Find One Thing and Do It Well

Find one thing and do it well.

I'm corralling the horses, focusing the lens, setting aside the extraneous.

This is the plan, however loosely laid out, to stretch myself to my personal limits and then try to step beyond. I rediscovered painting a few years ago, but have not given it the attention it is due. I've dabbled. I've not focused.

I'm trying to avoid the "Jack of all trades, master of none" syndrome. Not that there is anything wrong with enjoying a wide array of creative pursuits. But at this point, for me, I know I am not focusing because I have not been willing to step up to more challenging work.

"Do one thing every day that scares you." Eleanor Roosevelt.

New online Etsy shop, Double Nickels Studio, filled with art; originals, prints, and cards.

This new direction has also meant changing my online shop to focus on art related items, taken from my paintings and illustrations. 

No longer will I maintain The Shop Up North on Etsy, in which could be found a wide number of different offerings, from art prints to vendor aprons to vintage books. 

My re-focused online presence, still with Etsy, is Double Nickels Studio. I hope this change will be more encouragement to focus on my art, and help me stretch my boundaries a bit. 

None of this will happen overnight, old habits and all. And it certainly doesn't mean that I will abandon the occasional flea market trip (Wellfleet Flea Market, I'll be there this summer!) It's more of a simplifying or cleansing. Feels okay when I put it like that!

Have you found your one thing?

Imagine a World....

Dear Friend,

I am participating in a local American Cancer Society Relay for Life event with members of my family. You probably know that this event raises funds to fight cancer, both by research and by offering programs to help patients and families during treatment.

I am walking for many reasons, some very close to my heart.

• I want my grandchildren to live in a world free from cancer. I bet you do too.
• I never want to see the look of despair in a loved one's eyes again.
• I want all children to have a childhood full of swing sets, baseball games, and school dances. Not hospital rooms, IV tubes, and lost hair.
• I walk because patients and families need the support of the ACS to cope with the long and difficult road that a cancer diagnosis brings.

At times it may seem insurmountable, like cancer is just too big for us to fight and win.  But it's not. Together WE ARE STRONGER. Advances are being made all the time, in large part because people like you and me, and events like the Relay For Life.

I imagine a day that my grandchildren look back at this time and say "Oh, I remember that Relay for Life thing.  That's when there was still cancer.  Glad they finally found a cure!"

If you have cancer, or you love someone that does, I walk for you. I hope you will consider a donation to my team. Thank you.

 -----------------------------------------

I will periodically post information about some personal fund raising I will be doing. I hope you will help by sharing my links when possible!

For now, you can go here to my personal American Cancer Society Relay for Life page!

We are the Imperial Walkers. 

Can you tell that our team captains (my two sons) are Star Wars fans?

Thank you all!
Kathy


***UPDATE: I am thinning out my book collection and selling the books on Ebay, the proceeds are going to our team. Take a look if you would! Ebay Book Sale!

Linking with

January....You've Been a Roller Coaster

The January Roller Coaster.

We are just about ready to close out January 2013. How quickly it has passed.

For me January has been a roller coaster of energy and lethargy, of creative bursts and black hole sludge, lofty project goals and 'can't get out of my own way' days.

Maybe it's the New England cold, or the extra few pounds that are hanging on for dear life. Maybe I need to accept the fact that each new year brings an adjustment period. Is it this way with you too?

January, you've provided me enough time to adjust to some new things, new ideas, new challenges. The question is this: will February be the start of rising to those challenges? Or still find me fumbling around in the black hole?

A quick look at some of what is in store for 2013.

(The following images are from Etsy.com)

Love Laugh Crafts

My hubby and I have just gotten on board with a wonderful new program at our church.

Beanie Bird

Our sixth grandson will arrive in April! Can't wait for you Jack!

N Hayes Designs

Our youngest daughter will be married in May!

Brandi Fitzgerald

We hope to spend more time this summer (unlike last summer) at the camper that we 

share with my brother on Cape Cod.

I hope to do more painting, more exercising, less mindless snacking, more praying, more sharing, more playing, less worrying.

Is it too late to say Happy New Year? Twenty thirteen, I'm ready now. 

Keep Shining!

