Lapping It Up

I stayed in bed late, got up, had a shower, walked outside to test the pool water - as I do most days - and it felt so good that I jumped right in! Fully dressed.

My first swim since last season!

I stayed in the water for about 20 minutes and swam ten laps. Adoring Husband didn’t even know I was there and when I called to him from the alfresco area to get me a towel, he laughed and asked if I’d fallen in!

He tested the water himself and then asked if I was joking 🙃

He was too chicken to go in the water.

I decided, after my swim, to varnish some of my paintings, especially the ones that I’ve sold since I have to send them off in early and mid October, so they need plenty of time to dry.

By the time I’d finished, there was no room left to do any actual painting, so I embellished the crappy fish that I painted last week. It’s still crappy, but I like it better than before.

I almost signed up for an Eckhart Tolle video workshop. I love Eckhart’s spiritual and inner transformational messages and I’ve often used his quotes. I have one of his audible books too.

However, I watched the first 7 minutes of each of the five videos in the workshop (issued for free) and I have to say that he is SO BORING to listen to and I couldn’t keep my focus for the seven minutes!

His messages are fabulous but he should get someone else to present them.

Let me show you this ...

Nite all.

Where Am I?

I opened my eyes this morning and my first thought was “I haven’t done my blog for two days!”

There are no excuses.

I worked on Saturday morning and I’ve been practicing my art but have had more fails than wins in the last couple of days and today, I couldn’t even drag myself into the studio - nil motivation.

We tested the pool water and again … ALMOST went for a dip. The temp of the water is increasing little by little every day and it’s so close I can almost taste it!!

Time to share some advice. Some things that we should give up, release and surrender.

• Give up your need to control. The only thing that we can control is our own attitude and responses to life. We cannot control how others behave, what they do or don’t do, what they say or don’t say. So let go of that unnecessary stress.
• Give up self defeating talk. It’s a form of self sabotage.
• Give up blame. Your happiness, confidence and self esteem have nothing to do with others. Don’t point the finger of blame elsewhere for your lot in life - instead, change the way you view any situation, get rid of those limiting beliefs because true happiness starts from within so you have to change the filter of your inner lens.
• Give up attachment. Attachment keeps us dependant which keeps us firmly stuck in unwanted situations. Practice appreciation with an attitude of gratitude.
• Give up the need to rescue others. Rescuing or saving others distracts us so that we don’t have to face our own shortcomings. Be courageous and determined and turn inward. Heal or rescue yourself instead. You are worth it.

That’s enough things to give up for today.

I’m surprised that the pole dancer won Australia’s Got Talent tonight 😳

She was very good and Australia voted for her so what would I know? Good on her. Her name is Kristy Sellars. She worked hard and she is a winner.

Well, I think it’s time for bed. Hopefully I can summon the enthusiasm to practice some more art tomorrow 👩‍🎨

Welcome to a new week and happy Monday!

Nite all.

I Got Nothin’

I did not win $150million.

I spent the morning learning how to launch an online business idea and laying down some more ideas to add to the online challenge that I’m planning.

It’s bloody slow going, but I’m letting it flow naturally. It will happen when it happens, but I’d like it to come to fruition before the end of 2020.

Meanwhile I’d like my health classes at The Happy Abode to start at the beginning of 2020 and those classes will be like quality control with participants helping hone the information that will go online.

Adoring Husband and I ate our takeaway lunch in the pool area today. I went up to my thighs in the water and seriously considered going for a swim, but chickened out. It was a nice way to spend a couple of hours before getting into the art mood,

I created a piece for an art group challenge entitled ‘Fire and Ice”

I didn’t like this one ...

... so I changed it to this ...

I’ve got some ideas for tomorrow, so watch this space.

I was happy with the outcome of The Bachelor tonight. Yes! I watch it religiously!

In case you were wondering, I was feeling very much under the weather last night, which is why I missed doing the blog post.

I had only slept for two hours on Tuesday night and then I worked on Wednesday. I think the lack of sleep caught up with me and I was asleep by 8.30pm.

Now it’s 10.30pm and I’m off to bed again!

Nite all.

Bath Not Art

Morning coffee with the girls was a bit light on today.

At 9.15am, The Motivator and I were joined by The Welsh Wonder. There were just the three of us for 30 minutes and The Blonde Bombshell appeared with a container full of delicious slice. It was delicious!

