I will be back

My expectations for writing posts in December was not realistic. I didn't think it through.

I am just like the rest of  you, we don't even need to talk about it. Every year is the same.

 Today Minneapolis is getting its first big snow of the season and I have to admit it is pretty exciting.
Exciting to be trapped inside a nice cozy, warm place, a place where the world stops for awhile and you  are forced to take that big breath and enjoy the quiet.

I am enjoying it but taking advantage of the time to 'create'.

I will resume this blog in Jan. and will continue where I left off; connecting children to my art.

Happy Holidays!

Diane

Imagination is the key!

Art in a child's room should be cheerful and pleasant but I am going to go one step farther :

As I continue to paint images with children in mind, I am going to focus on paintings that spark their imaginations.

A painting on their wall could be a starting point to a bedtime story. Your child could begin by telling his interpretation of what he sees. Others could join in and a story begins.

On the Curious Jungle Animal series in the Print Gallery I look at each of the animals and wonder what they are looking at. Are they afraid, are they surprised, are they curious?  Think of the possibilitys.

Here is the beginning of my next series (still untitled)  I am so excited about it, and hope it turns out as great as I am imagining. Hopefully I will be able to show it to you soon.

On my next post I am going to tell you about a drawing game my Grandson and I invented.

Here are two ways that you can make a difference to this blog:
   1. Tell a friend (share the link)
   2. Add a comment
Thanks for stopping by.
Diane

Think like a child.

If there is one thing that I am an authority on, it is CHILDREN. I have raised 4 of my own  and have been a strong presence in the lives of my 7 grandchildren. In addition to that I taught Sunday school to 5th graders for 10 yrs and was an Art teacher for 14.

 I have a clear memory of something I said to myself when I was a child.   I promised myself that when I was a grownup I would never forget how children think and feel. I am proud to say that I have kept that promise.

 Children are little people who need to be heard, understood and respected. They need to be loved, they need to have fun and they need to feel safe.

That shouldn't be hard to understand, but it is sometimes  hard to remember, especially when the child is being naughty. I think 'being naughty' is directly connected to boredom, hunger or being too tired.

If the problem is Hunger the answer is simple: FEED HIM.   Trust me, an unhappy child is not going to want  broccoli.  Even though a nice warm meal would be best, I guarantee you that will not work.  Usually a small  snack plate  will work. Crackers and cheese, small slices of apples with peanut butter  are good choices, but my secret weapon is 'The bribe' My little Leo loves chocolate. I buy Hershey candy bars (the ones sectioned into little rectangles).  I will put one rectangle on his plate and tell him he can eat that  too but must take turns with it. (one bite of hershey and one bite of the cheese).  That gives him some choices and always a bite of candy is a good choice. Once he gets the taste of the healthy food in his mouth, chances are he will start to eat that.

If the problem is being overly tired taking a nap may not come easily. Some choices could be taking a nice long walk in the stroller, with the 'blankie' and 'pacifer' or bottle close at hand.   It may take some gentle rocking and snuggling  while telling a story, or the method that is probably (sigh) used most often is the making of a cozy little 'nest' in front of a favorite TV show. (LIMIT it to 1/2 hr ) Even if he hasn't fallen asleep, the quiet time should be enough to make the 'naughty' go away.

 In short: The caretaker has to find a way to make a 'naughty' child happy again.  A creative Nanny, Mother or Dad, or Grandmother can make everyones day go smoother.   I repeat: CREATIVE.
Children hate boredom but they don't really know how to 'fix' the problem.  I have several 'stand by' emergency activities ready. Depending on your child, your list may be different, but here are mine.

PLAYDOH
      It is only special if it is not out with the everyday toys. Clear off the kitchen table and get out the doh (each child must have his own Doh in front of him) Get out the plastic tools and let them start the process. It is perfectly fine if Grandma plays along for a while too.

