Painting Bliss

Wildflower Hoppin'

 

I may be home now and acclimating myself back into routine, but that doesn't mean I still don't have a bunch to share with you from my adventures in Texas. My last full day in Texas found us traveling a few hours out into the flat country farm land of that grand ol' state. It's blue bonnet season in Texas and it's just starting to really demand attention.

Blue bonnets are the texan state flower and when you see them you know exactly why.

 

 

 

We stopped for just about every patch we saw, sitting amongst the petals and catching each other in awkward poses trying to capture just the perfect shot. It was refreshing to be with someone else who also gets right down on their bellies for a photo. Someone who knows it's not just about pointing and shooting, but about a careful eye and seeing what others don't.

 

 

 

 

The blue bonnets are mingled with the bright orange and coral blooms of Indian Paintbrush, the subtle pinks show off as wild poppies and wild phlox. It seems flowers never come in combinations that aren't flattering. It's as if they know and prepare for the show that is spring.

 

 

 

Being amongst this jaw dropping display only makes me more eager for New York's own spring exposition. It was hard coming home from warm climates to cold. My first day back found me layering up and not wanting to exit my warm blankets in the morning. I brought home a tan, a renewed heart, and a missing of a friend I wish I could see on a regular basis. Till next blue bonnet season Jax! I'll be waiting for your visit here when the apples turn red.

 

 

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A Day of Adventure and Chips Please

 

 

Our day started in our own separate fluffy hotel beds, stretching out and saying to each other "what do we wanna do!?". 

I have been driving in Texas!! HA! I'm a bad passenger and often find myself nauseated and feeling close to death. Okay maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it feels like that when I am in the throws of a stomach turning bout of UGH! So yup, I've been driving! It's fun and Jax makes an awesome travel guide. It's so refreshing to not be on any type of schedule.

We go, do, and drink coffee whenever and wherever we want.

 

 

 

Breakfast at Starbucks and a drive onto the Galveston Ferry. I have never been on a ferry let alone drove a car up onto one! It was such an experience! Once securely on board and moving, we got out of the vehicle and perched over the edge of the boat. The laughing gulls chased us as the pelicans which I have aptly named aviators for their precise flying skill graced the sky off shore. Back in the car, driving off the ferry, we drove twenty or so miles on High Island where we checked out the local graveyard and after made our way to the beach and stayed for hours just combing through piles of shells looking for sea glass until we decided we were hungry and had to pee.

 

 

Turkey wraps, a soda I couldn't open, and a bag of chips and we were setting up camp back on the beach!

 

 

 

 

There are only so many chips you can eat in one sitting and we found the perfect way to use the rest... by sharing!

 

 

 

 

These feathered friends had extreme precision! After throwing chips to them we began to throw them straight into the air over our heads! These laughing gulls knew where it was at for sure!

 

 

 

 

We said goodbye to the beach, rode the ferry again, and drove back to Galveston and walked the strand. There I bought my first cowboy hat (straw one) and some souvenirs to bring back home. I have fallen in love with italian sodas which are flavor mixed with I think sparkling water. My first one was a lemon drop, yesterday I decided a perfectly pink strawberries and cream was in order. After a long day of adventure we two girls were worn the #$%# out. Crashing early back at Jacquie's humble abode was a immediate necessity.

Did I mention I saw dolphins!?

 

 

My Week Through the Eyes of Instagram 11/18-11/26

 

This was a great past week! It began with a happy visit from a dear friend who lives in York (UK) and ended with the holiday that brought us lots of family time. Hugs, smiles, and lots of jokes were shared... but most of all love. Only one visit out geocaching with my family and most of them were hooked and it led to our first snowy winter hike! A parade to see Santa arrive, dinner out with my brothers and their girls, and Traveling is always exhausting, but always worth it.

If you enjoy my photos, are on Instagram, and would like to see more of my work... you can follow me

@Paintingbliss

Thank you!

