Homegrown Hospitality

Still Pausing...

but in the attempt to move boxes, pack kits and make some sort of sense out in the ol' Shead-teau, I ran into a can of spray paint and a "Ball Jar" and instantly thought of my sweet friend, Julie....

 

Word Filled Wednesday....

pssst....go here http://internetcafedevotions.com/2011/04/live-in-harmony/ to see a new doodle!!

A Little Pause...

I am going to "pause" for a few days in order to get packed up and ready for two upcoming events:

Donna Downey's Inspired - I am excited that my two classes are SOLD OUT

 
but, if you are attending the event and want a kit, I will have them available at the on site GROVES store (which is why I need to pause) and oh, you do not have to be registered for the whole event to take a mini workshop or come shop so, if you are in the area...come on down!

Just a few weeks after that, the Valentine & I are headed to Palm Springs for the brand new event, ArtFull Horizons, for this class

Life Is Good with Stephanie Ackerman

and again, you do not have to be a registered guest for the event to take the class, BUT there are a few spots open for the event, so maybe plan to take a little long weekend getaway and join us..(another reason why I need to "pause")

and lastly, I have been coloring away on samples for all of my new stamps coming out from Purple Onion Designs...(I can not show you yet..)

 

and I "think" I may be making up a few special "Muslin Bag Kits" that will include some of the new stamps that I can not show you yet...

 
and the kits will include a few of my favorite color markers, tags and cards! I want to take a few kits along to both events which is why I REALLY need to pause...

So enjoy the next few days...and make sure that you are on my "newsletter" email list so that I can let you know when these new stamps are available...YIKES...I hope I do not get in trouble for this one...it is a little more clear than the others...

  

A Buried Treasure

I have not been doodlin' much lately so I decided that I would start doing at least one new doodle a week for you (well, and for me). 

This morning, as I sat down to color away, I opened up my pad of paper I found something that I did a few months ago. 

 
                                                                    Note to self:  Remember to date these doodles, duh

I giggled a bit when I found this doodle and then I felt like I had found a buried treasure but even better, I had a revelation....

I "doodle" like most people "journal"

I have always wanted to "journal" and have too many purchased and handmade journals to prove it.  I "attempt" to write in them, decide it sounds dumb (because I dream of journaling like a Nicholas Sparks movie) rip out the page and throw it away.  I do this over..and over..and over...but not anymore....

When I looked at the doodle above, it took me right back to the seat I was sitting in at the Atlanta airport.  The seat was facing out toward the hustle bustle of the airport and my back was to the door that leads to the airplanes. My hand was in my tote bag gripping my bible and my foot was tapping away....I was NERVOUS to board a plane for a REALLLYYYYYYY long plane ride by myself, but excited, anxious and faithful that my trip was going to be wonderful.

Like it says, for me, having FAITH is the easy part..being Brave is HARD but worth the rewards!!!!

 

Happy Easter!!!!

We celebrate Sunday holidays on Saturdays so that we can relax and enjoy the day on Sunday...so today being Saturday, the day before Easter...everyone will be coming to our house today and I am in charge of dessert..

 

I can not believe it has already been one year since this

 
and this

 
If you are in the LA/OC area..or heck..anywhere (because you can watch it on line) this Easter at Saddleback is going to be just as amazing..

 
I wish you all a very happy blessed Easter.

 

Happy Earth Day

Late yesterday afternoon, as I was wondering around the yard, watering this and that, I noticed that everything is exploding with color so, I grabbed my camera...duh...

Little did I know that TODAY was Earth Day!!!

Come with me as we take a tour around my Home & Garden (if you only knew how you could move around from one spot to another in simple small steps!)

On the kitchen sink...a violet, except for that it is pink, not violet...so far, so good..I have had it for two weeks and it is still looking good. The photo is a little shaded because the blinds are closed.  The kitchen gets the afternoon sun so Gladys Kravitz (me) has to keep the shades pulled down...

right out the french doorsback slider, we have three big ol potted tree-ish, vine-ish plants & a palm with flowers planted around the base.  We just inherited these because our neighbors moved.  In my book, neighbors are NOT allowed to move, but they did anyway..and left us these in remembrance...and we thank them....and even though purple is not a color in my book, it is if they are pansies...

 
 
 
Next to the the big ol' potted plants...right before you get to the Homegrown Garden (which probably, in all reality is about 12 inches away) we have these bloomin' beauties...reminds me of Maui...sitting on the lanai (patio) having coffee...

we also have these right outside our front door, which is only a few feet away, but we will get there in a moment..

Right now, if you look down to your right, in its own pot, is Ben's Strawberry plant that was left over from LAST YEARS garden....and I LOVE the shade of green that little one is....