PAINTING ROCKS.
     We have some nice small rocks that line the patio. When the weather is nice I give them some watercolor paints and brushes and they sit on the patio and have so much fun. Sometimes they fill a bucket with water and put the rocks in the bucket and the water becomes colored. Then it is very important to add grass and leaves to the water. DONT BE AFRAID TO LET THEM GET DIRTY!

MAKING ART
     The markers and paint and scissors and glue are put  away until art time..  Little kids CAN use children's scissors. Don't be afraid of the mess, contain it to one table and let them discover and explore. ENCOURAGE!

Last but not least: KEEP TOYS ORGANIZED!
Before I go any further, imagine yourself getting ready to bake. The recipe book,measuring cups, measuring spoons and mixing bowl and mixer are ALL in a big basket along with magazines, old mail and books and clothes.  How inspired are going to be?
How do you expect your child to play with his blocks it they are thrown in a toy box with all other toys?
I sort toys by category: Blocks,Legos, action figures, doll and clothes, matchbox cars, large cars, trains and tracks...........You get the idea, right?  Even if the kids don't put them away, think how much easier it will be when you have the right box handy to put the toys in, and the Reward?.. they will play with their toys more often .

This post is a seque into my next series of paintings for children. That will be the subject of my next post and I am also going to share some great creative games that my kids and I love.

Please share this post if you like and leave a comment.

Finally these 3 little jungle friends are done. (that poor little elephant has been waiting for a long time).

I will get them scanned soon and add them to the print gallery on my web page. I planned to do that today but instead I took the day off to see an old friend. You have to do that once in awhile. All work and no play is...      Opps! I can't remember the last sentence.

Tomorrow it's back to work as usual.                     www.artworksbydiane.com

An Artist's dilemma: Making time for : 'Making Art'

I have been in the process of relocating for the last 2 months.  Saying "goodbye" to my family in Brooklyn was heart wrenching but joining my family in Minneapolis was  heart warming.

This is the first time in my life that I have been completely retired, able to 'create' on a full time basis. I find myself in a dilemma: I want people to see and purchase my work. To me and thousands of other artists, that means using Social Media, which is what I am doing right now. I Love Blogging and Face book and Pinterest and all of it, but it really takes time.

I have put 'creating' on the same level of importance as 'social networking' and I am feeling frustrated about that.

 Yesterday  I spent 3 hrs admiring the incredible work of 200 artists at 'ART- A -WHIRL' in  the NE Minneapolis Arts District. Those 3 hours reminded me that 'creating' must take priority over marketing.

Lets see how I do.

Here are  a couple of shots of my studio in my home. Pretty typical; desk overflowing with paperwork and notes and my drawing table waiting for the 3rd painting in my new series to get done.

www.artworksbydiane.com

Luke Langholz Pottery: Glazing, Firing, and Remembering

Luke Langholz Pottery: Glazing, Firing, and Remembering

Luke was my student in high school.  I was his Art teacher for 4 years. He was good at drawing and painting and design, but I am ashamed to say that my clay class was not that strong. I only say that because I get no credit for the clay work he is doing now.  I think his work is amazing.   Not only is he talented, he is a super nice guy.  Please check him out.

Who is taking care of YOU?

