I have a beautiful friend who sends me a gratitude list every day. I am so thankful for her list- it lifts my spirits when I am moping and it reminds me that ever day, I have at least 10 things to be grateful for. Today, I am gonna tell you some of them....

 Gifts from God.

 My awesome, beautiful children! I love spending time with them, I even look forward to it every day!

 A country where I can speak my mind, that's always changing and that belongs to the people. 

 oh, love! my family, all together, all happy!

 Birds! I am mildly obsessed...some would say rather obsessed. I love looking out my window to see foot tall black birds...

 It's always about Star Wars, isn't it? I mean, it comes full circle back to it. For me, anyway. I get so torn between Sith and Jedi. 

 Celebrating marriage, ours and others! 

 Hall & Oates. Diet Coke. Cigarettes. 

 MUSIC! there they go, playing keys, singing! lights my heart up like hot sauce on spaghetti!

 Wild Talents. They have my whole Heart. I love stepping into that room and freeing myself from every thing else but writing songs and playing them. I love Wild Talents so much!

 MDH and Ray. They both drive me nuts, but I don't know where I'd be today if I hadn't met them. Two peas in a pod. I love watching their friendship- it's unconditional and I love that.

My own bestie, LooHoo. She is so big in my heart and I love her so much! She is beautiful and smart and funny! She loves books and is a word lover. She is kind and thoughtful. When I get to spend time with her, it is the greatest day! The day we met, I knew- we'd be friends forever. 

I want to Believe

I am thinking about the power of letting someone else take the lead. Surrender is hard, I ask for a redo everyday. With God, maybe he expects it. With my family, maybe they have come to expect it, too? I swim in a happy ocean where the waves crashing the shore bring a multitude of emotions. The effect and cause of it all is enough to send my head swirling...lifting up and falling down. 

 I am a ferris wheel, tall, majestic. I've seen a lot of folks come and go, watched many a rider joyous and terrified. Seen love blossom, watched others fall. My great heights feel limitless to me, but from the outside looking in, you know I am rotating around the same axis and always will. I am well built & beautifully hand crafted & will last a long time if I'm taken care of. The older I get, the more I know I am a staple, a classic, not just a novelty. 

 I am a Mermaid, strong and curious. I explore great depths then come to the surface to play! Spot me splashing in the waves, I am elusive..

 and somewhat predictable. Believing in me may require some faith and dreaminess. Deep down you want to, rationally you know it's a risk. Have hope! 

 With Love all things are possible. 

 With Love ideas are born, dreams are real. I can use gifts to make gifts. So can you..

Loving everyone is a challenge- not everyone makes it easy to Love them. The difficult ones take time and patience. I do Love watching others grow into the people they want to be, leaving the people they used to be in the dust.  

 I have known you my whole life. only now, I know your heart. 

 The colors of my life are always changing with my moods, with the seasons. 

 My eyes have been opened.

 My Heart has been transformed.

 Courage came when I needed it most and stayed.

 There are more ideas, more dreams, more songs, more sewing...

 I wonder what your dreams look like. I wonder what our world is doing. I wonder about the changes and the not changing. I am awed and inspired by everything I see.

 Thank God for the writers, for the artists, for the love of craft and skill and gifts. They are my people, my joy, my encouragement, my laughter.

 1+2=3

 I bear witness to the others who follow their passion, we don't know where it will take us, there are no guarantees. We work hard, we struggle and then we celebrate together the small victories!

1 Peter 4:8, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (NIV 1984)

under pressure

The best way to work? For me, under pressure....

I heart you!

 I have been a busy bee, you see...making things. Mostly, dreaming of finishing all of the things I must make in order to start these dolls I am dreaming of. The prototypes are good, they just need to be developed. Oh. love!

 All of these went up in my Etsy shop yesterday...come visit!

 I am learning how to take better pictures...sometimes, they look good. Other times, 150 photos are all junk. I admire photographers- it isn't easy.

 I am going to be at Sycamore Art Fair on Saturday from 9-4.

 I am doing more framed fabric work. I like it! A lot!

 I will also be at Ink Bleeds 3 on FRiday night- I hope to see some of your faces!

 People are inherently good. The bad things are learned.

 Animals are who they are without the influence of commercials or money or products. They don't care what their "look" is. I love them for that.

 Tom Petty makes me feel giddy inside...

 Season 6 of Doctor Who is captivating...don't tell me what happens! I know I'm way behind, but I'll catch up. I already had a spoiler alert about River Song and I don't want to know!

 Breaking Dawn comes out this weekend. This is the first time I don't have first or second day tickets to see a Twilight movie. The theater is full of girls screaming, so I thought I'll go by my lonesome during the day when all this screaming girls are at work...

 American Horror Story. that's all I can tell you.

 Tom Waits, heavy rotation.

 I know something you don't know.

Gift certificates and gift wrap are now available on ROBOT Inside. Get you some....

available now..

and then there were III

Two artists collaborated and an Owl was born of ink...   

A third artist stirred in textures...

Secrets were kept... 

and then there were III.

Ink Bleeds -- 2011 Art Show from Intrinzic on Vimeo.

www.neltnercreative.com            www.stillrattlinthedevilscage.com


Jeremiah 31:3, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." (NIV)I