Homegrown Hospitality

Home...

is a good place to be back at...but I always leave a little piece of my heart in PA!

I am mean, really...when I grow up and live in PA, I will for sure have a silo with a red and white top...

 
and rows and rows of corn outside my red barn..

 
and when I get a little tired of my red barn (as if!)...I can go hang out at my white farm...duh...

 
and stare at my sunflowers

 
and gaze into my herb garden

 
then head over to start refurbishing this lovely (that is for sale...)

 
and then head over to my third floor art studio in the Grove's building...

Have I mentioned that I LOVE Pennsylvania..even when it is HOT, humid and rainy...

I do.

More to follow tomorrow...Thanks again PA. 

 

What is in my bag...

By the time you read this I will:

A. be on my way to the airport

B. be at the the airport

C. be on a plane (1 of 3) on my way to Pennsylvania

D. be in Pennsylvania (not actually in that Red Barn below..but you know what I mean!)

 
When I pack my "carry on" I am always ready for pretty much anything (I think..at least, I HOPE!) 

I am sooo ready to go (and not even HOMESICK anymore, that was last week!) I even packed my running shoes for some early morning PA runs down the tracks...(yes, the police have been advised that I am coming) and I am NOT kidding!

Anyways...I will be spending many an hour either in an airport or on a plane and because I am pretty sure that I have ADD (it's okay, I know!) I MUST be prepared for a cornucopia of things...so here is a look at what is in my bag besides the normal boarding pass, I.D, phone and leopard snuggie...

 

• A TON of markers...working on A LOT of new things... A LOT!!!!
• My "Choose Joy" workbook to create new doodles from...
• The Power of a Praying Wife book....soooo good!
• My big honkin bible because it is  A. my companion and B. something to grip onto during take off and landing...and anytime in-between.
• 1/2 YARD of canvas that I have been "scrappling" on (details soon!!!)
• A new issue of "Cloth Paper Scissors" that I have been holding out on to look through after I hit the "Sky Mall" catalog!
• My "Windows of the Soul" book and pages of AWESOME notes that friend Cheryl created for us on a new amazing creative venture we are working together on (details also on this soon!!!!)

I probably will not blog while gone...just know that I will be soaking up the AMISH countryside...the Red Barns...the creativeness that we will be generating on Friday night and Saturday...and I will meet you back here on Monday!

Have a GREAT next few days...and do not forget to Choose Joy...regardless of your situation RIGHT NOW...no matter HOW BAD....Exhibit your FAITH by Choosing JOY

and

Laugh until you cry..Cry until you Laugh (THAT needs a doodle!)

 

Kick Start Your Day

The two become one...

Nope..not talking about holy matrimony....I am talking about Joy & Sorrow...and how they are always in our life.  It is how we CHOOSE to deal, see, feel and live with them that matters.

I have something encouraging for YOU to do today...go here:

 http://kaywarren.com/ and sign up for the daily devotionals.  It, along with my Brave Girls daily emails are how I start my day. 

Such a kick start to my day! 

After watching Kay's first devotional, I had to look at the photo that I took last year in PA.  A photo that now has even more meaning, a photo I love (and has a GREAT story behind it...) and the very place I will be TOMORROW!!!!

for right now.......Choose Joy!

Settled Assurance

 
Dowload it..print it out, pin one up and share the other... 
Download Joyis

Five Months from

right now..is Christmas Day!!

 
BREATHE.....it is okay....we will prepare TOGETHER...and to kick it all off I am headed to Pennsylvania this week (which I can just imagine would be the BEST Christmas town in the whole U.S.A)

 
Here is a last peek at just part of the kits that I have been creating for the past few weeks...

 
 
 
and of course there is a chair that is waiting for you at Grove's..you know, in case you want to head to Huntingdon, PA for the weekend...and Kits Only available to...

just sayin...

"5 months to go" rhymes with "ho..ho..ho!" 

 

Summertime is

the perfect time to throw the tent in the car...

 grab the goggles, trunks, towels...and sunscreen

 
 well, and of course the stamps and markers

and head down the road to meet grandma and grandpa and the girls for a night of camping
  
and back to home sweet home in less than 24 hours!

He...

is 15.90 years old just made his first big purchase.

Nope..not a car (praise the Lord!)

..a skim board.

When I looked in on him the next morning, all I could see is him being 1.90 years old...sleeping with his winnie the pooh...

 
He is growing up too fast and this will probably be one of the LAST times his momma "gets" to drive him and his friends to the beach, let alone, stand off to the side to take photos.  (hmmm...wonder what he is looking at...or better, WHO he is looking at cuz he ain't lookin at me!)

It is all going to fast...and I am really try to remain calm and soak it in...from underneath the dang umbrella!

 

Random Creative Coming Soon....

I am happy to say that I almost done putting together, fine tuning, tweaking and adding projects to my growing collection of projects for the upcoming launch of my next DIY "in your own space at your own pace" Random Creative On-line Workshop.

HAH....LEI....LOU....YAH.

Random Creative was "born" after my blog admission to you a few months ago that I was going to embrace my "I work like a pinball machine" tendency and my realization that just because I might hate “dislike” a technique or process does not mean you are going to (and the same goes for the things I LOVE to do)

so...

I have been working on a LOT of techniques, ideas, projects, editing way too many photos and yes, even making a FEW videos for you to go along with the DIY on-line class. 

 
 
For those of you who are not familiar with my "Trailer Park Martha Style", when it comes to me and on-line classes, I am NOT a technical "Bells and Whistles" kinda girl. With me, you will be directed to a password protected class site where you will get the facts, the instructions, lots of PDF files to download, tons of photos and even a little "blah, blah, blah" from me...(lucky you!)

If you have never taken one of "on-line "classes, Doodle 101 and Doodle, Too! classes are always open and available for registration (and a GREAT tool for the upcoming Random Creativeclass, just sayin.)

Now if, by any chance you are going to be in Pennsylvania next week, we will be dabbling a bit in Random Creativeness at Grove's, so you might want to call Staci and sign up..

or

if you are in So.California and feel like spending a portion of Sunday, August 21st with me, we will also be dabbling in a bit of Random Creativity at Pages from the Heart (in their NEW LARGER location!) in Monrovia... 

So now what???

Make sure you are signed up for my newsletter (click the word newsletter up on the left in the sidebar) so that you can not only find out where else I will be teaching in-store "Random Creative" classes but also to be FIRST to know when the On-line Class is available....eeeek!

Have a great day!

Random Creative

is about being creative with random things, like red spray paint....

 and pink flowers from Prima because you only like Pink, the singer...

 
of course you can!

 

Farmers Market Friday

RANDOM CREATIVE is not just about paper, paint, ink or stitching...

Friday means Farmers Market and right now farmers market means....Strawberries. 
then I came home, baked, whipped, filled, frosted and topped it...more soon.