Style File with Seth Apter and Other Sunday Ramblings

I woke up this morning to a little note from the AMAZING and TALENTED Seth Apter to let me know that one of my answers to his 6 question poll is featured today in his fluid publication on his blog called  "The Pulse"  for this Style File you will find out how a variety of wonderful artists describe their work.....which isn't really easy for me to do. You think it would be but I sense I am going through a 'change'  a sort of  'artopause' if you will.   I am loving working in abstract organic styles lately, combining that with my whimsical character illustrative compositions sometimes is a push pull....but it's necessary as I grow and develop.  Anyway you look at it,  a girl has a right to change her 'ways' every here and there.   :)  So stop over to Seth's Blog, The Altered Page and check out the interview answers as well as his other wonderful posts from previous blogs.  You'll be captured by the depth of talent he has.

 Happy Sunday Everyone. 

I hope your Labor Day weekend has been relaxing and joyful with friends and family....I'm using the 3 day weekend to 'labor' on lots of art projects in the works including 4 classes and 3 shows coming up as well as finishing my DVD's of my last online class.  It's not really labor when you are doing what you love so I feel blessed that I have the time this weekend to get a leg up on what is going to be the biggest month event wise that I have lined up this year.  OCTOBER 1st is also going to be my first day officially self employed...and I'm going to be celebrating that day with my friends at Norcross Art Festival.  I can't wait, this is one of the best shows I've ever been a part of....colorful, whimsical, unique art and people everywhere. If you are in Norcross Ga or the surrounding areas the first weekend of October, please stop by my booth to say hi. :)

 Some of my newest owl paintings in the color palette of lime green, cobalt blue, deep violet, white and black.  

Friends---Bravery-Discovery-Finding Love (hopefully one day soon again) , Family...are all themes top of mind lately.   I love conveying these inspirational messages through illustrative painting. :)

 Speaking of sharing what I love.....I will be teaching a owl painting class at Art Is...You this October in Danbury, CT  It's a new class I've added for the fun of it all  so if you have checked out the workshops and didn't see anything for Monday.....look again and perhaps this class, "Who Are YOU" while tickle your creative heart!

I'm also working on lots of paintings, fun articrafts, and lots of bits and baubles of supplies to sell during the vendor day on Sunday so don't miss that either!!  Vendor day is open to the public so even if you can't make the retreat, please mark your calender for October 9th as I do not get up that far on the East Coast to vend normally so this is a special occasion!!

Here is an example of one of my more organic shaped abstract paintings I was mentioning earlier in the post that I find myself drawn to....influenced by the art of Jesse Reno and Flora S. Bowley....love those two artists very much.  I think both of their styles are similar on some levels, especially the evolution of their work while Jesse's paintinigs are primitive contemporary abstracts, Flora's a more organic and feminine in nature.  I guess I'm somewhere in between :) One of my artsy dreams is to take a workshop from either one of them and learn in person more about their style and influence. 

"Seek"

I've been kinda slack on adding things to my Etsy shop...mostly because I'm trying to rebuild my body of work from the Spring shows I did and from Gallery filling so I have a good amount of work for October, but with that said...if you see anything on my blog or elsewhere (flickr, facebook) and want to know if it's available, please drop me a line on my personal email  jodiohl@hotmail.com .  I have work in  a lot of different places (including my studio) that is not currently listed.  I am working on a grand reopening of my Etsy shop coming soon just in time for the holiday shopping season and my launch into work as a full time artist.  Stay tuned for more details because it's going to include a NICE shopping giveaway at my shop too.....follow my blog for more details and not to miss this giveaway or any of my new posts.

Also upcoming....summer photograph look back,  'quitting my day job' chronicles,'  new features in a HOT magazine, special technique and tips articles, and more.....Sweet Repeats is going to be another MAIN focus of mine as I launch into this wildly exciting time of my life.     

Till we meet again, Cheers!

How Can We Choose One?

Choose One

Choose One....how can we choose just one, one love, one way in the world, one road, even one of ourselves. I think we make things fit, make things work and then it starts all over again and we choose something else to make our world whole.

Lovely pink, brown and white abstract design, one of 4 pieces that would look amazing in a modern chic home, studio, or even a teenage girls room.

30 dollars off! Choose One 8x8 Mixed Media Original by Jodi Ohl Pink and Brown Abstract, contemporary art.
Limited time only, was $85.00 now $55.00!

