Road Trip...

I just returned from a road trip with my family. A medical appointment brought us to Toronto and we decided to make the most of it by taking our son to the Ontario Science Center. We spent six hours there exploring so many amazing exhibits...my favorite being the Harry Potter Exhibit showcasing all the props, wands, and paraphernalia used in the Harry Potter movies...It was AMAZING...sadly, cameras were not allowed... But, here is a snapshot of Owen traveling through the tunnel to the exhibit.




I managed to get a lot of drawings done along the journey. The drive to Toronto is four hours. I'm excited to show you some drawings that will become paintings in the next week....so many new ideas... I have only recently started drawing... To be honest, four months ago, the only things I drew were doodles of flowers. Painting has opened me up so much...I just can't get enough. This is how I come up with my ideas for my paintings...I'm really enjoying the process... I have filled almost 7 journals since January...

Owen and Steve...xo

I couldn't close this post without mentioning my sweetest friend MINDY LACEFIELD. Her ART is on this month's cover of Sommerset Studio. I am BEYOND excited for this girl. She continues to inspire me and makes me believe that DREAMS do come true!!! Congratulations Mindy, I am SO happy for you. I can't wait to pick up my copy tomorrow and tell everyone around me that you are my sister... Enjoy these magical moments that you have earned and wholeheartedly deserve.

And the Winner is...

I wanted to share one of my new favorite paintings with you...
Papillon Girl

And the winner is.....Beth Nicholls!!!!

Thank-you all so much for participating and sharing your favorite book picks with me. I can't wait to add them to my summer reading list.

Beth, get in touch with me and tell me which necklace your heart desires. I will send it to you packaged with LOVE.

Embracing the Present

My sweet little FRODO

I am enjoying a lovely Saturday without my boys. My son Owen is with his grand-maman for the weekend and my husband is participating in a coaching clinic all weekend. I have the house to myself along with my little Frodo, my new Morkie puppy that I adore.

On this beautiful Saturday afternoon, I am trying to embrace the present and enjoy every step along this creative journey. I am resisting the urge to look too much to the future...when I reach the peak of the mountain I would like to successfully climb.

This painting is for a fundraiser that I am a part of next Friday.
Part of the proceeds will go to help open a new local ART CO-OP.

I am trying to savor each accomplishment a little longer. I am trying to relish each little success and honor its presence the way it deserves. I am not the most patient person (COMPLETE UNDERSTATEMENT) but I am working on it. I want to sit with the present and embrace it's strength, because I believe this is the only way to truly enjoy this journey.

So, this afternoon I plan to take my little Frodo for a walk and feel the sun on my cheeks. I plan on breathing the air into my lungs and filling my heart with possibility while gratefully embracing the present.

Happy present to all of you!

PS. Don't forget to send a comment to win a necklace of your choice. Name will be drawn tomorrow! xo

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!!!

Owen under the BIG NICKEL

Getting ready for our underground tour...

Checking out their lunchroom...

My son and I went down under last Saturday...(no not Austarlia), but down below the surface of the ground...65 feet to be exact. We traveled through time, one hundered years of mining in our home town. We learned how so many men and boys for that matter lost their lives mining in Sudbury. We are the Nickel capital of the world. But, for the last nine months, our miners have been on strike. There is NO sign of talks and the families here are hurting...

This post is dedicated to the miners...past and present...from Sudbury and all other places on this planet Earth where people have lived hard days and nights in the damp dark cold underground. I am grateful. And I hope that this strike can FINALLY come to an end.




On a happier note, I am doing my FIRST GIVEAWAY!!! I am so excited to give away one necklace from my NEW line of jewellery. You get to pick which one you want! I will post the name of the winner on Sunday!




To enter please tell me the name of your favorite book...because I LOVE books so much and I am always looking for the next good read. I'm reading The Wishing Year right now... And YES, I will ship internationally. I will have Owen pick out the name on Sunday!

There's no such thing as a little Courage...

Courage

There's no such thing as a little courage.

Courage is courage.
And courage is something to be proud to possess.
Courage to try something new.
Courage to make that phone call you have been putting off.
Courage to open up your heart big and wide.
Courage to pick yourself up from the floor, again, one more time.
Courage to make changes that are healthy and long lasting.
Courage to let go of the relationships that drain you.
Courage to be happy and share it with the world.
Courage to LOVE with all of your heart, even though it has been shattered once or twice before. Courage to DREAM the dreams you deserve
and take the steps towards making them a reality.
Courage to listen to your inner voice,
the one that knows what is best for you.
There's no such thing as a little courage.
Courage is HUGE.
Courage is YOU!

