10th Anniversary

Paint Party Friday

  Valentines day, Feb 14th 2018 my daughter

 celebrated her 10th wedding anniversary! It's

shocking to think she'd been married a whole 

decade. Where did that time go?

 They hadn't anything too special planned 
 for Valentines since they had a few 
concerts to attend on the  weekend!
  But with a stroke of natures luck
  it started to snow  a few hours
 before midnight on the 13th!

photo credit cupcake

One of their biggest joys is walking in  the snow!
So for their tenth anniversary nature gifted them
snow! They were out well after midnight and 
made a sweet video that was scooped up by 
our local  news feed  and shared online!

Teaching children to find joy in simple pleasures
is a great gift to pass on! Unlike some parts of
Canada we don't often get much snow. So when
we do it's a real treat! That midnight walk in the
snow will not soon be forgotten! It marks their
special day in a magical way! 

Earlier that evening Beardo was contacted
that he won a free date package. It included
  a heart shaped tin of their  favourite chocolates
  movie passes, pizza, and box of balloons! 

What was to be an uneventful day for this
sweet couple turned into a lot of joy!
Sometimes having a positive attitude 
and letting the universe take over 
works better than if you planned it 
yourself! 



These two  take good care of each
 other, laughing and chatting   daily!
Instead of putting huge expectations
 on each other,  they live simply, with
 kindness and respect for each other! 
Even though they have loads in common,
  which I always believed to be the thread
  that binds long relationships. They have 
their own interests, but  always put each
other first!  I'm glad I've been able to
 experience my child in such a beautiful
marriage, to such  a kind,  loving man! 

With my blessing these two eloped

in Vegas and agree they'd do it 

all over again the exact same way!

 Fifteen years together they

 do things with practicality and

 great thought!

Even though it's a little late
 I'm wishing this old fashioned 
couple so many more years of
 love, laughter, and music!

 These two are winners in 
every way! Starting from the
first year of marriage when 
they won an all expenses
paid trip to Mexico!

From one thing to another they  
have had so much provided to them
in a winning way! They both have
faith, tons of generosity, empathy
and positive attitudes.

Life has fed these two some difficult 
moments and yet they shine through it!
How you handle  difficulties really
tests your character....they
CHOOSE to see the positive as 
much as possible! 
They accept that life is often very
imperfectly perfect as long as 
they have each other!!


Have you ever asked yourself what 
your expectations are for love?

We need Solutions!

  Paint Party Friday

 I started the following post last January. Sadly things seem to have exacerbated and we really do have to look for every bit of love and beauty in the world now more than ever if we are to stay sane!! Opening our hearts to new conversations about why people are angry and hurting would probably help too!!

Sharing digital art this week! These have been in my arsenal for months!!

Taking off  the glasses of judgement  to see past the ugliness in our world seems like a great start for change. While raising my daughter if I spotted bad behavior I didn't just assume it was her fault. I asked myself what I could learn from her behavior and how could I direct it correctly. I like to take negativity where ever possible, find out why, what, how it manifested! If one strategy didn't work I'd look  for another until I found a solution!

I haven't shared some of my digital art lately, since I don't have photos of my wip these will have to do!

I was never a mother to tolerate bad behavior. I'd always heard that children will try your patience even seek your attention with negative behavior when the positive isn't working. So I always made sure to leave the room if things were to my dismay. Rewarding only good behavior with my attention. I only wish I'd done that with adults behaving badly. Instead I tended to confront them.  Back in the day, my mindset was  Adults should know better, whereas kids sometimes don't.

This is 90 degrees Fahrenheit...real feel even hotter!! Insane for Autumn weather!

Now I wonder if we ignored the bad acting adults in the world and encouraged only the good  if attitudes might change for the better!  I doubt it!! It seems so many inflate internet banter with trolls who constantly barrage it with nonsense, and stupidity. Not realizing they could be engaging  with a raging alcoholic, a  person in a fit of non medicated mental illness, or a very abused ignorant soul!  When saying nothing can be  message enough. 

This quirky piece was done months ago, I chuckled when I recently saw it!

As a former motor mouth I can tell you silence always spoke volumes to me. I knew instantly there was an opposing opinion. I could be too headstrong for the meek to contend with. Yet I've always appreciated a very strong objective argument written or otherwise.  I often changed my perspective completely after contemplating a fair argument!  Hearing a different perspective often helps me to  rationalize ideas in a new way!  It  helped me grow and change over the years! I'm always grateful to those with opposing views as longs are they are kind in their presentation!

Although I am quite passionate about many issues, I much prefer to spend my energy 

else where  these day! At times I too get revved up, however I  tend to abstain from confrontation! Instead I have passed the torch  to my once very shy Cupcake

 who is now vocal enough for the both of us, and I love it!

  High five Cupcake, always keep your passion alive!! 

Remember it's not what you say, but how you say it that matters!

You make a difference!!

 Cupcake picking blackberries to freeze just like her grandmother use to!

Have you ever had an argument change your

perspective?   