8x8 by 1 1/2 on gallery stretched canvas
Original Art
Acrylic
Signed and dated by the artist
Hanging hardware installed, spray varnished for longevity.

Pearfect Art

In between packing, working and holding classes, I've been painting a bit to get ready for an upcoming show in October. I've had 6 months to get ready for it, and umm....well, just like most things when I think time is on my side, I put it off till the last minute to really put the pedal to the medal and get busy. Actually I have prepared quite a bit already but not where I want to be. These cute little paintings were a 'Pear-fect' diversion from a big project I had completed after several months. It was fun to play around with a funky still life. What do you think? Should I do more?

True to my style, I've incorporated a lot of texture and a few main colors. I like to work with surprising but complimentary colors in a limited color palette. I just LOVE dreaming up or being inspired by color combinations!! I'm trying to restrain myself as I dream of what I'm going to style my new home in so it doesn't look like a crayon box in every room!

Speaking of color, last night I held another class at Swank in Southern Pines, Mixed Media Portraits and it was so much fun! I really think I'm beginning to find my groove. One of my next goals is to teach at a major mixed media retreat but I need to get a few more workshops under my belt before I apply to something like Art and Soul or one of the other many big art fests. A girl can dream though, right?

What else...ohhhh I have a sale going on over in my Etsy shop-25% off any one item! To redeem, simply check out with a message to buyer saying Sweet September and I'll refund you the difference via paypal. Stock up no for the holidays! I have some new items to list this week so stay tuned!

Lunch is about over, so better get back to work. Hope you are having a great week!

New Directions and the January Sweet Repeats Winner!

Here are your random numbers:

6

Timestamp: 2009-01-10 13:12:12 UTC

And who is that???

None other than the Uber Talented and Charming, Kim G of Persimmons Gal!
Kim wrote for her greatest accomplishment in 2008:

"Jodi it has been a treat watching your art career grow to new heights!

My greatest accomplishment this year was pulling of a community festival that brought about 8,000 people downtown...Sputnikfest. Also getting published.

Happy New Year!!"

I've had the pleasure of getting to know Kim over the last year as we are involved in a great group called Metsy together on Etsy, as well as her and I working on a collaboration of sorts with several other artists that we are hoping to promote come this Spring (stay tuned). Kim has a great Etsy shop herself, full of wonderful creations of a variety of artful mediums, from paintings to jewelry and everything in between.

Congrats Kim on all of YOUR accomplishments in 2008-you are one of kind, beautiful, generous, and an all around courageous person!


One of the items on my 2009 list of goals to achieve is to learn how to use photoshop. I've played with a few of my archive pics and wanted to show you this piece. I took a regular photo of the train station in downtown Southern Pines, NC and added a layer of color, 2 different pieces of digital ephermera, and messed with the opacity and the result is the transformation of our dear train station into a old world picture, romantic, dreamy and truly unique! Lots of fun! ((Mind you, this took me two hours to do, so maybe next time I can speed up the process now that I have 'sorta' the hang of how to merge layers and control the settings.

What is that you want to try to learn this year???


Last but not least--thank you all for helping me get off my pity pot this week! I should have thicker skin than I do--and sometimes I do, but when it comes to something so personal, I guess my defenses were down and my skin very thin. I'm over it and ready to move upward and onward. In fact, I have a special project I'm working on coming up for early spring that brightened my day, I'm working on 2 custom orders, embarking on entering a new gallery in a new part of the state this weekend, and had an ephiphany of sort for a new line of paintings to come (not sure when but soon).....so, perhaps getting knocked down a bit was good. It forced me to readjust my thinking, look for new directions, and listen to my heart. Thanks for being the whispers that allowed me to forge ahead!

Question of the post to reveal:

What is that you want to learn in 2009?

I loved hearing your greatest accomplishment comments, so lets keep em going!

Little Pink Houses-Sunset Bay Collection

Little Pink Houses Collection:
Breeze Avenue, Sunset Bay, and Life at the Beach.


As you may have guessed, I've been busy creating away the last few weeks. I set a goal to make 12 new pieces in September, and I'm just shy of that goal but may come in under the wire as I have 2 small pieces and 3 more 6x6's that are just about completed. It's funny how once you set your mind to something, if you are really focused, you CAN do it. Now mind you, I'm not all that focused. I let a lot of little things get in my way and I let a lot of things go that should not be let go of. I procrastinate, a lot. Mostly because I wear myself down and get tired of trying to do it all so then I just pick and choose what I want to do and most of what i pick to do is my artwork. The heck with laundry. There is a price though that comes with letting chores and little duties go. It's that voice calling you to get it done, it's gotta get done, and the stress that comes with it knowing it hasn't been accomplished. I admire those that seem to have it all under control. I surely don't!

