Goodbye Summer :)

BEACH BABIES!

Well, it's back to school time for students and time to say bye-bye to summer. This pic was taken in Destin, Florida on summer vacation, good times! The precious girls are (L to R) my 2 nieces, 1 cousin, and my daughter, Amy on the end (in the yellow swimsuit.) Talk about cute! These kids loved going to Florida every year, and as a matter of fact, I did too! Just had to post this as my "au revoir" to summer fun.
God bless you & yours!
~Julesmarie :)

Brave Girls Art School

I am most excited about Brave Girl Art School because it is being taught by my soul sister, Melody Ross! Melody you haven’t met me yet, but I’m dreaming of the day when we do meet. I love your heart. You and Kathy are so blessed to be sisters,  you are both some of my soul sisters. I too come from a large (catholic) close-knit family and that is the biggest blessing in life! God loves you both, and so do I!

Do yourself a favor and check them out - they are AWESOME!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVw-H9hIOmg&list=UUp_8gklBUCGmq7_E_rnoGog&index=1&feature=plcp
xoxo,
jude

Blue Sky, Blue Eyes and Healing by the Grace of God

Sweet home Alabama

We are approaching the 2nd year anniversary of Lindsay's accident. Lindsay sustained a traumatic brain injury in October 2010, at the age of 22. The doctors did not expect her to survive.  I love this girl, she's the cutest, the funniest, and kindest girl. May God continue to bless her and all of her loved ones.

Lindsay being cute Lindsay

Commissioned painting :)

One of my original paintings for a precious 3 yr. old

Just finished this commissioned painting for a friend's little girl. Her name is Lilli, and she just turned 3 yr. old. This is acrylic on canvas with a poly resin finish for protection. Lilly is a beautiful child, just like her Mom. I am thrilled that they love it!

 I hope you all are having a great summer!
xoxo, jules

We love our pets

My bottle fed baby, Luka, also know as "Little"

When you have pets they are part of your family, you love them, care for them and you're sad when they are sick. My little cat friend, Leedle, has been sickly ever since he was involved in a spat with another neighborhood cat. This little cat was found in the road by my son when he was 3 or 4 weeks old. My son brought him to me and I bottle fed him and ever since he has been the most precious lap cat I've ever had. I am praying for a speedy recovery (he's been to the vet 3 times since he got hurt) but he continues to be "under the weather." I love this little feline, and I'm sending out prayer requests for my little friend.
Thanks everybody.
Love,
julesmarie :)

Authentic Girls :)

I have just read the most inspiring story about a wonderful woman and her family's triumph over hard, hard times, similar to my own. Her blog is here http://www.melodyross.typepad.com/

What a beautiful soul, what an inspiring story, what faith in God. It is people like her who really make a difference in the world, who strive to make people's lives better, and in the process, make their own lives better!

God bless all the soulful artists across the land, reaching out and touching other's lives in beautiful ways.

Spring in Alabama is so beautifully green, it is awe inspiring.

May God bless and keep you!
~Julesmarie :)

To blog or not to blog - that is the question...

Ada loves riding in the car

It has been a really long time since I've posted on my blog. This year I want to post more, paint more, play more, and fully believe that all that lies ahead of me is good! Love this picture of my sweet Ada, just wanted to share it with my blog friends. Till next time :)

Antique highchair love :)

I was gifted this very old baby's highchair for my birthday from my sweet husband. Love it, just love having it in my kitchen, day-dreamin' of babies coming over who would love to sit there :) New studio photos to come real soon as well as new paintings! All coming together very nicely... preparing for a fall open house in my studio. Love from a very warm Alabama!
Ciao!

Julesmarie :)

Summer sunset in Alabama

Enjoyed a drive out in the country with my sweet husband Geoffrey and this is what the sunset looked like as we drove down this country road. Loved it :)
Have a great weekend everybody!

Studio total makeover photos coming soon! It looks great, all nice and new.

Take care.

~Julesmarie :)

I recently sold my first commissioned painting!