 

Have you ever engaged the internet trolls? 

 

Happy Canada Day 150 years!

Paint Party Friday

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian Friends!

This year in particular I'm feeling so blessed to have

been born in this beautiful rich Country!

Again I reworked old characters to celebrate this momentous occasion!!

A prouder Canadian, I could not be
I wave the flag, in front of me
A liberal land, freely diverse
Varied languages to converse
Countless cultures of every race
Amicably exist in once place

Written by Happy Tiler

Moms

Paint Party Friday

Digital Mothers

When a child is born most mothers elevate them 

high above their heads, dropping down a notch 

or two themselves. Putting children before most 

everything else, moms usually take seconds.

Fortunately when kids grow up  some will 

give their moms the accolades they deserve.

Sadly some  never do! 

Marta loves cooking for her church but she's also a scholar.

  I lovingly relinquish  all special occasions to my daughters

 in-laws, because I see the kids  daily, which seems fair

to me! I love that my daughter is part of a huge

 family of in-laws! Never too many people loving 

your children.

Ruby wears green boots with everything

Mothers day this year I felt melancholy, not for myself,

I feel loved and treasured. I felt sad for all the others

 not acknowledge. I felt sad for the barrage of Mothers

 Day advertisements woman must endure the month

 previous! I felt for the newer exhausted moms

  awoken by children demanding they make

breakfast while thoughtless daddies slept.

Minny is a church secretary. Happy tiler peeps!

 I felt heartsick for Mothers wearing disappointed 

faces, unacknowledged by their partners for the

daily hard work that goes into being a good mom!

Church Ladies Happy Tiler peeps

Behind computer screens are children without mothers,

childless woman, Mothers who have lost children, mothers

 who's children are miles away or sick!  All the Mothers

 Day hoopla is just a sad reminder of what is missing. 

My empathy was with them this year!

Athena is a serious editor

Of course social media doesn't help either 

with all the comparisons everyone does!

Just another pin prick for women to endure as

they hear about all the joy in the lives of others!.

Rhonda is a cat lady artist!

If only I could remind young woman

 life is a lot more complex and we 

should never compare ourselves to 

others!! Often things aren't as they

appear!

Mickey is a Reporter

Yes women should be acknowledged!

More than once a year too! Not just for 

Mothers day but everyday! My daughter 

felt the air of discontent among  the young

women who weren't acknowledged! Instead

of being a happy day, it was one of more hard

work. A sad reminder of being taken for granted!

Ladies with flowers Happy Tiler peeps!

 Too often mothers say don't waste your
  money on me. I don't need anything! 
 Truly all we want is our children to be happy!!
Still it's important to teach children how to treat
you, so they love and respect future partners!
I often fought with my own mother about that,
as she let my brother off the hook so easily!

Anita enjoys spending time with her mother and daughter

When I was young  my expectations were at times

unrealistically high, and special occasions had 

way more meaning. Now it's just another beautiful day, 

and everything else is a wonderful bonus!

Three generations of cat ladies

There comes a time when  a woman needs  to buy 

her own flowers and chocolates! Do what she

loves, and treat herself to something a bit

  extravagant. Even if others don't acknowledge

 shes worth it, she should never stop believing she is!!

Our Mothers Day bouquet we all enjoy!!

I usually send Happy Mothers Day greetings

 to everyone.This year I held back for those

mothers that feel left out!! Just because

 some Mothers aren't acknowledged with

  reverence doesn't mean they don't

  deserve the very best!!

 Rose picks flower from her garden

 Do you take charge of your life when

 expectations aren't met?

Helga is a financial advisor

  So last week my internet went down, albeit  
an adjustment we took a few days to replace
our router! The break in routine  changed
my computer habits for the better I think!

Angela adores her cat

I've been working on two large canvases
for my bedroom and they are still a work 
in progress.  In the meantime I am 
sharing the many left over Happy Tiler 
peeps again this week!! 

Molly buys herself flowers once a week

A fun thing about these characters is 
how their names promptly appear when
they do! I tried to change a few 
but it was a no go!!  It's kind of eerie 
how that works!! Many of the names
chosen I'd never pick in a million years.
One insisted  her favourite colour is green!
  Can you guess who that is?

Convention ladies Happy Tiler peeps

Fun and Happiness?

 Paint Party Friday

These three friends are all pretty unique in flavour

I feel like a hostage to creating these Happy Tiler peeps!

Truly they are nothing special...they just appear.

Even when I try to deviate by creating something else 

they call on me to return! There are three to a page in

my art journal and each page has a bit of a story! 

I photograph them,  digitally cut them out and 

mount them on a digital background! I am showing 

six but there are so many! Each so individual!

I'm just going with it to see where it takes me!

This is Gay she is still cold even though it's spring

  Recently as I peruse social media many bits of

seeming perfection and fun pop out at me!

As I scan the photos I wonder if they are truly happy!

Over the years I have seen many folks filling up on material

items and lavish events and I wonder if that sustains happiness

in their world. Upon inquiry, and over time I realize it's only

fun but doesn't always measure the contented soul.

