W E D D I N G B E L L S

This past weekend, my amazing daughter, Autumn married Matt Brasher in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at my brother David's house in Nashville!  What a joyful occasion!!!

First Dance

Here is a very quick wedding recap with a few photos (just phone snapshots -I can't wait to see the real one's from the photographers) Be prepared, you know I'm going to be sharing more.

First off, this was a major DIY deal but everything came together perfectly! I flew up Wednesday afternoon and until Saturday morning, it was non-stop, From etching the mason jars to the making the games, photobooth, tablescapes, painting signs, cards, globe, arranging the flowers, hanging the lights,... Autumn and Matt even built the tables themselves! (I didn't take many pics but take my word, WOW -just wow! All the family pitched in. Thoughts of Mom, Dad, and Patrick weren't far from my mind. (It was Mom's birthday) Oh, she would have really loved all this.

Wedding Preparations



Friday afternoon was the rehearsal and then rehearsal dinner. Mexican -super spicy & yummy! Matt and Autumn's friends were so adorable coming in from literally all over the globe. As for me, exhaustion was definitely setting in. We continued working on Do-It-Yourself projects until past midnight.

Rehearsal Dinner

The "girls" stayed at a precious bungalow airbnb Friday night. Autumn had the next day totally planned out. First hair (& Autumn's make-up) then nails then late lunch then girl photos then the wedding. Whew, non-stop! I was so impressed at how calm Autumn remained!!! She looked exquisite -like an elegant fairy princess!



Autumn Rose and Carey Anne pausing after a bit of pre-wedding pampering

Finally, the WEDDING!!! The ceremony was so beautiful! The bridesmaids were in long dresses of grey tones, the groomsmen in vests and bow ties (handmade by Autumn of course) The bouquets were gorgeous in whites, creams, lavender, and soft peaches (created by my brother Patrick's friend, Karen) The flower girl was adorable throwing and picking up rose petals. Pete and I accompanied Autumn down the aisle while an acoustic version of "Here comes the sun" played. (OMG which just came on the radio right now! Goosebumps, all up my arms) A good friend of theirs officiated. They emotionally recited heartfelt vows. They looked so happy!!!!


Photographer's Picture of Autumn and Matt, the new Mr. & Mrs. Brasher!

The reception was fabulous. For the social hour, live music played while photos of the bridal party were taken. Lots of games were played (Peter made an pretty amazing large scale set of Jenga) Pictures taken (I did a pretty kickass photo booth), Popcorn with lots of tasty sprinkle and drizzle options was devoured, and fancy waters, lemonade, wine, and cold beer was sipped. The food was honestly some of the very best I've had at any type event -a buffet of Bar-b-q brisket & chicken, corn pudding, greens, and scalloped sweet potatoes catered from Bacon & Caviar. Yum! Seriously my mouth is watering right now as I type. We added a great big salad -no one went hungry that is for sure! Then DANCING! I love it when everyone dances and man oh man oh boy did they -young & old alike! A DJ manned the music and the dance floor stayed packed. Like -who knew my nephew had such impressive dance moves!



Then there was the late night milk and cookies. (Yes, David, the little milk bottles  were precious!) Oh and an unexpected hit with my amazing (slightly umm... unusual) friends -the Fire Pit! Yea, kind of cleaned out all the combustibles with reach including the remaining popcorn.

What a wonderful wedding -and now my baby girl is all married! I am so proud of the lovely young woman she has become. I wish her and Matt the most Magical of Marriages -full of Adventure, Laughter, and Love!

Today's Song:
"Hear Comes The Sun" -George Harrison & Paul Simon

Extra Music Just Because:
"Have I told You Lately That I Love You" -Rod Stewart
"Ring of Fire: -Johnny Cash
"Come Away With Me" -Norah Jones
"Hooked On A Feeling" -Blue Swede

And a Few Love Quotes:
“There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.” – Martin Luther
“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it be rather a moving sea between the shores of your souls.” – Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
“There is no remedy for love but to love more.” – Henry David Thoreau
“Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet.” – Plato
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” -Henry Ford
"The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart." -Helen Keller
"Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love. How on earth can you explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love? Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity." -Albert Einstein
^"9 Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better. ¹⁰ If one falls, the other pulls him up; but if a man falls when he is alone, he’s in trouble.¹¹ Also, on a cold night, two under the same blanket gain warmth from each other, but how can one be warm alone?" -Ecclesiates 4:9-11
“ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.⁸ Love never fails..”  - I Corinthians 13: 4-8

More Postcard Postings

Happy Day to Ya!

Last  post of my original cards -goodness, I take  f o r e v e r  to complete a post series, don't I?

