For Day 2 I wanted to do something in honor of my daughter turning 6 months. 6 months!! A whole half a year. Remember when half a year was important? When you'd say, "I'm 8 and a half!" Hehe.

Back when I was still pregnant, Mindy of wishstudio gave me a blank board book as a gift and this week, I decided what I wanted to do with it. I decided to create a little storybook of things Annabelle loves. So far I've done two page spreads, one for cats (you can see above) and one for music, two things she adores at this point in her young life. I'll later do pages for bath time and for mommy and daddy.

Day 14 of Art Every Day Month. You may remember that I did an Owl and the Pussycat painting already this month (on the first day!), but I came across a different sketch I'd done for this painting and really wanted to bring it to life too. So I did! This one is also acrylic paint on 6"x6" panel.

I can't believe we'll be half-way through the month tomorrow. Time flies! I hope you're having fun with this. I am.

Day One of Art Every Day Month has begun and it's been so fun to see people checking in! My first creation for AEDM is a 6"x6" painting of "The Owl and the Pussycat." I remember reading this story as a child, but I didn't read it again before painting this, I just went for a simple image of my memory of it.

Happy creating, everyone!

Happy Friday! I've been working on some creative things, but nothing to share yet, so in the meantime, enjoy this picture of my sweet Emma, enjoying Animal Planet, up close and personal. Hehe.

And get ready for the month of Fire! I'm excited about it and hope you are as well!

I love a good laugh and this month of bliss has made me note where my laughter is coming from. I find it in the ridiculously cute antics of my cats (like this oldie, but goodie above, of two of our kitties, Tabs and Sadie, being very bad on top of the kitchen cabinets in our old apartment), the fun photobooth session I had with the hubster that had me laughing so hard, I nearly peed my pants, and in the funny pictures and websites I spot online. So here are a few links (some funny, some interesting, some just because) that I thought might make you smile. Enjoy!

*Catalog Living is a new to me site that totally cracks me up. I had a good laugh when I read this one.

*I've known about Cake Wrecks for awhile now, but it's always good for a giggle, as is one of my favorites, I Can Has Cheezburger.

*Andrea of ABCcreativity is offering a free Creativity 101 e-course, which you can sign up for here.

*For my fellow Harry Potter fans, The Deathly Hallows trailer is out and it looks awesome!! So excited!

*Lastly, I received an email this week from Liz Miller, who runs the Hope Notes project, which "invites anyone to create a card, write in a card, or simply donate a card that will be given to a client at Helpmate, a domestic violence agency serving Asheville, NC.  The goal is to give each incoming client to the shelter and new support group members a card, a "Hope Note" that is empowering, encouraging and positive to keep them feeling supported and thought of while they transition."

The cards will be on display at a fundraising benefit on July 15th, and attendees will be invited to write their own hope notes. You can learn more about the project here.

To participate, simply mail your cards to:
The Hope Note Project
PO Box 2263
Asheville, NC 28802

I'll be mailing in some cards and I hope you will too. What a beautiful idea!

Do you have any sites, links, songs, or videos that make you smile? Feel free to share in the comments!

Thank you everyone for all the kind words regarding my recent loss. I truly appreciate all the love and support you sent my way! I'm still feeling a little quiet, but I'm taking special care to notice all the little bits of bliss in my day, like my totally adorable kitties. Above you can see Emma lounging in my window seat. Super cute.

I've also been loving walking outside and watching the birds, which has got me planning some new art about birds. Fun! Hope to post some of those soon.

I'm working on a new series of itty bitty kitties for my shop and these are the latest, "First signs of Spring" and "The Yarn Basket." As I create these little kitties, I'm always thinking about the little stories that go along with them. The Spring cat was inspired by a neighborhood cat with the same spots that I saw on a walk the other day. He was proudly carrying a mouse as he trotted down the sidewalk towards his house. I saw him again today, standing guard in front of his owner's garage. All cats have such distinct personalities once you get to know them, so I imagine that each itty bitty kitty painting has it's own personality too. I'll have them up in the shop soon.

In the meantime, some more links for you!

- I was interviewed this week by the fabulous Jennifer Hofmann of Inspired Home Office. She's doing a series about the everyday organizing habits of creative entrepreneurs. And while I would never think to interview me about organizing (ha!), I did have a fun tidbit to share that makes keeping track of my to-do list a lot more fun. You can listen to the interview and read Jen's post about it here.

- To celebrate the launch of Red Dress Studios, Ana Ottman is offering a fabulous (and free) ebook of advice from female entrepreneurs about how to build your confidence muscles. You can grab yourself a copy here.

"I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul." -Jean Cocteau

I've always loved that quote. I adore my kitties and do feel like the bring so much life to the home the hubster and I share. We've got 4 (yes, 4!) cats and they never fail to make me smile every day. Love em.

But this quote also had me thinking about what makes up the soul of a home. I think a big part of it is the people, the hearts there, that make up its soul. But there's also the life we bring into it, with our creations, the little nooks and crannies filled with the things we love, the ways that we represent who we are with our space.

I love seeing those little nooks in the homes of others, little altars (intentional or otherwise) filled with photos of family, sweet smelling candles, favorite books, bowls of sea glass. And even the messy stuff can say so much, the magazines mixed with a random sock, a cat toy, and a purple pen. Yes, I think there's soul in the mess!

What is the soul of your home?

Before we moved into our first home this fall, the hubster and I were in a run-down, rented apartment. I think we both were hesitant to put much too much work into the place because it wasn't ours, but even so, when we did make the effort in some areas, it felt great. In our home now, everything feels like a big, blank slate. At first it felt like we were house-sitting for someone else. But little by little, as we put up pictures, made cozy places to rest in, and just lived there, it began to feel like home, like a place with soul.

If you feel like your home isn't representing you, what are some simple ways you can bring its heart back?

You might try starting in one room, in one small area. You could clear off a surface (like a bookshelf) and while looking at each item, ask yourself, "Do I love this?" Keep the items that say "Yes!" And release (throw out, give away, donate, or sell) the items that don't. Perhaps frame a favorite piece of art and put it up somewhere that will bring you joy and inspiration every day. Simple, small shifts can make a huge difference in how your space feels. And that can radiate out into how you feel in your home and then how you feel all day.

Beyond the appearance of things, I think one of the biggest places I feel the soul of my home is in the laughter. the silly dances in the kitchen, the snuggles. It's also in the creativity, the love, and home-cooked meals. And yes, in our four fuzzy kitties, which I enjoyed drawing in little houses. How about you? Where does the soul in your home reside? Where does it show up? How can you bring more of your heart and soul into your space?

Oh, today was long. But the service for my Grandma was very nice. My sister read a lovely eulogy. And it was great to see family I hadn't seen in a long time.

Tonight, the hubster and I and two of my siblings will be driving to New York for Thanksgiving. It's going to be pretty busy, but I will do my best to post some art while I'm away. Today, after a nap, I did this itty bitty kitty about another favorite cat hang out, the grocery bag. Cats in bags crack me up, so it was fun to paint this little 3"x3" canvas. I did the final touches with an actual cat (Sadie) in my lap. I wish we could take our kitties to New York with us, but they would not like the drive.

I wish you all a beautiful Thanksgiving!!

Another 4"x4" Itty Bitty Kitty today. This orange tabby is napping in a favorite napping spot of all cats, a basket filled with warm laundry. If I were a cat, it would be my favorite napping spot too. Actually, while looking through old photos this weekend, I saw one of myself as a two year old, napping in a pile of freshly cleaned laundry. Heh. Perhaps I was a cat in a past life!