Kathy

You Don't Need a Million Bucks to Make Someone Feel Like a Million Bucks

A Dozen Ways to Brighten Someone's Day on a Budget...or....

You Don't Need a Million Bucks to Make Someone Feel Like a Million Bucks

This is the time of year that hopefully brings out the best in people. But sometimes the stress of the season can do just the opposite. Taking a minute from your day and giving thanks for the blessings you have can do wonders. It also may inspire you to pay a small kindness to a friend, acquaintance, or stranger. Sometimes just a small gesture is all it takes to brighten someone's day. Here is a dozen ideas to get us started!

1. Have a hot cup of coffee and a muffin waiting for the bus driver that picks up your kids for school.

2. Give a handful of subway tokens to the receptionist in your office building.

3. Save someone from a parking ticket by inserting some coins into a ready to expire parking meter.

4. Bring the coupon booklets from the Sunday paper to the supermarket and put them in the shopping baskets.

5. Bring your gently read paperbacks to a senior center.

6. Pay for a coffee for the person behind you at the drive through. My daughter does this :)

7. Promote a local business on Facebook, mention the owner or salesperson that helped you. Posting a photo of what you bought is even better!

8. Write a letter to a company to let them know about an employee that gave you outstanding service.

9. Anonymously mail a supermarket gift card to a neighbor or co-worker who is struggling financially. Enclose a note that just says 'thinking of you'.

10. Expecting a UPS or FedEx delivery? Tie a package of cookies to the door and label it "For my UPS driver! Thanks a bunch!" With tracking numbers, you pretty much know when to expect a delivery.

11. Take an elderly neighbor out for coffee some morning.

12. Help out a single parent. Invite the kids over some night for a Christmas movie and popcorn, so Mom (or Dad) can get some gifts wrapped.

I hope you feel the warmth and inner joy of the Christmas season today!

Blessings and light to you!
Kathy

Shop Local, Shop Handmade

Tis the season to shop local and shop handmade!

I'm out and about visiting craft fairs and small local shops in my area. It's nice to explore and find little out of the way places to buy gifts for those on my 'Nice' list.

Today's find was The Craftworker's Guild in Bedford, New Hampshire. This was only a 25 minute drive from my home. They have a great shop behind the library. It also is a group I may join and therefore be able to display and sell some of my artwork. I love chatting with the shopkeepers and other artists and crafters. I find that we have so much in common.

Craftworker's Guild of Bedford, located behind the Bedford NH library.

I purchased two handmade puppets for two of my grandsons. For real imaginative play!

The other part of exploring new places is the ride home. I try not to take the interstate, but instead I navigate through the back country roads and find the trip much more enjoyable.

Shopping handmade online would be easy if only I could decide among the hundreds and hundreds of cool, one of a kind, beyond the ordinary items that I have found. 

From Eight Little Fingers Shop

But I did decide on this adorable set, again puppets. It must be my theme this year. It's from Eight Little Fingers shop on Etsy.

From Aleksandra Nagrant, Etsy shop.

And this adorable dragon hat is from the craft fair that  I participated in. Aleksandra had a space across from me. Her crocheted hats are adorable! She also has an Etsy shop.

I've still got a few items that I am currently working on to add to my collection for Double Nickels Studio.

From The Shop Up North

I've also put some of my items in a new collaborative handmade shop in Concord NH, called Wonder Made.

Wonder Made, artisan collaborative, Concord, NH.

These hard working young women are determined to make this new shop a success!

So where are your holiday dollars going this year?

Here's to 

Shop Local - Shop Handmade!

Linking to :

Mercantile Muse

Enjoy the season!

Kathy

Looking for Simplicity

It's a work in progress. Simplicity, that is.

I'm in the midst of trying to create a studio/office space that is both soothing and functional.

It is no easy task. The letting go of 'stuff' can be difficult. But it also can be exhilarating! 

These are the four questions I ask myself when faced with the decision to toss or keep:

1. What is the worst thing that could happen if I toss it and should have kept it?

2. What would be the cost to replace the item (if possible) if I ever should need it again?

3. If it's a memory keepsake, is there another way to keep and honor the memory without having to keep the 'thing'?

4. Is there someone (person or organization) that could benefit from having this instead of me hanging on to it needlessly.

Most of the time the answers to these questions are clear, and the decision is therefore easier.

