Category Archives: Living

My Day of Awesomeness!

Crown HeaderGood evening!

I have been having a…er…let’s just say…a challenging kind of week or two! This morning, I realized that I was walking on a slippery slope of wallowing in negativity, which then has the ability to create more negativity, you’ve heard the saying – you get what your mind stays focused on!

Anyway, I decided that I had better change what I focus on tout de suite!! So, I decided that today would be

MY DAY OF AWESOMENESS!!!

My Day Of Awesomeness is basically my version of Pollyanna’s Glad Game! I purposefully and actively look for the good in everything that comes my way in a day!! NO MATTER WHAT MIGHT BE HAPPENING!! It is not always easy, but now that I have done this all day, it really has made a big difference in my attitude this evening!!

I thought I would share my list of AWESOMENESS that I have accumulated for today!! 🙂

  1. Jason made me laugh this as he saw me off to work this morning
  2. I didn’t have to follow Queen Roadrage on the way to work today (that was how my yesterday morning started!)
  3. Followed Slowpoke McGee on drive in this morning, but every time we hit a red light he took his baseball cap and scratched his head…maybe he’s OCD? Or he needs a bigger hat? Or maybe he had a poorly placed mosquito bite??? The possibilities were endless, and thinking about it made me laugh! Completely changed my attitude towards him! Not only that, but this poor guy was a HUGE guy in an itty bitty toy sized truck! I felt for him!
  4. Brad Paisley music is fun to sing really loud to – and that is what I got to listen to in the car!
  5. Got the perfect spot on 5th floor of parking garage
  6. Got to work on time
  7. My coworkers Karla and Britany are such a breathe of fresh air!!! I LOVE them!!!
  8. Had fun helping Gayle in her office! (Gayle is one of my glamorous peeps at work!)
  9. Got to enjoy a skinny, sugar free, iced mocha this morning!
  10. Jennie was in the bed control meeting this morning! She’s awesome!!!!
  11. Got to surprise my coffee guy by going back and thanking him for my “AWESOME” drink! He was tickled pink! (At least I would like to think so!!!)
  12. Robyn says that since today is St Paddy’s Day if you wear green you get “smooches”, if you don’t, you get “pinches”! (I LOVE THAT!!!)
  13. Had a giggling lunch with my girlfriend, Chris!
  14. Got to make someone’s day making them a mock voodoo doll to help put things in perspective!
  15. Had a brownie at the office’s after lunch dessert bar celebration! YUMMY!!!
  16. Got off work only 15 minutes late…which is not something I get to do so often – I am usually SOOOO MUCH later!! So…WHOO! HOO!!!
  17. I finished recording my Art Journal Thursday video, and made headway editing it for Thursday!
  18. I finished an entire art journal this afternoon, which I LOVE because not only do I get to start a new journal, it is a little smaller, so it will be more to work in – not so much pressure to produce on such large real estate!!
  19. I tried a favorite recipe, from memory, that my x-boyfriend’s mom taught me when I was a teen and it turned out AWESOMELY!!! (It was Tater Tot Casserole!, in case you were curious!!!)
  20. As of this evening, we are officially caught up on all of our bills and are back on our way to being debt free again!! CAN I GET AN AMEN???
  21. My sweetie came home in a really good mood this evening!! THANK YOU JESUS!!! 😉 He is such a charmer!! I JUST LOVE THAT MAN!!! 😉
  22. I got to spend some time peacefully listening to some fun country music this evening!!
  23. I am loving the knowledge that I will be crawling into a well made bed this evening, with freshly cleaned sheets!! AAAAH!! It’s the simple things in life…I AM TELLING YOU!!! 😉

WHEW!!! It is AMAZING how just changing your focus really changes your entire outlook on what is possible in any given day!! I would encourage you to give it a try…matter of fact, I may just do that again tomorrow!!! 😉

Here is to having a BEAUTIFUL CREATIVE life!! 😉

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If you want to have a different life, live differently!

Random Thought Kinda Post!

Crown HeaderGood evening!