My big push to get a bunch of work completed is my new store I'm going to be in starting this week. I want to have a collection of items for my new potential customers to choose from as well as have them all ready to go before First Friday. Do you have a First Friday in your town? What is a First Friday? Well, here, it's really an effort to promote local shops, artists, and musicians. The downtown shop owners stay open late (usually 8 or 9 compared to the normal every day closing of 5pm), and they promote artists openings, host concerts in the park or in the restaurants, shop owners usually set out little munchies and it's as much a social event as it is promotion for the owners of the local shops. I highly recommend you visit your town's First Friday events if you haven't done so already! It's a great way to have a evening out as well without spending a lot of money unless you want to. If you DON'T have a First Friday event, why not start one? There's strength in numbers and the more shops, restaurants, galleries that participate, the bigger the crowds you will gather!


This series is named after my early childhood years growing up in a small town in Western New York called Sunset Bay. It's really a charming place to visit and an interesting place to grow up. Especially before they put the break wall in on the lake. My Dad was a volunteer fireman and every winter after the a big warm up, the ice would churn down the hills of Western NY, log jamming the creeks with mini glaciers of ice leading down to the local bays leading out to Lake Erie which then flooded many areas. We were flooded almost every year. My Father along with many other volunteers would go from house to house by boat rescuing people. I'm very familiar with floods even though I was a wee one when it happened year after year. The land is all flat but the houses now (at least they were) are all built up on a tall foundation. To visualize, we had a above ground pool, well my Dad redid our house and built the foundation up so the above ground pool was flush with our back door.


For those of you who haven't had the pleasure to see our Great Lakes in person, other than the smaller beach areas and the woodsy landscape on much of the lakes, you'd swear you were on the ocean. In most parts, you can not see to the other side of the lake. It is a grand sight whether you visit in the winter when the ice freezes the lake over or in the summer when the sunsets on the horizon. Except for the last 10 years, I've always lived near water and it is quite an adjustment to move to a landlocked area. I miss the peace one feels when staring out on the open water or walking along the beach with sand in between my toes.



I'd love to live near the water again, and the South surely has her range of choices. But we have to deal with hurricanes and the danger they bring to your precious home and town. It ALMOST makes snowstorms and shorter summers that much more appealing again. Almost.
I do miss walking down to the beach though, meeting up with friends at the infamous Beach Club, visiting the little deli which as a child we coined 'The Little Store' because it was the only store in the bay and it indeed was very very very little! It was the happening spot and oh boy did they have great subs, oodles of penny candy, and you could even walk in and not wear any shoes, it was after all, the beach. I wonder if it's still there? Is the Beach Club? What about Calico Jacks, I can remember sitting up on top of their roof at the beach eating seafood dinners, chicken wings, and of course a cocktail or two, later on in my years. Lots of memories, lots of fun....thank you for letting the winds of time take me back to the places I have lived and loved.

Fall & Change is the Air at Sweet Repeats

First off, let me thank all of you who stopped by to enter my latest giveaway. I loved hearing all of your comments about your childhood street and the memories you shared. I had to call my Mom and remind her to check in and see Burgess Street. She also read all of the comments and was in awe at how a piece of art can resonate the memories of so many. It really rings true that while we are all so different, there are so many common links that bond us. I think Mom was touched that even as a child, I had the wisdom to know that 5 Burgess, was a place we all could get a fresh start and new beginning. It makes me think about my kids and wonder how their memories of childhood are going to manifest. I hope it's full of good times and laughter. I hope they remember that their Mom tried her best.
I'll post the winner tomorrow morning....There's still ove r a half hour to enter the drawing!

****Featuring my new Limited Edition Fall Sweet HeART magnets****

Memories of Labor Day weekend as a child always was so bittersweet. Like a sign, it read the end of summer was definitely at hand. The schedule-less days were coming to a close. It seemed as soon as Labor Day was here, the sweatshirts were needed the following day. I actually liked the ritual of preparing for school. The promise of the blank notebook and the fresh new clothes on my back were fun and invigorating.

Remember imagining all the great things you could become after school? I wanted to be a writer, The President, an Advertising Executive, a music group manager, a musician.
Not a banker..LOL..like I am now.