I found a great article in my 'in-box' today from 'Oprah' The title was 'Who is taking care of YOU? It caught my attention because I have been feeling a little 'Martyr-ish' lately. Oprah's article lists 4 key points: 1. The importance of Vit. D (the sun) Just 10 min a day in the sun will completely change your attitude. That is so true for me. A gloomy day drags me down, I feel tired with little energy. When the sun comes out,everything 'lightens up', not just the sky, but ME! 2.Talking to and petting a dog or cat will remove stress. True, everyone knows that. My little 'Sammie' has saved the day for me many times. When someone loves you like that, how can you Not feel good? 3. Massage: It is proven to reduce stress and maintain health. A one hr massage is a little bit of heaven to be sure, but it does cost money. As a substitute, a hot relaxing bath works miracles too. 4. Exercise: Stretching and deep breathing. The trick? Making time for it. The villain? Me. When I have a free moment I fill it with 'must-do' things.. Shame on me. 5. This one wasn't on Oprah's list but it is on mine. Quiet time, 15 min or more in the morning. This step is something everyone can do, it just means getting up early enough to do it. Preferably while the rest of the house is asleep.I confess, I don't do this everyday. In the past I was faithful to this practice, but now mornings come early in this house. I still do find the time at least 3 mornings a week, and believe me, it makes such a difference in my day. My 'Quiet time place' is a chair by the glass door looking out at the back yard. I read, pray, write in my journal and I meditate for a while. My friend Glen who has doctorates in psychology and wellness arts has a great video on YouTube that helps guide you into meditation. So in answer the question,'Who is taking care of you?' Guess who: YOU

Change can be a good thing.

Change can be fearful,sad,exciting or any number of things, but for me, change has always been for the best and it has always been fearful and usually sad. Sound like an oxymoron? Let me try to explain. (it would be helpful to read my previous post) I loved the place I called home for 15 yrs. but I had recently retired from teaching and suddenly had nothing to hold me down. My Son and wife live in NYC and were expecting their 2nd baby, they needed help. What an opportunity! So yes,that 'change' was both sad (leaving my home) and good (Being close to my Son's family and experiencing life in New York) Now I am embarking on another chapter in this journey of life. I had planned to stay in New York for one year to help care for my two little Grandchildren, but that year turned into three. As the 1st year was drawing to an end I realized that was definitely not enough time. My montra became: "I will leave when I am ready." The primary reason I am 'ready' is that right now the children's energy levels are really high and mine is getting really low. Two things are working together to let me know this decision is right: My body and my desire to 'create' art full time. Will it be sad? It will break my heart! I love my New York family and I adore my little grandchildren, and life in New York is exciting! But I will also love living in beautiful Mpls. completely retired and ready to focus on myself and my three families there.(of course there will be many flights to NY and lots of Skyping.) Change can be a good thing. Every time I made a major decision to change something, it opened an entire new world to me: places,friends,and experiences. These changes never replaced my past, it is a part of my journey. My life is a book and there are many chapters in it. Each chapter has tears and joy. Don't be afraid to start a new Chapter if you are feeling a need to change something in your life.

Are you afraid of change

I want my posts to be about something I have some knowledge of, something credible to share and hopefully, can help someone along the way. Believe me when I say I really know something about 'Change'. This subject is high on my mind these days because I am about to make another big change in my life. Here is a 'quick list' of major changes in my life. NO CHANGE (nice and comfortable) 31 yrs of marriage,4 kids, owned a business, same town, same friends. 1. Ended marriage (talk about Change! Scary and sad) 2. Started college(at 48 yrs of age!Talk about scary) 3. Sold house (sad, but necessary) 4. Sold business (relief) 5. Graduated from college.( WOW!) 6. Moved to new unfamiliar city to start a new career: teaching.(scary) 7. 15 yrs later: Moved to NYC(Exciting) This is the important part, the part I want to share with you, the part that can help you if you are afraid of change. Decide on the 1st step! It would be overwhelming, if not impossible, to plan all of the steps at the beginning. (personal note:I wanted a happier life, I knew I needed to take the first step toward that goal) The first step is ALWAYS the scariest, and the hardest. KNOW that the other steps toward your goal will happen in due time. TRUST yourself and LIVE your life. (personal note: I couldn't have done it without Prayer and Faith) My next post is going to be about this next big change in my life. P.S. If you want to talk about this and prefer not to comment, feel free to email me (details in my profile)

Just like Mom

Having talked to my sisters and friends about this, I know I am not the only one that discovers myself doing, saying and acting just like my Mother. Why this is not a good thing is the fact that this 'thing' we are doing is the same 'thing' that irritated the hell out of us when our mothers did it.

