Wishcast Wednesday....

Our dear Jamie asked a question I could not resist today..What do you wish for your well-being? K..I was going to skip this one today...I have to head off to the Dr. for normal check up stuff. But at nearly 50 these visits scare me to death...as I have always been really healthy...as I get older and closer to the age my Mother was when she got cancer...I get a little twitchy about it all...ok am scared witless. I can't wait to see what my blood pressure is...ackkkk. Silly...but there is is...So my wish this morning is two fold...I wish first to feel at ease with these visits...that whatever the outcome, I will deal...to be calm and present about these things. I wish to be brave!


I gained a few pounds over this winter and have gone back to something that works well for me...mainly vegetarian diet and walking..lots of walking. Ok I am only getting in a little walking..but it is growing...whoot. A few years back I was hired to teach program at a GS camp in NH... I had an amazing summer. It was fun..they paid me to play...well for me anyway..teaching 200 girls a week art, critical thinking and science...heaven! I also walked about 3 miles every day..and the chef..offered a vegan choice for every meal...I stuck to it...with an egg or piece of chicken daily. I lost 30 pounds...felt better than I ever have...ever. I cut out lots of sugar and caffeine...slept in a tent on the lake..OMG heaven. So this summer I am recreating this in a way here. I am walking as much as I can get the time to..house full of kids daily...and I have changed my diet. I hope that by October..and my 50th birthday I will have dropped some weight and will be feeling more energetic and healthy. So my second wish is to stick to this and feel better!

What do you wish for your well being today?? Namaste, Sarah

New Work...something different...

Sometimes as creators...we need to shake things up a bit...try something new and get out of our creative rut. So this weekend..I whipped our my watercolors..it has been many years since I used watercolors...why did I wait??!!

It was so much fun....

so refreshing..

So much fun creating these little ACEO sea gardens..with little fishes and crabs.

And this large piece...for the Magical Holiday Artists Lady Gaga Challenge....click to make it bigger..

You can find them here for sale.....
Happy Monday all, Sarah

Wicked Wool Gathering WIP...

I do so love a challenge...it has been far to long since I really threw myself into one. So when Brenda offered this sweet challenge...free sheep's wool..do what you may with it....OMG..I was really excited. I was one of the lucky ones to get a treat in the mail. Some delicious green sheep's wool!! Now I have had this package of paper clay for oh about a year now..sitting on my art table..waiting. Waiting for inspiration and courage to rip it open and make something with it. When the wool arrived....it finally hit me. So here is what happened...

I made this black faced sheep...can you see the look on his face...that "OMG I thought I was gonna be white" look?? You see the farmer had just been out on a bender at the local pub on St. Patties day..and he seemed to thing a green sheep would be appropriate...uhmmmm am thinking the sheep was not so sure...

As he ended up quite green. So today...the farmer is going to give him a nice brushing and at least smooth out his wool...so the other sheep do not laugh too hard. The farmer also promised another picture when he is done. And.... a very large extra bucket of grain...just for Patty the Sheep.
Happy Saturday all...off to see all the Mad Hatter Tea Parties.....
Hugs, Sarah

Hurt and a Bitsy Cookie....

Well... a bitsy cookie and a note. I have had a rough couple of weeks..I have just kept pushing through..waiting to feel summery..and all I have felt is hurt. I have been a teary mess. Not to say there wasn't plenty to be teary or bent about...ex husband in town causing pain for everyone, children moving on, graduations...lots of emotional stuff. Then there is the kind of thing..where you cultivate relationships all year..to find in the end you are still on the outside. They will be friendly with you if they see you..but that is about it. Sigh. A huge project I worked on this year went unacknowledged...or at least there was no credit given for it. It was used and to the delight of all..but no one bothered to say it was my work. It was acknowledged in private. I was a bit hurt by that...I really was. There have been a couple of other major zingers in the last two week online and in the real world that I won't put out there..but they hurt me deeply. It has been an empaths emotional nightmare..the more I tried to ignore it..the more oversensitive I became...ackkkkkkk!!