Who's kidding anyone. I still don't know what I want to do, but I think I'm doing it. I'm now just trying to figure out how to do it and Soar, meaning to do this, and nothing else and actually be able to afford the same things I do today and more. Is it possible? Or do I need to get me a sugar Daddy?? LOL (((just kidding))).

What's life without a little laughter.
My sons and I had a good laugh driving today listening to 96.5, an oldie rock station. I gave them the giggle fits playing the baddest 'fiddle' in the land while driving and listening to the Charlie Daniel's band, 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia'. If you see me driving, you probably see me bopping my head and rocking it out like a crazy woman. My kids laugh at me but do the same thing :) The apples don't fall too far from the tree.

I'm reading for a new season to change. I can feel many things about to unfold and I'm preparing my nest, my mind, my world for things to go in new directions. Hopefully, I'll taste success when I take those leaps.

Here's a peek at my 'Parking Lot'. I've tried to declutter a bit today and yesterday. As much as I love my art supplies, things are getting a bit too cluttered. Okay, really cluttered. It was hindering my ability to do anything or do anything efficiently. Not to mention stressing me out just thinking about stuff everywhere. To combat my growing collection of everything, I bought a few inexpensive bins and carts, as well as a cool black decorative ladder which I put all my pencils, markers, brushes, and other doo dads on then adorned with some beautiful tags my last swap partner, Katie, made me. My dining room art area is looking much better now, but there's still the rest of the house to tackle.
Baby steps. I've moved forward at that's all that matters.

I'm working on some Spooktacular cupcake pieces for Halloween. I hope they turn out like I imagine. I love all the wonderful decorations for Halloween and wanted to make some pieces for Etsy that hopefully will speak to someone who appreciates the whimsical side of the holiday :)
Also featured are a stack of ATC/ACEO's and more magnets that have been painted.

Why is it that I start or take on so much all at once? At this moment, I have 13 main pieces going, 50 magnets prepped, 12 ATC's/ACEOs, and 3 mini pieces.
I think I just love the process of starting things and all the possibilites that can be achieved when I do new things. But more than that, I try to be efficient with my time and work on multiple pieces at once so that when one piece dries, I can move on to the next w/o having to worry about setting things up over and over again.
Staying focussed and finishing what I started is my weak point, but I have some deadines to meet and some self imposed goals to achieve so that is a driving force in my getting a lot done in September. Mark my words, I will complete all of these pieces and more by October 1st. Good things are coming....I can feel it.
Keep your fingers crossed for me that it' s not just a gut feeling :)

***

Today's the only day we are promised, so live it fully and live it creatively.

Swank in Southern Pines, North Carolina

First and foremost, I want to announce my winner of my 1 year Etsy shop anniversary drawing:

Leah, from Creative Everyday is my 1st place winner....yes, first place winner....because I had so manywonderful and inspiring comments, I decided to draw again for a second name and that winner is:

Patti, from Altered Attic. Please send my your mail addy to johl3 at windstream dot net, and I'll get your prints out to you later this week. :)

Thank you everyone again for taking the time out to enter my drawing and for leaving such sweet comments!

Here's a little tour of the shop where I have several of my pieces featured. It's a delightful coffee shop and handmade market which features the artwork and fine crafts of several local residents who have the 'Etsy' look and live in the Moore County area of North Carolina, called Swank. I brought the WHOLE crew down there to check out my wares. Five boys who like coffee drinks and smoothies. They actually were very impressed to see their Aunt's art hanging on the walls.
How cool is this? I get a 'Hot New Item tag' :)

My "Things Are Looking Up" series, up high on the front wall :)

City Life

My Home

Don't you wish you had funky handwriting like this?

House on the Hill

One of my collages from last fall....In The Shadow

Sweet HeART in Pink

Thanks Ladies of Swank for allowing me to take pictures and for making it easy to do business with. I appreciate the partnership :) If you are ever in Southern Pines, NC--you must stop by the shop off of Pennsyvania Avenue in the Belvedere Plaze and visit Swank and meander around all the other lovely shops that dot Broad Street and surrounding streets, you won't be disappointed!

