hi there friends.

i so enjoyed your artwork and lovely comments. you all got crafty-i love it! it has inspired me to do more online project ideas/classes. thank you.
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this past week i started art journaling, inspired by suzi blu and her beautiful art journals. i got a tan moleskin journal which i am all about. i purchased mine at rhino art (if you are local this is the best art supply store ever and the staff is really cool) it came in a pack of three for under 12 bucks. gotta love that. i heart the plain cover (you can get black too) and the simplicity of it. they are skinny so you can stick it in your purse or bag without any bulk.
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i experimented with some friends/art students of mine and i thought i would share their journals too. kids are so inspiring because they are so free. i want to share their magic with you.
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rebecca’s art journal cover: age 7

she used a paint pen at the top of the journal, and the mermaid is a card from a friend that i photocopied. the flower was part of a collage kit i received. my favorite part is the glitterati that she placed around the sides of the flower. glitterati is sooooo fun. it feels a little bit like straw and stays put nicely with mod podge, which is the glue we used for everything in these journals. you can actually iron the glitterati if you put it in between two pieces of paper. i have not ventured there yet. a bit of nipple (uh yeah, did not notice that when i gave it to her) was showing on the mermaid, so rebecca put a tiny shell to keep her decent. we called it a breast shell.
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sophie’s art journal cover: age nine.

she mod podged this fairy cut-out, another one i printed from a card. sophie was really into the gold flecks and completely covered a shell with it. (also with mod podge) i threw out the package to the gold flecks so i don’t know who makes them. (i got them in the glue section at michaels crafts and a picture of mona lisa is on the front). they are a great embellishment-we have been using them in mermaids fins and fairy’s wings.
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kim’s art journal:
sophie and rebecca’s mom.
i only had three moleskins so
she used paper and is going to make her own journal.

kim started off mod podging (are you guys sick of hearing me say mod podge yet cause i am kinda sick of writing it) colored tissue paper and rice paper onto the page, which gave it a pretty texture. she then incorporated real leaves, shells, a clear gem stone (which are great to put words and cool paper under) gold flecks, letter beads, sequence and glitterati.

this is my first page:
(i left the cover plain)

i started out painting the page with white gesso, which is a great base by the way. i mixed a bright blue with a deep purple to get this rich indigo color that i painted over the gesso. next i layered tissue paper (in similar colors) and rice paper in white.

also used-glitterati, a white button, gold paper, white and pink tinted glitter, silver letter beads, and gold flecks on the wings.

some of sophie’s pages:

materials used-words cut out of scrapbooking paper and copper rub-ons.

materials used: a gold sharpie paint pen, gold flecks (gold turned out to be somewhat of a theme for her) and real leaves. i love the pink and gold together.

it got late and i had to use the flash-this photo does not do this beautiful page justice. inspired by sophie’s art, i used the same colors. she liked my butterfly and added one to her page too. this is the beauty of doing art with others-you can share ideas.

the rose photo is a card from thea (which she also photographed, the girl makes rad cards) i layered the white rice paper over it which kind of gave it a vintage look. the shimmery paint is byzantia in deep metallic turquoise.

here is the other side:

materials layered: coral colored rice paper, light pink rice paper, letter cut-outs, sequence, and russet red fresco flakes. until i added the blue paint later, i was not digging this page at all-now i can’t stop staring at it. this just goes to show that just because you don’t start off liking your page does not mean you will always feel that way. try to trust the process to see what happens next. take a chance, even if it turns out different than you envisioned. you can always paint over it with gesso, or cut it up and use it on a new page.

now for rebecca’s pages:

butterfly stamp in gold. bloom from the dollar bin at michaels. simple yet poignant. you don’t have to fill up a whole page. it is okay to leave space.

copper swirly rub-ons and lavender tissue paper.

materials used: fairy cut-out, green and red sharpie paint pens, an ivory colored button, letter stickers and the word “try” is from a magnetic poetry collection. love how she put the F and A on the button-such a small thing but it makes the page stand out.

more stamping.

above translation:
rose in a field of sparkles.

these little sheep cracked me up! (bad flash pic but gorgeous pages) she embellished them with scrapbook buttons (thanks melanie!) and made a story to go along with it that will continue throughout the journal. apparently the sheep with the snorkeling mask is going to meet a mermaid in hawaii, then marry her and have a baby “shermaid.” i think this is an excellent example that art does not always have to be deep and serious. sometimes it may need to be dark and deep, however, it is also important to honor the playful side of your inner muse.
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i found that the moleskin pages held up well even though they are quite thin. they also have moleskin watercolor notebooks which look really fun. my art journal would not close because i have so much stuff in it so i tied ribbon around it.