These are some of my vertically oriented postcards. You can see how I took the same initial art print and modified it in different ways to create two very different cards on the top "Trust Your Heart" and the bottom "Sense of Wonder." Also It is funny how they take on such real personalities in my mind as I am creating them. The bottom first two are the "Wonder Twins" and the the bottom last is probably the one that most resonates with me personally, she is my "Wanderer" and I kept her open to possibilities without actual words on the front. Later with my wood blocks, I added the words "You are Enough" so she is also known as "Enough." Forgive all the quote marks -really don't know what is with me but this is just what it is today (lol). Please enjoy and have a blessed week! 

-Laurie Anne :)

Music for today: Throwback'n to the early 80s

Peech Boys -Don't Make Me Wait

Inspiring Words * 1 * 2 * 3 * 4 *

Welcome! 

I'm sharing some of my original postcards up close with a few of my favorite quotes. I haven't any idea what quote originally went with which image but these seem to fit! Please enjoy!

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." -John Quincy Adams

"Trust that little voice in you head that says 'Wouldn't it be interesting if...'; And then do it." -Duane Michals

"We will never know all the good a simple smile can do." -Mother Teresa

"One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes." -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." -G.K. Chesterton

"Refuse to be average. Let your heart soar as high as it will" -A.W. Tozer

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. -Albert Einstein 

"Try not to get lost in comparing yourself to others. Discover your gifts and let them shine." -Jennie Finch

Music for this Post (A little "American Idol" love for these amazing Mississippi artists):
Trent Harmon singing Chandelier
La'Posha Renae singing Diamonds

deuxième partie

Hello! I’m back with a continuation of my postcard journey! On the first postcard post, I described my written intensions for the postcards. So now for my attitude -relaxed with that sense of play and experimentation without judgment!

 

I was completely OK with this being an experience, a gift of myself to the ladies in the swap. There is such freedom in not worrying if something will be worthy of selling or creating a “statement.” Oh how often I will let my own expectations stifle my creativity. Totally self imposed! Being afraid to mess up a beautiful background (right!?!) that I’ve become too attached to or struggling over what color to place where, or –my biggie- overthinking so much that I end up “thinking” instead of painting. What has helped my overcome these blocks more than anything has been my art journal!

If you have a bossy inner critic like I do and don’t art journal –please give it a try! Not the formal lesson oriented sort (which don't get me wrong are awesome in there own way, but just a messy deeply personal space to unabashedly be yourself – let loose of any boundaries, celebrate your highs, work through your demons, explore techniques and medias you aren’t familiar with, heck even copy, scribble, doodle … but mostly DREAM in imagery and words (Here is a link to one of my art journal posts and one of a more personalpage if you’d like to check it out)

Oops, a little detour on one of my passions there, but back to my postcards. Next gathering and laying out SUPPLIES! (I'll list the exact ones at the end) I am very random -remember no rules, just what feels good! I started out with prints of butterflies I'd found on various sites through Pinterest (Oh, I LOVE Pinterest!!!) Butterflies represent transformation and beauty and soaring, all very appropriate symbolically, don't you think? I cut them out and gathered some craft paints in happy colors. I cut out 4x6 cards from a Mixed Media Journal where I had already written down my intensions (and various other life stuff) on the pages. Then I pulled a couple favorite stamps (butterfly, bumblebee, rectangular design I'd never used before, small zigzag, and finally a part of a ruler) Yea, a lot of stamps -went a bit cray cray on this part! Each card got a big fat stamp of each then on to the watercolor crayons. 5 colors just happened to be on my desk already, I liked them so they are what I used. Next more happy color with craft paints smooched on with a credit card. Tip: A good strategy is to alternate transparent and opaque layers  (ex: watercolor crayons -transparent-ish, acrylic -opaque-ish) If the paint is obscuring too much, wipe some off. Still super random!

 

Next I took my Tim Holtz distressed sequin waste stencil added purple to my cards (bubble wrap would have also worked) Then I tore into strips pages from a favorite book, "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" and used Matte Media to glue 2 to 3 on each postcard. Some splattering of pretty turquoise paint with an old toothbrush and finally I created red drips by drenching some water on the card edge where I want the drip and adding watered down paint over the water on the card. Ok -backgrounds completed!!!!!

I've got some botched old test prints of some of my girls so I cut their faces out to add to the cards. I don't quite have enough so I print out some of my previously scanned girls that I group on a page of typing paper. Now I start to add the faces and the butterflies I cut up earlier to the cards. This is so fun. I pull from my trusty scrap bag for decorative papers, fabric scraps, old ticket stubs (Nashville from a couple weeks ago), napkins, maps (New Orleans from Christmas) and other assorted bits. This is more meditative. The girls begin to tell me what they where they want to be placed, if they want to wear wings, how they want their hair to be and what they want to wear. I think I am in the home stretch. Tomorrow I think I will finish up. (HaHa - I am delusional)

 

The faces are pretty blurry since they were mostly taken from scrap prints, the colors are off so now I am on the individual cards one (mostly) by one. I add paint and ink to the faces, sometimes only changing eye colors and highlighting details, other times basically starting close to scratch.

