Stepping Into ME

Me, glowing and electric today

What do I wish to step into, Jamie asks, catching me mid-stride.
How convenient!

I'm stepping....I have been stepping....taking small, even lazy, baby steps...but for the last few weeks, I have been making strides.
I have been stretching past my limits.
I have been learning to step into my potential, into my real life, into WHO I AM.

For the last five weeks, I have been participating in Dirty Footprints Studio's BIG--Fearless Painting.
Today I am beginning a bed-sheet sized painting, and I am not afraid.
In fact, I'm excited!
I'm feeling things-- energy, alive-ness, creativity--that I haven't in a long, long time.
And it feels good.

So thank you Connie.
And thanks for asking, Jamie.
I wish to continue stepping .... moving forward.....stepping into MYSELF.

Penumbra is Coming!

Calling all artists, near and far!

Come join us for loads of freaky Halloween fun at this year's Penumbra
Halloween art show!

We had a BALL at last year's event, and wouldn't want you all to miss
this one.

Penumbra is a collaborative effort between me, Moon Mama and my husband, the
Canadian. It will be held at Fringe Collective Artistic Studios in Athens.

Local artists, the guidelines for submissions are as listed above.

Worldwide artist friends, the only difference is that no entry fee is required
for you since you must ship your work to us, but I would ask that you
send a shipping allowance for me to send it back to you in the event that it doesn't
sell.

I'm so excited, I can hardly contain myself!
I can't wait to hear from you.....tell me all about your Halloween art entry!

The Secret is OUT!!!

Have you heard about 21 Secrets?
What? You mean the ripples of excitement haven't reached you?
You must've been under a rock! But I love you anyway, so here's the dealio---

Dirty Footprints Studio is offering an awesome art journaling series called 21 Secrets...
21 sessions, 21 different artists, and the list of artists/workshops is just too tempting to pass up
(and all of this awesome-ness is only $59!!).

And believe it or not, this gets even better---
my pal Connie is giving away TWO, not one, but TWO of these packages...one for a lucky blogger and another for the winner to give away to their own readers!!!

Every single workshop sounds amazing to me, but let me just share a few to get your juices flowing:

How about Surreal Journal Fun by Tami Chacon of Dream Wish Hope?

Or how does Typoholic---typography fun with Natalie Malik of Awkwardly Beautiful sound?

Maybe art postcards float your boat... Try Art Journaling's Sassy Little Sister with Lis Hofmann
of Dandelion Seeds and Dreams.


Registration for 21 Secrets begins September 20 and all the juicy fun officially starts October 1.
Read all about the excitement here!

And the Winners Are.....

it's Tuesday....another self-portrait
My kids call this one "Old Greg"
Don't ask
Do you have the courage to grow up
and be who you really are?

And the winners are----
ALL of you!

SUCH love was poured out on me in those birthday comments that, after I'd picked the winners for the presents, I decided that ALL of you win!

Girlie Queue/Shamsi/Charlie/whichever personality she's wearing today, and my BIG sister, is the winner of the With Love, The Universe baubles!

The rest of you who commented will receive a Words from the Heart ATC!

Faerwillow
Michelle and Lisa, my friends from Black Mountain
Tracy (my BIG sister!)
BioMouse
Jenn (also my BIG sister!)
Cindy
Liz, my friend in Egypt
Monica

Thank you all so much for making me feel SO incredibly loved and appreciated!

send me your mailing addresses, Darlings, and I'll get your gifts out to you!

I Wish...oh How I Wish!

Ahh...the view from my hammock on a lovely early-Autumn afternoon!
So peaceful, so relaxing...
I haven't been able to spend any time there this summer....just too stinkin' HOT.

But now it's cool, mornings and evenings. I can still hear the birds, the crickets, the frogs, but I can feel fall in the air, and it feels delicious!

Lying in my hammock, feeling peace wrapped around me like a flame-colored shawl, I know exactly what I wish for less of.....

CONTENTION.

Sick to death of contention...contention throughout the world, in my neighborhood, in my home, within my own heart.... so sick of it.

I wish with all my heart for more peace... AND LESS CONTENTION!

And dear reader, please scroll down and join me for my blog-birthday celebration!
Comment to share in the love I'll be giving away this weekend!

Happy Birthday to Mama In The Moon!

Today is my blog's one-year-birthday, and I feel like sharing the love!
When I started typing one year ago, I wasn't so sure I was going to enjoy this little adventure. I certainly didn't believe I'd keep up with it for a year!

I did it though, and here we are...
Let me share my celebration with you; I want to give away some happy goodies---

If you live nearby, by all means, drop in and have a cup of tea and some cookies with me!
If not.....