hope this inspires you to experiment and make some art! you can use any of the ideas suggested on paper too-or better yet be bold and get a canvas. as andrea says, “invest in yourself.”
*
an art journal is something safe that you cannot do wrong, a very special book just for you. you deserve something special, don’t you think?
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i will try to post another project this weekend-it all depends. i start my first camp next week and am feeling slightly overwhelmed. if time permits i will post one. if not then, then soon.
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on a sidenote-i still have a few fairy jar kits left. i pack these kits full of goodies plus a few surprises. even after you finish your jar you should have extra materials to keep you inspired and creating. the gold flecks are included plus a bunch of letter cut-outs and stickers. its a very decadent gift to receive.

here is how it is packaged:

keep up the wonderful work folks…
and please to share your work here.

i am proud of you for being open to creativity-
even if you have not started creating yet.
it will come when you are ready.

and we will be cheering you on when you are…

surround yourself with things that sparkle.

hang windchimes near your bedroom window.

do art with kids. notice how joyful they are when they create. remember that part of you.

scratch a cat’s belly.

go outside at least once a day and close your eyes. listen.

note what colors and things make you stop and smile during the day. make sure you have this energy in your home as well. it can be as simple as a tiny ceramic hot pink bowl with silver kisses on your nightstand.

schedule art dates with yourself and for your friends. share snacks and art supplies.

encourage others to follow their dreams. be gentle when they are not ready.

when the icecream truck comes around get a popsicle at least once this summer.

when people want to leave, let them. wish them love.

remember nothing is personal. NOTHING.

buy a stack of cool postcards and go to your favorite coffee house and write them to old friends. write 3 sentences per card-and make them good sentences. or write a poem and don’t sign your name.

get up early one morning and go to a yard sale. find a treasure for under a dollar.

forgive somebody.

find a theme song.

pick wildflowers and paint them with yellow, red, and orange paint. gently press them onto watercolor paper. add poetry and quotes. put tiny rhinestones in the center of the flowers. (this project makes me think of you.)

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make an art journal. excuses are just fear. its ok to be scared. do it anyway.

note that not everyone is going to be comfortable with your freedom, and you may attract crappy comments once and awhile. you may be a reflection of what someone else craves. this is not your stuff, and you don’t have to fix it. just wish love.

be your truest self and teach others how to be free without even trying.

thank flowers for growing. thank the sky for being so blue.

find others who inspire and encourage you. exchange energy.

write notes in the sand.

plan a picnic with someone you love. pack paint and paper instead of desert. or pack both. yes, pack both.

accept that you cannot please everyone, nor would you want to. how would you find time to create if you did?

find a way to be secure in who you are. know that is all you are meant to be.

allow yourself to leave circumstances that bring your spirit down. believe you deserve better and work from there.

give kindness even when you are not receiving it.

find one thing to love about yourself each day. write it on a post-it and hang it on the mirror.

believe that there is enough for everyone. this will attract abundance.

put fresh fruit in bright pretty bowls.

draw with crayons on watercolor paper and press hard. paint over it with watercolors. magic!

love deeply.

sing loudly.

let go.

you are free.

hello all-

and welcome to a day at mermaid camp.
even if it is not day anymore where you are.

(i was hanging out with rockstars last night
and am a little late today. oopsies.)

the far right “fairy white” photo is by the amazing thea
for all who are drooling by the way.
it is even prettier in person and she has one left.

*********

okay, now before we even began,
lets get one thing straight:

there is no such thing as
“not being creative.”

maybe you have not done art in awhile.
maybe you can’t draw a dog.
(i can’t)
maybe you don’t have time.
maybe there are more important things to do.

these things do not matter.
you were born creative.

remember the feeling you got
when you received a new box of crayons
when you were little?

remember the feeling of a new drawing pad,
white and bare, ready for your creation?

remember when the thought of a drawing being
“not good enough” never entered your mind because
you were too excited to play with your new smelly markers?

this is the spirit of your inner child-
the one that wants gold chunky glitter for no reason
and those little white rhinestones you were eyeing at
the craft store.

