Sharing Sunday : A Faviortie and a Wonderful find.

Happy Sunday to you all.

I cant believe its Sunday already where did our long weekend go? but let me say I'm grateful we didn't get snow, unlike my homeland that did. It makes a change its normally me screaming about snow instead this weekend its my UK friends post all over Face Book that they have snow.

Sharing Sunday, I love doing this post cause it means I have the perfect excuse for finding Stores and Artists to share instead of feeling guilty cause I'm spending to much time scrolling through stuff.

So My first fine ..... (yes that's right I have two for you today, I just couldn't pick between them both)

A Life Through The Lens, my dear friend Kristi, a true inspiration to me in more ways than one.
Her work draws me in and I hope it will you to as she has a fabulous sale on for the next two weeks buy one get one free.

This is what Kristi says about herself and her work

I capture life's little moments through photography. Photography helps me slow down and look for details that I otherwise might miss. I feel most alive when I am creating & sharing things of beauty. I believe Aaron Siskind best describes how I feel about photography perfectly, “Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”

I'm a self-taught photographer; constantly growing and learning. I find inspiration from my children, nature, the simple things, soft colors, natural light, quotes and life.
 
I want to share with you the print that sits above our bookcase, it use to sit in Bops room but it looks better above our bookcase so I stole it from her.

If you look closely you can read the names of all the books and I just love that

 

This print is in the shop at the moment and I'm ordering one. I love the texture of it and the color theme will look wonderful in my kitchen

Along with 

So pop on over to A Life Through The Lens

and then go show her some love at her blog she does some wonderful tutorials

Life Through The Lens Photography 

The next Artist is

Teconlene - Le Petit Monde-

An Illustrate with so much talent I was pulled in and didn't come out I scrolled through her entire shop with lots of ohhhhh and arrrrrrs going on ....

The name of the Artist is Sara and she lives in Madrid ... a wonderful part of the world, many a drink drank in Madrid in my miss spend youth, but that's another story.

Here is what Sara has to say about herself and her work.

This is the corner where the Little World take its place.

Hello! My name is Sara Olmos, I work doing what I love: playing with images and ideas in order to gear them and transform them in small visual puzzles. I am a graphic designer and that is the way I face my work: searching for each project the solution that fits the best. A few years ago I started to look through a camera lens and I discovered that it allowed me, in an immediately way, to communicate my particular vision of the world, where the objects and the small things are filled with live and look at me in such way that it is impossible to deny them a photo.
Recently I have also begun exploring my illustrative side, where I let the fantasy govern and search new forms of expression.
Nowadays I am developing a series of illustrations called "le petit monde" (little world) inhabited by characters who interact with objects with a different scale finding in its relation new meanings.

So now let me blow you away

I'm leaving hints around the house as to what I would like for Christmas, not sure its going to work but if I was to post my husbands email address do you think you could all lead him this way please ..... 

and this way .....

This draws me in to a place that I know I could get lost in 

Sara also makes brooches which are totally adorable and she also has some Christmas cards

here are a few of them that are in her shop at the moment

How wonderful would these be to wish a friend a happy Holiday totally adorable.

Her shop address is Teconlene

and her blog address is Caleidoscopio 

Her blog maybe all in Spanish but trust me the photo's she posts are to die for and it will give you an insight into her wonderful colorful world.....

I hope you have enjoyed this Sunday Sharing and if you have something that has inspired you this week please leave me a comment and a link I love to see what inspires others.

Have a wonderful week people.

This week Im Grateful for : A Roof over my head.

(Photo credits)

So The day after Thanks Giving, the day after we proclaim what we are Thankful for.
We had a pretty awesome day I have to say, I was dreading it, we all went to my brother in laws house 22 of us.
Yes I did type 22 .... 22 people for dinner, 22 people to cook for, 22 people to talk to.

My problem with 22 people was, I wasn't sure how the children would cope, its been known in the past that in a situation of a large crowd they sabotage .... even if its family and friends. but you will be pleased to know they behaved, they did awesome ....

So there is number one I'm grateful.... Grateful my children behaved like fairly normal children, and there manners were whoa blow mommy away and give her a drink ........

Number two comes in the form of my brother in law and sister in law...... there is no way I would have cooked for that amount of people...but they did it and it was yummy ..... perfect hosts .....

