Painting Bliss

Wildflower Hoppin'

 

I may be home now and acclimating myself back into routine, but that doesn't mean I still don't have a bunch to share with you from my adventures in Texas. My last full day in Texas found us traveling a few hours out into the flat country farm land of that grand ol' state. It's blue bonnet season in Texas and it's just starting to really demand attention.

Blue bonnets are the texan state flower and when you see them you know exactly why.

 

 

 

We stopped for just about every patch we saw, sitting amongst the petals and catching each other in awkward poses trying to capture just the perfect shot. It was refreshing to be with someone else who also gets right down on their bellies for a photo. Someone who knows it's not just about pointing and shooting, but about a careful eye and seeing what others don't.

 

 

 

 

The blue bonnets are mingled with the bright orange and coral blooms of Indian Paintbrush, the subtle pinks show off as wild poppies and wild phlox. It seems flowers never come in combinations that aren't flattering. It's as if they know and prepare for the show that is spring.

 

 

 

Being amongst this jaw dropping display only makes me more eager for New York's own spring exposition. It was hard coming home from warm climates to cold. My first day back found me layering up and not wanting to exit my warm blankets in the morning. I brought home a tan, a renewed heart, and a missing of a friend I wish I could see on a regular basis. Till next blue bonnet season Jax! I'll be waiting for your visit here when the apples turn red.

 

 

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A Day of Adventure and Chips Please

 

 

Our day started in our own separate fluffy hotel beds, stretching out and saying to each other "what do we wanna do!?". 

I have been driving in Texas!! HA! I'm a bad passenger and often find myself nauseated and feeling close to death. Okay maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it feels like that when I am in the throws of a stomach turning bout of UGH! So yup, I've been driving! It's fun and Jax makes an awesome travel guide. It's so refreshing to not be on any type of schedule.

We go, do, and drink coffee whenever and wherever we want.

 

 

 

Breakfast at Starbucks and a drive onto the Galveston Ferry. I have never been on a ferry let alone drove a car up onto one! It was such an experience! Once securely on board and moving, we got out of the vehicle and perched over the edge of the boat. The laughing gulls chased us as the pelicans which I have aptly named aviators for their precise flying skill graced the sky off shore. Back in the car, driving off the ferry, we drove twenty or so miles on High Island where we checked out the local graveyard and after made our way to the beach and stayed for hours just combing through piles of shells looking for sea glass until we decided we were hungry and had to pee.

 

 

Turkey wraps, a soda I couldn't open, and a bag of chips and we were setting up camp back on the beach!

 

 

 

 

There are only so many chips you can eat in one sitting and we found the perfect way to use the rest... by sharing!

 

 

 

 

These feathered friends had extreme precision! After throwing chips to them we began to throw them straight into the air over our heads! These laughing gulls knew where it was at for sure!

 

 

 

 

We said goodbye to the beach, rode the ferry again, and drove back to Galveston and walked the strand. There I bought my first cowboy hat (straw one) and some souvenirs to bring back home. I have fallen in love with italian sodas which are flavor mixed with I think sparkling water. My first one was a lemon drop, yesterday I decided a perfectly pink strawberries and cream was in order. After a long day of adventure we two girls were worn the #$%# out. Crashing early back at Jacquie's humble abode was a immediate necessity.

Did I mention I saw dolphins!?

 

 

Heeeee Haw!

 

 

Tomorrow I am hopping a jet plane and flying all by myself across the United States to spend some jam packed fun time with my bestie Jax! This is a pretty big deal as we have known each other for seven years now, shared every facet of our lives with each other, yet never met in real person! Crazy!? I know!!!

I'm nervous, but more excited than anything. I'm only nervous because I haven't flown in ten years and have to manage myself through more than one airport as I have a plane switch in Philadelphia. This is definitely a case of putting my big girl panties on and pretending like I know what I'm doing! In the end though, if I get anxious or confused I'm sure there are plenty of airport folk that can hold my hand like a kindergartner on their walk to the potty.

I picture seeing Jax for the first time, running up to her, and then proceeding to hug - hop up and down - and squeal as we aptly draw all of the airports attention. HA! Let them watch! From there it will be straight to the thrift shop because dammit we aren't wasting a single second!