here at mermaid camp there are:

no rules
no grades.
no pressure.
no comparing-
i am not going to make you hold
it up in front of the class unless you want me to.

take a big, happy, deep breath and repeat after me,

“I AM AN ARTIST.”

i am an artist.

how does that feel?
does it make you excited?
nervous?
angry?

try to notice your feeling
without judging it.

if a cranky little voice speaks up
and says,
“you are not an artist because_______”

gently observe
and know that if you continue this path of creativity,
of rediscovering your truest, most authentic self,
that this voice is eventually going to get tired
and go somewhere else.

now we can play.

lets talk about framing your art. it could be a photograph, a small collage, a postcard, a note from your best friend in the 4th grade-anything that means something to you. by framing it we are giving your art power-saying YES of course it is good enough for a frame.

if you don’t have anything you want to frame, that is okay. you can start with a frame, and perhaps the piece of art that is supposed to go there is going to show up one day. or maybe you will be inspired later to put something in there.

or not.

it does not matter. this is just a little project to get those juices flowing.

frame idea# 1-a mermaid frame.
this is what you need:

a wood frame. (size of your choice)
mod podge in glossy lustre
shells of small and medium size
beach glass
tiny white seed beads
fine white glitter
aqua acylic paint, any brand
(my favorite is LIQUITEX in bright aqua green)
small sponge brush

(you can get all of these items at michaels crafts.)
remove glass from frame.
paint the frame aqua with your sponge brush.
the more layers you do, the darker it will be obviously.
most of this is going to be covered anyways so
it does not matter so much.

allow to dry, and then do the same thing on the back.

(i like to do crafty stuff on tin foil because it does not stick
and is easy clean up.)
step 2:
coat a small section of your frame with mod podge-
put it on pretty thick as it will dry clear.

gently place your shells and sea glass on the glue.
in the tiny spaces that remain in between the shells&glass-
drop in your seed beads and then coat generously with glitter.

you can never have too much glitter by the way.

there ya go-
you have a mermaid frame.

you can also do this with mirrors and boxes.

feel free to mix it up
with letter beads, different colored paint-make it yours.
you can’t do it wrong or ugly.

frame idea #2

you will need:
wood frame
acrylic paint color of your choice
mod podge glossy lustre
letter-cut outs
seed beads (optional)
glitter (optional)
sponge brush
small paintbrush

for these two frames i painted them with the sponge brush. the purple one was painted with liquitex heavy body deep violet and liquitex heavy body light portrait pink (great base for skin color) and the green one was used with liquitex heavy body cadmium yellow and liquitex heavy body vivid lime green. the green one was diluted with water to allow the wood texture to come through. the purple one has two coats of paint.

with the mod podge and paintbrush,
i painted the letters directly onto the frame.

make sure you paint both sides of the letter
front and back.

remember, mod podge is not only a glue
but a finish too.

i painted the whole frame with it once
i was done.

the letters are from K&company
and called letters to go.

you get 5000 letters in various sizes and shapes-
they are worth the cash and something you can
use in many art projects.

they also look great in paintings and on canvas.

don’t feel you have to follow my directions
word for word.

some of you may feel more comfortable
doing that and some of you
may get sparked to do it your own way.

it really does not matter as long as you
are being creative and enjoying yourself.

i have both the colored frames listed in my etsy shop.

also i have available 2 kits for the mermaid frame,
which have everything you need to make one-
geared towards peeps who have limited time, this
saves you a trip to the art store.

they are not listed in my esty shop
but email me if interested.
(mccabe@dancingmermaid.com)

speaking of etsy-

to all you who are playing with idea
of starting your own shop,
this excersie is a good way to allow you to
think outside of the box.

i hear a lot,
“but there are so many photographers and it is hard to sell prints.”

yes there are and yes it can be,
however, no one is going to do it exactly like you.

framing your own work in a clever way
is something you can do to make your art stand out,
as well as spark ideas to make your product uniquely yours.

hope this makes you want to do something crafty.

even if you are not ready to jump on in,
simply opening your heart to creativity is an act
of love too.

this is all about small steps.

my next project for mermaid camp will be posted
on monday.

stay tuned
and please link if this inspires you to make something.

i had justin pick the winner, because he wanted to:

the ever lovely cynthia! cynthia is a gem of a girl and someone i have known in “real life” since i have moved to california. she is also quite the creative diva herself, and i can’t wait to see what she will make with her new kit.