Tonight is the first night in a really, REALLY long time that

  1. I got off of work and home at a normal time
  2. I have no pressing commitments, appointments, or really anything needing my full attention right this minute!

Let’s just have a moment of silence, join me, will you???

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Do you feel that?? Yeah me too!! It is the feeling of peace!!

I know I haven’t really posted anything besides Art Journal Thursdays in a really long time, so I thought I would sit down, and just fill you in on what has been going on in my life right now! 🙂

Well, to start! As you may remember, I had been taking a hiatus from my career – I wasn’t sure how long it was going to last, but I was very fortunate to be able to hang in there, being a full-time artist for 6 months – and man it was fun!!

BUT…mama’s got bills to pay!!!

and although I have big dreams for a full time creative career in the future, I realized I had better get to work if I was ever going to have a chance of making those dreams come true!

So, I was lucky enough to have a girlfriend refer me to a job at one of the company’s I had left, and before I could say “BOO” I was back at work, doing what I do!!! 😉

I am officially a Project Associate, which I am not sure exactly what that means yet, but what I have figured out is that I am getting paid to HELP. MY. NEW. TEAM. and that feels sooooooo good!!! 😉

And let me tell you about my new team!!! They are happy, fun, supportive, and really ALL AROUND AMAZING!!! I have to say I am feeling like one lucky girl right now!!!

SO, as all of the pieces of my life are falling back into place again, after getting tossed up into the air, it has taken me some time to get back to where I have some breathing room, and I think I am finally there!

So where does that leave me now? Well, I am working, hard, and trying to focus on the best of every situation I run into! I still try to art as often as my tired self will allow – my sleep has been suffering so I have to figure out how to make that more of a priority here too soon! I am happily dedicated to getting my weekly YouTube videos out, and LOVING all of the feedback that I have been getting, and am still teaching my monthly Soul Book Clubs, which is probably still my FAVORITE time of my month!!!

I am looking to the future, trying to figure out how to best put together an online soul+art class, and I am also working with a new friend to try and come up with a Yoga/Soul/Art retreat for later this year, that I am thinking is going to be SO AWESOME!!! I cannot wait!!! 😉 Our ultimate goal is still to have a small farm, out in the country somewhere, and be able to host soul+art classes retreats and classes from there!! COULD YOU IMAGINE??? OMG – I COULD JUST FAINT WITH THE EXCITEMENT OF IT ALL!!! 😉

Anyway, there is more to come, and I will try to make sure to take and share lots of pictures, and keep you posted with any new going ons in our lives!!!

Life is soooooooo good!

Here is to living a Beautiful Creative Life!! 😉

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If you want to have a different life, live differently!

Just a Quick Post!

Crown HeaderGood evening!

I just thought I would pop in and add a quick post!

I keep coming across a recurring theme in the signs that keep popping up in my world, especially this past week! I am a huge believer that signs are real and I believe that signs are little hints from the Universe to help you find the path that has been created just for you and to help you stay on that path!

This week, I keep seeing and hearing hints that self care is just as important to having a creative life as is the actual act of “Arting” (yep, that’s a verb in my world!) This has been a message that is trying hard to put itself front and center during almost every moment of my day!

So, in my new role as woman who consciously listens and acts on what her subconscious is trying to tell her, I have decided to try and put together a list of ways that I can incorporate self care into my already busy days! 🙂

