Behind the Art with Felecia

One of my commitments to myself in 2015 is to go and do and to keep it simple. 

Upon the recommendation of my sweet husband, I gave 9round a try - a little kick-boxing based HIIT program.

On those early early mornings I crawl out of bed, head out the door, drag myself to the gym, and proceed to sort of physically torture myself, I leave with my heart full (and beating really fast!) 

I wanted to symbolize both my literal going through the door and my sort of mentally going through a door with the whole 9round process.

The glorious truth about this program is that I don't really have to be in my own head too much - the workout moves too fast (simplify!).

And the glorious truth is that this program is done in 30 minutes (simplify!).

And the glorious truth is that when I leave, I am physically alert, mentally ready for just about anything that the world throws at me, and fully in the moment of "now." 

I absolutely love it. Big huge heart love it.

Here is what is sort of shocking to me - and part of my journaling because I wanted it documented - I never thought  I would love it. 

I never thought it would do for me both physically and mentally what it does for me.

I never thought it would bring me so fast to a place where I MISS it when I miss it. 

I'm completely surprised that this of all thing is restorative for me. and hello - Pink gloves...how can you ever go wrong with pink gloves?

Peace, ya'll!

Behind the Art with Felecia

“Everything begins with a decision. Then, we have to manage that decision for the rest of your life.”  - John C. Maxwell.

When I heard John Maxwell explain his statement about decisions, I found it profound. it got me thinking about some of the things I may have decided long ago that I am just managing - good or bad. 

I really started paying attention to how my decisions make me feel  - some make me feel helpless while others are empowerin. One of my decisions has been to plant good things in my brain - Garbage in, Garbage, out, right?

For me, that means my Bible - and a cup of coffee. This daily ritual, something I do every day...even if its at my desk with an on-line Bible. I find things like Proverbs and Psalms so inspiring, and honestly, quite practical. 

I have often used butterflies to symbolize the lightness and freedom that certain things give me. My Bible time does this for me...it gives me lightness and a great sense of excitement. I look at my world with a sense of expectation that something wonderful is going to burst forth.

These small moments of restoration refresh my eyes and my spirit to pay attention to the marvelous things that happen in the world, to focus on joy and kindness, to see and be excited by the spontaneous goodness around me. 

Moments of restoration don't have to be long spa days or days at the beach (although i'm never going to turn either one down!)- they can be moments of simple grace you give yourself in the midst of your day...

Peace, ya'll!

Behind the Art with Melissa

It doesn't happen often but, sometimes I like to create a page without a photo. As I was digging through the kit contents and contemplating the word 'restore', a verse kept popping into my head. I remember saying this in church, as a child, and I thought how awesome would it be to have something to hang on my wall. 

So this page was born.

And then something happened as I created it. I found myself actually stating those words. Not that I'd lost the joy but, it was kind of like a vow renewal. I was affirming something. I won't go into my faith too much here but I will say how meaningful and important it is to me. I'm not ashamed of it nor try to hide it. Instead, because of the joy I have, I love to share it! And creating this page brought so much joy to my heart.

I love spattering the sequins and ink everywhere. I love how creating these pages takes me through an emotional journey. Sometimes it tough but, in cases like this, the tears that form in my eyes are that of joy and assurance of the path I'm on!

How are you restoring your joy?

Behind the Art with Felecia

This man is the love of my life...

Now, I'm not perfect - and neither is he...but somehow we manage this just fine - hence the somewhat messy grouping of bits and pieces.

We go around and around - sometimes he's the "strong" one and sometimes its me. I wanted to symbolize our journey around and around by drawing a crazy circle with the mist. 

As marriage journeys go, ours is filled with stars and sparkles...not quite what I ever expect, and yet, somehow just right...so I pulled the stars out of the bits and pieces and augmented them with some sequins. 

I suppose its somewhat odd to fill a page with pink and sequins and then feature a man...but this is the place he has in my heart. The place where the glimmer lies, the place where my stars lie, the place where my love is.

Peace, ya'll

Behind the Art with Jen

When I turned 40, I realized that all my life I was always working at losing weight for whatever reason or another.  I would beat myself up about having a bad food day or feel guilty about it all.  Now I realize that each day is a chance to make good choices... it's all up to me and my mindset.  If I make bad choices, I feel bad BUT tomorrow is a new day.  I choose to live life in a healthy way now. I don't want all the junk that makes me feel bad or guilty.  If I want to splurge, it has to be worth it to me. I don't want to feel bad about my choices. So, if I see a dessert and it is my favorite (key lime pie or birthday cake) then I will not deprive myself, but if it's just convenient or there and I don't really love it, then it's not worth the calories!  It's not worth the regret I will feel over it.  It's about realistic choices.

