From Chaos Comes Happiness

We're back from beautiful Arizona, well rested and sun kissed. Every time I visit Arizona, I am reminded of the beauty of the state. Katie fell absolutely in love with it this trip, and spent much of our vacation asking if we could move (permanently) there. I've been thinking a lot about making a permanent move for our family lately . . . we are pretty fortunate in Phil's job that it would be a relatively easy transition for him to relocate to a different place. Arizona might not be such a bad place to call home . . . hmmmm . . . wouldn't that be exciting?!? But, until then . . . we are back in the mid-west. Chicago welcomed us home with gray skies and rain (a lot of it). Those last few "April showers" have stayed true to their words, and it's been so icky the last few days. It's ok, though . . . because there is always art. And that makes it pretty awesome. I just finished up four weeks straight of art classes for the two park districts I am tea...

We are heading out of town for a few days this week . . . to sunny and warm Arizona. We were just there last summer, but decided (with the help of Phil's flyer miles and Hilton points) that it would be the most cost effective place for us to escape to this spring break. And escaping is just what I need to do. The past year has been one of the most emotionally draining in my life. I don't know why . . . but I am not keeping myself in line on the emotion side of life as much as I have in the past. Maybe I never have. Maybe I've always been a big ol'stress magnet. But this past year, it is really hanging on me, and I am feeling it. So, I am heading to sunny Arizona for a few days of R & R. And I can't wait. The last time we were there, I snapped a few moments like these . . . I can't wait for the pool . . . seriously . . . the sunshine . . .  the warmth . . . the sound of children laughing . . . all of it.  I can't wait for the blu...

Lately I found myself losing sight of those moments that make me happy. It's so easy to let myself get caught up in the drama of others . . . becoming lost in the negatives . . . and forgetting the simple things that bring me joy. Ah, focus . . .  It started a few months ago, when Phil told me that I don't just sympathize with others . . . that I really empathize with them. I take on their emotions and begin to truly feel as if what is happening to them, is happening to me too. Of course, it's not. But I couldn't agree with him more. It was a perfect way to describe what I was putting myself through in recent months, as sleepless nights and physical stress started to take over my own life. So, I made a plan. To remove myself (as much as I could) from the emotion. This is a really hard task, and not one that can happen overnight. But I'm trying.  I don't want to lose the caring part of me, I just need to learn how to handle it. How to be a good list...

I can't believe I haven't written in a month. One month. One complete and entire month. Augh. As I've said many times before, I'm multi-creatively-challenged. I swear, I need to write a book just on that concept alone. However in doing that, I fear it would bring yet another absence of some other creative task. I started the year off so strong here in blogland, but somewhere got lost this past month. In between starting a new health regimen, Phil's really crazy busy travel schedule, a craft fair, and a whole desire to get in touch with myself (again . . . ), my blog fell to the wayside. Something always gives. Sniff. Sniff. My sister is always telling me to stop apologizing for things (I am a frequent "I'm sorry" girl). Actually, she yells at me. "STOP SAYING YOU'RE SORRY!!!!" she'll demand, when I truly deep in my heart express apologies to people for what they are expressing. "STOP IT!!" She gets pissed at me. It m...

I love when you first meet someone and in a short amount of time, they say something so touching that you feel it deep in your soul. I love that this new person in your life, who for all intent and purposes is a stranger, can open your eyes to something that you may have never noticed before. Something that you may have sometimes wondered about. And I love that this person can make you stop and say a silent prayer to the 'Big Man Upstairs" for all he has given you in life . . . and in love. I spent a couple days this past weekend at a lovely Scrapbook event at a nearby Double Tree Inn. My friend Kim, a Creative Memories Consultant, participates in it with a number of her consultant friends, and I have watched her talk about it on Facebook for years. When she posted about the March weekend coming up, it sounded like a good time for me to take advantage of it and attend. I have never done a long weekend of scrapbooking like that before. And while I did get a lot done, the w...

What!?!?! I haven't written since February 14th? Shame on me!! SHAME!! I have written about 100 times in my head . . . but my deepest apologies for not getting it here - to the blog! I have so much to share . . . stories and photos and little updates on life. So let's not waste any more time, shall we? Today, I'm starting with one that I've been meaning to write for weeks. I want to share a little story with you about a recent piece of art I was commissioned to make for someone, and a few photos of my journey along the way. It's a little story about love , really. Love & Art. And what a wonderful combination it can be. It started with an email and turned into one of the best experiences I had in making art for someone. Truly. The email came from Meghan, the dearest girl friend to my life-long friend Scott. Scott and I met some (eh-hem) 25 years ago, in high school. We were theater nerds together (yes, most of us in theater were nerds). Our love for th...

                                   I'm here! I'm here! I haven't gone far away, I promise.  I've been working on some commissioned art works this week . . . one particular piece that I can't wait to tell you about. Until then, I just wanted to wish you all the happiest of valentine's days! A day of love . . . Sigh. Love. It is a wonderful thing.  A few years ago, my in-laws went through a pretty big clean-up of their home and attic and decided to have a huge garage sale with all the things they no longer wanted. If you knew my in-laws, you would understand that a garage sale at their home would be full of the most exciting and interesting finds!! Their house is the funniest place ever - full of the coolest goodies, and I knew I would find lots of things at the sale that I would want to take home with me. Yes . . . I sure did. For it was there that these vintage framed valentines found my...