It was also nice to catch up with TBB because she hasn’t been able to attend coffee for some time.

We certainly missed The Brains Trust, Lady Lynn and Beauty who all shared a movie date and the other girls, Maid Marian and Aggie who are on Grandparent duties.

I don’t know what time it was when I left the shop, but I rode the long way home and wished I had my camera with me ...

... when I arrived home, my first duty was to give psychotic dog Ruby a haircut and bath. I still haven’t clipped her claws, but that’s a job for another day.

After that, I did some cleaning in the studio.

I cooked up some lunch and then ran out of energy, so I parked my butt on the couch and that’s where I stayed until it was time to prepare dinner.

Adoring Husband cooked our steaks on the barbecue while I prepared the salad.

Done.

I’ll be working tomorrow so I’ll be attending early meditation. Best get some sleep.

Nite all.

All About Art

Thats what today was all about.

I had the opportunity to go into The Bay with Adoring Husband, but as you know, I had some ideas for art projects today and I didn’t want to waste any creative time.

My first project went according to plan and I’m happy with my first sunflower ...

...but I will definitely practice some more. I can imagine BIG sunflowers on BIG canvases. I can also picture a triptych with three different coloured flowers - maybe deep red, orange and yellow.

My second project did NOT go according to plan and I covered it with greens and blues and used a straw to blow it out. I’m not happy with it, but it’s done on an elcheapo canvas from Kmart, so it’s no great loss.

By the third project, I fell back on something that I know and love with some colourful flowers in a garden. It’s nothing special but it’s acceptable.

The water in the pool is still too cold for swimming.

I’m dreaming of our new bed now, thinking about culling some shoes in the bedroom spring clean and imagining how fabulous it will all look when the suite finally arrives.

For now, I’m off to bed so I can be fresh for some more art tomorrow!

Nite all.

It’s a Gift

What a beautiful day!

I posted these photos on my Facebook page and nobody notice the strange looking fin in the water (middle pic). I didn't notice it when I took the photo either!

We ate at Whale Bay Asian Cuisine.

The ladies lunches have been held at this restaurant a couple of times, but I was unable to attend, so this was our first experience there. They had good GF options and the atmosphere was lovely. The service was warm, friendly and efficient. The food was delicious. We’ll return in the future.

Adoring Husband decided, on the way home, to stop at a bed sale.

Our current bed is 16 years old and AH’s side has such a bad slope, I'm surprised that he hasn't fallen out of bed yet!

So we found a really nice bedroom suite in a beachy style washed timber. It was 30% off and has a king bed frame with a bed head (I realised today that I have never in my life had a bed head!), two side tables and a tall boy. Then we selected a king sized mattress at 50% off.

There was no second guessing and it just felt right. It'll be about 6 weeks before we get it so that's plenty of time to clear out our bedroom, take the tree decal off the wall and wash the walls and remove my 600 pairs of shoes from the room.

See those big drawers at the end of the bed? Maybe my shoes will fit in there??? I may have to do some culling.

This afternoon we watched my team get annihilated by Parramatta in the biggest final's loss in NRL history. Shameful and embarrassing. 

I have a couple of ideas for some art tomorrow. I'm tempted to stay up late tonight and try one of them, but both will take a bit more time than my usual methods, so I need to be clear headed and well rested.

So, I'm off to bed now!

Nite all.    

Fun and Excitement

I worked the shop this morning while The Motivator ran the Paint n Create workshop.

We had a lot of traffic through the shop while there was noise coming from the training room indicating fun and excitement!

The participants learned a new method today and they were obviously very happy with their results, leaving at the end of the morning with very big smiles on their faces.

The Motivator and I also left with very big smiles on our faces.

I came home to watch YouTube and in about 15 minutes created this ...

It’s not what I expected, but will try again tomorrow.

For me, there has been disappointing results in the footy finals this weekend and I am currently in bed watching an AFL finals game between GWS Giants and Brisbane Lions. It’s very close! Go the Lions!

Tomorrow is 15th September and it’s the date that Adoring Husband and I choose to celebrate as our Valentines Day. It’s the day we met face to face for the first time, after many months of chatting on line and over the phone - before the days of Skype and FaceTime.

2003 was the year, so it’s been 16 years!

Our valentine date will be a lunch in The Bay, probably at the marina. I’m excited!

Anyway, time for sleep now!

Nite all.

Write Off

Thursday was a write off for me.

