Panic button? Not yet!

OK, so I posted a sad message the last time about how I hadn't been painting...but all is not lost. I've had a very sporadic painting career anyway, and although I'm hoping that's gonna change soon, it will still take a little time.

So I'll just take the chances I get and make the most out of them!

I really want to do some watercolors coz it's been so long, and it's my favorite medium. I did manage a couple of sketches - take a look!

In case you think the ChubbyBubby is not center stage, don't! She is most important of all, muse or no muse. And she is being so cute these days that it's hard to tear away from her even to do the chores. What a yummy little toy!

How to lose the muse

doesn't need to be taught, I guess...it can happen all on its own, sadly.

I lost mine when I packed away my paint things because we were having visitors and I couldn't leave it all on the dining table, could I? So I had to put it all away and somehow it continued to stay there. Well, I kept seeing all these pictures in my head, but my art material not exactly being at hand, I couldn't paint them out. And one by one, my thoughts got all muddled up. I should have written them down at least, or just pulled out my stuff and painted, but there was always something else I had to take care of and I couldn't.

Sounds idiotic, but that's what happened.

I really wish I had a designated area where I could let my materials stay out so I could access them whenever I wanted. It's not fair to my muse to not give it even that.

Spicy news

No not really!

OK, first of all, I'm not antisocial, I'm just shy! Seriously. For example, there are still not five people out there who know about this blog. Very pathetic. But I digress.

So I was invited to a spice party, and not only that - I went! It was just next door, so I figured the commute would be very time-effective, plus it was about spices. I mean, come on. I'm writing a column in my head called The Spice Rack (yes, I should be sending samples out to editors...sigh), so this seemed like an interesting thing to go to. And it was. The presenter brought out a bag full of aromatic stuff and passed around so many jars of it that my mental list of what I'd like to buy kept getting longer and longer and longer...and collapsed.

At the end of it all though, I managed to order four different seasonings and they were Cuban, Moroccan, Jamaican and ...hmm...what was that fourth one? I couldn't get around to looking at the catalog again after I'd ordered and now I don't know what all is being shipped to me. It's gonna be a nice surprise!

What next?

Lots of things happened in the past few months that made the days just fly past...quitting work, the trip to Houston, DaddyBoy's new job, the little InchWorm turning one (no, we didn't have a party - we sponsored a child instead), getting ready for and participating in two art exhibitions, setting up a store on Etsy....was there room to do more?

YES!!!

So, here's the scoop: I am now partnering with a friend in business venture that I'm very excited about. We will provide strategic planning and writing services both on line and through workshops, presentations etc.

This means what?

TONS more work ahead!

It never ends, does it?

P.S. So now you know what's happening on the writing front and why you weren't seeing any here.

Welland Rose Festival

That's where a few of my paintings are being shown next as part of a juried art show.

I drove to Welland yesterday morning with the little Kitten and didn't realiize until halfway there that it was the first time in MONTHS that I had driven by myself with her! The weather being good I had the umbrella stroller with me, which I can handle, but I still had to struggle with the fastener on the car seat. Oh, well.

Also, to top it all off, later on that evening I managed to trip over the baby gate, while carrying the baby. Yikes! Thankfully, I kept my hold on her and she probably thought Mommy just gave her a very short, very bumpy ride. Yeah, Mommy got an assortment of bumps to show for it, all right! But no matter, the SnuggleBug was unscathed, so it was OK.

Here's more about the Welland Rose Festival.

Hello, Etsy!

Yay! I FINALLY put some stuff up on Etsy! I registered a few days ago, but with so much going on it was really hard to actually get the shop going. Now that I do, I need to flesh it out a little and of course, add more stuff!

Our writing services business is about to be launched very, very soon! I'm so excited. I am really looking forward to doing the two things I enjoy - art and writing - now that I am no longer going out to work. Of course, the little HoneyB keeps me VERY occupied, since she only naps while nursing, which means the rest of the time when I'm trying to do anything else, I am also looking after her. Many times I just leave everything I'm doing and simply play with her - she's my little toy!

But yes, that was my news flash for today!

Sunshine on a rainy day

It's been raining, and I love it. The greens look so green, and the pinks so pink!

Here's a painting that started out as something else entirely a few weeks ago, but I couldn't get to it and days kept passing. Yesterday, with rain falling softly around me, I finished it under the gazebo in our yard, while DaddyBoy played with the GlowWorm for a bit.

I've never painted anything pink, I think. It was sweet!

This little chair is sitting under soft sunshine, and birds are singing nearby. It's happy!

Attention all butterflies (or one) - listen up!

What a busy, busy week. If I only had to make sure the house was always clean, the dishes always done, the meals always cooked, Daddyboy's favorite homemade banana bread always in the fridge, my blog always up to date, my paintings always being worked on, my experiments with PhotoShop always in a state of progress, my writing always making it to the computer instead of fermenting in my head, all my social obligations always fulfilled, all my emails always answered promptly, and a half dozen other mundane things - oh, life would be easy.

Throw a little butterfly into the mix - one who is just finding her wings - and things go straight from hunkydory to haywire.

So today I took the little Bug aside and I told her, and this is what I said:

Dear Fragile Little Precious Butterfly,
Sometimes you make me want to tear my hair out, but I love you.
No matter how many times I have to extricate you from under furniture, or disentangle you from the Cluthes of the Evil Cords, or protect you from KittyCake (or, more often, the other way around), or make sure you stay away from stairs and sharp corners and things you can reach that may hurt you, I love you.
No matter how little I sleep, how many meals I miss, how many times I go back and forth, up and down, in and out, trying to get everything done, I love you.
Because you come first.
Because I knew when you came that you would always come first.
Well you do, and you always will.
Nothing, nothing is more important.
Remember that.
Now go forth with courage and despatch, and let Mommy type.
xxx