take photos.

So, today something interesting happened. I was going to take photos of two necklaces I won in giveaways and just received. Well, the battery of my camera needed charging and I couldn't find the cable anywhere. I have one spot where I keep it (usually) without fail, but it wasn't there or in any of the other obvious places.

And then it occurred to me that here was my opportunity to break out of the way I usually do things. I decided that I will stop looking for the cable knowing full well I'll find it sooner or later and thought that I would try something different to show you those gorgeous necklaces: I scanned them! And what fun I had trying to find a good background paper and then play with them in Adobe Photoshop! And all that because of a lost camera charger...The stunning handcrafted necklace above was generously given to me by Becky of The Gritty Bird. If you haven't yet visited her blog, you must head over there now! She is a talented artist all around!!

And the adorable necklace below I won in a giveaway I didn't even know I had been entered into simply by becoming her facebook fan. Lucky me!! One day I received an e-mail from the lovely Lesley of Lolley's Handmade Jewelry letting me know that I had won this sparkly beauty!! Visit her blog - you'll be inspired!
Finally, I am honoring this sweet award given to me by the wonderful and talented Kelly of Kelly Berkey Designs. Go check out her blog - you'll be happy you did!!
I am supposed to name 10 things I love. I said I'd think about it, but I didn't, so this will be a spontaneous list:

1. traveling

2. being at home

3. being with the people I love

4. spending time alone

5. paint on my hands

6. getting lost in a good book

7. watching the sun rise or set

8. looking out at the ocean and listening to the waves

9. gazing into the treetops through our skylights

10. blogging!

Kelly, I feel honored you thought of me with this award. Thank you!!

Did I say I was going to have another painting to show you? Well, I don't yet. I still haven't finished it - the last few days simply got away from me and today I had to finish reading South of Broad by Pat Conroy. I read if for my library book group meeting this Monday and I am so glad I did. However, it took away a little from my painting time. But soon, dear friends, soon...

P.S. I loved, loved, LOVED all your comments on the books, movies and TV shows of your childhood. Many I had read and watched, but some I haven't yet. For example, I have never read Little Women, or The Wind in the Willows, so those are now on the top of my list. Thank you all!!

Odds and Ends and an Award!

(click on any of my pictures to enlarge them)

Well, all your good advice yesterday helped immensely and I ended up having a productive, yet relaxed day and feel back on track today!! Thanks to all of you!!!

So, today, I have some odds and ends for you. First up are my new greeting and business cards, which I won in two fantastic giveaways from UPrinting over at Melissa's blog Januarywish. I won 250 custom greeting cards and 500 business cards. The quality is fantastic and the whole process was easy and painless! Make sure you check out Melissa's blog - it's not only beautiful, but she's got the best giveaways. Daniel designed my business cards for me - aren't they fun?!?
Then, I saw this wonderful New England cookbook from 1956 in my friend Beth's Etsy shop, Maine Coast Vintage, and I'm so glad I bought it before someone else found it.
It has some great recipes, but just look at those illustrations!
I just love them!
I thought I'd better give you some proof that I'm actually working on another painting. Here a small piece of it. You'll get to see the whole painting (there's much more to it!) when it's finally done...
And last, but certainly not least, I want to thank the talented Lisa Holtzman for passing on this award to me. She is not only a warm and kind friend, but a talented artist and the most brilliant calligrapher! Make sure you check out her blog. You'll be amazed!!
Thank you, Lisa!

Later today, I hope to visit some of your lovely blogs. You are always an inspiration to me as I try to live the creative life...

Art and Awards

(Click on the painting to see more detail)

Finally, I am getting to show you more art! I don't know how some of you do it - you work full-time, you create new art every day, you post about it every day AND you leave comments on other blogs. I admire you!!

I recently bought a Baroque Artist Panel to experiment with. I really loved the wood grain on the panel and decided to mix a lot of glazing medium with my acrylic paints to work more transparently. The result is a very different look. Much more muted, this girl looks quite demure. I think had I sealed the wooden surface before painting, the colors would be a little more vibrant, but I have to say I like how this worked out. In fact, I like her so much, I am offering her in my Etsy shop.

And now two awards I was given recently. This first one I received from the very talented Mary Wadsworth, who is not only an amazing painter and sculptor (she makes the most wonderful creations out of paper clay!), but a dear and kind friend, always ready with an encouraging word!
The rules of this award state that I need to mention seven facts about myself. So, here it goes:

1. I am a recluse at heart, perfectly happy in our own little world, but only because I know I can connect with my dear friends any time I so choose (how lucky am I?!).
2. I can get up in the morning and be chatty immediately. Because Daniel is not a morning person, I talk to the dog and cat!
3. I also talk to myself quite frequently.
4. I have at least three or four very vivid dreams every night - never a nightmare! It's like my own personal movie theater!
5. Some of my dreams have been predictive in nature - nothing grand, but enough to make me pay attention.
6. When I met Daniel when I was 19, I couldn't cook anything, but I could bake the most complicated recipes! Growing up, my mom was the (most excellent) cook in our family, but she didn't like to bake, so that was my job. I learned baking from my grandmother and still, today, even though I've learned to cook, more than anything I love to bake! Especially the old family recipes.
7. I put waaaay too much thought into lists like this...but I want to give you something to read that is somewhat worthwhile!
And now another award from my tireless, amazing, talented, wonderful, thoughtful, kind and beautiful sisterfriend Ces. This one she created in honor of Arija and this is some of what you can find on Ces' blog about Arija and this award:

I am blessed to call Arija my sisterfriend and it is my great honor to design this award to recognize her: A thinking, seeing, feeling, loving person who celebrates life every day. She is an artist, a photographer, a fascinating woman with great sense of humor, wise and thoughtful blogger and a loving and caring friend.

Bella Sinclair had this to say about Arija: "I was reading just a little bit about oaks yesterday. Such a strong wood that it is prized for its strength and density. It refused to be felled for centuries (until the invention of iron tools). That, truly, is Arija, she who offers support and shade, who twinkles in the sunshine and sways with the breeze, and who refuses to be felled."

I feel so honored to have received both of these awards and am passing them on to all of you! After selecting names for the last award, I decided that I cannot do that again. The worry about forgetting someone and that person feeling bad about being left out, is just too much for me. And the fact is that you are ALL wonderful and special to me!

So, if you feel so inspired, copy the awards, post them on your blogs and pass them on. Let's spread the love!!