Swapathon- your stuff for my art

running low on tea and yarn

Welcome to the third Swapathon event on my blog! This is where I trade my art for something you have or make.  Anyone can participate, even those who have swapped with me in the past! The exchange is for any item in my shop valued up to $25 (plus free shipping).  Or, if you prefer, a $25 credit towards an artwork.  

Here are some items I would love to trade for:



Yarn remnants (preferably natural fibers), tea, vintage fabric, homemade soap/lotion/lip balm, kitchen towels, fingerless gloves/mittens, homemade baking mixes, and, of course, anything drawn, printed, or sculpted. 



I'm pretty open to whatever you come up with, and I look forward to reading some of your ideas!



On Sunday at noon (PST), five names will be randomly chosen from the comment list below, and the names will be posted here.  Can't wait to start swapping!



9/2: Thanks so much for all of your wonderful swap ideas!  My [very unbiased] husband picked five names out of a bowl, and here are this year's swapathon winners:



Lamina, Linda, Sally, Katie, and Annie



For those of you without contact info in your blogger profile, please email me at catmcmurray[at]gmail[dot]com.  Thanks!

show and tell: swaps

There are times when I think we should go back to the barter system.   I have yet to trade my art for more practical things, like chickens or grain.  But I have had the good fortune to swap my art for some pretty sweet stuff.  Here's a look at a few recent trades with some talented folks. 

These hexagonal shelves in my bedroom were custom made by furniture craftsman and fellow blogger, Josh Jackson.  Working only with reclaimed wood,  Josh salvaged the wood for these shelves from the living room of an L.A. home.  

I really love how the shelves finish off the room. To see more of Josh's handiwork, go to his website here.  Josh is also a very gifted writer, capturing the beauty and fragility of life on his blog, Jack at Random.  A must read, especially for those who have lost a child in utero. 

This beautiful silk blouse was made by Dani Kishino of Xsilk.  The silk is hand dyed in small batches using non-toxic dyes.  Dani also hand paints on some of her shirts, which can be found in her Etsy shop here.  So comfortable and flattering, this blouse has become my new favorite piece in my wardrobe. 

I've been a big fan of Natasha Newton's handpainted rocks for awhile now.  We connected this summer via Etsy, and we decided to swap painted rocks.  These beauties came from the beaches of Suffolk, England.  That's about a 5000 mile trip!  Be sure to check out more of Natasha's lovely art  here. 

Some of you may recall that I've run a couple of swap-a-thons in the past.  This is where I swap credit in my shop for items that readers make or already own.  It's been a year and a half since the last one, so I'm thinking it's time to run another swap-a-thon.  (And my tea selection is quite pathetic, so I'm really hoping that a winner or two can help me out with this.)



Look for more details and not so subtle hints in the next post. 

Our one week Colorado RV trip. Seeing the best in a short time!

We had a great week in Colorado as we took our newly made over RV out for a spin!  We spent a week touring the Western slope and the mountains in Colorado and it was FABULOUS!  I will post our photos when I get a chance.  In the meantime here was our itinerary.  It was a great way to spend the week checking out some of the best Colorado has to offer!

Photo courtesy of  Sangres.com

We hit Pagosa Springs (hot springs) which we LOVED!! A wonderful place for family to play, ride bikes, fish, swim in the hot springs or warmed river.... We will defiantly be going back

Then onto Ouray Colorado for some more swimming at the local hot springs pool.  The surrounding mountains are beautiful!  It is also home to some amazing ice climbing competitions in the winter.

Photo courtesy of Ouray Hot Springs Pool

From there we headed to Durango and onto Palisade for the Peach festival!  Palisade is near Grand Junction and it is famous for it's peach orchards, vineyards, and wineries. They also grow a host of other fruits, almonds and other produce.  We had a GREAT time at a little upick peach orchard.  It was $1 a pound and you could eat as much as you wanted in the meantime.  For an Alaskan born girl it was paradise!  The other highlight was the live band and FREE peach ice cream sundaes Thursday night!

For a full schedule visit Palisade peach fest

Next we headed to the Vail Valley where Josh and I had met and spent 6 years.  We love the Vail Valley and even on a dime it was a blast.  We stayed with friends for part of the time, Rode bikes all through Vail and Lionshead near the river, played in the many parks, fished in the lake in Avon, swam at the Avon Rec Center which sported a huge indoor water slide, lazy river and kiddie pool!  We also hit Beaver Creek where we just wandered around a bit and ate the best Galatea ever!  By this time I kept forgetting the camera since we were having so much fun.  I will post photos later but in the meantime here are a few photos of the Vail valley.

All of these gorgeous photos are from the visit Vail Valley.com site.

