tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280174522012-01-28T11:37:28.278-06:00Finding joy on the journey...Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.comBlogger941100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-36708676141931429722012-01-28T10:58:00.005-06:002012-01-28T11:37:28.286-06:00

"Leftovers make you feel good twice. First, when you put it away, you feel thrifty and intelligent: ‘I’m saving food!’ Then a month later when blue hair is growing out of the ham, and you throw it away, you feel really intelligent: ‘I’m saving my life!’" George CarlinI absolutely love being able to bring delicious leftovers (without the blue hair!) for my lunch at work. Not only does it taste

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-33635257691264237442011-12-18T11:37:00.004-06:002011-12-18T12:08:47.640-06:00

I'm going through some pretty big transitions in my life right now, one of which includes living with some wonderful friends while I'm waiting for a more permanent place to call home. My friends have opened up their home to me, letting me stay in their beautifully finished basement where I always have my "art table" filled to capacity with my current art projects. At times, it can be a bit

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-40474973556863305582011-12-07T16:57:00.004-06:002011-12-07T17:11:18.038-06:00

...with these paintings made by Kevin Lahvic! I met him at the One of a Kind show in Chicago on Sunday. My life will never be the same! I wish I had an entire room full of his artwork! Go visit his website HERE! Make sure you check out his page of "Chip Drawings" and the "Haunted Forest." Or else....I almost missed the chance to see these fun paintings. My daughter Karin and I spent the day at

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-61859670732406113462011-11-22T20:28:00.005-06:002011-11-22T21:06:14.270-06:00

Can you believe it's almost Thanksgiving! Last year, I wrote an A - Z list of what I was thankful for. Seems like a good annual tradition! I'm suspecting that many of them might be the same, but I also expect some variation this year.It's a very different year...I'm living in a new place, starting a new stage in my life, and I just started a new job at the end of September. Lots of changes,

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-26155990663549505592011-11-13T21:37:00.005-06:002011-11-20T14:24:55.195-06:00

It's almost December, so I thought I'd share some of my hand crafted Christmas ornaments with you. I made a total of eight to hang on a Christmas tree at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, WI. Several local stores are decorating trees for the resort, and I'm glad that I was asked to create some ornaments for the tree sponsored by Roycetra Gallery!I start my ornaments with simple house

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-3874121805358219912011-10-22T13:45:00.004-05:002011-10-22T14:50:03.050-05:00

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to help beautify the city of Waukegan, IL. I took part in an event called "Paint the Town" which was sponsored by Delilah at 93.9 WLIT FM. Each year, she's been picking a town that needs some TLC, and she invites volunteers to help Paint the Town! How cool that she picked this lake front community that is very much in need of a face lift! So, on October

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-81630757235400264372011-07-27T06:57:00.003-05:002011-07-27T07:10:24.309-05:00

I've been working on a fun project at Coach Creative Space called "Four Seasons." There are twelve artists who will each be making four pieces of art to represent the seasons. We can use any media we want (we even have someone writing haiku!). I decided to make trees in mixed media. My first tree ended up being a winter wonderland! The base is card stock covered in texture medium. I did some

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-24682681563790841422011-07-04T22:04:00.007-05:002011-07-27T07:14:09.436-05:00

One more reason for the family to celebrate this year! My younger daughter just graduated from French Pastry School! I'd like to suggest that everyone encourages their children to go to pastry school, just so you can enjoy a party that looked like this! Of course, living with her during the program was a pretty sweet experience as well! I was so appreciative of her hard work! I am also

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-42183195924689124412011-06-06T06:14:00.003-05:002011-06-06T06:28:27.891-05:00

Yep! That's my girl! Jen has officially graduated from college, and I'm happy to say that it was accomplished in four years! In two weeks, her younger sister graduates from French Pastry School, so I'm anticipating some intense celebrating later on this month!One of the reasons my daughter was standing on the chair waving to us is because she is a very petite young lady. I remember when she

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-43902790020299948712011-06-02T00:12:00.002-05:002011-06-02T00:24:33.470-05:00

Change is in the air... I've been exploring so many different career possibilities,and I'm excited about starting that new job that's perfect for meI'll be moving into a home that's filled with joy and laughterI'm taking one giant step out into the world,and I am ready!“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Maria Robinson quotes

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-84608776861162658552011-04-13T18:20:00.002-05:002011-04-13T18:27:35.060-05:00

One of my favorite things to do is play with clay. You may have seen my photo of these before they were glazed. What a difference a bit of color makes! What do you do in your free time that brings you joy?"True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-73822376960437255832011-04-04T16:25:00.003-05:002011-04-04T16:35:08.484-05:00

