Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Looking Forward To It

soon we will be...

CREATING AMAZING ART
Lesley Venable - Architectural Assemblage Angels

photo courtesy of AitR Instructor Kecia Deveney

Kecia Deveney - Bohemian Romance


GIGGLING WITH FRIENDS
photo courtesy of AitR Instructor Kecia Deveney























ENJOYING NATURE & MAKING MEMORIES
photo courtesy of AitR Instructor Kecia Deveney











EATING YUMMY FOOD & RELAXING
photo courtesy of AitR Instructor Kecia Deveney






photo courtesy of AitR Instructor Kecia Deveney
photo courtesy of AitR Instructor Kecia Deveney


WATCHING SUNSETS BY THE FIRE



photo courtesy of AitR Instructor Kecia Deveney





Monday, June 20, 2011

Art Is...Teaching

yippppeeeee!
I just received word that my class proposals were accepted & I am excited to announce I will be teaching at

ART IS...PETALUMA
September 19-24, 2012


and of course we wouldn't miss

ART IS...YOU
Connecticut
October 4-8, 2012

hope to see you there - more detailed info to come!


but in the meantime - be sure to check out the ART IS...YOU 2011
Fabulous instructors, wonderful workshops, yummy food, awesome goodies & vending...inspiration and friendship galore!!!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

The sun lay like a friendly arm across her shoulder. 
~Margorie Kinnan Rawlings, South Moon Under

Sunday, June 5, 2011

encouragement

i believe the universe shows little signs of encouragement when you are on a good path...like breadcrumbs sprinkled here & there
maybe its just in my mind, maybe its luck or coincidence - but i do know that whatever it is, it sure does help to keep me encouraged to keep plugging away
for years i have been striving toward a goal of living homemade - grow, mend, make do, upcycle/recycle
you can read about it in my previous post

but this year i have really tried to prepare for some big transitions - we will be building a goat barn and chicken coop this Fall, almost completely from upcycled materials (i will be sure to share some pics as we progress).
goats have been on mind for years & years...in fact my very first blogpost ever was about how dearly i wanted goats.  it is finally going to come to fruition in the next year or so
so i have been researching & reading anything i can about keeping goats - i would LOVE to go to goat school which is a fabulous course founded in Maine.
photo credit:  Homestead Revival
i have also been studying milking goats and how to create wonderful homemade cheeses, butter, sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt, etc.  since i do not have my precious goats yet, i have been practicing with cow's milk - some recipes are ultra-easy, while others take a bit more steps.  keeping and sustaining cultures is fascinating and not hard at all if you stay organized.  i have found great resources on the web and in magazines
i recommend Mother Earth News and Hobby Farm Home magazines
also online check out Homestead Revival - wonderful posts on making a lifestyle change, dairy goats, keeping cultures, etc

so, yes, yes...back to my point...the breadcrumbs...
i have been dreaming of buying several items to help me as i push towards this lifestyle - a grainmill, a yogurt-maker and a dehydrator.  none are cheap.
photo credit: Cooking.com
so rewind to late winter when some friends & family held our annual swap party - everyone comes w/ 10 or so items that they no longer use and we have a fun & frenzied swap, then anything leftover is donated.  so as i placed my items here & there on the tables, i saw an almost brand-new yogurt-maker!!  i was so excited and nervous - i wanted that thing!!!  to keep a very long story short - i got it :)
photo credit: Raw Guru
now fast-forward a couple months - i am at a yard sale w/ my hubby.  it is a good one and we are loading up w/ stuff.  after my initial sweep, i practically bump into a brand-new, in the box dehydrator that i hadn't noticed right away.  it had never been used, all parts were there including the optional upgraded accessories.  i was able to get it for $5
so i know my examples sound very materialistic, but these were items that improved and encouraged my path towards homesteading.  every day i receive all sorts of forms of encouragement...something as small as the swallows happily nesting in our carefully placed birdhouses makes me smile with contentment that this is the right way for us...we are not lost and the next breadcrumb is right up ahead.
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