Fabulous Friday!

Since I was so fortunate to have Susan at Little Relics take all the art I broughtfor her shop this month, I'm busily creating cute little paintings. Mom and I were accepted to the Butterfly Festival in Mariposa May 3rd & 4th, so I need to get plenty of little paintings finished. What would be better to take home from the Mariposa Butterfly Festival than a tiny piece of original art that's a cute little Monarch?

With all the excitement of spring, my youngest heading north for a week with Grandma, as well as a memorial service tomorrow for a dear friend of our family, the Inspirational Image for the day is "Serenity." I'm looking forward to spending some time alone with mys sweetie next week and that's what we'll be doing, enjoying some much needed serenity. I hope you find some next week, too.

Blessings,
Laura P.

A lovely shot of the northern California Coastline during April.

My hutch all decked out for spring

Yesterday went great at the Little Relics Gallery in Mid-town Sacramento. Susan, the owner, loved all the artwork I brought down there and kept everything for the exhibit!! woo-hoo! So. for fun this morning, I decided to re-do my hutch in the dining room/studio for spring. I used only things I had on hand and am very happy with the result.

Since it's share day on the Where Women Create Facebook page, I decided to take pictures and share this today. I hope you enjoy it. I'd love to see your hutches, too. So, paste a link to photos of your hutch in my comments section. That way we can all share!

Happy Spring!
Laura P.

I found this hutch at a consignment store. It was handmade my an amateur craftsman and I love it!

My collection of marble and other stone eggs

The black glass matte baskets have been in my family for so long, no one is sure who first acquired them. I used some of my died marble eggs to add a bit of Eater. The silver cup is mine from when i was a child.

I have been fortunate to be gifted a few heart shaped stones, too. The white one is selenite.

Delivering art in the rain, and happy to do it!

Today I'm headed to Little Relics in the Mid-Town section of Sacramento, California to deliver art for a show in April. Susan Rabinovitz, the owner of Little Relics, invited me to show my art in her gallery way back in September. She was planning an Earth Day related month and thought my work fit in nicely. Since that time, I've painted lots of critters so I think it'll be a perfect fit. Part of the fun of showing in mid-town is the opening night and then Second Saturday which is kind of a city-wide party. That's why I don't mind shlepping down there in the rain, it's worth it.

For today's Inspirational Image I used a photo that I took on one of Jim and my many trips to the coast. I love the color green that occurs along the cliff here. It makes me think of what the coasts along the British Isles might look like. And for the message, isn't it true? Every day we wake up offers us a brand new chance to live our best lives, to explore new options, to love and be loved... Rain or shine, sick or healthy, glad or grumpy, when we intentionally start fresh each day we have such amazing opportunities.

I truly hope you find today to be a wonderful new day to create the life of your dreams!

Blessings,
Laura P.

Blazing Trails

"Walk In Your Own Footsteps" has been a labor of love from the very start. I conceived of the book because I wanted to help a very special friend who was at a point in her life where she wanted some direction while consciously designing her life. She no longer wanted to bump along in life, she wanted to choose her direction and was looking for a book that would provide a framework for that. Since we looked and couldn't find one, I started the 9 year journey that led to the publishing of the book. It didn't make sense to go to a traditional publisher since I knew exactly what I wanted the book to be, how I wanted it to look, format and everything. I've been so blessed to hear from many people who have found the book helpful that I want to expand the reach so that more people can be helped.

As I continue to market my book, work on the next book, put together another deck of cards, maintain my website, and update my blog and facebook pages (whew!) I'm turning my attention toward traditional publishers. The one I've identified as the best fit for my book is HCI. They have a proven track record of success with books like mine. I'm open to other ideas, so if something springs to mind, please don't hesitate to drop me a line. I admire Louise Hay because she created her own platform and that's appealing to me. So if HCI doesn't pan out, I'll be working hard to help people all on my own.

Today's Inspirational Image is especially important to me because that's where I'm going today! Exploring new paths. Maybe not blazing my own, but going into unfamiliar territory none the less! 

A beautiful path in Santa Cruz on the way to the butterfly sanctuary

What I did this weekend

The weatherman threatened rain, so I made plans to get some work done. As it turned out, it was  a mixed weather bag but I'm glad I got some work done anyway. I have a couple of events coming up that I thought some tiny paintings would work well for. I love to work on these darling paintings and, because they are much less expensive than larger works, it gives folks a chance to own an original without the higher price tag.

