My truths...

I have been thinking about this post for a long time – it is scary, but so important for me to get it out there and so important for you to see the real me.

I do believe we all need to tell each other our struggles....our truths. I think once we hear someone else has a “not perfect life” it is SO much easier to let our guard down and acknowledge our “not perfect life” but also realize – no life is meant to perfect…really, how boring would that be?!?!

Here are some of my truths:

I thank God everyday for Him protecting me from cancer coming back, and I honestly do believe I am a walking miracle. AND I wonder what it is He has in store for me with this miracle.

I get a pit in my stomach anytime someone wants to talk about me – I am not good talking about me. I am a great listener and talker about other people, but I don’t like to talk about me…crazy that I can write about me though.

I don’t feel like I am an actual artist – not sure if I ever will feel like I am…not sure why or what will make me feel like one??

I probably drink too much coffee…not probably – I do, but man, I love it.

I cannot be a FULL TIME stay at home mom – momma needs Mother’s Day Out a few times a week!

We aren’t starting Ian in Kindergarten this year and it drives me NUTS when people say, “oh so you are holding him back?” No, I am doing him a favor by letting him mature a little more while he hangs out in “advanced pre-k”

The thought of going into stores to ask them to sell my art is maybe one of the scariest things – seriously, scary than chemo for me…what if they say no? Then what, where will I be with my business if no one buys my stuff?

So many people have told me to talk to Dr. H about hanging my art in the office…I know she would…well, I am 99% sure and that 1% terrifies me…I DON’T KNOW WHY???

I can’t wait for Ian to be able to read, so I can stop reading him Skylander powers.

And believe me, there is A LOT more truth to me. I think it is healthy for me, and hopefully you for me to share this. I will be sharing “my truths” weekly.

What are some of your truths?

Butterfly

“If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies.”

Change is scary. I have always had a hard time with change – any kind of change.  I used to hold on so tight to anything – even if I knew in my heart it wasn’t right…the idea of what if and change was scarier to me than the idea of doing what I didn’t want to do forever.

I have changed a lot since then – I am way more open to change now.  I now know if something isn’t working – it needs to changes, or more likely, I need to change either way I am doing it or how I look at the situation, or something….something has to change.

I have been working on a new style canvas – a little simpler with not as much detail, but in fun new sizes and with butterflies for the 3D pop, with sayings really aimed at all people – not so religious I guess – I know not everyone feels and believes what I do, but I want to have something for everyone.  And with them having less detail, they are less expensive – again, trying to get a little something for even more people.

Visit my Etsy store to get yours today!

New Item

Check these out - MAGNETS with my pictures on them!!  I LOVE THEM

What fun little gifts are these going to make?!?!

I am so going to get i phone covers, metal water bottles and to-go coffee mugs.  With these, I will send some cute postcards I got made for people to give out when asked about the goods!  YES, I will offer a discount for those willing to carry the postcards and hand out for me!



Gift Packing

So, I have had a lot of people get custom name canvases for gifts and ask me to send them directly.  I decided to add “gift packing” to my list of goodies.

With gift packing you get a little extra “jazz” a super cute tag for whatever occasion you are sending gift for and I will hand-write your message for you. 

I think this is going to be a great item to offer.

Project Sending Love

I am SO SO SO SO excited – SO excited!!!

I finally did it.  I finally set up a campaign for Project Sending Love to benefit one of my fellow Pink Ribbon Cowgirls and now stage IV thiver with me!

I told her of this idea and she was so excited and jumped on board!

When I was diagnosed the first time, a friend did this for me with hand-made cards.  My family got a little over $1,000 from the fundraiser, and I have since then said I WILL do this for others.  As with most things I do, it took a few trial and error runs, but I got it now!

How it will work (and YES, I will be doing this A LOT MORE…I really want to start a non-profit with this, but baby-steps is what I keep telling myself!) oh, back to how it will work.

I sent out an email to my friend’s family and friend.

I will donate 50% of all postcard sells to her.

When they check out on my Etsy store, they just put her name in the comments box.

I will keep a tally and send her a check monthly.  Her family can use this money however they want/need.

I am working on new designs for birthday cards, gift bag cards (to use as a tag/card esp. for children's birthdays) and more!