The basic steps though are similar. I add shadows with a Sketch& Wash Graphite pencil and black watercolor pencil. Extra dots of color with the watercolor crayons and acrylics. Then I start adding details and words with back and white pens. On a couple I use word cutouts. I rarely outline and detail with stark contract -this is new -it is experimentation and play! No fear, No rules! Most get an ink or pastel smear along the card edges. Once again, I'm in that meditative state imagining what each girl wants to say. They start becoming more individual. Certain ones call out for something different: a bit of glitter, a bit of grunge, the bits like glow-in-the-dark paint for the "Shine" card and a 3-D butterfly for the "Soar" card. One girl simply refuses to accept words, she wants to be open ended -surprise the map is very evident in her background. I'm lost in the creative flow - one of my favorite places in the world.

 

Whoa baby! Yes, I've really completed the postcard fronts!!!!  I am SUPER HAPPY!  Wiggle, wiggle, jiggle, twist!  I am really tired!  I decide to scan the cards so I can create wood blocks later.

 

Now on to the backs. I've gathered quotes that really spoke to me and fit my girls. I print them out along with my name, Laurie Anne Smith-Sikorowski and Swap Info. A quick bumblebee stamp (you know science still hasn't figured out how these chubby little creatures can fly reminding us that nothing is impossible) and it is off to the post office! DONE & DONE!

 

I sure hope you've enjoyed going through my process. Please note these cards were done over the course of a couple weeks, not all at once. I am not particularly speedy (at anything really). I wish I was but I'm just not. I was born with a quiet calm steadiness that sometimes irks me but I am trying to learn to appreciate this part of my personality. It is so easy to tell someone else that they are perfectly imperfect just the way they are. It is much harder to accept it for yourself. So if you are another artsybody who gets discouraged with how fast and amazing other artists create -Don't! You are not alone. Everyone has their own gifts and their own struggles. LOVE YOUR IMPERFECTLY PERFECT SELF! GIVE YOURSELF A HUG RIGHT NOW, I MEAN IT RIGHT NOW! YOU ARE FREAKING AWESOME!!! DON'T YOU FORGET IT -EVER!

Finally, a quick peak at the supplies that I used for this endeavor.  If you'd like the actual list with brands and such just let me know in the comments and I'll include it there. As long as you have something to make marks with and on, truly anything is substitutable. This is probably more than I usually use for such a small work but its fun to just layer it on! I've still got lots more postcards to complete for the next batch to go out so I'm sure I'll be posting more progress pics. What I really want to try next is a video tutorial. Wouldn't that be fun? We will see! Anyway, I will be sharing some of the postcards with their quotes as single quick posts coming up soon so come back often and check them out!

Music for tonight: Gary Wright -Dreamweaver

Quote for tonight: "You can do what you have to do, and sometimes you can do it even better that you think you can." - Jimmy Carter

 

 

 

 

 

Postcard Process Number One - The Beginning

Be True!  Be Curious!  Be Passionate!  Be Loving!  Be Kind!  Be Creative!

I'm back. Sooner than you expected, right?  My goodness, it has been glorious outside!  Seriously gorgeous!  I am just loving my new little convertible.  I've never been a big driver usually preferring to be the rider but with the topdown and the sun shining -I don't know.  Times they are a changing!  Anyway it is so putting a great big grin on my face! I am pumped and ready to Live Full Throttle! 

Soul Sister's Postcard Swap

Ok now, lets get right down to the art, baby!  I’m going to share the steps and process I used in creating my postcards for a “Soul Sisters” postcard swap (the name came after the fact –but isn’t it great?) 16 postcards to inspire and share –such fun but quite a challenge. As you’ll see while each card was very different, I used the same colors, materials, and techniques in the same sequence at the same time to bring them from start to almost finish. The final little bits with the individual girls, I broke out and finished up one by one. It definitely took a little longer than I anticipated, but hey, I am the turtle girl so that is pretty much par for my course.

First thing before any paint hits the paper, I came up with my intentions / aspirations -something Kelly Rae Roberts goes in to with her Hello Soul, Hello Mantra course. I thought of what goals did I not only have for my cards but for my life right then.

Words to Aspire and Inspire!