I  recently sold my first commissioned painting! I am thrilled, what a confidence shot in the arm! Feels great, I've gotta say to have someone out there get you, AND get your art. I've got one word, AWESOME! Here's a look at Becky's bunnies! The 2 fairy bunnies are Becky's granddaughters, Riley and Audrey, two cutie pies!!! The painting is hanging over the bed in the girl's room at their Nana's house :) Thank you Becky!

Love, love love to all bunny lovers!
~ciao,
julesmarie :)

Tuscaloosa tornado category 1 disaster

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=217778308234398&comments

Please pray for my hometown, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The April 27th tornado went right beside my home. Our neighborhood lost a lot of big trees, some houses had trees in them, we lost power for several days, but no fatalities in my neighborhood. Right behind us however, lots of people were not spared. Many people are suffering. The devastation to our sweet home Alabama cannot be absorbed yet... please pray for God's mercy and peace for all victims.

sadly,
julesmarie

House of Turquoise

Good day everyone! I have always loved the colors of turquoise stones. The different hues, Indian turquoise is a beautiful bluish shade, desert turquoise is a darker shade and then there are the greenish stones. My color palette for painting consists of turquoise, blues, greens, colors of the ocean, the sky, beautiful swimming pools, the colors of the "Emerald Coast" on the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. In the south, summer = trip to the beach! Only 300 miles to the coast, and boy, it is so worth the trip! Family vacations to the beach, you just can't beat it. I want to show you this blog which I am totally loving, http://www.houseofturquoise.com/   Love, love love it.
:)

Home tour photos - part 1

This week I will be featuring photos of my home and my art studio. Today I want to share the beautiful view through my living room windows. The kitty cat is a rescue that my son brought home after someone left him to die at about 4 weeks old. I bottle fed him, and now he really thinks I am his mom! How cute is that???
Happy weekend to all of you.
Have a great new week this week!

Ciao,
Jude :)

Cutest baby buggy :)

I found this adorable baby carriage at my favorite antique/junk store. How cute is it as a planter? Love!
Have a great day friends!
xoxo,
jules

New art work

A new painting for a lovely brown eyed girl I know.

My name painted with my favorite colors!

 

My kids were stopped by this train and Lindsay noticed my name! Awesome! The colors are perfect, 2 of my  favorites, cool huh? I like to daydream about the artist and wonder if it was meant for me :)

Spring in Alabama

Check out this cool prism. Looks like my Ada is receiving her magical powers!

Tell me what you think :)

My Austin and his Lindsay ... adorable inside and out!
Today is day # 1 at a new inpatient rehab for Lindsay - approx. 60 miles away - Lakeshore Rehab.in B'ham, AL. Lindsay will stay for a few weeks, and with continued blessings from God she will gain more and more strength every day shes there.  Please continue to pray for Lindsay's TBI recovery. God has been blessing her each and every day. God is good.

Check out the images below, the first 2 are the photos on my calendar for this month... earlier this month, when I flipped my calendar to March, I was struck by the beauty of Sicily, Italy.  I thought my Etsy banner (see below) this art of the blue waters - art I made up in my imagination, looks a whole lot like this beautiful spot in Sicily, Italy! What a beautiful spot on God's green earth, which I had never seen before March 1, 2011. I created this Etsy banner (the very bottom image below) a couple of years ago... i'm just saying  i saw a resemblance. What do you think?
i like stuff like that ... must be a sign that I will go to Sicily one day, yeah with my whole family - the cutest little Italian family! Marie, we love you and miss you
Enjoy your week! Smile :) God loves you!
~jules

Thank you for your comment!

