My Life With Monkeys: September 2012

Friday, September 28, 2012

Friday Happy Hour: Addicted to Social Media

It's true. It's my outlet during a solitary day. It's my early morning coffee break. It's my "after school" hang-out. It's my go to comfort zone, at home or on the go. Sadly, it's even girl's night out sometimes. (But fortunately it's never date night!) Sometimes the quiet is interrupted only by one more check on Facebook and one more search on Pinterest. I am seeking out interaction in the loneliest place in the world. The Internet.

But I find you there, too. I find long lost friends, neighbors, virtual connections, and relatives that I have grown close to over the last couple years solely because of the magic of fiber optics. I feel overwhelmed by the support I receive through sharing and quick little messages posted to my domain. And I feel lucky to be able to reach out when I know I am needed.

Social Media has sucked away hours of my life, but the joy of finding you there daily gives me a solid reason to keep coming back for more. So, Mr. Zuckerberg, though I am sure you have created the giant of all social media for monetary reasons, and my rights may be infringed upon regularly, I still thank you for our modern method of staying in touch. I am glad to have Facebook and I don't know what I would do without my daily fix.

This has been the best week ever. I have used social media to share my art and I have loved brightening everyone's day with new art, How exciting. Here are a few other ways I have enjoyed the benifit of social media:

I have a virtual collection of lovely things right here on Pinterest. It's been great to save recipes, holiday decorating ideas, and even a massive art collection all on my pinboard in the sky.
You Tube has a video for almost anything you want to know. Change a tire? Play violin? Watch a friend's movie? And especially for me, art lessons galore!
Google+? What's that? I have one of those, but I don't know why....
Wet Canvas and Absolute Write chat boards have been a great resource to meet writers and artists from around the world.
I'm on Twitter, but I still don't know how to tweet!
And then there are all of those blogs with millions of inspiring ideas and fabulous new ways of connecting with one another through innovative projects. Yes, bloggers are putting a piece of themselves out into the world wide web hoping to nab just a bit of your attention.

When is it all too much? I'm sure there will come a time that social media will need rehab, but for now I am sticking with it and look forward to seeing you there, too!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Friday Happy Hour: Before the Sunrise

I haven’t seen this many early mornings since we had a newborn keeping us up all night. But now that we have one in high school, the alarm wakes us before the sun illuminates the sky. I thought 5:30 would be impossible, but have found it’s quite nice…once I have my hot French press coffee in hand, anything is possible.

I’ve always loved mornings, even the early ones. I love knowing that the whole day is in front of me and I can make anything happen. I can accomplish anything. I can check things of my list or set out and explore. Anything is possible when the day has just begun. Not every day ends on the same note, but I am comforted that another morning is coming and hope starts again bright and early. Yes, I love mornings.

This has been the best week ever. I have enjoyed many early mornings and managed to accomplish a lot in the span of seven short days. Here is a quick recap:

· I have been painting every day with my Countdown to Autumn project. I even had one painting accepted into my first juried show!

· Soccer every night keeps us on our toes, but keeps us active. The boys can play!

· My husband and I have successfully navigated 14 years of marriage.

· I have donated a painting to a big fundraiser. It’s exciting to be involved in the art community.

· The weather is perfect, and if you know me, that is always a bonus.

How about you? What made this your best week ever? What filled your mornings with hope?

Friday, September 14, 2012

Friday Happy Hour: Savor the Moment

The long, hot days are falling quickly behind us. I’ve soaked in every last golden drop of summer. I would if I could, wish for a never ending summer of lazy days by the pool, snow cones in a rainbow of colors and late night visits with family and friends. I want to sit forever on the evening porch, making out the sounds of summer’s nightfall; crickets and cicadas in their musical chorus. And I’d continue to enjoy the affection of my children who have nothing better to do than be kids all day long. This was the best summer ever. I have savored every moment.

But the seasons are changing and it is time to welcome fall with open arms. Sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes, forest walks, hay rides and apple pies…the best of the new season is here and it makes saying good bye to the summer of 2012 a little bit easier. I’m looking forward to leaves of red and orange, when the hills of the mid-Atlantic look like they are on fire. I enjoy the crisp air and blue skies and catching sight of my breath in the early morning. I love the bountiful harvest and cinnamon scents that fill the air. I want nothing more than to re-live my youth through the enthusiasm of my boys jumping in piles of fallen leaves or going door-to-door in search of sugary treasure. I am going to savor every moment.

It was the best week ever as I wrapped up the season’s end. I have started a new art project: COUNTDOWN to AUTUMN. I hope you follow along as I produce twelve new pastel paintings as a celebration of the change of seasons. How are you celebrating the change of seasons? How are you having the best week ever?

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Countdown to Autumn

There's nothing like a new season to make me restless and and on edge with new ideas. I had a long dry spell through the summer, but with the kids back in school and cooler air outside, my creative desires are back in full force. In honor of my favorite season I will dedicate the next twelve days to painting every day. That means twelve new pastel painting to share with you every day until Autumn has arrived! It's always a big task for me to stay motivated and challenges are a good way to keep me focused.

Will you follow along? You can find me on FACEBOOK where I will post the new painting every day. And check back to the blog when I upload them all to this post. I love links and sharing, so go ahead and share my pictures on your favorite social media network...just remember to link back to this site! Thank you for following me on this journey. I'm so happy to have you along again!

*ETA* All Autumn paintings are now available as noted for SALE. These all come unframed and range in price from $100 to $270 plus shipping. I can take credit card payments through PayPal. Thank you for your continued support!
Please contact me at mylifewithmonkeys@gmail.com for more information.