Second Trip to Arizona - Arizona Diamondbacks Game

This is my second trip to Arizona with only a month in between visits. The weather continues to be horrid winter snow back home so I am thankful for this blessing of being able to show my hubby and boys Arizona. The weather has been awesome for me ~ not so awesome for hubby as he is broken out in thick hives all over the front of his upper body from the heat/sun. I didn't think of his allergic reaction to the sun when I booked the flights (it completely slipped my mind), all I was thinking is that I really need to get out of all this winter as over six months of it was driving me insane. I feel like such a heel that hubby is all broken out but he is being really good about it and is quite the trooper.
So far this trip we have had a blast at the mall going to a huge arcade and playing games one afternoon where the boys both earned awesome prizes from their tickets; we have had a great time in the pool here at the condo; went to a fabulous restaurant called Camajones with incredible decor from horses (literally) hanging from the ceiling to beautiful art work that I couldn't even explain if I wanted to. A definite must if you ever go to Scottsdale. We have taken some scenic drives up near the mountains and went for a walk in the desert at Lost Dog Trails and saw the most amazing mexican style mansions.
Randy's sister Pat and her daughter Veronica came for dinner lastnight and we all went for a lovely 'old style mexican' meal. The boys chatted them up throughout the meal all the way to dessert! It was so wonderful to see them as it has been a few years now. Pat has been so wonderful with allowing us to stay in the condo and the amazing Diamondback seats that were directly behind the batting mound (?), with access to a private lounge, bathrooms and valet parking! We have never experienced these things before!
I am still taking in all the beautiful mexican architecture and design around me wherever we go ~ I think I appreciate it much more than my hubby or the boys. lol. I don't get to hear all the spanish music and such because they don't like listening to music that they can't understand - LOL. I think next time I come it will be with a girlfriend of mine like the first trip. It's still such an amazing place to visit and we have all really enjoyed ourselves.
Happy creating!
Kelly

Bling on my Fing's!

I got my nails done yesterday and Daniv, my nail lady, put some 'bling-on-my-fing's'! I first saw this from my girlfriend Nancy who had her's done like this but I didn't do it right away. I only get my nails done when I go on vacation ~ it's a nice treat!
Daniv has her nail tips done in glitter silver and it looks awesome! I love finding new ways to be feminine!
Happy creating!
Kelly

Laughter Journal Entry

I have been trying really hard to be less stressed lately... so... I have found myself turning to my art journaling more. I don't really know why I have been stressed out I mean I am off on vacation in a few days to Arizona ~ my most recent favorite place in the world!... so what's all the stress about? It's really silly because I should be relying on God to help take my stress away right? Oy vay! I hate it (but love it) when I learn from myself what I should be doing! lol.

So... the journal entries... a flyer came in the mail with all these movie titles in it and I decided to cut them all out (my favorite ones) and arrange them on a journal page. My original intent was to show how much I love movies and I was going to glue all my movie ticket stubs on the page, but now I can't find them so I was only able to put the last movie I saw on the page~ Fast and Furious - awesome movie!

The next page I posted was one that I had done a few months back but just now found it in my journaling supplies. I guess I was in a black/white mood as I tended to be a few months ago. I also think I was feeling in a feminine mood as well wanting to portray the beauty of being feminine. Sometimes I will just start drawing and not know what it is that I am feeling until I am finished the page. That is a great feeling ~ finishing a page, looking back on it and then realizing the mood I was in.

The third post is one I finished today. LAUGHTER ~ what a great blessing laughter is. In fact I wish I could laugh right now and relieve some pent up stress! Quick someone call me and make me laugh will you??? lol. There's a "cyber-laugh" ~ not quite as relieving as the real thing though! If you enlarge the picture by double-clicking on it you can read why I chose to write on laughter.

Enjoy and Happy Creating ~ don't forget to leave your comment. Cheers.