Do you have anyone would you like to do this for?  Email me – like I said, I SO want to do this for as many people as I can.

Manic Monday

Ay Ka-rumba!

This is posting while me and Ian are hanging out in Florida with my best friend! OH, a much needed vacation for us.

What a week/weekend it has been. My mom was here (THANK GOODNESS) to help me get ready for the Pflugerville Pfest show this weekend – a 3 day show that I had to make a ton of inventory for.  I really couldn’t have done it without mom!

This is my set-up out there...here’s to selling a lot!

Then I had Art Bra Saturday night!

Then, Ian and I got on an 8:00 a.m. flight...yes, I needed this vacation!

Here are some fun goodies for your Manic Monday viewing plessure:

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I HAVE to find a stand form like that and make some flags for my craft fairs!!

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Ian LOVES butterflies - we are going to make one of these when we get home!

Hope you have a great Monday!

Big Day!!

Today is Art Bra! I am so excited and getting really nervous.

It is sold out with 700 tickets sold – yikes!! That means more than 700 pairs of eyeballs staring at me when I walk down the runway and stand there while they auction off my bra…that is the part that is starting to freak me out.

I raised over $1,500 for the BCRC!!  Thank you all to all who donated.

If you would like to donate, there is still time.

Here is the bra I made and will be modeling:

I will post more pictures next week.

First Store carring my stuff!

I am so excited.  I contacted Kelley from Gracie Margaret's on a total whim…she started following me on twitter (which I still don’t understand the whole twitter thing, but that is a totally different story for a whole other day!)

Anyway, I had this nudge (yes, I believe we all get nudges from God and it is up to us to do as He tells us…even if we are scared) to contact them and ask them to sell my stuff.  Not even 5 minutes after I hit send on the email, I had a response of YES of course! I was so stinkin’ excited and still am.

I just send off my first order to her…5 boxes of canvases! Here are some of the new color combos I did for her to display for her customers. 

 She said she would snap a few pics of the display once she gets it set up…I will post when I get those!

Here’s to living bravely.

Manic Monday

Wow, seriously is it Monday again??  ALREADY?!?!

Yesterday was a great day - my birthday and mother's day.  I feel so blessed.

Some of my yummy gifts yesterday!  Eric did a FABULOUS job! Mom got me those super cute shoes, and the hole in the ceiling is from a toilet leak upstairs...hey, it can't all be glorious!

Ian graduates from Pre-K today…I am sure I will be a mess here in a bit.

Here is some eye candy for your Monday.

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Mom also got me this super cute dress! Yes, I am spoiled! :)


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Anthro has this great new line of charms to put on necklaces...so fun!



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I really want some of these dish towels...I just don't know if I can spead $16-$24 for a towel?!?!

I hope y'all have a great Monday.  I am editing lots of pictures while at treatment today, so come back tomorrow for lots of new name canvases!

Project Sending Love

I started a blog last year called Project Sending Love…I didn’t keep it updated…lots of stuff was happening last year and I chalk it up to God telling me it just wasn’t the right thing at the right time.  BUT now is the right time…the right time for Project Sending Love to get going, the right time for Embracing Life, Love & Art to be what it is going to be, the right time to live fully…right here and right now.

From the Project Sending Love Blog:

I have been thinking of this project since 2008 when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer. But things happened, life took over and I pushed this to the back too many times. I was re-diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer in March, 2011 and decided this is something too important to push back any longer.

After both diagnosis’s, I received the most heartfelt cards from friends and family. These cards were filled with words of love, kindness, joy, hope and prayers. I honestly think this love helped carry me through cancer with flying colors!

Why do we wait to tell each other how much we love one and other, how important someone is to us and what an impact the person makes on our lives and the world until a tragedy strikes?

What if we all started sharing the love, kindness, joy and prayers that we think about others in our hearts all the time with those we are thinking about? How special and important would they feel? How could that love for each other change the world? I am not sure, but I have to see.

It is easy to get caught up in the idea of “how” do I tell others that I love them, respect them, that they are very import to me, to the world. But the how is the easiest part – open your heart and love. You can’t run out of it and the more you give, the more you have to give and the more you get. Crazy little thing God gave us – the ability to love.

