Paint Party Friday, A Pleasant week

Sadly I managed to lose a whole blog post this week!! Somewhere in cyber space my story has taken flight, so I am late posting. In some countries Paint party Friday is far past and I am just a lonely straggler! I did manage to finish my three little acrylic owls!!

Thankfully this week has had some wonderful moments  of peace, love and joy! Like when I received the  sweetest  Christmas cards all the way from France because I won Cathrine Constance blog giveaway!!These little angels are even cuter in person if that's possible... I love them so much I don't think I can send them to anyone!!  They're just too cute, I may just have to frame them!! Please visit her adorable blog, you won't be disappointed!! You can purchase your own cards in her etsy shop here!

Cards made by Catherine Constance can be purchased in her etsy shop!

My photo books finally arrived a month after submitting them!  One for sample artwork, one with a few family  stories. One with a combination of art and poetry. It's nice to have these twenty page books, however the black linen binding isn't my favorite and the  dpi was low on a few of my old photos, so some of the pictures aren't the clearest! I do like having a compilation of my work in hard copy though, plus  the color is vibrant and spot on!! 

 After three weeks  of waiting I inquired about my order, it took another week to receive it. Not the best service and hard to get hold of them! I used a groupon making it fairly reasonable, but I  wouldn't recommend this company because of the wait time and ugly binding. 

 We also had an amazing meal with my daughters former boss who put on a five course spread that lasted six hours!!  We rolled home!!! 

 Cupcake and Beardo are on a Paul McCartney  hangover right now. They saw his Vancouver concert, and  bought the tee-shirts.....three of them each!! They said it was the the best show they have every been to! And they've seen many of the older artists, Dylan, Cohen, Stones, Willy, Neil Young,  and loads of youngs ones too! Concerts are their none guilty pleasure!! They saw Bruce Springsteen the next day as the concerts were their Christmas gift to each other along with a hotel stay in town!! I gave them money to shop and they had the best time ever and felt they made history doing it!!

Outside of how busy this week has been, it was so pleasant!! But I need to get crackin because the dust bunnies are squawking and have threatened to unionize and take over the house!!!

Sorry I didn't have time to rewrite the story that vanished!! Sometimes things just aren't meant to be!!  How was your week on a scale of one to ten? 

 Digital Color edited

Paint Party Friday "Not Alone"

Original acrylic

It's been a very rough week.  We  all have them. Funny thing was the first blog I read when I was at my lowest had the quote...."You are not alone." Life continued on, and for the first time in my fifty six years lightening literally struck right beside the car I was driving..... Cupcake almost peed her pants! It was loud, powerful and scary! In that moment I was reminded  there are many things in life beyond our control. For whatever reason difficult situations are placed in our midst to test us, teach us, or show us a new path.

 I am a cup half full girl,  I always try to find the sprinkle of positive in each situation no matter how dire. So  this week I turned to gratitude, finding the snippets of grace in a difficult situation. By the way Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends, being Canadian I celebrated Thanksgiving last month. But seriously there is never enough gratitude when you are fortunate enough to be born in Canada or North America for that fact! 

 While traveling through a few more  blogs,  again I read, "You are not alone." It lifted me up, and gave me new perspective. Things got much brighter. I thought of how lucky I am to be alive, that this was just a glitch  I would get through, because " I am not Alone"

 A few days later I turned on the T.V. and heard a group singing the lyrics, "you are not alone." Normally I wouldn't have watched that station, but I was lured in long enough to hear the song  I needed to hear!

 Then last night I watched an intense hour drama. "You'll never be alone!" was the last line in the script.  Reminding me of a favorite song I sang as a child.  "You'll never walk alone" I tried to find a modern version to no avail...but this is beautiful!

 I've always known  I'm never alone, and in most situations I literally love being alone!! I have loving supportive friends and family that are always there for me. However this weeks message seemed deeper, more meaningful, something I needed to hear. A wonderful reminder that " I am not alone." I'm hoping whoever clicks on my blog this week may need this same message of comfort too!

How about you, have you ever received  a message  you weren't expecting,  but it appeared just as you needed it?

This is my contribution to the wonderful Paint party Friday where gifted artists gather to support each other!  Check them out and join in too!! It really is a special group!!

My heart goes out to a fellow blogger Pauline who lost her  beautiful mother on Saturday. Another fellow Canadian Pauline  always shares profound posts and artwork. I cried like a baby when I saw her moms face, knowing the pain Paulines dealing with. It put my week in perspective. I hope she's is able to find healing in her artwork.  

Wishing you all a happy paint party friday and a safe creative  week ahead!


 

Paint Party Friday and a Tree

Original Christmas Tree done in acrylics

I have been painting several pieces  I won't share yet. This tree was cropped, I did a digital color edit, put it in my windows paint program, shrunk it down then add three of the altered unique colored pieces to make my blog header and some cards too!!  

 Even though this year seems to be packed with Christmas Spirit in our house, I have a few friends going through some extremely difficult times. I felt so sad for them that I had tough go at decorating.My dear friends are constantly in my head and in my heart while I worked on some seasonal art instead! 

