Launching my new website: Wildflowerkath.com. Please join me!

Hello friends,
I am so excited to share with you my new website, wildflowerkath.com. My blog will be here too, and so much more. I will share my passion joyful creative living.

Here is my post on embracing change and launching the site. It was truly a creative collaboration with Michele Bergh of Be Inspired Design.

Please join me as it has meant so much for me to share with you. Hop on over and tell me what you say hello, even better, subscribe. It's free!
Sending you joy and light,
kathy

Summer Bliss: Visiting the ocean, wildflowers, and garden fresh tomatoes.

Time for a little something. ~A.A. Milne

I love summer. Long days, early morning walks with butterflies and birds, time with my kids, moonlit evenings on the deck. This summer has been wonderful. A few challenges in between, but even so, I am trying to squeeze every ounce of joy out of  these last summer days that I can.

Here are some things that have been truly joyful. What are yours?

My husband and I piled the kids in the car and drove 12 hours overnight to Okaloosa Island, Florida. It was a wonderful week at the beach filled with surf fishing, swimming, and a zip lining adventure over the Baytown Wharf in Destin. This Midwestern girl loves visiting the ocean!

Time at the beach with my five year old son. True bliss.

Creative moments spent doodling in my art journal, taking pictures, and a little painting. As the kids get back in school, I hope to do a lot more painting.

Another highlight was celebrating Independence Day on Lake Tippecanoe at my sister and brother in law's cottage. We watched fireworks over the beautiful lake in their big pontoon boat. What a thrill!

Lastly, picking wildflowers and eating garden fresh veggies are true summer loves. There are so many ways to eat a tomato. A simple favorite is sliced with a pinch of sea salt. Also, I make my famous summer BLTs. My daughter and I like to add a little avocado to make them CBLTs (California bacon lettuce tomato). Delicious!

Thank you for letting me share my bliss. Let me know your thoughts as I always enjoy your comments.
Happy Summer,
Kathy

Wildflower Soul Art - Butterfly Series

Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life.  And everyone deserves a little sunshine.  ~Jeffrey Glassberg

Happy July! As flowers bloom and butterflies dance and swirl, I have been inspired to paint a Butterfly Series.
You can see little words in this one that say: Breathe, Dream, Surrender, Transform.

This one is Bloom and Fly.

From my art journal came this. It's time to spread your wings and fly.

And a few more butterfly babies are in the works. Thank you for letting me share.
If this speaks to you, join my new face book page, Wildflower Kath, where I will share more of my art and soul.
Sending you joy and peace,
kathy

Happy Summer Solstice

Celebrate the light in you. ~Pixie Campbell

Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year in the Western Hemisphere. The most hours of light. A day that has been celebrated throughout time for light, abundance, and transformation.

I will spend this day outside. Alone and with my children. Walking among flowers, trees, butterflies, and birds. Offering gratitude for all nature's blessings.

These next few days I invite you to join me. Spending time outside sitting quietly or walking with open eyes and an open heart. Soaking up the light, the love, the gifts.

Let's release negative energy. Clear sacred spaces both physically and mentally. Give away things not needed anymore. Create space for fresh abundance to come. Let our light shine!

Other ways to express gratitude: dance, sing, paint, eat healthy foods, drink lots of water.

Keep shining your beautiful light!
Happy Summer,
kathy

Join me on my new face book page Wildflower Kath.  for sharing art, inspiration, and creative living.

Summer Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is a perfect summer salad. Healthy, easy, and so delicious. We are having this at our house the next couple nights in honor of Summer Solstice - my favorite time of year. Long summer evenings and easy fresh dinners. Happy Summer!

 In a bowl mix:
baby spinach
rainbow slaw mix (shredded broccoli, carrots, and red cabbage)
slivered basil leaves
diced red pepper
sliced strawberries
optional: goat cheese, toasted pine nuts, and cooked shredded chicken breast.

For dressing I used Panera's Cherry Balsamic found at my grocery store. Any vinaigrette would work.
Enjoy!
kathy

Summer Bliss - And Thinking Outside the Box.

Ah Summertime. Blooming flowers, dancing butterflies, long firefly evenings, and creative time with my kids. Here are a few things that have given me beautiful joyful inspiration. What is yours?

My husband and I reunited with a couple we had not seen since we parted ways after graduate school 15 years ago. Since then, we have had careers and seven kids between us. We traveled to where they live now, and our kids got along beautifully. It was a magical day of sharing, eating, swimming, and lots of catching up. We ended the perfect summer evening with a fire in their fire pit and fireworks.
Thinking Outside the Box:

My mom and I took my kids to see the movie Avengers. The super hero movie of all super hero movies! My little guy stood almost the whole time and was totally absorbed. He found a hammer at home and was swinging it around like Thor. I took it from him and told him I would make him a better hammer with magical powers. Thinking quickly, I dumped out the contents of the mac n cheese and taped it around the paper towel roll. Much better. Then, my 11 year old son put me to shame and made his brother something cooler.