I'd like to share some of my Encouraging Words; I'll be giving away a set of these:

Dejected and depressed, she trudged through the mud and relentless rain,

muttering to herself about how hard it all was.
A wee little sliver of white poking up out of the mud, shimmering with just
the slightest hint of magic caught her eye.
Curious, she dug it out and let the rain wash away the dirt.
'Twas the tiniest little magnet; it said only "play".
Beaming up at the grey heavens, her face splashed with raindrops and tears,
"Thank You" she said.
The reminder was enough.

Created from my deep belief that none of us can have too many encouraging words, these tiny glass baubles contain just one sweet word of encouragement amid a touch of sparkly magic.
I carry a bag of these with me so I can leave them for others to find---
at the doctor's, the library, wherever someone else
who needs an encouraging word might find them.

I'm also giving away one of these to three more of my lovely readers who wish Moon Mama a happy blog-birthday:

Just let me know if you want these with a magnet on the back

Here's the dealio--
I'll randomly pick the winners from the comments left through the weekend.
Leave a comment for me here to enter.
Visit my Etsy site and "heart" it; that earns you another comment. Simple.

My First BIG Mystical Experience

Today's BIG painting
Big, bold, beautiful

OK, so I've had my very first "mystical experience" with BIG.
Don't know what else to call it.

Oh, I've been listening all along; paintings have been telling me what they've wanted....been doing just fine with all that.
But today's painting....OMG people!

I recalled what Connie had said about this one, and I thought yeah, I can see where this one might kick my a**.

I put on some music. Today's selection--- Raquy and the Cavemen (LIFE-CHANGING music btw; thanks Christine at Bliss Chick. I could listen to Obama Ayub all day long...and dance!)

Painting and dancing, dancing and painting....a whole lotta shakin' goin' on up in my studio this morning!
I painted the pretty flowers...yep 5 years old.
Look at all the bright colors!

Stood back and waited.....listened.
It told me BLACK.
Black for my background.
Uhh...ok. That's maybe more like me at 12, but ok.
But no emotion, nothing unusual.
Some serious hip rotation while I listened for more.
If nothing else is moving, this body sure is!

Red dots.
On the black background.

Ummmm...yeah ok; I'll play along.
And that's when I heard it. LOUD AND CLEAR.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE INTERIOR SPACES. NO ONE PAYS ATTENTION TO THOSE LITTLE INTERIOR SPACES. IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO LOVE THEM AND FILL THEM UP.

Now THAT was unexpected!
Tears welled up, then rolled freely as I filled up the little interior spaces with red dots.
The metaphor was not lost on me.

I thought I was done. I got still and listened somemore.
Nope.

RED CANDY STRIPES ON THE FLOWER STEMS. NO ONE LOVES THEM AS MUCH AS THEY DO THE FLOWERS

I'd intended to paint all day, but I am spent after that revelation.

I gotta know.....anybody else had such dramatic ..... well....DRAMA while painting???
Especially you girls who've done BIG??
C'mon, 'fess up!
Or am I just crazy?!

BIG Beginning----MY LIFE

My very first BIG painting!
I guess that makes it my BIG BEGINNING! :)

On this beautiful, crisp, clear fall morning, perfect for new beginnings, Jamie asks "What do you wish to BEGIN?

How perfect! I know the answer to this question!!
I wish to begin MY LIFE!

Autumn has always been my very favorite time of year---
There's just something in the air that seems to rally even the faint of heart, with the promise of change, giving us hope for our future.
As another birthday approaches, with mid-life creeping ever closer, I've thought a lot, maybe too much about my life.... accomplishments, lack of accomplishments, what might be in store for the last half.

The first half, at first glance, was wasted, wandering around aimlessly.
Before friends and family jump in...YES, I DID give birth to five of the most beautiful, intelligent, creative and funny beings on this planet. I am well aware of THAT accomplishment, and very proud of it too.

When I focus on myself, there was a lot of aimless wandering.
All of my attention was concentrated on my growing family and their needs (as it should've been), but I was ignoring the basic needs of my own spirit.
It was screaming to be acknowledged....all that time. No wonder I've had such struggles with chronic illness! *shaking head*

And now nearing mid-life, it's screaming "now or never!".
I am learning to acknowledge, and at times even indulge, my deepest needs.
I've taken several art and writing workshops, gone away for a retreat, purchased "real" art supplies for myself.....and sometimes it's been a wrestling match with myself!
But I am feeling my spirit grow and stretch toward a new life...one I can call my own.

I'd like to thank lots of folks who've been supportive and have helped me to begin this new life (and if I leave anyone out, please forgive me!)----
Lisa Rough, Sarah Sullivan, Baraka Elihu, Carmen Torbus, and Connie Hozvicka
And of course there's our dear Jamie Ridler!
I'm participating in Dirty Footprints Studio's BIG workshop just now. My spirit (and several online friends!) told me that this was a pretty cool jumping off point.

Yep, I'm ready.....
ready to begin MY LIFE.
MINE.