I Am. I Am. I Am.

"I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart.  I am.  I am.  I am." 

Syliva Plath 

The Bell Jar

A wicked smart, mature-for-her-age, 16 year old girl posted this on her status on Facebook the other day.  It hammered me in the head.    It spoke to me so loudly that I immediately wrote it on my fresh, clean table paper.

And then it taunted me.  

It needed to be something.  

Something special.

I mentioned a while back in this post my love of boxes.  My friend Susan of Susan's Charming Trinkets hooked me up with another huge stack of boxes.  This is my box shelf in my new arrangement upstairs.

Since I replaced my desk with folding tables and lost all my drawer space,  I need a place to put all my Pitts and Sharpies and Microns and Inkssentials.  So I combined my need for a pen/pencil box with this quote that spoke to me. 

Now I have a really special pencil box.

 

I still don't like to call this space upstairs a "studio".  The title "artist" still sticks in my throat.  I don't want to assume an identity that is not mine to assume.  But, you know what?  

I am.  I am.  I am.

Praying the Lord blesses you this week with that which quiets your braying heart and turns the harsh, loud cry to a sweet melody.

<3  Lori

Growing

I know a lot of you guys are familiar with the fairly-new-to-me practice of choosing one word to guide our new year rather than making a list of New Year's resolutions.  Last year, my word was "peace".  While I didn't achieve perfect peace, I did come to realize this, which I continue to practice:

"Grow" is my word for 2013.  This word holds meaning for several reasons.  The first is based on 2 Peter 3:18, "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be glory both now and forever. Amen."  I want to spend this year studying God's word intentionally, making a place for it in my daily life, setting aside time specifically for that purpose and keeping it sacred.  Although the flu bug has already put me behind schedule, I'm using an amazing community of women called #shereadstruth to help guide my studies. They have a wonderful system of emailed devotions, guided Bible studies and social networking through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  It's really been great to meet several of these ladies already. I'm anxious to catch up and then spend every day with our Lord.  It kind of makes me cry just thinking about it.  Yea!!!!

Secondarily, this is the year that I plan to really start growing my business. LeissnerArt has been on a virtual hiatus during the 2012-2013 school year so that we can do senior parent things--last basketball season, graduation, help prepare for college, etc.  By June, that will be all done and my son will be starting his new life as a young adult.  What that will look like for LeissnerArt, I'm not sure yet.  But some changes have already been implemented.

I'm making new art.  Because of the flu, I didn't get to get these scanned and listed.  But I'll be working on that as soon as I can.  I'm anxious for you to see.

I upgraded my studio space.  Three plastic tables from Sam's have replaced my tiny desk and yard furniture.  Now my work surface is huge!  I have a designated painting/crafting space; an office space for blogging, record keeping and perhaps printing; and a surface for packing and shipping.  I'm so excited to have so much work space and so much organization!

Who wouldn't be inspired sitting right here?  :::pinches self:::

But wait!  There's more!!  Just kidding. That's all I got right now.  I'm planning to make to some business goals for the last six months of year.  I'm hopeful I'll have some things to share soon.  For the time being, just hanging out in my space and continuing to make art that makes me happy to make and happy to look at is success for me.  Having you guys here to share it is a huge bonus!

And now the giveaway!  To help me keep my word and my goals in mind every day for the year, I bought this beautiful bracelet from Brandy Klaers at Bound With the Word:

And to help one of you keep your word in mind, I bought one for you too!!  Your word doesn't have to be scripture. It can be just a word, a phrase, some other quote or saying that encompasses the message you want to speak to you this year.  You can have whatever you want on the bracelet if you win and you can choose any background you like.

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You can get entries for the random drawing in the following ways (Please make sure I can contact you.  I'll give you a shout out here and on my Facebook page, so if you aren't a liker there, please give it a click, too.  I've had some people miss out on giveaways they won because I couldn't reach them.) :

1.  If you leave a comment here on the blog telling me what your word for the year is, you get one entry.

2.  Share my blog post with your friends on Facebook and leave another comment saying you did that and you get another entry.

3.  Follow me on Instagram (LeissnerArt) and help keep me accountable to #shereadstruth.  Leave a comment here letting me know you followed and that'll also be an entry. :)

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That's it. Easy peasy.  I'll use a randomizer to select the winning comment on Saturday, January 12, and will announce the winner sometime that evening.  Oh! I can't wait to see what inspiring words you've chosen!  I really do love wearing my bracelet, I'm so happy to share Brandy's art with one of you.

Thank you, friends, for hanging with me on the blog.  You are blessings to me.

May the good Lord bless you this year with whatever your heart desires, in His name.

<3 Lori

Please continue the blog hop and read what my friends have chosen to guide their new year.  Click here to continue the hop.  Fly Tribe Blog Hop

Happy Flu Year

I don't think I've ever had a more inauspicious start to the new year than this one.  The morning of New Year's Eve, I started feeling not so good.  By Tuesday morning, I was flat on my back with aches and chills and fever and the whole Happy Flu Year bling bag. 

It's now Friday evening and, after hoarking down half a Sam's club sized bottle of Nyquil plus a whole box of Dayquil and using a box and a half of tissues, I think I might be coming out of it.  My advice after all that is this:

1.  Get a flu shot in October. (period) (end of sentence)(I'm not kidding)(do not pass go do not collect $200)

2.  Have a ready stock of super soft tissues and over the counter cold/flu medicine at all times but especially during flu season.  All tissues begin to feel like 40 grit sandpaper after enough blowing, so start as soft as possible.

3.  Don't visit the ER or any drug store/pharmacy during flu season.  There are germs there. Lots of them.

4.  Make sure when you pass out from flu symptoms (assuming you either didn't complete #1 or you didn't get the full benefit of #1), make sure there are people around you are are willing and able to take care of you.  The flu is no joke.  You'll need someone to bring you water to keep you hydrated and lip balm for your parched lips and to help you pour the Nyquil from those big heavy bottles.

Now that I'm feeling a little more sunny side up, I might actually be able to accept that it's 2013.  My friends from Flying Lessons are doing our 2nd Annual One Word Blog Hop in a few days. I'm having a coolio GIVEAWAY, so make sure you check back on Monday for details!

Until then, may the good Lord bless you with good health.  If you get not-so-good health, may He bless you with soft tissues, soft pj's, and soft pillows until good health returns.

<3 Lori