Productivity Amongst the Rainy Redwoods

I truly do not mean to be so bad at writing in this wonderful blog and sharing my blessed life with you wonderful readers...What can I say but I have been beyond busy!!!
I looked back at the date of my last post and it was...LAST NOVEMBER!!!
What the heck, Rochelle!
All I can say is 'I'm sorry...'? LOL

Okay, enough silliness...

These past few months have been very busy (as I said earlier) but in a really (really) good way.
I have made some 'adjustments' in my life that have freed up my time and energy and focus onto the things that really matter. Because of these 'adjustments' I have found my energy level double and my drive to create has gone into overdrive.
Let me see...I will list some of the things I am pursuing and accomplishing:

• My artwork (obviously, this is one of my biggest loves and passions aside from my family)
• Digital art (I joined the masses, you could say. I invested in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop and I have been spending hours at 'YouTube University' fine-tuning my skills and learning all I need to accomplish many of the ideas and projects that I have going on.
• I am in the process of editing a friend's book that he is working on. (This is for fun and I really enjoy it as he is a really intelligent person and his book is very engaging)
• I am running more and am faster! (I am running an average of 21 miles a week -usually 7 miles at a time-and my average time is 7.8-8.2 miles an hour which is pretty awesome in my book!)
• I have painted, digitally designed and am working on completing my first set of wedding invitations (an actual set including the invites, RSVPs, direction cards, thank you cards, place settings and direction signs to the wedding/reception.)Pictures will commence after completion!
• I am working on my third commissioned art piece known as "The Elephant Project" that I do for individuals going through cancer. (The piece that I am working on right now is for a young lady that has started treatment for Hodgkins Lymphoma. I have a picture of the UNFINISHED artwork below...I will post a finished piece later.)
• I started (and am still building) my Etsy Store. I have 5 digital prints that I have available right now...mostly my older art pieces. I have been slowly but surely going about scanning my other art pieces and preparing them for prints, downloads and graphic designs. It's super fun, a lot of work, and more rewarding than I thought.
• I have my Facebook sight and my Instagram ready to be followed! On Facebook I might be found as Rochelle M. Cunningham OR MerMountain Design. On Instagram you can follow me  at @mermountain_design          FOLLOW ME!!!! :)

These are the tip of the iceberg of what I have been up to. I am really excited about all of this!

So...I have a really cool app that I recommend! Portra is an app for your mobile device that allows you to turn any of your photos into a watercolor portrait! Here's one of my photos I took (I had to have a new profile picture since my hair is pink now...

Below are some beautiful sunset photos I took when my dad and I went on a trip to Arizona recently.

 It was magnificent....

 And Gloriously Inspiring!

Here I am in front of some really cool cacti!

We just have St.Patricks day on Saturday (though we only really celebrated with our traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage-my baby girl was sick and my husband worked all day).Buuuuut...

I did get a really cool pic of the clovers around here with dew droplets! :)

My 6 year old found my Porta App! LOL

 My husband, the kiddos and I went for a walk at California's Big Basin State Park and I couldn't resist taking a photo of the beautiful pattern of the bark of this redwood. (I just had to...I have hundreds of photos of the trees around here, but I can't help but be in such awe every time I am in the majesty of these mighty beasts and attempt to capture the amazingness of them).

 The kids and I on our nature walk...(me and my pink mermaid hair).

My daughter's first grade field trip went to the Natural Museum in Santa Cruz. It was WAY COOL!

There was tons of taxidermy and educational stuff. I wanted to spend hours there...but obviously I couldn't. I'm planning a little family trip there instead!

Here's a taxidermy owl...

 And some beautiful sea stars in the tide-touch-pool...

I guess that I didn't get to mention that in December...after Christmas...my family and I had the unfortunate experience of having to put out dog down. It was very upsetting for me and the rest of my family. Rusty was a huge part of our family and we love him very much. I look forward to seeing him in heaven along with my other fur babies that I have lost.

