Just for Today...

The past week hasn't been one of my best and I've had a lot on my mind, but someone took a moment this morning to make a small gesture that simply made my day and put me in a whole better mood. So,Just for Today....

-- smile at a stranger.
-- drop a coin where a child can find it.
-- tell someone you're thinking of them.
-- learn something new, then teach it to someone.
-- hug a loved one.
-- don't hold a grudge.
-- don't be afraid to say "I'm sorry."
-- look a child in the eye and tell them how great they are.
-- make a promise and keep it.
-- call someone, for no other reason than to just say "Hi."
-- show kindness to someone.
-- stand up for what you believe in.
-- smell the rain, feel the breeze, listen to the wind.
-- use all your senses to their fullest.
-- cherish all your TODAYS.
-- Author Unknown

Go out and have a good day!

Welcome March !!!

Yea, a new month is upon us. I need a fresh start. Time to get painting.

I was quite unproductive in February. I had absolutely no motivation or creative inspiration though I would have had plenty of time to execute any designs I came up with since I was snowed in for much of the month. Last week, I finally took time to simply sand some of my wood blanks. That takes no creativity at all, just elbow grease.

I also forced myself to do a little basic base coating. Again, not much creativity required. Base coating on the wood items does take some time so it was a good project for mindless activity. I based a few more pieces today.

I have a multi-piece custom order to be picked up over the weekend so I did get busy on that today. While paint was drying on parts of that order, I actually designed something new for the shop and got a bit of painting done on that, too.

That little trek to the beach this weekend did a lot for my mood and I think it woke my mojo up. I personally find a little exposure to sand, salty sea air and the smells and sounds of the boardwalk very uplifting. If only I could truly botttle that and just take a whiff whenever I needed a push.

Here's hoping you, too, have found some inspiration and motivation to push forward toward spring. It really can't be far off now, can it?

Help!! We're being invaded!!!

There's thousands of them, maybe even a million, maybe more. They're little, sneaky, extremely quiet and really fast! They weren't there at all and I turned around and a whole army had appeared instantly!! The ants are coming...they're everywhere!!! (Or at least all over the dining room floor!)

To be more exact - they WERE there. I think I've taken control and gotten all those suckers out'a there. At least for now.

Seriously, I consider us lucky. They usually come in along about mid-March. This is our first invasion of the year. (One more "pleasure" of living with woods near the house!) I'm sure we will see them again and again and probably, yet again. A couple years back we just could never gain control. We tried everything, even an exterminator.

I have to admit, we don't handle them in a green or organic manner. We tried and we haven't found a working method. Don't tell me to plant mint. That's where they've established their headquarters - in our mint patch. Last year, we were forced to give up fresh mint as we needed to treat that area - several times. Cayenne pepper does nothing to head them off either. We read books that said they would not cross a pepper line. Oh yeah? Beg to differ there, Dear.

We spray. We bomb. We use both indoor and outdoor traps. We try to be meticulous about keeping the floors and counter surfaces clean. We've blasted the chimney, inside and out. They were literally walking two stories up the outside of the chimney and coming down the inside!

I found them this morning which immediately changed my plans for the day. They weren't there last night when I scrubbed the floor. (I have ceramic tile in my dining room.) I immediately sprayed the floor. Then I needed to wait while the spray dried and killed them off. At that point, I needed to scrub the floor to get rid of the spray. (I treat sprayed surfaces like a communicable disease!) Then, to be safe, I scrubbed everything in the room. Finally, I did treat the perimeter of the room. (We do not have pets on the floor. We only have tropical fish and we don't spray in that room at all.) I placed a few strategic traps in corners under furniture.

Then, just to be positive they were under control I scrubbed the kitchen down, too. Note: No ants have been seen in the kitchen. Yet.

Well, so much for well laid plans. I was working on a commissioned article about finding inspiration when I found the ants, instead. Made we wonder if anyone had been inspired by ANTS.

Well, here are just a few ant-inspired items I found on an Etsy search!

Inspiration ...

“Inspiration - where do you find it?” Oh, if I had a buck for every time someone asked me that!


Occasionally, an idea just pops into my head, complete down to the finishing details. Usually, though, I come up with a basic subject and then have to work at filling out the details or making it “pop” with some special touch to catch the eye. Sometimes a basic color triggers a plan. For example, a sparkly blue garment may bring the sea to mind and that, of course, leads me to sea creatures or boats or the beach. Perhaps that was a bad example.



When I draw a blank, I usually turn to my sea and coastal designs. Many of my products are “inspired” by the fish in our fish tank and the tropical fish décor items around our house. Growing up coastal, beachy things have always been in my head and around me to use for ideas.

Looking at some of the work I’ve done recently, I see one that was inspired by a three-year-old’s constant repetitive singing of the song “Bingo.” Sometimes the basic design of a garment will lead

my paintbrush along the stitching line or around the pockets. Often, my design needs to work with those features and bend to fit the situation. Customers will often come to me with a particular subject in mind, such as “flamingos.”

The basic idea or theme usually comes easy to me. It’s the details and finishing touches that take some real thought.

Pawprints finished off a cat and dog design.

After coming up with the bears and paint cans, splotches of paint went a long way to pull the look together.

Just look around you and work with the objects, shapes and colors that make you smile. Happy feelings make the creativity flow much better. Should an idea occur when you're not ready for it, simply jot it down in a little notebook and get back to it later. I use my little notebook a lot! It's really useful for the days when i find my head is absolutely devoid of all thoughts!


What inspires you?

Go out there today and put your thinking cap on and come up with some real creative thoughts!