paradise found...flower arranging

I think y'all knew I grew up country...hence farmgirl;)  I played for hours outside as a child.  My brothers were 11 and 12 years older, and that kind of left me all to myself...which was alright.  I made up my own friends;)  "We" swang and roller skated.  "We" sang under the big tree in the front yard, and "we" played cook and explored the corn crib.  The land was my playground and my imagination had no bounds. 

I've been struggling with this desire to recapture that for my own girls.  AND for my own selfish desires of having chickens and flowers and a level yard where a pool won't collapse;)  I've been in want mode lately, so recently when my craft club met at Clara's farmhouse I have to admit I was struggling with DISCONTENTMENT.  Don't ya hate that word??  It's icky. 

Joannie and I drove up and we let out a collective gasp and a little shriek of an EEEEEEK!  It was perfect.  Her perfect green farmhouse complete with a white picket fence and HUGE yard full and overflowing with gorgeous flowers.  It's quite possible a little tear even popped out.  Geesh!

It was country all the way with boots lining the front door and fishing rods ready to grab at the spur of the moment.

There was warbled old glass panes and charm and and and...it was lovely.

And SHE was lovely!  Meet Clara...aka flower whisperer;) 

She lovingly took us by the hand and shared all that was hers...all her floral secrets...all of her flowers!!!  It was beautiful and generous and just plain awesome. 


I now know that when you cut flowers you need to immerse them in HOT WATER immediately.  This opens up all the little pores or whatever and hydrates them.  Then after you cut the stems you need to quick dip them...into a bacterial kill.  Can't remember the name.  And then you need to add floral powder to your cool water to arrange them...this extends the lifespan. 

I have to admit I was obnoxious that night.  As soon as I got there I was almost in a panic to capture pictures.  It's like I couldn't snap enough.  I wore these crazy hot Hunter's cause they were cute.  My legs were sweating like CRAZY!  It was HOT...we're talking mid-90's and air THICK with humidity.  And there I am in my ridiculous boots...traipsing through her garden. 

But can you blame me for going a little nuts??  It was eye candy everywhere.  Big bold blooms and butterflies fluttering around.  And this is what she does for a living...wow!

 

Despite my inner voice YELLING at me that this is what I want...right now...I know I'm where I'm at for a reason.  Not sure if I'll ever have the farmhouse or the chickens, but regardless my life is pretty full and blooming even without them. 

 

<a href="http://farmgirlpaints.blogspot.com/"><img vspace="none" hspace="none" alt="me artsy at farmgirl paints" src="http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu20/folly_surf_fisher/meartsybutton1RESIZED2.jpg" align="center" /></a>

Okay I think I might make this my first me artsy post...because arranging flowers is an art form.  It really is.  If you want to link up, grab my super cute new button...thank you Carissa Graham...and play along.  It does NOT have to be flower arranging.  You can be artsy any ol' way you choose.  If you want more information on arranging flowers one of my favorite HGTV designers just did an awesome post last week.  Check it out here.

Have a blessed day.

673. sitting in a tree swing...with my awesome flower arrangement;)

674.  stumbling onto a sunflower patch...more pics to come

675.  freckles!!!! 
676.  joannie
678.  sweet neighbor girls

a new creation

Today was the deadline I made for myself to get everything shipped out.  I hate deadlines.  Seems as soon as I have one the stress just piles on my shoulders, but with a huge sigh of relief I'm officially done.  The paintings are wrapped and ready to be sent out.  The school parties are over and we are on break!  Yay for breaks:))) 



Tomorrow we will celebrate Christmas at our house.  Our little family will get up and hit the local donut shop...come home and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and then open some gifts.  Then later in the week we'll pack up and head home to Illinois...and celebrate again!  Whew tired just thinking about it, but I'm not going to stress.  I refuse.  It's time to have fun.

Remember that "mask party" I went to recently??  You can see it here.  I finally painted mine this week.  It just came to me what it should be.  The Lord has really been working on me lately.  I've noticed some ugliness, and to be honest I'm grateful that I've noticed it.  How often do we walk around unaware of sin in our lives.  We just go through the motions completely oblivious.  One of my very favorite scriptures in the Bible is Psalms 139:  ²³Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!  ²⁴And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

So I painted my face black to represent the old sinful nature.  I wrote in some sin that I've been struggling with...pride, discontentment, impatience, selfishness...you get the drift.  BUT those things are covered by His blood.  I'm washed clean and made new right??  My sins are forgiven...PRAISE GOD!!!  That doesn't mean I want to wallow and live in that sin though.   

