Sakura Gelly Roll Pens - So Good!

I fell in love with Sakura Gelly Roll Pens a couple years ago.
I asked my sister to get them for my Christmas present one year.
I love making art with these pens.
The paint just oozes out of them in the perfect amount.
They last a long time too.
They glide easily across the page with little effort.

Plus, there's so many colors to choose from.

I buy them all:

Souffle
Stardust
Metallic
Shadow
Moonlight
Classic

You can buy them at lots of places.

Here's a link:
http://www.gellyroll.com/

Hopefully this week, I will take some photos of some art I made with them and get them posted.

Thanks so much for checking in.

What exactly is doodling?

I can't talk on the phone without doodling.  It's helps me connect to my conversation.  I'm not good at doing multiple things at a time but doodling helps me focus.  It helps me relax.  It gets my creative juices flowing.

What is your go to doodle?  

What do you scribble when you have a fresh piece of paper and a great pen in your hands?  

Start with a bunch of circles.  Fill the page with the circles, shade them, outline them,  and fill them in.

Maybe your doodle is drawing hearts, or writing your name, or the word LOVE.

My doodles always start with a circle and then I make that circle into a flower.  I like all shapes, lines, etc.  

Pattern thrills me!

I encourage you to FIND YOUR DOODLE.

It's good for the brain. 

Author Sunni Brown says doodling enhances our creativity.  

The reason for this is because while doodling we use our brain in 3 different ways.

Visually - we are seeing what we are drawing.

Kinesthetic - we're using our hands to draw.

Auditory - we are processing information by listening to what is being said.

It enhances how we take in information.  I also read that it helps our memory.  If these aren't good reasons to start doodling then I don't know what is.

It's just... fun!

My Favorite Pin Repinned

I pinned this picture a couple of years ago and it is one of the pins that gets repined on a regular basis.


My kitchen has a bay window, and the colors are similar.  I really liked the way this kitchen made me feel while looking at it.
It's comfortable, clean, has some warmth.  I like the round table, fresh flowers. 


I also really like the window treatments.


What's your favorite pin?


Do you use pinterest?


I love it.


You create all kinds of boards.


Last month, I had another Jockey Person to Person party.  What a great time.  I should have wrote a post about all the great clothes I got again for hosting.  It was incredible.  I'm so bummed that Jockey is closing down this division of their company.  I will be on the lookout for another product like it in the future.







Anyways, sorry I got off track.  Here's a board I created on pinterest to inspire me for the party.


https://www.pinterest.com/virginiajbailey/party-tonight/


I do this kind of thing a lot.  The pillows for the couch are something I'm still planning to make for my living room couch. 

I'll keep you posted.


If you haven't signed up with pinterest yet, you might want to.  If you already are, great.  Either way, follow me, so I can find and follow you there too.  I'm always on the look out for new inspiration.

Weekend Sketching and the Movie, The Hundred-Foot Journey.

I love it when I find some time to do a little practice sketching.  This one was done using gel pens. Don't you just adore the way the ink spills out of a these pens? I'm kind of pleased with the way her eyes turned out.  A little disappointed in the ear.  Maybe I should have covered it with her hair?  Oh well, practice, practice.

This was a bible verse from a couple of weeks ago in church.  Jesus was asked by his disciples which is the most important commandment of all.
Ah, interesting question, I thought, so I wrote it down. Who knew I would be using it on some art?  The second most important commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.  If only everyone could do this?  I wonder what our world be like?

Last night, we watched the movie "The Hundred-Foot Journey."  We all were kind of surprised that we really enjoyed it. Watching others embrace their passions is so inspiring.  Yes?

Trailer for The Hundred-Foot Journey

Some Practice Sketching and Working with my Watercolors.

Hello, and thanks for visiting my blog today.  

Some of you are wondering, if I'm ever going to

post some art again.  

Well, I had some nice quiet time over the New Years and started sketching.  

These paintings were inspired by one of my favorite artist, Kelly Rae Roberts.

 www.kellyraeroberts.com 

I love her work and decided to give it a go myself.

