So it is Friday..

Week just flew by.. it was so hard to keep up.  So I really am thankful for making it through!!!

My list of Friday 5:

1. Cool mornings and warm coffee
2. Laughter with coworkers
3. Hope

4. Beautiful morning skies on the way to work.  Sunshine through the clouds, darkness turning into light

5. Payday!

Someone couldn't wait any longer.. I guess it is time to go to bed.  Good Night and sweet dreams.

List Sunday

Here it is again, Sunday.  A wonderful day to just be home and hang out, it's raining. Never want the day to end.  Also I have a list a mile long, so working on some of those items.  Putting together some pages for coworker's retirement party, put together a photo graduation announcement for a student assistant at work. Hubby did most of the work so just had to give direction. And then I had gone blog hopping on Friday and found this cool 3D paper pumpkin!  I got the tutorial on a blog or website (sorry still not getting what I am looking at times) www.whipperberry.com/2010/10/tutorial-paper-pumpkins.html   It was so cool, I had to try it.  Wow, trying to finish it, lots of paper sticks to be made.  The damp rainy day did not help but where there is a will there is a way..  So here it is..  The rest of the list will have wait for another day. 

Inspiration_Avenue_Harvest

This week's challenge at Inspiration Avenue is Harvest.  This photo is a new favorite of mine that hubby took last month.  We carpool to work in the downtown; however, we are fortunate to live in the rural suburbs and go through farm land on our way in each morning.  We watch the fields as they are prepared and planted at the beginning of the season.  Then we watch as the plants start to grow from little seedlings to the full crop.  During the high growth season, in the early mornings we get to watch the crop duster fly over and swoop down low and spray the crops.  Then at the end of the season, we watch and the fields are harvested and these great hay bale rows are created. It is the time-old cycle of beginning, growth, and final ending.  I love to watch this process.  Every season has a turn and only when it is time does the next happen. Something that is helpful for me to remember for myself.

Wonderful Friday

I read back on some of my posts and find frustration and some growing pains.  So Fridays are now my time to reflect and forgive with growth.  My main challenges this week are work related.  I struggle to find peace with myself and confidence within at work. So today I start with the Serenity Prayer.

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

I find courage and wonderful serenity reading blogs!!  There are amazing people out there and I find wonderful comfort in what they share and offer on their blogs.  The art community is full of great people that I will continue to follow and learn from.

My 5 things I am very thankful for

1. Wonderful blogs to read and learn from
2. Fall cool air and the changing of colors
3. My growth
4. My openness to learn self confidence
5. Chocolate..  had to add this week :)

My new found career!

It was one of those days at work where there was more work to be done then time.  Deadlines approaching and not enough resources to get it done. Prioritizing all day and still can't get the top items done..  And to top it off get called into the bosses office!  So it all made me think to myself that I was DONE for the week. Tomorrow is my last furlough Friday and I am looking forward to enjoying some ME time.  However, I was so frustrated that I needed an outlet tonight.  My daughter needed a card for a friend so I made it.  Man, I love to color.  I stamped a fun cat for the card and while I was coloring it I realized how relaxing it was.  So if anyone knows of a job that needs someone to just color all day, let me know!!  I would be so much happier if I just had to color all day!  Well it is way late for me, but most importantly I got to do some small art creation and I liked it.. all is good with the world.

Pumpkin Poop and Ghosts

I wanted to give my staff a little treat for Halloween so I copied a cute gift I had gotten before.  It is a bag of candy corn and the cute little poem. I am also going to give them a cute little ghost my sister made from cheese cloth.  I love these guys she makes!!  Thanks sis, you are the greatest!!

Sunday Fun Day

Weather is finally changing to Fall here!!  It is even lightly sprinkling..  YEAH my favorite weather..  I am done with summer and love the Fall so I am in a great mood.  Not to say that there is not a million things that need to be done but I was just thinking about that Bangles song, Manic Monday. (Love those 80s) ..  the one verse about "I wish it was Sunday...'cause that's my fun day.. My I don't have to run day."  Well I am taking that to heart today..  I not going to pressure myself until Monday..  Paper, ink, stamps, stickers, and ribbon..  AH.. heaven..  First project was to redo the mini book cover page for my coworker..  I think it is better this time.

