Calendar Challenge- February!

I had so much fun creating this over the weekend! You may already know by now that I LOVE Valentine's Day and I LOVE hearts. (PS. If you haven't left a comment on yesterday's post for my ♥ Giveaway, please do!!).

Anyway, this is February and I used punchinella, acrylic paints, lots of washi tapes and stickers, and at the top is a romantic antique French postcard! I guess I didn't hold back! ♥

Looking forward to an exciting February!

Valentine Giveaway!

I LOVE Valentine's Day and red and pink hearts ♥,

so, without further ado let me throw a Giveaway Party

to thank you all and toss around some more happy love!

If you are a follower,

please leave a comment below for a chance to win

a brand new set of Valentine handmade fabric push pins

all arranged on a sweet little cork square to make you smile upon receiving! ♥

I will randomly choose a winner

next Saturday, February 5th,

before I snuggle down for the night.

Spread the love and have a happy weekend!

x♥o

K

A Page...

I did this one yesterday after a tough day. Journaling is so wonderfully therapeutic.

*Just a note:

Thank you for your comments about Ellie the other day. It appears to have been a spider bite. 3 doses of Benadryl and about 24 hours later, she is back to her incredibly adorable and much-loved li'l self. xo

Journaling Joy

Sometimes it's the craziness in life that makes it interesting.

I have always thought of the ebb and flow of life as a roller coaster ride. The tough times pass, the good times blow through and wind around...and come back again.

I'm always grateful for the simple smiles.



(This was a bit of stamping, a bit of sketching with fine point sharpies, and some paint dabbling with punchinella, stencils and fat brushes. Very relaxing.)

Joy to you!

~Kath

Some PaperPumpkin Play

Our shop underwent a bit of an update!

I'm really thrilled about PaperPumpkin's new shop banner. Michelle made it, come see here!

I did a little bit of this

and a little bit of that

and came up with a few new fabric goodies to brighten the shop up.

It was really fun!

I was so happy to be able to take photos with real sunshine

though our temperature outside is only slightly above zero degrees F.

Tonight it will go below zero,

but I'll be cuddled up by then...

* Ellie pup woke up this morning with a swollen face! Have any of you had a similar experience with your dog? After 2 doses of benadryl, she is much better, but we think it was a spider bite on her right cheek. (What are the spiders doing awake in this sub-zero weather, anyway?)

♥

Enjoy the new week!

Playing WIth New Inks

I got a few new inks in favorite colors and played around with them the other day. Today I just had to write...

Looking forward to this weekend and to playing with lots of goodies in my PaperPumpkin room!

Wishing you a fun and inspiring, artful weekend, friends! ~Kath

Here's to 50!

Surprise! Wow, was I ever surprised!

My family: me, brother Mike, Nephew Jimmy, Mom in front, Sister-in-law Suzy, Brother Jim!

Friends♥

A surprise art board with my very favorite friends and artists: EriKa, Lori, and Danita! Wow! They made me special cards and greetings! I was so touched, that after I got over the shock, I cried. (And, you all knew about all of this before me!!)

♥

The whole beginning of the party was a slide show of my whole life in photos, even from when I was a baby and a little girl, all the way through! Wow. I realized (as we all were tearing up) that my life of 50 years, so far, has been rich and full. No sad now about turning 50, and no regrets!

My kids! Drew, me, Mia/Michelle and her fiance, Kevin!

The Girls!

Childhood friends!

Longtime friends, neighbors, and yoga partners: Ashley and Kathy with me.♥

Michelle and my mother-in-law made such amazing cupcakes!! 50! ♥ I LOVE this!

My friend and neighbor, Kath, with me!

My family of 4, blowing out the candles with Aunt Sue.

My garage!

Wow! Thank you for showing me again what love I have in my life.

My Drawer...

...of tapes.

It has become the new obsession after paper and fabric. It's just too much fun. Tape Bliss.

It is so very cold and snowy here, that I just want to cocoon and....tape.

