Title: “Everything you see is lovely if love is what you choose to see.”

It’s amazing how something as easily forgotten as a dead leaf on the ground can be so easily disregarded. Look around. There’s beauty everywhere, even in a leaf.

Several years back when I lived in Malibu, I met a songwriter, Dean Grakal with whom I shared a few interesting conversations with about our life experiences. One of them was after I had been at the barn riding my Warmblood, “Blind Faith.” It was this perfect, sunny Southern California day and the view was crystal clear as far as I could see out over the ocean. After my ride, I spoke with Dean and told him about how everything I could see was so clear, as though the world was standing still and it was as perfect of a moment as anyone could possibly experience.

So the next time I saw Dean, he pulled out his tattered, worn notebook and said to me; “Everything you see is lovely if love is what you choose to see.” That was what he got from what I explained as that epiphany/perfect moment. At the time, he was working with Ringo Starr on an upcoming album. He incorporated those words into a song that went on to be one of Ringo’s albums.

The skinny of this story goes back to the dead leaf, dried up on a sidewalk. If you feel and see love, it’s what you will see all around you. I have to thank Dean for summing that up for me. It can be applied to so many things on a daily basis… like this beautiful leaf! That’s why I love creating art from something so easily looked over as the leaf or the second-hand shoes that I created a canvas piece from.

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Title: “New life, new beginning.”

This was such an easy photograph to create from. New life, new beginning. Simple as that. We may not be new to the world in the birth sense, but it is never to late to change your mind, change the way you see the world and make a new beginning.

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As I created this piece of photographic art to print on canvas and also mail out for Mail Art 365 at IUOMA, I thought; “Isn’t it odd how predictable change is even when one has well thought out plans?”

My cute little mini-me will turn three in a few weeks. One thing that has been set in stone between my husband and I is the importance of providing her with the best possible format of learning as possible. She has been in Montessori School since the age of eighteen months and it’s been an incredible experience. When we relocated from Austin to central Florida for a terrific career opportunity, we struggled with finding a good school. We were able to move to a beautiful vacation property at the beach in Palm Coast for the sole reason of finding a local Montessori School for her. It didn’t take long to figure out that the school was not at even close to being a true, traditional Montessori school. (A class of little boys and girls wearing nothing but underpants and tops in the classroom, not potty-trained? Unsanitary and degrading to say the least. That was just the tip of the ice burg).

So I asked myself, where is this road leading us next? We have been very carefully researching Montessori schools and residential communities with the most adamant goal of not putting our daughter through another awful experience or move unless it is absolutely necessary.

Through all this upheaval and disappointment, here’s what I’ve learned  to do to start figuring out how to get back onto the right road:

1. Focus on the most important issue that needs to be changed and make a list of ways to achieve change.
2. Set a timeline for this action to make the change happen and start researching solutions.

In our case, it was to map out an area within 40 miles of my husband’s workplace, research best neighborhoods within that radius and find the schools within driving distance of these areas and finally, contact the top realtors who will work to find us a great home.

{Luckily, I can continue my business from anywhere as an artist with the majority of my business being done online}.

Lastly, use the mistakes of the past as tools for your present and future goals. Once you achieve your new goals, continue to nurture your new path and build on it. Again, in our situation, it’s about making new friends, continuing to grow as a close family unit, involving ourselves in our daughter’s educational development and embracing all the great things that this road has lead us.

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I shot this photograph of these nesting birds in Kentucky that lived right outside my bedroom window. I always loved this photograph. This morning, I looked at it again and saw it very differently then just two birds nesting. One bird is extroverted, inquisitive and curious about life. The other is just there; calm, not really interested in all the adventure life has to offer. I don’t get it. Sometimes when people are so different, they still somehow find a way to be mates and just “be.”. I have friends like that. How they do it is a mystery to me.

Jim Kukral, one of my instructors from an internet marketing program I took through the University of San Francisco said something in class to the effect of; “I don’t know how I am going to do this, but I am sure going to try and figure it out.” When an issue comes up where it’s just tough…. TOUGH; that message somehow speaks to me loud and clear.

Back to the birds… at the end of the day, we should always want the best for every single person out there. Different, indifferent, black, white, purple or pink. That’s my wish!

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Fallen Concrete Beauty, originally uploaded by Kokabella.

My love for leaves continues, this time in the parking lot at Starbucks in Green Cove Springs, Florida where a leaf fell before me onto the concrete. This one definitely makes the cut for a print after I add some more texture and design elements to it. Stay tuned…

Shot with Best Camera iPhone app by TheBestCamera.com.

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As many of you know, I always carry at least one camera around with me. I’m always looking for a beautiful flower bud, bird or butterfly to photograph and turn into a piece of art or illustration. Even in the beautiful area where I live, I kept seeing litter so I decided to photograph some of it.

I tried making it look less ugly by water coloring it, etc., but trash really is ugly no matter how you spin it. Shame on those who freely drop their pop cans, cigarette butts, wrappers, etc. Hopefully Mr & Ms Litterbug see this and realize how awful and unnecessary it is to dump on Mommy Nature. My good deed for the day is done if that’s the case.

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If you’d like to be notified when they are ready to ship, send me a note! I’d love to hear from you.

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I plan to visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center frequently to capture more of its natural beauty.

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I got to sleep in this morning while my husband and 15-month old daughter were quietly cooking up a hand-painted Mother’s Day card and breakfast! It was awesome. Then they surprised me with a trip to the Lady Bird Johnston Wildflower Center here in Austin. I was in heaven when I saw all the wildflowers and butterflies. I have so many photographs to share. Stay tuned… and happy Mother’s Day to all the mommies out there!

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