Long Day-Flibber Flabber Flap

Today was a long one, as if time stood still. Oh wait, yes I forgot, we were beamed with frozen time lazers which we worked and worked and worked and yet, no time passed, and hungry we were...Cranky I got, find peace I did, Yoda I am, now...lol Today was a day of Photo shooting for our Pixy Pocahontis and all the new earrings we have made in the last couple of weeks. It started off on the wrong side of the bed and was as if we were battling the whole rest of the day through the elements. Just as we finally got our creations together and ready to start the landscapers came to blow leaves out of the yard and cut the grass. Can you believe the nerve of them? giggle, how dare they take care of our lawn..lol Just kidding we are grateful for that but it was a haul trying to dodge the blowing leaves and dust AND to stay out of their way all the while chasing the sun rays for capturing a good picture. I will say although we are NOT photographers we did learn a lot today and Thanks to the Extreme Home Makeover show that we did with ABC, Genie remembered some good tips from the filming crews, MIRRORS. Mirrors to direct the sunlight to where we needed it for better lighting. giggle. So there we were, Genie aiming the small decorative wall mirror we had and me trying to rearrange each item for the perfect shot. It was fun. What I like the most about it all is it is a learning process and each time we just get better and better.. I'm tired, Thank you for reading and have a good day:) Thank you Ava for your cute giggles and Genie for her tree hugging..

Get Ready....Check... And off we goooo!

Hello, and Wow.. I can't believe that it has been so long since my last post... Are we in warp speed or what???? Getting ready for the Holiday season, yay!

Oh and I just wanted everyone to know about Genie:) She is a wonderful friend of mine and is part of Nato Botto Art's journey. Together we have been working hard to produce fun new things like......Baked Fruitcake. Its all about fruity ideas baked with love by some peeps following their hearts and that's us!! Our newest creations are called Pixy Pocahontis and they are SOOOO CUTE! Hair accessories to bring out the pixy or Pocahontis in us all:) Whether your a kid or a adult they make smiles all around. Items will be available on www.natobottoart.etsy.com soon:)

We are still working on our bookmarks as well, OH AND TONS of Funky fun earrings and necklaces in the works... SOOO much fun fun fun and all things made with Love Love Love!

Also if anyone is interested, we will be at the Edwardsville, IL Tiger Band, 17th annual Art and Craft Fair the weekend of Nov 14&15 from 9-4 on Sat and 11-4 on Sunday. Hope to see you there. More show listings to come!!!!!!!!!!ta ta for now:) lol

Living in Joy

Still working on those projects, Slowly but surely and with love.

I went to the Strange Folk Fest yesterday with my daughter and friends and had a BLAST! It was great. Met some wonderful people and saw some inspiring creations. Thank you universe:) I have one show I am doing for sure in November coming up and another I am submitting to today for December. Fun fun:) I felt it last night, the groove, the synchronistic harmony of being in purpose. Ideas kept flowing and my production kept up with thought, keep in mind it is fast:) I felt myself listening to my body more as well, which is very helpful when in such intense beautiful energy. IT's so amazingly powerful and finally my eyes got wobbly and heavy and thought fuzzy and I decided to call it quits and was glad to have enjoyed the experience. That was a session of truly going for it, following my heart and not thinking the what if's. Listening to the first spark of an idea without judgement and going for it:)

I went to Seattle a couple of weekends ago to see a good friend and possible partner in a awesome book she is creating. I will be doing the illustrations, I'm sure we will collaborate on art in the book too, we have to she is a creative dynamo and I couldn't imagine not collaborating on stuff together:)

Working on Earrings, notecards, bookmarks (so fun) and ????? art in general.

I am also painting at a lady's home at the same time and I would like to thank Marcia, for being so kind and understanding to my schedule and need to take a day here and there to stay home and create. It is people like her that create balance in this world. Having an understanding that when the need comes to create/run/write/sing/dance or whatever you gotta go with it because if not that moment is lost:) Thank you Marcia.

To everyone on this beautiful breezy Monday, Have a fantastic week!

Follow your heart.................

Momentum

I am beginning the beautiful and challenging climb. This is not a mountain that has been defeated before. For so many times I have lead myself on it's trek but have lost steam on the way from the seed of new ideas that catch my attention and bringing a refreshing excitement "seem" to give me more hope of success.

That is such crap! Who the hell planted the seeds in our heads that SUCCESS is measured by money. whether something is going to be financially successful or not.

Success is climbing the mountain not knowing what is to come of the journey but enjoying the experience and all that was learned on the way. Success is following your heart!