justin suggested a runner-up which i thought was a cute idea:

the beautiful moonroot, who always leaves the sweetest comments on this blog. email me moonroot (mccabe@dancingmermaid.com) for your contact information.

i love to do contests so don’t fret if you did not win this time, i will do a few more this summer.

on a sidenote, my friend and fellow artist karin is holding an artists market at her magic cottage (919 doris drive, encinitas, ca 92024) this sunday, june 22nd, at 12 pm. it is a great group of creative folks having fun and selling art-candles, paintings, prints, jewelry and other treasures. all you local peeps stop on by! and for those of you who cannot make a last minute trip to california-check out karin’s and cat’s (new friend and gifted painter) amazing etsy shops. really magical, bright art and a perfect place to shop for gift giving. these ladies have it going on i tell you…;)

karin’s creations….

all right friends, tomorrow is the first day of virtual mermaid camp. we are going to find new and inexpensive ways to frame your photographs and art.

see you there….

***********

the postcards sold out and a few of you asked if i would be ordering more. yes, i will! if you want to order a package, email me and i will make sure you are the first to know when i list them.

thank you friends for your outpour of love regarding my last post.

it still surprises me how much beauty and tenderness surround this space-
i am so honored YOU visit me here.

you provide inspiration for me as well-every day.
thank you.

i have been trying to update my etsy shop before all my camps/workshops begin for the summer. having the flu for 3 weeks straight motivated me to have everything not only made but wrapped and ready to go before i list it. it is an awful feeling knowing you are behind and not having the energy to catch up, hence the new system. (which will hopefully improve my customer service)

i have some fun new items in my shop. i think my favorite thing are these rock postcards.

they come with the magnets too.

i also have some fairy kits by your request. (and one mermaid kit) they are packed full of goodies and you should have extra for additional projects. (and for fun i added my own creations too.)

i have so many ideas spinning around right now-wish i could clone myself to get them all done. i still am planning a mermaid retreat come fall and will be sending out an email soon to those who are interested.

another thing i thought would be fun is if i start doing projects here with you. it will be a virtual mermaid camp for the onliners. (it is only optional i will not make you do art)
you folks down for some creating this summer?

as a kid, i spent a lot of time on a little island on the coast of north carolina. every friday after school, my parents would pick me up and we would head to our beach cottage for the weekend.
*
i look at old videos of this time in my life and it does not even look real. miles and miles of white sand, me in a orange one piece with a black tire running down the beach. there were not many folks on the island in those early days, and mostly we depended on our own vices to entertain ourselves. yes, days full of sea and sand is heaven-but at the same time it got lonely sometimes too.

so i began to draw. people. mostly girls and their mothers and sisters and friends. a father here and there-i did not know how to make ‘boy hair” very well so the chickies always outnumbered the dudes. i would make families of these paper dolls, and keep them in the top drawer of my desk. it was a fairly private hobby, and if anyone came into my room unannounced- i would swish those dolls right back in the drawer in one swoop.

my dad was quite enchanted by this secret act of mine and used to tease that he wanted to take one to save when i was older. every now and then i would note a sister or a baby missing in that drawer, and wondered if my dad was really swiping them.

when i was home 6 summers ago for my dads funeral, i found myself in his office one afternoon. i started snooping-looking frantically actually-for some sign of my dad. proof of his love. maybe a letter he meant to send or a picture or a poem. finally, under stacks of receipts and old bills, there it was. a beige folder with my name on it.

in it, there were drawings i had done from the age of three to just a few weeks before-he had saved an envelope that i had doodled flowers and vines on. i opened up the envelope expecting to find the last letter i had sent, and instead out spilled about a dozen paper dolls.

turned out he was not bluffing after all.

that was the first time i wept, really wept, since his death. i had found what i was looking for-this final message of love.

growing up, it was hard for my dad to support my creativity at times. there were years where he was not working which led him into some dark phases of his life. when he finally emerged-i was no longer connected in the same way to the man who delighted in my paper dolls. life was hard and people were mean, and for gods sakes arts and crafts were fine for a hobby but not a realistic career choice.
looking back, i forgive him for this. he was trying to protect me from the same demons that ate him alive. i can understand that now.

the ironic thing is, about 6 months before my dad passed, something in him changed. one day while we were chatting on the phone, he mentioned a neighbor friend of his who painted vintage furniture and sold it out of her garage. he carefully described the colors, the words she wrote, the cleverness of her art.