 

Sink Deep Roots - All else will Follow

 

 

I'm spending some time visiting my family with my children for a few days :) I know you are used to a tutorial Thursday today, but I wanted to share the nostalgia, beauty, and things I am experiencing feeling before the thoughts leave me and I can't recall them just in the right way. There are other weeks for tutorial Thursday, today I give you wildflowers and the love of life!

These are the fields that are home, not the home I live in... but the home I grew up in. The home that is upstate New York. I love going home and visiting my family, it's a re-charge that I so desperately need sometimes. It's time for hugs and smiles, laughter and exploration. Like my love for New York City I love it here because no matter how many times I return, or how many times I see something... it's different somehow. 

 

Picking wildflowers, a passion of mine was deeply instilled at y0ung age while walking up and down the roads of Oneonta and Otego New York. Where no one tames the fields... they are allowed to grow free and un-bridled. This place is raw in the purest sense - gentle and rolling as the hills that frame this place.

This field I'm sharing today is a swarm of wildflowers of all types. From Mallow to Black Eyed Susans, it's not a challenge to create a beautiful bouquet to say the least. It warms my soul to bring my own children on walks such as these, naming the blooms as we go. I hope someday they remember them and tell their children as well. I point out the birds and name them... "but mommy, I can't see the red stripe on the red wing blackbirds wing... how do you know it's a red wing?"... "I know cause I hear it (I say)... hear the chirp chirp twiiiillll of it's voice?, that's a red wing... it's the first sound of spring... remember that".

 

 Home makes me nostalgic. It's the place my parents were born, the place my grandparents were born, their parents and grandparents before them. Are roots sink deep here, so deep if we really tried we could probably touch the center of the earth. I'm a country girl at heart, and in my heart is where the country lies... full of fields of flowers that demand attention only when there is someone to see them... otherwise they spend their time looking at the sky, gently blowing in the breeze... and wondering when they will be the soft bed of a newborn fawn.

 

 

I feel extremely whole in this land. I feel like it knows me as well as I know it. I can't wait to bring all my inspiration home and into the studio. My summer has suddenly become a chaotic excitement of artwork deadlines and I love it!

I hope you have a place like mine that you call yours... I hope you can experience the welling of emotion inside of a place that makes you feel one with the world...

" What each must seek in his life never was on land or sea. It is something out of his own unique potentiality for experience, something that never has been and never could have been experienced by anyone else." - Joseph Campbell 

Thrifted Granny Sqaures Turned Vintage Inspired Pillow

 

 

As you may remember in this post, I picked up 12, 4' inch granny squares in an antique shop on our vacation to Connecticut.  I admit I started to border them while still in the hotel, as I had a ball of white yarn in the car (there is often random art supplies in my car at any given time). Upon returning home I finished bordering the squares and being nervous (yes even I get nervous about some projects) about connecting them all into a pillow top, I did some online research and also watched a youtube video... it was a bit humorous really cause the guy was... well if you watch it you'll see.  He wore very tight pants and talked like a girl, hee hee. The video was great/helpful, step by step, and solidified what I had already formed in my mind. Piecing together the squares was very very simple. Now I'm all about the granny square!

 

You can see in the photos I completed the piecing together of the squares and then sewed a pillow form with vintage inspired fabric. I really wanted to use vintage fabric, but I'll admit was too inpatient, and wanted so badly to finish the pillow and see the end result.

 

 

I really love how it turned out! It's just the right size for our antique rocking chair and a wee cozy place for the boys to rest their head on. In fact my 6 year old carried it around the day I finished it and wouldn't let anyone but himself use it. They have now (all 3) put in their dibs for pillows, so you can guess what else I will be granny squaring! I have vintage fabric on the way in children designs thanks to a tweet, tweeted by Suki of The Owl Club for a wonderful Etsy shop selling vintage fabric on sale cause the shop owner is moving! She is also selling vintage wallpaper btw!

Hope you like my pillow and my re-use of something thrifted :) Enjoy your day and all it has to hold.

