The Best Holiday Gifts

What brought me the most joy this Christmas was the times spent with friends and family. This year was one of the most peaceful and relaxing holidays. Christmas eve was spent with Priscilla's and Megan's family my two dear friends who are as close to me as family. As always Megan's home was warm and inviting and looked like it could have just jumped out of the Better Homes and Garden Magazine. My biggest surprise was that Brian made it back from Long Island. Having a death in the family is never easy. After the services Brian took his mom to his brother's home so she wouldn't be alone. His Mom's spirit is amazing, she wanted Brian to be with Kate and me so she sent him home so he would be with us.

One of the reasons our families have so much fun together is that the kids all get along so well. Megan and I have been friends since high school, our girls have grown up together, and I know that Kate feels like Lexy and Chelsea are like sisters to her.

Tom and Brian are great buds too! Tom's holding my gift from Megan, the Kelly Rae date book. It makes me laugh to think what Kelly Rae's version of a painting of these two men would look like

I also feel so blessed that through Megan, Priscilla and I have become so close. She has such a warm and open heart. I love this picture of Kate, Avery, and Priscilla all piled and cozy in this chair. The evening was perfect and my only wish is that I knew how to use my time on my camera so that I could have gotten a group shot.

On Christmas morning Kate woke up Brian and I, she was ready to open gifts. I really felt like I scaled back my shopping this year, but Kate told me that she was really happy and thought it was an over the top Christmas.

Buddy had fun getting gifts too.

Which of course delighted Brian. After Buddy tore apart his wrapped gift Brian had him working on helping him.

And Abby was blissed out on her cat nip and just took it all in.

The rest of the day was spent playing outside, reading by the fire, calling family members to wish them joy, and enjoying the comfort of home. These are the true blessings of the holiday. Merry Christmas!

Holiday Wishes to You From Creative Spirit Art Studio

Warm wishes for a holiday that will make your heart smile!

Truth be known I spent more time working on decorations for my tiny tree at the studio this year than decorating my home. The gift gained was my tiny tree filled with heartfelt wishes for my awesome students, friends, and all of you who continue to give me support in bringing my dream of a creative career to life.

Over the past three years of this journey I have been blessed with students who share my creative spirit. My days have been filled with many hours of painting time and each time I sell a painting or hear stories of how others relate to my artwork my heart just soars.

Here is my little tree covered with love. I started with some wooden hearts and large circles, then used my Golden soft gel to adhere the papers and prints to cover both sides, added stamped heartfelt wishes, then a coat of UVA sealer, and for some sparkle I added some glass glitter around the edges and beads.

They were a big seller at our holiday open house this year. It really brings me happiness to think of my hand crafted hearts being used as gifts or adorn peoples trees.

The perfect tree topper was a little painting that I created with my friends and their daughters during a workshop I organized, called From the Center of Your Heart during our Labor Day Weekend at the Lake.

Wishes for everyone to fills their hearts with kindness, to be open to the gift of friendship, to believe that the gifts that bring the most cheer can not be purchased at a store, but come from within by sharing time with others.

Love, from the center of my heart Happy Holidays!

At Home in My Heart

What happens when it's one of the busiest time of the year, when you are rushing to meet deadlines, working seven days a week, and trying to still have quality time with the family? Your body tells you to slow down, for me this message came in the form of a stomach flu. After days of not eating, I am now eating very small meals and reintroducing foods back into my diet, but still trying to take it easy. The bright side of this was that it made me slow way down, catch up on some much needed rest and gave me time to be cozy at home. It allowed me to let go of some of my control issues (this was the first year that I let Katie take on the job of decorating the tree by herself.) Brian even encouraged Buddy to cuddle up with me on the couch.

It's amazing the way pets can bring so much joy and love into your heart.

But nothing compares to the love of a child. Kate and I found time to collaborate on this piece of artwork for her language arts project. It was her brain child for what beauty is. I love spending time with her at the studio, we laugh, listen to music and have great heart to heart talks. When we finished she was asking about how to sign the piece. She went with Katie Ann and a small heart, this little gesture of copying the way I sign my work with my first, middle name and heart gave me a huge feeling of success.

It made me realize that she is finding the value in listening to your heart, watching me being brave by taking chances to live out my dreams and take chances. It's what life is really about. It fills you up and gives a real sense of knowing how to be home in your heart!

Creative Spirit Art Open Studio December 12th

The Gift Of Winter

I took the day off today to enjoy the winter wonderland that we woke up to. Everything was covered in white and looked so beautiful as I walked to the end of our drive to get the morning paper.

Brian made us his fabulous waffles with blueberries, that we picked from our bushes this summer and froze, and pecans, Yum!

Buddy and Brian love playing together in the snow.

Kate and her friend Shannon decided to try using the rope from the tire swing to try out their Tarzan moves.

Off she goes...

Flying into the snow.

The kid in Brian is still very much alive and had to try it too.

I love spending quality time playing together. We even found time to go and cut down our tree. When we got it inside, the tree started to rain all over me so I'm going to let it thaw a bit before decorating. What a perfect wintry day!