Here is an example: While in a restaurant Mom could never open a packet of anything, be it sugar, salt ,whatever. After a few seconds of her doing everything except tearing into it with her teeth , she would hand it to me and say, "I can't open this." Guess who is having the same problem some 30 yrs later? Yours truly. Why can't I open anything, especially the packages that shredded and sliced cheese comes in? Yes I do cut it with a scissor first and then try to pull it apart. Nope, doesn't work. Now after one or two failed tries I just cut the entire top off.


Another example: On Sundays after church Mom and I would sometimes go out for Breakfast. The majority of time she would say, "I am going to have pancakes. That is something I don't really fix at home.” I never vocalized my thoughts (Thank you God for that) but I would think that it was a shame she didn't try other things on the menu. Just last week, TRUE story, my son asked me if I wanted to walk down to the diner for brunch. Guess what I said: "I am going to order pancakes because I love them and don't make them at home that often."

“I am sorry Mom. I just didn’t understand!”

There are so many more examples, but I am hoping someone is reading this that has a similar story to share.


Labels: acting like mother, eating out, i am sorry, Mothers, pancakes

STOP acting like you are old!

This is the first in my series of posts on aging. This isn't just about 'old' people because all of us start aging the minute we are born. I think most of us agree that we never feel as old as we are, I remember my Mother saying, "I don't feel any different or older than I ever did." I completely agree with her. Excluding people with health issues, it is my opinion that we have control on how we age. We hear it all the time; Eat healthy , exercise, everything in moderation. Of course I am not denying that, but what I think should be on the top of the list is Attitude. Have you decided to stay interested in others lives? Have you decided to keep on learning? Have you decided to remain physically active? Have you decided to continue looking good? (hair makeup, clothing, weight) Have you decided to have a sense of humor? Have you decided to find joy in life? Have you decided to keep things simple? Have you decided to remove stress in your life? Have you decided to see the good, not the bad in people? Have you decided to keep children in your life? I am sure there are many more, but you get the idea, if you don't want to feel old, then stop acting like you are. For me, one way to stay young is to allow change in your life,either natural or self induced. I will write more on that later, but for this post to be helpful and fun, I need comments and sharing. So please tell me what you think and what else I should put on that list.

7 good reasons to Blog

Writing these posts is a lot of fun, but I have discovered it is more than that. Last week as I was writing "A gardeners farewell" I found myself feeling a little 'unsettled'. Writing it reminded me that I had moved away from a really great place, a good life and friends. In another 6 months I will be leaving another great place (NY and my family here) Writing about this was therapeutic. From an old post in 2010, Billy Mac said this:"Blogs are meant for expression,its a piece of one's own self, and often times a window to one's soul. Its a journal, its a story. Its a way to show off your stuff." (Sorry Billy, I couldn't find a current link) I can add to that. Reading articles to share with others keeps me updated and informed. Joining in a conversation on someones blog gives me a chance to connect with others in a way I wouldn't do otherwise. In the 'real' world conversations with family and friends rarely involves in-depth discussions. Here are the 7 reasons I blog: 1.Fun 2.Therapeutic 3.Outlet to express myself 4.A journal 5.Show off my 'stuff' 5.Keeps me informed. 6.Make friends