Please visit my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WalkInYourOwnFootsteps to see the Inspirational Image for today. I also updated my website www.WIYOF.com and added a page for the Inspirational Images.

Have a great week!

Blessings,
Laura P.

Here's my entire weekend's work... All finished!

The quarter give you an idea of how tiny each piece is. :)

Smaller grouping

This sunflower needed a happy little lady bug. I added a shiny product that adds dimension to the lady bug, I love how it turned out.

this painting is only 4 x 4. Big look for a tiny piece.

Friday is washday

Today I woke up with the desire to clean! Must be a spring thing. So, I've got the washer going and have been walking around the house picking things up from one room and putting them away in another. Funny how things end up all over! I guess that's what happens when you have two adults and three kids sharing a house.

Today's inspirational image is from the Santa Cruz area of Northern California. When I was going through my photos, I noticed the little plant that grew on the rocks in the shape of a heart! So cool, but you only notice it if you look.

I hope you find what you're looking for this weekend. I guess I should add that it's always a good idea to look for good. :)
Blessings,
Laura P.

The day after my first TV taping

Well, taping a TV show was very interesting. The show I was invited to be on is called Aday in Telos. The talk show hosted by Arthur Aday focuses on people in the Mount Shasta, California area. My mom, Maralee Lowder-Wofford, has lived in the next town over from Mount Shasta, Dunsmuir, for over 13 years. That's how I got to know Arthur and get the invitation. Arthur was very nice and he let me help arrange the set and peak over his shoulder while he set the lighting. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and I'll be sharing the video here very soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy today's inspirational image.
Blessings,
Laura P.

I spotted this rock in the American River and plucked it out and placed it among the dry rocks for contrast. I love to find naturally heart-shaped rocks!

Joy

Today I'm off to Mount Shasta to film my very first Television Interview. The host of Aday in Telos, Arthur Aday has invited me to do a segment on his show and I could not be more pleased. I'll be making the drive to Mount Shasta with my sweet girl (puppy dog) Gracie and we'll be staying with my mom in Dunsuir. While I'm away, my youngest son David will be performing in his first big musical production! So, this is a big week for the Pallatins! Jim is staying home to help David with the play and I'm sad to be missing the final presentation but I'll be catching the 1pm production with the kids at David's school, so that'll be fun!

With all the wonderful things happening in our lives right now, I couldn't think of a better image to share than this one. I took this photo on a trip with Jim to the coast a couple of years ago. It was taken in a seed company's test garden in Gilroy, CA. When I was looking through my images, this one popped out at me and I could think of nothing but... JOY!! I hope you are having a good time in your life today, too.
Blessings,
Laura P.

Rainbow's End

We finally got rain in our neck of the woods. Since I live in the Sierra Foothills in Northern California, much of the state relies upon our area seeing some real rain and snow, or there's not enough water to get us all through summer. So, rain here is a big deal.. as it is everywhere else. Rain is necessary for life. When we get too much, we feel we're being cheated out of sunshine, but when there's not enough... there's death. The rainbow is beautiful and has various meanings in different cultures. I love them and always look excitedly for them when it's been raining and I see rays of sunshine. I snapped this picture in the early spring of 2011. I have a plant out front that blooms the most amazing yellow flowers when most everything else still looks dead. It made the perfect compliment to this rainbow.

When I was putting together this inspirational image, "where is your rainbow's end?" was the first thought that popped into my head. What's your dream life? Where would you most like to go in life? What's your rainbow's end?

I hope you're having a wonderful day today and keep your ideal life in mind as you go through your day.
Blessings,
Laura P.

Walk In Your Own Footsteps Inspirational Photos with sayings

this is the pond at the Front Yard Nursery in El Dorado California

A view of the ferris wheel at dusk at the El Dorado County Fair

Maples turning color at Cameron Park Lake

I've been using my photography to create inspirational pictures to share with all my Walk In Your Own Footsteps friends. I've shared a few here but I've made so many more. So, here are a few. I hope you enjoy them. I've added a description of where each photo was taken because I always wonder this myself.