  • Wake up consciously saying that “Today is going to be an EXCELLENT day!!”
  • Roll over and kiss my sweetie and take a couple of minutes to snuggle! That is a QUALITY way to start my day out on the right foot!
  • When I finally do get out of bed, take a few minutes to stretch, and take stock of how all the parts of my body is feeling!
  • Drink a cool glass of water as soon as getting out of bed as possible! HYDRATE! HYDRATE! HYDRATE!
  • Get your booty outside! Take a walk, chase any patch of sunshine you could find (it is Oregon after all!), this doesn’t have to be strenuous, just do it!
  • Take time to sweat, on purpose every day! I find that if I do this in the name of playing, than I have a much better time of it – swimming, jumping rope, playing ball, playing tag, racing my sweetie, dancing, playing on monkey bars, etc. etc.
  • Take some time, every day, to get quiet! I know this a hard one for some of you, but you would be sooooooo surprised what your soul will try to communicate with you when you just get quiet enough to hear it!
  • Be conscious about what you eat/drink all day! Fuel yourself with real, whole, nutritious foods!
  • Try to minimize stress, at the very least, do things that calm you to counterattack stress, such as meditation, yoga, nature walks, breathing exercises, etc.
  • Make time to play/laugh every day! This can be done with friends, co-workers, family, someone you meet at the grocery store – it doesn’t matter! Laughter truly is healing!
  • Pamper yourself – give yourself a manicure, or a pedicure, take a long luxurious bath, maybe with bubbles? How about using your favorite body cream, give yourself a deep conditioning foot rub, or how about treating yourself to a facial, deep conditioning hair treatment, or even a simple face mask!! Ooh! that really sounds good!
  • Cut some fresh flowers for your house!
  • Take yourself to bed early to catch up on that juicy book you’ve been wanting to read!
  • Call a friend that you have been wanting to catch up with!
  • Take yourself out for coffee, or a fancy lunch date!

This is just a short list of all of the possible self care activities you can try! I am sure you have a BUNCH you can ad to my list! Tell me in the comments what you would add! 😉

Here is to a Beautiful Creative (quality safe care) kind of life! 😉

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If you want a different life, live differently!

Feeling Inspired!

Good morning!

I am feeling inspired! I am feeling empowered! I am feeling a great satisfaction in knowing that I am taking care of myself, in small ways, every day, little by little!

I ran across this video this morning, and could not WAIT to share it with you! 😉

Living a beautifully creative life does not only mean spending time being artsy, or creating masterpeices outside of yourself! It is also about creating the YOU that YOU want to be. It is taking care of yourself, in only ways that you may understand that you need taking care of! Me myself being a plus sized gal, I understand that it may not be fashionable to be a healthy thick girl, but honey, I am here to tell you!! Even at the size that I am now (I have recently lost about 70 pounds, but have about 55 more to go), I am far and away doing better than the old me who used to sit on the couch 24/7 like someone was going to come and take it away if I didn’t stay sitting on it!

Get up, get moving, take a walk, go swimming, ride a bike, find a way to play like you did when you were younger! Know that living a beautifully creative life is more than what you create art-wise, it is also about HOW YOU LIVE!!! So get out there and put some LIFE into your LIFE!! I am cheering for you (CAN YOU HEAR ME???) 😉

Here is to living a Beautiful Creative Life!! 😉

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If you want to have a different life, live differently!

Why Do I Art?

Crown HeaderGood afternoon!

I have been asking myself, and have been asked a lot lately about why I art?

Well, the short answer is that it is fun, but the long answer is that I have been using art journaling and mixed media to deal with a lot of stuff going on with me right now, mentally and emotionally!

I left a 14 year career in IT healthcare in July of 2014. I left with the idea that I was just taking a break…that this was just a sabbatical, and as soon as I was rested, then I would put my pantyhose and business clothes back on and get back to work. Well…I hadn’t really let myself listen to my soul whispers in almost 14 years, if not longer! I realized that, when I finally did get quiet, there was a lot going on inside of here that I had just really stuffed down, and did my best to hide from everyone including myself. As I started to get quiet and just listen, so many things started to pour out of me. The sense of immediate overwhelm almost left me catatonic…I was paralyzed with “what the hell is going on here??” kind of thoughts, and so many repressed feelings. Feelings of guilt, inadequacies, sadness, fear, loss, anger, resentment, years of self abuse, and ultimately a real longing for something more…but honestly I had no idea for what.

It has been 6 months since I have walked away from what I had thought was my security, future security, financial security, health security, benefits, etc, I realize that I had been putting my faith in all of the wrong things for far too long, and now that I am clawing my way out of the hole I have created for myself, and trying to climb out into the sunshine, I realize that I may never go back to that work no matter how good the money is. I also am learning first hand that I may have to let my life completely bottom out before I am actually successful at starting over again!