A Round Up of my Favorite Vaca Photos

 

What a wonderful week we had away together as a family... I really miss the sand and sea air already. I thought today you might enjoy seeing my very favorite photo's selected from over the 100 or so I took. From the aquarium to the real sea, I can't wait to go back again to our yearly getaway that is Connecticut.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy your sunday before the week starts a new. If you were like us and had the whole family together or time to yourself while on your spring break, I hope you made it a good one.

Thrifting Finds Granny Squares, Vintage bird cups, and Embroidery Oh My!

 

I know it's Thursday and you are all accustomed to Tutorial Thursday, but I am pushing it off until Friday (tomorrow) of this week, as I am still away on vacation and can't resist sharing my adventures with you.

Granny Squares, Vintage bird cups, and Embroidery Oh My!

 

Thrifting... picking... whatever you call it, it's near and dear to my heart! As a child my grandparents basically raised me from yard sale to yard sale... flea markets, junk barns, and so much more. I love old things... objects with history or just something that fancies my eye... or heart.

Today we stopped at a shop called Finders Keepers... I knew it was somewhere I had to get my antiquing fingers into from the moment we drove by... outside in front of the building were piled up old shutters, knick knacks, and old dishes... just my style!

There is an exciting thrill achieved while sorting through old and dingy things... it's like sifting through those beach pebbles yesterday, only pulling out the bright and vibrant pieces of sea glass.  Walking away with items  that are unique and distinct to your personality is incredibly fulfilling. Today I got everything in these photos for a whopping $7.50 USD!

I love to crochet as you may or may not know given if you are a regular reader, or have just found me today! When I am picking in thrift shops or antique shops my favorite thing to do is to open up drawers and cabinet doors... looking for things the owner didn't know was hidden inside or never checked themselves to see. Look what I found in an old armoire? vintage granny squares just waiting to be put together by someones loving hands, my loving hands!

 

 

And better yet!? the needle they were woven with! YES! I swear! notice how it says .10 cents on the side! perhaps 1960's?

 

 

It has been an aspiration of mine to replace all of our current modern bought dishware and glasses with vintage/old mis-matched dishware. Here are my first finds!

 

 

Look at this lovely pin.  She had a sticker on it that said $5, so I guess she must have liked us to give everything I'm sharing with you for $7.50. My boys picked their first thrifted items today by the way! each of them had two quarters and each walked out with a bag of old toy items... eldest got a collection of little dinos/army men and my middle son 5 or 6 tiny vintage inspired cars. They walked up to the counter with their hands filled with tiny toys and said "how much"... she smiled at us and then at them and said... "I think two quarters is fair"... knowing and hearing that was what they were coming up to the counter with. You should of seen the pride in their faces!

I'll raise pickers if I have any say about it :) Proud mama!

And onto the rest... here is a hanky sized swatch of fabric and the pin I mentioned above.

 

 

 

Ideas for the swatch? it's about 6 by 6 inches square.

And last but not least a hand embroidered table center piece measuring probably 20 by 20 inches...

 

 

I can't wait to re-purpose all of these things that have just been waiting for a happy home. I think I will put all the grannys together into a pillow :)

p.s. for those of you who noticed in the very first picture the vintagey looking owl doo dad... it's a sticker :) not old, but new to me and hidden amongst some old sewing notions.

Searching for Sea Glass

 

Our day had mostly gone by and I was ready for some down time in the hotel. Taking a wrong turn the hubby proposed we go a little further to see the scenery and beach. I'm so glad we did as we spent a good time there combing the beach for sea glass, pretty pebbles, and itty bitty shells. It was chilly and quite windy on the shore, but having so much fun we didn't seem to notice.

 

I don't know what it is inside of me that likes tiny pretty things or unique found items, but I feel a bit like a raven collecting bits of this and that... unable to resist the urge!

 

We met a lovely woman with a really friendly smile. She asked if we had found any sea glass and we said "yes! actually we have!"... she explained that she was quite the collector and loved to comb the sea shore for pieces of soft worn glass with her friend and grandchildren. She even found her first blue piece last weekend! a rare find! The pieces I had found first were nice 1/4 inch pieces or so... I had NO idea that there were teeny ring setting sized pieces just waiting to be plucked until I saw her siffting slowly about. I bent down next to her and as she opened her palm there to be treasured were tiny glittering bits of bright and dark green.  She was so sweet, got down with my boys and showed them just what to do and then handed them each a green and brown piece. My eldest really got into it and my middle son really seemed to have the "eye".

