Spring is in the air where I live in northern Michigan. The temperatures are warmer, the snow is melting, birds are happily singing and everyone seems to have a “spring” in their step and a smile on their face on the recent warm sunny days.
Read MoreWhen I was a young girl, my mom tucked my arms under the covers when she tucked me in for the night. It was an act of love to make sure I was warm and secure but I hated it. I immediately pulled my arms out accidentally hitting her in the face in the process - I didn’t like to be confined. This memory stuck with me.
These days, I have my own daughters to raise and I’m seeing the early signs of rebellion coming from my almost eleven year old daughter. I have to admit, it was causing me strife the last few weeks. I initially pushed back but it only made me more worried, frustrated, upset and feeling like I was starting to lose my daughter to the teen years. This got me thinking back to my earlier years and my desire to be free and less confined.
Read MoreWe are all cats.
You know what I mean?
Perhaps not, if you were quarantined from social media last week and missed the video of the lawyer in Texas who joined a virtual court hearing via Zoom using a kitten filter. The lawyer couldn’t figure out how to turn off the filter, the judge tried to help, and hilarity ensued. The lasting punchline was the lawyer trying to reassure everyone by saying, “I am not a cat.”
Here’s a link to the video in case you missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGOofzZOyl8
Read MoreWhat little thing brings you happiness?
For me, one of my little loves is flowers. They make me happy from their beautiful colorful blooms to their lovely scents. I really admire people that have a green thumb and can grow and put together amazing floral arrangements. I have to admit so far that has not been me! Every year the little slugs, pesky rabbits and overly friendly deer (just to name a few) seem to find a way to eat away at mine!
Since February is the month of love, I’ve decided to take this month to focus on something that brings me happiness. Therefore, I’m setting out to take some time to plan and learn about creating a “simple” flower garden. On these winter days, I’m envisioning gazing out at my colorful new Zinnia flower garden with fresh bouquets filling my house this summer.
Someone that inspires me with her beautiful garden designs and flower arrangements is Alissa Thompson of IndieGrow Flowers, a local gardner and floral designer in my home town of Traverse City. I love her work so much that I’ve reached out to Alissa to see if she would be willing to talk with us about planning a garden and the secret to creating perfect arrangements. We’ll be sharing our conversation with Alissa later this month. In addition, I will be working on a painting a series of flowers featuring some of her beautiful bouquets.
This mini painting (above) is called “Flower Power.” It captures the beauty and color of one of Alissa’s beautiful bouquets. I hope the painting brings you as much happiness as it did for me to paint and that you find yourself doing something this month that you love too!
Read MoreWe open doors countless times per day, often with no thought whatsoever. It’s just an instinctive step in the process of getting us to where we want to go or inviting someone into our home.
But those are physical doors. What about metaphorical ones? Those that lead to our hopes and dreams. Why do those doors seem so hard to open, let alone step through?
For years, I held close my hopes and dreams—not sharing them and certainly not acting on them. I held them so close that I shut out all the light and almost smothered them altogether. Then one day, I cracked the door, not wide, but just enough to let some light in and let some of me out.
Little by little, it became easier to widen the door to show what was within. And as I did, I became happier. And as I became happier, I shared it with others and on it went.
This painting (above) is called “Within.” It shows how beautiful our “messy” can be when we are brave enough to open the door to it. I hope you enjoy the bright, happy colors, and maybe even get inspired to crack a door to something that you are holding close.
Read MoreI hope the first few days of the new year have been wonderful for you. I’ve spent a good portion of my time cleaning, reflecting and planning for the year ahead.
As I reflected over the last year, I realized something that I hadn’t noticed earlier. Last year I started doing things that had been on my bucket list for years. The pandemic awoke in me a sense of urgency. I started to worry that I may get to the end of my life and regret never having tried the things that I wanted to do. Sure, there are trips that I want to take and things I want to experience, but what was really nagging at me was my reluctance to start things that I had a passion for and felt drawn to, such as painting and music.
Read MoreAs I write this it’s Monday morning. We are all grappling with the surge in Covid cases. Here in Michigan, as in many parts of the country, new restrictions have been imposed and the schools in our community are being shut down for a few weeks to try to reduce the spread. The downside of these circumstances is that we’re forced to juggle more. But the upside, at least for me, is the realization that I’m getting better at taking things in stride; at letting things go that I can’t control – which is pretty much everything except my thoughts and my actions.
Read MoreEvery time we hike this trail I breath a little deeper and can feel myself slowing down and relaxing a little more. This time was no different. And the warm summer like air made the hike even better. As I took in the incredible views, I noticed my seven year old daughter doing the same. For a moment time seemed to stand still. She had stopped horsing around with her sisters to gaze out at the brilliant blue water. It was one of those sweet simple little moments, where you realize how fast time is going by, one that you just want to capture and bottle up forever. Despite all the hardships this pandemic has brought I’m grateful for the simple moments together to slow down. Because I know before long they will be gone.
The painting above is from the view looking out at Lake Michigan in Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. It is titled “A Moment in Time.”
Read MoreLast weekend, Jay and I were able to get away to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for the first time without kids since last October. We stayed at a quaint house overlooking Lake Superior in Marquette. I’ve only been to Marquette once before but it is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to visit for its serene setting and natural beauty.
While there, we hiked through Presque Isle Park, a peninsula close to downtown Marquette that juts out into the beautiful waters of Lake Superior. We made our way to the northern tip of the park to take in the rocky landscape at one of the park’s signature spots called Black Rocks. As the name suggests, the ancient rocks are black with pops of other colors. The view from the rocks is amazing.
As I stood there taking in the moment, I couldn’t help but think of the strong rocks beneath my feet and the crashing waves in front of me. It felt symbolic of the time we are in, and I was reminded that waves will come and they will go but it is how you weather the storm that counts.
The painting above is of the view looking out from Black Rocks. It is titled “Standing Strong.” I hope you enjoy it!
Read MoreSince I’ve started painting the beauty in the small mundane details of life has seemed to jump out at me more. I’ve noticed myself taking the time to bend down and look at things more closely, where I normally would of just passed by in the hectic nature of the day. The colors in the things have also become more vivid or perhaps I’m just more aware of them. Recently, we went to one of our favorite places where they have a beautiful garden and I couldn’t help but notice the lovely produce and cabbage they were growing. Perhaps it was partly because I have so often tried my hand at gardening without much luck (although the critters do seem to enjoy it) that I was drawn to its beauty and shape. The way the leaves opened and unfolded seemed symbolic of life and it’s many layers and the need to stay centered and true.
The painting above is one that I finished a few weeks ago titled “At the Center of It All.” I hope it brings a little joy to your day and that you find yourself noticing the color in the small details of life!
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