The joys of the animal world! This little fellow is definitely breaking laws for cuteness! However, not so cute that I brought him home - sorry kids! He is a "Shih-Poo" which is a cross between a poodle and a shih-tzu. He was simply adorable and tons of fun to play with. And so soft!What animals make you smile the most??Ever consider what pets must think of us? I mean, here we come back

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-38924887192290055642011-03-29T11:18:00.004-05:002011-06-02T00:11:00.021-05:00

I'm taking part in a collaborative art journal project at Coach Creative Space. It's called "Journey of Journals" and it began in June 2010. Seven people are in my group - two from the UK, one from Canada, and 4 from the US. What a wonderful journey it's been! We each chose a topic for our journal. We start our journals with two page spreads, then mail it to the next person on the list, who then

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-40660423825161669502011-03-24T06:56:00.002-05:002011-03-24T07:16:14.293-05:00

I always wonder what it is that attracts so many people to "The Bean" in Chicago's Millenium Park. For me, part of the attraction is the joy of taking a photo of it! I think I prefer to concentrate on seeing the detail in a "small" photo, rather than seeing the whole entire Bean when I visit. Maybe seeing it up close is too much information for me to take in! I was just getting ready to take this

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-88510188735662408362011-02-03T08:40:00.004-06:002011-07-27T07:19:09.051-05:00

Good thing it's another snow day! I have my work cut out for me glazing these sweet fellows! Once their finished, they'll be taking a trip up to Lake Geneva, WI where they'll be waiting for you at the Roycetra shop! I call them Prayer Partners, and they are based on Asian Jizos. They are a thoughtful gift for someone who might be going through a difficult time. I like knowing that my ceramic

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-75355722616849248312011-02-02T10:03:00.003-06:002011-02-02T10:11:59.223-06:00

The joy of a snow day! It looks like the worst of the 2011 blizzard is over for our neck of the woods. From a brief driving experience, I know it was pretty nasty out last night, so I hope that all of you stayed safe and warm!I think I'll take a walk with my camera later on to take more photos (I cheated with this one and just stuck my arm out the door!). Share some of your snow day images

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-69658116484973863662011-01-25T16:31:00.004-06:002011-07-27T07:21:12.286-05:00

Well...in a way it is the fruit of my labor (but it's my daughter who actually made the cake - I just took the picture before I brought the cake to work with me)! My daughter is in school right now learning to be a pastry chef! The one pictured above is a Coconut Passion Cake, made with coconut (of course), pineapple and passion fruit (I think it was meringue on top). On Friday, I sent her a text

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-80613071543617911982011-01-07T16:31:00.008-06:002011-07-27T07:23:22.414-05:00

I'm so glad I stopped by the bakery this morning! I just had to share this with you (well, at least share the picture with you). Inside the head of the penguin was a donut hole, and inside the body was delicious, sweet, white frosting! There was an actual cupcake somewhere in the bottom half! Mmmmm!And if you're still having a bad day after seeing that, then maybe this is just the cookie for

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-61481195351680863772010-12-11T10:49:00.004-06:002011-02-03T08:51:42.630-06:00

I had fun making this necklace using one of the "Holey Stones" that I found on the beach this summer! More to come soon! Threaded on embroidery floss."My soul can find no staircase to Heaven unless it be through Earth's loveliness."Michelangelo

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-52161082408438686772010-07-17T09:30:00.013-05:002011-07-27T07:24:49.587-05:00

I found this description of lucky stones at Thee Nook.So what’s a Lucky Stone ? Well, it’s a stone with a hole right through it and there are more found along the Sussex coast than anywhere else in the world. Collected and treasured as talismans from as far back as the Neolithic ages, these holy flints where considered to have magical powers and believed to be able to ward off illness and

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-74640320444932288532010-07-14T08:27:00.006-05:002011-07-27T07:35:49.077-05:00

Ah...friendship...one of the most important sources of joy in the world! Add that to an old fashioned Merry Go Round, and who could ask for more! My friend Margaret and I went out the other night to the local theme park (aka, my summer employer). It was a fun night out, and much deserved by both of us! We were blessed by the most perfect weather possible! We went on some of the more mild

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-4466840339032173542010-07-09T18:06:00.006-05:002011-07-27T08:05:56.173-05:00

Thanks for visiting the most recent version of "A Joyful Spirit." It's time for this blog to go in a different direction! For the last year and a half or so, this blog has been focusing on art and creativity. But starting today, I'll be using this blog to show where I find joy each and every day! If any of my readers out there want to share what brings you joy...send me a photo or a link and

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-19359070792398587292010-04-26T14:15:00.011-05:002011-07-27T08:09:45.459-05:00

Hi There!How's your Monday going so far? I decided to take some time for some art journaling today, inspired by the book The Creative Journal by Lucia Cappacchione.These are the questions that led me to this journal page...What is the theme of your personal growth at this time? What word describes the current challenge or lesson I'm dealing with right now?The answer didn't come to me all that