Some Things Change, Some Things Stay The Same

"Hometown Friends"
6 x 6 on deep edged stretched canvas

I almost hesitated on posting this little new piece as the colors didn't come out as vibrant in the photos as they are in real life. I did take them outside but perhaps the sun light was not in the best position for me to capture the true essence of this piece. I still have a lot to learn with photo taking. A lot. But I am getting better and I do realize the value of having great photos of your work when you are selling your wares, not to mention, I want to keep my archive of paintings for future uses of prints so I want the prints to look as closely like the originals as possible. Speaking of archives...I need to get my tail busy moving my pictures to cd before this computer blows up from all the abuse I've given her, loading her with picture after picture after picture!!

This weekend has been pretty laid back for me. 4th of July came and went with little fanfare. I opted not to go anywhere this year. Instead we ran errands in the morning, went grocery shopping for some grillin' goodies, came home and relaxed outside with the new Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine, DS played with the neighbor girls with the slip and slide, the went with his Dad to the fireworks (it seems to have become a routine that his Dad takes him to the fireworks each year....I guess it's a guy thing and the new wife doesn't like me taggin along so I stay home..lol), and then a friend of mine came over for some grillin out and some wine. All in all not a bad 4th, but I do miss the bigger get togethers my family used to have each year and then all of us walking down to the lake for the fireworks show.

After my friend Linda left at about 11, I settled in for bed but was rudely awoken about 1 am by furious knocking and the dog barking. I go to the front door and there's no one....but there is a taxi in my driveway??? huh??? The dog is still barking and so I go to the back door....and yep, it's What's His Face. Drunk. Just came from the "DANCE" Club. I say Dance loosely, or nudely rather. He wants to stay here AND for me to pay for the taxi because he is out of money!!! The taxi won't take him to where he lives because it's too far.
Did you hear me when I say he WANTED ME TO PAY for the taxi after he spent all HIS money at the club????

Oh my goodnesss...well since this is a family show, you don't want to know what came out of my mouth.
Needless to say, the night was not good. Yesterday morning wasn't good either since I had to end up paying for gas to take him home and I was ill from the night before, mad as all get out at the audacity of him to actually think I was going to pay for the f***ing taxi!! No Bleepity bleep bleep bleep Way!!!

The bright side to the story is that he is actually working and can pay to go to the club himself.
He is still begging me to take him back because he has done everything I wanted him to do. Got a job, got his own place, and not doing drugs anymore. That doesn't erase all the pain and suffering I had gone through though. Nights like the one described above is a scaled down night like it used to be alllll the blessed time. Ridiculous.
There is still the looming issue of the drinking that I can't get passed either. Not that I'm a prude and detest everyone that drinks. I enjoy a cocktail from time to time. I can't be around alcoholics though. Too many bad memories from my past relationships and other events in my life with alcoholics in other close people's lives. You never know when that switch is going to be flipped and the happy fun person is turned into a monster from hell.
It doesn't take much for that switch to be flipped.

I do have to say though, the bright side of this whole adventure is the amount of artwork that my experience has inspired me to create. It's that escape that I started with to get away from all the sadness, anxiety, and depression that I have turned into a gateway for my new passion. Not everything I create has come from this experience, but the the idea of painting and creating is rooted in that need to go to another place and escape in my mind.
Now it's become a way of life.
I believe it's time to move. Over 3 rooms in our house as well as just about every storage area and built in cabinet houses my artwork and supplies. I need a bigger place for the rest of us to live, but then again, I like to create out in the open, not in a separate room.
I can only imagine what someone would say if I did start dating again about all of my art supplies in the area that used to be my dining room. LOL I'm not sure they would understand the journey I've taken to get to where I am today and why it is that I do what I do.

Then again, I could always point them to my blog and just say read it.....you may just begin to understand me from my posts and artwork.
There's still a lot yet to discover yet. I'm just not so sure I'm ready yet to open up to anyone else to join this journey with me.
No, I'm prepared to walk alone for a while yet longer.

This last piece feature is called:

"Through the Window of His Eye" which is the 3rd in my Faith Collection. This one depicts the window to which I am looking at as I see myself and the approval I"m looking for, for using the new skills I've been honing. The gifts HE gave me. I'm hoping they are being put to good use in His eyes.

It has helped to save me and my sanity.
(((((UPDATE-I have mounted this now and it is currently available in my Etsy shop. Mounted on a 12 x 12 black and gold masonite board. It looks striking on this 'frame'!))))))
*****

Next post--my FANTaBuLouS swap package from Katie!!!!!! You won't believe all the wonderful goodies she had in store for me!!

SALE TODAY!!!! 25% off!

