merging

I've been thinking about merging my art blog and my baby blog. The line between my art and my family doesn't really exist so why try to keep them apart online?

I decided to keep the

http://www.hang-on-little-tomato.blogspot.com

and no longer use this blog

So if you're looking for me

now you know where to find me!

xoxox
*c

Holiday Sale!

All of my 5x5 wood panels are on sale for the Holidays!

MY ETSY SHOP


Sale price is $29.00
Original Price is $35.00

Not many left - so get them while they are still available!

Great gift idea!

*c

100 things I'm grateful for...

1. waking up every morning next to my son Max and my husband Jerry.

2. seeing Max smile before he even opens his eyes in the morning - just by singing "good morning to you" to the tune of the "happy birthday" song.

3. hearing Max breathing

4. When I stretch our my arms and hands toward Max he is leaning into them and holds onto me to be picked up. I love that he gets that cue.

5. Max's laughter

6. When Max wraps his fingers around my finger

7. When Max is upset and I pick him up and he immediately calms down and wraps himself around me in a hug.

8. Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles

9. Club 21

10. My new tribe at Club 21 and the comfort I feel when I am around them. I was meant to know them. I am so lucky.

11. Pink Martini

12. The way Jerry makes me laugh.

13. How silly Jerry and I allow ourselves to be with each other.

14. Experiencing Jerry's love no matter what I feel about myself.

15. The Monday Morning AA meeting. Love those ladies.

16. My new friends from Mondo Beyondo and staying in touch through e-mail, twitter, facebook and the artists way class.

17. Mom's Club newbees group. helping me transition into mamahood.

18. Mondo Beyondo Dreams and the amazing support of Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen to help these dreams gather their wings.

19. The Game on Diet and Krista Vernoff even though I had a love hate relationship with it - I did lose more weight and gain some new habits.

20. Jenny Craig - for helping me get my pre-pregnancy body back and get out of that post pregnancy depression from being so much bigger all of a sudden it seemed.

21. Miguel Ruiz

22. finding old Toltec friends on Facebook and having a new opportunity to connect with them in a different way and from a different place.

23. My new Garden, and my new friend Amanda for helping me figure out what to do and how to get started.

24. Whomever my instructor was in college who taught me how to carve into linoleum block and create hand pulled prints.

25. Mrs. Burke - My high school art teacher. For showing me that I had talent during a time in my life that I didn't know I had anything of value whatsoever. She saved my life.

26. Aline Smithson - for encouraging me to keep on going.

27. the 4x5 pinhole camera that Jerry gave me for my birthday. The first gift he ever gave me. It was life changing

28. Doug Beasley inspiration for a lifetime

29. http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/mann/index.html

30. Francesca Woodman

31. Portland, Oregon

32. Jasmine Pearl Tea - honey cup

33. Joe at Dynamic Therapies for the physical therapy he does with Max every Monday morning.

34. Obama

35. Pretty Girl my 16 year old cat that I got when she was 5 weeks old when I lived in Minneapolis.

36. Minneapolis, MN.

37. Minneapolis College of Art and Design

38. 22 years of sobriety. It's much better over here. MUCH better.

39. Valerie Landsburg

40. Max's health ( although he is a bit sick today ) but in general, that he has a good heart.

41. Etsy

42. Braggs Liquid Aminos my daily habit on my salads with a touch of flax oil

43. Grassroots in South Pasadena. I love those folks and the food!

44. Nancy

45. Amy

46. Joanne

47. Ron

48. Loren

49. Rafe

50. Mark

51. Kirsten and Andrew - thank goodness you changed your wedding date.

52. The game on diet support team. Patsy, Amy, Cathy, Juli, Mom, Kari, and all the others who played with us. Thank you.

53. My new hairdresser - Kim. I can now relax and know you will always make me look so good!

54. Paper Source

55. Anthropologie

56. our cozy, beautiful, little home.

57. our backyard

58. having a driveway

59. having a dishwasher

60. our washing machine and dryer.

61. Kate Spade lotion that is now discontinued but I can find on ebay. Lovely scent. thank you Nicole for letting me wear it too.

62. that Jerry and I are both photographers and support each others vision, style, way of working.

63.Earth Mama Angel Baby lotion

64. iphone

65. having a great car with great gas mileage

66. photography

67. bravo tv.

68. our bath tub, candles and bubble baths.

69. the light in the morning when I sit on the porch.

70. the surrealist painters.

71. Blogging and the bloggers that inspire me.

72. Chairs in all different sizes, shapes and styles

73. old spoons

74. Sark

75. the artists way

76. photobooths

77. road trips with jerry

78. Being able to stay home to raise baby Max and not having to work, but wanting to do something creative from home.

79. lemon, in water, on salad, over fish, you name it.

80. speedball water soluble inks

81. Light Leaks magazine

82. synchronicity

83. the headset for my phone

84. the tree out front, and trees in general!

