Neighborhood of Color

Do you sometimes wish you could just inject color everywhere-- houses, clothes, sidewalks and buses... murals on every building, crayons in every child's hand...?

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Personality Clothes: What I Wore

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I've mentioned to a few friends lately that my motto lately is "I don't flippin' care" in regards to what other people think. Not that anyone thinks badly, that I know of...but I don't really flippin' care. I asked Fred about dying my hair dark brown with some purple streaks. He smiled...and then asked "what would your homeschool group say?" I love my homeschool group! They're awesome people, and I seriously doubt they'd judge me on hair color...but, frankly, I don't flippin' care.
What does the world think about an orange living room? Asymmetrical haircut? Tube tops? Skirts and aprons every day? My homeschooling lifestyle? A messy house? I don't flippin' care. Yeah, you heard me. I'm not wanting or needing to fit anyone's profile. Deal with it. :)


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I had wanted to participate in the "what I wore" posts that were going around... so neat, so artsy. (Yes, art encompasses make-up and clothes, too. It's just another way to express your personality and play with mixed media!) But I hesitated because...is that just another way to open myself to criticism? Aren't I different enough already? But the motto works for that, too: "I don't flippin' care." And maybe, just maybe, someone else will be inspired. Maybe someone who needs an emotional pull-up will see that it's okay to be who God made you to be. Like I've said before, it's the blue-haired nose-ringed Christians who reach others with that style. If we all conformed to a certain arbitrary standard, then who is being unintentionally (or intentionally??) left out of the "circle." So, yeah. I'm starting my What I Wore posts.






Unlike other posters that I've seen, I have no idea what brands/ stores my clothes are from. The tube top was a hand-me-down from a sister, year ago. Not sure about the little white cardy. The skirt was from my neighbor's Quarter Yard Sale. This outfit cost me a total of $.25 and it fit my mood perfectly yesterday. Summery and light

If you're doing the What I Wore (--or really anything else artsy, crafty, educational, creative--) let me know.

And, please, tell me that you're your own person, too, whatever that means for you.

Chloe the cat

This was going to be a wordless Wednesday post, but people keep asking about the last post. It's a type of spiny soft-shelled turtle! We were amazed to find it!
Also- Happy Birthday, Mom!!! (**waving**)



Cats know how to relax!

When it's too hot to do anything else...

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...we head back to the river.

Art/ Music Night

Last Night was our Monthly Art/ Music Night held at an awesome local coffee house. A friend created this great little video.

And here are a few pics...

A friend even caught a picture of me! Imagine that- a picture of me on my own blog!


Click here for more pictures.
Do Art.
Share Art.
Inspire Art.
Make time for art...

Sunday fancy

If you saw inside...

A few months ago I read a wonderful article/post somewhere about pain...what people might be going through...how everyone around us is dealing with something that we can't see... Did anyone else read it? Can you point me back to it? A man needing to sell his possessions to pay bills...ring a bell? And it talked about signs. About the invisible signs that people are carrying around their necks:
"I'm battling cancer"....
"My child is so very sick"....
"My marriage is over"....
"I can't go on another day."
Folks, I got another reminder of that this week. We simply can't know what someone else is going through. Be quick to love, embrace...slow to anger or judge.... give grace abundantly. Everyone in life has pain. Be careful.


She may smile on the outside. He may go about his daily business.



But there's often hidden wounds underneath.
For the man who cuts you off in traffic...maybe he has a real reason to be in such a hurry. You can't know.
For the receptionist that just snapped at you over the phone...is her marriage crumbling?
And the couple shoving their way through the airport...was her mom just diagnosed with cancer? Is her friend being prepped for an emergency c-section? Do you know? Do you know their pain, stress, reasons...?
There's always more behind the scenes.



Everyone needs grace.
Everyone has their own story.
And some people I love need prayer for their hurting hearts.

Wordless Wednesday: Home-grown corn

Inside and Out, It's Really All Around Us

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Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us
or we find it not. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is
God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every
fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think Emerson was a pretty wise dude. I'm trying to read/learn more from the wise. Thank you all for the many reading suggestions on the last post!

To answer questions:
Yes, I am on GoodReads. Feel free to look me up.
I'm also on PaperbackSwap, although I don't have much listed to swap at the moment. It's tellin' me that I've saved over $70 on books so far, and I believe it! If you sign up, use this link (so I'll get the credit) and start swapping with me. I've gotten many hand-me-down paperbacks from friends and family that I need to list soon.
Yes, I also plan to get some prints of the paintings I've been doing to list on my etsy. All in good time. ;)
As far as how to join Pinterest, you can use this link.
I think that's all.
Keep the reading ideas, art inspiration, and Pinterest suggestions coming. I love the emails I've been gettin'. You guys are awesome.

Just Read

Like most homeschoolers I know, I have a thing for books. In fact, I even have a Pinterest book board.

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who
think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.

~Anna Quindlen

Oh, they are so inspiring, and my To Read list is sooo long. But I'm still taking suggestions, both for my personal reading and for Read-Alouds for the kids (preK, 1st, 4th, 6th grades.)

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them.

~Mark Twain

What are you reading these days?

{Yellow} In my...

... dining room...

...living room...

...

...Kitchen...

...front bathroom...

Yellow is, and has always been,

my Cheerful color.

I use it a lot. :D

For Bridgitt

Happy Birthday again, Girl.

Bridgitt is a Real Life friend, Montessori-style homeschooler, mama to three,

outgoing and kind girlfriend, inspiring hands-on teacher...

I wanted to do something special for her bday. It's a simple picture, but captures what I wanted to convey. Her home operates on love. The children are kind and helpful, the home is inviting and kid-friendly. Bridgitt's yard is a regular playground-- and why not? She runs her own school!

But, more than any of that-- she makes it Home by being who she is, planting seeds of knowledge & love in her children.

(she framed it, not me. So sweet that she considers it frame-worthy!)

When it was in progress...