Kelly does her girls using mixed media.  

I was relaxing while watching some t.v. so, I just used some watercolor paints and my favorite 

Wite-Out Bic pen.

Here is another one.

What do you think? 

I love Downton Abbey like so many of us.  I'm inspired by the fashion, the sophistication, all of it.

Downton is on my mind while painting these girls.

 I'm really diggin them. 

Maybe I'll make some prints for my etsy store and me.

How I Manage The Winter Blues & Minnesota Hoarfrost

Are you feeling the familiar blahs of winter?  It's dark early, it's too cold do anything outside. It can be a really difficult time for staying upbeat and motivated.

I thought it would be helpful for me to put together a list of things I can do when I get bogged down by a depressing mood.  Maybe it will help you too.

1.  Always have something FUN planned to look forward to. I like to have a trip somewhere warm planned in my near future.  It keeps me going.

2.  Spend time with positive uplifting people.  Go out for dinner with a special friend.

3.  Visit a green house.  I love to do this.  It seems whenever I go to a greenhouse the sun will peek through the clouds, and the whole place lights up.

I soak in the life giving energy from all the green plants. My favorite places to go are: 

Como Zoo

MN Landscape Arboretum

4.  Visit a mall and window shop.  Spending an afternoon in a well lit mall. It almost makes you forget the cold, wet, darkness outside.

5.  Listen to music.  Music is a great way to lift a mood.  Dance around the house, when no one is watching.  My favorite song to dance to is Happy, by Pharrel Williams.

6.  Sit by a fire and read an uplifting romance, or sci-fi whatever it is that takes you to another place.

7.  Watch lots of movies.  I love the way a movie can take your mind off something that is bothering you. At least for a couple of hours.

8.  Go for a walk outside.  I know that this one is tough.  It's the last thing I want to do when it's cold outside.  But, get out there.  Bundle up, and bring a camera phone with you.  Try to take pictures of all that is beautiful about winter. 

9.   Treat yourself to your favorite drink.  Hot chocolate, anyone?

10.  Grin and bear it.

Here are some pictures I captured on a walk a few weeks ago.

The beauty of a Hoarfrost is really spectacular.

Hello

I know, it's been a while since my last post.  2014 was not a good year for me. Last year around this time my mom broke her hip and was also diagnosed with Lung Cancer on Christmas Eve.  

Mom was lucky and got to try a new drug called Tarceva, which seemed like a miracle.  She started to get better and got to go home about a month later.  Everyday, we spent with mom.  Savoring our time together and hoping all would continue to go well.  Those were some wonderful times.  It is a real awakening when you realize someone you love is trying hard to stay alive for you.

Unfortunately, Tarceva comes with some nasty side effects.  Mom handled them well, but soon it was apparent that all was not good.  Mom's cancer was traveling.  There was nothing more to do except pray.

I have never admired someone as much as I do my mom.  Her strength, her love for her family, the many friends of hers who hurt right along with us.  Her faith, and her never give up attitude.  How could she be so strong?  Just thinking of this makes me feel so vulnerable, scared and proud.

Mom went to heaven on September 11th, 2014.  A special day of remembrance for many all around the world.  I miss her every single day.  I talk to her like she can hear me still.  I feel her sometimes cheering me on, and sometimes crying with me.

Writing for the blog, sharing my art all took a back seat.  Mom was my most precious focus.

Today, I struggle to step back into this writing sharing mode again.  It feels good and hard at the same time.  Please understand if I enter it gently, I am changed, different now.  But, I also know that this is what our lost loved ones want from us.  They want us to embrace life and to seek out the beauty and joy of all things that stir us to feel.

I love you forever Mom,

If you would like to see the tribute video that was put together by

my son, Stone Bailey, my daughter Jade Bailey, and

niece Peach Schmidtlien.

Here is the link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbz9T9by7gQ&list=UUAqPfhr29IiQbHsJBhHk7eA

"There is nothing better than a life well lived, so live it well."

P.S. I'll see you again in the New Year.  

Blessings,