Poem c. 2000

i been wanting to put some of my old writings up for a while now. and i just finished putting together a website for M2BM. and since there's been so much shakin' and moving around here i figured this was as good a time as any. enjoy.

they say i won't make it past tomorrow.
cuz when they look at me all they see
is the pain, the grief and the misery.
but i know that inside of me a seed it grows
and all it needs is a ray of hope
and the brights sunshine of possibility.
it takes me to fly so high above the trees.
it takes me to fulfill my destiny.

Inspiration Wednesday

i love IT when i just stumble into a rabbit hole of creativity. i was looking at one thing and saw a name and googled (just realized "google" is a real verb.) it and then found that name and next thing you know... so when i found this artist's work i was like oooh, aaah, wow, chuckle-chuckle, dam. 

a couple of the main reasons i love magazines so much are because of the clever illustrations and how they turn words into art. i confess, im a typography nerd and in another life i would gladly be a short balding white dude if i could do this kind of stuff. not to say joseph newton is a short balding dude. im just sayin its almost worth a pinky toe to have this sort of range and aptitude creatively and technically. ok, ill just stop while im ahead. 

enjoy.

and these are JUST his frickin' doodles!

Color, Design & Style Inspiration

Since picking up the Brides mag last month it is becoming a real staple for cute stuff. I like everything about their magazine except the dresses. odd. but anyway. ive gotten hip and am checking them out at the library. so much more bang for my buck and a real motivation to keep those astronomical late fees to a minimum.

anyway, this month's isn't actually this months. its from Feb of this year. but still just as cute as if it were this month's. these are some great color combos and not just for weddings. they're great for interiors and fashion. and the styling of the shoot is divine. so many goodies beautifully crammed into just one frame.

BLUSH + ORANGE

this colore makes that perfect coral that soft, fun and with a lil luxury AND the charles david lace, peep-toe booties are so sweet and slutty at the same time. yum.

 i cant say enough about how happy i am to see a woman of color in this ad. she is so beautiful and im lovin that they left her hair natural. not a big fan of the dress but the want to snatch the Badgley Mischka earrings straight off the page...can you say marrakesh?

PALE BLUE+BONE

 the bow on that Amanda Pearl shoe! too many things to pick just one.*

is she fly or what? i cant get enough of her (in the most hetero way possible). check the sequined Adriana Orshini earrings and Santi bangle.*

 EMERALD+CHARTREUSE

 

 i guess this could be called monochromatic but it has so much pop its def not mono on style.

 luv miss thang but the chenille chair is the stunner in this pic! i love a modern color on a classic piece. i had a pair of suede Bennetton penny loafers in the exact colors. i was a head of my time....(oh, snap out of it)

PURPLE+PEACOCK

 they saved the best for last. this set up is oplulance at its best. can u say upgrade! yes, yes, yes to the whole thing.

and i think this is the best shot of missy also. well this and the bone is a very close 2nd. i dont think they could've picked a better model for this shoot. the details calls it retro chic. its just fab.

*i was unable to find websites for these designers but their items are in lots of various shops online.

A Lil Weekend Show & Tell

 hey gang! im gonna try my best to push this post out with out too much fussy mussy. its been a great week and ive been taking more pics with my new iphone so i decided to stop holding them hostage and let them be free!!

 this is my silly boy. i was trying to get him dressed so we could get off on our weekend adventure. he is always finding ways to make people laugh. and it usually works.

 i went to a fantabulous art journaling class yesterday in southern pines, nc....bout an hour up the road. our fearless leader Jodi Ohl headed up an intimate group. one of my goals for '11 is to art journal. it was so freeing and inspiring. im still on a high from it. more pics below.

 sorry for the tech difficulities. i just figured it would be easier for you to turn your computer or your head up-side-down. (hee-hee)

 the subtitle says "Scream out your goodness" except there's no "a" in scream...oops!

 she is wayyyy over the top! and purely experimental. gotta work on it. LOL

 i do like this though. im gonna use it later on a bigger piece. 

like this too.

ok, that didn't take too long. its just that its 2 pm and...well let's just say im not presentable AT ALL! There's lots more going on and I have lots more to say...so till later this week. SMOOCHIE SMOOCH!

