Chorus

Happy Monday everyone! I'm trying to get my house and my week organized this morning. (I'm not sure that my house can ever get organized!) But first, I'm off to tennis lessons. Last week's lesson was a little better than the first week. The hand-eye-body coordination still needs a lot of work!

Anyhow, I wanted to show you my latest painting listed on Etsy:

"Chorus" 20x16 inch original. Click here to view on Etsy.

Happy Weekend

Have a great weekend everyone! Ours is filled with soccer games, birthday parties, and as always, a great Friday night dinner!

"Sunflower Orange" above is on Etsy. Click here to view.

Daydreams

I'm good at letting my mind wander and daydream. I perfected this while sitting in church as a young child (I know, I know :) ). I have a good excuse - I went to a church that spoke Korean, and I never went past the vocabulary of a 6 year old. The entire service was way over my head.

Anyway, daydreaming helps me get my creative juices flowing. Maybe it's like when I'm sleeping, and a lot of my ideas come to me in my sleep. I'm unhindered by thinking about the things I have to do during the day. This painting that I've named "Daydreams" reminds me of those times when I daydream and let my mind float to wherever it wants to go. It is on sale in my Etsy shop. Click here to view.

Red Field

I've been going hog wild painting since my kids started school! It is so exciting to get my motivation back to do something I have loved to do for as long as I can remember!

Here's my latest painting listed on Etsy:



Click here to view on Etsy.

No More Excuses

My husband has this saying (I'm not sure where he got it), it goes something like this: "Excuses are like armpits, everyone has 'em, and they all stink".

Well, my children are all in full day school now, and I have been reminding myself of this little quote. I really do miss the kids, but I see the opportunities now that I have never had in my entire life. I have no excuses now for putting off doing the things I have wanted to do for a long time. For the first time since college, I have time during the day. Sweet, precious, time to do whatever I want! Pre-children, I was working full time as an economic analyst for a consulting firm. Then I had kids, and when they were young I have always told myself that I would put off devoting myself to my art full time until they were all in school all day. It was just too difficult when I only had an hour here and there to really dive into art. Well, the time has now come. I have no excuses! I'm excited and a bit fearful, to be honest. It's always scary to put your whole heart into something, to have it not turn out. But, it's exciting that I can at least try to put my dreams into action, and not just sit and dream.

The other thing I started was tennis lessons. My first lesson was today. I'm not very good. I love to exercise, and I do it on a daily basis, but a ball, a racquet, and my hand-eye coordination.....all I can say is that it can only get better from here!

Beach Homes

My children are getting their school supplies organized. One starts tomorrow, and the other two start Thursday. How did my summer get away from me so quickly? Days run into weeks, weeks into months! I have put so many things off, like this blog, for instance. My sincerest apologies!

Well, I’ve been meaning to show you some of my pictures from our vacation on Carillon Beach, Florida. It was a vacation our kids will remember for a very long time. We were there with several friends and their families. I took over a thousand pictures there. I won’t bore you will all of them though!

Carillon Beach is a quaint gated beach neighborhood near the famous Seaside and Rosemary beaches on the Florida panhandle. It is a place that made us feel like we were in another era. White picket fences, kids playing in the streets…it is what I remember Seaside to be like 19 years ago.

Here are some photos of beach homes there:

There was easy access to the white sandy beach, where we spent most of our time.

There were various styles in this neighborhood. But somehow, nothing looked out of place.

This one above is called Casa Blanca. One of our friends rented it a few years ago. When they stayed there, it was owned by Suzanne Kasler.

Even though Summer is over, (for me anyway), I will post some more pictures from our vacation. The trip was so fun for us as a family, but also for me personally. It has inspired me in my paintings and in my home decor. Some of my paintings will reflect this inspiration. So, stay tuned!

Rained Out

We went camping this past weekend with some friends to a place about an hour away from home. This is what we saw on the way there:

With all the rain we've had, the wildflowers (& our allergies) were in full bloom. Normally, all those flowers would have been brown with our hot and dry Colorado Julys. It was a beautiful drive.

We found our campsite and our friends. The kids changed into their swimsuits and had a great time in the river.

Then the rain started mid afternoon. At least the rain stopped for an hour for us to grill our steaks for dinner before it began to pour all night. We all went to bed early, because what is there to do when you are soaking wet in the mountains? We found out that night that our tent leaks.

The rain stopped by morning, thank goodness, . This is what we woke up to:
Maybe not quite worth dealing with all the rain and clean up once we got back home, but it really was pretty.

I Was Here

We just returned from a family vacation in Carillon Beach (near Seaside and Rosemary Beach) on the Florida Panhandle. We had a wonderful time! I lived for a summer in this part of Florida 19 years ago, and the beaches are as beautiful as I remembered. I was completely inspired to paint. I can't wait to stand in front of my easel and let the paint flow!

I will post some photos of our trip later on. Right now, it's back to the grind - taking our kids to swim lessons for the next 2 1/2 hours!

Father's Day

There are three dads in my life. All have such significant roles in my life.
First, there is the dad to my children. Without my husband, I think I would go insane caring for my children. He is a great, great, dad. For him, family comes first. Our kids love him and look to him for guidance, protection, and fun. The above painting is of him guiding my daughter across a river.

Next, there is my husband's dad. I call him dad. He has been the greatest father in law anyone could wish for. He is a significant part of our lives and we are so grateful that he is able to live so close to us and that we are able to see him weekly.

Then, there is my own dad. I love him so much. He has sacrificed so much for my brother and me. He is a quiet man of inner strength. He can also fix anything! When I was young, he even fixed my hair! My friends always said they liked my hair and asked if my mom did it. Nope, it was my dad! As a perfectionist, my pigtails were always perfect. The above painting shows him fixing my daughter's hair.

Happy Father's Day to my dads and to all the other dads out there!

Happy Anniversary

Today is my husband’s and my wedding anniversary. We’ve been married for 15 years. I feel as if I’ve know him forever.

Last weekend we took a trip to the Monterrey/Carmel area in California to celebrate.

We stayed in this wonderful bed & breakfast in Pacific Grove – in between Monterrey and Carmel. It is right near the ocean – we were able to run every day on a path alongside the ocean.

We drove on the 17 mile road in Pebble Beach. The days looked mostly like this – grey. It was okay, it was fun just being together!

We also drove to Big Sur. What a sight! Vistas like the one above were at every turn!

We also walked around the quaint town of Carmel where many of the buildings look like the above photo.

Wine tasting was a must – with dozens of vineyards in the Carmel Valley. We only visited 4.

We had so much fun- what a treat to be able to spend a little time together to celebrate one of the biggest event in our lives. Happy Anniversary Aaron - I love you!