sunshine breaking through the clouds

last week i visited a friend of mine who has been battling cancer for a few years now, 

with chemo, radiation, surgeries, sheer will. 

she is on a new round of chemotherapy

and hoping that it will be effective.

i've been thinking a lot since my birthday about how grateful i am for the life i have,

for a healthy body,

for two little ones + a husband who i love,

for the space to create and imagine,

for all of the people who make and shape my world into a good one,

for the gift of life.

thursday morning is one of the two days when both my girls are at school, 

so i work in my studio.

this morning instead of painting i spent time fleshing out what i wanted this year to look like personally and professionally.

lots of scribbles and notes and lists later...

i sort of laughed to myself at how sometimes we think we have control in these things 

(and yes, we can work and strive and dream and do), 

and so we plan as if we can control our destiny,

but so much in this life is out of our hands.

nonetheless, grateful for opportunities

imagination & possibility.

we have today~

what will it hold?

oh hey, that's right- i have a blog

sometimes you just have to take a hiatus from things.

so i'm back again after a break, and maybe i'll get back in the swing of things and post a lot more frequently. (don't i say that every few months?)

so glad those of you who got your little 1,000th post treats in the mail enjoyed them!

been trying to log some hours in the studio.

some by day

(when i have cute little munchkins come wreak havoc)

and some by night when i work on freelance projects...

do you like my late night attempt to keep my bangs out of my face?

this is what i see in the wee hours...

(yes i drink coffee in the middle of the night)

and since valentine's day is coming up, might just be time for you to head to the store and pick up a card painted late at night, by me, in my little studio for your sweetie or loved one...
here are two hot off the presses cards by me that you can buy wherever papyrus cards are sold or at independent retailers nationwide.

plus you can get this not pictured oldie but goodie on the papyrus website...

perfect for you to buy for the husband in your life!

alright already, buy 'em up before you are left to troll the drugstore aisles last minute trying to find a card that isn't awful!

love for you

after oh, you know, a month plus, the 1,000th post treats are going in the mail today! 

i made you all some special treats, so hope you enjoy!

happy mail opening!

(and those of you who didn't comment, so sad- next time around say hello and you, too, 

will win my love and affection and perhaps a treat in the mail)

happy old year, happy new year

happy new year, my friends!

here? no resolutions.

i usually wait until my birthday in twelve days to come up with some hopes for the year.

how about you? do you make resolutions? do you keep them?

i do wish i had more self control; maybe that's why even though i try to post one picture from each month i end up posting like 3478 of them. sorry. you can skip these jaunts down memory lane if you prefer. here's a peek back at june.

my delightful four and a half year old just threw the most incredible temper tantrum this morning, all aimed at her mama, ahem- me. 

so i am enjoying these glimpses of peaceful and joyful moments, all of which were peppered with the realities of meltdowns then, too, i just don't always post those on the blog. but they are very, very real. i promise. my children are just as human as yours, as am i. whether that falls under the temper tantrum category or the messy house/piles of laundry/parenting fail category. 

i've been trying to explain to my children why everyone is saying 'happy new year'. how do you explain a new year when in so many ways it seems exactly the same? 

but we celebrate every year, don't we? we breathe in the potential, the hope, the belief that goodness will come. that we will be better, that our own grass will be greener, that the places that are broken will be healed, that this new year will be full of new chances.

so, here is to looking back at where we have been (i'm talking to you, june) and looking forward to what is possible in these next twelve months (i'm talking to you for one, self control).