Yet Another Rock Completed

It's funny how I can be completely not in the mood to paint... and dread it, but once I get going I actually really enjoy it. It is incredibly relaxing. I love letting my artistic side come out. 

So my Mother-in-law asked me to do a rock for her friend. Her friend just lost a very cherished family member of 13 years... their dog Shelby. I am always hesitant to try to paint rocks to look like a specific pet.. simply because I am not that good. I get frustrated because they never turn out looking like the pet they are suppose to look like. It was a good challenge, and I still think it doesn't look as much like the actual dog as I may have wanted it to, but this rock turned out pretty good. 

So this is what it started out as.... and for some reason I always think the spot in front of the microwave is the best place to take pictures. I know it is pretty tacky but in this case I had rinsed the rock off in the sink and this was the closest empty counter space. This rock is big and pretty dang heavy so I tried not to  move it more than I had to. 

This is the finished product. I always have to paint a rock and then step back for a couple of days without seeing it. That way when I see it again I can look at it with fresh eyes and then decide what needs to be changed and how to proceed from there. In this case... I spent the entire two days thinking about it and the changes I wanted to make while I was at work. So then after the two days of not seeing it I had a decent idea of what to work on and was able to get things done to my liking.

 There is a lot of blank space more on the back side of the rock. So when It was just sitting there it looked bland. So that meant I had to make a dog bed and put it in a basket. They always seem to look better kind of in their own little setting. I didn't have any cute baskets on hand but did have this round one. It wasn't my favorite thing to use but it was the perfect size and seemed to work ok. So I sewed a quick little dog bed... stuffed it and put it all together.  This is the finished product...

 Anyways it was a fun project. I was very glad to paint this for this family knowing they had just gone through their beloved dog dying. I heard they really love it so that makes me happy to hear. Glad it went to a good home and will be treasured.

Other than the rock... lots going on with my mustang restoration. If anyone cares to read about that, click here. Very exciting stuff going on. In a few months this car will be totally put together and ready to go to the Tuacahn Car show. I can't wait!

Looking for the Positive in Life

Every once in awhile I feel I need to count my blessings. Sometimes I need that little reminder that my life really isn’t horrible. Sometimes I worry that anyone who reads my blog thinks I have a horrible life and I am terribly unhappy. Not the case. I just tend to write more on my blog when I am not happy… which is a bad habit. I just don’t usually have much updating to do otherwise.  So I have had many challenges and many downer days…. But I still have my good days.  There are still a lot of positive things happening in my life. So Maybe it’s time to list them out and help myself to feel a bit more grateful for what I have…

The first one is going to get Sappy, but heck it’s almost valentines so I believe I am allowed some sappiness in my post. Of course I am grateful for Mike.  I can honestly say I am married to my best friend and loving it!  I can talk to him about anything and everything. He is an awesome listener and has a nice shoulder that I cry on more often than I would like to think. He always keeps me laughing. I Love that he can make me laugh. I have so much fun just joking around with him. I love just being with him and hanging out with him. We never run out of things to talk about. I know there are no secrets with him and I can fully trust him. Sometimes it honestly surprises me how easy this marriage is. We have our little arguments sometimes but they end fast and we move on. I reflect back on how my life was 6 years ago and it really makes me appreciate what I have now. Life use to be a total struggle and I went through hell with my ex. Life with Mike is a walk in the park compared to what I had before.  Mike has also helped me stay strong through losing my mom and the failed IVF. I couldn’t imagine life without him. He is such an incredible man and I really admire him for all his achievements in running. He amazes me every day!. 

I am also very grateful for my dog Molly. Love her to death!  She never hesitates to cuddle with me when I cry. She is just fun. She has the cutest personality and is just so sweet. She is a bit of a chicken sometimes, and has her quirks… but we still love her. Getting her was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.

I am thankful to have a house. It might be small…. But it does have a pretty awesome sized garage… and back yard. It has been fun being able to do what we want to the house… randomly paint a wall or what not. I even got to put the fish pond in. Mike and I have made a nice comfy home and I am very glad we were able to buy a house in the old neighborhood I grew up in. 

My cars…. Weird that I even have more than one car. My daily driver of course gets me from point A to B, but I am really thankful for my ’67 Mustang. I feel very lucky to be able to have my dad’s first car. Not many people can say they have their dad’s first car. It will be exciting when it is all restored… which should be in April. All the progress being made on it is very exciting! It’s awesome things are getting done now. So thankful to all the people making the restoration happen!  I can’t wait to take it to Tuacahn in April for its first car show.

I am thankful for a job. I know sometimes I get frustrated with it and would much rather be at home… but at least I have a job. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to afford our house or be able to be restoring my car or anything else like that. 

Anyways…. I really do have a lot to be thankful for. I just need to work on not forgetting that and getting caught up in my gloom. I am still trying hard to not focus on the infertility. It is hard… but I need to focus on the positive side of life. As horrible as life seems sometimes… it really isn’t. I have a lot to be thankful and am really going to try to keep that in mind.