Gratitude Friday

I realize I have many wonderful things in my life that I am thankful for and so I express my gratitude weekly for just a few of those things.

5 Things I am thankful for....
1. Going out last night to an art exhibit and then dinner. It was a nice night out for us.
2. The wonderful weather we have been having...it feels like spring is really here. Just waiting on the green.
3. Clients who appreciate all our hard work. We have had a few kudos this week and it was nice to hear them.
4. Almost being done with a new gallery to view my art on my website. I hope to have that up this weekend. (And hoping I get some inspiration for a new website design for my website - I think this is the longest I have went without changing the design on one of my websites.)
5. Finding some good grocery sales this week and having a stocked pantry. That always makes me feel good.

(cropped image from an atc - Caring Cat)

Connections

We are going to an art exhibit opening tomorrow night at Two Rivers Winery for Artspace & Open Studio.

Quill

I received this for my last birthday from one of my dearest friends. It is called Graphite Object. It is a piece of graphite that is sculpted but is usable as a pencil. It is done by Agelio Batle. I feel it is almost too beautiful to use.

Web Design Tip Series: Ads

I am going to be doing a series of blog entries for making your website the best it can be but they will be posted at Reflecting Time Productions.

A little excerpt:

I have designed quite a few websites ranging from businesses to artists and one of the things people look to do is find ways on how to generate a little extra income to help offset the cost of maintaining their website. There is a growing trend among website owners to put ads on their website or blog. As tempting as this might be, most of the time it is not a very good idea.

Read the reasons why not to put ads on your website.

Happy Valentine's Day

I admit I love Valentine's Day. Because it involved the one thing I like to remember about this day....LOVE! I don't that Valentine's Day is all buying flowers, candy, and jewelry. It is irritating. As another blog I read said it is terrible message we are sending that we have to spend money on each other to prove our love. And that is horrible.

So all I need today is LOVE and I have that in my life with not only Michael but my wonderful friends and family!

Two Frog Home banner

Very small version of a banner I made for Two Frog Home blog!

darbyart.com

My website will be going down in the next week/week and half (Feb 11-16). Not changing hosts as I love them but I am basically combining things it so it will mean the site has to be taken down and reuploaded. It might take me a few days to a week to get everything back to normal. And also some photos and links here on my blog won't work. Yes, I see some fun filled days of coding coming my way! (That was said with much sarcasm).

Free Collage/Ephemera/Scrapbook Resources & Supplies

Just thought since I had a few freebie links that I would share those plus a few others I had bookmarked.

Lisa Vollrath is doing a Valentine's countdown freebies again so please go check them out!

Another Artist Vintage Valentine Countdown

Vintage Photo Archive

Scrapability's Vintage Images

Aisling's Clipart

Incredible Clipart & Images

Above the Mark - Vintage Images

Old Book Illustrations

NYPL Digital Gallery

Silent Ladies & Gents

Miss Mary's Free Clipart

Art E-Zine Vintage Images

Check out www.google.com/patents for schematics and various line drawings of all kinds of inventions with some dating back to the early 19th century.

Free Image Downloads

Comics and Pulp fiction - you are downloading the whole issue so they are bigger files. I have downloaded them saved the cover or images I liked and just deleted the rest.

Dover Publications offers free samples they send a link every week by email.

Talbot County Free Library Ephemera Collection

Not really ephemera but they have some good templates for ATC's, art dolls and so much more.

5 Years...

I woke up to notes all over the house and a beautiful love letter yesterday for our anniversary. I am a very lucky girl!

Yes!

One of my favorite blogs wrote an incredibly beautiful post about the word yes several years ago. Before that post I had always liked the word yes for many of the reasons she stated but when I read what she wrote -- of course I paid attention to yes much more. This blogger was a school teacher and when grading papers if someone really wrote something that got to her as a human not just a teacher she wrote yes with an underline. Life has those moments you know...those moments when your soul shouts yes!

5 years ago I said yes in that way. I remember it so clearly. I feel the intensity of the moment. Michael and I locking eyes at the airport. It was a yes moment....Yes this is it. Ye he is the one. Yes this is right for the first time in my life. Yes...yes...yes!

This last 5 years has been so many moments of yes.

Yes to those moments of snuggled on the couch watching a movie and laughing at the same time or even being touched by the same line.

Yes to him helping and supporting me in so many dreams. And him allowing me to do the same for him.

Yes to the day trips that create wonderful laughter, conversation and just a sharing that I cherish.

Yes to the kisses, hugs and dancing for no reason but to touch each other.

Yes to the feeling so alive when we look at each other.

Yes to the faith in each other that is always steadfast.

Yes to the hard times for allowing us to see how far our relationship can go - together.

Yes to the creativity that we energize in each other.

Yes to our passion for this path we are on.

I could go on and on with yes moments. I am just very thankful for each and everyone of them. I am very thankful I have someone in my life that helps me create and see YES! Thank you Michael for the last 5 years....thank you for capturing my heart....I love you!