And number three, you hear stories when your all together, and as much as you many not know the whole story or why something has happened, it makes you think about your own like, we found out yesterday someone had lost their house and had to move from a 3 bedroom house to a two bed apartment, why?
I don't have full details, but I am grateful today for what we do have, it might not be much but we keep her heads above the water line and live a comfortable life.... I am truly grateful for that.

So today I am Grateful for my children... they did awesome .... good food and the people who are prepared to cook it and the roof over my head.... on and my wood stove... we work up this morning to freezing rain.... and its very cold.

What are you grateful for this weekend ... Come join in the fun and hop over to Maxabella Loves and link up with her weekly.

Thankful ......

 Thank you for the The Notebook Doodles for this Doodle.

Happy Thanks Giving to all my friends in blog land ......  you are all a blessing and are truely appricated.

The Mystery behind each of us!

(Image Credits)

What draws you to a blog?

Is it the name that pulls you in?

The subjects that a person write about?

Is it that they have something in common with you and you feel a connection ?

Or is it that plain old mystery of who is this person what are they about and where are they coming from?

Each of us has a story to tell, we all come from a place of mystery when we start to write.

In this day and age I think people are draw to a good story, there is so much sadness in the world, that each and everyone of us wants something that feels good and brings a smile.

I am all for a good story, I believe that each and anyone of us is capable of writing one and delivering it to the public, big, small, wrote here, wrote there.

The thing I look at is the mystery, lets us all consider the power of our own mystery for one second or long if you wish.

Lets throw some garlic around our necks and go digging in our own back yards for that suspense that surrounds us all.

Did you know that your everyday words and rantings are gripping to someone out there in this place we call the world wide web, its something that has them coming back day after day for something more then they received the day before.

So where does it all begin .... I believe right here....

Because believe it or not ....

Your words are heavy shrouded in suggestions, they conjure up a chapter  from a romantic novel, and ideal world, a place where people want to belong.

But do we use it?

Where do you sit when you write or do you stand?, at what time of the day do you decide what you will write about on that giving day?, what happened to make you chose that subject?

What do you hear as your write, is there a window, what surrounds you see? what interrupts you?.

These are all questions a reader will think when reading something you wrote I believe, its human nature to think outside the blog so to speak. To look beyond the written word, and to create a story to match the smiling faces.

So the thing is this.... if you where to have to much detail about that person would it still bring you back each day?

Do you leave room for that mystery to develop, the things that have us running towards the mystery are not the same as the things that send us screaming the other way.

That song that played over and over again to the point where you knew the words by heart did not draw you back the next day ...No you avoid it, but the song that plays once and lifts your spirits is the song you desperately tried to find the next day.

Its the song that may repeat in our heads but we don't remember all the words, we need the words, we want them and we will find them.

I often think about the "Who Done" it novel of life... who started you on this crazy trip, and why did you follow through with it, was it something you did openly to begin with or where you a top secret agent working in the dead of night to achieve that something that would draw people towards you.

Its also that sense of belonging, that keeps us here. Or brings us back.

That part of something bigger and better, that is nurtured and nourished.
The whisper on the winds.
The silent voice.
The fostering of an idea.
The place of belonging.
And the friends that we make along the way.

Its the mystery of the creative face behind the words
The closed door we all want to open.

Has Anyone Seen My Son?

(photo credit)

So there is a boy who lives in the same house as me, he's helpful and kind, just like any other kids I know.

He looks after his sister and helps me with the animals we have. He will wash up with his dad at night, and his bed is always made.

He picks up his toys when asked and does his homework with out any fuss.

He is full of cuddles, and has a joy about him that is pleasant to be around.

So has anyone lost a child lately cause this isn't the same boy who used to live here a month ago.

I'm not complaining .... I'm rejoicing ...
We seemed to have turned a corner with Bip and I'm just praying it lasts.

Sharing Sunday : this is my hopeful world.

As some of you know I stopped blogging for a while, lets just say my brain went on vacation.

The one thing I didnt stop doing was searching out Artists that inspire me. I have this creative bone and it bugs me daily, to the point where if I allowed this bone to take control of me nothing else would get done so a lot of the time I try to ignored, which I know isnt always a good thing but the ironing needs to be done cause I cant have kids walking around in creased up clothes.

So to help compensate for this bone I have decided that Sundays is my day for sharing the one thing that has inspired me this week.