RIP my Rusty-Roo 

BUT! I have had the wonderful privilege to puppy sit for two weeks (some friends of ours went on vacation) and I got some much needed puppy love!

This is Fozzy...He's adorable, cuddly and definitely thinks he's a lap dog!

And Here is MY fur-baby, Arthur aka 'Mr.BooBoo'.

He is a HUGE cuddle bug too...

And last but not least...some of my artwork!

This piece I painted as a card for a wonderful friend of mine, but she hasn't received it yet!!! The USPS LOST MY ART!!! Hopefully it will show up somewhere where I can give it to my friend...

This is the commissioned (unfinished) art piece that I am doing right now.

Follow my FB and Instagram pages to see the final product-I'll post it there before here.

 And, finally, here is one of my latest art pieces that I completed. This one I am framing and donating to the silent auction at my kids school! :)

I hope this post finds you all healthy, happy and hopeful!
Much love and creativity!
Rochelle (aka, MerMom-Shelly)

Coastal Love and Inspiration

There are always things around me that put me in "awe". 

In fact, I become quite nostalgic with many small things throughout my day.

Some things bring me to tears, others a smile to my face and sometimes both.

Lately I have been getting inspiration for art, for my soul and for daily life in general.

 Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz is absolutely AMAZING!!!

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=541

I highly recommend going there no matter what age you are, whether you go with your family or by yourself. If you do want the full ambient experience, I recommend finding a time to go (late morning-noontime) when there are no field trips from any of the local schools going. I have been twice, once with my daughter's first grade class for their field trip and another time with my husband (just him and I). Both times there were a ton of kids there, and though the park rangers do there best to try to educate the kids on being quiet, it is really not as "peaceful" as it would be if the kids were not there at all. Either way it's pretty cool, and this year the butterfly count was around 10,000 butterflies!

 Impromptu lunch with dad at the Santa Cruz Wharf!

http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/parks-recreation/facilities/santa-cruz-wharf

Another fun place to take kids. My kids loved looking at all the cool stuff in the shops AND they loved seeing all the sea lions at the end of the pier. The photo of me is next to an absolutely amazing water-fountain sculpture that is outside one of the restaurants.

Here is a photo that I took of one of the gorgeous maples in my front yard. It wasn't sunny the day that I took the photo (it was gorgeously misty and foggy out), but when it is sunny it looks like the tree is on fire! It was definitely "awe" worthy.

And now that the Magic Forest is getting wetter, colder and Misty we get to see more and more of the coolest slugs ever! The Banana Slug!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_slug

These things are weird and cool as all get out! 

 And the inspiration doesn't stop there! Sneaking in each corner and under leaves of different kinds you'll find mushrooms and fungi sprouting and thriving all over the magic forest! I think that these beautiful spors will be my next series of art I will be tackling.

Even the fallen leaves at my kids school are screaming with color. It's just so fun and amazing to see all the beauty that surrounds us in this place.

Me and my bestie...and the Portra App

 

My latest completed watercolor was my crab. One of my favorites so far.

And one of the next endeavors....Moon cards :)

I hope that you're all finding inspiration in your everyday. There is so much to be grateful for even when you think that things seem bleak. Just keep pressing on, start a gratitude journal and make full on effort to see good.

God Bless,

Rochelle

The Magic Forests Hosted Middle Earth

Halloween...there is nothing more fun than dressing up and eating candy, right?

Every year, usually starting on November first, my daughter usually asks once a day "How many days until Halloween?". So, I have decided to "go with the flow" with the notion of dress-up and allow many more dress-up days through out the year to ease the pain of her yearning.

So, when the questions of when the next Halloween is have reduced at least 80%, we are finding ourselves going all out and dressing up big-time for the Halloween Celebration.

This year we were Lord of the Rings/Hobbit characters.

Now, I am as frugal as frugal comes for most things. I have to REALLY want something to invest in it. 

Costumes come and go. 

Some I have invested in more than others, but for the most part I bargain and thrift shop. 