A gardeners farewell

In the first post about my garden I said,"A place to gather with family and friends to share happy times and build memories." I lived in that charming little house in Clear Lake, Iowa for 11 yrs and the money I put into that outdoor room was the best money I ever spent. I cherish all of the moments: My Grandchildren's visits, All of the many 'Girls retreats' in Clear Lake, My close friends relaxing and sharing a glass of wine, The teachers 'get-togethers' and my Minneapolis kids coming down with their family's. All great memories in a beautiful place. My daughter once gave me a garden plaque which read: "Gardeners live in the most beautiful places, because they make them that way." Change happens, I have lived in Brooklyn for 2 1/2 years now making new memories with my family here. Soon I will be moving to Mpls to retire and concentrate on making Art. I probably won't be able to have a garden and that is a sad thing. Working in a garden is the best therapy in the world. Nature,flowers,weeds,birds,butterflies,squirrels,dirt,the job at hand,leaves no time for negative thoughts. Alone with God and nature, what more could you want? But there will be flowers where ever I live and lakes and trails and birds and music and it will be good. I will be talking a lot about 'Change' in my upcoming posts. I certainly can speak from experience on that topic. I am hoping some of my readers will join in the conversation with comments. I am ending my Garden series with some photo's from those 'good times' in my outdoor room.

A great story about a Monarch Butterfly

All of this garden talk reminded me of my Monarch butterfly story. A few summers ago I unknowingly planted a milkweed plant. One Aug afternoon I discovered a large yellow and black stripped caterpillar on one of its leaves. I cut off a section of leaves and branches (with him on it) and placed it in a glass jar. I was hoping to have it turn into a chrysalis but never dreamed it would really happen, but it DID! Not just for THAT caterpillar but for the 2 dz that came after that. Adult caterpillars kept showing up everyday. My garage and patio had glass jars with caterpillars hanging upside down in them everywhere you looked. My camera was sitting by the door for a month and I was 'on watch' constantly. Throughout the month I captured every phase of the Monarch from a tiny little black speck to a beautiful butterfly. During the month I shared the chrysalis's with my friends children and my grandchildren so they could watch the butterfly emerge in front of their eyes. It is an amazing thing to see. To have the new form dry out and open its wings to sit on my finger for 15 minutes before it takes its first flight was awesome. I took the last one to school in Sept and invited the staff and students to come into the art room to enjoy. This is a painting from a photo I took of this ones first flight from my hand to this flower that was about 2 feet away.He stayed on that flower for about 1/2 hr before he flew away.

Adding a personal touch to your garden

One of the really nice things about a garden of your own is that you can add a personal touch using decorating items. Gardening shops have so much to choose from and everything is so beautiful. Personally, I go crazy in those places. The figurines and pots and bird baths and wind chimes,oh! if only I had more room. A word of advise here: do not overdo. It is a temptation, I know, but a way to get around that is 'grouping'(strategic placement throughout the entire garden) I also display a few plants in pots to add height and interest where needed. I bought a 3 tier fountain that filled in a dead space. The moving water attracts the birds and soothes the soul.Every garden needs the sound of moving water. You may enjoy seeing some of my original art on display in the following photos. They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

MY LIST OF EASY PERENNIAL PLANTS and TIPS

By trial and error,during the 11yr love affair with my garden, I found several perennials to be tried and true (I am talking Midwest) The Cone flower has to be at the top of my list. It breaks through the soil in early Spring,a little bigger each year, and blooms July through Aug.and its beautiful blooms attracts butterflys.

I have also had great success with BeeBalm It does attract bees but don't worry, they are so busy on the plant that they will not bother you. You never have to fear that this plant will not come back each Spring; it will, and it is always bigger, so when you plant it, leave enough room for it to spread. In addition to the beauty of the flower itself, it smells wonderful. If you 'google images' you will see the many varieties bee balm comes in. Hydrangeas are the most beautiful of flowers.

It is IMPORTANT to know that Hydrangea's need water! If your plant starts to droop, WATER it! It is amazing to watch the poor flower come back to life after seeing it completely collapsed. Not that that is a good thing, just amazing to see it's will to survive. It also needs to be guarded from the sun, so if it isn't in shade and the sun it hot on it, guard it with an umbrella for those few hours. This flower becomes a nice full bush year after year and it is one flower that drys naturally on the vine in the fall and can be cut and used in the home all winter (simply laying on a shelf, or used in a wreath or standing in a vase.) I am going to talk about drying flowers in another post. Black eyed Susans. Not much to say other than they come up each spring, adds great color to the garden and doesn't need much attention other than deadheading.

