☆ HELLO 2015.... I am KIRSTIN [dreaming + planning + reflecting]

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HELLO 2015.... I am Kirstin.

I hope you all had a fantastic January, that you we able to find some time to enjoy family, some time dreaming, watching terrible movies + catching up on sleep.

For the first time I took January off.  And I have dreamed, reflected, had nanna naps in my studio, listened to the entire 'In Death' series on audiobook, painted, and just settled.

I didn't frantically cram adventures into every possible moment, I didn't clean my house from top to bottom + I didn't feel guilty when I woke late + stayed up later.

This is a new thing for me, taking time off like this. I used to be so good at it.... and then I wasn't.

So I dreamt + planned + reflected. I though a lot about LilliBean Designs, about how I want my family to be, how I want to feel at the end of each day.

And as I dreamt+ planned + reflected I realised a few things about myself.

I realised that I am no longer a fresh faced twenty something, (although I pretend I am sometimes) I don't have the same hang ups + insecurities (Yup I have a whole set of new ones!) +  maybe I should figure out who I am today, in this space + in this moment!

So during one of my moments of quiet I actually wrote down who I am today, in this space, in this moment.

And I was kinda surprised at my list.

HELLO 2015 - I am Kirstin

• I am creative + I love having paint on my hands

• I am a mama of three gorgeous girls (Bean, Bug + Beastie)

• I am wife to Mac

• I am a daughter, a sister + a bestie.

• I am horribly optimistic (which annoys so many people!)

• I am also a horrible cynic

• I am a swearer. I enjoy it + feel no guilt about it.

• I am irritated by all things political.

• I am honest (but not always with myself)

• I am a lover of horror movies (but I just CANNOT watch them anymore)

• I am a card carrying member of Romance Novels Anonymous (Damn you 1-click purchase!)

• I am a fan of all music that makes me feel something (from Nine inch Nails to Taylor Swift)

• I am not a fan of boybands and I will likely never take the girls to a boy band concert.

• I am an asker of the universe + believe my wishes are heard

• I am addicted to aqua + turquoise + duck egg blue + teal..

• I am happy every single time I walk into my studio

• I am a gen x girl and miss my grunge days

• I am a vivid dreamer, I laugh, cry, shout + slap in my sleep

• I am a squeak listener

• I am fiercely loyal

• I am too independent

• I am worried I am fucking up my kids (but I am saving now for future therapy bills)

• I am overly empathetic + sensitive. 

• I am also a drop of the hat cryer. (I am ok with this, but it make others so uncomfortable)

• I am irritated by passive aggressiveness and people who make passive aggressive comments (Is this a passive aggressive comment??LOL!)

• I am an artist, a social worker, a market researcher + events manager

• I am a swimmer, who thinks she should run, but actually does none of these. I kick box instead

• I am some one who thrives when I am told I CAN'T do something (But because I love to give 'them' a big fuck you when I succeed.)

• I am scared of being vulnerable, even when I draw my greatest strength from vulnerability

• I am likely a bad wife. I don't care too much about having meals on the table at 6pm, clothes pressed + away, and the cobwebs are just fine in the corners.

• I am a very bad housewife (see above comment!)

• I am that driver who dances in the car singing at the top of her lungs (with three backup dancers + vocalists in the back!)

• I am a huge fan of Jillian Michaels (my friends + family are so sick of me quoting her!)

• I am not cool with judgements + stereotypes + putting people into square boxes.

• I am generous 

• I am LilliBean Designs

• I am Kirstin. K. I. R. S. T. I. N  (not kRIstin, kRIsten, of kIRsty. And I can guarantee anyone with one of these names can feel my pain!! But I am cool if you muck it up. No hard feelings!)

• I am so very complicated.... 

• I am me.

So HELLO 2015.... and hello to you all.

I am so very happy that you are here + that I am here with you.

What is it that drives you? What do you dream of? Who are you just now, in this moment?

And maybe think about how I can help you in 2015?

Hi. I am so happy that you have joined me and if you want to know more you can find out about 

my art, my process + my life here: 'Listening to your Squeak'

daily musings + works in progress shots here: LilliBean Designs Facebook Page,

paintings, gift cards + jewellery for sale here: LilliBean Designs Shop 

photo's of my processes, works in progress, inspirations are here

Click here to learn more about my GRATITUDE ANGEL (a FREE download) + why I need to create my own Gratitude Angel and you can download your angel here

Any questions? Suggestions? Feel free to email me - I love hearing from you all. 

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☆ Dreaming in Colour [Friday Art]

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Week 39: September 2014

Ok. I admit it....

I am slightly obsessed with dream catchers.

hmmm.

It may be more than slightly.

This week I was blessed with a day on my own. A day where I had nothing planned, not social events, no should do's, could do's, have to's.

Although I had prep to do for the markets I am at tomorrow. (I am at the Sakura Matsuri festival at the Japanese Gardens in town.) I knew I didn't have to start it then.

And I have been thinking about another dream catcher painting. The last one I did earlier this month was such fun to paint, that I began thinking about a huge painting for above my bed.

A big painting that has a rainbow of colours, that would be bright + soft + have meaning.

I am not a huge fan of traditional canvases, and I love the way the water colour smooshes around  the page. The way you can layer colours so beautifully. The way you can never really plan what's going to happen with the painting.

So I know this painting has to be on water colour paper.

But I also want this painting big. HUGE. And I don't have paper that size here. And I couldn't duck out to the art shop (it's two hours away), so I thought I would start smallish (it's 29 x 42 cms) + see where playing would take me.

And I spent the next 8 hours painting.

It was BLISS

Pure and utter bliss.

"Dreaming in Colour"
29 x 42 cm Water colour on paper.
For Sale - $180 (unframed) + postage  SOLD
Contact me for info.

It's days like these, days where I can be totally connected to my painting + wild with my time + paints that balance me.

Days like these are rare + valuable and I treasure them.

If they were a weekly event they wouldn't be so special, but they shouldn't be so rare.

So what would you do on a day with no should do's, could do's, have to's - I would love to hear how you would spend your day.

By the way you can see this painting framed at the markets tomorrow - have a great weekend.

 [LINKING TO PAINT PARTY FRIDAY]

Did you know that I send out a monthly love letter with studio snippets, a monthly give away of one of my paintings or products, a free calendar download + more. Click here or on the image below for more + your free downloadable gratitude angel 

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☆ Fly Away Dreams [friday art]

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Sometimes my dreams seem to float away on the wind, seemingly graspable, only to slip away on a gust of wind.

It is hard to keep a positive frame of mind when that happens, and maybe it's why I always have plans 'A', plan 'B' + plan 'C'.

So when plan 'A' doesn't work I can move onto plan 'B'.

Does anyone else do this?

Anyway, this has obviously been on my mind a bit when I painted this painting:

'FLY AWAY DREAMS'
approx 12 x 8 in. acrylic + water colour
For Sale: $59 + postage.
email me for more information

Changing the topic - I am sure you are all aware that google reader will be closing its figurative doors come July. I am also sure that you are aware some of the options that are available to us now to read out favourite blogs. 

I use blog lovin' now to read my blogs + one of the blogs I follow is 'Sew Many Ways' + she has written this brilliant post on exporting your blogs from google reader. 

DON'T miss a thing - make sure you export your blogs.

I hope you have a fabulous dream filled weekend - I would love to know what you are dreaming about!

[LINKING TO PAINT PARTY FRIDAY]

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