Miss Daisy is wishing you....

a very Happy Holiday...and hopes you have as much fun as she's been having...


and, of course, so am I. I'm just sneaking onto my computer for a moment. I have a list of what I 'should' be doing that's about a mile long, but instead I've been fiddling with collaging. This is one of my first mixed media pieces that I made just this morning...



How did I ever forget about the joys of podging...?:)






Peace and Love...
xo

December Views....Walking around the house with my coffee this morning...

And now for Bohemian Mom's Christmas Meme


1. Do you celebrate Christmas? Yule? Winter's Solstice? Hanukkah? All of them?
Well...Christmas and Yule loosely...There's no religious significance for us, but we treasure it as a time to to slow down, and enjoy just being together.

2. Name your favourite X-mas movie. Love Actually...and Christmas Vacation

3. Your best X-mas present ever? A bike...when I was nine.

4. Do you bake cookies? Or buy them? Bake

5. How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa? Nine...when I busted my Grampa delivering the above mentioned bike to our house Christmas Eve. When I saw the 'Love Santa' tag on it Christmas morning the gig was up.

6. Your favourite X-mas food? Chocolate...and red wine...(I know that's not a 'food' per say...:)

7. Your favourite holiday tradition? We live in a very small town, and every year the volunteer fire department and a 'Santa' or two go around on the trucks going door to door wishing everyone a Merry Christmas on Christmas Eve. We then go to my brother-in-laws and hang with my husband's family all night.

8. Giving gifts or getting them? Definitely giving...and I totally think the thought behind it counts...and just grabbing something because you feel you have to give someone something.... I've said I don't want any presents this year except some of my mother-in-laws crocheted cotton washcloths. I love those.


Please feel free to jump right on in with this...



Have a great weekend! I hope wherever you are is a hell of a lot warmer than where I am....
xo

December Views...The 17th...

A Place to Unwind...



...A Place to Dream...



What can you say about a man who, knowing how much his wife loves clawfoot tubs, rescues a little forelorn cast iron beauty from a contractor's demolition load before it hits the dump...Hauls it home...searches far and wide for the right legs for it...spends hours refinishing it...figuring out how install the telephone faucet...and the plumbing...all so she can have a bubble bath, and play mermaid...

Today I am taking a moment to express a little gratitude for this man of mine...and speaking of mermaids...She's done! :)

(click any image to view larger)

December Views...

Shhhh....My bed at 6:30 this morning...-40 and the wind howling outside...



(Yes...I rocked it...and I have the incredibly sore, happy body to prove it :)

There was so much beauty and goodness at this event that I will have to give it a proper posting...



(Handmade prettiness for our tree.)

...and of course, a disco ball...




...and of course, I had to make Rhianna a shirt with a disco-dancing snow diva...




...and then, speaking of divas...




A little more work on her tail, and I should be done. (Truthfully though, I don't get the impression that she's a diva at all...:)

Peace...ox

December Views...Day??? :)

Okay...I will hereby confess to sucking at this...I hadn't realized I had such committment issues until deciding to try December views. Oh well...*sigh*...on the plus side...I am slowly moving along on my painting...



We have a winter snowstorm warning...and the snow has just begun to fall...



It is supposed to be VERY cold this weekend. So it's a good thing I've got lots of heart-warming activities planned...Tomorrow I will be participating in the 108 Sun Salutations fundraiser to benefit an organization that helps abused women and their children get back on their feet. We are actually doing 108 full salutations...A's and B's...:) I have never done this before...so I'm not sure how far I'll make it...

After that we are going to a wonderful party that is sure to be a fun evening of wine...music...and lots of laughs...Then we'll finish off with a little sleep-in and watching our oldest play hockey...



Wishing you a weekend filled with love...and cozy good times!
xoxo

December Views...Day 7

Something I've never done, is a photographic journal of a painting from start to completion. So just for fun, I'm going to start one here with a mermaid that I began today...

She began as a rough sketch on a little piece of scrap paper that I did back in August on holidays...



Then today, I drew her much larger on an 18x32 inch canvas panel...



The background was roughed in with vibrant greens and blues...



Then comes my favorite part...beginning the layers of colour that create highlights...shadows...and ultimately her personality...



