Wednesday's Grace Notes

Wednesday's Grace Notes

Waking up and finding that the sun beat me to it!  Forgiving myself for not meeting my own demands, allowing myself that second mug of coffee, only being able to eat 1/2 my food,  making my homemade soups...  realizing that all along God has been supplying all of my needs and I was the biggest roadblock  and now I am waving my white flag. Dramatically increasing my steroids, beginning a very minor antidepressent and, this is the big thing....  I began having sezuires once I turned 21 followed by a life of illness. Last night for the very first time in my entire life  changing my bandages and asked God "Lord! Why me?  What have I done to deserve this?"

Do I place myself above Christ?  Even He cried to His father in Heaven "My God my God why have you forsaken me?

Now it's my turn to praise Him and say

"My God my God! Why have you blessed me?".

It all comes down to Grace.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com



Angels Unaware

Angels Unaware

Anybody out there and have 5 kids and have said "What was I thinking?" Hello.  How about being 50 yrs old with 5 rockin' kids?  Hello!  This is a posting about my big Sister Michele and my brother in love Chip. They are a true witnesses to what parenting and love has the potential to be. I was a very good mother, the best of the best and I never had a clue.  Did I mention that my beautiful sister has MS?  They have so much to teach, so much to share and so many people to encourage.

Please help them to continue to encourage others if nothing more than sharing this post?

Oh and by the way.  Michele is a powerhouse.  You rarely see her without a smile on her face and seems to always find the funny side in everything.

I want to be like her someday when I grow up.

They call themselves the "Rainbow Clannad"

While I "celebrate the day"

Her motto is "Living the dream.

Friday's Grace Notes

Friday's Grace Notes

The Village Idiot

No wait!  Don't change the channel!

Have you ever paused to think about the hows and whys you became the person that you've become?  Well I do and there is always someone to blame.  Yup.  That's when we begin w/ our parents and it usually is not on a high note.  That's the trend, right?  I could play along but no I would be throwing more of Gods Blessings back in His face.

So play along, please. Yes. Pun intended.

I was born premature.  The Dr gave my mother this way too small baby and says "be careful.  She can't have much stress... good grief.  I really liked that different drummer. (http://asbellarts.blogspot.com/2012/02/moses-had-aaron-i-had-michele.html

I was geeky and very talented.  Sometimes poor as church mice my Mom made sure that we always had the finest art supplies, piano lessons, two pianos so we wouldn't fight over who's turn it was to get to play, Michele and I sang and harmonized ALL THE TIME! She made sure that I had voice lessons, two of the best guitars money could buy, encouraged us to be in every play, no matter how stupid our costumes looked and cried every time that she heard me sing lyric soprano as I majored in voice with scholorships..

No Don't let me confuse you.  It's not Mothers day, but she is 86 years old and I have a life threatening disease. Why wait.  Life is WAY too important.

Celebrate the day

I love you Mommy.

www.asbellarts.com

Artist Marketing Tip Of The Day

Artist Marketing Tip Of The Day

Brand yourself.

Create your own identity.

What do you want to be known for?

Mine is Artist/Musician/Teacher/Marketer/ Motivational Speaker and Lupus Awareness.

Use it in all of your "tags" and social media when appropriate.

You are a business.

Take yourself seriously.

If not you, who will?

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Monday's Marketing Tips

Monday's Marketing Tips

Back by popular demand (really?) I will once again humbly, regularly post my artist marketing tips every Monday.

Marketing tip #1

Your art is a business and needs to be treated as one on a daily basis.

Market yourself 60% of the time, paint/create 40% percent of the time.  Your work may be earth shatteringly good but if only you and your pet cat are enjoying it, it really won't go anywhere.

Hot Off The Easel!

Hot Off The Easel

"Love Came Down At Christmas"

Pen, ink and colored pencil

Wednesday's Grace Notes

Wednesday's Grace Notes

Good people... there are so many good people,  split pea soup when you don't feel well,  cheap magazine subcriptions,  getting out and into a car today for the first time in two months... yippee!,  "living the life!",  sleepimg 10 hours straight!  OMG!  Must have needed it...,  so many recorded  Christmas movies to watch... so little time, ha!,  help with making my bed,  turning my heat on for the first time and IT WORKS!  We are so blessed to have heat AND AC,  my funky white Christmes tree in my bedroom and making queche last night that came out to be a beautiful 6 cheese soufle...  I forgot to addd the cream. :)

