Jen

What are you Thankful for Today?

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This week went by way too quickly. With the weather changing drastically from snow to tshirt weather within days or even hours, it was hard to keep up with what day it was. Until today I was pretty sure it was Wednesday… all week.

Five things I am thankful for today

I have friends that care even when I don’t take as much time as I should. Life gets busy and I don’t always stop to let people know I am thinking about them, but I have friends who understand. Between us we take turns touching base with each other.

Tomorrow is always another day with more hours, more time to get things done and more opportunities to do what it was I wanted to do today.

My oldest son made the right decision without any prodding or bribing or threatening from me. It’s so rewarding to go through years of “teaching”, hoping they get it right, and then finally they do; All on their own.

I made a new series of jewelry pieces featuring my own art. I didn’t have a chance to ask ahead of time – but when I made an unexpected stop to show the retail shop owner I work with, she loved them.

My husband keeps coming back regardless how cranky or bossy or snotty I get. I don’t intend to be this grumpy snitty gal, but I find myself getting more naggy and demanding. He listens and sometimes responds – but most importantly, he keeps coming home at the end of the day. I’m pretty sure it’s not because he loves my cooking.

flower and spider by JGoode

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion.  ~Dalai Lama

The making of a talisman

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This week’s Illustration Friday theme is Talisman – foruntately for me, I’ve been spending the last week away from the computer making just that… from small clay pendants. My whole theory, motivate, moto for creation is “inspiring smiles every day”. Of course when I started created little wearable pendants this past week, the message to send along with each piece was a reason to smile.

smile inspiring talismans by JGoode

These pendants feature my own illustrations transferred to baked polymer clay. Each measures approximately 3/4″ square and hangs by a necklace made of coordinating ribbon.

My favorite of the batch so far is the Leonardo Penguin. I love how the clay version turned out – to me it looks worn and weather as a whole piece, not just the image – adding to the represenation of wisdom and magnificence that is Leonardo Da Vinci (he is my favorite artist for sure!). This single piece is my own personal talisman – it’s an inspiration and a reminder that creation is always inside us, every day.

penguin talisman by JGoode

Currently, these pendants are not available online. I am selling them through a local artisan shop – however, I plan on having more available soon through the JGoode Designs etsy shop. You can find the Leonardo Vitruvian  Penguin illustration available on a variety of other apparel and gift items through my main shop.

Where is your door leading you?

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“Everything happens for a reason” has been a key theme throughout my life. I think more times than not, I ultimately created the situations good and bad through choices I’ve made and actions I have or have not taken. I think we’re all walking this kind of path every day. Yet, we don’t always stop to remember that we’re in control of our paths regardless of how out of control things feel.

It’s said that when one door closes another opens – the trick, from my experience, is looking in the right direction to see that door open. Sometimes the closing is such a big deal, such a stressful situation, I think we find ourselves look down at our feet and we miss the new opportunity. Sulking and worrying and doubting – general negative thinking, can be very blinding.

When thinking of opportunities and knowing when and where to watch for them and how to determine if they are right for us, I am quickly reminded of the movie the Labyrinth and the scene with the doors…

One of us will tell you true,
One will always lie.
Just one question is your due,
And only one reply.
One right answer gets you through,
Which door will you try?

pick a door cartoon by jgoode

In this riddle there are only 2 doors — but the theory is the same. Every situation could be good or bad – depending on the choice you make. It’s really how you handle the choice that makes a difference. Think of the game show, Let’s Make a Deal, you could choose from 3 doors – each hiding a prize. Yet prizes were grand amounts of money or expensive items… or something “worthless” like a stuffed donkey. It’s perspective.

What is value- What choices do we make to gain that value?

I think there are really millions of doors to choose from. Why can’t we have millions of choices like that scene from Monster’s Inc.? Millions of doors, each leading to a different place – a different situation. All you have to do is pick one and go in. If you change your mind.. you walk back out and pick another. Life can work this way, if you let it.

Create your own direction. Own your path.

Maybe, rather than looking at it as though we only have so many doors to choose from – the one that closed and the one that opened – we should look around and find a whole new entrance. Build our own archway. Add a mote or not. It’s up to you to decide –

Which door are you going to open?

