24 Years ago today...
my good friend Janet and her then boyfriend set me up on a blind date. I was living in Okinawa, Japan at the time (my dad was stationed there).

It was the first time in my life I ever experienced a panic attack ~ seriously.

We'd all be going to a sushi bar and I really wasn't a fish eater of any kind.
I had also never been out on a blind date. Honestly, I almost backed out.

I remember walking into the restaurant like it was yesterday.
There were three guys there. I knew my friends boyfriend but didn't have a clue which guy was my date. I gravitated toward this handsome man with big Sally Jesse Raphael glasses on.
It was his smile. He was adorable and engaging and wanted to know all about me.
I introduced myself and met the other guy too and then we ordered.

Now remember, I don't like a lot of seafood and really my favorite way to eat fish is deep fried like fish and chips. I ate eel!! The thought of eating that now turns my stomach.
Then we went upstairs and sang karaoke. I remember singing You are My Sunshine in front of my blind date.

Love at first site might sound cliché but I have to say it was! I had always told my mom that my Mr. Right didn't live in the states. I always knew he lived somewhere else and I was right.

There are times, moments, days that change your life forever! This day 24 years ago certainly did.
I met the most amazing man that is and has been the most incredible husband and best friend a girl could ever hope for!
He loves me, spoils me, supports me, sets me straight when I'm wrong and is my biggest cheerleader! He also happens to be the most incredible husband in the world! His family is everything to him!! Love and adore this man more and more and am more in love with him than ever!!

Hope you have a blessed day!
Sandy

Kindness

Something that I think can be so simple and can also be so underrated!!

It doesn't take much to be kind!
It's actually a choice.
You can either choose to be kind or choose to ugly.

I heard some not so nice things someone said about me this week and my first reaction of course wasn't - kindness. It hurts when it's someone you thought was your friend. However, I've learned over my 46 years of life that the only way to deal with unkind behavior is with kindness.  It really does always WIN in the end.

I had such a wonderful email from a student thanking me for my classes, my kindness and my generosity.  I truly do have the best students!! They are always eager to learn! Come back month after month to learn more and I am truly blessed that they want to know what I know when it comes to art! 

Hope you have a fabulous week!! Remember to be KIND. Be Kind to your KIDS! Be Kind to your spouse! Be kind to your friends and more importantly - be Kind to yourself!!

Here is my word for this last week in April 2014

Smiles,
Sandy

My word for last week - Easter Week was "ALIVE"
Felt it was such a fitting word considering the historical events that took place over 2000 years ago. Jesus is ALIVE ~ He has RISEN indeed!

Honestly though, I feel like I failed this past week in so many ways.

I really wanted to clear my mind and focus on the word and all the ramifications it meant to me as a Christian, wife, mom, friend and artist.
Oh did I fall short! (insert big sigh here)

Do you ever get consumed with something or you hear something and it completely turns your mood, attitude, and entire day on it's head. Well, I had several of those days last week and it really did put a damper on my weekly word and the focus I really should have given it. I even spent one whole day having a terrible pity party - ever have those? No streamers or balloons at that party - just a deflated attitude and broken spirit. Thankfully, my God listens and hears my cries and lifts me up from the broken and sad moments on days like those.

I mean hello! What could possibly be more important than the fact that my savior died for me and rose again and is indeed ~ ALIVE?  Nothing really and it made me sad to have wasted a week where I should have just let those things roll off my back and not give them a second thought. Sometimes, ok, often times I get too caught up in how I feel or why I feel that nothing else really occupies the space in my head - trying to work on that and change it so that it will only ruin a moment, not an hour and certainly not a whole day.

Okay....so as I carry into this week I will continue to focus on the word ALIVE as I have been doing with many of my other words for 2014 so far!  Here is my word for this week  ~ KINDNESS
Look forward to sharing with you Friday ~ how this word showed up in my life and art!

 

Have a blessed day! Be KIND to one another!

Sandy

Here is my word for this week ~ ALIVE
Seemed so fitting with Easter coming up soon and I will post more about how this word showed up in my life this week on Friday!!










Have a BLESSED week!
Sandy

That is a word that sure does pack a punch when you say it!! PRIORITIES

I have really been trying to focus more on my priorities and make sure they are in line, which I know will make everything run much more smoothly!

First and foremost my relationship and talks with God everyday are a major priority. It focuses me, aligns me with my creator and I feel sets my day on the right path. Now....I tend to get in my way on that daily path and sometimes there are a lot of swerves and near crashes but it's nice to know that I can calm myself by stopping, praying and regrouping.