If any of you would like to join me in this then by all means feel free .... just leave a comment saying what inspired you this week with a link if there is one, if enough people joined in we could set this up with a complete linky .....who knows

So sharing Sunday this week  .... just the name of this Shop on Etsy had my attention not sure how I ened up here but Im glad I found it. I have a habit of reading profiles call me a stalker I don't care.

So here are some detail about this Artist: and the store on Etsy:

The Store:
my name is jen lemen. this is my experiment in sharing profits from my art with my friends here and around the world. i'm operating this shop as a cooperative with a small circle of friends. what we learn here will help create hopeful world, a digital publishing platform designed to fuel and fund global leaders with brilliant ideas, new economic models and wisdom for the world at large.
(just that on its own would be enough for me to wnat to spread the word about this person and her friends)

This is what Jen has to say about herself 
I'm messy, hopeful, enthusiastic and helplessly in love with the idea that stories can change you and me forever.
(I have to say this I totally agree with, some of your stories change me daily)

Wow she had me hooked ... words can speak volumes to ones soul ecsspecially when one is trying to change a story ... which most of you know I am.

I emailed Jen and asked if I could share her work and she said  "of course! i would be honored."

So her art work ... it blows me away and inspires me all at the same time.....
Come see for yourself.

This one totally inspired my kindness post

This one helped me look at Bip and Bop and believe they can move on from where they are with RAD

Words speak volumes to me here.... I can do this and I will

The light at the end of the tunnel for me

So a big thank you to Jen for letting me share what has inspired me this week.

If Jen's work inspires you then please go show her some love.

Her store on etsy can be found here  thisismyhopefulworld

and her blog address is  jenlemen.com

Now your turn whats inspired you this week?

Fancy Pants: Not So Fancy

So I said I would join Kymmie over at A day in the Life of Us in her linky Fancy Pants

( I think the title speaks for its self no explanation needed)  .... ye I really should think before I type.... its Saturday here and not a day to get fancy that's for sure ..... its a work day and today we are moving core wood .... which my wonderful husband borough home from work last night .... I'm so in love with our wood stove right now cause its so cold and windy oh did I mention snow flurries yesterday .... that we need all the wood we can get....

The wood stove makes me feel cozy and totally uncivilized cause its so not the norm to me.... open fire yes I grow up with them but wood stove  no...but I do love it, it also comes in hand when you have a power loss and you cant cook ... ye that's right you can cook on them...awesome ...


So back to Fancy Pants ..... or in my case not so Fancy Pants ... so here is Bip and Bop all dressed up in their not so finest .....

I think If I'm going to do Fancy Pants we need to organizes ourselves and take a photo on a Sunday and upload the following Saturday to be honest that's the only day we get dressed up around here.

This week Im Grateful for : 13 Reasons for the Things Im Thankful For

(Art work credited to myself)

So its just under a week until thanks giving.

I have always found this time of year hard for many reasons, one being I'm not an American and as its an American Holiday not something we practice in the UK I use to find it very overwhelming here I am giving thanks and what am I thankful for...leaving my family behind, my job, my life etc etc ..... whoa sounds pretty sad huh... well to be honest that's a bit how I use to feel at times.


My life here was no better, in fact at times worse and without going into detail, I use to think I would be better of going back from where I came from.

I would then look at my husband , him being the main reason I was here and think no I would miss him far to much to make any of it worth while.

I'm very good at just going along with things, if you looked at me you would never know I was totally out of sorts and was not enjoying myself ... I paint a good face.

But this year I have decided Thanks Giving is something I am going to enjoy, if it kills me.
The week leading up to it the kids are always excited its a bit like Christmas but without the presents, I thinks its because they know Christmas is a month away and so they begin to get excited.
So we talk about what we are thankful for and in the past years its been stuff like My Toys, My Doll, My Lego.

Nothing to write home about, and I understand why they have always thought like this, and I don't blame them.... its down to us the adults to teach thankfulness ..... so I have begun doing just that and this years when they are asked I just know they will blow everyone way.

Tonight I will share my list with them and give them reasons why I'm thankful for these things.

So here is my list and the reasons behind them

1: Family:  Without family who are we, we don't belong if we don't have family. and belonging is important because it teaches us who we are, not only as individuals but as part of a unit.

2: Relationships: They connect us to people. . People in a relationship tend to influence each other, share their thoughts and feelings, and engage in activities together. Relationships are important to our growth as human begins.

