Smiling...and Really Excited

...can you tell?!

Here is a sneak peek at the first two pages.

I was actually surprised to find

myself on eleven pages all together.

If you get a copy of the new Winter 2013 issue

of "Art Journaling",

available in Barnes & Noble now,

I hope you'll let me know what you think.

My hope is that some inspiration will flow.

♥ That's what I get from you!

Oh! and here's our foot of snow that fell!

Our neighbors behind us snowblowed a path

from their back porch,

to our yard...

so, naturally, I had to shovel a path

from my front door,

to their path.

Not just neighbors, friends.

aah.

Love thy neighbor!

~k

Aiming Forward

I find things when I'm supposed to...

When I thought about how incredibly difficult 2012 was for me,

I wondered if 2013 would be more hardship ahead...

and then, when I was reading somewhere yesterday

I found a blurb or a quote

about the fact that an arrow can only go forward

when it is first pulled backward.

Isn't that just the wonderful truth!?

So, I went a few steps back in health and such in 2012

but hey, it was my intended path to go forward...

in 2013.

Optimistic,

perseverant me.

Arrow to the light!

Thanks for sharing my journey

and sticking it out with me!

Much love,

~k

Lots of Exciting News

Hi! For those friends who celebrate it,

I hope your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were extra special.

My family enjoyed it all, but it really got good

when my Mom started to feel better.

Thank you to all who sent prayers and wishes for her.

It made a miraculous difference! Always.

On Christmas Eve, she was moved out of the hospital and

into a wonderful rehab place near me,

 where she can fully recover and get her strength back... ♥

 ♥

•♥•

After spending the afternoon with my Mom today,

I picked up my copy of Somerset Studio,

the new January/February 2013 issue that I had

been waiting to read for a week...

and look what I found!

 This is page 17, advertising the January 1st release

of the brand new Art Journaling Magazine...

~and if you look at the peach-tone pages here at the bottom-left,

you'll see my pages & name!

I have to admit that I am super excited

to be published!

I hope you'll pick up a copy after its release on Jan.1st

(or order it directly from

www.stampington.com/artjournaling)

and let me know what you think!

~kath

PS. Our friend Mary Freeman from ASplendidAdventure is in it again, too!

Happy Merry Christmas!

Thank you for the gifts of friendship and

sharing and caring all year through!

•♥•

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Kathy

Heartfelt

Breathe in the spirit of this beautiful season of love and kindness.

•♥•

Hugs to you all,

~kathy

Beginning Christmas

I am planning on doing some relaxing today...

for the first time in weeks.

•••

Wishing you peace today, too!

~k

All Around the World

Join in. It's going around. Do 26 Random Acts of Kindness.

One beautiful way to help honor the 26 killed senselessly.

One way to make the world a better place.

♥

And thank you for your thoughts & prayers for my Mom.

She is beginning to feel better

and is getting answers and test results.

I feel the light

a lot

lately.

I am so grateful for my family

and friends

and for laughter.

And thank you for visiting my friend, Kristine Mays

and her amazing art

and remember, it's not too late to donate to her Kickstarter

to help her

travel to New Orleans to capture the essence

of the city's culture and 'breathe' it into wire.

♥

~k

Deep Rivers and Light in the Darkness

I really needed my journaling today.

With all of the emotions the past week

it calms me, centers me, is my release, my peace, my focus.

Like prayer or meditation.

At the end of this very long day,

I stood on one side of my mom's hospital bed

while my daughter stood at the other

and I thought about the three generations

of us.

So many feelings

so many unsaid words

so much

emotion.

Who is strong and who is fragile?

Maybe we are both

always.

In all of the sadness lately

I try to remember the beauty

the colors

the sparkle of the season.

And when I  hear the carols on the radio

playing "Where are You Christmas?"

I really know that it is in our hearts

afterall.

Thank you for your thoughts & prayers for my Mom.

I told her tonight, about all of you,

and she smiled.

She really did.

So, thank you BIG.

Love,

~kath

Dear Santa,

Here are some of this year's letters to Santa.

The originals, already sent to the North Pole, are colorful

and finished up,

so these copies are only in black and white...but

I thought you might like to smile again at this year's student excitement. 

Enjoy!

♥



♥

♥

♥

And below is a bulletin board for December Book Reports!

Children chose a Good-Fit book, and wrote about its main idea & supporting details.

They were all brought in on time this month...you can probably guess why!

I have not been around so much this week.

I rushed my Mom to the hospital by ambulance Monday evening.

If you can put Mom on your thoughts & prayers list,

I would be thankful.

~k

Spread Love & Beauty

I have made some truly wonderful friends through blogging and through my love of art. I think sometimes that I was destined to meet some of you, like the Universe knew we should touch one anothers' lives in some way, though we are miles and miles apart.