Good news is, I'm taking you with me! Fancy a trip to Texas? Jax and I will be blogging side by side with either coffee or moscatto by our sides. Definitely check in and see what fun things we have been up to!

 

 

My Week Through The Eyes of Instagram 1/14 - 1/20

 

 

“People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

 

 

If you enjoy my Instagram photos and would like to follow my feed, feel free to do so

@Paintingbliss

 

Thank You!

 

 

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My Week Through The Eyes of Instagram 10/28 - 11/3

 

Woah what a week that has passed, and for anyone who lives with me in the great north east I bet that you can say a big AMEN SISTAH to that! From hurricanes to Halloween it was a whirl wind

(no pun intended ha!).

This week revolved around yarn instead of the studio. With the insanity of it all, no power and entertaining the family it was impossible to get any real artwork done. So I crocheted a beautiful cowl from the yarn I shared earlier this week, dipped some of my own for the first time, and praised the blue sky when it returned... even if it was short lived.

I'm looking forward to this week. I can see in my predicting mind that it will be filled with craft fair preparation and last minute creations. With only 6 days till the big day, it's crunch time!

 

An Old Stuff Kind of Week

 

 

Yesterday's post sharing my antique store adventure, also found me stopping at a small consignment shop which really wasn't worth much other than the book that greeted me my first step into the door. I had no idea Candy Land was a book before it was a children's board game... so either I'm really young or I'm unlearned in the ways of child's literature.

Either way this book was an excitement for me,  and I had to have it!

 

 

Printed in 1928 its no longer attached to its cover, but gently sits inside hoping for future professional repair. The hubby knows how to bind books, so I will probably have him take a look see. I was truly surprised by the richness the book still held in it's color. Bright illustrations in mostly primary colored printing are a sight to be dazzled by.

 

 

Being that just moments before I found my vintage red bear friend from the American Teddy Bear Co. I knew I had to read this story to my boys and tell them that my red bear was the very same bear that led little Betty into Candy Land! So far the kids have been taking turns sleeping with "Brunny" each night, and there's not a room he doesn't follow us into.

 

 

If you ask me, the board game doesn't hold even a small candle's light to this book and the original story... and where did the bear go in the game? Where did all the freaky characters come from and the wacked out LSD hued colors that we all remember as a child? To be honest I remember altering the order of the cards when my mom turned her head or went to the bathroom so that I could take an instant jump right to the candy cane castle (ooooooh cheater cheater!)

 

 

And perhaps the book and the game have nothing to do with each other as the story other than traveling to a place called Candy Land and the castle looking exactly the same, truly don't resemble each other. I am having trouble researching it actually. Anyone know anything about my beautiful old book? Anyone recollect reading it as a child or happen to be an antique book aficionado?

 

If the book and the board game aren't related I would of seriously sued the board game creator over creative rights... or something like that, I'm no lawyer! Sounds official... sounds good :)

 

 

I have always had an affection for old children's books. They inspire me and intruege in their mysterious ways. Perhaps it's the magpie in me or the girl from another life that needs old things nearby. Whatever it is, someday I'll probably be living in a house full of cats and boxes of old stuff... atleast I'll be happy!

Where did I go? Spontaneous Trip to The Adirondacks

 

 

 

You probably noticed there wasn't any blog from me yesterday, something truly uncommon as I always have a post scheduled for the following day. Well... did you wonder where I was?

Sorry circumstances found me journeying on a road trip almost 4 hours drive with my mom up into the Adirondacks of northern New York. My aunt lost someone near and dear to her, and so we were venturing up to show her our love and support as her family.

 

 

Oh... my... gawd... the Adirondacks... I had no idea it's beauty, it's peacefulness, or it's lack of cell service for that matter. Not only was I in the middle of moose country (no I didn't see a moose, dammit), but I was without modern technology. I should of known that I would be, but it was something not exactly on mind. It really turned out to be a blessing, something I truly needed. For me, and for the one on one time with my mom another needed blessing came for us to have time together. Four hours drive into the pine woods of Raquette lake found us on a girls road trip, not a moment lacked of  laughter or chatter. The kind of chatter that found us 3 miles (thank goodness only 3 miles) past our turn for route 28. It's ok, we asked a toothless antique dealer what to do, and he said to go here - there - and the other place, so we just turned around and ignored his suggestions. HA!