We just enjoyed some yummy corned beef and cabbage. Thank heaven my sweetie can cook it because my attempts were not good. I hope that you are enjoying your St. Pats! Blessings, Laura

The fabulous LaBelle Mariposa Booth

I took some picture of my booth for LaBelle Mariposa to submit for inclusion in the Butterfly Festival in Mariposa, CA. I love to see what other people do with their sales spaces and thought you might enjoy checking out my take on a sales booth. I'd love to get feedback. It is still a work in progress, but I do like this incarnation. I hope you enjoy the tour.

This is the booth as you walk up to it. Around the top I've used scarves a local thrift store. I love the colors and drape of the lovely silk-like fabric.

 

Here's a shot looking to the left of the booth. I've been so lucky to have my sweetie build the painting display, sandwich board, and the stand for the large sign I painted in the background on the left.

This is a picture looking in toward the left. You can see my vintage dress form and my mom's beautiful knit hats.

I'm going to give you a little tour starting at the left side and walking right. So, here we start with the hat table. I added the little doll for fun. My mother makes many more fun embellished hats, these are what I've been lucky enough to receive (ok, steal) from her.. so far!!

More cuteness with hats. You can also see the detail of mom's embellishments. LOVE!!

This picture was supposed to be a close-up of hats, but you can't help but notice Teddy Bear posing in the background!

This section is my cards for "Walk In Your Own Footsteps" as well as my guided visualization CD. I think it's important for people to be able to listen to the CD and decide if it's what they want for their meditation.

A few copies of my book!

I just love the big sign I made to promote Walk In Your Own Footsteps! Dig the big butterfly!

The pendant table includes at least one of each of my original artwork pendants. I always start with my own art, photocopy or scan it, print out a tiny version, cut the glass and make the pendant out in my little stained glass pendant.

Here's an example of a large painting along with the tiny pendant.

This is a close-up of the stands I made to display my pendants. I call them "sofas" cause I think they look like a little glass sofa. hee hee

Here's my little business table. It includes a sign-up sheet for my mailing list, a camera with Polaroid like film for autographed pictures for my "fans" who purchase a book, a calculator, little cash box, receipt book, pens... you know business stuff!

Finally, this is my portable art gallery. Jim made it for me. I'm going to make some adjustments before we take it on the road, but I really like it.

Thoughts for the day

I've always loved taking pictures. And, since my goal with my book, Walk in Your Own Footsteps, is to help people improve the quality of their lives on a daily basis, I'm creating a new image with inspirational words every day. Yesterday's image was about balance. We are all looking for more of that in our lives. The 21st century is so full of wonderful opportunities to experience so much! Then, there's our fabulous time wasters which are so fun, but when we overindulge in them, we find that we are not as productive as we'd like to be. Finding balance of fun, work, joy, silliness, meditation, and so much more, is increasingly challenging but also more important than ever. 

 Today's message is from the chapter in my book called, "Grass growing time" in which I propose taking time to simply sit and relax. To let your mind drift and proverbially watch the grass grow. In an effort to bring balance to our lives, relaxing, hanging out, and just being instead of doing can help bring peace and clearer thoughts and actions. I hope you enjoy these and look forward to many more to come.

Antique Dress form gussied up for St. Pats

This darling girl shares my workspace and I love dressing her for holidays. Although I will soon be switching her to an Easter outfit, I wanted to squeeze in St. Patrick's day. For this outfit I used Sari's I collected from a favorite thrift store which happens to be in an area with a large Indian population. I'm so lucky! I pick up the Sari's and the beautiful scarves for just $2.00 each. When I found her she didn't have a knob on top, so my little nest of handmade/handpainted birdies have their nest up there. The perfect spot to view my work in progress.

Petunia the Anything is Possible Flying Pig

Petunia the Anything is Possible flying pig.

I woke up a couple of days ago with this idea in my head. She's happy, pink and flying at will. The phrase that instantly came to mind as I envisioned her scampering through the air, was "So, now is Anything Possible?" So, here she is ready to share her message with the world! I ask you, is anything possible in your world? I guess as long as you believe it is. 

Petunia the flying Pig

Expect Miracles

Today I looked through my personal photography library for an image that worked well with the message from the first chapter of my boo, "Walk in Your Own Footsteps" which is "Expect Miracles." When I came across this image and saw the happy daffodil, I knew I had found my picture! I love daffodil's because they remind me of Spring which is, of course, the season of rebirth and by it's very nature... miraculous! The words I trimmed down from a much larger phrase and made to shape the available space. It was fun to work on this one today especially because we had a lovely sunny day which followed several stormy ones. So, I was definitely feeling the miracle!