Wednesday Words

Here's a peek at my words flowing on to paper…

(there's no order, rim or reason, I write when feeling inspired to release)

keep your head up

keep your heart strong

some people have to walk through things in life to feel, experience Gods presence in their life. Going, doing, being, being around people pumps His spirit inside them allowing them to fully come alive in Him to bring full glory to Him for the works in their life…

there comes a point and time in your life you have to listen to the talk between you and God and let others voices of disaster fade to a non existence sound way in the background while you walk bold, loud holding a very confident heart knowing all the places He has had you walk over the course of your life this far… #bebrave #washthenegativetalkout

looking back at pictures from a fast pace event holds so many precious moments still in that unforgettable moment for a life time #takepictures

there was appoint in my life when I saw every ones art, life, better than mine until the day many of roads later He revealed to me the beauty He had and was placing in my life preparing me to release it to the world bringing me fully alive in Him #clapclap

Brown Bag Placemates DIY

This project turned out to be more then I had anticipated. One day leaving the grocery store, after using the self check, I saw brown bags laying on the self above the self check out machine. I grabbed four brown bags with the intent of using them for an art project. Sticking them back for the perfect day. 

Mother came out one Friday. Friday's this summer have been classified as fun Friday here at the Murphy Lodge. So what a better day than to pull the brown bags out. I told mother and my youngest daughter, my oldest daughter was at work, we were going to do a simple paint project. I ran up stairs to my art studio grabbing a few paints ect., there's a supply list below. Returning to the kitchen area, mother doesn't do well on stairs, I placed a paint cloth over my round kitchen table. 

Instructing them to use the paint with their finger tips painting different colored squares all over the brown bag. No certain order and no certain amount of squares, just paint! 

A few moans and groans later, I always seem to get those when I suggest us do an art project, the paint was dry. We then out lined the squares doodling a little here and there with a sharpie and a white out pen. 

This project was clearly intended to be a passer by of time merely painting abstract on a brown grocery bag. Once we were "all finished", I proceed to clean our mess up by taking up the paint cloth. I instantly laid the bags back on the table telling mother she needed to take hers home. When I looked back at the table once the cloth was gone with the bags laying back in their exact places we worked on them it hit me "those look like place mates". Mother was walking by quickly blurting out the same thing.

So there you go a project turned out to be more than one could anticipate. 

Place mates made out of brown grocery bags!

Truly a diy project #brownbagplacemates

Above: before                     Below: after

My older daughter days later painted hers to complete the four. They are still on my table. I'll keep them for a while longer. My youngest tried to take hers up, turning it over, anything to get me to get rid of it. I think they are cute adding extreme playful color to the room. The center piece belonged to my grandmother. She made it years ago along with many, many other ceramics. 

Supplies:

Brown paper bag from local grocery

any 5 paint colors 

I used

lavender

turquoise 

lime green

grey

yellow

a white out pen

a black sharpie

(mine)

Have you created a brown bag place mate before?

What I am watching...

My kids tend to watch tv series on Netflix these days where it used to be dvd'. Not being a big tv person I've really never fell on that bandwagon. Until this summer, I was actually catching up on a few missed episodes of the Bachelorette this season with Andi Dorfman (I think tonight is the final rose we will see). The Bachelor and the Bachelorette are like the only shows I've watched in ten years. Okay, and American Idol. Kids will do that to you and you just get used to it. It becomes your new way of life realizing what you can really do without, tv. By watching the episodes on the abc app, I was able to get up to speed. 

Along with Mistresses, which airs right after the Bachelorette on Monday nights, I know both of these shows have way to many making out scenes. But the story lines are great and sure beats the Orange is the new Black series on Netflix. Blah! No human should be watching that show…

 Once I was fully caught up on those two shows, I was looking for something else because I kinda enjoyed that entertainment of wearing my cute little pink sony earplugs watching a show blocking the outside world out, me time. I like to be fully engaged watching and hearing every little bit. The ear plugs did the trick. I glanced at a few other tv series like Heart of Dixie and The Glades both a no go. It takes a lot to pull me in whether it's reading a book or watching a show. I've always been like that…

Moving on from Netflix I jumped on to Amazon Prime app, that's where I found the tv series Suits. For this little southern girl it did the trick. It kinda keeps you on your toes up close and personal on serious matters among a law firm along with the relationships between co workers. It kinda helped the fact it's filmed in New York City. We traveled to New York City this summer, actually a week ago, for my oldest daughters graduation gift. We had a blast, a lot of people but a lot of fun. 

Suits airs on USA Network and is currently in the fourth season. 

I am only on season three. Actually I could finish it up in no time and be caught up but I really don't want to because then I wouldn't have much to look forward to through out the week. And dragging out what's going to happen next is so amazing. The suspension keeps it real!   

Guess you can say I am getting my tv life back… #thereshope

Read more on the tv series Suits… 

Have you watched Suits before?

What tv series are you watching?

Have you been to New York?

Flipping pages

My mom always saves the wedding issue of the
Mississippi magazine and this year she brought it
to me about the time my oldest daughter was graduating
form high school. So I am just now getting to it.

 Flipping through the pages makes me think of all the weddings 

I photographed over a course of ten years, the people I met,
the experiences I had and the lives that touched me
as well as me touching theirs.

Saying all that confirms I miss photographing weddings, 

I miss those times but I am also very thankful
for where I am at in my life. Times move on
and we have to go with it to receive

 the next set of blesses that await us.

As I continue to flip it makes me think of each 

of the precious young couples and what life will 

bring them during their married life. I pray for each 

of them as well as anyone entering into married life as well 

as those long timers. May God protect your marriage…

Christmas in July

Baby it's cold outside, not hardly! 

In good ole Mississippi we've been ranking 

in 85-100° weather. Like today is 85° only because 

it's cloudy. Yesterday was 88° with humidity at 90%.

I am bringing you a goodie for some 

Summer cheer what a treat for this time of year, 

right, Christmas in July. 

Above you will see I have my matte Mod Podge out along with my 

folk art vintage white acrylic paint. I covered a 

10x10 gallery wrap canvas with paper scrapes 

using the Mod Podge coming in behind 

with the vintage white paint. I smeared it all along 

the edges of the canvas touching the edges 

of the papers as well as lightly brushing

over the papers themselves. 

I used a piece of burlap painted a goldish brown color 

for the trunk of the tree created. Using book pages 

I rolled them and Mod Podge them in what looked to be 

the perfect place to start the base of the tree. 

Using an old piece of cardboard I penciled a 

star shape on the back and cut it out with scissors 

from my art table. Mod Podge was then placed 

on the back while I positioned it with the 

ridges of the cardboard facing foreword. 

This can be seen in picture below.

Once the Mod Podge dried I knew ornaments would be place
throughout the tree. During the drying process, 

I gathered the papers I'd use to cut 

small circles to use as the ornaments.

When I picked the paper I went 

with my best judgement of how I wanted the tree to feel and look, not 

every ones will look like mine, nor the persons next to you. I believe

this is very critical to remember when creating anything whether it 

be a meal, a wreath, a living room setting, an outfit etc. Be confident

in your work, your art regards what your working on. It's taking 

me years to come to those terms, but mine doesn't look like 

theirs. It's not intended to. It's what makes it yours. 

And that's very special…

After Mod Podging the ornaments in place, 

 see them above, I used bubble wrap. 

I love me some bubble wrap. 

Maybe I should bubble wrap a room… 

I used Americans cherry red on the edges 

of the canvas. 

I even smeared some on the front edges, see further below, 

with my finger where I continued using a blue and 

a dark brown going for a vintage look. 

I worked on this process 

until the picture felt complete. The more you create the more you 

will learn what that feeling feels like. I've even passed that feeling

before while creating and had to wait awhile longer until I reached

another moment in my creating process 

for it to feel complete 

once again. 

I used a black sharpie or black paint pen, can't remember,
both will work great, to write "have yourself a Merry little 

Christmas this year". That's something else I love about the 

creative process start with the supplies you have 

on hand before you plunge into spending

tons of money. 

Green paint and marker was added to the book pages, tree,

as well as the start was paint with hints of bright yellow.

I used this as a teacher gift for my 

daughters teacher one year. The plate stand was purchased 

from Hobby Lobby.

I love this look.

Pen Pal #youvegotmail

What it means to have a pen pal…

This day and age we live in a world with all the
social media. It's easy to find that instant friendship,
but reverting back to the good ole pen pal
system is so rewarding.

It's like recycling

 reading & writing  skills

good hand writing

promotes patience

joy of anticipation 

true friendship bonding

development of social skills

teaches responsibility 

oppurtunity to talk about hobbies, interests

geography-study where your pen pal lives

interviewing skills- asking your pen pal questions

art- include a piece of your artwork

wether it be doodle, drawing, small 

painting, a song you wrote, a recipe

we are all creative

Are you looking for a pen pal…

Prayer Hanger

Today marks a week since 

a friend of my daughters 

she just graduated high school with

had surgery to drain fluid 

off her brain. 

After an accidental fall 

involving hitting her 

head further testing 

was done revealing the fluid 

on her brain.

In addition to the fluid, a tumor 

was found as well. The tumor is located 

in a position making it non 

removable. 

We went to the hospital the 

day of her surgery. I stood in the hallway

talking to her mother while my 

daughter and another friend 

went in to ICU

to visit her.

Her mother and I briefly 

spoke about the occurring events

of the course of the last week of their lives.