I haven't quite finished my tutorial yet on alcohol inks but I will give you another tid bit--here's the base of my new magnet series "Love Letters" collaged on recycled wood material, using a copy of a 1944 vintage Love Letter ((not mine..heheh))) which was then distressed using Ranger's alcohol ink and distress pads with squirts of water.

Would you have guessed this is regular copy paper distressed?? Cool, huh?? :)


SALE TODAY ONLY...okay thru Sunday morning when I get up:


25% off any item in my shop!! Making way for new artwork, so stop buy and check out my new items!!


Have a safe and Happy Memorial Day weekend!

TGIF!!!!

TGIF Sale!!

Featuring some of the prints I have for sale in my Etsy shop:

2.00 any one print
3.00 off 2 or more!

Prices will need to be adjusted by me prior to paying, so simply purchase the prints, and I will send you a new invoice via paypal.

Mention Sweet Repeats in the convo and I will even through in FREE shipping!!!
WOWZA!

Thank you Laura for the suggestion of making my last pieces into cards--that's a great idea, and I just may do that on my next order of prints. I have several things I want to order as soon as I make my quota in order to purchase new 'inventory'...lol.
Are any of you supply junkies?? I'm trying to balance my artsy purchases for supplies with mysales in my shop and it is quite a challenge to stay above the water when I see new things and just want to try try try new things!! I have come to the conclusion, if you want to make money, you need to spend money. That's how I justify my art supply purchases. At least that's what I'm telling myself!!

Hope everyone had a good week. I accomplished a lot but am drained to no end. By taking on some new responsibilities, I have spread myself thin but in the end, it will be a good thing. By stretching your wings and showing initiative, it does pay off in the long run. It's just when does the long run end and the pay off begin?? LOL

Anywhoo--I'm taking a breather from Thrifting this weekend. I'm sure my kidlets will be happy. I need to make 1 major purchase and that's where my money needs to go to right now. Baby boy (7 year old) needs a new bed so we are going to hunt for that this weekend.

But...tonight, I am creating some new pieces for my shop. Take a look around at the new things uploaded this week and last :) Thank you for supporting me and giving me the inspiration to keep on keeping on!!

Have a good weekend!

Things Are Looking Up!

New pieces completed:

"Things Are Looking Up"

Part1 The Egg

Part 2

Cracking Up

Part 3

Birdie

**I'm offering these separately but if purchased together, I will apply a 20% discount to the entire purchase**

I hope everyone's week was good. I had yesterday and today off, originally I took it off because I was hoping I might be able to go to
Art & Soul
but after debating about it, I think next year will be the year that I try to do something of that magnitude. I do know lots of people going between the NCMMG that I belong to, as well as my Sweet Goodness Swap Sister, Jane--so I can't wait to hear all of there stories and experiences!

Nope...instead, I'm preparing for a yard sale. Art & Soul, or Yard Sale. HMMM??? What was I thinking???? Seriously, it's more about the money than the choice about going, it does look like fun though.

Who knew preparing for a yard sale could be dangerous??? I found that out yesterday when I was taking about DS's bunk bed, well taking off his mattress. I pulled the mattress down and hit the ceiling light which promptly crashed down within inches of my head in big ole glass shards!! A piece did stab me in the shoulder but it was small thank goodness. I could just envision myself bleeding to death with this huge piece of glass attached to the top of my head. What a way to go. Like some crazy horror movie..lol. Then later on that evening when I was putting everything back together and vacuuming up my mess, I stepped on some glass, fell backward, knocked over a bookcase, fell back onto the vacuum, and clocked my head against the wall. My war wounds are plenty from this seemingly safe and easy (well not easy) task of cleaning out the boys room for a yard sale!

Thank goodness today is a new day and there are no major tasks for me to do for the yard sale. It's amazing how much better I feel already with about a truck and half load of stuff taken out of here. Makes me think about what I've been doing and how I've been doing it. I was going to yard sales and thrifting every single week without fail. And the house was getting fuller and fuller and fuller--until finally it was busting at the seams! I had an obsession to replace everything I had lost and THEN SOME. All for a dime on the dollar...lol. Things were getting out of control. This is a good thing now, and believe me, I could do more. There still is a lot I could scale back on and not really miss. I think this year I need to seriously consider what I need and how much I need before I go anywhere. Even before I go to Walgreens, Michael's..etc. Two of my most favorite shops on earth..lol :) I believe without so much, I'd be more open to new things and new ideas. Clutter and things really do cloud our minds and create disharmony in our worlds.
Things to think about.

Have a artfully great weekend!