5.09.2007

Shifts in the Right Direction



I'm back after an extended (almost ) internet free 7 days. I do admit to sneaking several times, especially in the beginning. I still checked email and that would often lead to peeks here and there. All in all I am very proud of this time away. I sure missed seeing what everyone was up to but I got caught up on things here at home. And I needed that. For my spirit. I needed to spring clean and scent the house with lavender. I needed to linger over pretty magazine pages and read those books waiting patiently on the nightstand. My favorite being this one. I needed to take long walks with Olivia and help her decorate her "clubhouse" in the space between two bushes in our backyard. Mainly this time away was about her. About Olivia.


One day last month we were at the chiropractor's (hi Dr. Bill) and Olivia said, "My mom is always on the computer." At first I disagreed with her and then I realized that this is how her sweet young eyes must see me. The truth of that knowledge hurt me and made me feel guilty, a deep raw kind of guilty...time already seems to pass so quickly and this is certainly not the way I want to be remembered. I am the mom who gently combs the tangles out and reads the stories using silly voices and lays in the grass staring up at the stars.

After taking a good look at my time online I sadly had to admit I really am on more than I need to be. It is so easy to drift on the computer from blog to pretty blog. I had become a blog addict! So, this shift in my time was good for me. Renewed, I am back to try again, determined to find a better balance.


As far as making art goes, I did play with making necklaces from old jewelry bits and I melted beeswax and made a simple collage. Inspired by Lauren at Alice Lands I used the original photographs!

Today Olivia and I went to Michaels and I bought some pretty blue glitter (Martha S.) and some colored staples, some blender solution for my alcohol inks. Tonight after Kelly and Olivia are sound asleep I think I will find some time to play.




Wishing a sweet creative day to all,

11 comments:

Jo Wholohan said...

beautiful work tricia, and ohhh so true, i know i do it more often than not too :)

Jeanne said...

Glad you are back Tricia - I missed seeing all the beautiful art you create. But I can certainly understand why you needed to take a break...especially after sweet little Olivia made that innocent comment. It's good to see the world through our children's eyes every now and then. I think it's called a "reality check!"

Bridgette Guerzon Mills said...

what a beautiful sweet face your Olivia has.
I can totally relate to you on the computer-time-black-hole issue. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with it! It's good to take breaks like that. It puts things in perspective.
Thank you for your comments on my blog about my recent work. I really appreciate them. :)

paige said...

tricia, i can totally understand your dilema. i think as moms we never feel like we are 100% at anything....we always feel like there is something else that can be done, fixed, made, etc. there just isn't enough hours in the day sometimes.
i am sure i have made my girls feel that i would rather read blog after endless blog too...& i know its especially hard when your little sweeties are at home all day!
i hope you have a wonderful mothers day weekend & feel loved & appreciated.
ps...glad you had some creative moments. the necklace is incredible!!

Danielle Muller said...

thank you for the gentle reminder of what's really important...

Tam I Am said...

Tricia~can I just say how much I missed you while you were away. Your blog is in my top ten list that I check daily. I kept looking every day thinking maybe you'd cheat and send a post. Good for you for making it through and for being a good mom to sweet Olivia. She's beautiful!! And, my jaw dropped at the lovely necklace/jewelry piece. So well done.

Hélène Deroubaix said...

gorgeous artwork and so is your best artwork: Olivia

How cute is she!
and how wonderful to have a child to let us know when we 'fail'
It's always so interesting to be seen in their eyes because they are so honest and spontaneous:)

I can't wait to have mine, I would have a reason to go away from the damn computer, because I am kinda hooked on it

In the morning my breakfast is mail mail mail, and then I eat something but that's my food...

I think it's due to not having a social life and neither having a family of my own...so I hope it'll finally happen in spite of the latest events that made me feel so hopeless

congrats on your 7 days without internet, we used to do that sometimes seb and I, as I chat very rarely I am less on internet than I used to,but still way too much!

blessed be!

Lena said...

Wow, I really like your collage, and it's special to me to hear that it's been inspired by Lauren. She's so nice and has inspired me over the years more than I can say.
Your daughter is so lovely.
I can't even imagine finding the time for blogging when my son was small. The time goes by so fast. You are wise to realize that it's a time to be treasured.
Best wishes!

A bird in the hand said...

Olivia, what a beautiful, soulful child.

The necklace is fabulous; I adore jewelry made from bits and pieces. Is this one for sale??

lauren said...

Oh this is a smart girl, and a beautiful piece--I am thrilled that I inspired you to use the original photo, it just adds so much in this piece.
Bravo for your "shift in the right direction", realizing it is half the battle. Just keep strong. I've been there...the balance. So hard.

Brava to you!!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful piece of art