Or true happiness!

Guy has always hated his name and his nose!

Fun can be a fleeting moment of happiness, sure!

However if happiness isn't at the foundation of

who you are then nothing  can truly be fun enough,

can it?

Kelsey is a dancer but feels she will never attain her dreams

So many people today are chasing fun. Each of us has our

own measure  of fun. For some it may be hiking in a desert, 

which would be my nightmare. Add an "S" to that desert,  

make it a dessert, at a quaint cafe with a side of intimate

 conversation along with a coffee, and I'm all in! 

My kind of fun/bliss! Scrabble too!

Brandon is quirky and happy always looks for something new to learn

Everyone enjoys different types of fun!

Years ago I gravitated to the beach, 

  lake or ocean, it was my momentary fun,

 but more it was a comfort, a place

of solace when life wasn't the happiest! 

For me water was always a conduit to 

spiritual awakening!  

Corey loves solitude and books

 Can you truly have fun when you aren't happy?

I think you can, but it's a quick fix, a momentary high,

a diversion.  It can't sustain joy or that content 

feeling like true happiness does!

Johnson is a creative peaceful soul who writes poetry

 I love the quote, " Do more of what makes you happy!"

I think the distinction between happy and fun would 

needs to be defined to make that happen! 

If you're happy when your kids are around and

they're always joking and laughing then it's fun.

However if they like to argue and fight that"s not

so fun, but having them around makes you

 happy anyway! In that case happiness would

 be your foundation to endure that!

These three hang together and all have low self-esteem

I still believe  happiness can't be found in other people,

or things, or fun,  it truly is a choice. I wasn't always happy.

It wasn't until I truly found what I love to do, and found

joy in the small everyday things that I found how to feel

happiness! It doesn't mean there aren't unhappy times.

There are...but when happiness is your foundation

it's easier to endure the hardships!

Do you need fun to feel happy? 

What is your favourite kind of fun?

Carrying the Lessons

Paint Party Friday

My daughter was shocked at how easily this piece manifested! 

I find it's quite telling considering the state of our world of late! 

Some women seem  more concerned than others!

 Rightfully so!  The older ones know the political strides

gained over the years and probably would prefer not 

to visit those issues once again! However in 2017

so many are left in wonder!

 Mandatory  skirts or dresses in public schools 

instead of pants during freezing temperatures 

were just one of the silly requirements/judgements

 of days gone by! So many difficult choices women

 made because of circumstances beyond their control.

Have we even talked about those times enough

with the younger generations  I wonder?

Times where neighbour hood teen moms were forced 

to secretly give up their children, only to panic years 

later as they frantically searched  their whereabouts!

A time where people worried what everyone was 

doing to keep the moral compass in check. 

Consequences that often scarred people for life!

Women have always been held up to a bright

 light of scrutiny. Sadly they still are but in 

different ways now, like Mommy and body

shaming.  

 As much as some of us may crave a simpler

era. Each generation faces different issues,

some more disruptive than others! If we 
weigh it all who the heck would want to go back!
As much as some may not want to admit it
there have always been those in positions
of power who dismiss ethics
 completely unfazed by repercussions.

Our memory has a great way of protecting 
us from constant internal strife.

  Over time grief and pain can dissipate. 
We learn to cope, forgetting some of the

details! Hopefully remembering more joyful

moments! I think it's probably the best way
to cope. It may even fool us into thinking it was
better than it really was! It may be the reason
we don't dwell on lessons of the past enough! 

Personally I'd love to cherry pick the best parts

of my youth and leave the rest behind. Unfortunately

it doesn't work that way. Each era has it's own

issues to overcome! Some harsher than others

especially when we don't acknowledge 

or carry history's lessons into each new era!

Old curtain panel found at a thrift store years ago!

  Cupcake and Beardo both carry a respect for

the past by upcyling things that can be restored! 

Recently Cupcakes creative mojo has been 

running rampant! She's been sewing so many

 projects that have spent years dormant

in her sewing box!

Recently she made a quilt from an old curtain

 found in a thrift store years ago! For pennies 
it turned out so cute! Even the colours are
 vintage! I love the adorable childrens
 illustrations!

This little quilt inspired the completion of many 

more projects. As she sewed at one end of the room,

Beardo up-cyled an old desk into a wonderful

new piece of furniture that we love at the other end!!

 He took my old oak desk, discarded drawers

destined for the work dumpster during renovations,

and upcyled them! Very little was purchase for this

great new piece of furniture. A bit of oak laminate for

the drawer faces, wood to frame the inside and 

completely cover the back! Plus he saved the landfill

from a bulky bunch of drawers, and six hundred 

  dollars worth of drawer slides. No one ever thinks

about how expensive a good drawer slide is!

My upcyled old oak desk! Below is a super speedy video of the process!

Surrounded by all this glorious creative energy 

can only inspire! I did manage to create a few

digital pieces and started spreading some paint 

around too.

What old school traditions do you value most?