4 Steps to Yum

Dark Baking Chocolate (no sugar), Raw Organic Honey, Coconut Cream (skimmed from top of Whole ~ not light ~ Coconut Milk)

Mix together ~ add Roasted Cashews

Mix together ~ add Roasted Almonds

Plop on foil-lined plate, in small balls.
Refrigerate.
Enjoy!

People's Food Cooperative ~ yes! Love in a Grocery Store

I truly believe our actions come when they are called... we build interest throughout the required amount of time, then take action when the time is right.

Personally, I love natural foods, organic veggies, and rows of earthy packaging. This tells me that the person in me who loves to cook is coming, at some point. I currently do not pride myself on my cooking skills, but I cook healthy, naturally, and simply ~ and I know that my interests and skills are building for some reason. For some day in the future when it all takes off!

I've always loved photographing grocery stores (even in Sweden, see the video here!) and as a younger child I always thought I would become a food label illustrator someday. One of my first jobs required that I sit in the pantry during my breaks (indeed I sought out silence there) and I would marvel over the beautiful can labels.

During my design program at Central Washington University, I gave it a shot ~ but I don't think that is, in the end, what I am meant to do with my art ~ though I still love illustrations of food, and photographs of grocery stores and markets.

A wall of organic produce can literally bring me to my knees with excitement ~ I found this at the People's Food Coop in Portland, Oregon. See above ~ isn't it gorgeous?!

The People's Food Coop instantly caught my eye with its earthy exterior and, of course, the name. Not to mention the "Natural Foods" signs hung outside ~ I was emotionally pulled to park and go in.

I was so proud to see the products of my friends at Muddy H2O on the shelves. I remember when Gabriela and Heidi first came up with the name of their business ~ and being there to help them design their first labels, and their first website. They have taken Muddy H2O to new heights, and I am infinitely proud of that little company.

You can take a look at Muddy H2O's wonderful face and body products on their website: http://www.muddyh2oetc.com.

I use their Matcha and Chocolate facial masks and I love them!

My littlest boy jumped into my arms ~ and truly ~ the highlight of my day (and probably of my week) was carrying him around the store, looking at all the veggies and packages, whispering close to his ear and listening to his talk, too. The intimacy was beautiful and heart-warming.

...and in a grocery store, no less!!

This experience with my little one has even inspired a painting ~ currently in sketch stage ~ titled "To Hear & See You Better" ~ with a mama holding her big-little child on her hip, cheek to cheek.

Well, there you have it ~ probably more than you needed to know about me and my fascination with food packaging and display.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the last Pay It Forward opportunity, is Suzanne, here are her words:

Suzanne said...
I've just recently begun training as a doula and, in thinking about how my business will take shape, I've decided that I'll be offering free doula services to low-income mothers, military wives, and teen moms. All birthing women deserve support during what amounts to the most important thing they'll ever do in their lives, and I wouldn't be doing my practice any sort of justice if I didn't honor that tradition for those who most need it.

Thank you Suzanne ~ more power to you,

Have a wonderful week's end!

Love & Sincerely, Katie

Things To Love ~ besides the little ones & the hubby

Recently, I'm being kind to myself. Really. Maybe I should have been doing these things all along.

1) I'm reading. Even if it is just a few minutes a day ~ I'm doing it. I have two busy boys, a lot of laundry, a compulsive impulse to have a tidy and germ-free house, a full-time (pretty much) home business which includes a lot of painting and such, and the tactics of a saboteur (sabotaging myself in relation to goals and sleep). But when I realized that I had put away this inch-and-a-half book in less than 2 weeks I was inspired.

Broken For You, by Stephanie Kallos ~ really good. And clearly I have time to read, right?

Tonite I started: Life's Work, Confessions of an Unbalanced Mom, by Lisa Belkin

2) I'm browsing for art I like. I always said that when I had a house I loved, I wanted to decorate it with art that I loved, and art from my artist friends. I'm doing so (because I finally love my house).