There are so many more, but I will let you have the fun of the search and the trial and error process. I DO want to talk a little about placement. 1.My first priority is where to plant the larger perennials. I evenly space them along the back row of the flower bed about 4ft apart. (Sometimes a symmetrical decision should be made,an example:I had steps coming out of my back door so I put a Hydrangea on each side.) 2.In between those spaces and slightly in front of the back row would be a mixture of either shorter perennials or annuals. Notice in the photo below the pink flower next to the purple petunias. It is my favorite, the generic name is Butterfly plant. 3.In the front row the choice is endless, just be sure these plants are the shortest ones in the bed. I hope you enjoy these photo's. Tomorrow I am going to talk about Art in your garden.

5 STEPS TO A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN

I am going to begin with a list of Gardening 'chores' (most gardeners do not consider these chores, they call it "working in the garden') It is the best therapy ever invented. I find that when in the garden all of my problems disappear. 1. Cover all of the dirt around each flower with a thick layer of mulch. (Cedar mulch is my favorite) It serves several purposes: a. If you cover the entire garden bed, it almost eliminates the weeds. b. It is much more pleasing on the eye than dirt. c. I helps keep the soil moist. 2. To keep ANY flower blooming, you must'dead head'. That is a very important part of a Gardener's life. Dead heading simply means to cut off all the old blooms. Cut them off just above the top leaves on the stem. That process sends a message to the flower to make more blooms. In addition, it also keeps the plant looking neat. 3.Another important step,seems obvious,but important: Fertilizing. I keep it simple and spray Miracle grow from my hose attachment twice a month. There are many products on the market, so what ever you choose, don't forget to use it. 4. Water. General rule: If it doesn't rain, water...... all summer long. I don't use a sprinkler, I just stand there with my hose on a soft spray. It is a delightful task. 5. Pull weeds. If you pull them when you see them, it never turns into a big job. Just like anything else,if you put it off, then it turns into a big job. That is it for today. Tomorrow I will start to tell you about some of my favorite flowers.

How to lay pavers on a patio

In case you have just joined me,my garden posts are one continued story so you might want to read the previous two posts on this page first (don't sigh,they aren't long) Shortly after the plants were planted I realized that the patch of grass between my house and fence was more annoying than it was pretty.I had put some garden furniture down and the grass under it just didn't work. In addition, I needed a tree for shade. This space that I had created was more of a 'terrace' and it needed a floor. Back to Menards I go. I choose some stone pavers that would look nice with the fence. They were delivered the next day along with a driveway full of sand. My fantastic neighbor Tom and I dug up all of the soil to a depth of about 8 inches. (He actually did the most, I was just a 'token' worker) Lucky for us, the neighbor behind my fence needed our soil to level off his. Tom put all of the sand over the raw dirt and then laid the pavers on top. When all of the pavers were down it was my job to pour sand over it all and sweep it into the cracks. Done! The transformation was amazing. About the tree: When Tom was laying the pavers I asked him to leave a 3ft square open, close to the fence in line with my kitchen window. I wanted the tree in view so I could enjoy the birds and animals that it attracted. I bought a Locust,it seemed so small at first but I could almost see it grow, at least a foot each season. With proper pruning, it grew to supply wonderful soft shade and atmosphere.

I am going to talk about some of my favorite plants on my next post and I also want to show you how I incorporated my art into my garden.

Planting a large garden in a small space.

 As you saw in my last post, the fence was up, the soil prepared, the lot line established and now: 'let the fun begin'!

This was my first attempt at a real garden. I have always loved flowers, I was raised in the business. My folks owned a Flower Shop for 41 yrs. at a time when the only place flowers were sold was at a Flower shop. But 'cut flowers' and growing a garden are not the same.

