The Art of Healthy Living e-course

Hello Hello! I just wanted to share with you something that I find amazingly wonderful. A while ago, I joined a group called Whole Heart Fitness. It's a group of women led by Edie Cournoyer for weight loss with an artistic twist. So far I have become a part of an amazing support system, learned a bit about how to challenge my negative feelings about weight-loss, and... wait for it... (*insert drum roll here*) I've lost 5 pounds! It hardly even felt like I was trying.

Right now Edie is offering an e-course: http://wholeheartfitness.ning.com/page/the-art-of-healthy-livin-2 . It is really a great opportunity to have fun, learn about healthy living, be a part of a fantastic support system, and best of all, loose weight! I hope to see you there!! =D

Turning the page

So, blogging isn't really my thing... as you may have already concluded from the date of my last post. However, I've learned so much in 2010 and have such high expectations for 2011 that I thought I'd give it another shot. Even if this ends up being my only post until next time I have an epiphany, I still feel it's necessary.

My dear friend Robyn (www.robynsart.etsy.com) has gently led me through the veils that have been covering my life. Through her Artist Empowerment class, introducing me to Julia Cameron, and simple encouragement she's made me realize that floating along on the winds of life won't make me magically appear at the gates of success or happiness.

Recently she shared with me a '2011 Personal Planning Tool' (www.lifeframeworks.com). I completed that just now and was suprised at some of the things that came from my pencil. I'd like to share the most suprising and powerful thing I wrote, I believe this will be a statement that I'll come back to again and again for encouragement in 2011:
Choosing to succeed, choosing to excell, choosing to be happy ~ they really are a choice. It's not easy to choose these things, but oh, how very wonderful.

So, for me, for 2011, I choose. I will choose everyday and I will make every choice. I hope you choose to have a happy and successfull 2011 as well!

Drum roll please...

Yay! I finished!! Here you can see the wall with my contest pieces. In the corner is the Cricut cutting station. The shelving will be used to hold class tools.

Here is a close-up of my framed contest pieces.

This is the wall I am most proud of. (and my cat, Sunny, who is ready for his first class) The shelving on this wall will be used for magazines and catalogs.

This is some wonderful artwork I got from two of my Etsy friends. See more at http://www.robynsart.etsy.com/ and http://www.ameliakayphotography.etsy.com/.

Finally, a close-up of some inspiring words by Julia Cameron.

The painting is finished!!

Whoot Whoot! I've put the brushes and rollers away! I picked up more paint over the weekend and finished the main color last night. I was disappointed to find that the new paint is a shade darker than the first gallon I purchased. I don't understand how that could be, but I'm trying not to let it bother me too much. I'm sure not many will notice unless they are staring at the corners and tops of the walls where I trimmed with the first gallon and rolled with the second.

I also added a little feather painting in pink and light teal. I still can't decide if I like it or not, but this is how it's going to stay. I think it looks a little like the paneling you would find in a trailer home, but even so, it is SOOO much better than the goopy blood stained walls that used to grace themselves in my classroom.

Now all I have to do is somehow cover the floor, change a lightbulb, assemble shelving, move in furniture, set up the Cricut, frame and hang pictures, and add a few finishing touches. }:-P

Poo for running out of paint!

So close... yet so far away. This classroom thing is turning into a typical 'Rebecca Project'. I have grand ideas that shift and change with execution usually resulting in something completely different than I first intended. The finished product looks spectacular in my head, but no one will ever see, because that is the only place the finished product resides.

I ran out of paint last night. I'd like to get more tonight, but I should be doing so many other things. I have a craft show tomorrow and just about nothing prepared for it. It is in town here, so I will send Mike to the show and I'll have the store open. The store REALLY needs to be re-arranged and cleaned to accomdate Christmas and other seasonal items. Plus, I've been sitting on custom orders for about two weeks. So, we'll just have to wait until tonight to see if my desire to get paint over-rides my need to be responsible.

The trimming has begun...

I got up early this morning and started trimming. All the trimming is done and two of the poles have one coat. If I get enough of my other work done during the day today, I'll do the other two poles and the rolling tonight.

When I picked out this color I didn't want my mother to see. She nosed her way in anyhow and said, "Too dark." Not, "Oh, that's a nice color.", or "I like it, but it's a shade dark for my taste.". Simply and bluntly, "Too dark." I tried not to let it bother me as I know that is her way of communicating tactful opinion, but now I'm second guessing my choice.

Never fear though, I have already devised a plan to lighten it up if I still think it's too dark once it's all painted. I'm not giving away my secret though... you'll just have to wait and see!

Priming - Check!

Yay! Step one complete! I finished priming the walls yesterday. (I forgot to do the door, that will have to wait.) I painted and painted yesterday. All the while thinking about other things I could be doing. My beads and yarn were practically screaming at me the entire day, "Come play with me!".

Mike took down the brackets I couldn't remove. I'm glad I didn't have him silicone the cracks and holes though. The primer I'm using is supposed to stick to plastic, vinyl, metal, and a whole array of other things. Apparently though, it doesn't stick to silicone. I hope the regular latex paint does... It was interesting working with this special primer. It was VERY smelly, and I was getting a little loopy toward the end of the day. I'm glad that part is done. I'm hoping to get to work on the color tonight. Yay!