Serving Something Beyond Me..

Here are some snippets of my artwork that will be on display/for sale at the Hamburg Arts Fest:

In other news, the new Fleet Foxes album came out today. I will be more confident on my bicycle.

Not A Note Is Out Of Tune Or Out Of Place..

Today, I was the art substitute for Perry and Tilden Elementary schools...

Conclusion?

I miss elementary art.

The stories, and wonder, and excitement, and just a love for school and people in general..it's so fresh in the eyes of children. I received more hugs from strangers today than some people do in a lifetime. These little people don't even know who I am, but they know that I'm there to do art with them for 45 minutes, and that's enough to grant me the privilege of a hug.

We drew cats, turtles, and pigs today..not really my idea (or Kutztown's idea) of a great art lesson, but for a one-day sub, it was just lots of fun. I've never heard anyone get so excited to draw the scalloped belly of a turtle. These drawings brought out lots of stories that began with 'One time, I saw..' and 'I don't know if you knew this, but..'.

Even through the frustrations of an unruly kindergarten class who desperately need to sharpen their pencils, I found silence and comfort in the simplicity of the lives of little ones.

In other lately stuff, I spend lots of time with this little one:

And Spring is here, and it is welcome:

And I Became Inspired To Live Brighter Than I Have Before..

Even the weatherman has no optimism anymore. 50 degrees is pretty warm, so you should probably stop calling it 'chilly' outside. And it was a good thing today was in the seventies..Mary and I were locked outside the house until her mom was able to open it for us when she was done working. Not a bad thing..just difficult to keep Mary from putting sticks in her mouth and from smelling rocks.

Welp, Anthropologie has hooked me again..they've put together a new part of their website just for me! Click here to see their new section called, 'For The Decorator'.

Here's is a sneak preview of what I've got in store for my artwork..this is the only watercolor version, but it just gives an idea of what's happening in my crazy brain!

Lord, I Love The Way You Hold Me..

Jesus is certainly holding me..He lifts my heart and makes it clean, pure, and jumping for joy. Thank you, God!

Let's see...last post, I told you about my Lenten decisions. They are going well. I am amazed at how well I am limiting my coffee intake, and it seems to just make me stronger. The drawing and painting is going especially well, becauseeeee I now have motivation to make art! On May 7th from 10am to 4pm, I will have a table at the Hamburg Arts Fest...yayyyyyy!!!! I will be selling and showing some paintings, and hopefully some bracelets and other crafty stuff as well...just 5 more weeks to create stuff, and it's getting exciting.

The little girl I babysit, my little MaryBear, is growing so quickly..it seems, in one weekend passing by, she learned how to say Mama, Dada, Gram, and PopPop..and she even says an adorable variation of Heidi, which sounds like hiney :) She is also very good at saying cup, coat, car, and banana (sort of). Even though there are a lack of 'real' jobs out there, I feel extremely blessed to have this experience with Mary and the Whalen family.

Here's a free download (just for this week!) of the song that inspired the title of this post.

Put A Fresh Wind In My Sails..

It is the season of Lent! Well, it all began yesterday with the amazing day of Ash Wednesday. This is one of my favorite times of the year. The only thing I ever gave up that I can remember following through with was in high school, when I gave up chewing gum for the 40 days of Lent. It was a big deal back then..chewing gum in school was one of the highlights of each and every day, mostly because we were allowed to.

Long ago, my mother taught my siblings and I to add something to our lives, rather than give something up or take it away..this year, I thought about taking away and adding..I was going to give up drinking coffee, because I had been experiencing heart palpitations. The palpitations stopped last week, after I got sick and didn't drink coffee for a few days. But I think I will be just limiting myself to 8 ounces of coffee a day..and who knows, maybe that will lead to less and less.

To add something, I want to draw something in my little notebook every day. And then, I took it further to adding painting once a week. This will help keep art in my life, during this time of substituting and babysitting.

This has been a post that includes lots of 'I's. Not only is Lent a time to reflect on our own misgivings and sins, but it's also a time to focus on Christ, and all that he did to save us from those sins.

Psalm 51:7-15

(The Message)

Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean,

scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life.Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,

set these once-broken bones to dancing.

Don't look too close for blemishes,

give me a clean bill of health.

God, make a fresh start in me,

shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.

Don't throw me out with the trash,

or fail to breathe holiness in me.

Bring me back from gray exile,

put a fresh wind in my sails!

Stay strong during this time of reflection and change..and remember..

How Deep Is Your Love..

One year ago, at this time, I was on a plane ride to this place..

Paris, France

Two years ago, at this time, I was on a plane ride to this other place..

Rome, Italy

From time to time, I think and reminisce about the feelings these foreign lands allowed me to feel..I'm so appreciative to be able to have visited their landmarks and treasures.

But now I will be happy and appreciate the adventures I get to experience here on home land..

And it's only a few days until Ash Wednesday..love this time of year.

Busy week!

I'm Giving It All To You..

I do not like when my friends say that something is depressing, such as, 'I hate this weather, it's so depressing.'

Things are only depressing if you let them be. Certainly, I feel that too at times, and say things are depressing..but I try not to verbalize the words so it takes away the power of those words..

More words to inspire less worry.

Oh, I'm headed to a Jason Castro concert this weekend..while purchasing his music on Amazon, I discovered JJ Heller, a Christian acoustic/folk

singer..here's a peek into her lovely tunes..

Please pray for my little valentine (see entry below..), she has been having some spaced out episodes and she holds her ear sometimes..she's been to the doctor, and nothing has been discovered..just pray for her health and happiness.

My dad just handed me one of these thumb rings..

It's too tight..and I don't text..but I like the idea of it.

Happy Sunshine!