Let Freedom Ring

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During different stages of my life, I’ve noticed freedom has ment a variety of different things. As an adult, right now, freedom to me means the option to choose as I want for whatever it is I have the freedom to choose. However, this is really vague – my moral, ethical and responsible sides limit what I choose to do. Legally I have quite a few freedoms… mentally the topic changes.

That said, I recently went to my son’s Kindergarten program focusing on presidents, equal rights and America.



Listening to the kids sing “America” reminded how big the world used to seem. The President of the United States used to be such a glamorous person in my mind – a big title for a big man with big responsibilies.. living in that big, beautiful White House. So big and important – lacking in mistakes and appearing more like a hero than an average man.

Now, however I can turn on the TV or the radio or skim through stories on the internet any given day and I’ll find commentary criticizing the man that is supposed to be leading our country; Entire scripts bashing our city, state or country decision makers. There is a freedom we are allowed, as US citizens to say as we please as well as a freedom to listen to or agree with others. Yet, to me, the older I get and the more I hear, the more disheartening the world becomes as far as the perspective of important status our leadership is supposed to be worth.

No longer do I feel like anyone looks up with twinkles in their eyes. No longer do politicians seem like celebrities. There seems to be more negative than positive, and it makes me wonder… how are managing any kind of success in such a state of discontent?

I’m not saying I want to walk around disillusioned to the problems our country is facing now. Nor do I believe “now” is a more dire situation than “then”. I realize we need to wake up and pay attention to what the world around us is doing. However, I do think there is a greatness that is missed related to being positive despite the mud we’re standing in. I also think part of our privilege of freedom in this country is to have the ability to make things happen for ourselves, rather than sit back and let things happen to us.

I’ve always worked against the grain and sometimes it’s worked out for me and sometimes I just end up with a handful of splinters. Either way, I come away knowing I was given the choice. That’s the beauty of freedom – we have the freedom to succeed and the freedom to fail… and grow and try again.

We should never let these basic principals of freedom be forgotten or taken away.

What are you thankful for today?

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This week has been one of those busy weeks where I’m sure I knocked piles of things off my list, but looking in the rear-view mirror today, I can’t remember what.

Despite the whirlwind of activity, there is so much to be thankful for…

snow day

My Top 5 Thanks this week

1. A little extra time with my kids. My oldest was enjoying spring break while my 6 year old’s school was in session. This allowed my oldest to have some “me” time of his own and hang out with mom. We also took a little trip to the Denver Zoo which is always a favorite activity. It’s hard to say if a teenager likes time with mom, but I enjoyed the extra time with him.

2. Nearly finished our taxes. I procrastinated gathering all my business papers, which is regularly our hold up. Yet I was able to whip through it quickly this year – I had saved all online receipts as pdfs in a single folder and all retail paper in a big shoebox, so finding everything was quicker than usual. Next goal is to actually use the Quickbooks software I bought last year.

3. Nothing exploded. I started the grill and cooked small steaks all by myself – no husband supervising nor helping – he wasn’t even home yet AND my picky eater ate it without any threats. I think my long time fear of exploding BBQs is finally being conquered… almost.

4. Enjoyed the flowers for a day. We had enough of a warning that a big snow was coming that I was able to walk around and take a few photos of at all my budding tulips before the weather turned. Now of course there are no flowers to be seen…they’re covered with 6″ of fresh powder.  They’re hardy and they’ll be back in a week or so. Bonus: now the kids have a new bit of entertainment for a few days… oh the magic of snow.

5. Ease of internet chatter. The social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter have opened up easy communication lines that allow more than just marketing chatter or silly small talk. My friend Judi Moore has been able to us all informed on how her husband, Dave is doing. I’m so glad to hear the news – he’s holding strong, and I’m going to stand in line with Judi’s laser focused thinking – happy thoughts and prayers are shared!

flower pot in the snow photo by jgoode

What are YOU thankful for today?

Seasoning Spring

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rabbits have nibbled this tulipIt’s officially Spring and I can hardly wait for the gardening season to begin. Due to some snake incidences (rattlers in my yard – eek), I missed half the dirt digging fun last year. Now today I’m springing into blog action a little behind already – it was entirely too cold to be outside taking pictures. On the other hand, my tulips have been getting ready to bloom for about 3 weeks. Usually, by now, all the leaf tips would have been nibbled off by the resident rabbit clan.