For someone who has always been the “fixer” and the “protector”, the idea that I may not have hit rock bottom yet, is very hard for me to acknowledge, but one that I am staring in the face.

There is a little church song that I grew up singing. It is called something like Spirit of the Living God Fall Afresh On Me…at least those are some of the words I can remember. The words to the chorus are:

  • Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on me
  • Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on me
  • Break me
  • Melt me
  • Mold me (we also added “Fill me” here too)
  • Use me
  • Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on me

I find that I am singing this song a lot lately. I think I am at the “Break me” point of this song. And man, can I tell you, it is rough…I have cried more in the last six months than I think I may have ever cried in the entirety of the rest of my life.

I know that really is more than the “break me” part, but I just have to keep pushing through to get to the melt me, mold me, fill me, use me parts of this little song. I just wish that the break me part wasn’t taking so long, or that it wasn’t quite as painful as it is turning out to be.

That is what arting is helping me move through. When I art, it forces me to be quiet – to shut up – to stop talking – stop over thinking everything – stop trying to control everything! That is just not possible in art! When you are arting, you have no choice but to go with the flow, and see where the finish product will take you!

I know that God has big things in store for my life…I have known that since I was a wee child! I just don’t know what that life is going to look like. I pray that it has to do with tons of arting and helping women! Those two things feeds my soul and makes me smile all the way down to my spleen, like I never thought possible! I want to be able to sit down and say, “I can NOT BELIEVE that I get paid to do this! I would SOOOOOO do this for free!!”

In the meantime, there is a very good possibility that I am going to lose my home, which in my heart I am okay with, in my head I am completely rebelling against the idea! I have been teetering with the idea of going back to my old job, just to help save our place, but the other night I had a dream that I had gone back to my old job, and in my dream, I was sitting at my office desk, getting ready to work. I looked up, noticed where I was, and I could literally see and feel my insides turn black like charred paper that had been set on fire, curl up and crumble away, into charcoal dust in the wind. I immediately awoke, feeling so sick to my stomach from what I had just seen and felt. I knew, without a shadow of a doubt that I could never go back, but then what? What am I going to do?

Do I keep pushing forward with my art? Teaching art classes and leading my Soul Book Club?? My soul shouts “YES!!!!” at the top of her lungs when she hears that message! So, I DO KNOW that that is what I am supposed to be doing, but how can I make a living doing that? I am not sure.

Until I figure that out, I am just going to have to keep walking in faith.

  • Faith that I am not alone.
  • Faith that even if we do lose everything, that this is a process. A process to help get me back on the path that I was meant for, not the one I had been mindlessly following for so long.
  • Faith that God really does have a plan for me.
  • Faith that God is talking to me through my soul whispers, and I really need to keep listening to Him.
  • Faith that everything really will be alright!

Wow! Could that have been any longer of an answer?? I just wanted to make sure you knew where my motives were coming from, and I am guessing there are going to be some big changes coming in the form of my living arrangement, which might effect how some of you get a hold of me, but after talking through it with myself…that is ok. It really will all be ok! I am worth fighting for, even if that might be the hardest thing I have ever had to do!!

Here is to living a life that is both artsy and authentically me!

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If you want ta different life, live differently!

Happy New Year!

Crown HeaderGood evening!

It is January 6, 2015!

Happy New Year!!!

I promise, I have not fallen off of the face of the earth!! 😉 I have just been incredibly busy!! 😉

Let’s see, I am taking and the AMAZING life + soul class, Life Book 2015! I am only into week 2 of this class, and I can already tell that it is going to be a FABULOUS life changing, art improving series of classes!!

I am also partaking in the Documented Life Project, which I honestly have already fallen behind on already, but I am hoping that it will be a fun way to mix art journaling and creative life planning! 🙂

I also am soooooooo excited to be able to share that I am teaching my first in-person art class this Saturday! I am teaching how to make 6 different background techniques, called Eclectic Backgrounds, at Runaway Arts and Craft Studio! I am scared, and very excited about that, all at the same time!! If you will be in the Salem area this next Saturday, I would LOVE to have you join us!! 😉

What else? Ok, let’s get serious!! I am really looking forward to taking advantage of the clean slate that is the new year! 😉 2014 was not my favorite year, but it was a year of making scary, but much needed life changes!! Well, at least one big one!! Anyway, 2015 is going to be all about picking myself and moving forward to the life that I have always dreamed of living! 😉 I am not sure what exactly that is going to look like, but I am seriously ready!!!

