Consolation...

My favorite, the hydrangea, has two new blooms--thank you, Lord!

An antique shrub rose, Louis Phillippe. Smells like the best thing you've ever smelled!

Mandevilla growing on my trellises--so fresh

Finally, the orange bougainvillea blooms!

Tibouchina--Princess Flower.  Not a clue how to spell it, but oh, so velvety and gorgeous.

And last, the porch fern is coming back from my lack of watering...I'm consoled.

This last chemo treatment was not pleasant...but I have consolation in a walk around the garden first thing in the morning.  Life is about the normal, everyday pleasures that are so precious. 

Go find something beautiful today, even if it's in your own backyard--'specially if it is. 

Deb

Do you love being alone?

I love being alone.  I know lots of people don't like it, but I find it so invigorating.  This is my very favorite poem/video by Tanya Davis and Andrea Dorfman.  I can just watch this over and over.  Hope you love it too.

Deb

Blogging for Bliss

I'm reading Blogging for Bliss, by Tara Frey, which I checked out of my local library.  I've enjoyed it and I've gotten several helpful tips for blogging.  I'd like to link back to Tara's blog, but a password is required, oddly enough!

This book. along with my class with Jessica Sprague, encouraged me to make a new blog banner that was more ...ME...   So I took my first painted journal page, turned it landscape, and started adding some swirls, brushes, and my blog name.

I'm very happy with it, but that doesn't mean it won't be changed any minute now!  As I frequently say, the only thing I'm consistent with is change.  After which my husband always remarks, "As long as you don't change me, honey, that's ok."

I won't.

Deb

Beautiful, beautiful!!! Watch this poetry...

This just made me feel so good...hope it does the same for you.  I love, love this. And this is unusual for me to love poetry; listen to Tanya Davis and watch Andrea Dorfman and tell me what you think...

Really fun online class!

I just started Jessica Sprague's "Brushabilities" class, and it is great!  I've learned a lot about brushes on my own, but Jessica taught me some new tricks in the first lesson.  She rocks!  Here are the first two projects that we completed:

The first lesson inspired me to add some design to this art journal background that I painted yesterday.  It needs some orange, don't you think?

Butterfly art journal page

First Painted Art Journal Page,,,Ever!

This is my first EVER painted journal page!  I finally got out the paints and stuff and played with them all day.  So. much. fun!
My medium has always been digital and I didn't know where to start with the paints.  But thanks to Roben Marie's videos and encouragement, I plan to do lots more of these.  You can see her making art journal pages here and here.
Do you see that big blob up at the top that I couldn't get worked out and finally had to cover with print--but I like it that way!  How much fun is this???
As our beloved Mary Ann Moss says, "Anything can be fixed!" Whooo hoooo!

Another beautiful doorway in Italy.  I added one of Roben-Marie's overlays and also one from Designer Digitals.  How can anyone not be immensely curious to see what's behind this fabulous door?  I would love to see Italy again (sigh)...