The Little Bliss List...

Every Friday, Liv Lane hosts the Little Bliss List link party...it is about listing the little things that have touched our hearts and made us feel joy, peace, warmth, love and/or a little bliss during the past week. So, I'm jumping on the bliss band wagon.


Little moments of kindness from others this week that brought me moments of bliss:


1. Tea delivered in the middle of a very stressful 'crazy day job' afternoon by a friend and coworker - thank you Ellie!


2.  Dinner made by Superman - he's so good to me!


3. A handmade piece of art as a thank you for inspiring a friend. Jazmyn not only created this lovely piece of art but also gave me a new pad of paper specifically for pen art. LOVE!

Click the button below and visit the link party to stalk a few other blogs. Get inspired by reading their blogs and remembering what brought you bliss and touched your heart this past week.

As always, thanks for being a part of my creative journey. - Lori

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I played blog tag earlier in the week and tagged a few blog friends. Well, I was tagged back. To learn a little more about me scroll down.


Pauline @ Journal Illustrations and Musings
Love the colors she uses in her art! Here are her questions and my answers:
1. Favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate Chip
2. Favorite book (or movie)? The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
3. One thing that you love? (thing, not person) :-) my camera
4. What makes you smile? flowers
5. Where was your best vacation? a trip to Guatemala for a girlfriends wedding
6. What color is your car (if you have one) or your bike? an MTA pass for public transit - yellow
7. If money was no object, what is the ONE thing you would do? quit my job and create art
8. Where do you feel most at home or 'connected' to the world? when surrounded my nature
9. high heels or flip flops? flip flops but only if cowboy boots aren't available
10. If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? I would quit my job
11.What are you most proud of? my relationship with Superman


Tracey Fletcher King
Love her tea art! Here are her questions and my answers:
1. How would you rate your breakdancing ability.... 1 being a demented spider and 10 being a drunken sailor??? 1
2. What is the worst book you have ever read??? Love in the Time of Cholera
3. George Clooney or Brad Pitt??? George
4. Do you prefer Chocolate Eggs or Bunnies???... chocolate bunnies that is... I mean of course you would eat chocolate eggs rather than a real bunny.... or at least I hope you would.... Bunnies 
5. What is your guilty TV watching pleasure???  Fringe
6. If you could change your name, what would it be??? Art Goddess  (giggle)
7. What is the worst.... and I am talking the absolute worst present you have ever received???? some random toy dollar store (cheap) gift when I was a child (it broke in 2 days)
8. What song do you sing at the top of your lungs when no one is listening???  Pink's F***ing Perfect
9. Mummy/Mommy issues or Daddy issues???? Daddy
10. How good are you at parking a car.... 1 being you could reverse park blindfolded in the world's smallest parking spot and 10 being any car in a three spot radius is in danger of being bumped???? 3
11. The perpetual catered function dining question.... Chicken or Fish?? Fish


Melanie @ Sunshine Girl Designs
Love her whimsical art! Here are her questions and my answers:
1. How do you start your day? Coffee, writing my blog post or reading other blogs
2. Instruments you can play? Piano, clarinet if I can remember how
3. Pets? Cat (Tucker)
4. Favorite vacation spot? Anywhere warm - a little sand and sunshine
5. Favorite zoo animal? giraffe 
6. Favorite book author? Right now I'm in love with Sarah Addison Allen
7. What sports did you play growing up? volleyball, softball
8. What's your pet peeve? being lied to - (just don't do it, it will take awhile to earn my trust back)
9. favorite quote? I am enough!
10. How do you end your day? Zoning to the television and often fall asleep with it on.
11. What's the one food you could eat everyday? ice cream

March Color Challenge & WOYWW

I'm participating in Louise Gale's Creative Color Challenge during 2012 and this month's challenge is Tranquil Blues.  

I had a lot of fun creating this tangle/doodle. It was relaxing, especially while watching tv after my crazy day job, so this probably won't be the last one that you see.

 My favorite part is this last picture of the sailboat with the bird on the top of it.

Hop on over (by clicking the logo below) and check out the other tranquil blue color challenge participants.

I'm also linking up with Julia at Stamping Ground's weekly WOYWW.

Shared Messages from the Universe - No Turning Back

 

No Turning Back

It is my belief that messages from the universe speak to me and remind me of something that is inside of me. When I first see them, I often don't even know what is really being advertised. Instead, the message conjures emotions or thoughts relating to something that is going on within me; in my heart, in my mind, in my soul. I see them on billboards, in magazines, store windows, church plaques...everywhere. I secretly call them soul whispers.

