Earth Gypsy Studio

Photo Junkie?

I never really knew just how many photos I have taken, but man o' man is it a lot! Some of them are interesting. So while I am between art projects I have decided to start putting up some of my photos and write something about them. It may just be a title, a line or two or a whole story. I figured this will keep me motivated to put info about myself out there for those of you who like to keep up with me. I know I have not been real good about posting much. Life has had it's challenges of late. So lets see what pictures I am going to start with.

I found the patterns on this moth interesting against the pattern on this moonflower leaf. I love to observe nature. 

I thought this was so odd. They grow these, among other things at Disney World. They also have fish in huge tanks and other animals. Much of the food they grow and fish and shrimp are used in the restaurants there.

All Smiles Sunday

Despite the fact I have awakened with headaches the past two mornings, I am a happy woman! I am feeling a bit more motivated and hopeful. And I have changed so much over the past 10 years. Looking back I wonder how anyone was able to tolerate me at all. lol. Nah, it wasn't that bad. But I had my times. Mostly I was a winy and needy brat. I grew up though. Well, I was forced to grow up. You do what you have to to survive. Right? The friends I still have from High School have been very understanding about what a selfish brat I was. And hopefully not too many of them hold that against me. I stayed off in my own little world and people thought I was a snob. I probably was. But I never meant to be mean or uncaring. My home life at that time was challenging to say the least. And no matter how bad my life gets, I could never live back at home. It's not going to happen, even if I have to live in a yurt!

Raising my daughter by myself for the past four years has broken me of any of my sissy whining habits. I've developed a real no nonsense attitude. And I come from a long line of do it or die kind of people. Especially on my Father's side. That is why I had so many problems as a teen. I was uncontrollable. I've always done exactly what I wanted to do. My parents hated that. They wanted me to do what they wanted me to do. The more they tightened the reins, the more I fought. They will never admit that that is the way things went down, but just ask my Aunt.

I really have lived a colorful life. It hasn't been all bad, in fact most of it has been fun. And it's just getting better. I am more independent and free than I ever have been. It's a pretty good feeling. I am in school and make good grades. I have a part time job and my daughter is my pride and joy. I know that no matter what happens in life, I'll be okay. I'm a strong capable woman. It's time to start making some great things happen in my life. As far off as my dreams and goals seem right now, I have a lot of hope and faith that I'll reach them. Hard work and determination will make that happen.

Moving in Slow Motion

Despite the fact that I am beyond busy these days, my life seems to be moving in slow motion. How is that possible? I have so many commitments and responsibilities. I either have no time for the things I want to do, or by the time I do have the time, I am just too tired. Taking care of my child, working, and going to school is really wearing down on me. I spent yesterday home sick with a 24 hour bug. That is unheard of for me. I have not touched an art project in weeks if not months.

Finding a way to balance all aspects of my life is proving to be a real challenge. I feel like I am just barely creeping along. I have goals but I am not getting any closer to seeing them completed. I am not going to let this effect my determination to be successful in all I do.

Talk About Color

There are three main areas of the house that are getting a color update. The living area that includes the den, my office and the dining room (I have an open floor plan here). The kitchen and laundry area (which are also open to the other living area), and the master bedroom and bathroom. Here are the color breakdowns for each area.

The living room, office and dining room have walls that are divided by a chair rail all the way around. The bottom half is going to be a medium brownish color and the top half a lighter cool blue gray. It doesn't sound too pretty but with the light I get in here I think the colors will compliment nicely. The chair rail, baseboard and window trim will remain white.

In my bedroom I wanted something bold and totally unlike my usual taste. I wanted to really take a risk and put a deep saturated color on the walls. This room also gets a lot of light so the color wont be too drab. I chose a deep redwood color with an off white trim. I thought the white trim was unattractive with this deep color, it was too much contrast. The bathroom is going to be blue with the same off white trim as the bedroom and I plan to bring the redwood in too by painting my cabinets and shelves. The tile around the tub is going to be mottled blue and gray with hints of light brown.

The kitchen and laundry area will have solid colored walls since there is no chair rail in those rooms but because they are open to the other living area I picked a slightly different blueish color. I can't decide if there is a hint of purple in there or not. Either way, I think it is a fresh and different color. The trim and window frames will be bright white to match the chair rail in the other rooms.

So there is all the information on my colors for my new project. The tile in my bathroom is supposed to be installed this week. I hope to talk them into putting the same tile behind my kitchen counters. We'll see if that happens. I already have the paint for my bathroom, so it will be the first room I paint. Before and after pictures will show the transformation. I am really excited and can't wait to have this house looking fantastic!

New Canvas

As an artist I love colors. I can honestly say there isn't one particular color that is my favorite. There are so many that I love. Choosing colors for some projects can be a bit of a challenge for me. At the fabric store I have a hard time picking out materials for quilting projects. There are just so many beautiful choices. The same goes for paint.

My new canvas is now the walls of my house. I painted three rooms last spring. Now I am ready to get started with the rest of the house. It's going to be a lot of work. I finally pinned down my color choices yesterday and I am super excited about getting started. I am at a "starting fresh" point in my life and I want every aspect of my life to show that, especially my home, where I spend so much time. I want the colors to be fresh, fun and even bold in some cases.

Here are all the colors I have picked.