sperlygirl

giddy and grateful...

i am super excited to announce that i have a 7 page article featured in the current (spring) edition of artful blogging. after asking my mom to check b&n to be sure i had the correct issue, she emailed back (completely excited) to tell me that my name is even on the cover! this was a total surprise to me.

my article is a personal examination of the definition of community and a letter of appreciation to this virtual community that has inspired, supported, and motivated me for the past six years. i am so grateful to share the pages with such inspiring artists and bloggers. and i am truly appreciative to the sommerset community for this opportunity. a heartfelt thank you....

dream...

i am catching up a bit on the life that happened while technology had me out of the loop.

a dear friend had bought a painting of mine last year to give to a friend. she asked if i could make another similar one for her. after agreeing, i panicked a bit. how in the world could i make them similar...what if, what if, what if...but as i got into working on it, it merely evolved. it was similar in design but turned out better than i had hoped, especially when i found a line from a book to include that so perfectly fit my dear friend.

it was another reminder/lesson in the magic and possibility that can unfold when we merely step out of our own way a bit. our own resistance to so much in this life tends to inhibit our possibilities and progress. it is a lesson i am reminded of, over and over again. 

                             

plotting a new year...

it's true, i believe i have tried every planner on the market in my attempts to find a system that works for me. and while it's not perfect, it definitely is the best match for me and my wandering mind. i use the planner pad and then trick that sucker out until it looks/feels like something i want to have hanging around.

it all began last year, when inspired by kelly rae's use of fabric on a planner cover - bingo! love the texture and contrast this brings. so this year, i free-styled with some scraps i had laying around. i created the tabs to mark the months out of cut-outs from an old anthropologie catalog. they have such great textures captured in their photos. 

i do plan on putting a vision page in there too to help me stay focused on some of my big intentions for 2012. but nothing too formal. formal is what kills me and shuts me down. it's got to be organic, flowing, and easy - then i my attention stays glued. i have some images that i have been collecting and, of course, i have a great little drawing from 'pirate kai' that will find a home there too. 

                    
~here's a new set of tunes for you to plan your year to~

*also, a guest post from mindy on creative everyday for another way to customize your planner

she sees beauty...

with some days off, i was able to create a few things and complete a few more. this is a new painting i have hanging in my etsy.

she reminds me of what i would whisper to myself throughout the year, in attempts to recalibrate when life began to feel heavy. 

the words read: 

"her tears fell gently, reflecting in each one
the heartbreak, heart opening joy, and simple beauty
she sees in the world around her" ~ssperl 2011

little leaps...

(i hemmed and hawed about posting this but until sunday night and losing sweet blu, it was such a wonderful weekend. this little space is a gentle nudge for me to focus on life's gifts - with that gentle nudge, i decided to share...)

coming off the heels of a beautiful weekend spent exploring and laughing, our good friend, and my favorite little people. there was a gorgeous full moon beaming down, autumn hanging heavy in the air, leaves bearing the hues of a favorite palette, dinners full of laughter, an aniversary that we celebrated, and some serious creative dreaming to be had.

i took a little leap and updated some ways to follow me online, you can find them now up at the top of the blog, just under the banner. 

a big thank you to all who left comments for the postcard giveaway, your kind words and support mean so much to me and my creative journey. a big thank you!! congratulations to anne, who was the lucky give-away winner. 

~wishing each of you a most lovely day~

ps - a heartfelt thank you for all your kind words about our sweet blu, we are missing her dearly but cherish all the years we spent with her and all that she taught and brought us. 

mailbox goodness and a postcard giveaway...

a little bit of a creative leap around here as i had a collection of postcards made from my paintings. six paintings are featured in the collection. of course, i had to crop a bit here and there to get them to print the way i envisioned, but i focused on doing so while keeping the original intent of the painting.

it's my wish that these cards find their way into the mailbox of someone you care about and bring with them uplifting words, a special quote, or simply a note to reach out and share a long distance hello. i can tell you, nothing makes my day more, then when i go to pick up our mail and our box is tenderly holding an unexpected letter, note, or goodie from someone dear.

in celebration of the handwritten note, i would like to give away one set of these whimsical postcards. simply leave a comment below and i will announce a lucky winner on friday!

(**postcard collection is now available here**)

thanking joe...

my first year of college, i took a class called The Power of Myth all about the teachings of Joseph Campbell. i remember reading that book and all the discussions that followed in class, and feeling like someone had just shook me awake to the world. a few months later, my world came to a devastating halt when my father suddenly and unexpectedly passed. and in the many months that followed, while i was trying to piece back together my life and find my new place in it - a copy of joseph campbell's a reflections on the art of living: a campbell companion was never far from my grip. on some of the lowest of days, a quote of his would carry me and provide the lift that very little else in my world could offer at that time. i don't know why exactly i felt such a powerful and instant connection, but i did. approaching twenty years later, and that same book still accompanies me. and then i discovered this new film (thx marissa) and all those "a-ha's" from freshman year psych class have reved up once more. 

 

"Life is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it. The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be. Being alive is the meaning." ~ Joseph Campbell

 

the wisdom of quiet...

i am a little giddy today (and blushing a bit too) at seeing my interview up on her lovely blog. 

i was searching for words, some concrete thoughts to share here tonight- but instead, i seem to be caught up in fleeting moments of stillness that have swooped through this house - and i find myself holding onto those...waiting simply to see what wisdom a few moments in silence can offer. wishing you that very same peace tonight. 

love waits patiently...

patience is one virtue i struggle constantly with...but this painting kind of created her own life here. we began this dance on canvas together and initially, it didn't end well. so we began again (see, there go those patience again) and this time, i simple let her emerge. i pulled back from "trying" to create her look and simply let her appear. her hair is collaged from various papers, italian texts, maps, and vintage stamps, ledgers and sheet music that i come across at the antique markets here. she seems to carry a headful of dreams...something i can relate to completely. she is hanging here now.

 

busy hands...

my hands have been busy lately - creating, painting, sewing, photographing, and drawing. some of these things have found their way into my etsy.

i sewed a few vibrant colored headbands (the design inspired by my super talented and dear friend paige), they are a fun way to accent an outfit with a POP of color. created with cotton fabric and embellished with lace and french velvet ribbon found in the local markets, they can help pull off a finished hairstyle (even if you aren't able to get to a brush....trust me on this one!) ;)

i also whipped up some teeny tote treasure bags. i live in a house with two small pirates and we often head out for walks, or treasure hunts, as they are known 'round these parts. these teeny totes are perfect for little hands to carry and load up with all the various treasures they can discover in a neighborhood walk. ours have carried home the likes of rocks, leaves, sticks, seashells, and other discarded items that look like treasure to us. of course, they are also nice to tuck a bar of scented soap, a scattering of seashells, and a few sprigs of freshly cut lavender tied with twine, for a sweet little gift.