My daily life is full of family, responsibilities, work, my art, and the activities that keep me healthy and feeling good.  I don't feel guilty about taking time to myself to workout, take karate, or run. Those times are my escape, renewal and "me" time!  I used to hate working out and getting sweaty. Now, I schedule it in like a meeting... I need it!  When I don't workout for a couple days, I am antsy and agitated.

 

 It's not just food or workout choices.  I have to choose to be positive or negative.  Do I respond with love and understanding to others or be impatient or unkind?  I have the power to change my mindset and control what I say and do.  No one else can do that.  But my choices do have an effect on my daily mental attitude.  I need to take care of myself so I can take care of others! 

 Is there something in your life that renews you?  What is the something that gives you strength and keeps you motivated?

Behind the Art with Melissa

Hello and happy Tuesday!

Okay, so I'm going to need you to bear with me here. I know this can be a touchy issue for those going through recovery. But I'm all about being real and honest. I'm not apologizing and, at the same time, I just want to give you the warning. I'm talking about libations here...

As I was going through Instagram, as I often do when preparing these pages, I noticed a plethora of photos I took of my libations and cocktails. I'm not a heavy drinker but, I do enjoy something tasty after a long day at work. Naturally, I had to record this.

Now, I'm not sure how conducive this is to restoration but, I will say, I usually feel pretty relaxed and find myself enjoying the time with my friends on these evenings (and every blue moon... an afternoon!)

I pulled a lot of the lighter colors and butterflies for this page because this isn't a heavy subject matter for me. It's suppose to be light hearted and, gasp, humorous. I'm kind of teasing myself too because of all the photos I found I took of my cocktail nights.

But, honestly, those times are so important to me when it comes to restoring my brain and allowing the stress to dissipate.

So, what is it for you? Tea? Ooooh... chamomile tea... See? That does it for me too. I feel relaxed just thinking about it. Or maybe you love your water and a good book to go with. 

Take time for YOU! 

Behind the Art with Jen Matott

Hi friends!  I wanted to share a page that I created with the new "Restore" kit!  It never ceases to amaze me how Rachel puts these kits together with a word that complements the imagery, designs and gorgeous colors! This one was no exception!  It's dreamy and beautiful.

For this page I knew I wanted to use that woodgrain textured cardstock for a background!  I sprayed some of the walnut spray near the center of the paper and allowed it to drip a bit.  Once it was dry, I used the Crafter's Workshop stencil and Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Whipped Spackle to create a little texture on top of the sprayed area. Lots of drips and some embellishments make the page!

 I knew I wanted to create a page that was framed by the soft greens and pinks.  After a visit to CHA 2015 in Anaheim, California I came back refreshed and excited about all that I had seen and those that I talked to!  Even though I love to travel, I always find it hard to recreate a space for myself that feels normal.  I have a workout routine that I do at home and when I'm in a strange place, it can suffer.  I want to create a similar routine while away.  I did run one day and let me tell you how nice it was to do that without coats, many layers, and snow! 

 Being home in the cold can really wear on you!  I think when I visited Cali, I felt that I was restored inside and out.  I did my best to keep to a schedule and find time to relax, work, and exercise.  I was renewed visiting a warmer climate even when it was below zero degrees at home!  I could've gotten very used to the California winters!  It made it easy to keep up with my routine but also allow for special events and meeting up with friends!

 What renews you when the weather is harsh?  What kind of routines do you need to keep while traveling?

Behind the Art with Melissa

Sometimes there is a kit that just hits me in the gut and it was this one.

The name along - RESTORE - should be a perfect indicator as to the journey my heart would be going on as I recorded my pages.

The first page I am sharing is one that records WHAT things or living objects restore my soul. What can I count on, physically around me, to continually be a source for soul restoration... the place I go to feel peace and healing. To quiet my raging mind and heart and listen to the words God wants to whisper to me.

Naturally, I had to record about where I live. I absolutely love the Pacific Northwest. I love where my little hamlet is nestled. You see those islands out there? That is the tip of the San Juan Islands. Yep... that's my back yard. I am one blessed chica! It is beautiful on a clear day! There are some amazing parks and, one in particular, that I frequent. I can't even begin to describe the overwhelming peace that flows over me when I walk out by the water.

I used a lot of the "natural" elements from the kit for this page. Browns... earthy colors... and a lot of the cork. I think, from a design perspective, it plays off nicely with my photo. And from a symbolic perspective, I love the nitty gritty it provides. Because when we do REAL restoration of our souls, you gotta strip stuff away... prime it... and make it beautiful. 

A mix of earthy, blingy and stitching... it all goes together, don't you think?