 
I am sure that it is "mommas mad garden skills" (sounds like a book title) that kept this berry-a-goin.  I should write a Home & Gardening manual....& new this year to the ol' Homegrown garden, compliments of another neighbor that moved away, but gave me seeds for my birthday....Sweet Peas.  The name alone is enough for me...who cares if peas grow, I just like the name. (it was Popeye's little girl...remember how cute she was?)

That concludes the 3 minute tour of the back gardens yard and as we head back through to the front door, right to the left (that sounds weird) we have more of the Maui morning flower (I am sure it has a proper name)

 
and if you look past the flower in the picture, you will see a beautiful thriving Basil plant that I use alot..and right next to that, on the wrought iron metal flower cart, is a pot that holds all of the broken succulents that I come across...

 
Did you know that all you have to do is shove place them in a pot of dirtsoil and they just grow?  I also have two hanging pots of the same outside the front window and because we have a "drive-thru" front window (it opens both ways), I can open it, and water them from the little hose-sprayer-on-the-sink thing.

 
and right under this same kitchen window, you will find Roses & Geraniums

 

 
oh, and hey...coincidentally, you can also "place" sprigs of Geraniums into a pot and they will grow, too. Maybe I should write a "Garden Transplant Journal"...anyways, thank you so much for joining me on this tour.

Happy Spring...Happy Earth Day...Happy Good Friday.  

Happy-ness is...

having a really really good salad for lunch and then finding this at the bottom of the bowl...seriously, I could not make this up...and I am constantly amazed and inspired by where these pop up

 
and Happy-ness is hearing the door bell ring and finding a BIG BOX of new stamps that will be debuting soon (there is ALOT!!!!) as well as the SUPER cute new ones that are already out:

 
Now, I know that EASTER is only three days away and chances are, even if you ordered the new stamps today, you might not get them in time...so I did the creating for you.....kinda.

Here's the deal...if you go to Purple Onion Designs and purchase the Bunny

 
the chick

 
and/or flower stamps

 
send me an email at homegrown1{at} att{dot}net with the word BUNNY, CHICK or FLOWERS and I will send you a color PDF of that image for you to create with until your stamps arrive...

Here is a peek at the cuties all colored up for Easter

 
and of course, there will NOT be watermarks on your PDF..just a little "protection" ya know....

Have a Happy-ness filled day!!!!

p.s. (6:56 am) I am playing with shrinky dink paper and these stamps RIGHT NOW...so come back later to see what happens....

8:21 am

 

1 + 2 = A Third Class

 
Hand cut letters....painted burlap....homegrown textures...working away at the next on line class due out in the fall that "sorta" goes along with the first and second on line classes...yippee!

Be sure to check out the ongoing online classes that are "work at your own pace in your own space"

Doodle 101

Doodle, Too!

Faith, Hope and a Little 'Bout Me

I wish that I had a little something creative, colorful and mod-podge filled to share today..but I don't.

I tried to type out a fun, colorful post...a few times...

But I couldn't.

I have been typing on this post for three hours (in between laundry, running to get donuts for the kids, a quick dash to the grocery store and trying to fix a pounding headache...) so here is what cha get today...

A little about me...lucky you!

I am NOT a religious person AT ALL..no, nope, nada...not at all and I will never push my beliefs on you.  I do, however, mention my "FAITH" and my ever growing "relationship" with GOD on this blog with the intention of inspiring, reminding and encouraging HOPE.  For me, HOPE, just like FAITH is a necessary ingredient for my life and I am just here to share it..along with the daily race for a little Peace...For the love of Pete, don't kill the messenger!

Now, speaking of Peace, a little 'bout the the photo above..

I took that from a bridge out in the middle of the open plains of South Africa at dusk in 2009.  It was so quiet..it was loud and I was so far out, so stretched away from my comfort zone that it almost makes me cringe to type it BUT...at the same exact time....it was the most amazing sense of PEACE that I have ever experienced..the loudest quiet I will probably ever hear!

This is the place that I felt the most out of my box and the closest to GOD... as I look at the picture, I can still feel the peace.

What I learned is that when you are most stretched out, mentally, physically, spiritually, financially, emotionally, ___________ally (fill in your own word)...

STOP wherever you are...and then be quiet

and listen.

 

FAQ..What Inspires You?

Q: What Inspires Me?

A: GOD, everyday life, LOVE, fresh vegetables,

my boys, HOME, the color Barn Red especially on real barns,

 
Summer, Spring, Winter & Fall, Pennsylvania, tea time in South Africa, sunsets in Maui

 finding HEARTS when I am not looking...

 
Homegrown and handpick'd flowers and herbs from the yard mixed with flowers from the Farmers Market

What inspires me? YOU...a blog community that embraces me for "me", spending time with good friends & amazing neighbors (that are friends, too!) a family that is always there and a place called home that is always ready for anything!

What Inspires you?