 Today I got the much needed new lights on my tree, they were suppose to be purple, but they're pink.  Then I stopped, sat down and traveled through my blog to find how decorated last year!  Instead of looking at the tree I found this old poem to share!  

 

Written by Happytiler 2009

Not Much a Follower

  
Never been a follower

Never quite knew why

Looked for the oddities

Detesting to comply

Attracted to things original

The one of a kind

Interested in the opposites

To stimulate my mind

Trends set in, then disappear

I tend to shy away

Adjusting quirky tastes

My flavor to convey

Never chose to be like others

Didn’t want to be the same

Fostering a unique spawn

With a distinctive name

I’m looking for a car right now

None seem to fit my style

I’m waiting to be romanced

By four wheels that beguile!

Enthralled by vibrant color

Yet black is what I wear

Accessories may be vivacious

my decor may be rare

Not much do I follow

I deviate along the road

Toodling at my own pace

Fascinated by personal goad

Maybe it’s ego driven

Needing to be odd

I have absolutely no idea

Why off beaten path I trod

The guilty Snowman in Acrylic 

For a time I’ll follow politics

I may follow just one soap

May follow a little of this and that

Drawn to issues full of hope

I can’t follow any violence

Cruelty or abuse

I can’t follow addiction

Or things that don’t amuse

Make me laugh, make me smile

Give my heart a tug

I will follow if I’m entranced

If I’m bored I"ll pull the plug!

How about you, do you remember feeling odd as a child and at what age did you finally embrace that?

Please join me in visiting these wonderful

 artists at Paint Party Friday! 

Paint Party Friday, Nick Names

Playing a round

 Warning this is a long post...I hope the art is a good distraction!

Scrabblers and a big head!

I play on-line scrabble with random opponents. I'm pretty choosy who I play with. I can tell a lot from their nick names..."ruthless" speaks for itself, could be a good game with lots of blocking! "Bosspixie" might just be a short bossy woman with a pixie hair cut, possibly trouble. "Fussyone" is a whiner to be sure!!   

Believe it or not "Splotch" is in a heavy metal band, I figured him as an artist!  "Catnip" is pretty self explanatory. "Glad77" might be a  happy thirtyfive year old woman, probably a non threatening opponent! "Seawind," is either a self professed farter, a sailor, or both! A guy you just might not wanna play in person!! Stinky factor!

 "Coolgranma," I'm pretty sure spoils her grand kids!! Might be an easy win there!!  "3kids," probably a busy lady, who  might abandon a game half way through when one of the kids needs attention!! "Bash12," could be a wife beater or a vengeful scrabbler.

Ladynana....is refined, I'd play her, could be a slow game though. "Demerrara".... he's a DRINKER, yep, big drinker...loves his rum, could be annoying if he nods off...which has happened before!! MARYLOU, likes screaming probably types only in capitals, and is possibly an era behind me."Klaws," big red flag, "stay away" could be dangerous... "Gingiruth"  probably a harmless redhead named Ruth!

Cruelzit, you may think is a man with bad acne....of course it has to be a man! A woman would never refer to herself as a zit! In fact he's an avid highscoring scrabbler who's nick is actually an annagram of his real name. He flaunts his email address as "imatigerwords!!" Possibly a cheater? Or a philanderer?

Karoline

Anyway, I clicked on this player, "Karoline". She sounds nice right? In my non virtual life I have a dear friend name Carolyn who truly is a sweet Caroline!! Kind to everyone! When playing scrabble online it's proper etiquette to say good luck or gl and thank-you or ty when you start a game. We also  acknowledge a  bingo (7 letter word) with a kind response, because it's a rare and difficult play.

 For some reason Karoline doesn't understand why anyone would say good luck or thank you during a game. She feels we are strictly there to beat each other at scrabble! Usually more  discriminating, I seems to always click  her nick by accident, forgetting what her finger notes say. I'm hoping this post reminds me not to play her again. 

She's not overtly grumpy but has a real attitude. She hates when people say good luck at the beginning of a game and refuses to respond!! She can't understand politeness, and shouldn't be fooling me with her sweet nick name!! I am so grateful for a good opponent, and a nice balanced game, of fair play, win or lose! It seems the opponents  who don't use manners lose more often than not. 

What is so wrong with being competitive but sincerely happy for a player who comes up with a great word. It's not as though we're playing for money. I don't get it.... I like to compete, and still have manners and good sportsmanship... holy doodle what is with some people?..My fingernotes say I don't play with grumpypants!! And I mean it!! Oh, as of last night, Ladyjane is no LADY either!! I think Karoline might just have a few aliases!!

 Cupcake brought up a good point too! You really don't know if the person you are scrabbling with isn't a little old lady or a young person dying of cancer, or a man who just lost his wife, or a shut in who's physically disabled! It's important to be kind to everyone on the other side of the screen because you may be their only connection to the outside world and a kind word!!!

 Are you competitive and kind, or competitive and ruthless? What would your nick name say about you?

This is my contribution to Paint Party Friday!