We were two girls on an adventure, finding our own way without the help of our men and loving every second of it! If we wanted to stop, we stopped. If we wanted to go into a shop or antique place, we did! If it was iced coffee on our mind, we prayed that somewhere in the middle of no where we would find it.

 

 

 

Time in this part of New York state... a place where America, still resembles the America of times gone by, is a place of pure beauty. The size of the town can be determined by the local restaurant, liquor store, and general store, which all reside in the very same building! It may have seemed out of sorts to me, and completely intriguing... but to the locals, this was their life. Their go to if they needed something as simple as toilet paper, or elaborate as dinner makings.

 

 

Every morning fresh, homemade, and delicious donuts are delivered by hand from the nearby home of the baker. Probably some elderly woman who's really good at baking, as her husband that day had made the delivery for her while she attended to other things.

A dozen of these beauties came home with me,
still warm and seeping with spots of grease through the paper of the bag.

 

 

In our short overnight visit, there were memories made with my uncle Bob, whom I never ever get to see and rarely have seen my entire life. It was a pleasure to meet his wife, my aunt... and get to know them in the short time we visited. I admire my Uncle Bob and feel a deep closeness to him that I can't explain. For never having the opportunity to really bond, I felt as close to him as if we saw eachother every day. I wanted to be near him, put my arm in his arm, and snug a hug whenever possible. I think we look alike too!

 

I'm not exactly a dog person, but I just fell in love with my Aunt and Uncles two little doxin pups, Lucy and Lukey! They were just the sweetest little things, I think I would like one of my own!!

 

 

There was laughter between myself, my mom, my aunts, and uncle... time with them, watching my family and hearing stories of the past was a privilege I will not soon forget. I just wanted to soak up every moment, take in every laugh, and keep it forever in the most tender part of my heart. Saying goodbye was harder than I had anticipated. After hugging everyone, I snuck in one extra from my Uncle Bob.

I don't know when I will ever see him again.

 

 

Some moments are expected, some are not... and it is in those unexpected moments that magic happens. I loved every minute of this trip... from the very start to the very end. It's a trip I will hold near and dear forever and ever. There was more that we managed to squeeze in while there, I'll be sure to share it over the next few days. For now, 8 hours of driving has me a bit tired. I missed the hubby and my boys... some well needed time for some snugging, cuddling, and sleeping in my own bed is past due :)

 

Sink Deep Roots - All else will Follow

 

 

I'm spending some time visiting my family with my children for a few days :) I know you are used to a tutorial Thursday today, but I wanted to share the nostalgia, beauty, and things I am experiencing feeling before the thoughts leave me and I can't recall them just in the right way. There are other weeks for tutorial Thursday, today I give you wildflowers and the love of life!

These are the fields that are home, not the home I live in... but the home I grew up in. The home that is upstate New York. I love going home and visiting my family, it's a re-charge that I so desperately need sometimes. It's time for hugs and smiles, laughter and exploration. Like my love for New York City I love it here because no matter how many times I return, or how many times I see something... it's different somehow. 

 

Picking wildflowers, a passion of mine was deeply instilled at y0ung age while walking up and down the roads of Oneonta and Otego New York. Where no one tames the fields... they are allowed to grow free and un-bridled. This place is raw in the purest sense - gentle and rolling as the hills that frame this place.

This field I'm sharing today is a swarm of wildflowers of all types. From Mallow to Black Eyed Susans, it's not a challenge to create a beautiful bouquet to say the least. It warms my soul to bring my own children on walks such as these, naming the blooms as we go. I hope someday they remember them and tell their children as well. I point out the birds and name them... "but mommy, I can't see the red stripe on the red wing blackbirds wing... how do you know it's a red wing?"... "I know cause I hear it (I say)... hear the chirp chirp twiiiillll of it's voice?, that's a red wing... it's the first sound of spring... remember that".

