As I mentioned in my last post , I have a new toy--a new sewing machine! I got it last weekend and I've done something with it everyday since then, including some beginner classes yesterday. If you've looked around my site before you might have stumbled across past sewing projects, including tons of bears , and you might be asking "beginner classes?" But truly I am a beginner. I may have been sewing for years, but I don't really know how. I never took home-ec class. I took drafting and was a band nerd, leaving no time in the schedule for something useful like home-ec. My mom sewed a little, but I really only saw her mending stuff and that didn't grab my interest (mending just wasn't my thing). My grandma was a great seamstress. She sewed amazing things, including clothes for my mom's Barbie doll, but we didn't live close enough to see her in action. I've dabbled and faked it, but now that I have a new, nice machine, I wanted to learn more...

Today I want to take the time to join in with A Heartfelt Thank You To Art ( a wonderful idea put by Stephey at Marked by the Muse ) Thank you for giving me gifts              love inspiration       community connection to other artistic souls a reminder to take time for myself excitement for trying new things the ability to express myself a way to share my heart a happy heart passion beauty life I am also "sew" grateful today because I got a new sewing machine this weekend which means more fun and adventure!

Does anyone remember reading, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day ? It used to be a favorite of mine. Yesterday, Rebecca was reading it at school while I seemed to be living it. It was just one of those days. I woke up to a dreary, rainy day, not your typical California spring day. I had stayed up too late the night before enjoying the quiet of a sleeping house, so I was now exhausted. My mind was also distracted because we were awaiting medical test results for a loved one. Ultimately, the day turned out fine. Good news came back from the doctor. But for the majority of the day, it was terrible, horrible, no good, and very bad. This seemed to be even more exaggerated when I got to work. With my sour mood came sour patients. Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't taking my mood out on my patients (nobody got an eye poked out, remember I am an eye doctor). It just seemed like my bad day was bringing in the crankier and more demanding patients. My negative mo...

For the past couple weeks my thoughts have been haunted by something I read. I've been yearning for a happier and simpler existence (I imagine I'm not alone in this wish). So I was reading a post from Zen Habits (a blog I learned of from Ali Edward's blog) about the 38 life lessons he's learned in his 38 years. I must admit I didn't get through the entire list because the first several gave me so much to think about. There were quite a few that spoke to me, but #13 really got stuck. It kept playing over and over in my head: "13. You will miss a ton, but that’s OK. We’re so caught up in trying to do everything, experience all the essential things, not miss out on anything important … that we forget the simple fact that we cannot experience everything. That physical reality dictates we’ll miss most things. We can’t read all the good books, watch all the good films, go to all the best cities in the world, try all the best restaurants, meet all the great people....

"Children have neither past nor future; they enjoy the present, which very few of us do." ~Jean de la Bruyere I've been meaning to share an experience I had several weeks ago so I thought today is as good as any to share. It all started with what I felt was an unfortunate event--a loose temporary crown that needed fixing. Long story short, the newly scheduled dental appointment left me with a few hours to kill away from home (so as not to waste gas) with Katherine, my three year old. Luckily the weather was beautiful (we had just come off a week filled with rain), so I took Katherine to an outdoor shopping center with fountains, play areas, and a train. As I enjoyed my time with Katherine, away from my chores and household duties, I realized several things. I don't spend nearly enough time enjoying Katherine. I'm fortunate to work only four days a week and Rebecca goes to school, so I'm blessed with several mornings of just me and Kat. And what do I do...

"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall at last unveil." ~John Ruskin Last night I had the pleasure of attending a lecture at the Crocker Art Museum . Now this wasn't your standard art lecture, it was about "sculpting" a career in the arts (a lofty dream of mine, I suppose). It was presented by local artist, Gayle Rappoport Weiland . She had tons of useful information and inspiration to share. I had been feeling a bit stressed by life, and this class was just right to lift me back up. Gayle was really good about reminding us that anything is possible. We just have to to put our minds to it and take action--a common theme in my life lately. So here's to believing in ourselves, dreaming, and taking action. Happy Wednesday!