I'm taking the first step, I'm learning to let go. A work in progress.

Simplicity.

Let your light shine,

Kathy

New Work to Share and Many Aloha Memories

Lush Tropical Greens - Kauai

My wonderful vacation to Hawaii is still with me. I haven't yet finished posting my trip reports, but luckily I have my handwritten journal to refer back to. 

I've been using a trip journal for a long time now. It is something my Mom used to do when we went on camping trips when we were young. It may have been more to track the expenses that came with a camping vacation with six kids.

It was always fun to read back through the old 'camping log' and recall places we visited, where we got ice cream, and how much it cost!

I get the same enjoyment now reading through my trip journals, especially when planning a return trip to the same place. I will read my entry about a special meal at a nice restaurant or a beautiful scenic drive, and I am transported back.

This is one of the main reasons I had hoped to post each day of my trip, to include the highlights and the photos that accompanied them.

For me there are three parts of a wonderful travel experience.

  

The planning.

The actual experience.

 
 The memories.

We've been home for ten days now, but I still feel the Aloha of the Hawaiian Islands. I won't lie and say it's been all palm trees and tropical breezes though, what with the colder weather here in New Hampshire, the political frenzy we are in now, and the holiday (meaning Christmas!) advertising I have already seen on television!

This trip was of the relaxing variety more than the touristy variety. And because of that I was able to really spend time painting. I've just framed a few pieces that I completed on Kauai, and I've got them for sale in my Etsy shop. 

Highland Light - Cape Cod

Bird of Paradise - Kauai

But more than that, I've continued painting now that I am home. That's an improvement for me. I haven't let the neccessities of daily living give me an excuse for not working on art. And I am even contemplating setting up at an art/craft fair in the next few weeks. This will be a first for me. And hopefully not a last!

Linking to 

DebbieDoos

Mercantile Muse

A little more Aloha and keep your light shining!
Kathy

Na'Pali Coast Sunset and Plein Air Painting

Thursday September 20, 2012

I’ve only attempted ‘plein air’ painting once before, and it was from the comfort of my own upper deck looking out at my barn. I think it’s about being self conscious about people seeing me paint. 

But here on Kauai I’ve found a great spot where I can paint, somewhat secluded, with only the occasional  passerby. I packed up my backpack with my supplies and headed out to the cliffs by the Point at Poipu. This house juts out on the cliff with the ocean, the lava cliffs and some palm trees to surround it. It was a perfect candidate for a painting.

I spent several of the morning hours sketching and painting, until the heat of the sun started to wear on me. I was happy with my progress, happy that I had attempted another painting outdoors, from life, instead of from a photograph I had taken.

The late morning was spent at Brennecke’s Beach with Wayne and some sandwiches from Brennecke’s Deli. It’s nice having this beach, as well as Poipu Beach Park, so close to us. And we’ve never had a problem finding parking.

But our big event for today is the Na’Pali Coast Sunset Sail with Captain Andy aboard the Southern Star catamaran. I wasn’t sure Mom would be able to handle this kind of vessel, the boarding and the restroom situation, but after getting detailed information over the phone and talking it over with Mom, she was game to give it a try!

The Southern Star is a beautiful catamaran with a full galley and plenty of comfortable inside and outside seating with tables. Captain Rick and crew did an outstanding job making this a memorable trip.

It was full power heading to the Na’Pali coast, I switched back and forth, sitting aft with Mom, then going forward hanging on to the rails with Wayne as we faced some strong winds, and some rain showers. 

The views of the Na’Pali Coast, the cliffs, the gorges and valleys, the tunnels, lava rock and beaches were simply beautiful. We were in and out of clouds and some rain but it did not take away from the glorious scenery. 

We cruised by sail power on the route back to Port Allen while enjoying a delicious meal of steak, shrimp, salad and veggies. And coconut cream pie for dessert. I don’t know how food this good is prepared and served from this onboard galley! Beer, wine, and ‘Sneaky Tikis’ were also flowing. And then, the sunset. It was amazing. You can’t see sunsets like this and not believe in God. I think it’s an impossibility.

This was a ‘barefoot cruise’ and Mom has never been a barefoot kind of girl. But she has adapted quite nicely to it here! From this barefoot cruise to removing our sandals before entering the house every day, she’s seems to be all about trying new things during this trip.

