make your desktop pretty! may desktop wallpaper

today IS going to be SUBLIME!
i hope you enjoy this month’s free desktop wallpaper.

our Allen Designs wiggles clock can be found here.

i like the idea of making that statement as i wake to encounter each day.
my days ARE better when i begin with that kind of attitude.
sometimes it’s fiercely hard. there are people & things that are constantly trying to drag us down.
it’s our CHOICE if we let them.
it takes practice & discipline to keep going back to a happy & thankful heart.
for me, i have to let myself lean into God and trust that he’s got my back.
he’s protected & provided, why should i doubt him now.

MAY (pun intended) you have a wonderful & sublime month! xoxo-m

 Just click on the image below to open the file, then right click to save.

please feel free to share it with your friends.

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random bits of my life

lots of change going on in my life right now.
some of the change has me smiling ear to ear with the cheesiest of grins.
and some of the change is giving me a pit in my stomach the size of a grapefruit.

on the fun side- we’re slowly redecorating our close2myart/allen designs studio!
painting some walls, rehanging & organizing clocks.
we’ve been in this space 1.5 years and haven’t really done much in terms of decorating.
so we’re all really excited about cozying it up a bit.

Alexis and her boyfriend… nice hair, eh?… like i’m one to talk  
another big thing… my oldest daughter turned 18 yesterday!
i seriously CAN NOT believe that she’s that old and that i’m THAT old!

finally got me-self a few succulents.
they’re doing their job and  making me happy every time i walk past them.

and the not so fun-
my graphic design gal quit and i’ve been scrambling trying to figure out what to do.
i’m holding off hiring someone, which has me taking over her tasks along with my own everyday ones.
all along just trying not to screw anything up!
it’s been a good opportunity to reevaluate our needs in the studio.
as hard and stressful as it is, i feel like it’s going to be a blessing in disguise.

found in our fortune cookie a few days ago.
so true. so true.

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monograms & letter love

i’ve been working hard on and off over the past few months trying to paint the alphabet for a line of small canvas giclees.
i personally love, as most of you know, the letter A. (my A wall)
so i was thinking, there must be lots of people out there like me that love letters…
hence the line of monograms i’m wanting to produce.

i’m halfway through the alphabet now and i’m starting to have major self-doubts-
is anyone going to buy these?
am i wasting my time?
should i be spending my energy elsewhere?
am i the only one who loves/collects letters?

risk is inevitable in business.
some risks work out and others bomb.
not sure which category these are going to fall in.

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” William Shedd

 

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hand lettering & artist’s open studio tour

this year clark county, washington will be having it’s first annual artist’s open studios tour!
not sure of the dates, but it will be happening some time this fall.

here’s a little logo hand lettering artwork thingy that i’ve been working on.

not positive if it will be used or not but it’s been fun nonetheless.

 

 

and how about you?
been doing something fun?
ever participated in an open studios tour?

and btw, never ran yesterday… bad girl!
but did finally give in and shower. it had been several days and my husband was ready to kill me!

 

 

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April Desktop Wallpaper

 hello April, hello spring!
in celebration of this beautiful sunny weather we’ve had here in the NW-
we gift you with this month’s equally cheerful desktop wallpaper!

“love first” giclee can be found here.

Just click on the image below to open the file, then right click to save.

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the theme is green

it’s late and i’m tired.
besides a few short breaks, i’ve been sitting at this computer all day long.
but i’m on a roll and figure i might as well finish it off with a blog post!

be your own light inspired self portrait

i’m currently in the middle of a 4 week ecourse, Be Your Own Light,
created by the talented and inspirational Vivienne McMaster.
and i am loving it!
the daily prompts, the creative play, the treasure like hunt for light.
i’m taking pictures that i would have never considered taking before.
this is the kind of thing that makes me HAPPY, HAPPY!

picked up this old aluminum locker for the Allen Designs/Close2myArt studio last week.
okay, junk makes me happy too!

crocheted earrings by moss handmade, a gift from my husband.
we’re preparing to celebrate our 20th year of marriage in the next few weeks.
wow, how time flies.
perhaps there are many things that make me happy…

lastly, i’ve finally jumped on the green smoothie bandwagon.
thanks to the dear Lacy Like.
it’s been 2 weeks of eating healthy (no sugar, bread, pasta, preservatives) & daily green smoothies.
i was feeling really great until yesterday, where the wheels felt like they were falling off the bus!
since then i’ve been having the overwhelming urge to go out and get myself some spicy cheetos & a milkshake.
i have barely, BARELY i tell you, kept my self control.
i’m trying to last 30 days.
we’ll see.

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