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Monday"s Grace Notes

Monday"s Grace Notes

Unconditional gratitude,  lying on my bed on a Sunday afternoon listening to Handel's Messiah and smiling,  not being grateful and unhappy at the same time,  my bathroom scale breaking?,  fresh hot corn on the cob with a bit of butter and Lawry's Seasoned Salt,  "let me be the one out of ten healed lepers that returned to Jesus to say "thank you",  looking forward to the day ahead and going barefoot.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Sunday's Grace Notes

Sunday's Grace Notes

Having "church" at Publix... a nice lady said today "you must be a Christian.  Your happy face just glows"...  go Jesus!  Seeing the funny side of things,  thinking big,  feathering my nest... I love feathers,  remembering how I used to love being able to iron,  the eye drops for my glaucoma that make my eyelashes long,  having too many things to be thankful for to post in one day.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Saturday's Grace Notes

Saturday's Grace Notes

Thoughts that pop into my head like "my life is so rich",  16 Christmas CD's from the library... maybe a bit of an over do?  Nah!  Smiling at myself,  knowing that with out gratitude my heart remains closed, Saturday morning garage sales, meeting friends and saying YES to life!

Celebrate the day!  Yippee!

www.asbellarts.com

Thursdays Grace Notes

Thursdays Grace Note

Celebrating today... tomorrow can take care of itself,  learning that it would take $20,000.00 to save my house... good to know where I stand,  going from stolen identity, sabotaged business, near death 2 1/2 month hospitalization this past summer to where I am today... and being a victor and not a victim, bratwurst with cranberry relish and honey mustard, clean blankets, towels and sheets,  a totally overhauled and organized kitchen pantry and donating 15 cans of canned peas and unadorned Christmas trees... sometimes, like us, they look better that way.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com 

Tuesday's Grace Notes

Tuesday's Grace Notes

Learning to lean on other peoples faith as well as my own,  my comfy and familiar neon green lounger w/ the hoodie and embroidered beach chairs and blinging w/ sequins,  drawing pen and ink pet portraits while watching Christmas movies,  putting my feet up because they are too swollen to walk... hence the pet portraits, helping myself before I call on others, my new Whole Living magazine subscription,  and brushing my teeth.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Saturday's Grace Notes

Saturday's Grace Notes

Sweater weather in Florida, taking the risk of trusting others and asking for help, not fast forwarding the DVR and watching the Christmas commercials, the sanctuary within me, Florida Horizons pen and inks, an open easel, a hot shower  and  the gentle  nuances of gray.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Friday's Grace Notes

Friday's Grace Notes

An attitude of gratitude,  being able to see the alarm clock and hear it,  getting to clean a house,  having a dishwasher to empty,  watching the dappled light dance through the trees,  having the honor of being an Army Wife for 29 years,  selling large paintings,  seeing old friends and clicking on spellcheck and having nothing to correct.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Sunday's Grace Notes

Sunday's Grace Notes

A hot cup of French roast coffee in one hand and petting the dog with the other, abiding....,  baking "Drunken Jamaican Brownies" on a cold and blustery day, not saying " I can't" and going to the Internet to fix the stove or have dog food delivered to the house if I can't get it myself, independence... it's a wonderful thing, a day full of art ahead of me... no lessons on Sunday's and the sound of a running dishwasher.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts

Saturday's Grace Notes

Saturday's Grace Notes

Watching more movies by myself... along with popcorn of course! living within the hours of today, biscuits and honey, not completing everything on my to do list, my new non "mom jeans", playing O Holy night this morning with my voice student, and connecting with those I love.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Friday's Grace Notes

Friday's Grace Notes

"I'm going to make my life a miracle!", the cold sting of the wind as it blows across a lake, sleeping so soundly that I barely have to make my bed, my old Sheltie coming in to take a shower with me... too cute, "why worry when I can pray?" and wickedly curly ornamental fall gourds.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Thursday's Grace Notes

Thursday's Grace Notes

Not being afraid of getting out of the boat and walk on water... as long as I don't have to wear a bathing suit, exercising more and sleeping better, losing more weight by eating more... fresh fruits and vegetables and protein, Wayne Dyers book "Excuses Be Gone!", turquoise blue and chocolate brown, shipping paintings directly from my home, and November 3, 2011...

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Tuesday's Grace Notes

Tuesday's Grace Notes

Trying to learn to live in the moment... a moment at a time, egg nog coffee creamer.. yoo! hoo!, losing 5 lbs., selling art as fast as I can paint... is that cool or what?, remembering the fishy smell of goldfish flake food... better yet, how about a new box of crayons?, thanking God... it keeps me busy, keeping my potted plants alive and God keeping ME alive to joyfully experience another November.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com

Up Thoughts

Up Thoughts

Repeat after me " Good things happen to me all the time".  Don't believe it?  The say it aloud again.

Celebrate the day!

www.asbellarts.com