Looking toward the light

Don't look down
Don't look up
Look straight ahead...



Took the day yesterday to take a deep breath and bask in God's Glory



Is that the sun I see behind the clouds?

Happy Mosaic Monday!

Room for Art

This is my soon-to-be Art Studio/Classroom! It is also where much of our chalkboard production takes place.



I think there is potential here. With a few changes of added and deleted pieces of furniture, I will make a room for art! Room for creating my own artwork and room to give art lessons.

I also have to consider some additional lighting. I may paint two of the walls white to be a crisp clean backdrop for the artwork. The piano will be going, no one plays it, and I may have to move my craigslist loveseat to another room. In the center of the room will be a table and chairs for students to work.

I've been gathering inspiration on this great new site that I found through one of this weeks SITS featured bloggers. It's called Pinterest.com. Here is my inspiration board for my studio.

Pinterest is like an online vision board! I love it! Thank you Lisa from Surviving Oz

This summer is becoming one of action for me. We are going through some changes around here and we have decided that WORRYING accomplishes nothing, ACTION accomplishes everything.

I was hoping to be teaching art in the public school this year; however, the position went to a art teacher who lost their position at another school, so by default he/she got the job. It was not much consolation when the principal told me if not for the school district rule I would have been his first choice. I decided not to wait for somebody to tell me when I can teach.

It's time to take matters into my own hands and teach what I love. Hopefully in a few weeks the studio will be ready for students!

Visit Mary's Little Red House for Mosaic Monday!

Stay tuned...

How to take a virtual vacation...

In these challenging economic times you may being finding it hard to find the money or time or both to squeeze in that summer vacation.

Here's a temporary fix, think about where you would like to go this summer, then google your destination to see if there is a streaming webcam in that location. For example, I was thinking how nice it would be to take a mini vacation to Sanibel Island. It's only about a three hour drive and I've heard it's great for shell collecting. I googled Sanibel webcam and found this site, Island Inn Sanibel .



This beautiful resort offers cottages, beach houses, duplexes and suites.

So, how to take a virtual vacation?

View your destination web cam in full screen if possible. Check at different times during the day to see the changing colors and light of the day. Pull up your laptop at your patio table as you dine al fresco and gaze at the beautiful beach sunset. Imagine you are looking out the window from your luxurious suite at your beach front view.


Sounds a little cooky? Well, maybe but remember that visualization is key in making your dreams a reality. I did this a few summers ago when I really wanted to take a trip to the northwest Georgia Mountains. I found a webcam of Brasstown Bald Mountain. I viewed it several times a day imagining myself being there and that summer I found myself standing on top of that mountain!

Maybe in a few weeks I'll be standing on this beach. Or in a cabin in the mountains




Or Lauderdale at sunrise


Or maybe a view of Time Square is more like it...


I'll keep you posted...

Happy mosaic Monday!
See more mosaics at Mary's little red house

How to make the most of a three day weekend...

Go to a cabin in the mountains.

Country Road...



Since my husband is a chef, days off are rare, especially three days in a row! He normally only gets one day off a week.
A couple of weeks ago the kids were on spring break. The last three days of their break their dad was off. So, last minute I decided to book a cabin in the blue ridge mountains.
The trip consisted of waking up early friday morning and hitting the road at 5:30. We watched the sunrise and the morning fog lifted as we headed off on our last minute adventure.

We rented a cabin by the lake tucked in the woods. We arrived at about 4:00(we hit some traffic in Atlanta). We quickly aquainted ourselves with our new temporary home. My older son put himself in charge of the fireplace(we don't have one at home so this was a luxury). My younger one headed right downstairs to the pool table for a game with the big guy. Did I mention we took the dog with us. It's a pet friendly cabin! She wasn't thrilled with the ride but she did claim the master bedroom.

Night one-There was a really big thunder storm. It was so cozy, we didn't care. Let it pour! We went to the local supermarket Ingles and stocked up for the next two days. We couldn't get internet so we actually enjoyed each others company as a family.

The next day-After a good nights sleep we thought we'd do some fishing on the lake. Unfortunately it was still raining, actually pouring. So we just hung around the cabin. I had to take the dog for a walk and discovered how beautiful the mountains were in the rain. Back to Ingles for some rain ponchos (never thought I'd wear one) and back to the cabin to explored the great outdoors. We hiked about three miles in the rain up the mountain. Oh yes, on the way to Ingles as we were pulling away from the cabin we saw a herd of deer! When we got back to the cabin we soaked in the hot tub. Played some pool. Sat by the fire, watched tv, ate a wonderful dinner prepared by the chef. We savored every single minute of that day! It was amazing!

