Just a quick update because I’ve challenged myself to post every Monday, Wednesday & Friday. What I really want to do is settle in and watch Roman Holiday which is about to come on Turner Classic Movies :).

Over at Inspire Me Thursday the theme for this week is Crayons, which inspired me to go out and buy my first box of 64 crayons in about 25 years. I also picked up a coloring book. As soon as I cracked open the box of crayons I was transported back to the age of 5. I absolutely loved the smell of crayons as a child. I spent a lot of time drawing & painting pictures of ladies in big flowered muumuu dresses (based on my grandmother I think) usually in gardens of tall flowers. I could spend all my time creating “art” and I didn’t limit myself to just crayons. I remember getting some inexpensive finger paints as a gift from one of my uncles when I was about 4 and loving it more than any of my other gifts. Sadly, around the time I went to school I lost my passion for drawing. I realized that I was drawing the same things over and over again and got dissatisfied. I had reached the limits of what I could figure out how to draw on my own and no one thought to try and teach me ways to create new things. I also began comparing my art to other peoples and I found mine lacking. Since I couldn’t figure out how to create the beautiful things I saw all around me and I felt that my creations weren’t as good as everyone elses anyway, I stopped drawing and painting. Around that same time I also learned to read and had a whole new love, this time for stories, and creating art fell by the wayside. Looking back, I’m sad that I never allowed myself to develop or explore my artistic side. I suppose that’s what I’m working on doing now. So anyway, thanks to Inspire Me Thursday, I bought a box of crayons and a coloring book and I colored a picture. About5 minutes into coloring I remembered another reason I stopped making art as a kid. I don’t actually like working with crayons. They never gave me the look I wanted. I like using paints, markers, & colored pencils much more. I also don’t particularly like coloring in other peoples drawings. Coloring books bored me. I did manage to force myself to finish the coloring page and then I decided to have some real fun and do something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid and accidentally left my crayons in the sun. I melted my crayons. Well actually I first shredded the prettiest blue crayons in the box, threw in a dash of silver, and then melted them. The resulting slab of wax is lovely and I did have a great deal of fun making it. I’m not quite sure yet what I will use it for, maybe I’ll cut it into a pretty shape or frame it or something. Haven’t decided yet. I did learn something from this exercise (besides that I don’t like coloring inside the lines). I want to branch out in my attempts at artistry. I want to try all the different kinds of art supplies. I want to play around and find what I enjoy making. And this time I’m not going to compare myself to others. I’m just going to enjoy the process.

My little creations with crayons, so far (may edit this tomorrow if I think of something else to try):

My attempt at coloring within the lines

Shredded crayons

Ocean Reverie, my melted crayon creation

Now I’m off to watch Audrey Hepburn charm Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday. Such a lovely movie!

Inspire me thursday wallpaper challenge

Slowly but surely I am getting over my gall bladder surgery & crawling out from under my winter blues. Spring is definitely here. All the trees are budding out and flowers are in bloom. Although the changes in season are more subtle here in Southern California, they are quite welcome. I’ve been needing a pick me up and flower scented breezes under bright blue skies is just what the doctor ordered. Sunday night my husband and I walked on the beach just after sunset & the breeze was so warm & pleasant. I am really looking forward to spending more time outside.

We’ve added 3 new room mates to our already cramped & tiny little home. On Sunday afternoon we wandered into a pet shop and fell in love with these teeny tiny little roborovski hamsters. Yesterday we brought home three little girls, christened the Robopuff girls and each named after one of the Powerpuff girls (Blossom, Bubbles, & Buttercup). They’ve taken up permanent residence beside my computer and they are such fun to watch. I’ve never owned a hamster before and I now wish I’d gotten one years ago. They are just adorable. My favorite is Buttercup, the smallest & most curious of the three. She comes out of their little nest every time I sit down to type, has a little snack and watches me for a minute. Here’s a photo:

I have to admit, I’ve had a touch of the winter blues lately. I’ve been completely lethargic, unproductive, a little bit lost and lacking in creativity. Not to mention having very little zest for life in general. I’ve just wanted to snuggle under the blankets with my husband and hide from the world. Even here in usually sunny southern California winter can be a deary, wet, gloomy time. However spring is definitely on the way. The hillsides are turning green and the air is fresh and crisp with the hint of early blooming flowers. Now it’s time to dig myself out of this winter rut and rediscover my passion for living (beyond just adoring my husband ). I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve wanted to keep a blog. I thought that by journaling I could rediscover my “voice”, re-ignite my creativity, rebuild my sense of self and remind myself to appreciate all of my MANY blessings. As March arrives, and a new season slowly unfurls, I want to find little ways to lighten my soul and bring spring into my heart as I pull myself out of the slump I’ve been in for the past few months.

Appropriately enough the Inspire Me Thursday Challenge theme is LEAP. Just perfect for me since I need to find a way of my own to leap back into life and embrace the beauty of spring and the world around me. My submission for the challenge is this photo taken in Avalon on Catalina Island on my 35th birthday last September(an absolutely WONDERFUL memory!).

If anyone reads this I’d love to hear about what brings joy & beauty to your world, the things that make you feel beautiful or contented, alive or peaceful. What gives you moments of bliss?

This was made rather quickly for the Inspire me thursday challenge to create an action painting. Abstract work is not really an area I have talent in but I wanted to try something new. To create this I randomly opened a file of photographs and chose several to use in a collage. Lucky for me I didn’t open the folder full of family birthday pics :). For each photograph I randomly picked a Photoshop effect to apply to it and then over the entire collage I added a texture I created. Any comments would be appreciated!!!

MY FIRST INSPIRE ME THURSDAY ENTRY: