On the Road to Serendipity!

photo credit Madelyn Mulvaney
Photo credit Madelyn Mulvaney
I'm on my way to Serendipity so the blog will be quiet for a bit! I've so been looking forward to this little getaway. My long time friend Dana is going with me, so we'll be experiencing a great girls' trip!  Pictures next week!

The Moments: Day 22, Painted Deli Paper

Painted up deli paper on my workbench. #art #artjournaling #painting #color #themomentschallenge

I use deli paper between the pages of my art journal when I'm working in it to try to at least keep a little bit of my mess from getting onto pages I've already finished. I'll reuse a piece until it's pretty much cover and I end up with some pretty neat papers.  I love painted deli paper! This piece has been sitting on my workbench. I actually backprinted a stencil onto it and then painted it. Not sure what I'll do with it as I kinda like it just the way it is!

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October.

The Moments: Day 21, A Little Guitar...

Guitar lessons this evening ... #guitar #music #themomentschallenge

I've been taking guitar lessons for nearly 10 years now. My guitar teacher and I have come to calling my weekly lesson my "once a week supervised practice" because rarely I pick up my guitar unless it's Monday evening. Part of this is just simply lack of time. There's just so much going on once I'm home that it's hard to find time to sit down and play. Another part of this is that I've always had terrible stage fright! Honestly! I've played paino since I was a kid and when I get warmed up, I'm still pretty good, but I rarely play for anyone. My husband has learned that if he sneaks up on me playing, he has to sit in the stairwell and listen so that I don't know he's there. Is that crazy? So since I'm not even anywhere close to being as confident in my guitar skills as I am on piano, my guitar teaching is really the only one who hears me play. I know I need to get better about that. I'm currently rockin' out, learning Bon Jovi's Dead or Alive. That opening lick isn't as hard as it sounds once you slow it down ... way down! And I do believe Jon Bon Jovi has gotten far better looking with age. :-)

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October.

The Moments: Day 20, Halloween Shopping

Halloween shopping fun. #glasses #halloween #themomentschallenge

"There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch." ~ Robert Brault

We did a little Halloween shopping today, so the girls had to try on just about every prop in the store. When I was a kid, I couldn't wait for Halloween! Though back in those days, it seemed a much safer affair. These days, I stick close to my girls' sides.  This year, Sarah's dressing up like a cat, with a hot pink and black leopard print dress, and Olivia's dressing up as a 70's disco queen.  Me? I found a really cool owl mask on Etsy.  How about you and your family?

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October. 

The Moments: Day 19, A Contradiction

Opposites... #flowers #rust #themomentschallenge

"Do what you will, this world' a fiction and is made up on contradiction." ~ William Blake

I found this little contradiction of a pretty flower sprouting in a most unlikely spot, blooming out of the concrete and pulling away from a rusty old pipe at a nearby marina. I love little surprises like this. 

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October.

The Moments: Day 18, Fashion Forward!

Ready for the school dance today. My twin girls' very different personalities definitely come out in their fashion choices.  #shoes #fashion #kidstyle #themomentschallenge

Though my girls are twins, they have very different personalities and very different fashion styles. Sarah is my crazy dresser. I love her color combinations and fearlessness. Olivia has more of a classic style. Most mornings we take our "Daily Dose of Awesomeness" photo on our front steps. I had already taken that full body shot and we were on our way to school when it hit me that a perfect Moments shot would be just the shoes and socks (or no socks!). So we pulled over near the cow pasture and hopped out and took this shot.

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October.

The Moments: Day 17, A View of the Creek

The view from Chowder Ted's this morning, about 75 yards from my house.  #sunrise #water #marsh #themomentschallenge

"Poets who know no better rhapsodize about the peace of nature, but a well-populated marsh is a cacophony." ~ Bern Keating

Caught this shot this morning from the parking lot of Chowder Ted's, the world's best seafood dive, which just happens to be less than a football field away from my house. This is Brown's Creek, which branches off the St. John's River which you saw here.  We eat at Ted's at least twice a month. And we kayak deep back into Brown's Creek from our dock. If this were low tide, you'd see a sandbar out there, the perfect place to pull the kayaks up and hunt for hermit crabs near the marsh.

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October.

The Moments: Day 16, Some Special Journals

Baxley Books

These books went out in the mail today to the two special ladies I told you about in this post. My girls and I have been keeping Vanessa and Blaine in our prayers daily and wanted to make them something special to create some fun in while working through Blaine's treatment and the loss of Lance. I make these journals from books taken out of circulation from our campus library. Our librarians know not to send anything to the book recycler until I come take a look!  These started out as part of a 36-volume Shakespeare research set printed in 1969.  I pull out the original pages, create some art for the covers, and then sew in new signatures with either mixed media paper or water color paper. These two have water color paper in them, so Vanessa and Blaine can get as messy as they'd like to!

I posted these on Instagram today for The Moments challenge, but I wanted to give you the full shot here on the blog.  Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October.  

The Moments: Day 15

My addiction.  I moved them from under my desk to a jar across the room to protect me from myself.  #bitohoney #candyaddiction #themomentschallenge

Do you have a candy addiction? This is mine: Bit O Honeys. Old school, huh? I recently posted on Facebook that I ran out of Bit O Honeys, and soon my mailbox was full of Bit O Honey deliveries. I felt the love! I had them in a bag under my desk for a while, but I soon realized that simply was not a very good idea. They could not be that easily accessible! So I put them in a lidded jar and moved them across the room. Much safer that way.

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October.

The Moments: Day 14

The view from my office window. We've had this scaffolding for more than a year now!  Great to have a window, but...  #officeview #scaffolding #themomentschallenge

Not exactly a Best Shot Monday this week, huh!  I'm still participating in Daisy Yellow's The Moments Challenge through October. And since the goal is to capture one of your every day moments, well, this is what I see from my desk at work. Not the loveliest of views since we've had this scaffolding up for about a year now, but at least I have a window!

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October.

The Moments: Day 13

Menu for afternoon tea party, with invisa money, of course. #teaparty #menu #themomentschallenge

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about." ~ Angela Schwindt

I love this quote. I think what my daughters teach me most is to remember to slow down and savor the little moments. Sarah created quite the menu for our tea party spread this afternoon. She set out our best dishes and had the menu waiting for us on the kitchen counter. We often get to use "invisa money" in our house. I wish it worked for shoe shopping!

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October. It's reminding me that photos don't have to be perfect to capture an every day moment. 

The Moments: Day 12

Good morning daisies at my morning drive thru. #morningtea #yellowdaisy #themomentschallenge

"The Earth laughs in flowers." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

If I have a greatest addiction, it's my morning McDonald's drive thru sweet tea, half cut. I'm not a coffee drinker, but my morning's just not right without a big cup of sweet idea tea. These little flowers greeted me at the drive thru this morning on my way to set up for the Riverside Arts Market.

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October. It's reminding me that photos don't have to be perfect to capture an every day moment.

The Moments: Day 11

Life on the river sometimes means the river in the backyard.  #riverlife #river #water #themomentschallenge 
"Follow the river and you will find the sea." ~ French Proverb 

I came home to the river once again in the backyard today. This isn't highly unusual on full-moon high tides, but we are eight days away from the full moon, so I was a little surprised to see this today. And yes it's very true that if you follow this river, you will find the sea, oh, about four miles away as the crow flies.  I have been blessed to live no more than 45 minutes away from the beach my entire life.  I am a Florida water-baby through and through with my family roots in the Florida Keys.

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October. It's reminding me that photos don't have to be perfect to capture an every day moment.

The Moments: Day 10

Mama and baby ducks on campus. #mamaduck #babyduck #ducklings #themomentschallenge

"There is one order of beauty that seems to make heads turn. It is a beauty like that of kittens, or very small downy ducks making gentle rippling noises with their soft bills, or babies just beginning to toddle." ~ T.S. Eliot

We have a lake at the front of campus and quite a large flock of ducks and geese. Since they are fed pretty regularly by both students and staff, they aren't very camera shy. I came across this Mama and babies today. These little ones are so stinkin' cute!

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October. It's reminding me that photos don't have to be perfect to capture a moment!  

The Moments: Day 9

Rainy school morning. #schoolbus #yellowbus #themomentschallenge

"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain." ~ Unknown

We had a rainy day today, as evidenced by the school bus I was sitting behind at the stop light this morning. I've been having fun with this challenge and am finding that I'm much more mindful of things happening around me. I love the way the light that has just turned green is reflecting under the bus.

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October. It's reminding me that photos don't have to be perfect to capture a moment.   

The Moments: Day 8

Morning water drops on leaves. #waterdrops #greenleaves #morningdew #themomentschallenge

"Seeds of discouragement cannot take root in a grateful heart." ~ Joel Osteen

The girls spotted this pretty leaf filled with water droplets right when we were getting ready to hop in the car to go to school this morning. It's a philodendron leaf, and honestly, I'm not sure how this particular philodendren popped up in this particular spot next to the drive way. We have some very large ones in our side yard, but we've never planted any where this one has taken root and is now about four feet tall. Goes to show that the smallest little seed can take root where you least expect it.

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October.  It's reminding me that photos don't have to be perfect to capture a moment.    

The Moments: Day 7

The Moments Day 7

"May the wings of the butterly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond."
~Irish Blessing

Meet Buttercup! She lives in our front yard. Since I participate in quite a few arts festivals, I have the opportunity to come across lots of fun art. Buttercup was created by a husband and wife metal work team out of Tallahassee, and her cousins, Roscoe the dog and Porkchop the pig, hang out on our front porch.

