Metal In Bloom

I am totally excited about my newest necklace!

I love the feel of sterling silver & copper mixed. I keep trying to find new ways to blend them.

This particular piece really excites me - small wire is not easy to work with. It is extremely flimsy - so shaping it takes patience.

I have been trying to shape a daisy for a few days - but getting very frustrated.

This morning it just flowed together.

I thought about stamping some words on this pendant - but I loved the simplicity of it.

I think it is very attractive yet simple.

I see more wire working in my future!

Letting Go

I have not personally ever lost a close loved one.

I can say I can imagine how this must feel - but I think this is one of those things that until you have been there you do not truly know the pain.

But with a recent loss for my mother I think I have truly realized that sometimes letting go is easier than hanging on.

My mother lost her mother when she was only 8.

My grandmother's best friend (Doris) stayed in my mother's life - they lost contact for many years only to reconnect just before Christmas this year.

Right after reconnecting Doris' husband passed.

My mother has been driving the couple of hours often to take Doris to doctor appointments & spending time with Doris.

They totally reconnected & had time to forgive each other for wrongs that had happened.

Last week Doris had a stroke.

My mother was there - she was able to get her to the hospital immediately.

But Doris kept fading.

I have talk to my mother a lot through this & she has just been so sad & very much not herself. I was really concerned about my mother losing Doris. Afraid of her going into a funk maybe.

Well mom called me yesterday morning & Doris has gone to be with her husband again.

I kind of waited for the bomb to drop & mom to really lose it.

But instead I truly felt a peace in her voice.

She was able to let go & know that all is right because she knows that Doris is no longer missing her husband & she is not in any more pain.

While I still DO NOT look forward to losing someone dear to me - I believe that I fear it a little less now.

Childhood Memories

This morning I have been thinking about some of the things I brought to adulthood with me.

I was raised for most of my childhood by my father & his ex wife - my step-mother.

I didn't like her - I did for a minute - then they got married & she became my step-monster. I swear it was like over night she went from being something great to telling me how worthless I was all the time - ok so not the story I am here to tell - but maybe necessary to know to understand why I sit here kind of laughing at my thoughts this morning.

Being an adult & mother now I find myself hanging on to little quirks that she implemented in my life.

Things I hated as a kid.

Who really cares which direction your clothes are hanging on the hanger?

What does it matter if the toilet paper is over or under?

Who cares if glass glasses touch in the dishwasher?

LoL!

I am so anal about my clothes hanging a certain way on the hanger!!! I TRY so hard to just hang them & not care - but it eats at me.

Toilet paper must be over not under - OMG - that drives me crazy! I would rather it not be on the toilet paper holder than to be WRONG!

And glasses in the dishwasher - well that one I have conquered! I have done it & they don't go crazy in there & break!

I also still watch the soap opera she watched when I was growing up - Y&R - there are some of the same actors on there from my childhood - they are timeless it seems!

BUT I have to record it because of work - I don't HAVE to watch every episode - as we all know you can catch up with one episode. But I do try to watch them all.

Honestly all the craziness that those rich people deal with makes me feel great about my simple lil' life!

Do you have crazy things from your childhood that haunt you?

I wonder what silly things that don't really matter my kids will take with them?

Some of the most wonderful people are the ones who don't fit into boxes

I set up a fan page on my facebook a couple of days ago - I know I need to be very active on it - as I should here - to keep & gain interest. So yesterday I found one of my favorite quotes & just posted it. It is something - & it is meaningful for me.

I have always been a fan of inspirational quotes anyway. Today I went in search of a quote for today - wanted it to be something about being an artisan (somebody who is skilled at a craft) - during my search I found a quote by Tori Amos that grabbed me.

Some of the most wonderful people are the ones who don't fit into boxes.

Most people spend their lives trying to fit into some sort of box - or some sort of clique.

As a teen & possibly into my 20's I think I tried to fit into a box - tried to find a place to be part of something. But somewhere along my path in life I figured out that I don't want to fit in - I want to be me - not someone else.

I find more everyday I live by this idea.

I find myself also being this way with my creations. I don't want my ideas to be the same as what someone else is making.

Me making jewelry is kind of a funny thing to me. I have never been big on wearing jewelry. Maybe that is because I just didn't find things I loved - I find I really LOVE what I make. It has a statement in it some way or another.