I don't know how many times I have been excited about something then while in the process of creation I let competitiveness creep in on me, comparisons, EGO take over and thus I didn't always finish what I set out to accomplish in the first place too worried that I wasn't going to be "successful" because of all the other talent out there. But now because there is a clearing, I know that we are all gifted just in different ways, but each of us piece of the puzzle of life. Without our piece the picture is not complete. At least that is what I feel and think and whether it is actuality or not it makes sense for me in my story:) Without our lights shining brightly we wouldn't be able to see:)

So SHINE ON! I have my backpack on and am going hiking and I am going to complete my journey and look forward to new trips in the future!

What's Happening?

SO what is on the Agenda for this week now that it has already flown past two and a half days?

Divine organization, divine flow, AND getting a shoulder massage!

Getting ready once again for The Blissful Living Gathering that is this Saturday, creating packaging for my jewelry pieces, getting ready to start painting and drawing again, trying to get this freaking scanner to work, getting the kids off to school, figuring out "What is Nato Botto Art" so that I can create a tag line and much much more.

Oh and here is a quote for the day:)

If you intend to be of assistance, your eye is not upon the trouble but upon the assistance, and that is quite different. When you are looking for a solution, you are feeling positive emotion— but when you are looking at a problem, you are feeling negative emotion.

--- Abraham

Hope you all have a fantastic rest of your day!

No freaking way:)

So I got a call today from my friend Kim, with Distinctive Applications from the Chicago Area, and she invited me to be on her team to do the Extreme Home Makeover Show.. SO FREAKING COOL. I'm just a little excited:) Anyways we have to get a team together of 4-6 muralists so we can paint a children's room on the show. I can't wait. Some how I always knew I would get on that show:) Wahoo!!!

In other late and breaking news...Sale Sale Sale at my Etsy shop. Huge price drops listed in the section of Summer Sale:) So if any of you are looking for some new earrings please stop by. I need to clear stuff out cause I have a lot of new stuff coming in SOON!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic day!

Today...Breathe

Oh the Web, so full of things to see...So distracting:) Time for me to get away from this machine and start up my inner machine and create create create...I am so grateful for all the Artisans and people out their doing their thing, following their bliss.. I am off to do the same. Thank you Universe for all you have given to every single one of us:)

Day of Butt Flattening Networking

Our Kitty is getting much better. Obviously, as he is displayed here on attack on my art table:) Have fun Marvin Sunday. Please clean up the mess when you are done.. giggle

Well I have spent the majority of my day once again trying to figure out this Twitter world. With followers slowly building my brain is quickly loosing attention to this seemingly infinite resource of Business, sex, fashion, entertainment and freaking nonsense. Yes! I said it nonsense. There are some on there just chewing shit. Sorry to be so brash. But hey I guess there is nothing wrong with chewing the shit if it has good flavor, eh?

SIDETRACK... So Twitter, yes I have been slaving to your hard to understand info. for the last 4.5 hrs and what has that gotten me? Well just checked my tally and I have gained..., drumroll please...27 followers sigh, I thought I would at least have gained like 200. Sheese, I could go outside right now and have about a hundred gnats follow me from all this sweating I've done trying to navigate Twitter jargon. So Twitterians Please follow my stink like the gnats do:) My stink is good.. lol Lots of Aromatherapy, incense, fresh coffee, and new Art, yes I know that is odorless but not after I drop some essential oils on it:) Ok enough babble here. I am actually going to ditch this computer for the rest of the day (unless I get sucked into face book or an intense obsession to check my follower status on Twitter occurs) And actually get back to creating...Oh and to all of you wondering when I am going to have some new items posted... Soon. I am waiting for them to get back from their travels with my two wonderful friends who have offered to take them on sales trips.. How cool! AND they have made some sales in their travels..Bonus. Thank you Mia Sexton -an awesome Make-up Artist and Genie Turgeon- Serenity Healer, Life Coach, Peace Maker.

Totally different subject and last thing- FUNNY FOR THE DAY: Today there was an article in the newspaper written about one of the shops I sell in and the One I organize The Blissful Living Gathering on the fourth Saturday every month. There were a few oopsies in the article..One that really got me was " they even have singing bowls to mix oils and herbs in" Since when do we mix herbs and oils in singing bowls? lol Funny

Friday Baby

Well I must say this whole week has been kind of low key for me. Although I have had plenty of wonderful ideas I just haven't had the darn energy I wanted to get more done, BUT I am happy with what I have accomplished:) Here is my newest necklace creation..What do you think? I am very pleased with it. It looks great on and is very funky and bold with a touch of natural.