Here is to a FABULOUSLY CREATIVE New Year!! 😉

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If you want to have a different life, live differently!

 

A Quick Post!

Crown HeaderGood evening!

I just have time for a quick post before I zip off to bed this evening!

Listening: I am watching a Matlock DVD, playing on the tele – I just LOVE this show – takes me back to my childhood! Just the intro credits makes my spleen smile!! (Trust me that is a GOOD THING!!)

Reading: I am reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, and Two for the Dough by Janet Evonovich

Drinking: An iced, sugar free, sparkling water, Wild Cherry (my FAVE!!), with a red straw, out of a cute mason jar

Wearing: Some comfy PJs, the kind with pants and a long top, and some fuzzy socks (yep, that’s how we roll!!)

Feeling: Tired, but so thankful for my comfy home and for all of those peeps in my life who love me, including my two four-legged babies!!

Wanting: An uninterrupted night of deep, refreshing sleep, in a well made bed!!! OH SWEET BLISS!!!

Needing: Did I mention I need sleep? I think the cold that took me out on Thursday and Friday has morphed into full on bronchitis, which means I have been a coughing fool the past two days/nights, so I think sleep – GOOD QUALITY SLEEP is definitely in order!!!

Thinking: Maybe I had better plan out my week before bed! Mama’s got a lot that she is wanting to accomplish! Plus I have an interview on Tuesday! YEAH!!! 😉

Loving: My sweetie (he is my HERO!!), my M-I-L (she is AMAZING!! and she sounds so HAPPY!!!), my sistahs (they cheer me on and keep me motivated to do my BEST every day!!)! Have I mentioned, I LOVE MY PEEPS!!!

Mantra: I am on my right path! I know who I am! I like who I am! I know what I have to do to keep moving forward! I am blessed!

Ooh! That felt really good to say that out loud!!! 😉

Here is to a FABULOUS evening!

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If you want to have a different life, live differently!

 

 

Life Book 2015

lb2015-halfad-finished-800

Good morning, my darlings!!!

I am SOOOOO EXCITED about Life Book 2015!

Oh, but maybe I had better back up a little bit!!

January 1, 2015 I will be embarking on a one-year online journey! A journey to learn more about art, art journaling, and mixed-media techniques! In the process I hope to learn more about myself, and meet some really cool new people who share a passion for mixed-media and living a creative life!!

Life Book 2015 is being offered by Willowing Arts at Willowing.org, by one Ms. Tam Laporte!! This AMAZING year-long series is going to be taught, in weekly increments, by, not 1, not 2, but 26 AWESOME mixed-media gurus, a lot of those names I am already very familiar with, and I can NOT WAIT to learn more from them!! I am a sponge as I sit at your feet!! Teach me oh great Miyagi!!! 🙂

What else can I say??? The registration cost is EXTREMELY low when you think about how much content you are being given! — I should probably add that I am not affiliated with this class or Willowing in any way shape of form, and that these are all just my personal opinions! 🙂

But….Man, I am so excited because this journey starts in exactly two months!!! I cannot wait!!! Feel free to join me – registration is still open!! Maybe I will see you there!

I will be sharing some of my projects here with you, so subscribe to this blog so you don’t miss one minute of creative, juicy goodness!!!

Here is to continuing to live This Beautiful Life! 🙂

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If you want a different life, live differently!

Don’t Mind Me!

Good evening!
Don’t mind me! I am just making some appearance changes to my blog! I am hoping that these changes will make This Beautiful Life a more pleasant place to visit! You might notice a new layout, simplified sidebar, and a new header and I now have a new Chrissie B. Signature line. I will be working on updating all of my pages next! 🙂

If you have any questions, or comments, please feel free to let me know in the comment section! I will do my best to respond in a timely manner!

