Make a Messenger Bag Out of Trash Bags!

This is the BEST project ever! I am SO doing this with my students. This is the first project I am doing when I get back from vacation. YAY! I can't wait.

Our Greatest Fear...

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.

It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our fear,our presence automatically liberates others.

-Marianne Williamson

I just love this everytime I read it. Nelson Mandela used it in his speech.

Let your light shine!

"Flowers" by Zane

This is my son's, Zane, beautiful "Flowers" chalk and glue artwork.
It brings to mind the lovely artwork by Connie, who I like to visit.

In Progress

"a new day" in progress. I have to get ready for our artist guild show that is at the end of August. I am building a new sculpture in my head, but in the meantime, I am collaging this, and painting.

My Meez!

Look! It's me! It's a site for building avatars. I was actually loading photos into Photobucket, but this is a buddy system they have with the Meez site. I'm not interested in the community stuff there but this gal is pretty cute, huh?

Handmade Card

A card I created for Bailey. Her Open House is today. Gooooo Bailey!! The card looks alot warmer in real-life. Handmade paper is yummy - that is the base. Then I used a face made from paperclay and fabric and ribbons.

Tears

Funeral today.

My mom said to me once, "Why is the word 'fun' in funeral?"

My eyes hurt from crying. I have a headache. My heart is full of emotion and my head is full of memories.

It was the best funeral I've ever been to. I mean really, since we have to go. And since you are sitting there in pain and watching people you love be in pain and you do wonder how long it will go on for them, and you wonder what are they thinking right now while this guy who doesn't even know their son is talking and saying things about Jesus instead of their son.

But it was different. It was beautiful. They played his music - the music he listened to everyday, and sang to us everyday and danced to everyday. And everyone that spoke, knew him. Knew him so they could tell stories and help us remember and help us laugh through our sadness to the special part of us that can relax and say, "Oh, and remember when he, and how he, and didn't he just love...!"

Forgiveness. Love. Imagination. Happiness.

"Will everyone be there?"
Yes they were Sean. Yes they were.

Werewolves of London

For Sean

Sad News

My alphabet starts with this letter called yuzz. It's the letter I use to spell yuzz-a-ma-tuzz. You'll be sort of surprised what there is to be found once you go beyond 'Z' and start poking around! ~ Dr. Seuss

A student of mine died yesterday. He drowned while swimming.
Big Blue Eyes. Short Brown Curly Hair. More Imagination Than a Tall Thin Body Could Hold.
I will miss him so much.

create peace

Created for the ATC's for all Creative Life Chunky Book Swap. So fun to do. Feathers are magical - don't you think?

What I'm Reading

The Red Book by Sera Beak

my favorite quotes so far...

"Who said prayer has to be beige?"

..."heal your dark and shine your light..."

..."twinkling your world..."

"What if you saw God or the divine as nothing more than you, living your life with all you've got?"

and my all time favorite...

..."the Universe is not your bitch..." I laughed right out loud.

This is not fluffy feel good stuff, or sanctified right path stuff. It really makes me think. I like it.

SUMMER!

Yay! Summer is here and I am off of school until the end of August.

I will not be teaching at Art Camp this summer, because they wanted me to teach photography and that is my hubby's area, not mine. That so made me laugh. It's very nice that they have such confidence in me, but all I could teach the kids would be to take off the lens cap. And the business side of photography - which would bore the five-year-olds to tears. Hehe. "And this class, is a model release." Ohhhh.

So I will be traveling around Michigan and visiting galleries to sell photography for the summer. Beautiful framed prints of the Michigan freshwater landscape and Images from India. Fun. Fun. Fun. I'm excited about designing a portfolio - digital and traditional.