Barbara Paanakker's Elephant Exhibit hangs proudly in my hallway ~ the morning light graces it and reveals the beautiful textures.









I await this beautiful print (left) from artist Susana Tavares which I will proudly hang. Susana lives in Portugal. ©SusanaTavares.etsy.com

3) I'm taking time to watch a bit of television. Hulu, to be precise. My actual television treats me to MarioKart with my little ones, but that is all, besides the occasional movie on the couch with the hubby. We like Hulu; no commercials, pick and choose ;) Parenthood, The Office & Modern Family are the ones I like.

4) I'm cooking healthful meals. Get that: I'm Cooking! Yes! When you eat healthy you have energy ~ and said energy can then be recycled into cooking more healthy meals! It seems so simple. But it certainly is not. We do our best. I love smoothies packed with spinach, apples, lots of bananas, orange juice, vitamin c, frozen blueberries and strawberries and I just started adding Goldenseal to help us stay healthy during flu season.

5) I'm buying more unhealthy (but not too unhealthy) treats, too. Freddies Nutrition Center ~ thank you for offering snacks that allow me to be a bit bad, but still good.

6) I'm talking to people I love. Not all of them, just yet, but as many as I can. Skype and the telephone ~ don't forget the value of a smile and the time to listen ~ they remind our loved ones that we care about them. When it comes to those I love, I think about a quote I read years ago (something like) "the tears cried at a grave are tears of regret"... I don't want those tears. Other kinds, yes, but not the regret ones.

7) I'm talking to people I don't know. Lots of them. It is so very fun. I give my smile, kindness and greeting to so many strangers now (that is a tricky subject with my little ones, so I best not get into it with them since I have been promoting Stranger Danger since they were tiny). Well, except that guy on the phone at my hosting company the other day ~ he didn't get my kindness, he got my grumpy attitude and my urge to stand up for myself and not take any crap from anyone. I really should have apologized before we hung up, but I forgot. Sorry man, I know it wasn't your fault.

8) I'm taking breaks from email and computer ~ realize that we sometimes get locked in to feeling our worth based on how many emails/etsy sales/facebook posts & friend requests we get? I'm not turning the computer on in the a.m. until my big boy is at school and my little one and I have had our walk together, it is working for me (of course there are exceptions to this!). Need me before 10:30am? Call me. And, if you are wondering, I am using the wonderful invention of scheduled-publishing, so blog posts can appear in the a.m. while I'm off galavanting.

9) I'm cutting myself slack - in cleaning and work. I'm going to bed with toys on the floor and unfolded laundry (even the wet stuff). I don't stress as much about baths and spots on the floor.

So, this is a start. Life is short. I recently read somewhere, someone said (something like) "when I think about the fact that I will someday be dead, it helps me to..." fill in the blank. Prioritize? Cut some junk from the to-do list? Stress the small stuff a little bit less? Whatever works for you.

So, now, clearly I'm sabotaging, because it is far too late for a mama of 2 early-risers to be tapping away.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Do something nice for yourself, maybe?

Love & Sincerely, Katie

Free Cards Friday! My Newest Epiphany - so glad I took the time to write it down.

Hi! I'm feeling very domestic today - and so I thought I'd take a quick break for a Friday post.


I had an epiphany last night:

•When I think about what needs to be cleaned, folded, sorted, vacuumed, organized and put away around the house (Home) - I feel fine and get ready to dig in.

•When I think about what needs to be packaged, listed, uploaded, designed, painted, photographed or created in the studio (Studio) - I smile and start making a list.

HOWEVER! When I think about all that needs to be done around the house, then I think about all that needs to be done in the studio/business - my body instantly floods with overwhelm... and I begin bouncing from one area of my life to the other, creating a not-so-good day.

My thought was this - if I channel my thoughts and energy to ONE area of my life at a time, for a period of time ~ Studio or Home (I know it sounds so easy) ~ then I feel far more peaceful and get a whole lot more accomplished.