Snowflake Kids!

I love the hallways in school, thanks to our incredible art teacher and students!  I just had to show you:

Now this is the way to enjoy winter!  Happy Friday everybody!  ~Kath xo

Journaling...Happy Unhappy Self

I have some conflicting feelings I guess.
I'm happy with my life, but unhappy with myself.
I like being busy, but I am too busy right now.
I want to sit and relax, but I can't sit still.
I am a morning person, but I am tired when my alarm goes off.
I am shy, but I am spilling my guts...
What's up with me?

Oh, I know.

I love birthdays, but my big one is coming.
I bet that's it!

Rats. That's not good. No, that can't be good.

Oh well, can't change it.  Better be glad about it.

Okay, how's this:
I don't want to get old, but I am grateful that I am able to grow older.
Hmmmm,  that seems to fit.
Okay, I'll be better now.

I think.

So Grateful...

...for any sun we get this winter!

 I painted the dreary skies, but it cheered me up.

P.S. Thank you so much for your happy anniversary wishes yesterday! We had a wonderful evening at a favorite restaurant. We sat by a unique and gorgeous fireplace. ♥

Happy Anniversary! ♥

Michael and I got married 28 years ago today. Wow, high school sweethearts and here we are. {Today's stretching will be by eating lots and lots of this apple coffee cake he made for breakfast! Mmmmmm!)

I'll have to be good this afternoon, and not eat, because we're going to a very special restaurant this evening, for dinner!  (Well, I told you it's all about food...!)

Feeling It

...some relaxation after a very good Yoga night ( that I admittedly had to force myself to go to).

I'm S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G myself.  I am. I'm working on reaching out of my comfort zone again. Doing some things that are difficult for me. Lately, I feel a deeper sense of inner peace. I feel strong waves of gratitude. I'm feeling some feelings I haven't felt in a while. To feel is a good thing.

I remember, several years back, when I was in physical therapy for 23 months...a young man who asked me how I was doing. I said, "Okay; sometimes PT hurts".  He was in a wheel chair, and I had seen him try to walk for several months, getting up on bars and using his strong arms. He wanted to use his legs again.  He wanted to feel them.  "I want to hurt," he said. "I would love it if my legs could hurt."

I've never let that go far from my mind.  All these years later, I still think of him. To feel is a good thing.

How are you feeling?

I Wanna Hold Your Hand...

For all my friends who have green grass...or even sand {sigh}, here's a little New York snow for you!

How could I not love this face? The snowflakes on his nose really GOT me!

Michael loves to make snowmen. Unfortunately, our snow hasn't been 'good packing snow', so this guy was created by packing the snow into buckets. Looks like marshmallows to me...but it's always all about food.

Enjoy, and have a wonderful evening!  ~K

Some Journal Pages: Layers and Beginnings

Even if I don't finish a page, I do try to journal everyday. Here's some dipping of objects in paint, and a bit of doodling.

Not sure what I'll write about yet, or when.  I will probably do more layering and painting on this second one. Today is just too crazy to focus on a thought!  Back to work after a nice week's vacation, then a car app't, then just in time for my haircut.  And here I am 14 hours later. It's funny, I'm tired, but my head is swirling with so many things I'd like to do, even now.

Hmmm, maybe I should have journaled that!   * What are you up to? *

Stretch Myself My SELF

Yes, my WORD of personal inspiration for 2011 is "Stretch".
My body, my creativity, my mind, my shyness barriers, my patience.

My health and wellness.

I have a rather big birthday milestone coming up

{too soon for me}

and want to like what I see and what I know.

I need to stretch my self-imposed limits. Reach. Strive.

January First!

I already feel motivated to move on from the entertaining and the busy-ness and clutter of the past several weeks. I feel that "in with the new and out with the old" feeling.

Not sure if I will write anything, or leave it as is, to think about... I still find it inspiring as is!

Hope you feel inspired on this 1-1-11 day.