I give thanks...

...that none of my loved ones were injured
in the storms that rocked Alabama last night.

My heart aches...
for those of you who lost anyone
close to you.

It's times like these...
that what is most important becomes apparent.
Friends and Family.

Hug the ones you have.
Sweet Home Alabama.

Happy Spring

Spring is finally in full swing here in Johnson City. The lake is looking especially beautiful (when it isn't covered in pollen). I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend.

Here's a snapshot of Duke and Phoebe out enjoying the warm weather. Duke is usually content just to sit in the sun, whereas Phoebe has to find something to chew on (usually a stick).

The irises are blooming right now. We have quite a few colors planted on the hillside here, and I wanted to capture their beauty before their relatively short blooming season is over.

The yellow ones are huge! Bigger than my hands, although you can't tell from the picture.

The bi-colored ones are probably my favorite. I love the intricate patterns on the petals, and how beautiful the insides of the blossoms look.

This time of year is truly wonderful. I love watching everything come to life. It reminds me so much of my grandfather, who has been gone ten years now. He loved flowers and watching the birds, and being outside in general. It's hard to believe how the time flies. Enjoy it. Mark the seasons. Happy Spring <3

Earth Day and Belated Birthday Surprise

Daniel surprised me with an orchid the other day. How sweet is that?

Our bedroom doesn't get much direct sunlight, and I have put sheer curtains over the window, which is supposed to be the perfect kind of light for orchids. I hear they are difficult to grow. Not so much grow, necessarily, but getting them to bloom again can be quite a feat. I'm up for the challenge.

Just having this beauty in the room makes me want to go into a spring cleaning frenzy. I'm saving that for after Dunwoody, though.

This orchid care site seems really comprehensive and easy to read, for anyone out there interested in keeping orchids. It even lists recommended books to read if you want to take it one step further.

Happy Earth Day, everyone!!! Go out and do something extra nice for your planet. And then keep doing it year round ; )

Reflections on 26

I turned 26 this past Monday. This is an awesome online birthday greeting sent to me (complete with shiny diamonds, rainbows, and a unicorn) by my sister, Rowan, and her boyfriend Drew. Also included are Zoe (the white dog) and Bella. I just love the dogs faces in this photo. They are not happy AT ALL to be wearing hats! (I miss you all SO MUCH!!!)

Creeping close to age 30 is a strange thing for me. For the first time in my life I am more aware of my mortality than ever. It's funny though, because I don't consider 30 to be "old" at all. In fact, I feel that I am entering into the prime years of my life. I finally have a concrete sense of who I am, what I want out of life, and am the most content I have ever been in my time on this plane, thus far. The future is bright and I look to it with renewed hope. However, this passing birthday held some sobering awakenings for me.

First of all, and the most sobering of them by far, is my health. I applied (and was accepted) for individual health insurance this month. This was a new process for me. I've either been uninsured or covered under my parents' plan thus far, and applying for individual health coverage with no help from an employer was a different experience. I've never been completely healthy. My major health problems started at the age of 13, thanks to a thyroid disease, and have plagued me every few years since then. I am thankful that nothing super serious has ever come up ("super serious" being a term that differs greatly depending on who you ask) but the point is that I have never been in "good health". I've never taken charge of my situation. My attempts to get fit in the past have been mild, at best. I realized this year that needs to change, more than ever.

My monthly payment for health insurance is higher than what was quoted to me because of my weight. Insurance companies don't care what you look like, they simply calculate risk. And my risk for future health issues is raised by my weight. It's a fact. I'm not ashamed of my body. On the contrary I am rather comfortable in it. But what I've realized is I need to put in the efforts to get fit, get in better shape, if my body is going to last me to a ripe old age. And as a result I would like to lose 30 pounds. I'm going to lose 30 pounds.

I bought a wellness journal and pedometer and have already begun my journey toward better health. This week alone I've logged 3 miles on my pedometer, and my goals toward covering more distance will only rise. Our fridge is now full of healthy foods: fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, chicken. I already feel better. More importantly I feel empowered.

I know I'm not the only person out there struggling to be healthy, to lose weight. Our country is plagued by obesity. I choose to share all of this with you because I hope to aid in the fight against this disease (it really is a disease) and share hope/inspiration with others on a similar path as mine. So from here on out, you'll probably see more in this blog about health. I plan on sharing some healthy recipes for sure! And of course, I will continue to blog about my number one passion in life: art.

It feels good to be 26. Cheers to all the other April birthdays out there!

Recycled Cardboard Jewelry Cards

I've been working on some recycled jewelry cards/holders for the upcoming Dunwoody Art Festival this May 7th and 8th. Jewelry cards make it a lot easier to keep track of your inventory, because you are looking out for a 2 1/2 inch to 3 1/2 inch card instead of a tiny little trinket that can easily get misplaced. I find the benefits are really worth the effort put into making these, esp. since they are recycled and help with branding.

I make mine out of recycled cereal/frozen pizza/cracker boxes. Any type of thin cardboard will do. I use a papercutter to cut them into uniform sizes, fold them over, staple them, and personalize them with handmade stamps.

The cards shown here are still in progress. The final step is punching holes through the cardboard, so that necklaces can be put through them or earrings hung on them. The hole punching part is not necessary, though.

I hand-carved my stamps from a tree design that I've been wanting to use as a logo for a while now. I learned stamp carving and basic printmaking in college, but you can find a really awesome hand carved stamp tutorial at Geninne's Art Blog.

Some views of the recycled-ness, from the side. I choose to fold my cardboard over for a more uniform look, but you could always let the print show through. Customers usually really appreciate that they are reused.

When I have some more time I plan on posting a full tutorial on this if anyone is interested.

Cherokee National Forest

Daniel and I got out with the dogs this weekend for some much needed sunshine and fresh air! Here are some photos I snapped of the forest floor. Spring is well on its way!