goals & gratuitous mushy gushy

So as I approach my 100th post, I'm assessing my goals for this blog, what I want to communicate through it, etc. Without a doubt, I post too often about my family and use way too many nature pics. I love 'em...but they're not meant to be the focus of goodness recycled.

After September 1st, I will post mostly about either works in progress (and completed), classes I'm teaching, the creative process, artists I love, inspiration, etc. I won't completely stop blogging about my family - they are (of course!) right there at the foundation of my creative self. But there will be a more diverse set of posts and people who are new to my blog will identify it first as an artsy blog. That's my hope anyway.

I'll share goals soon, but another thing I've realized is that every 100 posts or so I should give a shout out to my husband. I won't post about our anniversaries or our birthdays...but a picture every 100 posts does seem to be appropriate. So here we are in Sacramento this summer. The picture quality is horrible, but the picture itself captures how I think of him/us. Comfortable, together, casual, thankful (I see it in there, I do!).

Thanks for all the support baby. Love you.

Ok, now back to our regularly scheduled programming! xo

Inspired!

[Mountain Dandelion, Idaho, 2010]

I'm baaaaaaaack....and with few to no stories about literally getting lost! Losing track of time though? Plenty - and whew was it terrific. My kids still have three weeks left in their summer, so I'll be here sporadically until September and then watch out. I have big plans for this blog and my business that will share its name. I have so many ideas, deadlines, projects in the works. I'm also going to re-vamp the blog a bit to make it more art- and creativity-focused. This is my 91st post and I'm planning to have three separate giveaways to celebrate my 100th post, so please stay tuned! xo

Process vs. Product

So I've only been blogging for a few months, and already I'm grappling with some of the things I've heard/read other bloggers grappling with - nothing life changing, but things like:

* Do I carry my camera with me everywhere so I'm ready if a perfect photo op presents itself? (answer for me: no)

* Do I blog if I have no pictures to illustrate what I'm blogging about? (answer for me: undecided)

* Do I blog to chronicle my process even though I'm in such a fledgling stage of my art business? (answer for me: I have no idea)

My posts have slowed, but it's not for lack of work being done. But it does seem silly (for me) to photograph lists and lists of lists, etc., even though I do enjoy seeing other bloggers' in their process(es). I'm also at the point with my collage party business where it's time to start doing the "guts" of the business part - the business plan, the bank account, the tax ID number. And when I get to those concrete tasks, well, I often find myself doing things like um...sorting glitter. And when I sort glitter I think, "I should make some custom glitter colors" and then I head to the computer to look for the cool glass jars that would hold my custom glitter colors....and...the next thing you know, the banks aren't open anymore, and a business plan hasn't been drafted!

This is where I am these days. In a good place, enjoying the process, but a bit scattered and a bit happy to bask in the perifery...clinging more to the flowery of the business than the weeding and the watering.

So this is a post about process...does it seem ok to include? xo

See you next year! (wink wink)

We have family in town and then we're off to our favorite little cabin in the woods for New Years! I've spent the last 25 posts learning how to post, link, upload, import, export, and more! Looking forward to the new year and getting things started - more posts on collage, tutorials, opening my etsy shoppe, learning all kinds of computer goodness.

Warmest wishes for a safe and happy new year! xo

Woo hoo!

I now know how to make a header! I'm am elated...one small step for blogland (if even), one giant step for my creative spirit! Now we'll see if I can translate this new skill to the sidebar and/or my etsy shoppe!

Happy December! Posts with photos coming soon! xo

This, only higher

So this is what I was hoping would be my header...with my blog title in the middle of the right half. My blog title is supposed to look like this btw:

goodness (recycled & otherwise)

Ho hum...can't make it happen just yet.

I love cutting up magazines. The recycling aspect of it all makes me happy and the cutting and cropping is very soothing - almost in a meditative way. And then going through it all when we're working on a collage over here...don't even get me started.

So I'm thankful for paper art, my family, health, our community - not necessarily in that order, but very thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving to you! xo

errrgh!!!

So there's something very draining about trying to learn computer skills that are had by all. All that is, if you're 20 years younger than I am. For the life of me, I can't figure out how to put my header online.

I will though. In the meantime, here's a seed/pod picture that was taken while my youngest and I were on a hike last week. I love this photograph, and if I was in a space to wax poetic, I'd talk about the quiet of fall, the bursting of Spring...and how they relate to my computer skills, and lack thereof.

Thankfully (I know), I'm not in that space! xo

This is me.

Above is a collage I did during a workshop I facilitated for my bookgroup. I wasn't so much the facilitator actually, as the guide. I believe collage has the power to heal, renew, inspire, motivate, and connect us. I love it. I'm a stay-at-home mom, but eventually I hope to start facilitating collage workshops, parties, etc. (And to track my journey on this blog!) So a big part of my blog will be about collage art, and I eventually hope to sell collage supplies in a web shoppe of some kind.

I'm also a married mother of three (girl, boy, boy...you'll meet them here!). I love the ocean and I'm a computer dinosaur. DINOSAUR. So please bear with me as I learn all this cyber-stuff. xo