That’s a vintage lotus bowl you see there, found at the YMCA Thrift Store in Blacksburg.  We live a little too close to the thrift store, and we tend to visit it, ahem, every day.

Today, I want to share with you some passages from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.  I’ve been going through this book for about 3 months now.  And I highly recommend it.

Here are four points she makes in Chapter 9 that really hit home:

1. “The need to be a great artist makes it hard to be an artist.”
2. “The need to produce a great work of art makes it hard to produce any art at all.”
3. “Do not call procrastination laziness.  Call it fear.”
4. “Use love for your [inner] artist to cure its fear.”

When I read these points, I just knew I had to share.  See what she’s saying?  You need to be kind to yourself to tap into your creativity.  I’m kind of sick of being afraid, personally.  And I just really appreciate Miss Cameron for helping me understand what’s blocking my creativity or keeping me from taking risks.

Anyway.  Happy Tuesday.  Go treat yourself. :)

(Hey, Y Thrift.  I’m looking at you.)

It’s a little busy, perhaps.  But I’m kinda starting from scratch here and have a long way to go.  The living room in our apartment is a bit awkward.  The window is smack-dab in the middle, and it’s way too high on the wall.  I’m trying to make it work!

We’re borrowing the sofa from my Mother-in-Law.  And the little dresser.  I’ve thought about covering the sofa in bleached muslin or something of that nature, but I sort of love the 80s charm of it.  Is that weird?

I looked at Emily one day and realized that she is no longer going to eat the acrylic paint.  On that day, I decided to buy some canvases that were just her size and set a few parameters.  This project was 100% supervised, involved limited paints, and occurred while Jacob took his afternoon nap.  Emily does not nap.  She is a Big Girl now, and she proved it by only getting a tiny bit of red paint in her hair.  And just a swoosh of magenta on her chin.

Step 1 - Prepare the canvas.  I painted the entire canvases white, let that dry, and then taped around the edges with blue painter’s tape.  Masking tape of any sort will do the trick, but it isn’t necessary.  I just thought it would be nice to have white borders framing her art. :)   If you tape it, seal the edge of the tape with a coat of white paint.

Step 2 - Paint!  I chose a limited palette of magenta, red, light blue, aqua green, and white.  Then I put a dime-sized drop of each color in a plastic lid.  I encouraged Emily to use different kinds of brushes in different sizes so she could learn how they are different (and because this makes the paintings more interesting).

Step 3 - Finish.  Allow the paint to dry a little before you remove the painter’s tape.  Once your paintings are dry, hang on the wall and enjoy!

Emily’s signature is that green “E” on the second painting.  You may want to encourage your child to sign their work too.   Just not with their tongue.  (Please do not eat the paint!)

If you happen to have a pretty Saturday forecast, I highly recommend hitting up your local Craigslist and planning a morning of yard sale shopping.  Evan actually did all the planning for us to visit about 15 or so yard sales in our area on Labor Day Weekend.

I found this set of vintage canisters for $1.

And these Dutch clogs for $1.  I am “refashioning” them & will share again soon.

As you can see, they were $17 originally.

Before hitting the yard sales, it helps to know what kind of things you like.  Evan hunted for European board games, and I generally spent my time looking at housewares.  But a day spent looking through old clothing or books could really pay off too.

Evan thought you might like to know how he planned our trip, which was amazingly efficient.  Go to Google Maps, type in your starting address and a yard sale address, and then keep adding stops to your route.  Google Maps will do all the work for you and plan out your path.  Along the way, you’re likely to find more unadvertised sales, which is a nice bonus!

We scored a huge bag of beads for the children, a red Victorian side table, a large vintage mirror, several board games, a vintage needlepoint picture for the kids’ room, and more.  And we spent, oh, about $15! :)

Leftover scrap of embroidered dresser scarf + Very Small embroidery hoops

+ Scissors

+ Glue

= Tiny Art

The End. :)

1. Untitled, 2. vintage, 3. Mix-it - Pyrex and String, 4. NEW Southwest collection, 5. the {vintage} balloons, 6. eating apricots, 7. the good days, 8. spoons & manhole covers, 9. A Gentle Reminder

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys

My dear reader, Vicki K, sent me a lovely box of hand-knit dishrags (and a pretty lavender sachet!) as a housewarming gift.  They are so cheerful and welcoming in our apartment kitchen.

Thanks so much, Vicki!  You are too kind.  (And your packaging was beautiful too!)

And as a housewarming gift to myself, I bought a new clock from and furthermore.

Something I love about Etsy is that if you ask someone for what you need/want, you just might get it!  I asked Brenda for a larger clock in blue, and she made one just for me.  And I love it!  Thanks, Brenda!

All of the happy mail arriving at the new apartment is making it a happier place, of course!  I can’t wait to share more of the interior. :)

One of my pictures was on decor8 today, which just made my heart leap with glee.

(Top left is our bedroom, right alongside some of my favorite inspirations on the internet.)

Thanks, Holly, for the mention!

1. New Aboriginal artwork for the living room, 2. Untitled, 3. home is where the heart is., 4. growing collection, 5. Placemats & Coasters, 6. Bathroom Storage, 7. new dress…, 8. Mobile Shop - Time Capsule, 9. Morning After

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys

New in the shop, I have a tiny embroidered hoop and a cheerful yellow mug. :)

Happy Weekend!

We’re just starting to feel a bit settled here.  This corner of our bedroom is filled with favorite things: a vintage Luxo lamp ($3 at a yard sale in Blacksburg), a vintage GE alarm clock ($3.50 on eBay + $7 shipping), robin’s egg blue table ($20 at an antiques mall in Tulsa), and refashioned vintage hankie art by me (hankie = $2).  Oh, and that Liberty of London mug  is new but still a favorite ($6 at Target).

I love finding a good deal on something old and pretty.  Especially when that old, pretty thing is still quite useful.

But altering an old, pretty, and useful thing can be rewarding too. :)

I hope you enjoyed this tiny peak at our new place.  More show-and-tell to come!