Sunday-We had to be out of the cabin by eleven. Woke up, had breakfast, straightened up according to the handbook and left. As we were getting into the car the sun broke through the clouds! We were home by 8pm. The kids had a great time but were happy to see their video games too:)


And here's a mosaic for Mosaic Monday hosted by Mary at little red house



I have decided that my home decorating style is now rustic country!
Humm....chalkboards totally fit the theme. As a matter of fact there was one in the kitchen!
I can't wait to add some touches to my home that remind me of our cabin in the mountains. In some ways the cabin felt more like home than home.

Mosaic Monday! "SUN/SON" day!

Sometimes, in the moment, you are so inspired by what is before your eyes that you just have to try and capture it. But no matter how hard you try, and you keep trying, click after click, you know it is nearly impossible to capture the beauty that's in front of you. It is beyond the cameras capability (especially when it's your phone camera). You try and try desperate to share what you're experiencing. This was my experience, the other night, as I was driving to my sister's house and the amazing sun was setting before my eyes. It was blindingly beautiful!
Thank goodness for Mosaic Monday, an excuse to show multiple shots of the same subject. It was a ball of fire blazing in the distance, so close yet so far! Amazing!


Again the sun/son dazzled me! And I clicked away!


And again the sons dazzled me! Lately, the brothers have been, well, brothers. My little one named the two of them, appropriately, "the bicker brothers" So, to see them like this warmed my heart, like the sun:) The younger one was video taping the older one doing a 180:)


Have a Sunny Monday!

Visit more Mosaics at Mary's little Red House

Adobe Illustrator 30 black and white designs

This is my homework assignment for my digital visual fundamentals class. In class, the teacher gave us 10 words and 15 seconds for each word, to do a doodle. We were than assigned to create 3 illustrations for each doodle, using our initial doodles as a starting point, inspiration.

It took about 10 minutes per design 10x30=300 minutes! 6 hours!!
Here is a snap shot of the screen in illustrator. Here you can see the layers panel(lots of layers!)



Here are a few of the designs close up

Inspiration word "male"



Inspiration word "mountain"


Inspiration word "mountain"



Inspiration word "female"

Happy Mosaic Monday! See more mosaics at Mary's little red house:)

How to get inspired in 2011...

The number 11 doesn't look very exciting at first glance, but than I got to thinking...11 The year of the line! The possibilities are endless!?

In home decor...

photo home decor tips

Furniture design...

photo dwell

Fashion...


And art!!

What's really funny, I started a new semester at school. I'm taking Digital imaging fundamentals and the very first assignment is to create 50 lines!! I guess it is the year of the line!

I haven't quite reached 50 yet but I am having a lot of fun exploring the possibilities.



Using pencil




Mixed media-texture



And a variety of other media.

This really is going to be a good year for creating art!

I'm also taking a Video imaging class where I will be shooting, editing and producing a commercial. I can't wait to get started!

Here's a music video combining typography, live video and music (great inspiration)

Eric Hutchinson "Ok It's Alright With Me" from Chris Marrs Piliero on Vimeo.

I can't wait to create______________________ something!

P.S. Don't forget it's Mosaic Monday at Mary's little red house!

Mosaic Monday-Science Fair Week!

Science is not exactly pretty or aesthetically pleasing.

But you have to try...


My son went back to school today and brought in his Science fair project!

His project was about the circadian rhythm in a gerbil! We actually bought his gerbil for the experiment. Don't worry, we didn't harm her, maybe just confused her a little.
The experiment was to play with the circadian rhythm, by altering the light pattern of the gerbil's environment. The tank was kept in the closet for 10 days.(she was well fed). A bike speedometer was attached to the exercise wheel and her activity was recorded every twelve hours. Lights on for 12 hrs off for 12 hrs. Sometimes the light was on during the day, sometimes at night. Sometimes the lights were on or off for 24 or 36 hours straight. What we learned: Circadian rhythm is mainly an internal system control by nature not environment. A nocturnal animal is a nocturnal animal and the light has little to do with it. INTERESTING!!:)


My son included a quiz along with his display. How much do you know about the circadian rhythm?
Take the quiz and find out:

Circadian Rhythm Quiz

1. How long ago was reliable evidence for the existence of endogenous (internal) 24-hour rhythmicity first recorded
in an animal?
A. 1 year
B. 10 years
C. 25 years
D. 50 years
E. 100 years

2. Which of the following descriptions does not apply to circadian rhythmicity?
A. A process that can be found in bacteria, plants, fungi, and animals
B. A process that cycles in intervals of approximately 24 hours
C. A process that is rhythmic only in the presence of environmental cycles
D. A process that can be synchronized by environmental cycles