85. Walking around the rose bowl with Max in the stroller

86. f/1.8 50 lens, nikon

87. jealousy....because in a strange way it helps me to feel what it is that I want to do next in my life.

88. Superherodesigns for being so real and so talented.

89. Marriage and baby and home and laundry...simple and profound abundance

90. hearing and feeling a really good spiritual message that changes my life in an unexpected way from an unexpected person.

91. not smoking anymore and being free from that obsession and the pain around needing it.

92. the mellow quality of my life compared to when I drank caffeine, smoked cigarettes, or did a variety of other things to escape.

93. Waking up from a dream and still feeling like I am in it. I can feel it, see it and remember it vividly most mornings.

94. Gwen Stefani, Jill Scott, Moby, Eminem, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Pearl Jam, Love and Rockets, The Cult, Justin Timberlake, Kanye and the rest of the talent I listen to when I am taking a walk.

95. U2 Achtung baby.

96. Polaroid.

97. Meeting new friends and connecting with them on a deep level. That's magic.

98. continuing to learn about love .... and practice love instead of fear. still practicing.....

99. the moment of "waking up".

100. oh the agony of the final item to add to this list! I'm going to cram a few things here: really good Mexican Food, A great nap with a nice breeze flowing, sunset, sunrise, good pillows, staying at really great pretty high end hotels, Printmaking( did I mention that already ), what I learn from others as I go along, staying connected with you from my Mac computer, my engagement and wedding rings, Pears, Tivo, starting over again and again, forgiveness, letting go, super soft blankets, kittens, vintage cameras, a great pair of boots like the ones I've had for 20 years, monoprint, wrapping paper, glitter, knowing someone so well that you don't have to even say it, the family bed, singing, finding out I was pregnant and then giving birth 8 months later to the most amazing being, being a mama, being an artist on my own terms and figuring that all out, the norton Simon Museum, Project Runway, Top Chef, baking, crafting, listening to birds chirp in the early morning. The first rain and that smell of rain on concrete, the smell of a BBQ, bacon, breakfast, watching Max see and experience something for the very first time, not having to answer to a boss, the train, Maui, Napili bay, The turtles in Hawaii, Papaya, Oprah, E!, Listening to the ocean.

Amazing how I wasn't so sure if I could come up with this many items - but there are MANY MANY MORE.

It's a great thanksgiving at our house and in my heart.

Happy thanksgiving to you.
xo
c

Mentioned on the Zinnia Blog!

HOORAY! The great folks over at Zinnia Mentioned me on their blog, read below!





***350 Success Story
As you know the 350 Project was a great way to get involved. We had artists from all over that included a range of well known, not-so well known and beginners. Some of our friends of the store submitted work after telling us that they had never done anything like that before. Lori Spotts is one of our friends. She painted beautiful portraits of dolls/girls and she blew everyone away.
This weekend Catherine Just stopped by the store to pick up her unsold panels. She shared with us that she had been so inspired by her participation in the project that she opened her Etsy store and is selling her artwork. Catherine describes her work as linoleum carving printed directly on wood panels, paper or blank journals. Her store is: catherinejust.etsy.com
Isn't that cool? Best of luck Catherine and any other artists that were inspired by the 350 Project and have taken their work to another level. Do you have a story?***

for more about Zinnia click the link below:
http://zinnia4creativity.blogspot.com/

Journals on the horizon

Yes indeed. I'm starting to sell journals on my Etsy Site.

I'm going to be posting a variety of sizes and prints on each cover so check back for more options.

I'm really excited about these little journals. I love to write gratitude lists in them, my artist's way morning pages, sketch in them, to do lists ( not as fun but handy! ) and jot down inspirations from my day.
Toss in your bag with a pretty pen and your off !

Go check them out on my etsy site

http://www.catherinejust.etsy.com

using our creativity

Queen Bee Explosion!

#5. Creativity is God's Gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.

#10. Our creative dreams and yearning come from divine source. As we move toward our dreams, we move toward our divinity.

From the Basic Principles on page 3
The Artist's Way
Julia Cameron

Tom DeBiaso's new video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un8tkYmeLbo

Art Explosion

The photos above are from the art show I was in this past Saturday at Zinnia in South Pasadena. 350 wood panels. 6 of them were mine. It was a great show and amazing to see all the panels together - creating another - bigger creation.
2 of my panels sold the first hour - not sure if the others sold as we had to run home with baby for his feeding time.
But it was exciting to make new work and share it with others and then see some of it sell!



this photo was taken yesterday after a flurry of printmaking happened in about a half an hour. I just ADORE making prints and once I get going - WATCH OUT!
There are prints all over the dining room and table and coffee table. I'm calling it an Art Explosion!