But two things happened this week... two things that not only made me cry like a child...but touched me so deeply I snapped out of my hurt...at least back to dealing with it. The first thing....a thank you note from a parent. It was so wonderful to get this...that thank you for what you do. That it meant the world to hear that she could leave her son with me and know he was safe and well cared for..that she did not worry. You see he has some issues..he can melt down easily among other things. He can be a challenge..but he is amazing and wonderful too! We do well together! So..I was deeply touched by her words. As care providers...we don't always hear this..that we are valued. This week..I so needed to hear that I was valued by someone out here in the real world.


The second thing came from this sweet empathic child...Nonni. By the end of the day yesterday...I was up to my eyeballs in hurt again...or at least..as I tried to muscle through it all and ignore it....it was seeping out of my pores..so I went to bed early. I was cranky, fed up and burned out..I was not fit to be around frankly..so I put myself to bed and closed the door. About an hour later as I sat there lost in a book...my Nonni came in to hug me. She asked me what was wrong..why I was teary and grumpy...I love it when kids are straight up. I told her I was sad about some things and needed a good night sleep and that I didn't want to be grumpy to everyone. She crawled over and gave me huge hug and said, "I love ya Mama..feel better!!" About a half an hour later she came back..gave me another snuggle and handed me that bitsy cookie. This is what she said,
"I love you so much, you are the best Mama in the world and this cookie will make you feel better!!"
Yup...one bitsy cookie was exactly what it took to snap me out of it. One sweet child who knew just what I needed ...a little bit of tenderness, a couple big hugs and a bitsy cookie. Your Mama loves you too!!!
Namaste, Sarah

A New Course ...

I know...shameless self promotion...but I am really excited to tell you all about this new e-course. The amazing group of wonderful women taking "Balance for the Creative Soul"..are finishing up our first course..I have so loved it! They have blessed me!! Amazing!!!

I am offereing a new course...one near and dear to my heart... "Let FLY the E Course". I have been working on this for a long time..living it now for many years and would like to share it with all of you who might want to join us!! Here is what it is all about..

"Sometimes life gets in the way of our living a full life. Our story defines us instead of us defining our story. This course will offer you ways to step out of your story and back into your life. To the life you want to be living!

Let Fly is designed to help you find the magic in your story and let you step away from what is keeping you stuck. Fear, pain and trauma often shut us down and make it hard to step out of the story and into what we really want for ourselves. Our perspective and experience often keeps us from living to our full potential, finding our bliss and taking advantage of our gifts.

Please join me for this eight week course and we will take a journey together as we use writing, art and photography to help you find you’re a way back to your life. As we learn to LET FLY with beautiful you!!!"

I would love to have you join this already wonderful group of women as we continue this journey to find our True North paths!

OK can ya see me happy dancing??? Whoot!!!
Namaste, Sarah

If you are interested in registration for the late summer session of "Balance for the Creative Soul" please click here.

WishCast Wednesday....

Our wishcasting wonder, Jamie has asked us today... "What fun do you wish to have?" As always...right on the money...I posted something like this yesterday.
I get so tied up in all I do..especially in the summer..as an adult...as the breadwinner..the herder of children...the planner..the cleaner..etc etc...I forget that I am ME! That I deserve a bit of fun and childlike silliness...we all do. You would think as I teach young children that this would not be a stretch for me...but seriously sometimes it is..especially in the summer. There is the child in me that just wants to play away the day at the beach..reading..making sand castles and looking for garnets with my kids!! Just nothing much of anything and lots of whatever.


Don't get me wrong...I am blessed to own my own businesses where I can be at home with my kids and have the chance to regroup my schedule for them..I adore that! The freedom to chart my own course..amazing!! But...running your own business means a lot more time and effort. I work on average an easy 60-80+ hours a week. Now granted it is not all one thing and it varies depending on which of three businesses I am talking about..but still..I am focused and not playing. So I guess for this summer...as my own kiddos are here and my daycare kiddos are here all day with me...I want them to see a lighter, silly, fun side of me. I want to relax into a whole lot of whatever and breathe and let work go for a little bit each day...a whole lot on some days. I wish to have summer fun..that is it..I wish to have summer fun!!! Whoot..Let Fly with the lemonade and water fun, art and tie dying!! What fun do you wish to have?
Namaste all, Sarah