Thank you for your patience!! 🙂

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If you want to have a different life, live differently!

Having Fun at the Willamette Valley Pie Company Fall Festival!

Good evening!

Yesterday I got the chance to hang out with my sweetie and my girlfriend, Fahlene, and her two boys, William and Jeremiah! I wanted to make sure to share the copious amounts of pics I took before the day got too much more away from me!

DSC05436

This is Fahlene, William, and Jeremiah! We are getting ready to go into the hay maze!DSC05441

Inside of the hay maze, there was a basketball hoop! William absolutely LOVED this!! It was fun watching him try to make a basket, which he literally did not do even once!!! What an AWESOME little guy!! 😉DSC05455

My sweetie thought that he would give him a hand by lifting him up to the basket, and the funniest thing happened!! William still didn’t make a basket, but that didn’t stop him! He just kept a big grin on his face and just kept on trying! Matter of fact, later in the day when he disappeared, this is exactly where I found him! LOL! 🙂DSC05462

When we finally got William to trek on inside of the hay maze, he took the lead!!DSC05467

This is TALL William!!! 😉DSC05472

Jason even helped William get even taller, by standing on the tippy top of the gianormous hay mountain!! WHOO! HOO!
DSC05475

Jason helped William figure out how to go down this hay slide using the red discs! It was funny to watch him try to figure out how to keep on the disc without sliding off!DSC05480

When Jeremiah saw how much fun William was having he decided to get on board with the fun too! 🙂 On your marks, get ready, GO!! 🙂DSC05481

William is obviously in the lead!DSC05482

I don’t know…they are pretty close!DSC05483

William looks like he may have gotten there first, but Jeremiah definitely has height as an advantage!! It doesn’t matter who won – they both had fun!!DSC05490

Me and my sweetie with his banana-loving-minions t-shirt! 🙂 He sure does crack me up!! 🙂DSC05491

Fahlene and Jeremiah decided to go down the zip line! There was quite a wait, since it was very popular, but Jason did a GREAT job at keeping William entertained! William got a kick out of letting a small spider crawl all over his arm! It is also at this point of the day that we really got a sense of how hot this day was turning out to be! Aieeeeh! Check out the sweat on Jason’s arm – EW!! We thought, after the week we had had so far, that it would be pouring down rain for sure….uhmmmm..nope!! 😉DSC05492

I know this pic is a little blurry, but this is Fahlene and Jeremiah coming down the zip line!!! Fahlene screamed really loudly, and Jeremiah was having so much fun…probably the best part of his day!! It was fun to watch!!DSC05516

Then William got his turn at the ride he wanted!! He is the one in the very last barrel! He smiled the entire time he was on this ride! He even got to go again before we left for the day! I think that was his favorite ride! 🙂DSC05522

This is us racing ducks with water pumps! They were fun! I want Jason to build me one of these that I can play with whenever I want! 🙂DSC05529

This is Spiderman…er…I mean William with his face painted like Spiderman!! All day he was worried that he would do something to wipe it off!DSC05552

OH, and this is one more thing I want for our farmhouse!! I want my sweetie to build me a gigantic check board!! I LOVE this!! OH, and this is me making my winning move against my sweetie!! That’s right! I WON!!!! WHOO! HOO!! 😉DSC05553

Even as a sad loser (wait that sounded really bad!!), this man is SO FREAKIN’ ADORABLE!!!! 😉DSC05570

We waited FOREVER for the world’s shortest hay ride!DSC05429

The last thing we just had to do before we left for the day was to get some pie and ice cream!!! Of course, we are did – we were at the Willamette Valley Pie Company after all!! 🙂

When we got home, we all went our separate ways, and I have to confess, Jason and I crashed hard and early last night! That kind of sleep is the BEST kind of sleep!!

OK, now I am starting to ramble!! I apologize!!

Here is to a FABULOUS Fall evening! 🙂

~Chrissie 😉

If you want to have a different life, live differently!