Inspiration @ the SPARKcon Art Festival

We went to the really inspiring SPARKcon festival in Raleigh last Saturday. The pics speak for themselves. Gorgeous weather and all these talented NCState (the majority) students creating these TEMPORARY and public works of art.It was all done in pastels and by Monday morning (today) it will be replaced by rush hour traffic.

These were all only identified by a number in the bottom right hand corner.

This one brings tears to my eyes everytime I look at it. Its about childhood homelessness. dam.

Oh, yeah these went on for blocks and blocks. And blocks. I was so inspired.

Did you think he was gonna let them have all the fun? They had a kids (and big kids ) area at one intersection.

 I was so proud of myself for not whippin' out my wet wipes.LOL

My most beautiful work of art. I must gush for just one moment....I look at this picture and remember when

he was just seven pounds and laying on my chest. We have come a long way and I'm really happy to be building these creative memories with him. My Schmookie.

New Magnet Art

Hey sweet peas! I got my lil schmookie down and managed to upload pics of some new art I'm working on and thought I should take advantage of this rare time with my laptop.

I started working on these a few weeks ago out of sheer necessity. They are quick (I'm result not process oriented) and cheap. And since I'm on a budget I canuse what I've already got (paint, cardboard box, a dull pair of scissors - yay!). I also needed some reminders that could slap me back into the reality and kick my inner critique to the curb. All I had to buy were the magnets to cut and adhere to the back side. So with out further delay (since I'm about to start stalling)...

whoever they are....

sometimes I wonder...

good question. sometimes I know the answer...

They're all roughly about the size of my BlackBerry. No two are the exact same size though. I like the imperfectness of them. I really need visual reminders and lately the sweet  fuzzy affirmations haven't been working for me. If you don't know by now I shoot from the hip and these little sassy fridge magnets are doin' it for me right now. 

Since the pics are uploaded I should be posting them on my Etsy page tomorrow (I'm going to veg out on HGTV when I finish this post). And speaking of Etsy, I'm thinking of starting a new shop specifically for these little bugars ( I have more and lots of ideas for more - some for mature eyes only...oooooh). From a business standpoint, I don't want to mix apples and...walnuts. But we'll see. It would mean coming up with a new shop name and the whole marketing shabbadoowhop and I don't have the time for my current shabbadoos.

Anyway I just wanted to put them out there with my test group. Not too much else brewing besides still looking for a job....which is a whole other bag of wollybodydingdong (sorry, I had to get that out). But I'll keep y'all posted. Smooches and night-night!!

Toot, Toot! Honk, Honk!! Beep, Beep!! (an aha! moment)

(Pic by Kim Carney/MSNBC)

Over the last few weeks I've been practicing my flying with a very special e-course. And I have to admit I have maid some strides in setting up many of the systems she's been talking about. I set up my blog (of course), newsletter & FB fan page. So now I'm on to my Etsy page and BAM all four of my tires went flat.

I've been staring at my screen for the last hour trying to right a description for one of my mixed media pieces. I am paralyzed by thoughts of  "is this right, original, finished, inspirational, good ENOUGH? It's really got me pacin'.  Plus, I feel this pressure that if I don't put the perfect script no one will buy them and theyll be lost in Etsy land forever.

I just thought I'd share today because I'll tell you following your dreams can be a dirty job. You know I'm a champ at championing others. I can see the best in an ax murderer or a paper with just two crayon marks running down the middle of it. But ask me to say something glowing about myself and I draw a complete blank. Part of it I think is being a raised as a good, southern Pentacostal girl. "Never brag on yourself...it so vain." The other part is I wasn't applauded much as a child. More attention was paid to what was wrong than right.

