New blending tutorial.

I have had many folks ask me about how I color my images.  So, I have just uploaded a new color pencil blending tutorial on YouTube.
Hope you'll check it out and give me some feedback.  I'd LOVE to hear from you.

Let's Dance. . .

Remember that David Bowie song from the 80's.  I never was a big fan of it, but for some reason, I have had it stuck in my head lately and I don't know why.  Don't ya just hate that!  UGH! But I guess it's all good.  Sally seems to be enjoying herself, although she seems to have some of John Travolta's movies from Saturday Night Fever. :)  It's all good…..

Join in. . . .won't  ya!

Dancers keep time, while others waste it.~Terrnece Taps

Small is good

Anyone who has met me, knows that I'm not very big.  Meaning, I'm short. I guess I get that from my momma's side of the family, and most of us ladies are short.  I'm about  5'2" and my sister, and mom are shorter than me and my Grandma Reba was WAY under 5". She came to about my chin.  I LOVED that woman.  

I don't mind being short, in fact, I prefer it. I used to get picked on all the time, or rather teased, about seeing over the counter, seeing over the steering wheel, etc., but I didn't mind.  My granddad Grant used to say, "Good things come in small packages."  I guess that's because he was short too.  :) But I believe he was right.  Some of the best gifts I've ever had, came in small packages.

I'm a blessing wether I'm 5'7" or 5'2". . .I LOVE being me and I wouldn't change a thing.  How's about you!

The largest of blessings come in small packages.~Unknown Author

Sing it loud. . . .

Do you ever just want to sing at the top of your lungs?  I know I do.  But I refrain, because I am a terrible singer.  Even in the shower.  As a kid, my sister and I used to sing ALL the time.  We'd grab those old 45's stack them up, let them play and sing the old tunes, using the fireplace hearth as a stage.  Oh, those were the days.  Singing, dancing and entertaining ourselves for hours.  Oh, I do love the smell of a record and the smell of an album cover.  I think it had something to do with the plastic.  I miss that smell.  Don't you?! Most of my parents records were from the 60's, including the Beatles, Elvis, The Statler Brothers. They just don't make music like that anymore, do they.  

And I bet if you would admit it. . . .you did something similar, didn't you!

I believe in singing.~Brian Eno

Loving life.

Loving your life and yourself is the only way to truly be happy.  God made you special.  Growing up, I was always comparing myself to other people.  Hair, body, looks, etc., and then as I got older, I realized that I was insulting God by doing that.  He made me and he thinks I'm perfect.

"…I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:14

And that is good enough for me.  I'm not one to question him, so I'll just leave HIS perfection alone.  Be happy with who you are.  Be happy with your life.  Say to yourself. . . ."You're AWESOME!  You go girl!"

Be happy.  You deserve it!  Even if you have to dance by yourself.

Be kind. . .

. . .and always gentle.  

I love birds!  I get it from my mom.  Growing up, my mom ALWAYS had bird feeders and a bird bath.  We lived way out in the country and in the winter, the birds were our entertainment.  I knew just about every name of every bird that came to our feeder. I don't see too many birds here at my apartment complex, although there are several hawks that I see from time to time.  They are beautiful birds!  So independent, free and stealthy.  Sadly, other than that, it's mostly just blackbirds and crows.

I remember many a time my mom yelling to my sister and I, or my dad, telling us to come look at a rare bird that would come to our feeder.  "Girls, Gene, come look, here is a Baltimore Oriole at the feeder."  It was the highlight of our day sometimes.  Other times, we'd count how many Grosbeaks were at the feeder or in the trees.  Yep, we entertained easily, but it was always fabulous.  I miss those days, but my mom updates me in the winter, how many, of what kind of bird were out at the feeder on a certain day. And I always hear about the first Robin sightings.  Gotta love it!

Are you a nature lover?  A bird lover?

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.- Lao Tzu

Relax. . .

Time is a precious commodity.  It seems like the minutes, hours, months and years, just fly by.  I know the older I get, the faster it seems to go.  It seems like there is always something to do and just not enough hours in the day.  Even at 46 and with a 19 year old that pretty much does his own thing, it still seems like I am always on the go, with no real downtime.  Even in the evenings, when I do sit, I'm still always doing something.  Answering emails, working on a new illustration or something. But, so far this year, I have been really good about making time for me!  Whether it's being curled up on the sofa watching a program or movie, chatting with friends or going to the gym.  I'm not a new years resolution person, but I did read an article about the best way to accomplish something is to schedule it.  So that's what I have been doing.  Penciling in time with myself.  How about you…..do you take time for yourself?

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it. - Sidney J. Harris

Knowledge. . .

. . .is power!

Or at least, that's what we've always been told.  Right? And of course we all know that with age comes wisdom.  That, I know is definitely true.  My knowledge however, is different than most. My knowledge is more of a common sense kind of knowledge.  I'm not saying I'm dumb.  Yes, I did go to college.  Yes, I did graduate.  But I always remember what my grandfather used to say. "You can have all the book sense in the world, but if you don't have any common sense, then you really aren't going to make it."  Now, I don't know if I completely agree with that, but I do think that common sense is more valuable than book sense.  Do you?  

The only source of knowledge, is experience. - Albert Einstein

Put your hands up. . .