Balancing ACT

Here is a painting I did for my family room.
I have been wanting something meaningful in there for a while.
It reads:
Dear God, bless this house with LOVE, kindness and belly laughs!

It was SO MUCH fun to paint on a LARGE canvas...can't wait to do more...

I am trying to balance all things in my life; my creativity, my physical body, my mind, my heart, my work, my mothering, wifing, friending, sistering, daughtering, neighbouring and all other ings that go into a day! Not an easy task...but I sure am trying.

I try to prioritize all things that need to be accomplished in a day...and I find myself struggling at times. Add in a haircut or a doctor's appointment into the mix and you are pooched!

I know we all struggle with having enough hours in a day to accomplish our many tasks and life responsibilities, but I do hope I figure out the recipe sooner than later. Because as the days continue to feel like they are getting shorter and the months flip along the calender, I continue to add things to my wish list, my goal list, my MONDO beyondo dreams...

If any of you have this balancing act figured out, I sure could use some assistance.... Until then, I will continue to try my best every day and try not to be too hard on myself when I do drop the ball here and there and even everywhere...

Reaching for the Clouds...

Journey towards the depths of your wishes

Breathe in the possibilities and scatter them upon your day...

I read a beautiful book to my son Owen last night called DREAM, a tale of wonder, wisdom & wishes . I bought it long before taking the Mondo Beyondo course... (the Universe at work of course...) This online course has opened me up more than any other Self-Help book I have ever read... I strongly encourage every single one of you to look into it...It is worth every penny.

After reading this book I asked my son what his dreams were...if you could do or be anything you wanted...what would it be I asked. Instantly he answered I would like to fly Mama...Ya, fly like the birds. What else I asked, give me one more....hmmm...I would like to breathe under water he answered, like the fish.

WOW! Those are pretty amazing dreams Owen! Those are beautiful I responded...I then tucked him into bed...

What happens to us as we grow older? What makes us stop dreaming in a way that could take us out of our spheres of reality? What makes us become so damn realistic and responsible that we are unable to let ourselves go and think the unthinkable? My son has yet again taught me to be vulnerable with my dreaming, to reach for the clouds even though I can`t touch them. He continues to teach me to go deeper, to let go, to dream so BIG it`s unthinkable...until now.

Her Painted Word

Mother Nature

Her Painted Word is my new name! I LOVE IT! I was struggling with "le petit studio". While I liked it to represent my BLOG and the place and space I create in...I wasn't feeling it anymore to represent me...as an artist...

Because words mean SO MUCH to me this was BIG in my world. After struggling on my own for almost two weeks (I could be stubborn at times), I called up a friend who knows me very well... I needed to brainstorm aloud.

Of course I called during the most opportune time...we were both making supper, and the kids were in and out of her kitchen and mine. I told her I was stuck and needed her help. She focused on the task and literally one minute later...she announced "her painted word". "

It's perfect! I felt it in my bones...the knowing...YES! THAT'S IT!
Her...painted, word, ....it's POETIC and beautiful and it represents everything!

Melanie, you are my BFF for a reason!

Like so many life changing decisions...so many are made during the craziest hour... You know it when it's right. It's organic. This new name covered all of my anxiety like a freshly washed white sheet falling upon my bed. It felt so GOOD!

SO there you have it...the new name, the story behind it and the knowing...

May you have moments of knowing in the days to come. xo

I am

Listen to your HEART

I Am

I am a passionate dreamer
I wonder about how I will leave my mark on this planet
I hear the sounds of of the wind blowing through the tall grass
I see my dreams tucked inside envelopes their wings flapping in the wind
I want to live my life surrounded by colour and words
I am a passionate dreamer

I pretend I wear a crown as I paint
I feel l the Universe opening up
I touch the possibilities that surround me
I worry about those I love
I cry when I see wasted potential
I am a passionate dreamer

I understand some dreams take time to unfold
I say I believe they will happen
I dream of holding my published book in my hands
I try my very best wearing my many hats
I hope to become an artist that helps others heal
I am a passionate dreamer

This poem was created with the help of this lovely friend. She has a link to a page where you can create your own I AM poem. Thank-you so much Lorrie for sharing.

I am looking forward to the long weekend with my family. Lots of puttering, reading, and dreaming ahead. I wish you all a happy weekend where the Universe nudges you with LOVE and possibility abound.