 

 Home makes me nostalgic. It's the place my parents were born, the place my grandparents were born, their parents and grandparents before them. Are roots sink deep here, so deep if we really tried we could probably touch the center of the earth. I'm a country girl at heart, and in my heart is where the country lies... full of fields of flowers that demand attention only when there is someone to see them... otherwise they spend their time looking at the sky, gently blowing in the breeze... and wondering when they will be the soft bed of a newborn fawn.

 

 

I feel extremely whole in this land. I feel like it knows me as well as I know it. I can't wait to bring all my inspiration home and into the studio. My summer has suddenly become a chaotic excitement of artwork deadlines and I love it!

I hope you have a place like mine that you call yours... I hope you can experience the welling of emotion inside of a place that makes you feel one with the world...

" What each must seek in his life never was on land or sea. It is something out of his own unique potentiality for experience, something that never has been and never could have been experienced by anyone else." - Joseph Campbell 

A Round Up of my Favorite Vaca Photos

 

What a wonderful week we had away together as a family... I really miss the sand and sea air already. I thought today you might enjoy seeing my very favorite photo's selected from over the 100 or so I took. From the aquarium to the real sea, I can't wait to go back again to our yearly getaway that is Connecticut.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy your sunday before the week starts a new. If you were like us and had the whole family together or time to yourself while on your spring break, I hope you made it a good one.

Thrifting Finds Granny Squares, Vintage bird cups, and Embroidery Oh My!

 

I know it's Thursday and you are all accustomed to Tutorial Thursday, but I am pushing it off until Friday (tomorrow) of this week, as I am still away on vacation and can't resist sharing my adventures with you.

Granny Squares, Vintage bird cups, and Embroidery Oh My!

 

Thrifting... picking... whatever you call it, it's near and dear to my heart! As a child my grandparents basically raised me from yard sale to yard sale... flea markets, junk barns, and so much more. I love old things... objects with history or just something that fancies my eye... or heart.

Today we stopped at a shop called Finders Keepers... I knew it was somewhere I had to get my antiquing fingers into from the moment we drove by... outside in front of the building were piled up old shutters, knick knacks, and old dishes... just my style!

There is an exciting thrill achieved while sorting through old and dingy things... it's like sifting through those beach pebbles yesterday, only pulling out the bright and vibrant pieces of sea glass.  Walking away with items  that are unique and distinct to your personality is incredibly fulfilling. Today I got everything in these photos for a whopping $7.50 USD!

I love to crochet as you may or may not know given if you are a regular reader, or have just found me today! When I am picking in thrift shops or antique shops my favorite thing to do is to open up drawers and cabinet doors... looking for things the owner didn't know was hidden inside or never checked themselves to see. Look what I found in an old armoire? vintage granny squares just waiting to be put together by someones loving hands, my loving hands!

 

 

And better yet!? the needle they were woven with! YES! I swear! notice how it says .10 cents on the side! perhaps 1960's?

 

 

It has been an aspiration of mine to replace all of our current modern bought dishware and glasses with vintage/old mis-matched dishware. Here are my first finds!

 

 

Look at this lovely pin.  She had a sticker on it that said $5, so I guess she must have liked us to give everything I'm sharing with you for $7.50. My boys picked their first thrifted items today by the way! each of them had two quarters and each walked out with a bag of old toy items... eldest got a collection of little dinos/army men and my middle son 5 or 6 tiny vintage inspired cars. They walked up to the counter with their hands filled with tiny toys and said "how much"... she smiled at us and then at them and said... "I think two quarters is fair"... knowing and hearing that was what they were coming up to the counter with. You should of seen the pride in their faces!

I'll raise pickers if I have any say about it :) Proud mama!

And onto the rest... here is a hanky sized swatch of fabric and the pin I mentioned above.

 

 

 

Ideas for the swatch? it's about 6 by 6 inches square.

And last but not least a hand embroidered table center piece measuring probably 20 by 20 inches...

 

 

I can't wait to re-purpose all of these things that have just been waiting for a happy home. I think I will put all the grannys together into a pillow :)

p.s. for those of you who noticed in the very first picture the vintagey looking owl doo dad... it's a sticker :) not old, but new to me and hidden amongst some old sewing notions.