3: Children:  A prayer answered, a dream come true, lesson taught a lesson learned, they hold the future mine and yours.

4: Home: There are many people that don't have what I have, and as much as I don't have a lot I have more than others, and I'm grateful for that. Its the roof over my head that keeps me dry its the foundations under my feet that keep me grounded, its the place where we join together and call Home.

5: Friends: I miss some of them but I know they are still there and if I need them they are only a phone call an email a text message away. The ones I can see I give thanks for cause they are all new relationships that are growing and blossoming in so many different ways, and then there is the friendships that have developed just from doing what I'm doing now blogging, they are precious friendships in more ways than one cause they are build purely on communication and trust.

6: My Son: I see this child in such a positive light these days, he has grown into such a caring child over the last 3 years.... He isn't without his ups and downs he still does the RADdy stuff he use to do but its now not as often ..... he is a delight to be around with such a gentle caring spirit and he loves his mommy that's for sure.

7: My Daughter: What a character, she has the ability to make you smile even when your angry at her, its the cuteness that enables her to get away with it all ...... she is loving and kind and always wants to take care of younger children, but not in a dominate way ..... she has grown so much over the summer and I now see that she has come along way. 

8: Smiles: They can brighten a day, make a sad moment happy and bring joy .... I once meet a child from Romania who didn't smile, she didn't know how to she had not seen anyone smile at her so she didn't know how or what a smile was, so when I see people smile I often thing about this little girl and wonder did she ever learn. How lucky we are that we can smile and know the importance of a smile.

9: My Health : We take it for granted and its not until something goes wrong do  we realize that we should have looked after ourselves more, and that's when we change it ...and pray its not to late to do so.I have made many changes in how I look after myself...and there is a few more to come.

10: Food : I'm thankful for the food we have on our table..... I spend sometime in Uganda and I have seen hunger ...... Ive seen the pain it brings and the sadness it leaves behind. It can break even the strongest of men and kill the weakest of children. Its something as a nation we need to wipe out every human has the right to a basic meal at lest twice a day. I try to teach my children how lucky and fortunate they are that they get three good meals a day and snacks in between.

11: Freedom : I have freedom to write this, I have freedom to go to church without having to do it in secret, I have freedom of speech and I have freedom because someone out there tonight is fighting for MY freedom.

12: Strength : The strength to over come all that I find hard.

13: Love : The one thing we all crave is love, in comes in many forms but by basic human instinct that's what we were made for to give and receive love. They say it makes the world go round.
I'm thankful that I found love in the form of my husband who works hard so we can have the things we have, and so we can do the things we do.....His love for us as a family shines through everyday and for that I am so very thankful.

And I'm stopping on 13 cause I'm not superstitious.

This post is being linked up to This Week I'm Grateful for at Maxabella Loves 

Kindness

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.

Mark Twain

I have been thinking a lot lately about kindness and why it matters.... why its important to us as human beings, and how good we feel after receiving or producing an act of kindness.

I know as a mother how important it is to teach kindness especially to two children who maybe have never really understood kindness before and the true meaning behind the act of it, because to them just getting what they want and how they want it is whats important.

Different acts of Kindness matter in different communities, but really at the end of a hard long drawn out day each and every act of kindness is the same and it produces the same.

Someone somewhere benefits from that act and you (if your the one doing the producing) feel good about what you did for someone else.

Today we live in a world that is all to ready to grab what it can, to benefit its self, to profit from self righteous attitudes and to grab what it can when it can and not look back to see what a trail of disruption its left in its path.

Is this the way we want our children to grow ..... to live their future out ..... I'm guessing no, cause really on a personal note none of you come across as being like that.

But there are people out there who wouldn't even know what a kind act was if it came and hit them smack down square in the face. Why well maybe because they have never produced and act of kindness in their life's because no one every showed them kindness. 

So how do we change that ?

I don't have all the answers all I know is when I receive or give kindness it makes me feel good not in a self righteous "Look at me" type way but in a way that I know I have either put a smile on someones face or that someone was thinking about me.

Think about this for one moment ...... and think about how kindness makes you feel.

It doesn't matter if you receive it or give it, how does it make you feel.

Now here is the hard part, now think how you are going to spread the kindness.