On another note I sold another painting, yeah! It was one that wasn't really planned just became from the flow of the universe. One day, while doing "Artist's Way" I decided that I was not going to think at all, no analyzing perfection on lines and such, just going for it non stop, grabbing what ever pastel was closest to my hand without a care:) What came of it was a abstract canvas of lovely colors and flowing lines with some subtle objects that could be formed into whatever popped into ones mind. I then took liquin (SP) and painted over the pastel blending colors in a watercolory effect. Totally not my usual style but it felt good. I then put it to the side for a few months, just let it be, what it was. Then one day I started to read bits of The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran and came across the follow writings...There are those who give little of the much which they have-and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome. And there are those who have little and give it all. these are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty. I was so touched by these word that I HAD to put it somewhere and out of the corner of the room I saw a glimmer of soft, gentle, nurturing, colors on a canvas which seemed to be missing something and that something was the words of Kahlil Gibran. So I got out my paint brush and a parma violet-ish purple paint and began to fill this 28x38 canvas with his beautiful words. Well just like it had connected with me, it had connected with another and that makes me smile inside my soul. I Thank Kahlil for that collaboration:) Have a great weekend everyone!

"Day of the SLOWNESS'

I don't know about anyone else, but I am feeling so slow today. Kind of like my daughter in this picture doing her sloth impression. Looks like I have big plans for a whole lot of nothing. Yeah, I know not to exciting, however there is a reason for everything and maybe, just maybe my body is rearing up for a huge day ahead and today is meant to absorb and recharge, oh and think, although that isn't going so well:) Lots of drifting off into space and thinking about bed. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Tomorrow is another day and days are good. Peace

Goooddd Morning Sunshines!!!

Oh man this is not the best picture and pictures usually say 1000 words but... this is the only one I could find for this .. I designed this display wall for The Abbey when they got a new product, Tea Forte. The back ground is tissue paper with a wash on it and there is a tree in the background as well as decoupaged scrapbook paper leaves. It came out awesome. The Boxes on the wall were salvaged from the Gap during the closing of one of their stores and I painted them in random colors. IT came out great! We have had so many compliments on it. Funny though, one of the older customers said, "oh its so lovely, it looks like easter" lol BUT besides that comment a lot of people said that it reminds them of Anthropologie, which I'll take that compliment any day, wahoo!!

As for the agenda for today... Blissful Living Gathering from 11-3 at The Vineyard. AND...Today I am being interviewed for an article in the newspaper and I will be explaining how this gathering came to be, who's involved and etc. I am slightly bummed though because a lot of our Mastermind Group crew, are out of town and I really wanted them in any picture that were taken so I'm feeling a little naked and I am asking the universe that I say all the right things to make a clear description of what we are all about. I have to put on my confident panties today and be a sparkliee star:) Today is going to be a great day. Ohhhh and I think I'm going dancing tonight, yeah!!

Blissful Living Gathering Saturday 11-3

Good Morning! Today is gonna be a jam packed whammy of a day:) Just Describing..Tags to make for the new artist at the Vineyard and The Abbey, Arlene Ligori whose work is fantastic, going to change out some artwork and meet the new owners of "Thinking Blue", working on this Twitter and Bloggy poo, sitting on my booty trying to get out there in the web, Ooo making these pendants with old used stamps from the late sixties early seventies, drooling over Danita Art www.danitaart.blogspot.com,playing with my hair, writing useless nonsense when I should be doing someting more, SO I will:) One more thing...Have a great day! IT's Frrriiidaayyy! How come that word felt so much better in school? Now its just the end of a week leading into yet another wonderful adventure which is cool too:)

Beautiful Day

Stretched my arms, fed our cute kitten, took out the trash and sat down to a beautiful email. I sold a painting YEAH!

What's on the agenda for today? I am in the middle of constructing a new necklace, double layer, made from crystal Quartz, Amazonite, Carnelian, Turquoise and Dragonfly Pendant. Tried it on last night and decided it still needs some altering to make it perfection (At least to my eyes).

So many things up in the air, so much to do, so happy to do do do, just so much that getting things done can be hard at times because I want to do it all at once:)

Finding Art shows for next year, going to places to sell my work and install it, gathering structures to sell work in/off of, making promotional items, networking, buying supplies, listing, photo shoots, editing, creating, Advertising, Blogging:) It's all fun and I must say That I am VERY grateful for all that life has to offer.

I would also like to thank my husband Sekou, for helping me on this blog set up and for supporting the arts:) He is a beautiful man. I WUV him.xoxo

Under Construction

This is a test post as we beautify the portal into the wondrous mind of Natalie Kelsey.