BEING TRUE really stood out. I know many folks think the Myer-Briggs Typology is kind of silly but after taking a couple on-line tests, particular the one at PersonalityHacker, I found I am most likely an INTP (Introverted Intuitive Thinking Perceiver) and upon reading the descriptions and understanding the functional stacks, there was this profound - "you mean that there are others out there that are kind of like me" moment.  (you see, not that many people, particularly women are INTPs which is probably why it affected me so much since I've always felt "different" -a social awkwardness, like to be perceived as normal, there is this bit of a facade that I must wear that doesn't quite fit) The feeling was actually quite similar to the one I got when I found the mixed media/ art journaling on-line community.  That was another big OMG moment for me.  All these cool unique creative encouraging women that got off on some of the same things that I did. Wow! I digress, so back to topic.

I created my intentions on grid paper (because it happened to be what was on my desk at the time) with wings (to remind me that I am capable and am made to soar) and a heart (to remind me that I do not have to be perfect, it is more about intent and process than product) but it can be much simpler, just words scribbled on a piece of paper or even written on your arm. This sets the mood, sort of like taking a deep cleansing breath.  So this is step one.  Easy-peasy, right?  More fun is just ahead!

Because next we start our BACKGROUNDS!  Yea! (I'm trying to break up my posts a little more since I tend to be a bit long winded but of course if you want to go start to finish you will have to read backwards once I'm done. We will see how this goes then I'll evaluate for future multi-post processes)

Music for today: Thirteen Senses, "Do No Wrong"

(Because I find it hauntingly beautiful)

Quote for today: "I am thankful for my struggle because without it I wouldn't have stumbled upon my strength." -Alex Elle

Island Days

I am alive “surprise”, I know, I know, it has been soooo long.  

Artsy update: had a great show at the Key West Old Island Days Show.  Lots of little originals now have new homes, yeah!  

A couple with barely dry paint -Literally as I was painting during the show.  An example is the little MERMAID above. Do you notice the bit of Key West influence? (Yes, my last post was a bit Mermaidy too!) This photo collage which I created with Picmonkey shows the process from sketch and background to the final canvas.  I often try different aspects with a trace paper overlay. On this painting, you can see me playing with various top options.  I ended up with a sort of grecian gauzy one.  Hopefully you'll see more tropical influences as I continue to live, work, & play down here!

Here is another painting I created during the show, "FEARLESS". A quicker freer GIRL POWER piece! Such Fun!  I love painting bold vibrant backgrounds. Aren't these colors just fabulous?

Back to the show, Pete came and helped me set up and take down my tent.  OMG… so grateful!  I did the Botanical Gardens Show by myself and it was just too difficult. Seriously!!!  If I were taller, it would help tremendously –but even so not nearly enough.  I’m working on some alternate ways of setting up and displaying which should make it a little better.  But still...

 I’d like to find a gallery to show my art in the near future if possible.  I’ve just got to get off my tush and see what is out there.  Luckily some of the show-goes gave me several suggestions of options on the island.

Well, that is my update for now but I promise the next post will be coming soon.  I want to share the process I used creating my postcards. They turned out so cute and the affirmations, honestly they were as much for me as anything else.

Today's Quote: "The best way to get things done is to simply begin!"

Music for today: Mary Mary -"Go Get It"

Sometimes life is hard and confusing and unfair -there are times when we really need inspiration. I find words, art, & nature are my go tos but I also turn to music. Yes, music! Glorious music! Pretty much every genre has some song that speaks to me. I have found so much inspiration in music which is why I typically include a link on my blog with every post. I hope you enjoy getting to know me a bit through the songs I share! 

Blessings & Love,

Laurie Anne

Reflections

Bliss at the pool... so peaceful, the rhythmic sounds of the waterfall, the light breeze, the off & on drone of the airplanes scooting overhead (yeah, I actually like it), the play of palm shadows slinking across the deck, the soothing bounce of light frolicking atop the water's surface -then when I'm actually in the water, the colors dance behind my eyelids and the deep resonance of my breath as I inhale and exhale, both calms and mesmerizes me. 




1950s Weekiwachee Mermaid

I gently go to new worlds as I bob buoyantly in the glossy turquoise waters.  

Ideas drift in and out.  I'd like to paint a hundred hearts, create a gratitude mural, a porch swing from old boards.  I should light candles more often, wear beautiful caftans in the evening, and send letters to those I love.  

Thank you God for this marvelous place -for my amazing life!  Help me to live it fully, passionately, joyfully!!!




Cover of my latest "store bought" journal
(Anais Nin Quote)

My Neighborhood Pool
(& Frequent Inspiration)

Music for Today: Soundtrack from "Under the Tuscan Sun"
&
"Fairy Nightsongs" by Gary Stadler & Stephannie on the "Fairy Heartmagic" Album