I’ve been busy working on my studio space so I haven’t created much art lately but I did finish the last angel in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8.5″ watercolor journal. Meet Angel Alaia.
I have to say, there’s a certain satisfaction in filling an entire journal with art. I have a total of 44 unique angels in this journal, each with their own personality. Now I need to work on the cover. So stay tuned…
Hope your week is off to a great start!
Thanks for stopping by!!!
Share the Happy 💖
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, this coming Monday. There’s nothing better than snuggling in front of the TV and watching a movie together for a romantic evening. A simple movie can make for an extravagant and memorable night if you pay attention to the details.
Start by lighting a few candles and serve chocolate covered strawberries with a champagne. Or if you prefer popcorn, serve freshly popped corn with homemade cookies and your favorite candies. The main thing is to use your imagination and create a fun and magical night.
These are my top picks for Valentine movies. They’re all nice, light hearted movies with happy endings:
Hope this sparks your creativity for romance. Thanks for stopping by!!
Share the Happy 💖
Love isn’t about the time you spend together. It’s about the memories you create.” ~Unknown
This is another painting from Jodi Ohl’s Abstract Interactive online course. The color scheme and painting was supposed to represent a warm sunset but after I applied the first layers of paint, I kept laughing thinking it looked more like a quilt than an abstract sunset.
When I showed it to my daughter, she completely disagreed. She said it didn’t look like a quilt, but a Neal Sweater 😂😂 I couldn’t stop laughing so this painting is officially named “The Neal Sweater.”
Trivia question, in what movie is there a “Neal Sweater?” I’ll give you a hint it’s a Disney movie, any guesses?
Thanks for stopping by!!!
Share the Happy 💖
There’s something to be said about slowing down and spending time in nature. This past fall I was fortunate to take a hiking trip to northern Georgia with my husband. One of our visits was to Anna Ruby Falls which is in Unicoi State Park, located just outside of Helen, Georgia. It was a stunning drive to the falls as we drove on the windy road through the forest with accents of mother nature’s foliage of yellow, orange and red leaves glistening in the sunlight.
The hike to the falls is about a half mile on a paved path. Officially it’s .4 of a mile, but my Garmin and phone tracker showed it was a bit more. Nevertheless, it was a majestic hike the entire way as the path followed the creek and you were serenaded by the flowing waters. The path was a little steep but there were plenty of benches along the way to rest if needed.
James H. “Captain” Nichols was a Civil War Colonel who retired and moved to Nacoochee Valley in 1870. Even though he had been promoted to Colonel he was reverently referred to as “Captain.” While out horseback riding one day, Nichols discovered the falls and named them after his daughter, Anna Ruby.
The falls are made up of Curtis and York Creeks that run down the steep slopes of Tray Mountain in 2 falls. In the photo above Curtis Creek Falls is shown on the left and drops 153 feet and York Creek Falls is shown on the right and drops 50 feet. These 2 falls combine to create Smith Creek which is what you see when walking on the path.
I hope you enjoyed this little travel tidbit. Anna Ruby Falls was a beautiful place to visit and I hope you’ll be able to visit it too!
Thanks for stopping by!!!
Share the Happy 💖
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~ Lao Tzu
All photos were taken by Maria Vidaurre
Hope your weekend is off to a great start! We’re in for some really cold weather here in South Florida, it’s dropping down in the 30’s. So it will be the perfect weekend to make some hot chocolate and get Hygge 😊
I wanted to try something new in my watercolor journal with my angel. So I played with new colors and created a slightly different design, I named her Angel Fay.
Where are you from and how do you get hygge?
Thanks for stopping by!!
Share the Happy 💖
Previously I wrote a post about homegrown Alfalfa Sprouts which are excellent for your health. But microgreens are different from sprouts, the most obvious being they are grown in soil where sprouts are grown in water. Another difference is sprouts are ready to be eaten in 5-7 days while microgreens are ready in about 2 weeks.
When eating sprouts you’re eating the entire plant and microgreen are cut near the soil so you only eat the stem and leaves. Microgreens are a powerhouse of nutrition because they pretty much contain all the nutrients of a mature plant but in a highly concentrated form.
Depending on the type of microgreens you grow, they’ll have higher levels of the following nutrients:
These small plants are full of antioxidants, beneficial vitamins and minerals. They help protect the body from heart disease, alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, they boost the immune system and brain function, protect your eyes and bones, aid in weight loss, prevent anemia and more.
Microgreens are easy to grow and can be grown year round. There are many types of microgreens that you can grow like arugula, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, quinoa, radish, spinach and watercress to name a few. Plus growing your own microgreens is the best way to keep them fresh longer but they’re also available in stores. Either way it’s a win win to improve your health!
Hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for stopping by!!!
Share the Happy 💖
“To keep the body healthy is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” ~ Buddha
I recently joined Jodi Ohl’s Abstract Interactive online course to further my knowledge of art. Painting abstracts takes me out of my comfort zone but Jodi is an excellent instructor and artist which makes it easier. This is a 10 week course with lots to learn so I’ll be posting a more paintings from the class.
I have to say I’ve been having a lot of fun playing with colors and learning to paint abstract art. The funny thing with abstract art is that everyone sees something completely different. These are my first three paintings I did on paper. What do you see?
Thanks for stopping by!!
Share the Happy 💖
When I was a kid and the teacher would bring out the scissors, paper and glue I knew it was going to be an awesome day because we would create some type of art. Sometimes it’s fun to go back to the basics and cut out pictures and simply glue them in a journal.
I’m not a textile artist but I look in awe at the quilts others make. I came across these photos in Quilting Arts magazine and decided to make journal pages from them. These were images of quilts created and designed by Jean Impey. They were simply stunning!
I onced used a hand wipe to clean inks from my studio table and it looked pretty cool at the time so I kept the wipe and let dry so I could use it for my art. It ended up finding a home in my journal 😊 The leaves and the heart were made using the recycled wipe. I thought they went well with the images and background color.
Hope this quote and happy journal layout inspire you in way today.
Thanks for stopping by!!
Share the Happy 💖
Flowing Waters Art 