The messages are all around us 

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I consciously choose to lead a creative life. It isn't always easy nor is it exactly the way I want it...yet. But, there is no turning back.

As many of you know. I have a 'crazy day job' and there are so many things I could say, but I won't. I define it as 'crazy' mostly because I do it and it does not feed my soul and for that I am crazy.

So, I took myself on a date with my camera Saturday to feed my soul and make my heart dance. I took the subway and exited at 33rd street (Union Square at 14th Street was my destination) choosing to walk and explore. I with my backpack on and inside carrying my 35mm camera, an extra lens, my point & shoot digital camera and in my pocket my iPhone - I walked.

Then I stopped in my tracks, in the middle of the street. I just stood there looking down at the 3 arrows that you see above and I started to laugh - out loud. Side note: in NYC, people laughing out loud to themselves occurs often but we usually write them off as crazy and keep walking. Happily, no one was around.

I laughed because my cameras were in my backpack. I laughed because I had to have this picture. I laughed because it was and still is exactly what I need to believe - - there is no turning back.

By the way, I also laughed because the light was turning and I had to get out of the way and then time the capture of the shot during a red light. As I attempted this a kind woman showed up and watched the light for me and prompted me when to move - so kind!

The universe is giving me permission to go any way BUT back.

I took my iPhone out of my pocket, this is a fairly new toy and Instagram is totally new to me but why not give it a try. I love how this turned out. I love the layer I added, I love that I chose to include my feet.

I really love that I get to choose and there isn't just one arrow - there a multiple so I can choose to do more than one thing.  I can go one way and come back and take another path. So many options.

There is no turning back.

Today, I want to share this message from the universe with you.

Give yourself permission to move forward. To choose a path that feeds your soul.

There is no turning back.

Tag...I'm It!

(Sunday Color Snippets will return in 2 weeks. Next week join me for Kat Eye Studio's Photo Heart Connection)

 Today I've been tagged by magnetised by life...she is a fabulous photographer! I'm going to play along and if I tag you - I hope you'll play too.

The Rules
...you must post the rules
...answer 11 questions the tagger posted for you
...create 11 questions to ask the people you tag
...tag 11 people
...let them know you've tagged them

My questions:

1. If you have/had to get a one word tattoo. What would it be?
Breathe

2. What are two things you love the sound of?
A cat purring and a child giggling.

3. What is your favorite holiday celebration of the year?
Christmas - it is when I see my family and my extended family.

4. Share some advice on friendship, love or marriage...
It is all about trust and open communication. You are the only person who knows what goes on in your head and your heart - you must share it in order to have strong, sincere relationships.

5. A quote you live by?
I am enough!

6. decisions..decision..heart or head?
Heart...I am a believer in following my intuition.

7. Where are you headed for your next holiday/vacation?
I am not sure - I am visiting my family at the end of May (Wisconsin) so that is kind of a vacation.

8. What is something you do every morning when you get up?
Write or read blogs. The morning is the time that is most quiet in my apartment.

9. When do you feel most free?
When I am creating art: taking photographs, making jewelry, doodling, making books...I can get lost for hours.

10. What couldn't you live without?
My cameras. I carry at least one with me at all times.

11. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring...tell us your favorite & what you love most about it.
Autumn - I love the cool nights and warm days. Also, the smell of Autumn reminds me of my childhood.

Now...tag, you're it!  I hope you will play:

magnetised by life

Tracey Fletcher King

Journal Illustrations and Musings

tinachicky

Honey & Ollie

Spaark ~ Artistically Afflicted

Happily Ever After by Renee Burke

Jill's Dream

Tattered & Worn

Shells in the Bush

Everyday Endeavours

1. Coffee or Tea?
2. What's your favorite color?
3. What's your least favorite color?
4. Do you use your favorite color more in your art?
5. Are you a cat or a dog person?
6. If you could have lunch with one person (alive or dead) who would it be?
7. Carnivore, Vegetarian, or Vegan?
8. What's your favorite piece of clothing that you wear often?
9. What's your favorite way to spend a rainy afternoon?
10. Snow or Sand?
11. If you had 12 hours in between flights in NYC, what would you do?

Tag...You're It!

The Little Bliss List...

Every Friday, Liv Lane hosts the Little Bliss List link party...it is about listing the little things that have touched our hearts and made us feel joy, peace, warmth, love and/or a little bliss during the past week. So, I'm jumping on the bliss band wagon.

1. A coworker, and friend, shared the richest most delicious chocolate cookies with me during a stressful afternoon at my crazy day job. They brought a smile to my face. 


2. The sun this week has been amazing by mid-day. The mornings have been filled with some serious fog but by the time I can escape during lunch - the sun has been warm and soul awakening!


3. A walk through Central Park turned parts of the park into a color palette; blooming flowers in shades of yellow and purple and flowering trees dotted the landscape. I walked to simply see more.


4. Your sweet comments and shared loved. I've been particularly blessed by all of you this past week.  So many of you visiting just see my latest pictures, commenting and sharing the love. I sincerely thank you, it warms my heart!

Click the button below and visit the link party to stalk a few other blogs. Get inspired by reading their blogs and remembering what brought you bliss and touched your heart this past week.

As always, thanks for being a part of my creative journey. - Lori

WOYWW - What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday

I am hopping on Julia's hop over at Stamping Ground for What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.

I've been playing with a a little doodling, inspired by the Zentangle® method of pattern drawing.  I doodle in meetings or while on conference calls at the day job. At night I have started to doodle thinking about what I am going to create for my Louise Gale Creative Color Challenge...hmmm I think I need to find markers that match this month's colors.

So, do me a favor and hop over to Stamping-Ground and stalk a few blogs to celebrate WOYWW.

Shoe Hop & Shared Messages from the Universe

It is my belief that messages from the universe speak to me and remind me of something that is inside of me. When I first see them, I often don't even know what is really being advertised. Instead, the message conjures emotions or thoughts relating to something that is going on within me; in my heart, in my mind, in my soul. I see them on billboards, in magazines, store windows, church plaques...everywhere. I secretly call them soul whispers.

The messages are all around us
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Today I am also hopping on the Fly-Tribe's Shoe Hop.

Only Me.

As an artist the art I create, no matter what the medium, needs to be authentically only me.

I am the only me. How I see the world around me though my pictures. The jewelry that I create. The doodling, the panting, the collage, the journals, the little books...it really does have to be authentically only me.

How and what I write on my blog has to be authentically and only me. You deserve the real me. 
So, when my grammar isn't quite right, or I write a run on sentence, or the photos I use are always about flowers...well, you are getting the one and only me. (I love flowers!) I write like I talk so, trust me, when you do meet me there won't be any surprises.

Because as an artist it is only me (and I still have a full time day job), I need to pace myself sometimes. Go really slow if I am trying something new (the journal books that I started at Christmas are still not done) and I need to be okay with it.

I also, need what I create to be an extension of myself. I won't be jumping on any new trends unless it resonates within my soul and is an extension of only me.

Being only me is all about balance...balancing my blog, my creative endeavors, my full time day job, my relationship with Superman, my home, my family, my friends, my life...and I'll be honest I don't always do the balancing act well BUT you can trust that I am always - only me.

I encourage you, no matter what your role is in this world (even if you play many roles), to be the only you that you can be.  You are the only you in the world and your voice, your passions, your gifts to the world are better when they come from your heart and soul and only from you. So, be the best "only me" that you can be!

Click on the picture below to hop over to the Fly Tribe blog and check out the other shoe shots this week.

 

Sunday Color Snippets

Color is all around you in Spring. 

The gray and brown turn to vibrant colors. 

Signs of Spring at the market. 

A few close up of all those flowers 

- just a few more weeks of tulips this beautiful.

My adventure today will be a visit to Shakespeare Garden in Central Park. Also, a walk through the park to find some cherry blossoms - I just love that smell.

Join me tomorrow for a special Shared Messages from the Universe post as I will be linking up with my Fly-Tribe.  You too can play along just click on the link to see our theme (shoe shot) and then join in tomorrow or at any time all week long.

Can you find color in your every day?

The Little Bliss List...

Every Friday, Liv Lane hosts the Little Bliss List link party...it is about listing the little things that have touched our hearts and made us feel joy, peace, warmth, love and/or a little bliss during the past week. So, I'm jumping on the bliss band wagon.

Today she referenced a theme of Sunny Side Up. What a great to describe my week and the 70+ days of this past week here in NYC.



1. The simple things can make me smile. This smiley face that was drawn on a bench made me smile and laugh out loud. We all need to laugh a little more.


2. The sun on my face. This week the weather was so lovely, 70+ degrees in NYC in March - crazy! I enjoyed short walks during my lunch break and the sun warmed my soul.


