Greenlife on Garden Street

It's so amazing how creating something like a small lawn and planting flowers can have such a positive effect on the neighborhood. Living in our tree lined street is great, but most of the buildings have only concrete as a front garden. On warm evenings, we sit out the front yard (something I rarely did living in the UK) , watch the world go by, chat about the "garden" and notice everyone observing the amazing transformation of our front yard over the last few months.

I wish I had a "before" photograph of the muddy, overgrown weeds and ugly front yard, but look at it now! Thanks to my best friend Derek, who has worked so hard to transform this space, we have also met so many lovely neighbors and passers by who stop to chat about "the grass", ask about our "garden" plans, offer some advice about planting and growing or how green their fingers are.

This weekend has been wonderful so far, the sun's been out and our neighborhood is lovely and quiet due to everyone heading out down to the shore. Heaven!

To "celebrate", we took a lovely long walk to the Garden Centre a few miles away via the "Frayed Knot" which is an old curiosity space with lots of fabulous vintage items to rummage through. We almost bought a 1950s Backgammon board but discovered it was missing two pieces. :-(
But then......

.....I found myself a new toy to play with; A Kodak Duraflex Camera. I've been longing to try TTV (Through The Viewfinder) photography since last year and the Argus model I had previously bought didn't quite work as well! So with new toy in hand we headed down to buy some more goodies for our front garden. I dream of having an English country garden here in the states and when I found roses that actually smell, we just had to buy them for our oasis of a front yard on Garden Street. (I love that we live on Garden Street, so great!)

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

For those of you who are having a long weekend, enjoy. I've been relaxing (something I hardly do!), reflecting, clearing my head for the busy week ahead and just simply smelling the roses. :-)

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Flowing Like a River

Last Thursday, I was fortunate enough to land tickets to see British cabaret act Barb Jungr perform at The Metoropolitan Room in NYC with great reviews. All of the songs were about water or had a river in them......DIVINE.

I sat there secretly hoping she would include two of my all time favourite "River" tunes into the mix. Alas..... she did not, so here is one I'd love to share with you. Can you guess my other "River" song? Do you have any favourite "river" songs? Please share if you do.

After challenging you to Make Waves last week, I think its time to relax, go with the flow in our own river of life. Put your headphones on, press play and enjoy these gorgeous views of our world.

Enjoy.

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Making Waves

make some waves in your life

positive curves of change

inviting you to go with the flow
go into the unknown
tread water
swim out further
how do you feel.......?

excited? anxious? got butterflies?

take that risk and make that change
do what your heart is telling you
you know what it is
don't get distracted.


Focus, Be Brave, Leap and Sparkle.

this week is a week for creating some waves...
what are some of the waves you'd like to create?
....they can be little ripples,
a drop in the ocean
or
great big giant surf worthy ones.....
however big or small
positive change is good
you are doing something to move forward

"Create Waves: Follow Your Passion" 30x30 mixed media on canvas.

enjoy the ride my friends....

Images above are a sneak preview into a new series of mine called "Create Waves", "Create Waves: Follow Your Passion" is currently hanging at the fabricolor building in Paterson, NJ and part of a group show until mid June. Some photos here. Also part of the Paterson Art Walk on June 12.

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5 Things that Make me Smile - MAY

Red Ribbon gallery openings

Receiving a thoughtful gift from an artful friend

(thank you so much Creative Beast)

Wine & Cheese picnics on the beach just after a rain storm

Amusing signs in shop windows

and most of all.....

Mum coming to visit

Hope everyone is having a great week so far.

What is making you smile this week?

1st Friday Find & Giveaway

Thanks for all your comments on the First 1st Friday Find & Giveaway. Happy to announce that Dana is the winner. Randomly chosen (using the random number generator on left), so Lisa's lovely print is on its way to you Dana. Dana's find was from SARK in the dream boogie class.. "Remember to delight yourself first and then others will be truly delighted."

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone! :-)

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First Friday Find & Giveaway

Welcome to First Fridays! A new monthly feature where I'll post some fun, inspirational or useful finds and also offer a fabulous giveaway from myself, sponsors or the universe in general!

This months FIND comes from the lovely Kate England who I met on the e-course "In the Fish Bowl" last September. She has some great articles and links to useful info on being a creative entrepreneur. Like many of us, we host our blogs and have a presence on many online networks, but I learned a great deal reading through the links that Kate kindly shared, so I wanted to re-share with you too and give us some food for thought on doing some spring cleaning in our online world. Here are a few I really liked:

• In an Abundant World, Scarcity is Opportunity. Another superb read from Crafting an MBA – business thinking for designers and makers.
  