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments  challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October!    

The Moments: Day 6

Morning boat ride.  #boat #water #girl #themomentschallenge

"Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air..." ~ Emerson 

We finally made it out this morning for a morning boat ride! This is more monumental than you may think. Yes, we live on the river and have a boat and boat lift. However, up until about two weeks ago, the boat had been sitting on the trailer in the driveway for two years. Two years, I tell ya! I had about given up it ever seeing water again when I came home from work one afternoon to find Benny and the girls waiting for me on the dock...with the boat back on the lift. We didn't go too far this morning, but it was wonderful to get out on the water and feel the salt air blowing on my face.

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments  challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October!

October Free Bling!

October Free Bling

Time for October Free Bling Friday!  Random.org picked comment number eight for September, so congratulations to Laurie from Seminole, Texas, for winning my September Free Bling.

For October, here are some lovely ruby crystals, topped with lead-free pewter bead caps and hanging on sterling silver French wires. The beads themselves are 10mm, and they hang about 3/4". To enter, visit either of my Etsy sites (here for jewelry and here for photography) and leave a link to your favorite item in the comments along with your location and a way to reach you by midnight Thursday, October 31. Want more entries? Tweet, blog or Facebook this giveaway and leave another comment with the link. The next winner will be drawn via random.org Friday, November 1.  Giveaway open to United States and Canada residents only.

Don't want to miss a single Free Bling Friday? Click here to sign up for free weekly email updates or subscribe in the reader of your choice over there in the right column. And be sure to like my Facebook page or sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website here for specials. Thanks for stopping in!

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The Moments: Day 5

Found above my jewerly bench. #moonandback #owl #themomentschallenge

"I love you to the moon and back..." ~ Sam McBratney

Found this sweet little tag leaning up against a mini owl painting about my jewelry bench. I do believe that is Sarah's handwriting. I'm a lucky Mama.

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments  challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October!

The Moments: Day 4

Last morning with foster kits. Tears came shortly afterwards.  #kitten #themomentschallenge

"What feeling is so nice as a child's hand in yours?  So small, so soft and warm, like a kitten huddling in the shelter of your clasp." ~ Marjorie Holmes 

This was Livvie's last few moments with Josie and Jonathan this morning before I took them in for adoption. The tears came just afterwards! We've had a special eight weeks with them as we've helped them grow big and strong enough for adoption. They were adopted today at our Mega Adoption event by a young girl not much older than my girls. Fostering is one of those things that is heartbreaking and rewarding at the same time. You fall in love with you charges only to set them off on a new path to a happy forever life!

Jump in on Daisy Yellow's The Moments  challenge and share a moment from your day every day in October!

The Moments: Day 3

Evening Girl Scout hike. #themomentschallenge

"I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore ... I hear it in the deep heart's core." ~ Yeats

The Moments challenge day 3! The redheads have started Girls Scouts, and on Thursday evenings, they have a hiking group. This was a beautiful view along our hike, tucked away in the back woods of Jacksonville's northeast side.

Join us for Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge! Capture a small moment of your day every day in October! 

The Moments: Day 2

Awesomeness. #themomentschallenge

"Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall in love with a gorgeous redhead." ~ Lucille Ball

The girls and I have a morning ritual that we do almost every school day morning. It's called our Daily Dose of Awesomeness. I snap a quick picture of them before they hop in the car for school. Many days, I pop them over to Facebook and they've developed quite the little Daily Dose of Awesomeness fan club! Caught this one of Sarah this morning. Looking forward to gathering years of these pictures into a book for them!  Join us for Daisy Yellow's The Moments challenge! Capture a small moment of your day every day in October!

The Moments: Day 1

Oct 1, my shoes! #themoments

"I still have my feet on the ground.  I just wear better shoes." ~ Oprah Winfrey 

I have been following along on Tammy Garcia's blog Daisy Yellow for a few years now. Tammy is a wealth of inspiration! You'll see her over in my sidebar on my "Friends and Inspirations" list. Tammy just put out a new challenge called The Moments, which calls for capturing a moment a day for the month of October. Given that I failed miserably at my 365 Project last year (yes, I'm still claiming that it was my knee surgery that got me off track!), I was a bit hesitant to take this on at first, but since it's just a simple Instagram-a-day picture, nothing that involves hooking up the old Nikon and downloading photos, I thought I just might give it a try. The first challenge! I had to open an Instagram account!

Instagram account opened!  So here's my first moment. These shoes I'm wearing today are long-time favorites. If I could have peep-toed Mary Janes in every color, I would.  Play along with us!  Find the details here.