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-75015878946169552922010-04-15T08:12:00.005-05:002011-07-27T08:14:08.705-05:00

Hi All!I just started reading the book Creative Awakenings by Sheri Gaynor.My art journal page below is based on one of the exercises in the book...the "Envision Art of Intention." In the first step, you go to a relaxing/meditative place - Sheri explains it as "a time for going within, listening to your intuition and creating space for your life dreams." During this "Dream Time" you listen for

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-22525373781423427982010-03-27T14:28:00.007-05:002011-07-27T08:21:49.567-05:00

Well...it's not an actual road trip. It's really a book cover. I am a confirmation partner with an 8th grader at my church and we decided to make covers for our Bibles. I found some old maps lying around, and decided it would be the perfect use for a Bible cover. Here's the back...I used a map of the United States amd intentionally placed New Mexico on the front cover. I feel I'm being

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-58075611663224953502010-03-01T15:42:00.004-06:002011-07-27T08:23:40.358-05:00

Happy March Everyone! Just 20 more days till spring officially begins, but I decided that it's starting earlier around my house. The signs are here...One creation by Mother Nature...And one of my own...Till next time,Awake, thou wintry earth -Fling off thy sadness!Fair vernal flowers, laugh forthYour ancient gladness!-Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-73459665191818723062010-02-21T20:54:00.010-06:002011-07-27T08:26:27.218-05:00

Spring, are you coming?The winter wants to leave,It has my blessing!I've been on a bit of a creative hiatus lately, so I'll take advantage of my own dry spell to pay attention to someone else's creating! I just realized tonight that spring is one month away! And while I'm very much ready for spring this year, I was extremely thankful to wake up to this scene in my window recently... And the

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-82642155242876789962010-01-10T18:19:00.008-06:002011-07-27T08:28:09.187-05:00

About a mile or two away from me, is my dream house. It reminds me of an Italian villa with a long driveway leading up to it. If you're not looking for it, it would be easy to drive by and miss it. As for me, the people who live there probably think I'm a stalker, because I have, on occasion, pulled over to the side of the road to look down the drive and admire it. Every time I drive by it, I

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-82402749363017526472009-12-22T15:04:00.004-06:002011-07-27T08:30:12.012-05:00

All I want for Christmas is a newly painted room! And I still have 3 days left to get it done!!Goodbye Green Room! You were this color long enough, but now, it's time to (not so) magically become a yellow room!A softer, more peaceful shade...Soon to become my new and improved art & retreat room!Where I can be much happier creating more cool stuff like this:Till Next Time,A good intention clothes

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-64188067028414923482009-11-26T19:46:00.017-06:002011-07-27T08:31:53.697-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!While turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie are really great, Thanksgiving for me is the time to give thanks for all of the blessings in my life. Actually, I do try to do that every day of the year, but today, even more so!! So while I was on my way to Thanksgiving dinner today, I started an A to Z list of what I'm thankful for (thankfully for everyone on the road, I

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-68741805084703293612009-11-24T21:35:00.005-06:002011-07-27T08:36:22.322-05:00

It must be Thanksgiving break, because I'm finally making some art at home again! I was in the mood to play with some paper, so I got out some ATC size cards that were already painted and a box full of paper scraps that I needed to sort through...Glad I did :)Hmmmm....Ooohhh...Aaahhhh...And my favorite from tonight...Thank you to Deja Views and K & Company for your lovely paper :) and thank you

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-6122337153002585572009-10-31T09:43:00.004-05:002011-07-27T08:44:51.367-05:00

My daughter got to wear her new Max costume last Sunday...but I got to wear it to my preschool parties this week!! If I look tired, that's because this was taken on the 2nd preschool Halloween party of the week (we had one for the T-Th class and one for the MWF class). Thank you Neil, for letting me borrow your book! The kids really enjoyed the story, and we all had a chance to roar our terrible

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-9631349520559564972009-10-25T19:14:00.007-05:002011-07-27T08:46:44.735-05:00

Definitely appropriate for the Super Cute Sunday theme...This is just one of the reasons I haven't been contacting my friends or keeping up on this blog lately :) Between work and home, I have been zapped of all excess energy! If you are one of my imaginary friends....I haven't forgotten about you! I'll be in touch soon!!Thank you to the people at McCall's who provided me with the start for

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-34186725741078519972009-09-20T15:24:00.009-05:002011-07-27T08:55:12.552-05:00

If you didn't notice, my blogging energy has been on a serious level of empty lately. I've been too busy with too many other things, and every time I sat down to write, nothing would come out. Really. Nothing. Nada. Zip. I finally had to admit that it was time to spice things up a bit on this blog and figure out a way to add some more smiles! So welcome to my very first "Super Cute Sunday!"