She asked me to be in prayer with 

them the tumor would vanish. 

I firmly felt lead to share with her my feelings 

as well as my prayer. The sudden urge to share was 

my confidence in our ultimate healer. Feeling His presence, 

I felt certain to share with her that upon further 

testing in the further I believe

the tumor will have vanished. 

Be in prayer with me…

I made this little sign 

right before we walked out the door

heading to the hospital.

The cardboard was pre cut by myself sizing 

3x3. I quickly looked in my paper scrap bucket. 

Maps always jump out at me so I grabbed a 

piece. It didn't feel right. It was not of

good sizing for this project. Turning back to 

the paper scrap bucket I saw a larger size 

piece of map. I laid it on the cardboard 

and firmly pressed where I wanted the 

map to be torn. I tore it placing it perfectly in the center 

of the cardboard with a slit amount of cardboard 

exposure all the way around. I used matte decopage to 

securely glueing the map to the cardboard. 

I covered the empty space of cardboard 

with a light turquoise acrylic paint using my finger 

tip. See in the picture below it's dried

on my finger tip.  

I carried this project down stairs out from my studio

bring my bucket of markers. I used a red marker

creating a heart shape largely in the middle of 

the map piece. Doodling around the heart 

with a yellow and placing #pray4ak with a 

black marker in the center of the 

heart.

Topping everything off I used a piece on twine after 

poking two holes in the top of the cardboard with a kitchen knife. 

That's why I came down from the studio. I couldn't find 

my blade I normally use. Hubby's right I craft 

everywhere.

This project was fun, easy and fast. 

Completely honored to make for a great person, 

a great cause. I love this precious girl as if she's my own.

#pray4ak

Funny story to add with this. My daughters other friend

met us at the local grocery. They wanted to run in and get 

flowers along with a card. I waited in the car. When they 

returned my daughter set the flowers in 

the floorboard. I notice they looked different.

I leaned over to touch them. They were artificial!

"Oh honey" I explained "these are artificial". They claimed to 

have been talking while flower shopping not even noticing. Off 

they went back in the store to return the artificial flowers. When they 

returned to the car a beautiful basket of red, white and yellow 

flowers was in my daughters hands. It's was perfect. 

Only they still didn't get a card!

The next time you set off to visit 

someone in the hospital or for any matter 

really consider making a sign for them letting them 

know you are praying for them. 

You save time and money making for a more 

meaning gift they can keep for a life time. 

The sign was hung in her hospital room and 

even made it's way in a collage picture of her 

coming home from the hospital her mother posted on Facebook.

Still praying…

#pray4ak

Bird Feeding

Take that squirrels! 

Last week, I was waiting on my mother to arrive.
She was coming out to spend the day with my
youngest daughter and I.  While I waited on her I got
my bird feeder down from it's hanger.
I could see for the past several days it was in major need
of being filled up. 

The last time I purchased my bird feed, 

Garden Treasures 6 lb single seed,

at Lowes they had this handy 

dandy plastic container at a 

really good price so I grabbed it up. 

It works perfect to place your extra feed in 

for storage. Also the pour out is super easy and easy to handle. 

What I really like most about this feed

is the squirrels don't like it. In fact, it says it on 

the package which is great for where I live. 

Years ago, my husband and kids hung my first 

bird feeder for me on Mother's Day. By the next 

day all the feed was gone. We would fill it up again. 

The next day gone! After researching we found this feed 

at Lowes. It cost more than I'd like to spend but sometimes 

you have to pay for what matters.

Since last summer spray paint became my
new best friend, I took the turquoise spray up on
adding color to my bird feeder. You can see above
how it's chipping away but I kinda like
the look.

Once I filled the feed
and finished up the pictures,
I peeled that annoying sticker off the side
of the container. I left it so you could see the information.

Do you have a bird feeder?
Do you like the color turquoise? 

I'll take it!

My little World Cup lover and me headeding out for 

an afternoon ride on her John deer. Notice

the smoky smudge look to the picture.

My phone was inside while 

we played a game of 

around the world

before heading out. I ran inside to grab my phone.

When I asked if I could take our picture she 

said yes when it's usually a big fat NO!

I took her up on it not caring about the smoky smudge look.

She carried me to the top of our neighborhood as we call it. 

The above picture is the first lake we came to. A

storm was coming up. We actually saw 

a few strikes of lighting out.

Below is the second lake we passed.

Notice that same cloud.

Below is a few little wild flowers I got her to stop 

and let me snap. I downloaded a new photography app,

Afterlight, today using it to edited these pictures. 

I recently took Alisa Burkes the art of blogging class. This app was

suggested in her class. I think I kinda like it…

All of these pictures where taking with my iPhone 5 hope 

you enjoy! 

It's raining now…