Sending Love is such a simple idea and even simpler to do: write your love for others down on a postcard and send it.

“Be the change you want to see in the world” ~ Gandhi

Here are some new designs I sent off yesterday for postcard printing.  I plan to roll Project Sending Love into this blog as well…let me know your thought…what you would like to see with PSL.

I will be updating my Etsy Shop as soon as I get the postcards in and wrapped up cute!

Growing Pains

I have outgrown my craft room/office/Eric’s office, so Eric told me I could move into the garage! He is going to put in a window A/C unit, build some shelves  and more, BUT he is out of the country at this moment, so me and mom took it upon ourselves to move some stuff down to the garage…BUT it is a complete mess.  I have to keep working though because I have an order that needs to go out today AND I have to prep for the Pfluggerville Pfest next week…which is a THREE day show!!!!

I am kind of like a chicken with my head cut off, but I think I have a grasp on it for now.

I am SO ready for Eric to get home though…for both having my hubby home AND for him to help me with this nasty garage.

Anyone need a baby crib?!?! :)

Two Hands...

“Happiness in not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” ~ Thomas Merton

I have felt out of balance lately…not sure if it is because Eric has been working so much, or because our weekends have been way too jammed packed,  or that my business is taking off, or if our house is a flippin' wreck from the stairs being redone… or if it is a little bit from columns A-Z all thrown in there together to make me feel a little tipsy turvie.

I feel like every cup represents an area in my life and I feel like if I keep stacking them higher and higher, at some point they are going to fall and come crashing to the ground around me…it is just how it is…you can only stack something so high before gravity takes over and pulls it down (oh yes, I know my science stuff!...not really, science is not my gig!!)

Via

But the thing is, I want to do all these “cups”…I want them ALL in my life.  I just don’t know how to have one at a time…not stack them at all, but hold only one to my heart with both hands and only look at that…truly 100% focus on said cup that I am holding with both hands and NOT even look at or think about the other cups.

I guess I am learning as I go…and that is all I can ask from myself?

I guess the first step to changing this stacking problem I have is to realize I am doing it, to admit it to myself and others and vow to change…for me, for my sanity, for my family, for life. And the next step is to set my phone down...stop being so plugged in all the time. If I am holding my phone, checking texts, emails, Facebook, etc, I can't hold my cup with two hands....here's to holding your cup with two hands.

Manic Monday

It was another crazy weekend, but this one was topped with AWESOME NEWS (my PET scan from Thursday was “absolutely clear”)!!!!!  And Zometa…my bone strengthening chemo that adds another layer of tired to my already tired body…I am tired today.

But I have my mom hear for the next two weeks that I am more than excited about, but a week of that my hubby will be out of the country :(

Also, this week I am going to be working on some teacher canvases that will sell for $20 – keep your eyes peeled for those as I am sure they will go quick!

Here are some yummy pictures for you this week:

I think I need this dress!

And these shoes!

And these braclets

And after all that shopping - I need to go to the Dollar Store for these cutties!

Cuteness...good thing my birthday and Mother's day are coming up for all these fun things!

Dear you,

What does it mean to you?

How did a canvas affect you?

Where did you put it?

What did their face look like when they opened it?

My friend told me the other day she would like to see stories of what my canvases mean to others – how they inspire/change people.  I thought it was a brilliant idea.

I had one person message me on Facebook to tell me when she received her package with her canvases, her husband got tears in his eyes because of the message on the canvases to their children.

I had someone who I sent a cancer girl tell me, “it literally made me cry when I opened it and read the message…I felt like you were here talking to me and telling me exactly what I needed to hear.”

That is why I do this – to give people those butterflies, to give you all something to look at on a daily basis to remind you to shine your light and add sparkle to the world.

Let me know if you have a reaction to a canvas…I would love to hear it.

HELP!!

Hi there!

I need y’all’s help!  I am going to order some magnets with copies of my painting and I am stumped at which ones to order…so, I thought I would ask which ones would y’all buy as magnets?

Here are my thoughts…please let me know yours?

Bloom Into You

Cancer Love

Love

Or should I do one like this:

Thoughts?  Any others you would like to see as magnets?  I just can’t do a ton right now until I build up my spending money again!