I felt that a brightly colored butterfly should represent the things that are coming.  The things that are emerging in my life...like surrender, mercy, grace, love, truth and compassion among others.  It's a beautiful reminder to me that I'm a work in progress.  He loves me too much to let me stay in that sin.  I'm a new creation.  So grateful for that truth.  I encourage you to examine your own heart.  You may need a visual too.  Take off that mask and ask God to open your eyes and be prepared to be humbled.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁷Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

Have a blessed day.

 

313.  meeting deadline
314.  a big birthday to celebrate
315.  truth and love in big doses
316.  recognizing people...my new people at school yesterday
317.  sore muscles
318.  accountability partners

masks

I think a lot about fear.  Maybe because lately I'm faced with it on a day to day basis.  It occured to me as I was driving the other day that I've crossed a milestone with living here.  When we first got here every time I got in the car to drive somewhere I was terrified.  The roads are extremely narrow with no shoulders.  They curve and dip and leave your stomach in knots.  I would even get a little car sick.  Every time a person would pass me I would raise up my shoulders, squint my eyes and let out a little EEEEEK!  Because it looked like they were going to hit me for sure.



It dawned on me as I was whizzing through the trees on my very own roller coaster/race track home the other day, that I'm passed that particular fear.  YIPPEEE!!!!  For the most part I don't shriek anymore.  My heart doesn't race every time I pull out onto that road, and the only thing I can think of that got me over that fear was that I HAD NO CHOICE, but to do it every.single.day.  There is no other route.  No other option.  Sometimes you just have to do it afraid.  Uh and pleading with God to help me might have had a little part in it too;)

Fast forward to last night where my friend Maureen dragged me into another adventure.  Well she didn't really have to drag me I was jumping at the bit to go;)  She has an amazing group of friends and we've set up a craft group called f.e.a.t. (friends exploring art together).  Once a month we are going to meet and share a fun craft/skill with each other.  Isn't that like the best idea ever!!!

Last night was our first meeting and it was appropriately called masks and margaritas:)  You take stripes of plaster gauze, wet them and apply them all over your very Vaselined face...making a really cool mask.  It sets up pretty fast and after it's hardened you can paint and decorate it.  That's our next meeting.

Maureen.  Isn't she beautiful??  Love the mummified look she had going on!  Creepy:)

Taking the mask off was a bit tricky.  You had to pull it really slow, because it suctions to your face a little bit and it stings slightly.  I'm thinking we all just got a great spa exfoliation treatment for free;)

 

Okay so my turn came around.  Never thought I'd show myself in a shower cap and Vaseline on here...but there's always a first time for everything;)

About halfway in something kind of snapped to attention in me and I hit a panic wall.  It was like oh yeah I'm supposed to be afraid...cue heart racing NOW.  I'm a little claustrophobic.  I don't like airplanes or tight spaces...forget about going under water, but I thought I might be able to do this.   Unfortunately the fear just reared up it's ugly head. 

I wanted more than anything to just rip that thing OFF MY FACE!!!!!  Get it OFF.  I got up.  Took some deep breaths.  Kept reminding myself that I could breath and had my Nan finish me.  That's the thing with fear.  Most of the time it's irrational.  Will that spider hurt you?  Will talking in front of people be the worst thing that could happen?  Actually that's another biggie for me.  That's why I hide behind a computer;) 


Not sure if Nan was trying to distract me or what but pretty soon she started telling a story that made me want to laugh so hard, but I couldn't.  I would retell it, but it's completely inappropriate for my sweet little blog here. 

The reward for not ripping of the mask is that I get a cool visual of overcoming that panic attack.  I did something afraid.  Oh yeah and I moved to Virginia.  I drive on that death trap of a road everyday.  I make stuff.  I write stuff, and present it to you.  And day in and day out I'm reminded that it's alright to go for your dreams.  It's alright to be afraid.  It's just a reminder that you are living and breathing and human after all.  Just don't let it stop you. 

Have a blessed weekend.

242.  thank God it's FRIDAY

243.  meeting new creative women

244.  overcoming fear

245.  finding someone to teach me Lightroom

246.  my new "where women create" magazine...inspiration overload