When my children were small, I read a book to them called Miss Rumphius. It was about making the world more beautiful, and finding your path in life that would accomplish this.  Adding beauty to the world; what a great life goal! I still talk about this book often, and still read it to my second grade students. Our own way of adding beauty to the world is personal and different for each one of us.

You may have read my blog posts in July when I told you that I went to San Francisco for the first time, with my husband. The best parts of this city were the hours spent with a blog friend, Kristine. Kristine and I "met" a couple of years ago, online, through love of colorful photography...and quickly discovered that we had more in common- and lots of laughs. But what struck me the most at first was her soft-spoken, generous, genuinely kind & caring ways, AND the amazing wire art sculptures she created!

The first time I saw her art, I had goosebumps, shivers, tears in my eyes.

How could anyone work hard, stiff, thick wire...into soft, breathing, fluid folds of  seamless fabric beauty? Wire comes to life in Kristine Mays' fingers.



Gallery: Krsitine's donation to the aids auction

Kristine is inviting us to be a part of her art journey, as her path leads to New Orleans. This city, whose rich cultural background blends with her art spirit, has galleries that spread the beauty in the world. Galleries that would allow more eyes to view Kristine's art.

Click this link, learn more about the Adventure and how you can help make this goal possible for a friend who is working and creating...and spreading love and beauty.

♥

Thank you!

Always,

~kath

~link love

Journaling on Clarity

it's not just my Word

for 2012.

it's my journey.

possibly forever.

and I'm ok with that.

finally.

~k

journaling a bit...

...finally.

gesso... paints in warm colors ...scratched messages...

some pretty washi tapes...

painted flowers... doodles...

(I think I miss flowers growing outdoors)

when life is swirling

I need to make time for playing in my journal

and remembering what is important.

oh, and I've missed you!

♥

~k



Who Would've Thought?

...that it would take 50 years to begin finding myself?

It's December, friends. Wow!

I loved that November went out with a glowing full moon, though.

Hope you caught it.

Always,

~k

Admiration :: Fall Fearless

Challenge 5 for Fall Fearless and Fly

Headline Prompt: "What or who have you consistently valued or looked up to in your life? What lessons have you learned from people you admire?

Quote Prompt: "Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator; but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh." ~W.H Auden

Color Prompt: Your favorite color now or from childhood, or both!


I have always valued the lessons of my father. When Dad died, strangers came up to me by the dozens, just to tell me that my dad helped them in their careers and made a difference in their lives. My dad always told me that "If it was worth doing, it was worth doing well."

My friend and co-teacher truly makes me laugh every single day.

Love. Perseverance. Faith. Forgiveness. Laughter.

These I value.

~k

Celebrating

 I believe that miracles happen all the time.

One just needs to be open to them.

Miraculous gifts arrive at the most unexpected times.

I received some happy news,

so I am celebrating.

I am celebrating a brand new journal too,

which always means a brand new beginning.

•••

And, I just realized that THIS is my 600th post!!

Woot!

Something else to celebrate!

Thank you, follower friends and sharers of art journaling!

•••

What are YOU celebrating?

~k

Security :: Fall Fearless Challenge

•••

Inspired by the Fall Fearless and Fly Challenge:

"What makes you feel safe and secure?

Where do you go for comfort and refuge?"

Colors: cool blues, greens...

•

Again,

as with the last challenge prompt of triumphs and defeats,

I discovered that these feelings come from within,

rather than from outside or from a place.

Maybe I just think too much,

but life changes so much and

so frequently

and people and things thought

to be safe and secure and permanent...

change...

often and unexpectedly.

I have my Self and God for deep security.

~k

Overwhelming Gratitude...

...is truly what I feel.

•••

Thank you, follower friends,

for your more-than-understanding when,

on my last post, you

poured out support.

Wow.

I gathered strength from you

and I truly am overwhelmed with all kinds

of mushy love and gratitude.

And I am grateful for the learning that goes on when we fall.

We all fall

sometimes.

But we are never alone.

Peace,

~k

just me

I know I haven't been around as much lately.

♥

I am trying,

it's just that sometimes when the load is heavier

I am simply working so darn hard just to remain on the path.

Sometimes I imagine everything being easier.

Sometimes I think it's supposed to be.

I need to meditate

and connect all of my dots.

I need to breathe deeply

the sunshine.

And most of all

I need to be able to let the crap roll off me

because really, the people who are ignorant and mean

don't deserve to stay in my head rent-free

and give me migraines

and ruin my peace

and harsh my space.

ew.

That felt kinda good.

Thanks for staying with me today.

~k

On Positive Thinking

•••

...thinking that positive thoughts

 attract

more positive thoughts.

Letting in the light.

~k