A Little Housekeeping

Hi friends!

Just an update to say thank you to all who left such encouraging and thoughtful comments when you came by to visit for the creative space party. It has been a blast visiting other sights. There are some truly creative people out in blogland!

Thanks to our sweet daughter, Lauren my husband and I are getting away for a couple of days to celebrate our 24th anniversary!!! Twenty four is a big deal to me, as I was 24 when we were married. To think that I have spent half my life with this amazing man is beyond words. We have grown so much over the years and love each other even more than when we first married!

When we come back, I'll introduce you to him in a proper way and then introduce my Lauren as well. AND I'll get back to creating! I have some great projects lined up: dominos, decopaging and business card holders......

Have a great day~Lynn

My Creative Space

Hi All! 

I am participating in showing my creative space with other wonderful people through Karen at mydesertcottage.blogspot.com

It is exciting to show you my "art room," as we call it, because it is such a special gift to me. My husband "forced" me to go to Laguna Beach for a night of total rest. He knows when I have hit the wall and can't bounce back well, so he sends me to my favorite place and hangs out with the girls for the weekend.  On this particular weekend I entered the house and he and the girls said, "Close your eyes and we will take you to your surprise."  They led me to the office which had been transformed by the three of them into a space of my own to create, dream, have fun and let go. Doug had taken all his files and office stuff and replaced it with my my art stuff !! I was literally stunned and couldn't speak for the longest time. As I looked around and took in what was "my" space, I was giddy with anticipation and breathless with the prospects.  Here is a view from my camera:

                           

The blue suitcases in this picture were a find from Goodwill by my best friend. I store receipts, ribbons and book-tags. 

          

I found this cool black and white box where I keep all of my scrap paper.

Lots of fun stuff to play with!

Thanks for coming to take a look! Have a great day~Lynn

Creative Spaces Party

Hi friends,

Vacation is going well. We are spending lots of down time with the kids and spending so much time laughing-it's great. One night we were going to play the game, "Would You Rather?" and ended up just reading the questions far into the night, laughing until the tears came. If you have never played it, the questions read something like this:

"Would you rather have underarm hair that you are unable to cut, and it grows very long, or would you rather have thighs that flap together when you walk?"

Well. Underarm hair was MY choice. Is there another choice??!

I wanted to tell you about something fun coming up this week.
 I'm going to try and participate in a "sharing of your creative spaces" with Karen at

http://www.mydesertcottage.blogspot.com/

I'm supposed to post this cool poster on a side bar, but I haven't gotten the hang of sidebars yet, so that's why it's at the top!

Anyway, visit Karen's website on July 24 and she will have links on her sidebar for all who are participating and you can see lots of cool places where people create! 

Now, just need to post pics of my place!

Have a great day~Lynn

Costume jewelry surprise

Hi All!

The other day, I mentioned to my mom that it would be fun to go through her costume jewelry and see if there would be anything I could use in my collages or altered dominos....or whatever!

Lo and behold, the next time I came to her house, this is what was waiting for me:

Oh, Baby!!! Now, there is nothing more satisfying to me than to dig through "stuff" and find treasures. I have found it is like nesting.  Plus, it was fun to go through it with Mom and hear why she bought something, or where it came from, and why she never wore it or quit wearing    

        a certain piece.  I happily brought it home and couldn't wait to set it up and show you all the fun, shiny baubles! There are a couple of pieces that I couldn't put into some art and give it away. One is a rhinestone button she remembers her Aunt sewing onto a blouse, (I have no idea how or why my mom has the button now) or a pair of sparkly, dangly "diamond" earrings that I recall from waaaay back.  Here they are in a sweet bird's nest I found in our front yard.       

                   

Can't you just see a satin ribbon woven through the rhinestone button? Anywho, I had fun putting all the "jewels" into different areas and playing with seashells, birds and light. Ha! some of my favorite things.               

            

I will be on vacation next week. I know, I know! I just started this job of an art blog and I'm taking vacation time already??????

But of course, I will take the computer and camera and see what happens. Who knows, if I find free Wi-fi I can put some fun pictures on the blog. Otherwise, have a blessed week!

~Lynn

                                           

Miss B

 
Well, today I thought I would share a little about the family. I will start with our Miss B.  (Just 'cause I have pictures of her loaded on my new laptop and no one else!) She is a firecracker, born to us 15 yrs. ago this August. She came "wrapped in a little different packaging" as my sister so aptly put it. Her different packaging is Down Syndrome.

She continually amazes us with her love of life, friendships, (EVERYone knows B!) talents and abilities.  She loves her school, her friends, the dogs, her sister, swimming, the beach and room service at any hotel.  She will also belt out any song from High School Musical word for word. 

She has been through thyroid problems, open heart surgery, more blood draws than should be allowed, scoliosis, and numerous other maladies with bravery and strength beyond anything I could ever conjure up.

This summer has been particularly sweet as she is able to participate in some different activities on her own. She went to a new friend's house for the afternoon, participated in a two week art camp and realized she is an artist and has found a love for art! She went to Camp Paivika (a camp for special needs kids in our local mountains) which is not new for her, but Brenna did things there that were new for her. We have been practicing social skills by sending her out with a dear friend to buy a smoothie, and purchase personal items at Target, practice crossing the street and to generally become more independent. She has found out she likes Iced Green Tea from Starbucks and tells me she likes my iced carmel coffee.

Brenna has a terrific sense of humor, prays like a warrior and works with the babies at the nursery every Sunday at our church.

Because of her life, we have started a special needs ministry for kids at our church, founded a parent's support group, began a special education center at our private school for kids k-8, and her dad and sister and I participated in a 3,000 mile race on bikes from Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD to raise funds for the school. (Her dad rode the bike with a team of 8 and Brenna's sister and I drove the R.V's and the follow vehicles. We did NOT, I repeat NOT ride a bike for 3,000 miles).

 I tell you what, this girl's life has touched so many others and we have met the most amazing people because of her.

Thanks for letting me share about sweet Brenna! Here are a couple of pictures:Here she is meeting Scott and Sam, the D.J.'s from our favorite radio station, KSGN. Brenna is on the far right. The other kids are dear friends of ours.

This one says it all about how tired she was after getting home from five days at camp. She fell sound asleep on the floor amid the laundry explosion. She NEVER voluntarily falls asleep in the middle of the day unless she is in the car!

Have a fabulous day!

~Lynn

My First Blog

After purchasing and reading my first Artful Blogging magazine by Somerset Studios, I thought,"Oh! I want to do this!!" Next came the thoughts of how, when, what to call it, would anyone read it? Would anyone like it? Then I purchased and read the next two editions. The May/June/July issue was the clincher. (Plus it's summer time, a much more relaxed time of the year for me.) The article by Debra Cooper from littleblackkitty.typepad.com was what did it for me. Her honesty and challenges about her art hit very close to home ... Could I be so bold as to post my art for all the world to see?? It is up in my home, I have done a couple of shows here in town ... but on the internet???  

Enter more procrastination. I need to unpack Brenna from camp. We are going on vacation. My living room is covered in laundry. My refrigerator is growing things that are unedible. It's hot. Don't we want to go swimming?? THEN I read a blog from thepolkadotbarn@blogspot.com about sharing your creative spaces. I want to join!! Wait, you need a blog??? Fine. Move the laundry over, and let's get this blog started!!!

So, to my friends old and new, without further ado, here is the launch of BlueSkies. Welcome!! I hope to share my art, thoughts, family, life's ups and downs, and grow to be good friends with all of you.

Here is my first try at posting the new summer banner I made at Debbie's Scrapping Lounge in Montclair, CA.  Enjoy!

~ Lynn