For instance, I am writing this blog post right now, then going BACK to cleaning, without even checking my email box - because I know that box will grab me by the neck and pull me into a whole new area that I am not ready for just yet this morning :)


Those who know me know that I have a disenchantment with multi-tasking, so this is just another part of it - on a larger scale.

What do you think?

Comment on this post throughout the weekend (on the Painting Motherhood Blog or on Facebook) and be in the running to WIN Free Cards! I will choose the winner on Monday.

P.S. I just discovered a long smear of muddy footprints stretching from the backyard to the garage - directly diagonal across the lovely floor my 5-year old and I had JUST cleaned, aargh, I guess that's the way it goes. Thank goodness for a good vacuum cleaner (and plenty of patience).

Have a purposeful and mentally-organized day!

Love & Sincerely,

Katie


Above Image: Spirit Soaring - inspired by music and makes me think of cleaning the house, or otherwise bumbling around, with music and the baby. You can purchase prints of Spirit Soaring in the Online Store.

Setting Boundaries - The Studio is Open... or Closed?

When we moved into our new house in late June, I was stoked that I would have a studio with, among other wonderful features, doors that close… !

I mentioned this more than once while chatting with collectors, friends and fellow artists – it seemed most people thought that my excitement about the doors stemmed from the fact that I had an urge to go inside and close the doors – sending a signal that “mommy is working, leave me be!”

It’s amazing how many times I heard that idea stated to me when I raved about my closing doors. However, the real reason I am excited about my lovely studio with closing doors is for the blessing of being able to CLOSE my office – CLOSE my studio, CLOSE my option to work!


No urge to lock others out of the studio (as a matter of fact, I love to work while my children bumble in and out), but to lock ME out of the studio!



I find one of the hardest parts of working at home is the “obviousness” of how much work needs to be done – you can never escape it. Every time you walk past your work area you are reminded of that email you need to send, that painting that needs photographing, that composition that needs ‘just a little something more’.


I have always struggled with the ability to set boundaries for myself – and I have been self-employed and working from a home office for

almost seven years.


That is seven years of work, work, work (more so, of course, before the kids were born).


“Sure I’ll make dinner, just let me quickly list this on Etsy.”

“Sure I’ll read you that book, I’m going to just real quick check my email.”

“Yes, I’m coming! I just need to upload these pages to my website!”


Now, I’m not saying that this is necessarily (always) a bad thing – I am proud of the way I am able to use my time without procrastinating or wasting much of it (see an upcoming post about Procrastination, coming soon).


BUT… My personal life does pay.


So, one of my first purchases when we moved into our new house was going to be an “OPEN/CLOSED” sign for the studio – something I could set to tell MYSELF when I could and could NOT enter the work space.


That was the real reason I was ecstatic about having a studio with doors.


Last weekend, my son and I decided to play with Sculpey (wonderful sculpting medium by the way) and I made my sign!

It was fun and he enjoyed taking photos of the process. I crafted the letters from Sculpey, baked them, painted them, mounted them to a painted board and glued on a ribbon. Simple as that.

I’m happy with my sign, and happy to say that it IS helping me to set my boundaries. If I develop a respect for this little sign from the start, then I know that I will become more disciplined, thus more efficient.


RIGHT? :)


How are you setting boundaries in your work/family life? Do your kids/husband frequently take a back seat to that juicy contact you met today? Does dinner burn while you are quickly sending a promo email (my hand is up)? Do you feel like your studio/office/craft area/workspace OWNS you?


It’s time to set some boundaries – work will always be there. I say this as a reminder to myself, as well.

Today, I closed my studio for the whole morning, which turned into the whole day! I just played with my three-year-old while his brother was at his first day of Kindergarten - until something pressing (in the studio) kept me from making dinner on-time!


Have a relaxing evening and REMEMBER! TWO NEW 8x8s are coming tomorrow morning!

Love & Sincerely,

Katie