It was a GREAT trip!  We rounded it out with a stop in Denver to see friends and a mandatory trip to IKEA!! Looking forward to sharing more photos later.

new projects in the works

Working from home, I often get sidetracked with house projects.  This week, I painted the living room, dining room, and my daughter's room a nice milky white color (Yolo Colorhouse Imagine 04 to be exact).  Nothing like a new coat of paint to freshen things up a bit.  And, by the looks of it, I think we got the cat's approval. 

I really should be working on some paintings, but I've been focusing on a few new project ideas, including some glass magnets, art pendants, and a mini book of my creative works.  It's taking a bit of time to flesh out the details, but things are slowly coming along.  I'm hoping to upload a magnet set and a couple of necklaces to my Etsy shop within the week. 

Follow Me! Creating a Personal Brand With Twitter by Sarah-Jayne Gratton, @grattongirl #FollowMe

Stars: ★★★★★

John Wiley & Sons (2012)
Social Media Marketing

Summary: It’s not what you say to others that makes your brand successful. It’s what others say about you. And Twitter is where they’re talking. It’s where you find out what your customers want and see your offerings from their perspective. Where you discover what tickles their emotions, gest the conversation going, and makes them respond with conviction and passion. Here’s how to build your brand with Twitter.

First of all I must mention that you do not have to be a company to use this book. Every person has their own brand. Those of us with an online presence like bloggers have a brand.

I love learning about social media so I was excited to read Follow Me! My blogs are my brand and I love twitter but know I have some things to learn on the best way to use it.I have switched back and forth between programs and twitter.com trying to find the best one for me with not much luck. I finally got Tweet Deck to work on this computer (online anyways) and have been using that to be more active and engaging on twitter.

What I learned from the Follow Me book:

• How twitter has changed since it’s inception
• Optimizing my twitter profile
• The importance of a complete profile
• Four Types of Tweets and How to Use them
• The difference between quality and quantity of followers
• What Bots are and how to identify them
• How to create a twittertorial calendar
• The “Global Power of Twitter”
• Hashtags and Trending tips
• Stories about Twitter Pros
• Twitter Toolkit (tools)

One thing I really appreciated was that the stories of twitter pros was not just all about them and how awesome they are (although they are!) It was about how they got started on twitter, how they created and maintain their brand, what tools they use and their twitter advice. I followed many of the ones featured in the book.

The two most useful chapters for me were about the four types of tweets and how to create a twittertorial calendar. If you are not as familiar with twitter as I am though, you will definitely find much use in the rest of book.

I highly recommend this book, especially to fellow bloggers who are serious about their image and I also recommend following @grattongirl.

Author Website: http://www.sarahjaynegratton.com/

*I received product from a company or PR agency for evaluation purposes. All review are honest.

For My Children: A Mother’s Journal of Memories, Wishes and Wisdom by Dionna Ford

Stars: ★★★★★

To anyone who has lost their mother and wishes they had asked her more questions or gotten to know her more before she died, you will appreciate this book more. Whether a mother lives till the ripe old age of 110 or passes young, her children and grandchildren would always be appreciative of knowing the details of their mother’s life.

For the mother, the act of writing down memories, wishes, thoughts, stories and wisdom for future generations is a great feeling.

This journal is not like your average journal with black and white blank pages with lined paper. The problem with those is that you sit with your pen and go “um… I’m not sure what to write.”

The For My Children journal is full colour, hardcover with prompts such as these:

What do you wish you had known as a new mother?

In what ways are your children like you?

List some of the strangest things you have done as a parent?

What lasting impact or impression would you like to leave on the world?

What quotes, poems or scriptures have been inspiration to you?

What fears have you conquered?

I am very happy that I can record my thoughts in this book for my children to share. Now I just have to find the time. You can easily sit down with the book when you have a few moments to yourself, flip through till one prompt resonates with you and start writing.

Where You Can Find the Author:

Her Blog Code Name: Mama, Facebook CodeNameMama and Twitter @codenamemama

So now I leave you with a prompt from the book to answer in the comments:

Everyone has an indulgence… what are yours?

*I received product from a company or PR agency for evaluation purposes. All review are honest.

canning in a heat wave

Most [sane] people seek reprieve from the heat in 100° weather.  I decided to spend it over a hot stove making jam and pickles.  I'm usually the first to complain when it gets over 73°, so I was even surprised by my sudden keenness to can in a heat wave.  But, over-ripened fruit and vegetables is actually a big pet peeve of mine, much more than perspiration.  And, seeing I had plump pickling cucumbers on the vine and a vat of freshly picked berries, I was growing increasingly anxious with each rising degree.  

I had to purchase more jars, and you can say I got a little sidetracked with a couple of art related projects.   I love good food, and I love it even more when it's packaged well.  So, I created decals for the jars and illustrated stickers for the lids.  The decals are famous quotes on food.  The one in the photo reads, One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well, quoting writer Virginia Woolf. 



