Summer is falling. Drawing what's next...

I'm sluggishly admitting that summer is coming to a close. Sigh. It's Labor Day weekend—summer's finale. This means that I should think about the looming holidays. I'm starting with a glimpse of Halloween. I've sketched and colored, Harry. He really likes his shirt. He's ready to give you a hare-raising scare. (sorry about the tacky pun). 


Harry may have some friends too. Maybe a girl friend, or some other halloween critters. We'll see how focused I stay with the theme. (I'm still wanting to wear my flip flops and BBQ on the deck.) It would be best to check my blog again, and we'll see who (what) else falls out of my head.... 


 I've an idea for some sweet greeting cards for Harry to grace. I think you'll see him on Etsy in the coming days. I'll update my gallery when he joins the store.


Thanks for following my scribbles!
Have a bright day! 

Drawing on discipline

I've discovered that I blog a lot like I go to the gym. Exercising and blogging are on my to-do list, but the day twiddles away and before I know it,  I'm going to bed realizing I MEANT to go to the Y.... and I meant to blog, but oops—other things that seem terribly pressing got in the way.  I think I need to do something that makes me touch base regularly with my blog page to keep things dusted, current and worth visiting. A promise to commit that keeps me a bit more disciplined.

So  I'm going to sketch—and toss whatever I've scribbled up on my page to share. It'll be a good exercise for the illustrator in me to push some creative doodle out of my noggin.

Here's what I did today. I like this little guy well enough, but when I tried drawing a front view of him,  I'm struggled with the fore-shortening of his beak without losing his quirky personality. It's tossing me a bit. We'll see if he shows up again in more views. I like him well enough that I may put him in color though.

Bright Days Indeed

I kept bumping into Etsy.com links while on my internet inspiration searches for product and pattern design—so I finally spent a moment to see what Etsy was all about. It didn't take me long to decide I needed to add my own store.

If you haven't been to Etsy—go!  It's a sweet little treasure trove of everything artsy. I've been impressed with the quality of the store products and also the organization of its structure and policies. Etsy is a a quaint, giant, humming collection businesses—and yet it maintains the feel of sweet boutiques and craft shops. Fun for shoppers looking for something special, and great for artists searching to showcase their work.

So I'm up! Set up was pretty easy, thanks in part to my digital camera, my trusty Mac, and some sensible Etsy instructions. Now I need to find some shoppers to travel to the store! You'll see my gallery of Etsy products is now featured on my blog. I'm slowly adding more of my illustrations that are rattling around in the studio—so check out my store, BrightDaysIndeed often to see what's new.

If you are looking for anything in particular—or see a print you would like as a card, (or vice versa)—drop me a line and tell me your thoughts! It's always nice to hear from folks, and to know I'm not alone in my quiet studio.

Here's to celebrating life with a bit of whimsy... I hope my illustrations make you smile... a little.

Life is Everyday... let's celebrate!

I've spent my last few days—not parenting...

And, just like that... I have an empty house after taking both daughters to college. Empty nest. What an accurate phrase.

The whoosh of 21 years with children in my house is a memory storm of naps and stuffed animals; car pools and permission slips; sleep overs and picky eaters; shopping trips and car keys. And, "just like that" ...it's done. I have spent my last few days not parenting.

Everything in the house reminds me of time that is gone. I see the ghosts of my girls in every corner. It's a cast of children of every age that I seem to have lost. My tiny baby girls, the big eyed toddlers, inquisitive youth... In a busy store, I'll hear "mom!" called out, and I realize with sad fascination,—this time, the call is not for me. So, I'm feeling a bit lost in myself. My thoughts are loud and bossy because there's no other noise to drown them out. I'm alone. It's a bit overwhelming.

I know this is total self pity. I've nothing to complain about. My girls are healthy. They are setting out on their "what's next" and I wouldn't wish it to be different in any way. They are happy and adventurous. I've no complaints. I'm not complaining. But this new silence is too loud.

So I'm going to investigate my "next". What should I do with this new found time and empty nest? Can will I make a difference.

I'm a graphic designer/illustrator that is spends a lot of time in my home studio. I love to work, but can feel this empty silence tugging at my productivity. It's very distracting and seems to make my motivation a bit leaky. I'm thinking I will need to something that will help me get out of this quiet lethargy and into something that makes a comfortable bustling noise.

It can't be a new haircut (although I've got one scheduled this very day...) or time at a spa, or shopping. I can't just "fill" time. My head seems to know when I'm just be placated.

Something I'm certain of is Time. With time folks get used to just about anything. "This too shall pass" But, I don't want to just settle for an eventual adjustment to this new quiet. I don't want to get stale and just become part of the malaise.

For now, I think I let myself be a bit sad. My girls are pretty neat people. They filled my house with energy and a brightness that isn't replaced by a good book or a random glass of wine.

It's quiet now, but I know there's music and applause, laughter and conversation somewhere. I need to trust that yesterday wasn't my highlight. Tomorrow is mine, still.