Take this piece for example -

I think we forget to follow our hearts sometimes - we are taught as children to use the brain we have right? Well sometimes our brains overthink things & our heart - well it can lead us in so many directions - not always right & not always wrong. But by following what your heart is feeling can bring through things you need to go through to be where you are inevitably suppose to be.

Then there is this necklace - I don't ever remember seeing a piece of jewelry dedicated to dirt! LoL - it is actually representing a love for the garden. I know there are so many people that love to play in their gardens. The idea of growing something - cultivating it & succeeding at it is so rewarding!
So my point being - don't be afraid to stand out in a crowd. Live outside that box you have been cramming yourself into.
I too am going to work towards being outside of my box - leave my comfort zone & create things not everyone will love but some people will not be able to live without because it speaks to their very soul!

PS - if you want to join my fan page on facebook here is the link.

Paintinbyfaith Fan Page

BELIEVE

BELIEVE

Right now in my life this is a word that I am trying to say to myself everyday.

I have a HUGE support group in my life - my family.

Everyday Mom, Sister, Hedder & I email back & forth - we talk about any & everything (&I do mean everything - tee hee).

Sister especially encourages me to blog more. I always say 'I know - but' She is also always telling me how I should share my love & passion more for what I do - my creative endeavours.

So here is MY big hold up: I am so afraid of sounding arrogant.

I read other blogs & I don't think of them as arrogant - so why should I feel that I sound arrogant - right?

RIGHT!!!

Here is to me starting to BELIEVE in ME.

1. I am a wonderful mother. (I put that first because, well because my kids are so important to me)

2. I am a very talented person.

3. I have GREAT ideas.

4. I am a caring person.

5. I can do anything I set my mind to.

6. I - while no super model - am a beautiful person - inside & out.

7. I love creating things that make people smile.

8. I am not afraid to reach past my comfort zone.

9. I love life.

10. I BELIEVE IN ME.

There I said things OUTLOUD that I am sometimes afraid to say.

NOW I will live this way.

I want to share my gift & passion with YOU -

What I have been up to -

I have been going & going it seems. I had several mini vacations.

Mamma Bear's birthday was in Feb. Sister & I wanted to make this a great birthday for her so we suprised her. I live about 3 hours from Mamma Bear & Sister lives in Chicago - I don't even know how long that flight is - but she flew in to Tulsa & we drove to Mamma Bear's house & shocked her. Here is the fun -

She was very suprised & had the best birthday ever - I think this was the first time ever all her children were with her to celebrate her birthday!

I also went to Galveston to meet up with my high school girlfriends. You see these girls are more than just girlfriends - we lived in a girls home together. They are more like sisters.

So this is what I have been up to - would love to hear what you have been up to.

I have also been making a few things - I will share them later!

I was never a big make up girl.

I use to weigh over 200 lbs & didn't really see make up hiding ALL of that.

But I lost the weight & gained the confidence to be pretty. I started playing with my eye makeup about a year ago?!

I have gotten bolder & bolder with putting it on & I have looked as some pics & asked my husband - OMG why didn't you tell me I looked like a damn clown!! LoL

I started using mineral makeup a couple of years ago - I love it. I was using the cheaper Ulta brand brushes - a brush is a brush is a brush - right?

WRONG!

And of all people that should know better I should! Being a painter & spending a lot of money on paint brushes that were a 'deal' but weren't smooth & wore out very quickly - you would think I would have considered that.

Well - Kat Von D - one of my fave people - came out with her own line of makeup brushes & eyemake up. I wanted them soo bad - but gosh - I couldn't stand spending the cash on it!

For Valentines Day my sweetie spoiled me - Kat Von D brush set & a pallete of eyeshadow.

AMAZING!

The brushes feel like velvet on my eyelids - my old brushes would occasionally poke me. And the blend everything JUST RIGHT.

The eyeshadow stays PUT. My eyes are always watering - at least a little - & at the very least in the outer corners of my eyes my makeup will wear off because of that. But not with this eyeshadow - I use black eyeshadow for eyeliner - much softer look than harsh eyeliner pencils or the liquid stuff - & it even stays right where I want it. I am horrible about washing my makeup off before I go to bed also - I know bad bad BAD - but when I wake with this makeup on my eyes are still beautiful! But it isn't hard to get off either - I just wash my face in the morning in the shower & without a problem is comes right off.

Here is a pic I took of my eyes after using this great product.

JUST LOOK AT THOSE EYES!!!!