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-91479314318547197922009-09-03T10:12:00.005-05:002011-07-27T08:58:02.749-05:00

Well...summer is quickly coming to a close for this preschool teacher/director! So I've put the clay away for a while and put some of my remaining summer energy into making the school year easier for our teaching staff.With many thanks to Nikki for her gift of the Zutter Bind It All...I present my new ABC Assessment Record Book!!For those of you who teach, you can understand how assessments and

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-38824631539030696672009-08-24T07:36:00.008-05:002011-02-03T08:32:41.622-06:00

I've been in a super busy mode getting ready for a horse show! It was very different from how my equestrian daughter was preparing. My preparation involved carving clay ponies at warp speed, but the result was well worth the effort!It all started 3 weeks ago when I showed one of the riding instructors my (finally completed) 12 little clay ponies that I had been working on this summer. That's

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-21296707987645452302009-07-29T11:48:00.006-05:002009-08-24T20:35:08.377-05:00

I have a 17 year old daughter who knows what she wants to do in life, and she's had the support of her family to follow those dreams. Shes' been riding for about 10 years now. Being a girl of small stature, training ponies is something that my daughter is seriously considering as her life's calling. She recently heard from a former instructor of hers who bought an adorable small pony for her

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-52684335508430256892009-07-20T19:35:00.002-05:002009-07-20T19:46:10.392-05:00

Somebody call the Sherriff! I think these ponies are breaking laws for cuteness!But it did seem like a perfect day to bring them out to play. Even Tigger decided to join in on the fun!Just a few more days, and these darlings will be galloping over to my Etsy Shop. The glazes are my new FUN glazes from Amaco - Baby Blue, Pink, Lilac and Green. Yum!(and thank you to the folks at Playmobil for

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-74379399114643602572009-07-19T20:18:00.003-05:002009-07-20T04:10:46.152-05:00

Hooray! I finished my first 50 little clay houses! I am absolutely in love with the fun new glazes I used! There are about 15 other bright colors I'm hoping to try out before the year is through. Too much fun!If you're interested in purchasing any of these little cuties, visit me at my Etsy Shop :)Till next time,

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-12428001653984146042009-07-16T09:30:00.004-05:002009-07-20T04:10:18.953-05:00

Finally finished....Here's my Chapter 6 Project from Kelly Rae Robert's Taking Flight book...We worked with two new art techniques with this project - gold leaf and molding paste. I really liked the molding paste :) Last night, I went over to Nikki's house for our final art night together - the nerve of you, girl, to move away from me, and leave me without a real live art friend! We worked on

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-54632837201359105882009-07-12T10:39:00.010-05:002011-04-09T06:31:11.876-05:00

...is the most wonderful way to start the morning!This morning, when I took a peek in the hanging basket, there was only one baby wren left in the nest. I could hear the other four in our crab apple tree, and I could see "Daddy Wren" in a nearby branch keeping an eye on his last little one (since the basket is directly under my morning coffee spot, he's used to seeing me there).I took the basket

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-54718406985040726592009-07-10T10:54:00.005-05:002009-07-10T11:46:56.646-05:00

...for you and me :)Of course, you're probably wondering why I'm making little clay houses. Well, you never know when these little babies will be looking for a new home!!I found these 5 baby house wrens in our hanging basket last week. Too cute!!I can't believe how fast they're growing!What a blessing to be able to watch these little miracles grow up! As soon as the rain stops, I'll post some

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-56615369712550489002009-06-11T10:31:00.008-05:002009-07-10T11:47:30.880-05:00

My latest project is underway! In the last week, I've created TWENTY ceramic crosses from hand rolled slabs of white stoneware clay. First I used a template to cut them into the same shape. Then as they began to dry out, I stamped each of them with one of my hand carved ceramic stamps. I used different stamps for each one, so I now have 20 original design ideas! Twelve of them are already

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-7498152086003545562009-06-04T20:53:00.011-05:002009-07-13T14:23:16.376-05:00

Hey Pony! What's up?Hooray! Friends! Just what I needed!Tigger! You're the best!Another job well done! Time to rest for this kitty....Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~Marcel Proust (and I'm grateful to my friends near and far, who have brought joy to my life!)