 

My favorite place to search for the sea glass was in between the rocks where the ocean had splashed the tiny bits into little hidden crevices. Besides the glass, I collected some beautiful colored pebbles each unique and different from the next. I am always amazed how rocks and pebbles here are bright colors when wet, but dull when dry... it's like being splashed with the life of the sea; their true home - revives them. And that is what the sea is all about... life. Water is life... and when near the seaweed kingdom I can't help but feel some sort of emotional connection.

 

 

" Blue, green, grey, white, or black; smooth, ruffled, or mountainous; that ocean is not silent. "

~ H.P. Lovecraft

The Bleu Squid and Good Kharma Artwork

 

I wonder what it's like to have someone bring you a gift when you don't know them in the least nor know why they are bringing you that said gift. Yesterday, our first day of our 4 days in the Mystic/Old Saybrook area of Connecticut (we come ever year pretty much), we visited Old Mystic Village after seeing all the friendly sea creatures at the Mystic Aquarium.

 

 

Walk down a path, take another and go straight to the end and you will find a nook of a lovely cafe called The Bleu Squid. The Bleu Squid who has a fab sign design and cutest squid mascot/logo makes incredible food, grilled cheese sandwiches, and to die for cupcakes... and I do mean to die for as I consider myself quite the cupcake critic ;)

Read my personal criteria for the perfect cupcake in this post I wrote awhile back.

 

I waited patiently in the background of the cafe while the hubby chose a yummy block of cheese for the hotel and the children played on the front steps... once the line cleared a bit we made our way onto line and I asked if the cashier was the owner which I suspected she was...

" Hi, My name is Ashlie Blake. I am a mixed media artist from the New York area and when visiting a few years ago was really inspired by your cute place and your inspiring atmosphere... this is for you" I said. She smiled and looked at me with slight confusion... "My husband and I loved your place and I really felt inspired to create you a piece of art." She was delighted and smiled without confusion this time. She untied the pretty yarn I had tied the cardboard up in for traveling protection with, and opened up her gift. "thank you!" she said, "it's beautiful! your really good at what you do! I will definitely hang it and put your business card in it" she added. I was so delighted and a tad bit humble as I am quite shy when presenting artwork. Gotta work on that! I said goodbye and thanks for the inspiration, she thanked me so kindly for the work and I stepped outside with the kiddos... my hubby came out saying she wouldn't take one penny for his cheese or my wee container of homemade brownies :) Not my intent to recieve free goodies, but I do so love paying it forward.

 

Hope you like it! I created this piece with all the mixed media I love so much. It was really fun to take her original logo and bring it to mixed media illustrated life! I knew that those squidy tenticales just had to be making those fabulous cupcakes!

mmmm... eat a cupcake and pay it forward :)

Motivational Monday

 

Today I am happily packed in the car with my hubby and three boys venturing to our favorite Connecticut getaway. As mentioned in a previous post we have been visiting this same place since we started our couplehood and then after starting a family. This time every spring we take our trip because we just can't wait any longer! it's still a bit cool so sometimes we return again in the fall... but after a long winter and well needed rest we can't help but hop into the car and go!

We have some favorite must do's while we are there and I can't wait to share them with you...

This time while there we hope to find something new :) we also plan to hit up some antique shops, visit the aquarium, Mystic Seaport, and our favorite historical village. I will be blogging during our stay, so stay tuned for pretty photos and vacation reflections :)

I will also be tweeting twice as much with on the spot vacation photos as they happen! follow me on twitter to go on vacation with me!

Follow me here

Go to the aquarium with us! shopping with us! See what I see as I photograph it :)

 

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Brought to you by Mae Chevrette

 

Brought to you by Seven Eleven Studios

 

Brought to you by Softly Spoken Designs