For the canning lid stickers, I scanned a couple of my illustrations and printed them on glossy label paper.  I was pretty pleased with how they turned out, so I ended up making some more and listing them in my shop.  I'm not planning on going into the sticker business, but I do like the idea of handdrawn art on canning lids.  Maybe I'll be inspired to create a few more designs in my next round of canning. 

Making Your Own DIY Day Planner! Tons of Free Tutorials & Printables!

A good planner is one that you enjoy and suits your needs.  Need a section for homeschool?  How about a blog post section to keep track of you ideas for future posts and schedule them out, as well as all the regular weekly and monthly calendar sections.  I am putting my own together and thought you might enjoy making use of all these free printables I am finding to put it together with.  Adding in fun things like smaller tear out shopping lists, pretty scrap book paper, envelope or pocket pages etc.. add in what you can't just go buy at walmart.  Make it yours!


A variety of great homeschool planners can be found at this roundup of free homeschool planners here at re we there yet?


The homeschool one I used is a simplified planner with just the daily schedule, goals, a list for attendance and list for books read, and curriculum.  It doesn't include a daily sheet for planning each day of work.  I am using the regular week planner for that.

I love these free 2012, and 2013 printable calendar fromCreative Mama This would make a really cute monthly calendar planner or scale it down to fit in your smaller day planner between your weekly pages.


For  the weekly pages I like this printable from Sofia's World


I also love the simplicity and size of this simple free printable weekly planner by Anderson Family Crew.


This great year at a glance calendar covering 2012 and 2013 is from a blog planner by Homeschool Creations and it is page 2 if that is all you want to print from it.


I love this blog post planner another free printable by Confessions of a Homeschooler!  SO CUTE.

I have included a list of links to cute  menu planners if you want to include those as well here at Pinterest.

Once you print out the sheets you want to include you can add random pieces of scrapbook paper for notes and cuteness factor, pocket pages, dividers, and anything else you want.  Then you can take it to your local office supply store to have it bound (only $1 here for comb bound!).  Some people make their own cover from cardboard covered in scrap book paper or use a vinyl cover. You also have the option of just using a 3 ring binder or punching holes and using ring clips.

Here are two blogs who did a great job making their own.  I have included them so you can get any inspired ideas from them.


Here is one from Apple Head Threads. I love this detailed explanation on how she made hers and what she included.


Here is another crafty planner from Craftee that has great ideas for the dividers!


Check out this cute small planner with tutorial from ahhh-design


She also has a great tutorial for binding it yourself HERE!
Have fun and be sure to let me know how yours turns out or if you found any great free printables to add!

star gazing

Star Gaze and Alpine Ridge

If you can get away from the city lights tonight, you have to grab your significant other and spend some time looking up at the night sky.  You will be awed by the spectacle of shooting stars.  I know this for a fact because the Perseid Meteor Shower just happens to land on our anniversary every year.  My goal tonight is to count at least 17 shooting stars, one for every year we've been married. 

Camping in the rain forest

Hwy 101 to Lake Quinault

The Olympic National Park is a magical place.  Our four day trip to the lush rain forest was the most anticipated trip of the summer.  We traveled the west side of the park, jumping from river valleys to the coastal strip.  Wherever we went, we were greeted by giant moss covered trees, teal-colored waters, and wild huckleberries.  I was honestly half expecting to spot an ewok or fairy in the woods.

Quinault Rain Forest

world's largest known western red cedar ///  19.5' in diameter

This 1926 lodge on Lake Quinault was completed in 53 days. 

The first two days were spent camping on Lake Quinault, not too far from the historic lodge.  My highlight of the trip was swimming in the glacier-fed lake on a sunny afternoon.  So refreshing and beautiful. 

Hoh River

Hoh Rain Forest

I can see why the famous Cullen family of Twilight would choose to live in this area.  The rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula receive 12 feet of rain a year.  So if you're trying to get away from sun, this is the place to be.  It rained every day of our trip, preventing wet clothes or towels from completely drying out.  Fortunately, modern outdoor gear, for the most part, protects us from the elements.  I can't imagine what it would've been like for native people and pioneers 150 years ago. 

Rialto Beach

Ruby Beach

The rocky beaches along Washington's coastline are a wondrous site indeed.  We camped one night at Rialto Beach, which is a 20 minute drive from Forks.  I found the band of skeletal trees to be a little eerie, but they do make for some great pictures.  We looked for some rocks to add to our collection, and we found a number of beauties.

We're still unpacking from our trip, but I can't wait to sit down at my art desk while the images are fresh in my mind.  And we're already mapping out a trip to the northern side of the park next summer.  Hurricane Ridge, here we come.     

