artist. dreamer. free spirit.

for ages, i've been dreaming up a tagline of sorts for my art business (and life!)...i am so completely ecstatic about this! artist. dreamer. freespirit. kinda perfect for me, no?

i envision pieces and parts of this painting as new business cards, a new logo, etc etc.

what is the tagline of your life? do tell!

xxo

sunshine and six sand dollars

a few weekends ago, the hubby and i spent a few glorious hours at one of our favorite florence beaches.

it must have been a really lucky day, because i found six (yes, six!!) whole sand dollars.

i picked a few favorites and left the rest for someone else to find.
beach days are definitely some of my favorites.
xxo

taking good care

working a regular 9 to 5 job makes early mornings, late nights, and weekends the most precious hours in the world, to me. these are the hours i'm able to lose myself to my creative spirit. messy hands, bits of paper, lots of paint, and free-spirit dreams.

because i don't live in some perfect world where creativity is always in an abundance, there are times when my mind is absolutely and completely blank. there is almost nothing more frustrating than a lack of inspiration and desire to create.

the best words came from my mom this weekend, who gently reminded me that it is during these creative lulls that we can accomplish all of our daily life tasks that often go overlooked when we get in full creative mode. she is absolutely right!
when our creative spirits need rest, this is the best time take good care of ourselves. indulge in nature walks. sit in a sunny window with a good book and delicious coffee, or just do nothing at all <3.

that is exactly what i did this weekend! the hubby and i road tripped to my parent's house where we indulged in nature walks, saw a movie (hunger games!), and took advantage of a chance to slow down and relax a bit.

on saturday, mom and i ran our first ever 10k! and, it was to benefit the most amazing woman battling cancer (see more here).

my creative spirit is still in hybernation, even after a long weekend away from the studio. and that is okay. i must remember that it is okay to come up for air once in awhile.

xxo

flowers in my closet

i don't know about you, but as much as i love a good snow day now and then (thank you, thursday morning! you were snowy and icy and this girl got a much needed day of rest!), this year i've never been more ready for spring! blue skies. chirping birdies. new life. and lots and lots of flowers in my closet. i am such a sucker for anything floral or turquoise these days. add a touch of lace? heaven!

Source: Uploaded by user via mary on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via mary on Pinterest

Source: weheartit.com via mary on Pinterest

Source: webblog.tinytoadstool.com via mary on Pinterest

if my closet were made up solely of dresses, tights, and boots, i would be a happy camper. especially if they came from here or here. swoon.

what is in your closet these days?

happy saturday, friends!
xxo

free spirit

feeling like a free spirit lately.

this one is extra special to me. underneath the layers of paint is a map of the oregon/california coast, where the hubby and i road tripped during our honeymoon!

this original is available here!

prints available soon <3. (just as soon as more ink arrives!)

leaps and bounds.

 check out the progression, friends! in one short year, i've gone from this... 

to this....

to this!

hooray for growth, improvement, learning, beauty.

xxo



adventurers

i've been daydreaming about all of adventures i'd like to go on.

i'm ready make a few wrong turns. get lost.

end up somewhere totally unexpected and amazing.

maybe it is the new season quickly approaching that invokes a curiosity

and desire to see more.

or maybe i'm just a wanderlust. <3

where are you dreaming of today?

xxo



brave girl

i woke early this morning (5am to be exact!) to a frosty wonderland outside..and finished this piece next to a cozy fire.  

hubby's first reaction when he saw this piece was - 'is this a woman going through a tough time? like, is she battling some sort of sickness'? which really made me start thinking! while it was not my original thought or intent, now that he mentions it, i can where he is coming from!

my brain is swirling with ideas lately. i cant seem to keep up! i've moved a small table into the living room so i can paint after work and still spend time with hubby. i've become quite the multi-tasker. ;)

xxo

ten things

one of my favorite things is learning random facts about people.
so here's a little list about me! ten things you may have never known...

1. one year when we were little, my brother and i spent every night for an entire summer sleeping in a tent in our backyard. during the day, we would check out library books (i could read for hours), play in the sprinkler, and buy the best treat in the world from the merc: trolli burgers! lol.

2. i am a people-pleaser to a fault. often, i do things because i think it is what others want me to do. i am truly working on this - saying yes to things because i want to, not because someone else wants me to.

3. when i was young, i wanted to be an artist, librarian, and grocery checker at safeway. when mom would bring groceries home, i would take each item out of the sacks and pretend to be a cashier.

4. i dream about being a full time artist every single day. multiple times daily, actually.

5. sometimes i feel so discouraged i feel like giving up.

6. i believe God has a plan for each of us, and one of our jobs here on earth is to find out what that job is, and do our very best at it. i pray everyday his job for me is to bring more beauty and meaning into the world.

7. someday, i hope to be next door neighbors to my mom. my dream house is a little cottage in the woods.

8. i used to save everything for later. nice clothes, nice dishes, nice towels/sheets, etc etc. now, i'm a firm believer that in this precious and delicate life, we must use what is beautiful today. we never know what tomorrow will bring.

9. i take my sketchbook absolutely everywhere.

10. i like to reward myself with starbucks coffee on days that are particularly tough. currently, my drink of choice is a caramal sauce americano with a splash of cream. yum!

happy tuesday, friends!

tell me a random fact about you!

xxo

with love and light

i'm wearing one of my all time favorite necklaces today. it reads 'surround this woman with love and light.'

not only do i love this saying (so much), but it brings back sweet sweet memories.

one year for 'mom's weekend' at oregon state university, my mom bought this beauty for me! we used to get lost in all of the awesomeness of those weekends, when tons of vendors would crowd the college sidewalks. together, there would be laughter. great conversation. coffee. shopping.

you can see more amazing jewelry like this one here.

happy march, friends!

i hope this month brings much love and light into your lives.

xxo