These rabbits eat plants that “experts” say rabbits won’t touch – my holly bushes are little numbs. I won’t even bother with marigolds anymore… but this year, barely a nibble. I’ve only seen one big bunny, so maybe my garden buffet isn’t the popular hangout anymore. However, I’d like to think this change in eating habits is due to my recent garden seasoning experiments.

spices

I been hearing for years that garlic or cayenne pepper will help keep critters off the vegetation. A few years ago I added cloves of garlic all over the garden – still found nibbles on anything growing AND the air smelled like Italian food rather than pretty flowers.

I’ve also tried a few different orangic animal repellants. With ingredients like eggs and urine all they do is leave me with a strong scent of ick stuck in my nose and the feeling I need to stand in a shower for 5 days straight. Oh they work, but grossing out the gardener is probably not the point.

This year I tried a new tactic. I pulled out the garlic herb seasoning and the cayenne pepper and sprinkled the tulip plants. No air of Italian food (unless you get your nose up on a leaf), and the buds are about ready to bloom! So i just went outside to take these photos and added a little extra spice to the rest of the sprouting spring plants. We’ll see how the seasoning goes…

happy tulips by JGoode

Please don’t shout out the secret ingredients too loudly, the bunnies might hear and head back here for a floral feast.

Top 5 Thanks

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Every night at dinner we sit around and talk and eat, sometimes argue or even zone out if the TV is on. But no matter what else is happening or what went on with everyone’s day, we all stop for a few moments to ask “what are you thankful for today?”. We take turns asking each other, and as the “rules” state… you can be thankful for anything. often times my 6 year old will be thankful for playing with friends or watching some show or my oldest will be glad he was able to reach a new level on his video game. That’s all ok, you just have to be thankful.

So now what I would like to try to do, starting this week… I’d like to list the top 5 things I am thankful for, for the week. I’d love it if you joined in! The rules are… you can be thankful for anything, you just have to be thankful. That’s it.

photo by JGoode
photo by JGoode

So here’s my first “Top 5 Thanks“…

1. I feel productive. I always judge myself on how much I was able to do with the catch that they don’t count until I have something to show for what I’ve done. This week I was able to accomplish a little more work than usual, many items are things I can look at and say “see, I did that”. I don’t feel like there was anything that I wish I had had more time to do.

2. My husband’s 40th birthday party was a big success. Friends from all different facets of his life came, and a number of people showed up that he hasn’t seen in years. It was a lot of fun watching everyone get together again, celebrating just being together after all this time and different directions.

3. My kids are all healthy and mostly happy; despite the fact they are stuck together more than they’d like, they still get along and love each other… they even act like it from time to time.

4. I am actually reading three different books. Maybe only a page a day from any given book, yet the fact that I have a single tangible book is amazing. Now I have 3 I am interested in and geniunely trying to take the time to stop and read a bit. Being the mom bus and being stuck in the car while waiting for whatever activity to end helps too.

5. Girl power is indeed a reality. I ran into the garage door today – not drastically crashing. The door wasn’t completely open and I didn’t realize it until I had already knocked it off the track, dented it and scratched up the top of my car – plus the little sprayer nozzle for the car back window is now busted off and missing. I thought I’d have to wait for the hubby to get home to fix it, but two neighbor women came over and between the 3 of us we fixed it up all properly like. I’d love to take credit, but really I just helped hold the door still.

Later another friend called to make sure the door was ok — see, I’m glad to have such great girlfriends!

Legendary Flighted Penguin

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I created this design months ago for the Illustration Friday “Legendary”. Now “Flying” has come up as a topic and the giggle on the subject of flying penguins has re-entered my mind. So I’m sharing again… what if there were a whole fleet?

The penguin is a pilot at heart
The penguin is a daredevil at heart

My thoughts on penguins and flying
I’m pretty sure the flying was traded in for hockey and belly boarding. There’s so much competition with all those other birds up there riding the wind, I think the penguins simply got smart and decided “might as well do something unique”. Not to mention they really look great in hats… and you can’t wear very many hats and fly, unless, of course, you don’t mind losing your hat.

About this design
This design was created entirely in Photoshop using a Wacom Graphire Bluetooth Tablet and gazillion layers of color. I started out with a bare lines of the penguin, added lines for his outfit, added blocks of color and then continued on to add numerous layers with varying colors and textures. I then flattened the entire penguin image and added the border, text and distressed effect.