My best friend from Minnesota came and played with us.

She played Tauriel from the Hobbit.

 She mostly had her costume already by using brown stretch pants, green shirt, leather boots and belt, and my vintage green cape (one of my investments-I mean, capes are a total "need" in the world of dress-up!)
She was given her ears by a friend and we dyed and straightened her hair before I did her braids.

A back view of her hair. (and her cute butt)

Role playing near my fairy circle at my home.

My Son was Frodo from LOTR. Here is a photo we took of him staring at The Ring!

 Here is me as Galadriel from both LOTR and Hobbit. 

 My baby girl wanted to be an elf like her "auntie" and mommy...she was a "child elf". 

When family Elves unite in Love :)

My front yard is ridiculously perfect for photos...

Don't mess with me, LOL!

My little  Frodo reading his books as usual! 

In any way, I hope that you find your perfection...your middle earth...your heaven here on earth. 

May the Lord guide your heart to find the beauty that is around you amongst the chaos and evil.

In all things, seek love. Love is always the answer. 

Always...

Sea-Shelly

Autumn, Art and "Awe" moments

The Leaves on the trees (at least other than the oaks, eucalyptus and redwoods) are changing color and promising that the cold and wet weather will be here soon. I am SO looking forward to it.

The cold and wet, for me, means lots of hot tea, books, crafts, art, cuddling with my kids and cat, and meditation/concentration of the what my imagination is always conjuring. 

Though I am always in "creative mode", when the cool and cold weather are here it oozes and pours out all over all that I am and what I am doing tenfold.

Lately I have been concentrating on what I call the "Elephant Project". 

The Elephant Project is actually something that a good friend of mine had the idea for and asked me to create. It starts with the fact that it is FOR a specific person who is going through cancer treatments. 

Cancer is unfortunately a huge part of many people's lives, nowadays, and the treatments are difficult and can make the sufferer feel tired and overwhelmed and actually sicker than before. But, my friend (who is a nurse and has helped so many people through this) came up with the idea that "cancer is like an elephant...you can't eat the whole thing up at once...you have to take it one bite at a time".

So, the project starts with an art piece that is unique and unlike any other. This art piece I usually pour out me imagination into. This is what the latest looked like that I completed...

The pink elephant is bright and colorful and an individual like no other. I created it in a boat moving along in a sea of the universe, and the pink elephant is spraying and playing with the universe water. I made this piece unique to the person with the cancer and put certain details in there that is only for her...like her dog that you see below.

An "up-close" of some of the galaxy water...

After the main piece is completed (later to be framed) I start on the second piece of the elephant project. This one is a double sided piece. I start with an elephant that is a bit more dull, kind of sad...not as exciting...

Then I paste affirmations and pictures of loved ones (that were printed onto photo paper and cut out) onto the back side of the "dull" elephant. 

Now, what I had done in the past was take the double sided piece to Fedex/Kinkos to have it laminated...it was an inexpensive way to have it done. BUT!!! The last time that I took it there this art piece they totally destroyed when they put it through the laminating machine!

I was totally upset and devastated. This meant that I had to have the little pictures reprinted, repasted and I had to re-do the entire 2nd piece...

Lesson learned...don't use Fedex/Kinkos for lamination anymore!

This is the second piece that I ended up making (sorry about the bad picture-the light was shining in bright through the window). I have a hard time re-drawing the same piece over and over due to the fact that I critic my work and usually get frustrated and don't like it the second time, so I made it a bit different. This time I added some wording...

But my daily life obviously doesn't consist of art ALL the time...

I still have my beautiful kiddos and husband, my home to attend and errands to run, and even my dedication to my health.

One of the things that I enjoy and thoroughly enjoy (especially since living in the magic forest) is hiking, running and trail running.

My husband got something called a "Poppy Pass" so that we could get into all the California State Parks in without additional cost. It is a one time fee, but since we love hiking and running at the State Parks it made total sense to invest in one of the passes.

