30 for my thirtieth

on saturday i celebrated my thirtieth birthday with my family and a few close friends (even though my birthday is technically wednesday). my parents put together a gift of 30 things for my thirtieth. this gift touched me so i had to share it here. my mother knows me so well and i could see all the thought and planning she put into this very heartfelt gift. the picture doesn't do its justice so i've decided to give you a lil descriptive meaning of each item.

1-4. a picture of my grandmother casey & 3 of her pins. the first gift i opened brought me to tears.  a little pouch with 3 pins that i recognized as my grandmothers. and inside was a framed picture of her. i remember this picture growing up was one of my favorites. in the picture she sits happily with her pup on her lap. (she had a soft spot in her heart for her dogs) its exactly how i remember her.

5. a wooden box. i laughed when i saw it because it belonged on my moms dresser. she knew i admired it so.

6-8. healing stones. i've always been a collector of rocks and stones. there was a purple amethyst (one of my favorites), rose quartz and a clear stone with a dove. all which will bring me peace.

9-11. tasty treats. i have a love for candy and chocolate. mike & ikes, junior mints and dove chocolate (which is the BEST chocolate).

12-13. beverages. i live on caffeine and my favorites are rockstar and coffee. so she found a coffee rockstar and a new flavor i have yet to try.

14-17. jewelry. my mother has a fantastic and rather large collection of jewelry. i had told her once i admired this ring of hers that is a sparkly lizard. and as i noted above my love for stones, there was a necklace with earth tone stones on it. and a silver bracelet that was my grandmother casey's. also, a simple charm stating love. (i love to wear words)

18-22. favorite artists. 2 of my favorites are kelly rae roberts and christine mason miller. their work speaks to my soul and i can't get enough of their inspiration. i received 2 plaques, a bookmark, and a magnet from kelly's collection. and a bookmark from christine's collection.

23-24. quotable. i love quotes that speak to my heart and soul. especially ones i can apply to my everyday life. she found a quotable magnet and a quote from the velveteen rabbit (a childhood favorite).

25. young creator. a scroll of a self portrait and story i had written in the fifth grade. funny the things you save as a mother. i had a passion back then even for art and writing.

26. moody. a ha ha sign stating caution PMS zone. that is pretty funny, maybe i can place it on my husbands pillow in the future ☺

27. sparkle box. i love all things that sparkle and also have a love for boxes and containers. this is a perfect addition to my collection.

28. lil character keyring. i love random cartoons and characters, those that make me smile and laugh. this lil girl keyring she found is perfect.

29. shirt. i'm not one to spend my money on clothes so its fitting that she'd find a way to get an article of clothing in there. 

30. birthday girl. those of you who know me know i heart birthdays and especially love to celebrate my own ☺. i believe we all should, its the day we were blessed into this world and a day of starting a new year ( i'm not real into new years day) this is my marking of a new year. how perfect that she found me a party hat with bright feather and jewels to wear on my night of celebration. i may just wear it all week!

thank you momma & dad for this very unique gift. thank you All for your gifts, even though i didn't list it above your gifts also mean alot to me, you All know me very well. thank you all for coming to my soirée, i'm very blessed! 

my boys

i live in a household of 4 boys. my husband + baby + jaxson + johnny cash. it can be a tad overwhelming with all of the testosterone but i am also very, very blessed to be amongst it. they make me laugh and fill up my heart with joy and love. in this picture i was trying to capture daddy + baby quality time before bed. they like to lay under the covers and watch a little of the goodnight show. sometimes jax + johnny like to join them and i guess this was one of those nights. but johnny is Not a fan of the camera. and lately jax has been anti camera phone as well. so i don't think their intent was to be in the photo but more trying to get dad to stop my paparazzi moment. i love how dad is trying to talk reason with them and baby just looks a lil upset that i am interrupting his show and time with dad ☺

i love you boys. i wouldn't want it any other way then the way things are. xoxo, momma

mantra

i picked up this necklace at a local arts & craft show a few months back and have been wearing it daily since. it spoke so loudly to me that i had to have it even though i don't usually buy myself things i want (vs need).  i spoke with the artist who made it briefly about how she got started and how i was really teetering the idea of starting my own business venture but being in the fear stage of starting. she told me to go for it, take the leap and that sometimes you have to fall to fly ☺

this is kinda what it's felt like. falling into a new surrounding in hopes to fly. i've been struggling a bit with the balance of switching roles; momma to creator to wife to just me. my days go by extremely fast and somedays i feel like i have gotten nothing accomplished. when my lil guy sleeps i need to switch into creator mode and get some creating done but sometimes the laundry list of to dos are screaming at me or i just need a moment to myself. but then i feel heavy with guilt if i am not in my art room creating. guilty that i am not bringing in enough income, guilty that my etsy site isn't up and running yet...  i never wanted my art to be a have to. thats the part i didn't like before when i was creating and selling for my first venture; dewdrop creative. the pressure i put on myself made my creativity completely shut down.

balance is a funny thing. i feel like its a constant desire + need and it has to be worked at continuously. trying to just go with the flow, to just be. content. still. trust that i am in the right place.

i am trying to be honest with myself and all my feelings here. i am very grateful to have started this and do still have every hope and intention to bring my dream into my reality ~ its just somedays are harder than others and its still all very new and fragile.

manifestion: i shall shine in my journey

i have a tree in my yard in which i refer to as the magic tree. i love to sit under this tree reading or writing, reflecting. i feel at peace here. i can lay back and gaze into the web of branches as the sunlight peaks through. by the roots of the tree i had placed rocks with words i had written on. words that i find comfort in. whenever i need to be reminded i go to these rocks. today i found these...

time keeps creepin on by

23 days until i turn the big 30! for those of you who follow this blog you may remember my post from last year of my list of 29 things to do before turning 30. well i thought i'd update you all with my progress. the ones in orange i have completed or am currently living by. the starred are ones in progress.