Nothing major, but one thing after another, after another so that my day was busy and full and exhausting.

I did some art, one of which is sold ...

Today, I attended a six hour retreat at “That Peaceful Place” near Torbanlea.

There were 18 women, including myself, in attendance.

Watching and listening to all of those women made me realise how far I have come in the last couple of years and I recognised my old self in so many of them. They really helped me feel like I’ve got my shit together (excuse the language).

These women recognise that they’ve lost their power somewhere along the way and they are ready to reclaim it. Today was a chance to learn about some useful tools to help them do that and to help them navigate their way through some of life’s challenges, be they physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual.

Learning to drop the roles that we have taken possession of through our lives and finding a more meaningful and fulfilling way to live and love.

At the end of the day, even the young ones (in their 20s) had tears streaming down their cheeks. There were no tears from me, but I felt an intense joy that left me on a high.

There were lots of aha moments for most of the women and they were all feeling the love and so much gratitude for the life changing six hours that they had just experienced.

It was a great day in a beautiful location and The Gypsy has created a space that is so calming and healing and, as the name suggests, peaceful. I loved being there and I don’t know how she ever finds reason to leave!

If and when you’re ready to face your own blocks, triggers, vices and fears, this kind of retreat will change your life and give you the greatest feeling of empowerment. There were still a couple of rescuers there who weren’t ready to face their own stuff, but more than ready to help others face theirs.

People are so interesting.

I’m so glad I attended today, but boy am I exhausted!

Nite all.

Working Woman

I worked today, and although a lot of people came through the door, they weren’t in much of a spending mood!

I used the time between visitors to check my website - for the first time in about a year! I will have to re-train myself on the ins and outs and how to edit/post on it! I have totally forgotten everything!

Adoring Husband was right on time to pick me up and at home, I got changed out of my work clothes and went straight to the studio.

I made these ...

Now I have no drying room left!

Definitely ready for bed now.

Nite all.

Lesson Learned

All the varnish that I poured onto my paintings has cracked and split.

I’m deeply disappointed because I followed the instructions via a YouTube video made by a woman who sells her paintings at a high price.

I’ve now destroyed three of my best paintings.

Luckily they weren’t paintings that I’ve sold!

The lesson learned is to do it the way I know how to do it and they way I’ve had success in the past.

Meanwhile I created this one this afternoon and as soon as I posted it on Facebook, I received a private message from a cousin asking me to make a larger one so that she could purchase it for a gift for someone.

That’s three times I’ve posted a pic of a painting and it’s sold within five minutes! 

Weirdsville!

It was a nice day today, starting off with the girls for coffee morning and then some quality time with The Motivator.

I cooked up some lunch when I got home and then had the disappointing moment with my paintings.

It took me another moment to climb out of that funk and actually create something, but I was happy with the outcome.

I’ll be working tomorrow and was looking forward to meditation, but it’s been cancelled so I’ll just have to meditate at home before I leave for the shop and then spend the day manifesting another bonanza sales day!

Right now, I’m off to bed.

Nite all.

I’m Exhausted!

On Sunday, I spent the day cleaning and tidying my studio and cleaning some canvases to prepare for varnishing, which is not an easy job!

Firstly I have to coat them in cornflour to soak up any excess silicone oil on the surface (drops of silicone oil goes into the paint to help form cells). After the flour is removed, the canvas is cleaned with a damp cloth, then it’s wiped down with baby wipes and then dried with paper towel.

I cleared all the canvases off the drying table so that I’d have room for the varnished paintings to dry.

My first priority this morning (Monday) was to prepare a big healthy paleo meal for our breakfast ...

Once our bellies were full, varnishing was my priority.

When the varnish was poured, I had to use the kitchen blow torch to burst the MANY bubbles in the varnish before placing the paintings completely level on the drying table.

Unfortunately I used up all the gas that was left in my three blow torches, so when the varnishing was finished, I couldn’t do any more paintings.

Adoring Husband offered to drive into The Bay to get some more Butane, so I made myself presentable and jumped in the car to accompany him!

What an expensive trip THAT was!

I bought more varnish, 4litres of Floetrol, 18 tubes of paint, 11 new canvases, 2 mini tubs, 4 floating frames, a packet of sponge brushes, a can of butane gas, 2 silicone mats, 6 squeeze bottles and NO shoes!