Life is Everyday. I plan to celebrate even if it's only with a whisper today.

An average bike chick and the Tour de France

The Tour de France is on, and I check to see how Lance is doing every day. He's my favorite biker guy for lots of reasons. 

1. He's an amazing cyclist

2. He looks a lot like my Tommy (who is also an amazing cyclist)

3. He seems pretty friendly when he's interviewed. A nice guy in real life?

4. His story is humbling. Sigh... If only I could be as excellent at what I "do" 

Here in my house we bike in the summer. The garage is filled with bikes. I have two (not counting the tandem) and I have graduated to clips on my pedals (they still spook me when stopping is vital and immediate. I constantly fear slowly toppling over like a falling redwood in front of a family with small children... sadly it's almost happened more than once.) Tommy often bikes 17 miles to work, and the mileage he puts on his bikes during the year is crazy. He's fast and can hang with the speedy guys in the nearby cycling clubs. I'm a turtle to his rabbit when we ride. But he hangs (back) with me. He's modest about how good he is (and how great he looks in his bikes shorts) And I love him for it.

Biking in the summer is a celebration. A hot summer day, a long afternoon with hours to spend, and a destination somewhere promising ice cream, a cold drink or a nice dinner is totally a wonderful event. 

Tom preps our bikes. He checks the chains, brakes, tire pressure, and makes sure we have the right bags for carrying wallets, locks, sweaters (for me cause I get cold). He also rounds up the sunscreen and various tiny tools in case the bikes need adjustment, tire changes, or total rebuilding while we are out. (He's very organized.) Meanwhile, I figure out what biking outfit makes me look fast and thin, (A girl can dream) and attempt a hairstyle that will fit inside my bike helmut and won't look too scary when the helmut comes off later in some public place. We fill water bottles; grab the cell phones and cameras (I make sure there's lipgloss at the ready) and we zip out of the driveway.

I love our bike trips because we get to talk a lot. And, I love to talk. We are miles away from errands, work and chores and there's nothing to do except pedal down the road—so we talk. About everything. It's a great way to get caught up on the good, the bad and the ugly.

We've made decisions about things small and huge: dinner, banking, movies, office gossip, investments, theater, religion, world peace, arranging furniture, teen agers, jobs, goals... nothing is off limits. We laugh a lot; see a lot and burn calories. It's been a way to stay close and connect. I know we both feel the closeness, and like little kids we can't wait to get on our bikes again—together—and fly away (Tom faster than me, of course).

Warm sun, Tommy, our red Schwinn Peloton bikes and a chocolate dipped cone—makes a great reason to celebrate any day.

Life is Every Day—cycle through it!

Where's your bike?

 

Looking forward.

I can look forward by peering straight ahead to see what is coming up, or by anticipating something that I know will happen. Either way, forward looking can lift my spirits. Looking forward unveils what's next or what's new. 

I find something to anticipate everyday. Even if today is nothing special—I look for something in the day to anticipate. This can be anything pleasant ....anything. I decide to call a friend, or pick up a movie to watch...or have a warm crusty loaf of bread with dinner...and then I think about it often during the day. I anticipate with gusto. It's half the fun. I let myself feel happy because I know this will happen. 

Today I'm looking forward to popcorn. I'm working late and missing dinner with Tom. So, we've made plans to make popcorn when we are both finally home. I'm looking forward snuggling on the love seat with our bowl of popcorn wedged between us. We share and get caught up on some TV. See, nothing exotic or out of the ordinary, but I love sharing popcorn with Tom. So this is my anticipation for the day. 

What are you looking forward to? Pick! And then, revel in the anticipation!

Remember Life is Everyday!

Anticipate the ordinary, and you'll have a extraordinary moment that is worth a look forward.

Well, hello there

Welcome!

LIfe is EVERY day. 

Celebrate something!

Get out the candles, and the pretty glasses you save for special occasions. The ordinary can be exciting with a little help. 

Look around right now and think about ordinary things that bring a smile...like favorite jeans, folded potato chips, chocolate, birdsong, morning coffee. Think about laughing; about being comfortable, or about the place that brings peace. And then...go, do, be and enjoy. 

This blog is about celebrating the ordinary... Crusty bread, moist cake, funny stories, wearing fancy shoes to the grocery store; being dressed-up when it's unexpected; getting out the special china on Monday, or lighting candles for dinner on Tuesday. Why not? 

Life is EVERY day...let's celebrate!

I design and illustrate art that helps bring the bliss to the midweek and mundane. Bright colors, pretty products and happy illustrations that create smiles and help the world remember to celebrate today by anticipating something ordinary.  

Come and visit my blog to look for some sunshine. I'll share the little things that have made me smile. I tell you how I've celebrated the day.   

So tonight...get out the cool stemware—even if it's only for grape juice!

Dare to enjoy! I'll chat with you later.