Art in a Family

I love that my kids are creative ~ personally I grew up in a non-artistic family and it's tough traveling this eccentric road alone. So when it came to raising my boys I nurtured their desires for self expression. It wasn't easy but as it turned out I wound up with three uniquely creative souls ~ a writer, a musician, and the oldest... well, you name it, he does it; sculpting, drawing, tattooing, etc.

While I could write sheets and sheets about all three and their inspiring talents, today I simply wanted to share a little bit about my second son, the musician. You see he's coming out with a new album soon and of course being the beaming mom I'm promoting it, but there's really more to it than just a simple album.

This is his third album, titled "Old Heart New Love", and it's in followup to his first "She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not" ~ written about a heart-wrenching breakup (hopefully his first and last). This album moves on from that starting point and embraces progress.  While all of his albums feature an amazing assortment of his original music and lyrics, there are striking differences between them.  Originally performed solo, he's now joined by a talented ensemble of band members and that, coupled with professional sound mixing, has brought a new multidimensional quality and depth to his music.

Beyond these aspects their fans and public are sure to love, it's the cooperative efforts and personal journeys I'm most inspired by.  From indie musicians to artists, this album is a collective labor of love and dedication. They've supported the entire production themselves and worked day and night around their "real" jobs, to see this dreams come true.

Moreover I'm captivated by the albums' artwork, all of which was created by one of my son's closest friends. Seeing how the imagery  has evolved over time from an original plucked flower to a skinned tattoo with thumping heart has been mesmerizing and stands as a visual representation of the progression and growth of this band and my son's music.

Here's a pre-released single if you'd like to have a listen to "She Shakes My Foundation" by Sound of a Smirk:

Free music player widget at ReverbNation.com

http://www.reverbnation.com/soundofasmirk/song/18685846-she-shakes-my-foundation-new-single#

While preparing the artwork for print I've had the chance to personally delve into the details of this newest album.  While I love it all, my personal favorite is the t'shirt that comes with preordering the album ~ you see  how the heart is there between the hands which are dripping into petals, but did you notice it looks like a flower? I didn't at first.

As far as the journey ~ it's simply priceless to witness our children grow through life. As parents we shutter at their pitfalls and rise in delight with their triumphs. So seeing them grow through heartbreak, coming out the other side wiser, happier, and stronger, are the some of the greatest blessings we can hold. 

Having a creative soul for a child takes that even further, enabling us to possess "markers" of their journeys ~ whether it's a painting, a poem, or songs woven into an album, they tap into the souls of our dearhearts and allow us to share even deeper in their experiences.  These are all the miracles of art in a family and the truest treasurers of this life.

And so I encourage you to follow this talented band, Sound of a Smirk, on Facebook, have a listen to their pre-releases, and preorder their bundle. Appreciating true creativity across generations is what fuels our deepest relationships ~ so listen, share, and enjoy, but most of all ~ preorder. *smile*

Enjoy~

Featured ~ How Fun!

I've just received word that I'm being featured on Heart Handmade. Events like this are always so exciting and totally humbling!

So, if you're interested in learning a little more about moi or the magic behind the work I do you can read more by clicking here.

I really enjoyed answering all the questions ~ it's amazing how much we can learn about ourselves sometimes too! A big thanks goes out to Mandie of Heart Handmade who tirelessly runs the site and selflessly features amazing indie artists.

✻✻Oh and I nearly forgot to mention ~ there's a special coupon code for this feature to save 10% off in my shop so be sure to look for that at the bottom of the article!

Enjoy~

Seasonal Goodies

I was just updating the seasonal goodies section on my sidebar when I realized that Valentines Day must be one of my favorite days of year since to my surprise I have more blog themes for this day than any other seasonal celebration! Isn't it funny when we discover something about ourselves we didn't realize before?! I guess it shouldn't be a surprise though since I truly am one of those "can't we all just get along" types when you get right down to it.

Anyhoo... there are loads of lovely goodies to spruce up your blog for this time of year, from a selection of Valentines Day goodies to a smattering of themes to warm your heart during the colder winter months, so have a visit and peruse the offerings ~ you can find them scattered throughout the Special Occasions/Seasonal Themes or Complete Alpha Listing Themes sections or just follow the quick links listed on my sidebar under the Seasonal Goodies section title.

For those of you looking for just a simple background there's always something fabulous to be found in the Just Backgrounds section.

And for those button loving souls out there, I've got a wonderful selection of seasonal buttons just perfect for adding a little love to any corner of a blog ~ you can find them by visiting the Button Elements section of my blog.

Enjoy~

New Valentine's Theme - Love's Elixir

With Valentine's Day a little over a month away I thought this might be a good time to add a new theme to the existing collection of festive heartware I designed last year and so I've created...

Love's Elixir

I have at least one more new V-Day theme I'm still working on and hope to have that completed a little later this week so do check back if you have a chance. And don't miss the other Valentine's Day selections I created in the Seasonal section of my backgrounds list.

Enjoy!

More Magic - gifts of the heart

Following on the heals of the magical blog party I just participated in I have some personal magic of my own to share... this is the type of magic where generosity and kindness prevail in the form of lovely friends and gifts.

The first I would like to mention is this beautiful painting sent to me by the wonderful and talented Lisa of The Wright Stuff. Lisa titled this painting Plumrose. I can't begin to tell you how insanely gorgeous this painting is in person and wish you could see the detail for the hair to the hauntingly beautiful eyes. I love, love, love this piece and am thrilled beyond words to own one of her fabulous paintings.

The next gift was in the form of a lovely and thought filled gift from my friend Paula of Tattered Gold. I received the most enchanting envelope with beautiful ribbon and handmade adornments which now hang from my inspiration board. Inside was a magnificent quilled card of great sentimental value. I was utterly speechless and completely filled with joy, humility, gratitude and flowing tears. There were two lovely personal notes inside that completely touched my heart.

I plan on framing both of these beautiful pieces so that they will last a lifetime.

Gifts of the heart are truly awe-inspiring. They bring us to our emotional knees making us stop and take pause of the beauty in our lives and fill our hearts with a sense of humility and gratitude. I find this to be the case, not only with material gifts but with the heartfelt sentiments I receive from friends and bloggers. This truly is an extraordinary community of souls who have the power to touch each others lives in such profound ways to bring beauty, love, and magic into our personal worlds. Thank you to these lovely ladies for their immensely generous gifts and to you all for being the beautiful spirits behind the magic in blogland.