My second priority is and has always been my husband. Even before my children you ask? Yes. Why? Because when things are right and in line with my groom and partner for life, things with my children are easier to deal with. We parent together, we make decisions together and even though we didn't always agree on punishments or whatever when our kids were younger - we were united. If we needed to chat about punishment and things we did so in private away from the kids. Our priority was and still is to raise them to be responsible, caring and loving young men and I couldn't be prouder of the young men my husband and I were given to raise!

Now, when it comes to priorities with my art, I unfortunately become a bit A.D.D.
I work great under pressure but that stresses me out and I've really tried to get my life to a point where there is little to no stress. It just makes living so much better you know!! I'm busier than I have ever been with my art and that is a great thing and I'm trying to put things in order and prioritize to make things run much more smoothly. You did notice that I used the word "trying".  I make lists to keep in order what I need to do and then write more lists when I can find the first list. I start spouting off all the things that were on my list and then my hubby will grab a pad of paper and write a list of the things I spouted off and inevitably his is always more complete and accurate of what I need to get done.

So.....as you can see I am trying! Putting my priorities in order that will make my life easier, enjoyable and rewarding! Both personally and professionally!  It takes work but then again, doesn't everything? My personal relationship with Jesus takes work. My relationship with my husband and kids take work. My relationship with friends certainly takes work and sometimes I have to realize it might be a priority for me but not for the other person. That's when it's time for me to realign my priorities and make sure I'm not spending too much time on something that no amount of work on my part is going to make better. My ART takes work and sometimes takes over so I have to remind myself of my priorities and make sure they are in ORDER!!

Hope that helps you think about your priorities in life and inspires you to evaluate your list! Remember, it takes work and all the things I listed above are worth that work and time ten fold!!

Have a blessed day!
Will post my word for next week on Monday!

Smiles,
Sandy

 March Paint Classes ~
What a busy and fun month we had in paint class!!

In our Techniques Class we learned about shading and painting water drops!! Loved all the ohhh's and awww's in both classes and loved even more the emails and FB messages from students that went home and practiced their water drops and were amazed they could paint them.

We painted Gerber Daisies in wOils and again I LOVED how well everyone did!! Many were skeptical that we were going to paint it on one class or that they'd even be able to paint them but surprised themselves I think!!
I'll share photos from this class with y'all soon!!



























Then we painted on fabric using the amazing DecoArt's SoSoft Fabric paints!!  We created family trees and I loved how everyone did and all the different ideas that were flowing in class about future trees they were going to paint.

Working hard on some deadlines and April classes and look forward to sharing with you soon!!
Have a great day!

Blessings,
Sandy

My "A Weekly Word" for last week was ACCEPT and what I had to accept this past week was that I am not always going to get done what I would like to get done. Starting out with posting on my blog - wink!

I focused on this word "ACCEPT" this past week and it really did show itself to me in many ways.

Something that really showed up for me last week is that I'm never going to get done everything I want to in a day. My list always starts out grand and I think I can knock a bunch out and realize at the end of many days that it takes me longer to get things done than I actually think. I can accept this most days because even if I've done one thing I know I've done a great job on it but thinking about this issue and writing some notes about it lead me to my word for this first week in April - but more about that later!

One of the hardest things I've been realizing these last few years and feel like I'm getting better at being able to accept is - that not everyone is going to like me. Even people I've never met and you know what - that is quite alright.
In high school it devastated me but at 46 I've realized that life is way too short and precious to worry about such nonsense.  It robs me of emotions and time that I could be spending on people that do like me.
Another thing that really showed up for me this past week when I started to wish I could paint like this one guy that I follow on Facebook. His paintings are so realistic and amazing to say the least!! After writing a bunch of notes and then praying about it ~ it became quite clear ~  I can accept where I am in my art journey right now because I know I am growing, learning and along the way finding the joy in the journey - how could I not accept that?!

Sometimes you just have to accept things for what they are. I've been trying to fix an issue and all of a sudden it was like a hand bopped me across the forehead - you know the kind like on the V8 commercial - accept it! It is what it is. I've done what I can do. If it changes great. I can't control it - I can only accept it for what it is!

So....on to my word for this first week in April ~ PRIORITIES!!
I will share my thoughts with you on how this word PRIORITIES showed up in my life and art this week on Friday!!
























Have a BLESSED day!!
Sandy