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-32445924657020764392009-06-01T23:04:00.009-05:002009-06-03T06:35:27.656-05:00

It's about time I posted some photos of my Chapter 5 Taking Flight project! Nikki and I finished our projects over a week ago (maybe even two weeks!), and I really want to post these before I move on to Chapter 6!The theme for this project was "Honoring Your Memories." I definitely felt pulled toward some early memories from my family of origin. Not a whole bunch of happy memories, but they

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-50055718944874549442009-05-19T21:46:00.005-05:002011-02-03T08:34:17.127-06:00

I always tell my preschool students to give themselves a pat on the back when they do a good job...well, tonight I'm giving myself a pat on the back! I've been feeling a "push" for quite a while to start marketing my art, but the push has been in super slow motion. Tonight, I decided to just start moving and take some photos for my Etsy shop. I absolutely LOVE how this photo turned out! It looks

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-36698913968602791612009-05-17T23:29:00.018-05:002009-05-18T00:50:45.226-05:00

Hey Gumby! Quit waving to everyone, and take a look at this! It kind of looks like a horse, but something's not quite right...I think I need some help over here! Can someone tell me what's going on??Obviously, Pokey, you haven't been here very long...this is one of those common primitive horses - it just hasn't evolved yet. Stuff like this happens all the time around here. But this one is made

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-37125899770505394742009-05-14T13:23:00.005-05:002009-07-10T11:49:05.696-05:00

A sweet little polymer clay pony emerged from my imagination recently. He decided to take a stroll outside on this beautiful day, when suddenly, an enormous cat got in his way. Maybe the little pony has a message...."Bonjour Monsieur Chat! Maybe you're not scared of me...but be warned...I am not alone! Just wait...now that summer vacation is almost here, I am certain that I will soon be

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-34938406537154478502009-05-11T14:16:00.004-05:002009-05-11T14:40:13.175-05:00

This just arrived in the mail from my 20 year old who will be home from college later this week. I'm feeling pretty blessed right about now! And for those moms out there who didn't get a letter like this, the words are meant for you, too. I know that all moms have challenges of some sort or another, and maybe today you needed to know what a difference you make in somebody's world. Happy Mother's

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-74550696048814441222009-05-09T23:11:00.003-05:002009-05-09T23:15:10.596-05:00

Because honestly...who else can we be?

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-23150071982651200292009-05-09T22:57:00.003-05:002009-05-09T23:10:21.254-05:00

Earlier this week, I received a wonderful surprise in the mail from Carol! Back in April, she decided to do a "29 Gifts Project" where she would mail out 29 of her hand made creations to 29 lucky people who wanted to participate. Carol is an amazingly talented artist in countless different ways, and I am so glad that I first "met" her at Coach Creative Space.Thank you, Carol, for brightening up

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-63965374124298848522009-05-03T01:02:00.005-05:002011-02-03T08:02:46.611-06:00

This is a 4x4 affirmation card I made for the Mermaid Warriors course I've been taking (offered by McCabe, the Dancing Mermaid). It is a perfect affirmation to be my first, because I'm often reminding myself that most things start out small, and after time, they grow into their full potential. The images I chose all reflect the potential within something small. Whenever I pick up an acorn, I'm

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-35901039595397164772009-04-27T22:55:00.005-05:002009-04-27T23:28:44.516-05:00

It's Monday night, and I just returned from my Monday Art Night with Nikki. We had a special guest join us tonight (welcome to the club, Emily!). I just finished my Chapter 4 project of Taking Flight. I am making the project "my own" by adding my own personal touch of bisque fired clay pieces...and subtracting the wings that Kelly Rae shows us how to make in her book.We did actually make some

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-41700987013894588342009-04-16T07:07:00.008-05:002011-04-09T06:33:04.090-05:00

Such an ordinary picture....it's from my dad's apartment in Chicago around 1958. He and my mom met when they lived in the same apartment building.I thought about using this photo for my Taking Flight chapter 4 project, "Finding the Sacred in the Ordinary". But the photo seemed just a little too ordinary!The chapter encourages us to look at the ordinary events in our life, so I did that today...

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-81642535625623672542009-04-12T00:00:00.003-05:002009-04-12T00:02:05.273-05:00

Rumor has it that there's some good news this morning! May everything in your life be blessed with new beginnings and celebration!

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-72813426250646600802009-04-10T07:40:00.007-05:002009-04-10T09:02:27.679-05:00

It's so much fun to visit other people's blogs! Not only to see what they're up to, but also to see which blogs they like to visit. I love to see all of the variety that's out there... art blogswriting blogscooking blogshumor blogsgardening blogsand even blogs about style!(I could go on and on and on...but I think you get the idea)So here's what I'm wondering today...what is your favorite blog

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-45651954354361625992009-04-09T19:47:00.002-05:002009-04-09T19:56:04.252-05:00

A few weeks back, I entered a photo of one of my pieces along with some words of reflection to Creativity Portal's 365 Picture Prompts, and today my submission is appearing!"Going public" by keeping a blog, starting an Etsy shop and submitting pieces to Creativity Portal were all big steps in my artistic life. It took me a long time to feel confident enough to put myself "out there" but I'm so

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-73422038890781432512009-04-08T22:51:00.007-05:002009-04-08T23:33:00.758-05:00

Nikki and I are continuing to meet once a week for our Monday Art Night. Our goal is to complete reading Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts and to complete all of the accompanying projects (one per chapter) before the end of summer. We're both feeling pretty impressed that we've made it through the first three chapters, and we're even staying on schedule! It really makes it easier, and much