“dad, do you want to paint?” i asked gently.

he did, and all of our conversations from there on were about his painting. there was just one little problem.

he was having trouble picking up a paintbrush.

so i sent him watercolors, acrylics, tiny brushes and sponge brushes-anything to create a spark. i sent books on how to paint and books on how to get over being afraid to paint. each time we spoke on the phone my first question was always, “did you start?….”

but he was not ready.

sadly, he never did begin before he died. that was difficult for me to accept and i was angry for a long time. grieving is a strange emotion. there is no logic or rhyme to it. there are no directions on how to handle it. i had so much anger that i did not know what to do with myself. really, there was no one to blame or be angry at, which made me even more angry.

but i don’t feel that way anymore. i feel blessed that we had so many talks about art and creativity before he left. one comment he made stands out in my mind. he told me that what he loved most about my art is that he can see me clearly in everything i create.

isn’t that what art should be? an expression of oneself?

i think my dad would be really proud of what i am doing creatively with my life right now. it makes me ache that i can’t show him, however, i do feel like i am also honoring his life and dreams by following my own.

this is why i choose to share this part of my journey with you today. i acknowledge that beginning is hard, and there is often a lot of bullshit you have to plow through before you can be truly free. the important thing is this-you ARE free. if you can untangle yourself from anything or one who is pulling you under-you are free. no chains can lock you in. no nonsupporting comment can stop you from being who you are unless you allow it.

you are free, beautiful being. you are now free to create and be yourself. because i said so.

if my dad were alive today, i would no doubt send him some sort of creativity package stuffed full of goodies. so, instead, in my dads honor-i am going to make an art package for one lucky reader. all you have to do is leave a comment here and i will put your name in a hat and pick a winner on wednesday. my dad would love to be involved in inspiring someone else to create art. i want to give his story power and purpose. by reading this, you have given him purpose, and i thank you for that. bless you.
*
happy fathers dad to all the beautiful dads out there, and the dads to be too…and happy dream making to everyone.

YOU are an artist.

don’t ever let them tell you different.

************

we have just chosen the winner (and a runner up) of the creativity package and it will be announced tomorrow.

my dad gave me some business advice growing up:
he told me to always remember people’s names,
and to figure out what is important to them.

this is really not just good business advice but
also good life advice.

ever notice when you ask the right question
how a person’s face lights up?

that is their own personal magic,
and it is an honor to share in that magic.

another piece of advice i keep close to my heart
is something my old therapist told me.

“when you tell your dreams to someone,
their answer is going to be a projection of
how their dreams turned out.”

in other words,
if someone has not followed their own dreams,
don’t expect them to support yours.

i am a pretty spongy kinda girl
when it comes to others energy-
that combined with the fact that i
suffered from low self esteem and extreme self doubt-
well, lets just say there were a lot of years
where i did not embrace my art or my true self.

i am finally in a place where i feel more solid
in who i am and what i can do-
so certain comments and energy do not blow me
over like a hurricane so much anymore.

yeah there are still moments of self doubt,
and it is not always easy-

but having awareness and compassion
with others who are in different spaces
has proven to be very helpful to me.

you know,
i look at these kids i teach and how there
seems to be no hesitation in doing any project
or activity i present.

they can hardly keep their hands off the brushes
and paint to wait until i explain what to do-
they are just.that.excited.

my feeling is that we all start off this way-
having a natural interest in making things
and exploring with colors and textures and art,
so what happened?

what happened between then and now
that would stop someone from creating
who wants to?
i know many of you who read this blog
are interested in doing your own art,
teaching art classes,
trying new things…
i think if you have the desire to do it,
if your insides get all tingling at the thought
of doing something creative-
DO IT.

at the beginning,
you may feel fragile,
you may feel insecure,
and your inner critics may want
to have a big keg party in your heart.

my advice to you is this:

fuck em.

fuck em
fuck em
fuck em.

the core of YOU is where your magic is.
you cannot go wrong there.
you cannot fail in the magic.

i don’t care if you never picked up a paintbrush
and want to sell paintings for a living.

i don’t care if people tell you that you
can never make any money being an artist
and to find a more realistic career.

some folks are going to feel threatened
or uncomfortable with your ideas,
and that is okay!