Now on to Halloween projects Boo Gifts, cards, and maybe even a wall hanging for my office..  Lot's to do and more energy to do it!  Lots of things to think about and enjoy the creative energy.  A very blessed day..

Brain ideas and then the Real World

Creation of art inside my head flows with abundance and ease at times.  I guess that is similar with my emotions.  Some are good and give me cause to follow a dream or commit to a belief.  Sometimes though when reality sets in (or may I say a little negativity), I will look externally. Lately I have been reminding myself that I can seek support from others but strength comes from a calm deep place within myself and my faith.  But if I need a dose of "realness", I can always rely on my wonderful teenage daughter to help me laugh at life and myself as she informed me today that she is glad she did inherit my "Ditsy Gene." Too funny!! But my art is "Ditsy" and that is OK with me.. Haha.. I love teenagers!!

A work in progress, liked it in my head but not so much now that is out in the real world...

Pink-inspiration-avenue

I dedicate this to my friend who is battling breast cancer right now.  We have known each other since high school but had drifted apart until early this year.  Two weeks after we started to get together again, she was diagnosed.  She is going through all the processes and I think about her so much.  This is for her and all those being strong, we support and love them with all our hearts!

Forgiveness Friday

I have been a little off lately, tangled up.  Like when you go somewhere that you are not familiar with and get lost but keep going thinking that you will find your way if you just keep going down the wrong way.  Sometimes that is great and you find out something very new and fun.  But then there are the times you are late for an appointment and then when you finally get there the people are mad at you because you are late..  (Wow, see my mind is just taking too many left turns!!)

Well, I know in my heart that God takes care of it all and if I follow Him all that negative just goes away.

And so I did by visiting a wonderful blog yesterday, http://www.shelinwa.blogspot.com/. I love her posts and her wonderful pictures.  And then today I came across a little book my sister gave me called "God Always Has a Plan B for women"  A simple little book with POWERFUL messages and stories in it.

So starting today I have Forgiveness Fridays.. I am beginning with the Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

This prayer speaks to my heart and I feel I am heading in the right direction when I pray this.

And I am very thankful for

• My family
• My friends
• My health
• My job
• My ability to have patience with myself and just breathe.

Some more

If there is something in my thoughts, I have a very hard time of letting it go.  I am like a dog on a bone.  I want to keep gnawing on it until I get what I want. I feel at times that I am not heading in the right direction or that I need to be doing something right this second to be better..   I just need to remember my favorite author Robert Fulgrum quote:

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death

.

This quote slows me down, helps me forgive myself, and believe in the future of my dreams.  As peaceful as sitting on the ocean beach listening to the beautiful sound of the waves. I am thankful for my life and ever open to what the future will bring.

What more

I want to do more and expand my ability.  However, time and lack of energy seem to always be in the way.  More importantly, I need to remember that like beauty in nature, some things just take time.

One more page

I wanted to finish the mini book I made for Cassie.  I just felt blocked out creatively.  But this page turned out cute.  I tried a technique I saw on embossing.  I used my folding bone and the paper trimmer line.  To make it show up more, I added the red ink.  There is a folded ribbon under the Troubie title but can't see it.  So now the only page left is the birthday party page. I think I will sneak in a "Mom and Me" page to finish it.

The Process

Lots going on everyday..  It is easy to get lost in the waves of family life.  I believe in what I do and I try to insure that I put all my heart into what ever I am doing.  It is some days that I feel more of the process of life happening than maybe the outcomes of achievements.  This was a week of process and not very many completed achievements.

Never enough time

It has been another one of those weeks..  I try to stay on top of a busy life but my "to do" list gets too long and then there never seems to be enough time.  I know I said that I would be putting my art and my needs more to the top..  but I have created a life that has not been that way and it is a struggle to create it now. I am whining but some weeks I feel like I am just a bunch of talk and can't follow through..  tough week (can you tell?)  Well I would not let Sunday get away without a little something for myself.  So I went on to You Tube and learned how to make spiral flowers.  Here are my creations.  Very cool and very easy..  the best of all, it uses my favorite thing.. scraps of paper!!  SO MUCH FUN...  ah..  I feel good again and my hope is back..  Something new and I learned that I can do it..  a perfect start to my new week.  Hope all have a good one too.