I'm going to point out some acts of kindness Ive received lately and this may help you a little

I stopped blogging for two months someone was very concerned here in blog land and let it be known once I found out about their concern oh boy how touched did her concern make me feel .... that's kindness right there smacked down pulled together kindness ....
So is there a blogger that you haven't seen a post  form for sometime?.... go see if you can find an email address for them or just leave them a message asking if their alright.

Ask a neighbor if they need a ride somewhere..... maybe they cant get out because they don't have a car ... but you do, and it may not even be out of your way to take them to the post office or the grocery store ...and if it is just know that your doing an act of kindness and that person will be truly grateful.... (by the way Maria I know you will read this so thanks for the lift ride today)


There are many ways and I'm pretty sure you can thing of some yourself to show kindness to someone today

One of my favorite sits here in blog land is Kind over matter.

They focus on the handmade community which I know many of you are involved in or just plain old love,
well they are worth a visit and worth a vote..... yes that's right vote ... they have entered the Pepsi refresh project their aim is to help independent artists while promoting kindness and positivity

There is one act of kindness that wont take you long to do .....

You can find the vote button on the right hand side of their blog.


I would love to hear about your act of kindness, doesn't matter if you gave or received .... its a way to encourage others ...and lets be honest we all need that from time to time .

Flogging my Blog on a Thursday for the first time in months for Flog Yo Blog Friday over at

Random Ramblings of a SAHM.

Come join the fun 

And So She's Back..... but its not from outerspace.

Ye that's right I'm back, where have I been.... Well Ive been here but in someways Ive not ....

I wouldn't for one moment say Ive been depressed but then again I wouldn't say Ive been myself....

Lack of motivation might be a good excuses but then again an even better excuses would be the inability to cope.
Cope with anything to be honest ....... Since my parent went back to England I have found life strangely difficult .....

I have been thinking about my past and all my hopes and dreams ... the things I wanted in my life the things I didn't want.....

Ive then looked at my future and where before I was scared and let me tell it has looked very scary at times, I'm not any more.

The whole reason it all looked so scary was mainly because the things I wanted I now have but not in a way I wanted them...does that make sense.

No?

Well let me explain.

At 24 years of age I was diagnosed as pre menopausal ..... and that's when my life took on some strange twists and turns ......

I had always wanted children, I think most people do its human nature to want what society says we as women should have .......

Well some 20 years go that's how it felt, and to a degree it does still feel like that most women are proud of being pregnant and birthing children its an ability that men don't have its something that you women can now a days do by yourself .....

Well not totally by yourself but you know what I mean ....

What I mean is all you really need now a days is a sperm bank and a turkey baster and your all set ... well most of you are ...

Me I'm not all set and never will be and that's fine well now a days it is cause my life took on a different turn I prayed for what I have today.

I prayed for two children and boy and a girl and yes I got just that...what I forgot to add to it all was that I would like a fairly normal parenting experience..... ye I left out some of the finer details and I truly believe because I left them out I didn't get them ...

So what did I get.

Well I got a pretty awesome husband, whom I am totally grateful for and love to bits.
The man is selfless in so many ways and for that I know I am truly bless.

I also go two beautiful children whom again I am most of the time grateful for. I am thankful that their birth mom had the ability to give birth to them.

I'm thankful that they love me in their own way.

The one thing I'm not sure I'm thankful for is RAD, I mean who in their right mind would be ......
I'm not thankful for wet beds smelly diapers rages for pointless reasons ...having to explain to people why they act like they do....... or what they have done, and so on and so on, just to name a few reasons why I'm so not thankful for it all

But I have come to the point where I know I have to move on from the gossip and this need to explain them and myself..... and be grateful that its just RAD and not a life threatening illness like cancer ....... To move on from the feeling overwhelmed with it al and see it all for what it is ...... and to belive that at some point that light at the end of the tuneel with shine.

Im also thankful for people like Maxabella who has been on my case so I see now to where I am.... I am sorry and please forgive me it was not my intention to worry anyone..... one email coming your way ..... precious lady that you are.

So the future what does it hold.... well it holds me puling my stuff back together and moving on .... It holds a furture project that I will be shareing very soon.

It holds me not going off again without warning and making people worry .

It also holds me looking toward the end of that tunnel ...and seeing a brighter light.

So the lesson Ive learnt here is...... never take life for granted, it could be ten times worse than what it seems right now.