Be Happy , originally uploaded by byjen . I'm having a little trouble focusing on the good stuff right now. Thought I could use a little reminder to appreciate the beauty of life.....and Be Happy!

"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother." ~Lin Yutang "There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one." ~Jill Churchill "A mother may only hold her children's hands for a while, but she holds their hearts forever." ~ unknown "Cleaning up with children around is like shoveling during a blizzard." ~unknown "I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them." ~Phyllis Diller

Dream by Priscilla Ahn I was a little girl alone in my little world who dreamed of a little home for me. I played pretend between the trees, and fed my house guests bark and leaves, and laughed in my pretty bed of green. I had a dream That I could fly from the highest swing. I had a dream. Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park, I asked God who I'm supposed to be. The stars smiled down on me, God answered in silent reverie. I said a prayer and fell asleep. I had a dream That I could fly from the highest tree. I had a dream. Now I'm old and feeling grey. I don't know what's left to say about this life I'm willing to leave. I lived it full and I lived it well, there's many tales I've lived to tell. I'm ready now, I'm ready now, I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing. I had a dream.......

After my epiphany/pep talk the other day, I finally got myself going. I started working towards my good health goals again. I worked out on our ellipse Saturday and started the Couch to 5K program yesterday (and ran today!). I even ate all the healthy things my husband lovingly packed in my lunch on Saturday, which in itself is a small victory. I'm notorious for leaving the carrot and celery sticks uneaten, simply carrying the same baggie back and forth in my lunch for days. There have been studies showing how sugar-addicted mice would rather starve than switch from their sugary, junk food diet to a healthy diet. Unfortunately, I sometimes feel like one of those mice, even though my diet is not really that full of junk. I just don't seem to crave that bag of carrots and celery. So I'm working on other easy alternatives to get in my rainbow of healthy food. I have already begun to enjoy the quiet time that walking/running gives me to think. You could say I came to anoth...

I can't believe it's May. Wow! Where is the year going? Today I am participating in the OLW Blog Hop again. I just love seeing everyone's class projects and reading about the journeys brought by our chosen words. But I must admit, I am now two projects behind in Ali Edward's class. Hmmm. Now I do still love the class even if I haven't had as much time to sit with the projects. And I may not have the pages made for my album, but Ali's prompts do inspire much thought.  **In fact, this morning I'm sneaking into my sad little pre-written post to celebrate taking that one little action today! The one I was supposed to take in March. I woke up early, laced up my running shoes, and started the C25K program . I ran/walked 1.8 miles this morning. Hooray!!! I'll share more tomorrow** My word, clear, is still quite present in my life and it is clear that my word has inspired a journey, both expected and unexpected.  A journey towards  clear thoughts  and  clea...

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans” ~John Lennon "A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow" Do you ever find yourself so wrapped up in planning that you don't get around to doing? For instance, as a kid I remember playing with dolls or cars and taking a ton of time to set up and build the perfect house or city, yet I would "play" just a little? Or in college, I would spend lots of time making color coded study schedules for different classes when really I should've just been studying. Well right now I am falling victim to this planning vs. doing. If you visited before you may know that I've really been trying to embrace "now" (trying not to worry so much about the past or wait for the "perfect" future). But I seem to be slipping into old ways. I find myself reading books, writing lists, watching tv programs, and following websites about living a healthy and happy life. I am reading...

Here I am! We are back from spring vacation. Okay we've been back since late Sunday night, but Monday was filled with loads of laundry and grocery shopping. Yesterday and today have meant school and work for everyone and I must say it's hard getting back into the swing of things. I keep reminding myself that happiness is a choice, but I must admit that sometimes that's easier said than done. I'm not so much sad, just a bit wiped out. That must mean our vacation was a success, right? So I wanted to still share a happy thought for positively Wednesday. When on vacation, my family and I painted ceramics together and I made a cute tile that said "Be Happy." I was excited to share it with you today, but you know what? In the morning rush to get everyone to school and work, I forgot it so I can't photograph it for you yet. Soon! So instead here are my two cuties in their new Vegas shirts. That should be good for a smile :)