3.What is an "actogram"?
A. A unit of mass equivalent to 10-15 grams
B. A machine that records circadian rhyhms
C. A cyclic nightmare
D. A plot of activity over time

4. The period (cycle length) of circadian rhythms is determined
A. Mostly by nature (genetic inheritance)
B. Mostly by nurture (history of environmental exposure)
C. Equally by nature and nurture
D. By neither nature nor nurture

5. How long ago is circadian rhythmicity believed to have evolved?
A. Several trillion years
B. Several billion years
C. Several million years
D. Several thousand years

6. Why are nocturnal organisms active at night?
A. Because their eyes are specialized for night vision
B. Because their circadian system is unresponsive to light
C. Because their active phase is genetically timed to subjective night
D. A and C

7. The "master circadian pacemaker" in the mammalian brain is located in the
A. Suprachiasmatic nucleus
B. Preoptic area
C. Thalamus
D. Hippocampus

Answers:
1.E, 2.C, 3.D 4.A, 5.B, 6.D, 7.A


I helped my his with his display by creating this little clipart in illustrator. My school is coming in handy if not with a paying job at least to help my kids with their school work.:)



We printed it out on an 8'x10" sheet of paper, mounted it on foam baord, cut it out and attached it to the banner for a little extra piazza!

Science is FUN!
Happy Mosaic Monday!

Visit more fun, beautiful, interesing and educational(?) mosaics at Mary's Little Red house

I've been bitten by the Craigs List bug

After seeing craigslist.com mentioned by various blogger, who I so admire for their style and flair, I decided to give it a try. I've been searching high and low for the perfect loveseat for my living room (which at the moment is more of a chalkboard factory).

Since I moved into my house several years ago, I have always imagined my "formal livingroom" as a cozy parlor/library/converational gathering place. Through the years it has changed function but mostly it has been a big hallway:(

I have been to every furniture store, thrift store, antique store, website,well except Craigs list, until now!

BINGO!! Maybe it was just beginners luck but there it was, the loveseat for my cozy livingroom/library/conversational room/parlor!







It is in nearly perfect condition. The color is much warmer in person. Perfect for the cozy arrangement that I have in mind!
Can you guess how much I pay for it...?



$80!!

I love my new loveseat!
(this may or may not be your style, but you have to admit it's a bawgain:)

I now feel inspired to get this room done once and for all.

Stay tuned as I search for more treasures, paint and accessorize my way into a cozy space for family and friends to gather.

Have you found great treasures on craigslist.com or other internt or non-internet resources? I'd love to hear about them.


And for Mosaic Monday I've put together a series of background with colors taken from my new loveseat(using the dropper in picasa) to test out possible paint colors for the walls.



I'm definitely feeling a warm earthy, autumn palette.

Joining Frugalicious Friday for the first time! How could I not!



I hope you'll visit more marvelous mosaics at Mary's Little Red House

Psst! Don't forget to enter my chalkboard giveaway while you're here:)

Jardin de craie

It seems like corkboards are sprouting in my chalk garden!



It's funny how the mind works in conjunction with the internet. When creating this post my mind thought, chalkboards and garden because that is where my chalkboard photoshoots take place. So, then my mind combined the two and thought Chalkboard Garden. Why not get fancy and say it in french. Isn't everything that starts or ends with garden more elegant when said in french? So, I googled "french word for chalk" and learned "craie". Just to be on the safe side I googled "chalk garden in french" to get the phrasing correctly. Well, I never found the french phrase for, Chalk Garden(I hope Jardin de craie is correct) but I did learn that there is a film from 1964 called "The Chalk Garden"


The plot of "The Chalk Garden":
A grandmother seeks a governess for her 16 year old granddaughter, Laurel, who manages to drive away each and every one so far by exposing their past, with a record of three in one week! When an applicant with a mysterious past manages to get the job, Laurel vows to expose her. Meanwhile, Laurel's married-divorced-married mother tries to get her back.

You can actually download the full movie HERE
Or you can view it on youtube.com in 13 parts.

The internet is amazing! Isn't it?!

Anyway, back to the business at hand: Corkboards and Chalkboards at Chalk it up! ( I assure you, nothing like the movie:))

Here at Chalk it up! we are venturing out and expanding our line of products. We are offering framed and unframed corkboards in our etsy shop.

For example you can choose a chalkboard or a corkboard to be displayed in one of our fabulous frames!:)

Here are some examples:

Country green wood frame with either an 8"x10" chalkboard or corkboard

Faux leopard on etsy

gold painted frame with a crackle finish.

These are all 8"x10" a perfect size to keep on a desk or nightstand with daily reminder notes for meetings, birthdays, appointments, due dates etc...