So I’m all set now, but it’s amazing how quickly canvases get used! Or should I say it’s amazing how quickly “I” use up canvases!

When we arrived home, I unpacked all of my goodies and then inspected my varnished canvases.

Guess what I found!?

Ugh!

A fly had landed in the varnish and got stuck. One of those tiny little flies now encased in the only dry varnish on the painting.

&*$%!!!

The safest thing for me to do was leave the room and close the door. Hope against hope that there are no more creepy crawlies hanging about and that there are no loose hairs or dust particles waiting to float down and land on the wet stuff.

Anyway, all the cleaning, tidying, washing, varnishing, bubble popping, shopping, unpacking and fly discovering has worn me out and I need sleep.

Nite all.

Busy Saturday

It was busy on the main street of our town this morning.

I spent four hours at the shop until Adoring Husband came to help me pack up.

At home I did some washing, some art ...

... watched a doc/movie on Feminism, some football, cooked dinner and we are currently watching The Dilemma.

I can hear my bed calling my name.

Nite all.

Not Quite as Planned

I wanted to try another challenge pic (with those blue and orange colours) today.

The first thing I did was a really pretty swipe with different shades of blue. I loved it and placed it carefully on some paper towel which I laid out on the drying table.

After that I sat outside in the pool area for a while, writing in my journal. It was uncomfortably windy, in fact the gale force conditions were buffeting the lounge and the umbrella over the pool was rocking too.

It became too uncomfortable, so I headed inside ready to make my second attempt at the challenge colours, but I discovered that the wind through the studio window had blown the paper towel onto my blue painting! 😭

After my initial groan of disappointment, instead of making a song and dance about it, I decided to cover the mess with a goldfish. This way it would match the challenge colours and it could be my second entry.

I knew that this would be tricky, given the thickness of the paint already on the canvas, so I was very tentative and very careful, but alas my efforts were not successful.

This made me laugh and I knew that I would keep it so that when I create the result that I imagined in my head at the beginning of this project, I will have something to measure my success by.

I posted it on Facebook as an example of my failures and have been surprised by the positive feedback that it has received, however the photo makes it look better than it is.

Dinner was an easy nosh up of wild salmon with onion, avocado and micro greens wrapped in a GF tortilla for me. AH had chicken ribs - his usual Friday night fare.

We’ve been watching the footy tonight and we were happy to see Manly get thrashed by Parramatta, and by enough points to help them leap frog Manly on the ladder.

It was a very successful day in the shop today and I’ll be working tomorrow so I hope I can continue the success into the weekend.

Next week will be the beginning of our Monday closures. Our opening hours will be changing too so we won’t be opening until 10am. Generally, nobody walks through our doors before 10am, so it’s pointless being there.

So it’s bed time for me.

Nite all.

Words to be had.

i will have words with that newsagent.

I was supposed to have the winning ticket in Powerball tonight.

I did not.

I will try again next week for the $100million.

I tried to paint my first beach today. It’s not bad. It’s not great. I’m happy with my first attempt and will try again in the future.

I also attempted to create a piece for one of the acrylic paint pouring Facebook page challenges. We have to use these colours and any method that we like ...

This is what I’ve done so far and I have another idea that I’ll try tomorrow.

I made Tuscan Chicken for dinner tonight, which was quite nice. It was a new recipe that I hadn’t tried before and it was easy, so I’ll probably use it again.

Now it’s bed time for me.

Nite all.

Whirlwind Wednesday

Breakfast by the water was lovely this morning.

I was hoping that I could purchase something lovely from Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves today, but I only liked one item on their racks and my size was not there.

We did some grocery shopping from Go Natural.

We drove to Stocklands where I bought the winning ticket in the $80million Powerball draw, a few
more art supplies, a DVD (Bohemian Rhapsody), a better quality chef’s blowtorch and a Boost Juice.

We stopped at our local butcher on the way home to pick up our chicken order and I visited The Motivator so that I could use the shop loo.

There was some unpacking to do at home and I put the slow cooker on with chicken feet and veg for a delicious chicken broth. I have been trying, unsuccessfully, to purchase chicken feet for five years so I was excited to see them in the freezer at Go Natural!

I got to spend some time in the studio for a quick paint pour ...

... then it was time to get ready for trivia night where we came 8th (I think) but it was a good night.

I’ve watched The Bachelor and now it’s time for bed. I’m exhausted!

Nite all.