negative comments about creativity
come from a fear based place
and you do not have to adopt that
into your belief system.

creating is an energy,
money is an energy.

you want these things to be surrounded
with things that feed them:

faith
hope
abundance
joy
inspiration
love

the key thing is to stay
in this place-
even when things are not working out as planned.

you gotta find a way to keep the magic flowing…

step up folks.
it is YOUR TURN to shine.

creativity is not a reservation card
on a private table you are waiting to
be invited to.

creativity is not a popularity contest.

creativity is feeling
that is available to anyone who wants it.

i know it can be tough
and i want to inspire those who need it.

anyone have any questions?

i get a lot of emails regarding how to
set up an etsy shop and/or teach art classes,
and i would love to
share some things that have worked for me.

if you have any specific questions
feel free to leave them here,
and i will answer them in my next post.

lets get you guys making more art!

and the ones who are already doing it,
lets cheer on the kindreds who are wanting to begin.

i believe in you!!!

hi friends*

i made this little fairy kit today (cause you know i am all about suzi blu and her fairy jars) for some special little friends of mine who just lost someone dear to them. its hard to know what to do when people you care about are grieving. i am so far away from my little fairy girls, so i thought: what would i do if i were with them right now?

thats easy. i would teach them how to make a fairy jar.
so here is my long distance fairy kit with all the fixings. i love the gift of creativity.
*
i added notes in some of the bags:

hagan or lacie or emerson if you are reading this get off the
computer now. i mean it.

they don’t have to take every suggestion of course-
(but if they don’t i will take it back-jk.)
i think it makes it more personal this way.
*
besides, i can’t really not leave little notes. its my thing.
*
is there anyone you can inspire? it does not have to be elaborate as this one. (i am a craft nerd and tend to have an abundance of glittery stuff hanging around) remember simplicity is beautiful. so is thoughtfulness.

ideal recipients of a creativity package:

*a beginning artist who may be shy about going to an art store just yet.
* a friend who is trying to get back in touch with their creative side
* someone who you believe strongly in. (and make sure you stick in a note to tell them)
* a friend who is going through a transition of some sort
* a cranky person. they are cranky because they are not creating!

while we are talking about being creative, i wanted to put out there that i am more than happy to do custom orders. i enjoy doing them. some of the coolest packages i have put together have been someone else’s special request.

like christine asked me to make herb markers for her garden. isn’t that a great idea? i would have never thought of that.

another woman bought this print for a friend who is graduating, which i thought was pretty clever.

got some old jeans?

here is a pair of mother and daughter jeans i recently painted.

a close up:

the child’s pair is supposed to be a princess theme. hence, the hot pink crown. because we all need a hot pink crown deep down don’t we?

more inspiration-wrap something pretty. break out the hot glue gun
if you are feeling feisty. at the knot of the bow glue shells, beads,
a starfish. tie in lavender from your garden.

the photo above is an embrace your inner mermaid kit. there are still two mermaids left. i even added an ocean card (which is a removable 4×6 photo) and one of karins amazing pink grapefruit candles. i am not kidding-these are the most scrumptious candles you will ever smell. trust me on this one.
*
alright dear readers-today i encourage you to think outside of the box. make something-anything. art does not have to be fancy or perfect. just play. invite a friend over to play. it feels good and it has no calories or msg.
*
plus it takes away cranky feelings.
*
hey-too bad delilah can’t paint.
well,yet.

would your wednesday be complete without a delilah update?
i didn’t think so.

lets get started.

important fact #1: she is no longer in the bed being all cuddly.

this breaks my mermaid heart but it is all part of the
you-have-a-cat-now-let-go-process.

i know there are cats that are as loyal as dogs
who will cuddle with you every night,
and delilah is just not one of them.

she is a women of her own rules
and i support that part of her personality-
even though i really want.her.to.cuddle.every.day.

now she is back in the i am pissed at you stage.

in other words,
it is time for more flea medicine, and until it kicks in
we are all in for some less than pleasant mood swings.

to make matters even worse,
we ran out of cat food last night and delilah was NOT HAPPY about this.

nevermind the fact that she got fresh tuna
and treat after treat-

delilah cannot relax unless her food bowl
is more than half full at all times. ALL TIMES.

an empty bowl is more than unacceptable.

so, neither justin or i slept because we were letting
her in and out all night-
(she is sleeping outside now in a blue flower pot)

and each time she came in she went straight for that empty bowl,
followed by this sound: “rarOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.”