I found these adorable thumb tacks by Paper Pumpkin on etsy that would go perfectly with the corkboards

First
Rainforest theme would look great with the faux leopard


Owls nest would be a perfect match with the country green frame


And Making Music tacks would be perfect harmony with the gold frame.



It's also Mosaic Monday at Mary's little red house.

Have a great week!

P.S. Sorry for rambling on in this post and going off in some strange directions like The Chalk Garden movie (welcome to my brain)

How to entertain boys...

With FIRE And food!:) (of course)

It was the little ones first time at a Japanese Steak House. It's so much fun to watch the wonder and amazement on a child's face.

Join Mosaic Monday!


Pardon the poor photo quality lately. I've been using my cell phone

Just thinking on Mosaic Monday...

Yesterday the boys went fishing. I sat up on the hilltop as I watched them being boys. It was a beautiful sight! As I gazed at them in the distanced I imagined that all three boys were mine.(Two are mine and one is my older son's friend). I find that I do this quite often when one of my son's has a friend along. I think, how nice it would be to have three boys that are close in age. My boys are 12 and 8.(the friend is 10). One right in the middle would have been perfect (so I think).(I always get a little sad thinking that that could never be now.)

Then all of a sudden my perspective changed! I realized if I had three there would be no room for the friend to come along. I also thought if the three, down on the dock, were all mine one would be pushed in the water by now! The reason all three are getting along so nicely is because one is a novelty. Also, at the end of the day, I have two mouths to feed (with the occasional third as a welcomed guest). It's almost like being a grandparent to the third. You get to enjoy him for a while and than send him home for the parents to deal with:)
So my perspective has changed! I love having my two with an occasional ever changing third party to enjoy and send home:)
What I learned:
When you're feeling a little down about your situation, take a moment and view it from another angle. You may be surprised at what you see. And you may really find that you are happy with what you have!
Enjoy your Mosaic Monday! @ Mary's little red house:)

A doodle of an idea!

Last Friday I subbed at the middle school. I always bring along my doodle bag just in case. The bag consists of 3"x5" index cards, a package of black ball point pens, a red plastic cup, and a snack(for me:))!
I tell the students that if they finish their assigned work early they can take one of the index cards(which I trace a circle on, using the red cup) and do a circle doodle. At first, they are not too impressed until I show them my circle doodle:)

For some silly reason this impresses them:)



Ok so now I have their attention. I talk to them about the humble doodle. I say, doodles are great because we don't expect anything from them, we don't judge them, we don't even really have to think to hard to do them, at least not consciously. They start doing their class assignment so they can finish up and get working on their all important doodle! Sometimes students are reluctant. I had a student that wasn't interested so I took out a doodle that I had started and asked him if he wanted to finish it. This seemed to motivate him and give him the confidence to doodle. That got me thinking. So on my lunch break I started several circle doodles. I gave the students the option of starting with a blank circle or one that I started. I was happy to see that most opted for blank circle. But it would have been interesting to see what they would have done with the ones that I started too. Here is a mosaic of those circles that I started.



I thought it might be fun to try a little doodle game on my doodle blog Doodle it Up! (poor little blog has been so neglected). If you'd like to play, head on over to Doodle it Up!

And don't forget to stop by Mary's little red house for Mosaic Monday!

We need a beach condo!

Today was the chef's day off!! We decided to go to the beach that allows dogs. Lucy has never been to the beach before, so we weren't sure how she would like it. At 12:00 We packed up the car, put Lucy in the crate(she gets car sick sometimes and seems to do better in the crate) , put ice and drinks in the cooler, stopped at the store for some sandwiches and finally arrived at the beach at 2:30!
We gather up the beach bag, cooler , dog and kids and walked to the beach, and walked and walked and walked... (can you say, Creatively Fit?)




Until finally we arrived at the doggy beach!

The kids ran with Lucy down to the water. And before she knew it she was in the waves. This scared the you-know-what out of poor Lucy. After that she wanted nothing to do with the water. She was very happy in the dunes.



We figured if you can't beat em join em! So we joined Lucy in the dunes and took some goofy family pictures!



I finally did get Lucy to dip her paws in the water in some tide pools. She ran through the pools as she chased the birds!

After a few hours in the sun we packed up and headed home.

It would be so nice to have a condo at the beach. It seems like we pack so much into a day trip to the beach. It would be so nice to be able to stay for a few days and really relax! I'll have to add a beach condo to my vision blog!

Did I mention Lucy threw up twice on the way to the beach. She was too tired to get sick on the way home.

Hope your weekend was great!

Visit more mosaics at Mary's Little Red House