Kelly

Just Had To Journal Entry Today

Is today Monday? I hadn't noticed! Ya right! First I continued to forget things from upstairs to bring downstairs to get ready to leave for work, then I couldn't find my shoes, then when I got to work I realized I hadn't brought my glasses for the computer (glare protection for headaches)... IT IS DEFINITELY MONDAY!!!! LOL. I can laugh now that it's almost over. I was consistent today in that my frustration just grew and grew. I think I am stressed inside because my (12 year old) baby is off to "Outdoor School" for the first time tomorrow for three days. We have never let him go on his own before, we have always gone as counsellors during the summers. It was really hard to hold back on the "Mommying" - my hubby wouldn't even let me pack up his stuff because I was going overboard with things I thought he might need to take. I just want him to be prepared "in-case" any scenario may arise where he is trapped for a month inside of a cave without any way of warmth or food! What's wrong with that? I am supposed to be okay with just letting him go without even looking in his bag??? Yikes - I think I may need to take a sleeping pill tonight! I obviously didn't read the Mummy Manual chapter on "Letting Them Grow Up"!

Okay... so the above is the reason for my journal entry today. I needed to do something with my hands and I wanted it to look pretty so not to be just a negative venting page. I used a blank white sheet of drawing paper. Spritzed it with different colors of glitter mist by Adirondak. Used my new brayer to roll out some of the spray in different directions. Dropped drops of alcohol ink (Tim Holtz) and brayed again though it didn't spread but more soaked into the paper. I layered three different colored sheets of scrap paper. Then I cut out a flower from another sheet of paper and used mounting squares to raise the surfaces. I then used my new Chalk writer to outline the drops of alcohol ink in white. I used self leveling gel to create a glossy texture over top of the flowers at the bottom. The button on the lower right corner of the page I found on the road the other day. I have discovered that I am a 'packrat' like my Dad and tend to pick up things off the ground that I can use in my journals. This button worked perfectly as I colored it with my copic marker to the same color I used to journal with. Even though this page is actually a "venting" page ~ it doesn't feel like one because I have 'prettied' it up a bit with all the creative tid bits!
I hope you like it!
Happy Creating Everyone!
Kelly

Living Hands Journal Entry

Hands... ahhhhhh... I love drawing hands. They are capable of so much. We feel texture, love, warmth, emotion and so much more with our hands giving and receiving. When I first began art journaling my girlfriend Alice showed me the idea of drawing an outline of your hand and then filling it in with all sorts of things about yourself. My first entry (which you can view at the beginning of this blog site) showed the outline of my hand and I filled it in with pictures of myself as a young adult. Then I filled the page in around it explaining how God had taken me through the journey of discovering how "Vain" I was as a young adult. All my focus at that time was on my 'outer shell' and perfecting it! I used to take five hours to get ready at times! How ridiculous is that? Now I have to snicker because if I try hard I can get ready in 10 minutes now! That page was a healing process and I find that many pages I do are used for that purpose. My art journaling has been a HUGE journey to healing for me. Even looking at this current page and comparing it to my "Vanity" page in the beginning I have realized how much I have grown as a person, as a child of God, as a mother and wife.
I have journaled since I was nine years old and I found that looking back at those journals was very painful because there were many negative, traumatic events in my past that I had recorded in these journals. It was too difficult to read through them, so... in my healing process I made the choice to get rid of them. From that moment on I chose to only do "healing" journal's that showed my journey to healing with the Lord's help. Even if some pages I do are negative they are still useful to me as my journey continues, it helps me to let go of things that have binded me up.
Well, I hope you enjoy this entry. God bless and happy creating.
Kelly

Creative and Positive Energy Journal Page

My journal pages lately have really lacked color. So... I started and finished this journal page full of color and 'Creative and Positive Energy'. I got the saying from a Graffiti book of my son's and have been learning to draw letters 'graffiti' style. I think it's very important to include positive journal entries that are full of color. With 6 months and going... snowy cold weather here in Calgary... it has been really difficult to stay positive with uplifting messages. I have been so depressed because of this weather ~ I have purchased a number of 'journaling' books over the winter searching for any and all inspiration I can get. It hasn't really worked until this page. I am pleased by the outcome, it makes me smile and that means that I have succeeded.
My girlfriend Nancy sent me a wonderful full-of-color blog link the other day and I want to pass on this link to you. www.ilikemarkers.blogspot.com On this site you will find some amazing Copic Marker tips and demonstrations. If you love copics, this is the site you need to visit!
Well, Happy Friday everyone! Happy Creating!
Kelly