I totally recommend getting one yourself. This way it's easy to get out and enjoy nature and the amazing things that the state park has to enjoy and learn. 

https://store.parks.ca.gov/golden-poppy-annual-day-use-pass/

One of the last hikes that I took the kids on was beautiful and magical!

Henry Cowell State Park has numerous hiking trails surrounded by redwoods. The one that I took the kids on was called the "Redwood Cathedral". Absolutely Amazing!

Here are some of the pictures that I took...

My son looked up and said "Hey mom! It's a Heart!"...

The pictures don't even come close to the actual beauty and peace that resonates here...it's like it is a Holy Ground.

Many times I go running throughout the week. I try to run anywhere from 14 to 21 miles a week. Now that it's autumn the weather is much more mild and cool, making my runs much more enjoyable. 

Not too long ago, though, we had an arson fire nearby that scared a lot of us, especially after the devastation that hit Sonoma and Santa Rosa just recently. Thankfully we had amazing fire-fighters and the weather was on our side. After a couple days of the blaze, God blessed us with rain! Yes, full on rain! Just one night of rain was what the fire-fighters needed to get a huge leg up on the fire! The next morning the mountains were Gorgeous! No longer was there a huge cloud of smoke, but rather a thick and beautiful smell of mist and cloud from the rain.

During my run I captured a picture of the gorgeous raindrops that collected on a nearby pine. I also took pictures of some of the seasonal trees starting to turn. The beauty of nature is beyond words.

Okay...totally different subject! 

STRANGER THINGS!!!!

When the first season came out I really had no idea what to expect about this show.

I am a huge fan of X-files (and many people who know me know this about me) and Stranger Things was recommended for me to check out.

Well, Let me just say that the Duffer Brothers are just brilliant, as are the actors and actresses! 

I was hooked and ended up binge watching the first series more than once.

After watching the first season I had no idea what to expect. I wanted more, of course, and was weary that STs wasn't going to keep going...You never know anymore if a series will continue or not. Thankfully STs was greatly received and had wonderful reviews and awards! A second season was approved...then there was just the wait for release!

FINALLY the second season is out...and I am trying to be good to myself and not miss a night of sleep...I am trying to only watch one (or sometimes two) episodes at a time...

But it is hard. It's so good!!!

Then there is my creative side that I just can't seem to stop. It's either on my phone that I want to use an app to create things as such...

(This is the Portra App)My adorable King Kitty was the object of my art this time.

 Or..I'm working on my favorite expression of art nowadays...Watercolor.

I always have a few pieces that I am working on at a time. I'm always up for working on sea creatures and water themed inspiration. Here is a crab that I am working on!

The details of the crab are better seen up close.

Now...there are real-life happenings ALL The Time...one was a wonderful anniversary! 

My wonderful, hardworking husband and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. Yep...14 years!

Of course, its not like its a 50 year anniversary, but every year should be celebrated as something wonderful. I feel blessed to have such a wonderful man to work so hard and take care of us.

He also surprised me with a beautiful ring that I had expressed that I liked when we went by the window of a jewelry store. I love how observant he can be sometimes.

You're probably wondering why I have a photo of a dead (or actually it was still dying at the time)wasp on the leather chair in our place...Well, I just had to give attention to the creature that snuck into my hat during my run, went into my long and braided hair and stung me on the back of my head several times. I thought I was going nuts! I honestly had no idea what happened!

All of a sudden the back of my head hurt so bad...and for no reason! I was literally about halfway through my run and did not want to stop, but did twice to try to figure out why my head stung and hurt so badly. It wasn't until I got home and shook my hair out several times that this little bugger fell out and onto the leather chair. Thank God I'm not allergic! 

Last but not least, The maple in my front yard.

The sure sign of the season!

I love how the sun, at certain times of the day, shines through the yard and hits the maple and makes it glow.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog!

I hope and pray that you all are using your time for being grateful and pursuing the things that you were predestined and gifted to do!

God Bless!