Friday and a Little Bliss

Blogtoberfest: Day 18

Just a little bliss this week to share:

By the way, I'm off on a trip this weekend to volunteer with a nonprofit (a day job client) to help renovate someone's house. I am going back to Mississippi to cotton fields and one of the most impoverished areas of the country.

You may remember my post from last year (I Made This With A Whole Lotta Help). I hope to blog from my phone while I am away but just in case you stop by and there isn't an update it is because I probably didn't have service (we are staying in dorms this year and not a hotel) and not for a lack of trying.

This week has been filled with little moments:

Dinner with friends and dancing with their daughter in the middle of the restaurant. Oh the things that I will do with a child that I wouldn't do alone. The giggles, the laughter, the joy of this family just makes me happy to be a part of their lives.

Moments of joy during my daily lunch walks. I love Autumn.

The friendly people where I buy soup once in a while. They are so happy (at least that is what they express) and for that I am grateful. It is always more pleasant to shop where the employees are happy.

Creating art. This week as you've seen from my previous posts I'm fascinated with leaves so I have been painting, stamping, and drawing them. I predict that this won't stop for a few more weeks so I apologize in advance if you are tired of seeing them.

I hope you have a bliss filled week.

A Little Bliss

Blogtoberfest: Day 5

I am linking up with Liv Lane today and her Little Bliss List. I am really enjoying sharing what has brought me happiness and joy this past week with you. The real truth is that it makes me more aware throughout the week, more grateful, more positive, more present. I love it!

1. To be home...by this I mean my childhood home. There something that slows me down when I escape NYC and visit my parents. Maybe it's the small town, the wide open spaces, because walking somewhere isn't about getting somewhere but just about walking, the way people say hello - there are so many blissful moments and I am continuing to enjoy them through the weekend.
2. Creating a little art. I spent Sunday stamping with my newly carved leaf stamp (I'll share it will you next week), white ink on brown and black paper. Loved the process and they way they turned out.
3. My niece, she is adorable, even at almost 19. Her energy, spark, the way she reminds me so much of me - I absolutely love her.
4. It is the little things, that seem to also touch my heart. The help from strangers: helping me pick things up at the airport as I juggled too many things and dropped a few. The kindness of giving me a couple of napkins as I sat at the airport with my bags and ate a snack but didn't have one and the thought of taking everything with me to get one wasn't worth it - you saved my sleeve. The man in the airplane who help to put my bag up into storage on the airplane and got it down for me before I even got out of my seat and attempted it - you have no idea how thankful I am for the lack of Fibromyalgia pain, had you not been my superhero I would be achy. 

I hope your week is filled with blissful moments.

Hop over to Liv's blog to share in some other blissful moments from the past week.

Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap Joy

A few months ago I signed up to participate in Kat Sloma's Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap and we're having a blog hop.

Mind you, I didn't have any postcards at the time but loved the idea of sending in 5 of mine and receiving 5 from other artists. 

I chose my photo of Cold Morning Horse and sent off my moo.com order. 

I love this photo. It was taken one very early Winter morning in Wisconsin. The way the morning light made the shadow blue, the light outline of the horse, and the fact that you can see his breath all just evoke such emotion for me. A calm yet bitterly cold day. One of those crisp Winter days that you long to stay in bed but you get up just to breathe in the morning.

I had such joy through out the month that I received little bits of art in my mail box. Living in NYC means concrete and crowds on a daily basis so to receive little bits of colorful art made my days after arriving home from the day job.

The above postcards are from the lovely:

Lorinda at Everyday Endeavors - love the colors on this painting (I loved that the first postcard I received came from someone that I know via this beautiful online art world.)

Polly Johnson (wonderful hand tinted and stamped collage art) - do me a favor and tilt your head to the right. :)

Christine at Christine Create - love the shapes, the colors, and if you visit her blog her photos are stunning!

The above postcards are from:

Christina at Soul Aperture - this photo made me smile, the colors, the perspective - joy!

Justine of Justine Gordon Photography - pure simple beauty in black & white - lovely!

and the hostess Kat at Kat Eye Studio - lovely, I just want to walk and see what is around the bend in this photo.

The playfulness of anticipation each day when I would arrive home from work, check the mail box, and flip through the days arrivals just to see if a postcard had arrived was a little like Christmas.

I am already thinking about which photo I would like to include for next year.

Now, please, please, please, hop over to Kat's blog, Kat Eye Studio, and visit a few other blogs to see the other wonderful postcards that were created and sent all over the word.