. . . .and shake your booty.  :)  Who doesn't love to dance.  I know I'm not very good at it, but it certainly does make me happy.  Dancing makes me smile..  Ever hear a song on the radio that just makes you want to dance?  In the car, in your home, in the store at the mall?  There is just something about dance that puts a giddy-up in your step.  Don't you agree? And admit it.  It makes you happy, doesn't it.  It makes you smile!  So, get up and dance. . .put a smile on your face and get on with your day.  

There are shortcuts to happiness.  And one of them is dancing!-Vicki Baum

Count it all. . .

. . .as joy! Can ya tell from all the posts lately that I am a happy camper?  Well, it's true.  And it shows, doesn't it. I hope it's catching on your side of the screen as well.  Laughter, fun and joy are all contagious.  Just like bad feelings, anger and depression.  There comes a time in all our lives, in a moment or a life decision that you can make a choice.  Be happy and stay in the moment, or let bad things get you down and loose that moment.  You'll never get that moment back.  So. . .choose to be happy. . . .EVERY MOMENT.  Come along on the ride. . . .

"Joy does not simply happen to us. we have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day!" Henri J. M. Nouwen

Jump for joy. . . .

. . .and why not?  There is always something to be happy about?  Right?  Make a fool of yourself.  It's ok.  No one is looking.  I promise!

Have you ever done that?  Acted like a giddy little school girl, jumped up and down like your pants were on fire about something when you should be acting more like an adult?  Well, I think you already know the answer to that, at least for me, just because of the way I phrased the question.  

I did that just this past Christmas Day when Zach gave me my new iPad mini.  I've been wanting one for a while, been saving and going back and forth as to whether I could justify the cost, because I already had a regular iPad.  I use mine ALL the time.  Especially for sketching.  So when he 'sneakily' put mine in the frig and casually asked me to get him a glass of tea and I saw the package, I knew immediately what it was.  I think he must have told me to calm down a million times.  :)  Couldn't wait to get that sucker open, and get my programs downloaded so I could use it.  It hasn't left my side, except to charge at night.  Yes. . .I was a nut!!!  And PROUD of it!

How about you?  Ever act like a fool. . .like your pants were on fire?  Please share!  :)

"When you jump for joy, beware that no one moves the ground from beneath your feet!"-Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

The key ingredients

. . .I think this says it all!  I have a wonderful plaque that hangs above my tv that has this exact phrase on it. It is a constant reminder to enjoy life and all that it has to offer.  Living well, doesn't mean having the best things, like designer clothing, living in an expensive home or driving a fancy car. To me it simply means. . .live well. Live in each moment.  Live with no regrets.  Live life each day like it would be your last. . .and the next two things will follow.

"What day is it?"

It's today, "squeaked Piglet."

"My favorite day," said Pooh.

-A.A. Milne

Have faith. . .

. . .keep your focus on the task.

As a kid, having faith is easy.  I remember many times jumping off the side of the pool into the loving and outstretched arms of my dad, when I first began learning how to swim.  I had no doubt that he would catch me.  None whatsoever.  I had complete faith in him.  Even at the age of 5, I was living life on the edge, when I jumped off that pool ledge. When I took that leap of faith.

I'm not sure where that faith and trust goes as we get older.  We replace it, a lot of times with hesitation and think to ourselves . . .'prove it.'  It's actually very sad, but true.  I for one, am in that group at times.  The Prove It group.  But I've learned in the last couple of years, that it isn't others that I need to put my faith in.  I need to first and foremost trust in the Lord, trust myself, and trust my heart.  Once you let go, you realize that living life on the edge, comes with the best safety net of all. . . .GOD!  You may fall at times, but you will never hit the ground.

Faith.  It doesn't make things easy.  It makes them possible!

A Birthday Blessing

On the run and ready to get down and party.  Kids always enjoy a sweet, fun birthday party.   I think we all did. . .and even as adults, I think we still do. I know that I do.

Birthdays mean different things to different people. Some enjoy them and welcome them with open arms, while others dread them because it means that they are a year older. I personally welcome each of my birthdays.  I consider it a celebration of life.  Children are a blessing, so I like to think that the Lord thought enough of my parents to give me as a special gift to them.  

Enjoy life. Live each moment and embrace it with open arms.

"God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well"~Voltaire

Sit back and relax. . .

Have you ever just kind of sat down and just let your mind wander?  It's a good thing to do and I have to admit, I do it often.  When we were kids, we used to call it Vegging Out.  It is so relaxing.  Thinking about nothing in particular and just kind of winding down your mind.  It's good to just do nothing sometimes. Don't you think?

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."~Buddha

New Outlook

With 2013 barely behind us, it's time to look forward to 2014.  Are you ready?

I remember as a kid, begging to stay up to ring in the new year.  Back then, there was no cable, so there were only three tv channels that carried the infamous 'ball drop'.  I always preferred the one with Dick Clark.  It was a big deal for my sister and I to get to stay up and watch Dick Clarks' Rocking New Years Eve celebration. We'd eat popcorn, drink sodas and eat candy, pretend we really weren't sleepy and brag about how cool it was that we got to stay up late and watch.  Those days are long gone now, but I think the biggest thing that I enjoyed, was looking forward to the excitement and newness that the new year brought.  I'm 46 now and I still feel that excitement.  It's like wiping the slate clean and starting anew. I'm especially looking forward to that this year.  That and the warmer weather.  :)

I hope that each of you will accept the gift of this new year.  Use it wisely.  Ponder, cherish and embrace each new memory and moment.  You only get them once. Just remember that!

Look forward to what is coming.  I have a feeling it's going to be amazing!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

...Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. -Philippians 3:13