Saturday, May 19, 2012

Intimidation

Every Saturday morning I start thinking about art as soon as I wake up and it keeps me from sleeping in. So while my husband sleeps and sleeps I am looking at art on my computer. I am LOOKING at art instead of CREATING it.

Painting is a bigger intimidation than I thought it was going to be for me. I thought I was just going to be good at it the first time I picked it up again. When I was younger me and my best friend Mckenzie took art classes together. I thought I could paint anything and I tried any kind of medium I felt like. I even made some small sculptures. Paint mixing wasn't a scary thing to me, I mixed and made whatever color I saw, and if it wasn't exactly right, it was ok for me. Now I am intimidated by my pallet of colors. My dad has told me that when painting, a tree is not brown, grass is not green, and the sky is not blue. Which I see what he is telling me, objects reflect light they aren't that actual color, but then what color do I use!!

I'm also trying to decide what kind of artist I want to be. I've wanted to paint dancers but was discouraged with my first couple of attempts at them. I can draw dancers, painting is a completely different story though. I can't quite get the right shades of planes to make them look real. One day I hope to be great at painting people but I know it will take a LOT of practice.

I know that to get better and discover who I am going to be as an artist I need to get painting but I guess I'm just too intimidated. I need to find a good class just to give me the push and drive I need. Number of uncompleted paintings right now-5. Hopefully they will be finished soon and I will be able to post them on my blog. So proud of my dad for his drive in starting out his painting career and becoming the great artist he is today.

Church Bag

Chels gave me the perfect idea for a gift to give my mom for mother's day. I had been working on a church bag for myself and my mom told me that Chelsea had told her that the bag she brought her stuff to church in was hideous. Perfect!

This is my mom's bag I made for her, made from the butterick B5197 pattern. My bag has been underway since before I started my mom's bag but I haven't had time to finish it yet. I just want a Saturday to stay at home to get projects done that I have started and not finished!

Finished product
Inside of the bag

Chels modeling it for me
The bag and the one I'm making for myself turned out to be a little smaller than I thought they were going to be so you can't fit a binder and scriptures in them...but they are still cute. Hopefully I'll finish mine soon!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Motherhood

To all the wonderful women that are mothers in my life I say Happy Mothers Day. Not only do I get to have my own mother showing me how to be a great mom, I have my mother-in-law, grandmas, aunts, sister-in-laws, and my sister. I'm lucky to be blessed with such a tight knit family that I get to see them all regularly and learn from the best. One day hopefully sooner than later I'll be able to join them in being a mom:).

My mom, Cheryl
Beautiful Momma
Since I've been married I've learned to appreciate my mom more. I hear that happens to a lot of people, and when I start having kids I know I will appreciate her even more than I do now. My mom has had a a full time job since she was 20. Raising her kids. As much as I wish I could say I was an easy child, any child takes a lot of time, energy, love, patience, etc. to take care of and raise and my mom had five of them. Not to brag but I think all of us have turned out pretty good and it's all due to my moms nurturing (and my pops but it's not his day today;)).

All growing up I have had a meal everynight and a clean house to live in. These things were a bit underappreciated before I had my own house and husband to take care of. I hate cooking and I am definitely not as good of a cook as my mom. I eat anywhere else and nowhere is as good as what my mom makes. Her funeral potatoes are the best out there, any family function we go to I am always dissapointed when they aren't made by my mom (sorrry to the rest of my family). My mom tends to always apoligize right before a meal because she doesn't think it is up to par. QUIT APOLIGIZING MOM! Every meal is always delicous.

My mom is a "clean freak." Her house is never messy except when her kids and her nieces and nephews decide to come to play, but it is always cleaned up quickly. I was the messy child growing up and got constant reminders to pick up my room. Although I didn't appreciate this then, now I wish that it had stuck a little bit more. I look up to my mom so much for always having a clean and tidy house and working so hard at keeping it that way.

I've always been able to talk to my mom about anything. After dates and dances the first thing I did when I got home was to go and talk to my mom. This is the same for all her kids. She always would let us wake her up so we could tell her we made it home safely and tell us all about who was in our group, what we did, and how we liked our date. Lots of times she was waiting up for me because she wasn't able to sleep until her kids were safely home. I always knew how much my mom loved and cared about me because of how much she worried about me:). Whenever I go over to visit my mom I feel really bad when I leave because most of the time all we do is talk about myself. She is a great listener, advice giver, and she always lets you know she is interested in your life and is there to support you through anything.

I love my mom so incredibly much and couldn't have asked for a better person to raise me and the rest of my family. She is an inspiration to me. How many mothers can say they have ran...don't know the exact numbers but at least 3 marathons and countless half marathons. She wakes up everyday to excercise, go to her job, and come home to take care of her last two kids at home, and babysit her grandchildren. That woman needs a break all to herself! I am grateful for the wonderful blessing she is and for all the things she has taught me. I'm grateful for her testimony in the gospel, for raising us kids in it, and for helping us stay on the right path. Happy Mother's Day Momma I love you!

Another wondeful mother in my life I would like to talk about is my mother-in-law April.


Casey and April
If I could have picked any mom in the world to be my mother-in-law I would have picked April. She has always been so kind and welcoming to me and I feel right at home in her home. She has raised such a great family, particularly my sweet husband. Casey has always held his mom on a high pedistool which is exactly where she should be. She is kind, thoughtful, giving, hardworking, and an inspiration of how to treat other people, and how to face any trial. The strength that she has to carry herself and her family through hardships is astonishing. She has held her family together through thick and thin.  
I have never seen a more active grandma before. When her grandchildren are over she is out playing with the kids every chance she can, even jumping on the trampoline if that's what they want. She plays any sport we are all up for, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, bikeriding, jet skiing, trying out the air chair, wakeboarding, and she recently kicked my behind in wii sports. She is a great example to me to keep moving and being active.

I love April so much and I'm grateful for the perfect family that I have married in to (well maybe not perfect, April does have some wandering eyes while playing card games:)). I can't believe how blessed I am to have found them. I'm grateful for everything April does for Casey and I, she is always willing to give and help is in any way she can. I love you!

Thank you to all you hard working moms out there, for the inspiration you give to me. Happy Mother's Day