1. spoil my son 

2. dance with my husband

3. live passionately

4. document life

5. create new art

6. the magic tree   *

7. snuggle lots with my boys

8. join a gym  i joined i just don't go

9. vacation with family

10. setup a website  *

11. read lots of books (as time allows i have done my best!)

12. continue to write letters to ayden

13. learn how to sew

14. blog more

15. treasure hunt with alex

16. saturday game nights

17. revamp my business *

18. laugh often

19. star gaze

20. take a cooking class with my sisters

21. volunteer

22. spend time with me

23. swimming lessons with ayden

24. write a children's book

25. paint the blank canvas' *

26. go outside my comfort zone

27. eat new foods

28. rescue another dog (i helped chris find zipper!)

29. become pregnant

so seeing as i have very limited time to do the 8 untouched and complete the 4 in progress i may have to carry some into my list of 30 to do before 31. #29 for example just needs to wait until our creator tells us it is time ☺

lost my sign.. .

on sunday afternoon while playing in the yard with ayden, i discovered a lil scrap of paper in the grass. i read it and had an aHa moment! it read. .. be an artist. at home an artist. something to that order - it was a piece of newspaper print or from a book but it was just this lil piece that spoke SO loudly to me that i rushed to show my husband and my heart was soaring! i had been looking for a sign that i was headed in the right direction. i had been whispering to my angels, please just let me know that i am doing the right thing, that home with baby and starting my own business is right for me in this moment. and There it was.

i placed it in my art room for safe keeping only now, its gone. disappeared. did i imagine it? why is my sign NO WHERE TO BE FOUND?! maybe i only needed it for that moment. maybe the impression it left on my heart was all it was suppose to be. maybe i don't need the actual scrap of paper as a reminder...

some signs come to us and leave us just as fast. it is a subtle reminder to pay attention, the signs are all around us and best to be touched by our hearts not our hands.

yummy treats!

for my beautiful cousin's grad party i made these fun rice krispie pops!

they were very easy to make and didn't take me very long

(i made 43; i was aiming for 50 but a few just didn't make it, in under 2 hrs)

i got the idea here and just made a few tweaks to the recipe = yum!!

animal party

for my godson's fifth birthday party, i was asked to create the kids take home goodies. i had only 2 objectives:  animal theme & to stay within a budget of $30.  i decided on making a treasure box for each with a different animal and to personalize it with their name.

 

i wanted to keep it fun so i drew with colored pencils in a cartoon sort of style on paper mache boxes.

each box contained; animal crackers, a few animal tattoos, 2 stretchy lizards, a "grow" animal, an animal card game, an animal figure, and a hippo cup with a giant gummy snake.

the kids loved them (and i met my objectives)!! they were a success! hooray for another wonderful party, happy fifth birthday my terrific nephew!

*if you are interested in hiring me to help with your next event or for any further details, please email me!

way of living

now is the time to be gentle with my soul. i awake to a new beginning and i must hush all the inner & outer critics. i am building a foundation where i can flourish in my passion of words and color. as much as i desire the faith from others, it is truly only my own faith that can carry me there. i believe that i am walking in the right direction. that we must create the paths in which we want to travel. my hope is that the things i create will touch others, bringing them joy or comfort, whatever it may be that they are in need of. whenever i am in need i remind myself to look around and see that i am right where i am suppose to be. and then i see something that meets that need whether it is a word or saying, a picture or painting.

leaving our comfort zones can be scary and vulnerable but usually we stay where we are comfortable for too long or for the wrong reasons. money is a necessary evil that controls us if we let it. how many people do you know that can honestly say, i love my job. not nearly as many that should. when i tell people i left my job to be with my son and start creating my art they say you are lucky. its not about luck. its a choice. i am following my heart to do what is calling me. the first year of my sons life went by in a blink. i want to be more present before he is in school and all grown up. i want to create art while i am here and it not be something i wish i would have done. life is fragile and very short. things change so quickly that if we don't be the change today we may not have the opportunity tomorrow.

gift for the graduate

front cover (audrey hepburn print by lonny unitus)

inside front cover

inside back cover

back cover

for a special miss lauren, i made a one of a kind journal. she's quite fond of audrey hepburn so i hope she'll enjoy it. happy graduation!

*stay tuned for my etsy shop opening where you can view & purchase one of a kind creations made by me*

**this was a gift, not for resale. in no means did i take credit to creating the amazing print of audrey hepburn by the very talented lonny unitus. you can purchase the print here**