As I mentioned, we're on spring break at my grandma's house in Boulder City, NV. Today we took the girls to the Natural History Museum of Las Vegas to see the dinosaurs and my daughter lost her third wiggly tooth there. Such a simple thing brings with it so many emotions. Rebecca is beaming. Excited for the tooth fairy. Excited to tell her friends. Proud to show off her new smile. And I can't believe my "baby" is loosing her baby teeth. She is growing up so much each and everyday. Wow! You can't get more positive than the magic of childhood, from both a child's and a parent's perspective. Happy times!

This week is spring break and we are enjoying time with family. We are many miles away from home (we're at my grandma's house) but I still had to sneak in some creative time. Here's some little scrapbooks I just made with lunch bags. Should be fun to fill with our vacation memories. Happy times everyone!

Head in the Clouds I know my Positively Wednesday post is a bit late. Between the Create With Me article and the lovely Courage to Fly blog hop and preparing for our family vacation this spring break, I've been a bit distracted. My head has been in the clouds. What's not to love when it comes to clouds, right? They're so pretty and fluffy. And you can't help but notice them when you're dreaming...... and flying, right?

Today I am joining the Courage to Fly blog hop over at Stephey Baker's blog, Marked by the Muse . I am so honored to be joining this amazing group of women. So much wisdom and inspiration has been shared and I thank my lucky stars that I get to be a part of this. Be sure to check out past posts as well as future posts here . What message is your heart eager to share? Recently I have found myself on a journey of self discovery. I suppose in life we are always learning more about ourselves, but lately it's been different for me. It's been more than that. My discoveries have been more meaningful and powerful. My life has become clearer. Even though life itself has essentially remained the same, the way I look at it and the way I approach it has changed. And this is what my heart is eager to share...... I have a choice. For too long I had focused on the aspects of my life that I wanted to change. The things that made me unhappy. The stuff that made me feel trapped. T...

Today I would like to share a wonderfully inspiring blog post written by Stephey Baker over at Marked By the Muse . The post is about that big question, "Am I an artist?" I have struggled with my response to this question for quite some time. I know that I am creative. I absolutely love making things. In fact, I have too many hobbies and interests to count. But it's been hard to embrace the title of Artist. I'm not sure I can explain why. Maybe it's because I don't have artwork hanging in galleries. Or maybe it's because I don't paint on an easel. Maybe it's because I don't make a living making art. But with time and the help of my young daughters, especially Rebecca, I have begun to realize that my definition of an artist was entirely too limited. Life is art. It is everywhere we look and in one way or another, we are all artists. So please enjoy reading Stephey's post and join me as I declare "Yes! I am an artist!"

Opening up I have so much I want to share, but right now I need to write. My daughters and I were fortunate enough to have artwork chosen for Stampinton's new children's art publication, Create With Me . So as much as I'd love to sit and share the thoughts and stories that are building up in my mind, I need to finish writing our article.  And can I just tell you how excited we are about this opportunity?!  But before I go, while I am here sharing, you should go visit Debra at Prairie Songs . She's written a beautiful poem inspired by my recent Ranunculous photo . So very inspiring. Now I must use that inspiration to go write......

Side by Side , originally uploaded by  byjen Here we are, another month into the year. It's One Little Word (OLW) Blog Hop time. It's time to check in with my OLW for the year, Clear. March seemed to bring less clarity for me than January and February, just as Ali Edwards mentioned. I seemed to lose touch with my word and became scattered in my thoughts and actions. I haven't completed March's OLW project on paper, but I did try to "take one little action." My action was to start clearing out my bad eating habits. I needed to focus on eating less fat and sugar, and eating more fruit and vegetables. The first little step I took in the month was a shopping trip to Costco without the cheap hot dog for lunch. I've also been reading books that have me examining my troubled relationship with sugar. I'm a healthy eater for the most part, but when I do run into trouble, sugar is almost always involved. Yet it's hard to imagine giving up sugar comple...