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-68954944596752296512009-04-07T22:07:00.004-05:002009-04-08T00:45:04.926-05:00

Hi Everyone! I just found an interesting article titled "The Creative Personality" written by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It's from the July/Aug 1996 issue of Psychology Today and if you want to read it in full, you can find it HERE. The part that caught my eye was the list of ten traits of creative people. I thought you might enjoy reading the highlights - I only used the first couple of

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-36523692152930602652009-04-04T22:53:00.010-05:002009-04-08T13:20:49.449-05:00

Well, it's Saturday night...just two more days left until my spring vacation is over, and I return to my life as a preschool teacher. I really am looking forward to seeing the darling kids and my co-workers again, but the time off has been absolutely necessary and absolutely awesome!! There's something almost sacred about going to sleep as late as I want...not setting an alarm...letting my body

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-16959545243516657962009-04-01T22:03:00.003-05:002009-04-01T22:20:12.416-05:00

So far, I've made a bunch of little polymer clay letters and some figures...and I've started playing with some old book covers. I gessoed about ten of them, and then added some maps and old music to a few. We'll see what they evolve into...Is "gessoed" a word? Hmmm...I've noticed some evidence of "Art Fairies" hanging around to inspire me. They left a ton of magic fairy diamonds all over the

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-61282639842599499932009-04-01T11:53:00.005-05:002009-04-01T14:02:29.429-05:00

I just had to say thank you to our Creator for providing this wonderful bit of inspiration for me yesterday! I did like the colorful image of pencils that I used in yesterday's post, but this one takes the cake (more about cake below)! I also found a poem by Evelyn Heinz that I think you'll enjoy! If you visit Poetry.com you can find more beautiful and inspirational poetry by Evelyn.How Does

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-73650501181850937482009-03-31T09:17:00.006-05:002011-04-09T06:34:36.027-05:00

I LOVE COLORS!But sometimes that love leads me to complete color overload, where I spend hours and hours and hours thinking about ALL OF THE POSSIBILITIES available to me, and I end up not even getting to the creating (please tell me I'm not the only one with this issue!)But thanks to a recent e-mail from Stumble Upon*, I found an amazing on-line tool to help me visualize colors, patterns and

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-12793575885287365972009-03-30T10:41:00.003-05:002009-03-30T10:51:00.510-05:00

I'm in a serious creating mode....starting out my day by experimenting with some paint combinations...Looking out the window at the crazy snow, that will probably be gone by tomorrow morning...Playing around with some new ideas (I used chopsticks to make the stems!)....And getting some really cool ideas for my art night with Nikki tonight....That's it for now...I'm off to my mom job for the

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-64116605683603015972009-03-29T22:55:00.002-05:002009-03-29T22:57:13.535-05:00

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-29989038103533636432009-03-25T20:59:00.014-05:002009-03-28T10:11:42.301-05:00

I was over at Veronica's blog, and she's invited/challenged us to share our art!Here's how: The first 4 people to respond to this post will get something made by me! Could be some mixed media, could be some ceramics, who knows!This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make although I hope you do!2. What I create will be made with you

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-29600936641096226962009-03-20T07:34:00.003-05:002009-03-20T07:41:10.627-05:00

Two reasons to be joyful today...1. The first day of spring!2. The first flower in our yard!Happy Spring Everybody!

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-60717250206747531962009-03-19T22:46:00.007-05:002009-03-27T06:45:16.261-05:00

Anything IS possible...how appropriate for the Easter season! Here is my completed Chapter 2 project for Kelly Rae Robert's book. My plans were to put a flower in the middle of this piece, but spirit took over and spoke boldly... This was created on an old book cover (5" x 8") using acrylic paints, a variety of objects for texturing, and polymer clay (the central figure was imprinted with a hand

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-32254398164313424142009-03-18T20:57:00.003-05:002009-03-18T21:04:52.442-05:00

Hooray! I just finished my 2nd self-portrait from Artella's Me-Flection e-course! In this project, we were supposed to "Create a self-portrait in which your hair is an extension of your personality." I've been on a real "spiral kick" lately, so here's what I came up with....I'm calling it "Affirmations!"It was a true learning experience in many ways! I promise to come back a little later to

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-28136801079504559752009-03-17T22:27:00.005-05:002009-03-17T22:46:05.273-05:00

If you're a mixed media fan, you won't want to miss this chance to win an awesome book by Susan Tuttle. The book is called Exhibition 36: Mixed-Media Demonstrations + Explorations which you can find HERE on Amazon.com.To enter the contest and get a chance to win the book, go on over to this link! The random drawing will be held on Wednesday, March 25th at noon. My hope is that whoever wins

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-66462575540722423822009-03-12T22:11:00.002-05:002009-03-12T22:15:20.866-05:00