rarOOOOOOOOOOOOO means:
i cannot believe you useless humans have still not replaced
the missing food in my bowl.
i gave you 5 whole minutes to get this together people.
and by the way, i have little fleas bugging the crap out of me.
DO SOMETHING.

oh, and why are we letting her in and out all night you wonder?

first off, we can’t just leave her out all night and listen to her meow.
when it comes to delilah, i am a wuss, justin is a wuss.

we are obsessed with our cat.

secondly, she likes to bring us “presents.”
when i let her in at night, i open the door a tiny crack
to make sure her paws and mouth are empty.

lets just say there was incident that involved me screaming
while delilah tried to PUSH her head through the door with a LIVE mouse
squeaking for its life inside her mouth.

(justin came out of the room looking horrified because he thought i was
being attacked.)

i am telling you this because a kitty door was considered, but,
the chances of her bringing wild animals into the house is too high.

*edited to add: she caught a groundhog the other night.
after weeks of staring at a dirt hole in our backyard,
deilah finally caught him.
this does not make me proud or happy.
i was starting to get attached to that little dude.
she is a cold-blooded killer. a really cute cold blooded killer.

also, there is an even higher chance that delilah would refuse to use a kitty door.
that is just how this sister rolls.

(like she refused her litter box after one week. she politely let us know by pooping
next to the litter box. not that i mind that she goes outside. thank god she does.
this house is small.)

other important news:
delilah has a friend now. an almost friend.

this is ellie the dog:

ellie lives in the house behind us so delilah and ellie
share the courtyard.

this is the best shot i have of ellie
because she is scared of the camera.

she is SUCH a sweet, tender dog-
and very, very, shy and timid.
i am not even a dog person and i fell in love
with her on the spot.
she has the most gentle soul you will ever cross.

mostly ellie and delilah have stare-offs in the courtyard.

(with ellie standing behind me terrified while i try to coax delilah
to come over and make friends.)

there has been progress though-

i was not there,
but heard the other day while they were staring at each other,
delilah did her signature long, i-am-so-beautiful-stretch.

this is delilah’s custom move to let us know she is in
the mood to be cuddled.

her slutty stretch:

its a good sign, right?

ellie and delilah are soul sisters-
they both have trust issues
and they both have really cool owners.
my fantasy is that one day i will find
them snuggling by the shed surrounded by yellow wildflowers.

here is one last picture of delilah drinking from her
favorite spot.

i realize she looks rather ridiculous but this was the only way
i could get her to stop drinking out of the fishbowl.

every time she started sipping goldfish water (gross right??)
i would pick her up and put her on the this table with water.

the good news is the tactic worked.

the bad news is i now have to incorporate a bowl of water into
whatever centerpiece i use on our breakfast nook.

because i am a girl that likes to decorate.

god i love my cute cranky ball of fluff.
the end.

*********

ps as always-i love to see your animal pictures and stories too.

this picture pretty much wraps up how i have been feeling lately:

super enthusiastic
slightly overwhelmed
inpired
happy
and a teeny tiny bit kooky.

lots of good things happening lately-one big thing is your warm response to my mermaid camp suggestion. wow! thank you. i honestly was thinking of local women when i wrote this-it never dawned on me that any of you would get on a plane to come play with me. i am beyond flattered.

i am booked with kid camps all summer-so i was thinking maybe around october or so-depending on how many of you are interested. i would like to keep them small and intimate (10-14 per play class) and am open to doing several so everyone who wants to attend will have the chance.

i am going to think more about this in the next few weeks. a big thank you to everyone who left a supportive comment, email, or telepathic high five. i felt it.
*
oh! and two things that are also making me happy this week:

1.) making fairy jars! my students have been ALL about them. i cannot take credit for this fabulous idea, i got the idea straight from one of suzi blu’s videos. suzi is also offering an online class this summer-check out her website for details. i am going to take it-it seems wonderful! i want my mermaids faces to look as sweet as suzi’s little girls.

and

2.) this video and this video.

i am really considering getting a youtube account and vloging. it looks like a damn good time.
*
one more thing-if you are interested in attending any of my playshops, would you mind leaving a comment or emailing me (mccabe@dancingmermaid.com) and letting me know if there is anything specifically that you would like to learn or do?

sending love to you today….

love, mccabe