But you know what? I think this is as good a time as any for me to start stepping out of old thinking and believing. It might start out sounding kinda sqweeky, but with some practice I'll be blowing a trombone in no time. I owe it to myself really to tell the truth. Since that's what it is.

These pieces were created with heart, to inspire me and anyone who put their eyes on them. The colors and textures are meant to accent your home or office. And they make great gifts as well. They are reminders, and Lord knows we need them, that we are good, special and loved.

Enjoy.

Oh snap, did you just hear that? I think I heard a little toot-toot and it sounded kinda good! OK my pretties I gotta hurry back over to my Etsy page while I've got some air in my tires!

p.s. - thanks for listening. I couldn't have done it with out you. Smooches!

Business Building Monday

I like the sound of the title of this post. Kinda sounds like I'll do it every Monday. Sounds like a great idea...hmmm. We'll see. I'm just so inspired by the Flying Lessons e-course I'm taking right now. Just when the ebb of my confidence and gumption was peaking and doubt and second guessing myself started to sink in here comes my collaging-mommy 2B-super hero-teacher-cheer leader Kelly Rae with week 4 of her class on building a successful and balanced art business. The part that really stuck out to me today (surprisingly) was the piece on the importance of a newsletter and how it has helped her business. Well first of all I didn't think I had anything to talk about worth bugging folks every month about. But after hearing her side of the story i think about it a little differently and now...I'm pumped up to get started on a newsletter. And hopefully you'll check it out and find it valuable.

So to stay on track since I do have the propensity to start something and not finish it (did i say that??) I thought I'd put a little outline of what you can expect from the M2BM - M2BU newsletter.


1. Inspirational word/thought  - this is a great way to share some of my favorite lessons and teachers with you guys.

2. Works in progress - I love seeing the creative process of artists I follow and think it gives a nice inside scoop on what is going through an artist mind.

3. A personal tidbit -  on my working, mommy, daughter, friend, explorer life. You're sure to find pics of my super cutest son Vincent who I just can't get enough of...here's a peak at one of his latest pics...

can't you tell he's been taking pics his whoooole life!

4. Artist spotlight - here I'll share (or hopefully interview ) an artist (painter, writer, singer, etc.) that I enjoy or feel inspired by. Who knows, you might see you here one day!

5.  Sales &Promotions - Pretty self explanatory.... more info of how you can take a little piece of me home.

6. What to look for next month - Teasers of the juicy-ness to come.

Well, I hope this has wet your whistle. It has mine and I guess it has also put the heat on me to get to the gettin' on delivering the goods right? And since I seem to work better under pressure,  I'm thinking I'll have a newsletter out by...ok I'll just put it out there - July 1 (did I just say that too?). Well I guess I better get to work. OK, gotta go - Bye!

Greeting Card Art

Uhm, okay, i kinda got something i wanna show you. i'm so inspired by artists who have the balls to post their works in progress and you know i want to start putting on my big girl pants and opening myself up the way so many of you have. so here are some works in progress (be gentle) i did this past week. I have for as long as i could remember wanted a line of greeting cards that were quirky, sassy, inspiring and most of all beautiful. i have 2 card ideas series so far and examples of the some of the copy is below...

"Imagine" series which is very sweet
outside card - "Imagine you are completely loved, supported and accepted."
inside card - "because you are."

"The Hard Truth" & it's a little tongue and cheek
outside card - "Don't take this the wrong way but..."
inside card - "you are absolutely fabulous."

the more i look at them, the more i like them. which means my lil goblin has settled down since he realized I was gonna do this with or with out him. so now ill move on to trying out some text and fonts on my computer. and hopefully by the sometime in July ill have some sets of 4 (one left to scan in) to put on my etsy shop...which needs some serious life breathed into it. but thats another story.