3. Flowers, I love flowers.  I took myself on a date last Saturday with my camera. I left Superman in bed and went out for breakfast, walked the market while NYC slept, took some pictures and bought treats (farm fresh eggs, crushed tomatoes, apples, and apple pie, and tulips).

Click the button below and visit the link party to stalk a few other blogs. Get inspired by reading their blogs and remembering what brought you bliss and touched your heart this past week.

As always, thanks for being a part of my creative journey. - Lori

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday...

I am hopping on Julia's weekly hop, What's on your Workdesk Wednesday today over at Stamping Ground.

I am honestly too embarrassed to share what my desk looks like because this past week I did not sit at  it. It has become a catch all for unread mail, unfinished homework from Hello Soul Hello Business worksheets, whatever I didn't want in my purse, and random stuff. (I so need to clean it up!)

Instead this past weekend, I enjoyed being outside and took a ton of photos while at the Farmer's Market (well in NYC we actually call the Green Market) but I was raised with it being a Farmer's Market so that is what I still call it. On Sunday I shared a mosaic of the sign photos that I took. Since then I've done a little cropping and straightening so I thought I would share what I've been working on, which is my photography.

By the way, I love cheese (I blame this on growing up in Wisconsin - Mom, it's your fault).

Roses sold from the back of a van. 

 Handpicked during the dark the previous night or early early morning before arrival.  

 I had to have one of these.  Yum!

 And, I just love this shot.  

Market goers: the lady with the dog, the baby stroller... I love the stacked crates. 

So, do me a favor and hop over to Stamping-Ground and stalk a few blogs to celebrate WOYWW.

Shared Messages from the Universe - Become Your Dream

It is my belief that messages from the universe speak to me and remind me of something that is inside of me. When I first see them, I often don't even know what is really being advertised. Instead, the message conjures emotions or thoughts relating to something that is going on within me; in my heart, in my mind, in my soul. I see them on billboards, in magazines, store windows, church plaques...everywhere. I secretly call them soul whispers.

The messages are all around us
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Become Your Dream
As I was reviewing photos from last year I came across this picture. The artist, James De La Vega is responsible for this message and public artwork. He often walks the streets of NYC and leaves his mark of inspirational messages on everyday items or simply with chalk on the sidewalk. This day, he chose someone's trash - a tossed mattress.

What's your dream? Are you living it?

Seriously, what Is YOUR dream?

Have you written them down? Do you dream often? Do you have really big dreams? Yes, the kind that you can't reach right now... Do you have smaller dreams? Ones that are obtainable.

Do me a favor, take out a piece of paper or your journal and your favorite colored markers or pens and write them down. Make your list of dreams. Don't edit yourself - this isn't a "I would if I could" list. You are writing them down your dreams so that you can see them all in one place.

I know what you're thinking - that voice inside of your head is loud (work through it, ignore it, put it on hold, tell it to step aside): "BUT I have a day job, I have family obligations, I don't have any money, these will never come true. Blah, blah, blah."

Write down your dreams, no matter how big or small.

Write them down. They are too important to live in your head.

Do you have your list? Are you smiling? These dreams having been living your head since you little, right?

Now, big step here...pick one. Yes, it is okay to pick the easy one.

What can you do today to live that dream? How can you take one step forward toward making it come true?  I dare you to take that one step. Just one step today. Tomorrow you'll take another step. And, next week you'll take another step. And, you'll continue to takes steps toward becoming your dream.

Do me a favor, remember to enjoy the journey along the way.

BECOME YOUR DREAM

Have you noticed any messages from the universe?

Share your message by joining my flickr group by the same name:  Shared Messages from the Universe and post or link your photos. Share those written messages that you walk by most of the time. Those message that all of sudden you notice, you read, you react and they move you forward.

I'd love to see the messages that have inspired you!

Sunday Color Snippets

Signs of Union Square Market  (c) 2012 Lori Moon

I took my self on a date yesterday morning to the Farmer's Market at Union Square. My camera and coffee in hand - I was one happy girl.

Well, as you can see, I fell in love with the signs of the market.

It is often necessary for me to escape on my own and explore the city. I never know what my focus will be until I return and review the photos. I was pleasantly surprised. So fun!

Can you find color in your every day?

Little Bliss List

Every Friday, Liv Lane hosts the Little Bliss List link party...it is about listing the little things that have touched our hearts and made us feel joy, peace, warmth, love and/or a little bliss during the past week. So, I'm jumping on the bliss band wagon.