In honor of Love Thursday, I submit this contribution...have a heart :)

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-52132509422493646052009-03-08T21:26:00.003-05:002009-03-10T22:22:53.440-05:00

I've been involved in a group on Coach Creative Space called Songs of the Senses. Forty-five of us are creating a piece of artwork for each of the 5 senses - sight, sound, scent, taste, touch - plus one for a 6th sense of our choice. The idea is to spend 2 weeks on each one, for a finishing date of May 23!This mixed media piece became a good exploration of texture. I had fun finding different

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-48596944877732807032009-03-05T21:29:00.006-06:002009-03-07T18:33:16.147-06:00

Last night I finished this 4x4 mixed media piece on Blick Artist Board. I not only enjoyed the process of making it, but I really like the finished result as well. I think I'll make several more with different words and put them on my Etsy shop!

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-51736818900687983932009-03-01T23:38:00.016-06:002011-02-03T08:11:46.234-06:00

It's pretty typical of me to have more than one project going at a time...maybe it's undiagnosed ADD, or maybe it's just the way my creative mind likes to work. No excuses though...that's just how I am, and I've totally accepted that part of me!I'm still working on Chapter 2 of Taking Flight, and I'm still slowly going through Julia Cameron's Vein of Gold. But I started something else that just

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-85198488051013573772009-02-25T23:49:00.005-06:002009-02-25T23:56:38.936-06:00

A Lenten art journal reflection for February 25 - based on a devotional from Journey to the Cross. Today's devotional read...Ashes: what the fire leaves behind. Dust: what wind, rain and decomposition leave behind. What can you leave behind on this Journey to the Cross?

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-78976532252677343062009-02-25T17:08:00.008-06:002009-02-25T18:31:21.803-06:00

I'm now reading Chapter Two of Taking Flight which is titled Facing Your Fears. The creative project from this chapter involves polymer clay, paints, texturing and embellishments. The goal for completion is March 9th! At the end of this post, I'll add my first photo from this project!In addition to the cool projects and techniques that I'm learning from this book, I love all of the quotes!

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-59145152636197821102009-02-24T20:02:00.010-06:002011-02-03T08:18:26.745-06:00

Mission accomplished! Yesterday, I put the final touches on my Whispers Art Journal. I bought some gold chain, red and orange beads, and some gold letter beads to spell out "Watch Me Fly" - it seems like an appropriate title for my first Taking Flight project.Last night Nikki and I got together for our Monday Night Art Night and had a show and tell with our first completed project! We're both

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-74582548502217097982009-02-21T22:21:00.010-06:002011-02-03T08:07:39.172-06:00

After many, many, many, many changes, I have finally finished the inside front cover of the Whispers Art Journal...I spent way too much time working on this today because I made so many changes. I won't say it was wasted time, because I learned a lot of things that I'll be able to apply to future projects. Well, it is now late in the evening, and I've had enough creating for the day! May your

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-4149912793798163252009-02-20T20:59:00.010-06:002009-02-20T21:33:07.793-06:00

I knew that I would be doing more to this porject... and I don't think I'm done yet! There are some parts I like about the page-the look of the "stepping stones" that go around the page-the parts of a Rumi poem that I wrote in the center (excerpts from "How Long Will You Hide")-the lines that surround each "stone"-the words that I wrote along the edges(inspiration, energy, time, space, support,

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-44218723912434562842009-02-17T06:50:00.009-06:002009-02-24T21:00:47.112-06:00

Lots of growing and learning going on here lately! I'm making steady progress on my Taking Flight project, and I've learned how to crop the images that I've scanned so I can post the pictures here! My friend Nikki and I have decided that we'll finish our Whispers Art Journals by next Monday, and then we can start on the next project from Taking Flight. Chapter 2 is titled "Facing Your Fears,"

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-6577913633731334452009-02-14T23:49:00.007-06:002011-02-03T08:25:12.184-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! I wasn't in much of a romantic mood today, so I decided to focus on what brings me joy in life...what do I love? I started a list of my favorite things, and it turned in to this art journal spread.(The cute little fellow with the smile is my imitation of a character from The Snowy Day written by Anna Milbourne and illustrated by Elena Temporin. Elena is one of my

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-62748502555292825702009-02-10T00:42:00.012-06:002009-02-12T04:36:10.568-06:00

Well, well, well! I am pleasantly surprised at the finished product! I'll share the photos with you for now, but I'll have to come back tomorrow to tell you about the process. I got myself in such a "creative groove" tonight, that it is now way past my bedtime, and I do have a day job that I must be at in the morning (cheerful and awake would be a plus, too!)So, enjoy the photos for now.

