Anthropologie

Just read a blog about this cool clothing, etc. store. Pricey, but dang cute!

Mosaic How-To

This is a Mosaic from Ali Edwards. I think they are way cool. She posted how to do it, so I'm posting it here below:

Making the Squares
A couple questions in the comments yesterday regarding the collage (or mosaic) of inspiring photos. If you use Flickr you can easily create these mosaics using Big Huge Labs Mosaic Maker. You specify the number of photos across and down and where they come from (mine usually come from my favorites).

I also often make photo gatherings in Photoshop to use in my projects. Or sometimes I just use a square punch. You can read how I go about creating these groupings in Photoshop in a past issue of my newsletter here (scroll down to "Creating Photo Gatherings in Photoshop").

And a few more...

A Santa with bright blue eyes for Grandma...


And a collage piece for Jenna, Kelly Rae style

Some Christmas Gifts I made for Mom...

A collage painting that I thoroughly enjoyed making...


On a wooded stretched canvas--



And a teeny baby--under 3 inches long. Mom hit the jackpot because her birthday is right around Christmas.

I love sculpting little bums and feet! =)

Male Fairy Progress

Meet Gabriel....


With some painted features:


Testing out what he looks like with hair...

Fudge for Jenna - Recipe

We make this fudge every Christmas. It is easy & rich & creamy. It can be enjoyed any time throughout the year.


* 1 stick butter(half cup)
* 2 cups sugar
* 2/3 cup evaporated milk
* 1tsp vanilla
* 2 cups mini-marshmallows
* 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt butter add sugar & milk- cook in microwave for 3 min. on high-stir- cook another 3 min. on high-stir- cook 2 min. on high -stir- then add vanilla, marshmallows, chocolate chips - mix until melted- pour into a greased 8x8 pan - allow to set-up Caution when making any candy in the microwave the bowl & the fudge mixture will be very hot!

Options:
-add chopped nuts
-use milk or white chocolate chips in place of semi-sweet chips
-use peanut butter in place of chocolate chips

From {Sweet Life in the Valley blog}

Beeswax with Suzi Blu

Found this version--Popular

Jenna turned me on to this musical. I love the blonde from pushing up daisies

My life is still unwritten....

Today, I bought a guitar. I love my pretty guitar, but now my fingers are killing me. Did you know you need callouses on your fingers to play a guitar? Hmmmm...maybe I could put a layer of superglue on each finger tip? Why'd I get a guitar? I don't know exactly--it's been calling to me for nearly a year now. So we'll see--Jairen loves them, so maybe we'll learn to play together.

It's fun to try something new--something unexpected. Life is always unwritten until we decide:

A Journey into the past....

Suzi Blu--It's never too late...

Some paintings I've been working on. None are really "done" but I wanted to post some progress! I think I need to make another arm on this gal. I used a canvas board I found at dollar tree--don't use them--way to rough. So she's very textured looking. But I learned a lot. Like if I make the faces too small it's hard to add much detail.


This one is on nice canvas. Just waiting to make a collage dress and wings, highlight the hair and thin out the face a bit. Then I'll play with the background more and give it a brown border. I love brown and turquoise--matches my swimsuit. Mostly I'm waiting for the watercolor pencils from dickblick so I can detail the faces better.

Just another experiment with a more realistic face. Steph said I've learned how to make old people skin. She's right. I'm still working on learning how to layer acrylics. Wanting those pencils...that's how people do the detail work, I've learned. This one looks better on paper--Maybe I took it at a weird angle. I'll fix her up and post when I'm done. =)

Dr. Oz Green Drink?

Hmmm....don't know if I dare try this or not?

Dr. Oz says he makes a breakfast drink for himself many mornings that he calls his green drink.

What's in Dr. Oz's green drink?

• 2 cups spinach
• 2 cups cucumber
• 1 head of celery
• 1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root
• 1 bunch parsley
• 2 apples
• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

After everything is combined in a blender, this recipe makes 28 to 30 ounces—about three to four servings. Oprah takes a sip and is pleasantly surprised. "It's a glass of fresh," she says.

I think my chocolate version sounds better. Speaking of which, time for breakfast.

Time Lapse oil painting

This is fun for me to watch & understand how to do shading, etc. I'm sure I'd love oils, too--but one thing at a time.

A couple more... Josh Groban

The Prayer with Celine



And this was new to me. I love her skirt--I just happened to buy one like it yesterday!



But I like Sarah's voice better in this version:

I just love Josh Groban

I think I first saw him on a Sarah Brightman Video from my brother, Zeke. Wow! What a voice and so young! I found these cool videos on YouTube:



This one is Believe with a bunch of Josh pictures:



And this one is the same song with a bunch of Christmas pictures:



It gets those Christmas juices flowing!

I love it when people a found divinity within themselves and share their gifts with others. I believe there is something amazing within each one of us--we just need to follow our bliss and discover it. Then it becomes pretty obvious!

aj

Earthly Arts Gardens

I was writing in my manifesting journal the other day--which is essentially a list of all the things I'd like to have in my life--and I'd written down great landscaping. So then today I came across these pictures from Earthy Arts. Yep, that's a before and after picture. Apparently they do this for a business, so now, when I have my home a property, I'll know who to call!

So I've been working on my male fairy commission--about 6 hours into it. He's coming along. I'll post pics later. I also did a new painting in my art journal last night, and i'll have to show that too. It's a more natural, realistic looking face. It turned out nice.

It snowed a foot here, and the kids had a blast playing in it yesterday!

Plus, I found out my parents are going to Korea for 18 months. What an adventure!

Watch Suzi!

August Rush Trailer

I love this--it brings the movie back to me.

A Perfect Day

Today has been a thoroughly lovely day and I wish to give thanks for it. Right now, I've got my laptop...on my lap...and I'm sitting by a fire in our wood burning stove--a recent manifestation--THANK YOU!

Randy and I just watched August Rush, and it was every bit as wonderful as I'd imagined. I've already downloaded my favorites from iTunes--I love music, and I especially love the definition of music in this movie. A harmonic connection between all living beings. In some ways, I think it is the language of God, and when others express what they hear, we sense it within us. Even if we aren't musical, we feel it--we recognize that language and it moves us. We can't help but hear its message.

We made it up the hills just fine--any one who lives around here knows what a huge blessing that is--and with a foot of snow, to boot!

I like to watch the fire. It has a life of its own. Plus, it's been great for all the junk mail we get, and whatever other cardboard or garbage we are used to dumping in the trash.

We got groceries, so we are set, even if we do get snowed in. The snow is so beautiful. There is a man who hops on his four-wheeler and plows the streets in our neighborhood. I think the city plows have a hard time finding us, so we love this kind neighbor. It reminds me of my dad. That's what he used to do when we lived in Idaho Falls--he was that kind neighbor.

I am so grateful for my life, my loved ones, and for all the new wonderful people who will cross paths with mine.