My Little Bliss List this week...

1. I am ever so grateful for being creatively woken up by Beth Nicholls and her Do What You Love Class last year. I am forever more aware of the world around me.

2. Date night this week with Superman was a very special night out at the theatre. An old friend from my fundraising days at American Players Theatre offered me tickets to see Death of a Salesman and I, of course, said yes. Thanks, Jen!

3. An in your face reminder of where I live happened this past week. Attending the theatre meant a trip to Times Square - well a trip to 47th Street, close enough in my book. As a New Yorker, visiting Times Square is avoided, too many people, bright lights, it is such a NY cliche, blah, blah, blah - you just don't go near it. But this past week I had to and you know what, it was everything that I just mentioned, but it also reminded me that this small town, Midwest girl lives in NYC and that I need to take a little more advantage of what is available.

4. Spring, is officially here, at least the way that I measure the beginning of Spring - flowers in Shakespeare Garden in Central Park. It was also 60+ degrees this past week- yippee!

Click the button below and visit the link party to stalk a few other blogs. Get inspired by reading their blogs and remembering what brought you bliss and touched your heart this past week.

As always, thanks for being a part of my creative journey. - Lori

 

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday...

I am hopping on Julia's weekly hop, What's on your Workdesk Wednesday today over at Stamping Ground. I wasn't sure I was going to join.

This past week I have mostly spent my time revisiting and reworking my Hello Soul Hello Business lessons from the first half of class. The second half of class started just a couple of days ago,on Monday, and I am already behind...much to read, worksheets to do (you'll notice in the photo below that there is no writing on the worksheets) - sigh. I will get there.

Over the weekend I worked on a necklace for a dear family friend - one of my Mom's best friends. When I was home over the holidays she gave me her Mother's jewelry (a few necklaces, her wedding ring, her charm bracelet) and asked that I put it together into a necklace. You see, she saw the necklace I made out of my Gram's jewelry at her funeral and asked if I would help and do the same for her.

I made a lot of progress. You see, up until this weekend I was in demolition mode. Carefully taking pieces apart - sawing jump rings, removing charms (which will be shared with each of the children and grandchildren that are represented on their respective charm), taking part the watch, etc.

Cherished memories made into a repurposed necklace rather than sitting in a jewelry box and never being worn means so much to me. I'll be honest, this is the first time I am doing this for someone else and I was a little nervous that I would ruin or mess something up but I haven't and won't ...and I can honestly say that I am enjoying the process of creating a signature single piece out of her treasured memories.

I still have work to do, when you put this on everything clumps together. I am going to work on creating beads, similar to the gold piece that I created out of part of a necklace to hold the wedding ring on, to go in between each item so that there will be more space when worn.

Do you have cherished family jewelry that's sitting in a box and not being worn? Would you like a necklace or charm bracelet to be made out of the pieces? Feel free to send me an email at lorimoonstudio[@]gmail[.]com - FYI take the brackets [ ] out.

Feel free to hop over to WOYWW at Stamping Ground and stalk a few desks.

 

Shared Messages from the Universe - Step Aside

I've wanted to take this picture for awhile but I often have only thought about it during my commute to or from work and that means that it has been way to crowded to do so. This weekend I was with a girlfriend and on our way to Grand Central I was finally able to get the shot. She giggled when I took it, smiled and told me it was a great shot.

By the way, you know what it is like, right? To have something in mind that you want to capture or get done but something just gets in the way and you end up putting it off until later?
Well, I don't know about you but often for me, it usually means that I got in my own way.

Let me say that again - it usually means that I got in my own way.

I may have made an excuse or multiple excuses, this one goes through my head often (just due to my lack of space): I'll have to unpack all of those supplies...it will take a while....I only have a couple of hours...by the time I get the supplies out and then have to put them back...I will only end up creating/working on my project for an hour...never mind, that isn't enough time to really make an impact.

OMG...negative Lori needs to go away!

An hour to create! Really an hour to escape my head, my reality, to make something beautiful. Embrace the hour!

Step aside excuses!

Step aside inner critic!

Step aside voice of fear!

Step aside brain that over thinks everything!

STEP ASIDE!

Sunday Color Snippets - Spring

Spring is here and Central Park has started to bloom.

As the weeks unfold, I am sure that the colors of Spring will visit us on Sundays again so be sure and check back to see what else is blooming in Central Park.