This is his super hero gun creation. I was impressed with the details.

Scope, trigger, and stand included. A very happy and well armed super hero.

Lastly, my Wildflower Soul Painting continues. Here is my work in progress called Deep True You.

Thank you so much for being here. Sending you joy and peace,
kathy

Friday Bliss: Bloom and Fly

Inside everyone is a great shout of joy waiting to be born. ~David Whyte, the Winter of Listening

Hello! This is my latest shout of joy just born. It took months. 

Begin with faith.

Proceed with colors and love.

Paint. Pause. Walk away. 

Begin. Again. Fresh.

Layer.

Evolve.

End. Share. Bloom. Fly.

Friends,

I need your help. My creative dream is to design a website/home to share my art. To connect with other creative free spirits, and offer e-courses about joyful creative living. Starting with an open heart and beginners mind. Fresh, natural, wild, free. Endless possibilities.

Where do I begin? Choose a name. 

Do I use my name? KathleenAnneArt.com? WildflowerKath.com?

WildflowerBliss? WildflowerSoulArt?

I would so appreciate your input on naming my site. Share with me some words or thoughts if you feel like it. kathyanne70atgmaildotcom.

Joy and peace,

kathy 

The more you see everything as a blessing,
the more blessed you will be.

~ GRACE

Free Spirit Soul Painting

 

Creativity is a natural extension of our enthusiasm.
~Earl Nightingale

What has been your creative muse lately? Have you been clearing out a room, reading a juicy novel, planting flowers, or cooking healthy meals? Running, hiking, resting?

My creative energy has been poured into painting.  Here is some of my play with color. I call it free spirit soul painting. Evenings here have been warm and breezy so I moved my painting outside onto my deck. Birds chirping, leaves rustling, fish jumping in the pond. Heaven.

This one is from my art journal. I love visiting the ocean. The colors, waves, sounds, and sandy beaches have a powerful affect on me. I hope to visit the ocean again this year.
Thank you for letting me share my art with you. I would love to hear about your creative endeavors or intentions in the comments below.
Wishing you joy and peace,
kathy

Friday Bliss List: Mamahood and Art

I took a lot of pictures this week. Didn't want to miss a moment and wanted to share with you.

My youngest son turned 5. We spent a fun filled day at the zoo seeing most of the animals, petting dog sharks, and watching dolphins leap and splash in the water.

For Mother's Day my husband gave me a huge bouquet of colorful flowers that I was able to split and create four pretty vases to set out for our family gathering.

My mom, sister, and me.

For the Mother's Day feast, I made Pioneer Woman's Tequila Lime Chicken, Mexican rice, and black beans with all the fixins of salsa, guacamole, and cheese. It was delicious and I highly encourage you to make it. For the plain eaters in the family, we grilled chicken legs. They were yummy too.

I've also been a painting fool. Throughout the day, my kitchen island alternates between the family diner and art studio. Painting has unlocked a joy in me that has been missing for awhile. A creative outlet just for me. I am so glad I took a few online art classes to show me the basics. Each time I paint I feel lighter, freer, and more adventurous.

This is from my art journal. I am thinking about creating an e-course about joy, beauty, art, and abundance. Would you be interested?

My little guy ready for Kindergarten.

Lastly, Preschool graduation was last night. My four kids have rolled through this program for nine years in a row. We hold the record. Two of my mom friends are close behind. Together we can put on a fun class party and clean up without the teachers having to do much at all. We have the system down. They even recognized us with a certificate and a dedicated parent award which meant a lot.

That's my bliss list. Thank you so much for letting me share with you.
Wishing you joy and peace,
kathy

Choose Joy Today

If you want to be happy, set yourself a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes. It comes from doing some certain thing into which you can put forth all your thought and energy. If you want to be happy, get enthusiastic about something. ~Dale Carnegie 

My dear friend Liz surprised me with this vibrant sign saying CHOOSE JOY. It greeted me this morning. Early. After a night of tossing and turning and fretting about the many things to do this week, I needed to see this.  I put it in a bowl of lemons, and snapped this picture. It made me realize I needed to take a deep breath and enjoy the moment instead of plowing full force into the day as a frenzied mess.

With camera in hand, I took this of my peony bush beginning to bloom. It's a little early this year and I was so thrilled to see the blooms. They remind me of my grandmother who loved peonies too.

Vibrant purple wildflowers are blooming in our field. These are strong survivors from last year. This must be a perfect environment for them.

Lastly, I am happy to finally finish my first painting from the Bloom True e-course. I have a few more started and absolutely love getting lost in the colors and possibilities of painting. One thing Flora taught us is that there are no mistakes. I loved hearing that.

In small letters, I wrote the word emerge on a leaf. It just felt right to me. It has given me joy sharing this with you. Wishing you a wonderful week,
kathy