I can't wait to get back at her tomorrow...:)

December Views...Day 6

(Baby, it's cold outside...)

(Where it would have been nice to stay today...with my cranky old cat:)

My bedroom...I currently have a love/hate relationship with it. When it was first done I painted it a vibrant green...then I went to this sand colour...which in my minds eye, would make me think I was at the beach on vacation every morning when I awoke. Wrong! So now I am searching for a new colour(s)...I'm seeing a purple...red...orange... bohemian...gypsy...belly-dancing thing going on. Man, am I ever grateful that I have a patient husband. Speaking of him...He happened to have handcrafted our lovely nightstands...and our headboard from a vintage door...


Okay...so there's not denying it...I'm not at the beach...

December Views Day 5

I'm sneaking in early today...It's going to be a busy one with hockey, and dropping a painting off for the fundraiser next weekend...then sourcing out a place that can get me new business cards... fast. I totally forgot that I would need those after changing my email. Yikes! Oh well, I get it done...somehow...

(click for larger)

Joe did this when he was three...it still makes me smile every time I look at it.




(I'm getting there...)



Magical Mermaid rocks...and treasures from the sea on the kitchen windowsill...


Have a happy Sunday! :)

xo

December Views...Day 4 Bits and Pieces...

(My 'real-life' teddy bear...)

Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE my dogs? Oh, I do...they have such tender little hearts...

(Daisy...aka. The Divine Miss Jiggs)
Notice the dog snot on the window...perhaps I should do something about that one of these days...:)

(One of my first portraits...)


(Mess=Bliss...)




(Hey there...)


Hope you have a beautifully creative weekend...
xo

December Views Day 4~

Wandering these country roads today the world seemed infinitely...wild...open...
No sounds...other than the biting wind rushing through the grass, and whipping through my hair...The occasional click of my camera...and the crunch of my boots on gravel..



I paused on the hilltop...
Actually delighting at being alone out here in the prairie cold...
And I felt strangely...utterly connected...
To the long-ago abandoned church...


The distant snow covered Rocky Mountains...



These solitary trees...



I found myself touched by the impermanence of all of it...of everything really...The grey of the day hanging round my shoulders like a melancholy blanket...



So I wandered on home for a little tea...and afternoon karaoke...It was most definitely a Norah Jones kind of day...:)

December Views...Day 3

So this will be a pretty lame little post...:) We changed our internet and phone provider today, so I've been working out all the little quirks and kinks that go along with that, which can be exhausting if you're not very technologically savy.

All I managed today was a reference photo for a painting I want to do...but mostly, I just wanted to show off my new red hair...I've alway wanted to try being a spicy red head...and I'm lovin' it, and so is Jon...:)

Tomorrow my camera is going to go for a little adventure around town, but for now it's off to bed...'Night.

Oh, and my brand new email is...jonandceleste@shaw.ca

Jumping In...December Views...

(Three Wishes Anyone....?)


(Entangled...)

(My non-doubting daughter near Kaslo B.C. this summer...:)

I have been thinking a lot about doubt lately...How many of us have let it spin wildly out of control to the point where it we find ourselves spiralling into the pit of fear...

Do you doubt yourself? Do you wonder what you're really capable of? I do...maybe a bit too much at times. Deep down, I believe that human beings are capable of pretty much anything if we don't doubt ourselves. I do believe that everyone of us that contributes something positive to this world makes it a better place for everyone on it...but the same holds true on that negative flip-side. If we give doubt the power it can literally cripple us...emotionally...spiritually...physically...

This morning, I'm feeling very heavy, as I see what is happening in our world. I know there are philosophical beliefs that say there are no such thing as bad people...but how full of fear, and hate does one's heart have to be to commit such horrendous acts? I'm sorry, but this is a very hard concept for me to swallow. I also know there are many, many good things going on too...but I struggle with trying to understand it all...

Coincidentally, Rhianna and I had a little mom and daughter field trip scheduled at the Hindu temple in Calgary this Sunday with my yoga class. She excitedly mentioned it again this morning at breakfast...and it just made me smile. Something that Rhianna has been from the moment she could understand, is fascinated by other cultures, and people around the world. To see her craving knowledge about how they live...what they eat...what they wear...what they believe...well...it just does a mom's heart good. As I watch her grow...and love...and learn, I can see that she,and the millions and millions of other beautiful little souls out there, are going to keep on doing great things for this planet of ours...no doubt about it.:)

Happy Sunday...