  
• Your creative business blog & its sidebar. Is your sidebar like a sock drawer? Here’s how to get your blog’s sidebar to support your creative business. From Tara Gentile.
  
  
• Why You’re Undervaluing Yourself (And How to Stop) – the title says it all – from Productive Flourishing.
  
  

First Friday Giveaway!

This months First Friday GIVEAWAY is from one of my super sponsor's- Lisa Ferrante.

I had the pleasure of meeting Lisa in person last Sunday when she stopped by my art tent at the Hoboken Arts & Music Festival with her family. Lisa has two gorgeous little girls and is a fun bubbly person which shines through in her colorful whimsical girl images.

Check out her Etsy store here.

Lisa is giving away a 8x10 matted print of
"Tattoo Girl (Change The Way You See Not The Way You Look)"

To WIN Lisa's fabulous print, please join in the fun here at "First Friday Finds" and share one or some of your own! Leave your comments below of something fun, inspirational or useful that you have found in the last month.
Winner will be chosen next Tuesday and I'll repost your find. We will ship the prize anyway so don't be shy, this is open to all.

Happy First Friday and have a fabulous weekend all

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Birthday Reflections

Yesterday was my birthday and I celebrated a good 6 hours of the day by myself, painting the whole day, uninterrupted bliss, listening to some wonderful chill out tunes and just going for it!

As i painted and collaged onto my 30x30 inch canvas (Yes I'm creating some larger pieces), I thought about all the fabulous things I have been lucky enough to have been part of, seen and enjoyed in my 37th year of being on this planet. It was my first official day in my new life away from the corporate world (I left on April 30th - woohoo) and here I was, on my birthday, painting....ahhhh heaven. :-). To celebrate, I'm going to be offering some giveaways on my blog from myself and one of my lovely sponsors - so check back on Friday! :-)

So as I begin my journey into my 38th year, just having celebrated 37, I wanted to recognize some significant memories from over the last year, those small steps and fun times that have led me to where I am right now.... so as I say goodbye to 36 and hello to 37, here are 36 memorable moments from the last year (in cronological order!).....

Celebrating my last birthday broadcasting a live radio show (Big Apple Brits Brunch) as part of my new Expat business Big Apple Brits!

Enjoying the summer, travelling, weekends away, visiting family back in the UK.

Feeling restless enough to realise I needed to change my life.

Starting to paint and create again & realizing I can live a more creative life

Taking that plunge and starting my own blog

Spending August exploring my creativity.

Joining the local art group "Hob'art" where I found my local art community

Attending a friends wedding in Sonoma Valley, where I had one of the most inspirational lunch conversations with 2 friends outside in the sun at a gorgeous place called "the girl & the fig"

Spending labor day weekend being creative with friends in Woodstock

Going back to the UK, seeing all my extended family and seeing my brother get married to Eva (who both share March 29 as their birthdays!)

Taking my first online ecourse with Marisa Haedike "In the Fish Bowl" where I met some amazing online friends, bulding my online art community.

Launching my website and online shop

Making my first sale of original art

Taking part in my first group show with Hob'art and selling art at the Hoboken Open Studio tours.

Getting comments and visitors to my blog!

Celebrating my fifth year in the US.

Raising money for The Royal British Legion through my art and expat business.

First solo show at the Sovereign Bank in Hoboken

My first of many features on Kelly Rae's blog

Spending my first Christmas in the US

Setting my word for 2010 and Mondo Beyondo dreams

Holding my 2nd annual "Ladies with intention Brunch"

Putting my Mondo Beyondo Dreams out there

My first art retreat where i met some amazing kindred spirits and artists. Meeting Mati Rose and Kelly Rae (who inspired me to follow my creative dreams) was aaaammmmazing!

Creating a video on how I created my "Greenlife or Greylife...?" collage

My first real gallery opening in Watchung and inspiring a young girl to follow her creative dreams.

Welcoming new sponsors to my blog

My first solo art show NYC

Selling original paintings from my show.

Spring cleaning and creating a clearing for new possibiities in my life

Believing in Signs

Taking part in and being interviewed for the Digable Arts Festival

An inspiring trip to Artfest, Seattle and Portland.

Leaping fearlessly and leaving my corporate job to become a full time artist.

Having an Artist booth at my first Hoboken Arts & Music Festival

Spending my birthday painting, selling another original painting online and sitting on my front step with my best friend drinking champagne, overlooking our garden, under gorgeous trees after a storm, chatting to the neighbors and just...

.....watching the world go by.

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