Improve Your Marriage! GROUP DISCOUNT to "Weekend to Remember"

If any of you have been tracking with me you know I have been trying to do the "Love Dare".  The marriage improving book that was written to go with the movie "Fireproof".  It is a 40 day dare with each day sharing a new marriage building principle and giving you a dare to go with it.  It is not easy, but it will bless you and your spouse.  Anyway, at the beginning of the dare I was praying about other marriage building opportunities and the "Weekend to Remember" marriage conferences came to mind!

I hastily looked them up and saw that they are all over the US. "There are over 124 different getaway locations to choose from this year. Make a decision to invest in building a stronger marriages for you and for your community.  Learn more about the Weekend to Remember". I found one in Vail Colorado in October and signed up!  However I made sure to start a group so that we can all SAVE HALF OFF THE NORMAL PRICE so if you are interested in doing this great weekend getaway make sure to register soon and use the discount code neeleygroup in the promotions box!  

I can't wait!  I have heard awesome things from friends that have attended.  Here is the proposed schedule..
This is the Vail Marriott in Lionshead where we are headed in October to attend.  Not bad...

Getaway Schedule:

"The format of the weekend combines general sessions (with messages delivered by a three-person speaker team) and designated times set aside for projects to complete as a couple. The "Date Night" on Saturday gives you and your spouse the opportunity to spend a romantic evening alone."

FRIDAY

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05:00 p.m.                   Sign in to receive getaway manuals and name tags

07:00 - 07:30 p.m         Welcome to your Weekend to Remember®

07:30 - 08:30 p.m         Why Marriages Fail: Identify and understand the five threats to marriage

08:30 - 08:45 p.m.        Break (on your own)             

08:45 - 09:30 p.m.        Can We Talk?  Discuss factors that make communication difficult.

09:30 - 09:50 p.m.        Application project for you and your spouse.

SATURDAY

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08:00 - 08:30 a.m.         Resource center and ballroom open.

08:30 - 09:20 a.m.         Unlocking the Mystery of Marriage: Realize God's plan for marriage.

09:20 - 09:35 a.m.         Break (on your own)

09:35 - 10:25 a.m.         From How to Wow: Achieve God's plan for marriage by leaving, cleaving, and becoming one flesh.

10:25 - 11:40 a.m.         Application project for you and your spouse

10:25 - 11:40 a.m.         So You Wanna Get Married (Optional premarried session)

11:40 - 12:30 p.m.         What Every Marriage Needs: Marriage is dependent upon your own personal relationship with God. 

12:30 - 02:00 p.m.         Lunch break (on your own)

02:00 - 03:05 p.m.         We Fight Too: Understand how to handle the inevitable conflicts of marriage.

03:05 - 03:20 p.m.         Helping Others 

03:20 - 03:30 p.m.         Break (on your own)

03:30 - 04:30 p.m.         Marriage After Dark: Uncover intimacy from God's perspective.

04:30 - 04:55 p.m.         Help for Today (Optional breakout session) 

04:30 - 05:30 p.m.         Two Become One (Optional premarried session)

Evening                          Date Night**       

**Make Date Night the highlight of your weekend by spending meaningful time together and reclaiming the love and intimacy that is often obscured through the activities of daily living. Rekindle the fire over a candlelight dinner—reserve a romantic table for two. Surprise your spouse with a special gift that you have tucked away in your suitcase. Or simply, hang the "do not disturb" sign outside your door. And, if attending with friends, make sure to reserve this evening just to spend this time together as a couple.

SUNDAY

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09:00 - 10:30 a.m.         Woman to Woman / Man to Man: God has given husbands and wives different roles and responsibilities.

10:30 - 11:05 a.m.         Hope for Tomorrow (Optional breakout session)

10:30 - 11:15 a.m.         Application project.

11:15 - 12:00 p.m.         How Marriages Thrive: Learn the three essential elements to a healthy marriage.

12:00 - 12:30 p.m.         Leaving a Legacy: Detect and implement your family's legacy.

12:30 p.m.                    Getaway ends

Sounds fun and really WORTH the time and money!  I can't wait !  Hope you join us here or at another location closer to you!  Let me know if you are signing up!  Blessings!

new painting, "summer peak"

In my last post, I talked about blue being my favorite color.  Funny that I've been drawn to lavenders and pinks this week.  I love this oil painting of a pink cloud by Osaka-based artist, Ayco.

I'm also surrounded by lovely shades of purple and pink in my garden.  My daughter and I harvested lavender from our yard and plan to make more sachets.  

I imagined my latest painting to involve more soft, rose-colored features.  But, somehow I got carried away with bold colors and graphic elements instead. 

summer peak, 8" x 8" wood panel painting