(Yikes...time for Photoshop or some eyecream! :)

Hello you! :) I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since I've posted here. Many times I've sat down to write something...only to have my words vanish into thin air. I've been reading your blogs...and having a hard time expressing what I've wanted to say. This is a very busy time for me. I have really dove head first into my yoga teacher training program. It has literally been gobbling up almost every spare minute of my time with practising...and studying. But I love it, really love it. Learning the philosophy...physiology...and the hardest thing of all for me...to slow down and listen.

Today I promised myself I would make time for some painting...so of course, I whipped out my camera, and started fiddling around...:) I am the Queen of Procrastination...Jon bought me some awesome 30x36" canvases a couple of weeks ago,so I've been painting...BIG!

(My sweet Coots wondering when I'm going to get back to work.)

We also had our first 'real' snowfall today. Jon and I took the dogs for a long walk this afternoon. It was so still and beautiful...I absolutely love being outside in the snow when it's not too cold...

(View from my studio window...)

Today is definately the day for a big pot of veggie chili and homemade cornbread...I heart Sundays. I hope wherever you are, you are having a fantastic day...

xo

(Morning Alter...click for larger.)
At my last weekend of school, our Buddhism/Hinduism philosophy teacher spoke again of 'collective karma'...that force that seemingly brings complete strangers together out of the blue. She reminded us again that this path...this life shift that we are on together chose us...and not the other way around. I do believe this...there is a very definate feeling inside when you find yourself drawn so strongly to something. I know to some, this whole concept might seem a little esoteric, but really if we open our eyes to it...it is everywhere...of course...it's right here in our blogging world.

I have been sitting a lot with my feelings...and fears lately in my early morning meditations. Doesn't that sound self-indulgent? It hasn't been all that pretty...but the more I do it, the more I notice subtle changes...Joy is slowly shining her light in those darkest of corners. And so, in that spirit, here are some things I am throwing out here today...nothing original...mostly just a reminder to myself...

*Life's beauty is in every breath...every body... whether you are writing a novel...saving a life...sipping your morning coffee... or homeless pushing a shopping cart through the city streets searching for bottles. You might not see it or believe it, but it's there...

*Everyone has the right to their own ideas and beliefs...Not just you...EVERYBODY. And it's okay if someone's views are different from yours...it's actually a good thing.

*Keep making mistakes...just stop tripping over the same shit...

*Smile...especially to yourself, first thing in the morning...

*The greatest gift we can give each other is compassion...

*Giving of oneself breeds happiness...Need proof? Do it!

*It's okay to leave the dishes and laundry until later to do a little karaoke with the kids.

*LAUGH

*Twirl (Thank you Dar! :)

*Play

*and last, but not least, EAT YOUR VEGETABLES!

xo

~FREE TO GOOD HOME~

(Two sweet GREASSSY 'pains in the asses'.)

Care to imagine coming home from your morning to run to school to find about three litres of cooking oil flooding your kitchen? Finding your dogs licking each other like they were a couple of tasty,greasy, hairy French fries? Which is also probably exactly what they tasted like! (Last night Jon decided to make us fries the old-fashioned way. I was planning on dealing with the pot when I got home from taking the kids to school...and the thought did cross my mind that my beasties might think of getting into mischief...but nah,it would be okay! I'd only be gone 10 minutes. So now those ten minutes have turned into about an hours worth of cleaning! UUUURRRRGGGGG! :)

So if you're so inclined these two are also great at:

*Filling a king size bed. Cooter(the one with the guilty look on his face.)also loves to spoon and snore.

*Leaving little doggie bombs in your yard.

*Stealing folded socks out of your freshly folded laundry, and playing tug-of-war with them.

*Prewashing your dishes.

*Vaccuming up any food off your floors.

*Supervising your bathroom activities.

*Being 'doggie-doorbells' when guests arrive.

*Exercising your kitties...and you, for that matter...

*Shedding on EVERYTHING...

*...and making sure you are never short on unconditional love.

So...if you are so inclined to sign up for this...let me know. I promise I'll bath them before I send them on their way.


Love and doggie dust-bunnies...

ox