TAGGED!!!

My sweet CaaT art friend Katey (blueyeduckstudios) has tagged me! :)

Here's the scoopidy-doopidy: When you are "tagged" please give 7 random facts about your sweet self on your blog.
Please write things that are a habit, unusual, or that no-one else knows, as well as the rules of the game.
You then need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog.
Please leave a post on the blogs of those you tag so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog...and tag 7 more and so on.
No worries. No pressure. No time constraints - just enjoy ~ xo ~

And so, Katey Duck, here I go!...

1. I met my husband in high school when I was 15 and he was 17. We had a mostly long-distance relationship before we got married 8 years later.

2. I took ballet lessons for 10 years and was sure I'd grow up to be a ballerina!

3. I didn't know I had any drawing ability 'til, as a young mom, I started drawing to make my son happy.

4. I'm the oldest of five children and grew up in an Italian family.

5. I majored in nursing and worked as a pediatric nurse before our children were born.

6. I have planned (and lived through!) two major old house renovations... with more to come!

7. I am "Aunt Patti" to 7 nieces and 4 nephews, who live in New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas.


OK, now it's my turn!... I tag these wonderful CaaT artists: Larin, River, Aubry, Dixie, Michelle, Deb, and Susan.

MY ART SPACE

A quiet Saturday afternoon. I'm sitting in the studio, enjoying the sun that is shining through the window. This is one of my favorite places to be! I am blessed to have a room of my own where I can surround myself with paints & brushes, punches & glue, polymer clay & an assortment of little creative projects.

Of all the rooms in our house, I think this one best reflects me. This is a place where I feel happy!!... Looking around the studio for me is like looking at a timeline of my creativity: cartooning, lettering, paper piecing, acrylic paintings, and colorful polymer clay. These are all little experiments I've done over the years -- some more successfully than others. Actually, I guess they have all been successful, since they all have taught me lessons about color, design, and using a variety of art & craft materials. None of these projects would win any prizes; but, for me, they all add up to a colorful, one-of-a-kind, personal, not-to-be-found-anywhere-else mixed-media quilt -- my art space.

This is where the little girl in me comes out to play. This is where I journal & think & pray. This is where I brainstorm & plan my next creative project. This is where I read & learn from others. This is where I come to catch up with myself. This is where I can happily be me...

Thank you so much, Lord, for this place!

Written 3/25/06

HAPPY B'DAY 2 ME!!!

I celebrated my 50th b'day last month, and it got me thinking about things I've learned about myself along the way. Here are a few simple facts about me (in no particular order!) :

* It's important to me to be authentic.
* I'm most comfortable in my blue jeans.
* Quiet time re-energizes me; busy-ness makes my battery run low.
* I doubt I'll ever be an avid gardener, a gourmet cook, or a sports fan.
* I like living in a place where the seasons change. Spring and Fall are my favorites!
* I think of myself as a stay-at-home-mom/ self-taught artist/ craftperson.
* I don't usually like to shop, but I can spend hours exploring a bookstore, a craft store, or a hardware store.
* I like to live simply. For me, that means eating basic, healthy food, keeping my home uncluttered and friendly, and juggling only a few commitments at a time.
* I'm a better listener than a talker.
* Playing with craft supplies -- colorful papers, punches, markers, glitter, glue, paint, and clay -- makes me happy!
* One of the most important life skills I'm trying to cultivate is the ability to have a thankful heart.
* Being a wife and mom have been the greatest blessings of my life!!!

Written 3/16/06

AN ORDINARY (HAPPY!) SATURDAY MORNING

It's 10:30 on an ordinary Saturday morning. I have no place to be, no schedule to keep. A whole empty day stretched before me -- pure bliss!!

So far, I've had French toast coffee with my husband, Joe (usually we have pancakes, but today just felt like a French-toast-kinda-day!). Mine had Grandma's homemade strawberry jam, made with strawberries grown on the family farm -- YUM!!! Fed and talked to Salem, our dog (who loves the extra attention). Let Salem in & out of the back door at least ten times (she likes to see what's goin' on in her neighborhood!). Checked my email and my eBay art groups. Listened to my husband laughing his big, happy laugh from the next room as he watched a SciFi show he'd taped (how I love that laugh of his!!). Considered all the many ways I might spend today -- vacuuming? (nah!), folding clothes? (definitely!), washing my hair & getting it cut? (great idea!), changing the sheets? (yup, put that one on the list), going outside? (it's 60 degrees today in January -- much too nice to be inside all day!), wandering around in my favorite craft store (what a treat!), doodling? (just haven't had time lately, and I've missed being creative)...

Lord, I'm so grateful for this ordinary Saturday, when I can JUST BE!! Thank you for time to regroup, catch up with myself, and play a little!

Written 1/28/06