It was another great day, with some more great memories.

     

Friday September 21, 2012

Today is an easy relaxing day. Just what we are here for! As always we begin with the sunrise viewing from the lanai.

We set out early for a morning at Poipu Beach Park, and got a picnic table under a big old tree with plenty of shade. 

We have a great spot for watching all the activity, snorkling, surfing, and a few guys fishing, and just people watching in general. And of course rooster and chicken sightings abound.

Mom and I ventured into the water, it was actually colder than I expected. Mom was a little rocky at first, but got her ‘sea legs’ and we enjoyed the water for a bit. 

Today’s lunch was at Poipu Shopping Village. Puka Dogs! A Puka Dog is a polish hot dog that is inserted into a long bun with a hole in it. (Don’t think regular hot dog roll here, think more like hoagie roll with hole drilled through the end.) But before the dog goes in, the hole gets filled with three different sauces, a lemon-garlic secret sauce, a fruity relish (like pineapple) and a Hawaiian mustard. I don’t think I’ve ever described a food item, especially a hot dog in such detail, but these were delicious! I’m wondering if I can start a franchise here in New Hampshire! Plus they give you fresh squeezed lemonade, that they squeeze right in front of your own eyes. So good. I'm just sorry that I don't have a photo.

I spent some more time at the Point working on my painting in the afternoon. 

Dinner was easy chicken on the grill with some fresh grilled pineapple and long beans from the farmer’s market that I cooked too long. And a nice wine. Out on the lanai. Listening to the surf and feeling the warm breeze. 

Nice.

Strolling the Grand Hyatt and Fern Grotto

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

We have been blessed with perfect weather this week in southern Kauai. Sunny and breezy with the occasional light sun shower. The ocean breeze keeps us comfortable throughout the day, no need for a/c.

Our unit in Building 1 of Poipu Sands (part of the Poipu Kai Resorts) faces the water. The mornings are spent on the lanai with coffee, watching the sunrise. In the afternoon the sun sets just behind us, keeping our lanai shaded and cool. Being an end unit, we have a view of the mountains as well. We could not have asked for a better unit, this one works perfectly for the three of us.

The grounds are beautiful and so well maintained. I've been taking a lot of photos of the plants. I would love to have some of these at home, but I doubt they would flourish in the northeast! I hope to create a few paintings from these photos like I did last year on Maui.

I think this is Cordyline fruticosa

Bird of Paradise

Monstera

I've been wanting to take Mom over to the Grand Hyatt next door to walk through the grounds and the beautiful lobby.

It was a bit warm outside, so we stopped periodically in shaded areas, taking pictures of the koi ponds, the flowers, and the gorgeous grounds.

Navigating our way into the lobby was a little confusing, and took some time. We were in need of a rest spot so we parked ourselves in some comfy chairs and watched all the goings on in the lobby.

Instead of having Mom make the trek back to the condo, I scurried back to get the car and picked her up, valet style, at the front lobby.

We had just a few minutes to eat a sandwich before leaving for our afternoon activity, a trip to the Fern Grotto. It was a pleasant, smooth boat ride up the Wailua River, we saw a handful of kayakers and stand up paddle boarders along the way while listening to the small group of musicians on board.

It was a short, but hot walk up to the viewing platform. There was a good size group of people and a limited amount of shade. We listened to the guide give the history of the grotto, then the staff/entertainers performed the Hawaiian Wedding song while one of the young girls danced a hula.

The actual grotto or cave is no longer accessible by the public due to a long period of heavy rain that caused some major erosion. It was a little underwhelming. I'm sure back when you could actually go into the cave it was a more interesting trip.

Tonight we had dinner at Kalapaki Joe's, jut a few minutes drive from the condo. My Lilikoi Margarita was tasty, as was the fish and chips, the ribs that Wayne had, and Mom's grilled chicken sandwich. Kalapaki Joe's is a sports bar with wide open windows that overlook the Poipu Kai tennis courts as well as the ocean beyond. Service was good, I'm sure we will be back here again.

That was it for day 8. Tomorrow is our Na'Pali Coast Sunset Tour with Captain Andy's. We've been looking forward to this tour for a long time!

Aloha.

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