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-57813590086220984122009-02-10T00:19:00.012-06:002009-02-10T00:41:59.481-06:00

Just a few photos of the cover so far.... With a brayer, I added Pyrrole Red, Hansa Yellow Medium, Titanium White, and a wee bit of Burnt Sienna (while I kept the face covered).(I painted the face with an acrylic mixture of White, Yellow, Red, and Cerulean Blue Chromium - all in Golden Fluid Acrylics)Thank you to Milliande's Art Journal January for showing me a very easy way to make flesh color

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-71372612556080308692009-02-03T22:15:00.021-06:002011-02-03T08:09:57.870-06:00

Hello Creative Friends!Last October, my friend Nikki gave me the book Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts. She also bought a copy for herself, and we decided to do the projects in the book together (that way we could encourage and motivate each other as we go through the book!). Since it's now February, we decided that it would be a good time to get started (better late than never!!). So last

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-67936522748090342462009-01-28T19:28:00.025-06:002011-02-03T08:16:14.652-06:00

I just finished another 2 page spread in my Art Journal. There are so many pages that "need to be finished," and I found myself really hesitating to get started. The background was already painted orange, but I was just stuck with what to do next.I did some exploring of my favorite blogs, and came up with the idea of "circles" from Misty Mawn's Art Journaling Prompts. Circles...I can do that!

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-46370890285356930392009-01-26T06:59:00.005-06:002011-02-03T08:14:19.661-06:00

Not much writing today, because I spent all of my free time creating this page :)The page was first painted with white gesso mixed with blue acrylic. Then I used Pitt Artist Pens in black, gold and red for the text and drawing. I love my Pitt Artist Pens!!This is one of my all time favorite poems! I hope you enjoy it as well! May you have a week full of joyful creating!!

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-38438785328871885322009-01-18T20:44:00.014-06:002011-02-03T08:13:24.911-06:00

I've been working on my Vein of Gold "Narrative Time Line" this week and looking back on the places I've lived. I used my art journal to help me recall some of the important events that I associate with each of those homes. I showed my 17 year old the page while I was working on it, and she said, "What about college?" Ah, yes...I definitely lived there! I could easily write an entire chapter

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-90428991845009000342009-01-16T08:42:00.012-06:002009-01-30T06:35:07.114-06:00

I just started Julia Cameron's book "The Vein of Gold - A Journey to Your Creative Heart." I'm reading it with about 25 other people from Coach Creative Space. We're going through the book at our own pace, sharing our insights with each other and posting our progress. They are my traveling companions for the Vein of Gold journey! To be honest...I started reading Vein of Gold about 7 or 8 years

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-34137902947154655122009-01-06T18:09:00.006-06:002009-01-30T06:35:57.806-06:00

We three kings of Orient areBearing gifts we traverse afarField and fountain, moor and mountainFollowing yonder star...Oh, star of wonder, star of nightStar with royal beauty brightWestward leading, still proceedingGuide us to thy perfect light...May the love, peace and joy of the Christmas season be with you through the year!

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-52994422980712062682009-01-03T23:31:00.006-06:002009-01-04T08:33:27.658-06:00

Just a short post today....Did you ever realize that the words acceptance and patient use the same letters?Hmmmmm...See you soon!

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-69082192586309180442009-01-02T19:27:00.002-06:002009-01-04T08:33:56.133-06:00

I am so blessed to have a place in my house where I can go to play with clay! It's a 15 x 20 foot room in my basement, that I'm in the process of calling my own. It still has some things that need to be purged (e.g. can you see the fish in the photo below?)I recently bought a used electric kiln from a friend, so it's definitely time to start creating! In November and December, I spent most of my

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-3840719394436185142009-01-01T19:11:00.002-06:002009-01-30T06:36:53.107-06:00

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called "Opportunity" and its first chapter is New Year's Day." Edith Lovejoy PierceAnd so begins yet another New Year! I love the idea of the above quote by Edith Lovejoy Pierce (and how about that name!). A New Year truly is filled with opportunity. What a perfect time to create what we want to

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-72757902433310609552008-12-28T20:42:00.000-06:002008-12-28T21:09:12.200-06:00

An appropriate title for the "3rd Day of Christmas"My younger daughter is a very, very serious horse back rider. For close to 10 years, she has been developing into a fine rider and realizing her greatest passion in life! Since most places require a guardian to be present until the rider is 18 years old, I've spent a huge portion of my life at the stable with her. There are days where I really

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28017452.post-5487273641350523012008-12-26T19:55:00.001-06:002011-02-03T08:30:34.764-06:00

It's been a very Merry Christmas this year, and so different from the Christmas's of 5, 10 or 15 years ago! I have two weeks off from work (one of the joys of teaching), and my "little" girls are now 17 and 19 years old! No more sneaking around late at night, dragging in presents from their hiding places and putting those toys together! Plus, we had so much snow and cold weather the last few

Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02773983486695521486noreply@blogger.com2