Must go to Max's first halloween party.....he's going as a hotdog and we are mustard and ketchup. Can you guess which one is going to be in red and which will be yellow??

xo
*c

Dream the Big Dream

Click here and scroll through it all.
It will make your day.
promise.

Best Motivational Video Ever

I love this!

Someone taking the Mondo Beyondo Class just posted it for us.
I had to share it with you all.

I'm in the middle of taking action in shifting my creative life into the vibrant vision I have been dreaming about for a LONG LONG time. Fear is a common feeling, lots of old thoughts rushing in my head about my ability to achieve what I really want. I'm not smart enough, I don't really have anything to share, This work is mediocre, etc........... Nice eh? I would never talk like that to anyone else about their dreams or talents. Funny how I let myself get away with it when it has to do with ME!
however - this class I am taking - Mondo Beyondo - is helping me remember that my thoughts are not the truth. They are just thoughts. They don't run the show. I do. The "I" that knows that these dreams need to happen. And CAN happen. And are in the process of happening RIGHT NOW!

I've been updating and changing my website around, making new work, picking dates for my photography workshops and getting support for all of these things from many different places and people.

I learned this week that the universe is like the most talented dance partner ever. He holds me and leads the way and makes me look so graceful and it feels easy. Just take a step and it flows smoothly and feels so good!
( I'm remembering my last dance lesson and how it made me giggle inside with glee when the dance teacher lead the way. )
I'm being held around my waist by a hand that knows how to move me in the right direction. Turning my waist at the right moments, and without much force - but with a feeling of knowing that helps me release my control and allow him to move me around the dance floor.

I'm learning how to take action toward my highest dreams for myself and my life and also how to allow the universe to really hold me and show me the way and trust in that. That trusting thing is harder for me than just pushing, controlling, getting intense with it, obsessing about what the "right" thing to do is, working and working and working on it - etc....and in the end I feel exhausted, disconnected with my community, separate and unhappy. So the consequence is so much greater even though it feels easier in the beginning.

Must go spend time with my baby and husband and my cat now and BE in my life and allow the dreams to actualize in the exact way that they are suppose to.

Have a dreamy evening.
xo
*c

go ahead...Open it

inside this envelop is a list of all of my wildest dreams.
I hid it for a week and tried to forget about it.
I went to where I thought I'd hid it - and it wasn't there. I actually forgot where I put it.
When it finally dawned on me where it was - I retrieved it
and have been looking at it on my art table wondering if I should open it or not.

A lot of the dreams I wrote on the list are already starting to come true.

I could open it and take a peek - re-write it - and put it in another envelope and tie it with a bow
or
I could leave it sealed for a while longer
or for years.

What would you do?

Would you be curious what you wrote last week and see if anything seems like it needs to be deleted from the list - or edited - or updated? Would you open it and add to the list? Would you open it and burn the list? Would you open it and post it all on your blog for the world to see?

or would you put it away in a secret place and try to forget and allow the universe to do it's magic?

Mondo Beyondo Moment - 350.org - Zinnia

Go to Zinnia
at 3:50pm on Saturday October 24th for an art opening featuring 350 panels of art made by all sorts of creative folks. Including me!
I printed block prints directly onto the wood panels. I love how they turned out.
The opening is called 350
and is in conjunction with 350.org
Which is bringing awareness to climate change.
why 350?
it's what scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Learn more on their website. It's an international day of awareness and important for all of us to participate on any level.

The panels will be for sale for 350 pesos ($26.58 ) a portion going to 350 Carbon.


Here are my panels










Hope to see you at the Opening!

Hope Note #1

Mondo Beyondo

Today was the first day of Mondo Beyondo
I signed up so I can get started creating my dreams with a group of like minded and supportive people.
I've been so excited about this.
Just recently I've started dreaming again about what I want my creative life / business to look like.
It looks like so many things! But happiness, ease, laughter, simplicity and being more focused on what I love are some key factors I refuse to give up this time around.
Yes - what I am saying is that I gave up all of these things when I had my business going on at full steam before.

I've learned many lessons.
And feel ready to create something fresh / new / vibrant.

Here is a little video that made my day today as I waited for my confirmation e-mail to start the mondo beyondo workshop.

enjoy
as I enjoy the pause in between saying goodbye to my old business / creative life
and the beginning of the new dream.

inspiration

not many things inspire me in the art world.
In art school it was the Starn Twins and Sally Mann
Joseph Cornell and Francesca Woodman
About a handful of others ....

Today I went and visited Aline Smithsons blog and stubbled upon more inspiration.
Makes my mouth water and my entire body feels the NEED to create my own work.
To learn alternative photography processes
To get back into the darkroom
To use a vintage camera
To find ways to dive back in deeper
to that place I go when I make my work.

Here is the link.
http://lenscratch.blogspot.com/2009/05/charles-grogg-and-jeri-eisenberg.html
Go there.