In the beginning I bought all perennials.  My theory was that perennials come up year after year, the easiest way to go. Since then I learned that if I wanted color all season, I needed to add some annuals to the mix. A few years of trial and error helped me create a piece of art, not on canvas but still a piece of art using color and balance and repetition, just like I use in my paintings.

 When it comes to choosing your plants, don't stress over your choice. Have fun with it and get what you like. The trip to the greenhouse is the most fun you can ever have.

        1.Think about height. I only had room for 3 rows so I had 3 heights: low, medium  and high.

        2.Think about colors. My theme was to repeat colors through out, not to cluster colors in groups.                                                                                             For color ideas, browse through garden magazines.

        3. Don't overcrowd. It is very deceiving in the Spring, to image how large some of these plants will grow, so follow the directions on the label.

        4. Think sun and shade. This could take a little homework, but with Google, how hard can this be?

        5. As a general rule, the largest plants and the biggest investment will be the perennials. I always had them in the back, the 'kings' in my jungle. The middle row was different every year, some mid sized perennials or annuals. The front row was always very short, almost a ground cover, but not.

In my next post I will tell you some of my favorites and why, but it depends on where you live, what did well for me in the Midwest might not be the best choice for you.

I have much more to say so please come back.

     

Lets plant a garden

Let me start by saying, "Don't ever think you do not  have room for a garden."  Here is my story.  Back in 1994 while the realtor was showing me the house that I fell in love with, could afford and wanted to buy, we walked through the garage to look at the back of the house and she said, "I am sorry there isn't a yard." There was grass up to the house but it blended right into the neighbors yard. Bummer!!

 I saw potential.

As soon as the house was officially mine, I  found the property line. It was very close to the house, I am guessing  12ft or a little more, but room enough for a chaise lounge chair and a picnic table . Within days I was at Menard's buying a cedar privacy fence. I hired someone to put it up for me and Walla! I had a yard!  Small, but it was mine.

To add to my delight, I discovered that the attached garage jutted out just enough to serve as a wall on one side and the neighbors garage served as a wall on the other side, nice and cozy.   That served me well in the 11yrs. that I lived there. In the Spring and the Fall,on the coolest windiest days, my backyard was warm without wind.

The next step: I needed flowers. I decided to put the flowers along the back of the house curving  around at each end.  I dug up the grass to a depth of 4 ft. and then tilled the earth and added some good soil.  Back to Menard's for bricks which I used as 'edgers' to give my garden a border.

I will continue this story all week. Here is a teaser: This little garden turned into a terrace, my retreat, a haven for birds, a place to gather with family and friends to share happy times and to build memories. It  was chosen by the city to be on the 'Tour of Gardens' in 2005.

I will continue to share my gardening secrets and lots of photo's

Please share your gardening stories with me as well. Comments are very welcome!

Grandma likes to play

I am so anxious to get the 'store' set up on my web site to show my new Greetings series. Yesterday I put a code on all of the pieces that are web ready, but working on the computer while I am babysitting Leo, my  grandson is impossible. He loves computers and phones and when I am on either one, HE wants to be on it too. So I avoid using those two items while he is with me.

However the one thing I  CAN do, oddly enough is:  Draw and Paint.  My work table is set to face 'out' into the room and for some reason, he is content, perhaps he thinks I am playing, which of course, in a way I am!

So for this week while both  5 yr. old Lucy and  2.5 yr. old Leo are home  because of a week long school
break,  I will be in 'Grandma mode' sneaking in a little 'playing' along the way.

Something NEW is coming!

Been gone from my blog about a year, long story. Suffice it to say, "Life got in the way."  Everything is good now, change is coming.

I am so excited about my new art style. I am not doing away with the old,  just making room for the new. I am about to launch  a stationery line. No worries, who writes letters anymore?  But.....people DO send cards and notes and gift enclosures, and mine are so neat.

I will attach a sneak preview here and soon I will have a store front on my web page as well as one on Etsy.

You can easily keep in touch with me via Twitter and Face book.

Be back soon!