To "anonymous" who left a comment on my last post... first of all - God bless you and yours! Your comment meant so much to me! I called my son, who called his mom-in-law and we all 3-wayed while I read your comment to them! They were so happy, uplifted with fresh hope by your very words, as was I. God works in mysterious ways, and we are living our journey with Him - LIVE - everyday. Seeing His work is awesome, feeling His work is incredible, knowing His work ... by the grace of God.

xoxo,
juju

Healing by the grace of God :)

An original acrylic on canvas I painted for Lindsay

Hi! I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving! Mine was wonderful, dinner at my daughter's house with lots of family and friends, very very lovely. God is good.
Exactly 7 weeks ago today  Lindsay sustained a TBI - Tramatic Brain Injury, when she crashed a scooter at 50-mpi, and hit her head. She was not supposed to survive, according to the doctors... but she did, according to God.
By the grace of God, she has improved each and every day. Yesterday, 12-1-10 was her first full day at the rehabilitation unit of the hospital.
Lindsay has been so blessed to have a mother who loves her with all of her heart and soul, being right there with her, her Nana, and my Austin being there too, as well as so many others who are praying daily for her healing.
We are absolutely LOVING being able to communicate with her. She does all kinds of funny little things, especially around Austin. He calls me and laughs while he tells me the little stories about things she has done. It is so awesome, for reals!
Please keep praying for Lindsay as she will have to work extremely hard to walk again, after the trauma of the injury, she tires very, very easily.
Man, we love that kid! God's strength to you my precious girl. You are loved so much it hurts :)
Here's a peek at the painting I gave Lindsay for Thanksgiving.
Thanks for all the prayers and love that have been sent our way. God bless.
xoxo,
jules

Our precious Lindsay needs prayers

Our precious Lindsay Renea was hurt in a motorcycle accident late Thursday afternoon. She has not gained consciousness yet, we are at approx. 54 hours post her head injury and holding on with all of our might that this precious, beautiful girl will come back to us happy, healthy & whole. For this I am asking all of you, my followers & anyone reading this tiny little blog entry... please pray to God for my youngest child, Lindsay, shown here with one of her beloved pets, the late, Jaxson, a beautiful, solid black great dane. Jaxson was awesome!
May God bless all of you tonight, and may he always keep you tucked in tight to his heart.

xoxo,
jude (jules)

from my house to your yours

Below is an exert from the blog of a very, very creative, talented artist, Anna Maria Horner.  I've been following her blog for about two years now. The intrigue for me at first was her large Christian family. She and her husband are adorable and have six adorable kids. The oldest daughter is off to college, she is an artist, just like her Mom. Coming from a large Christian family too I loved her blog posts about her adorable, did I say adorable? kids!  Her interior decorating skills are enviable to any homemaker. I love her patterns, especially her colors, I am a color girl. She is a fabric artist among many other things, a great seamstress and then there's me, a girl who made her own prom dress in the 11th grade, and I lllloooovvvvveeeed it. That my friend is an awesome memory that I think about often. That great feeling of loving something that I made with my own hands. So, here's what Anna Maria said today on the 4th anniversary of her blog...so Anna Maria...so sweet.

"And on the note of comfort, I wanted to take the time to say thanks for coming along with me on this little journey. I know some of you have been here for 4 years (or longer!) and some just got here today. I thank each of you for the little nook you've carved out for me in your days, leaving me room to share."

This, my friend is what blogging is all about, I think... connecting with other like-minded souls.

Thanks for carving out a tiny little nook for me in your day!!!

Lots of new work coming soon.
~ciao.
xoxo,
julesmarie :)

Love the ones you're with :)

I'm just saying... this is one of the cutest kids in the world - my sweet husband. It doesn't get any better than this. Life is good.
I've got new artwork coming real soon, some great stuff! I've been playing with lots of different kinds of techniques. I am officially unable to go a day without drawing, I absolutely love seeing images take on a life of their own, cute faces, all different from each other, each like a friend of mine, or a family member, or a cute dog that I love. What a blessing, being inspired by the people and pets we love. All of this inspiration as I prepare for my first art show! Again, life is good.
I hope you are having a great weekend.

Namaste,
jules :)

Gratitude

Living a life filled with gratitude all over your life is a surefire way to be happy each and every day! Be aware of the beauty that is all around us everyday. The birds, the green plants, the blue waters, the beautiful babies and children... it goes on and on. Soak it all in and live life to the fullest! It's your life, make it a life on purpose!
Have a great day!

xoxo,
julesmarie :)

"Goofing around..."

"Have you seen Jules' new book?" E.T. is excited about Julesmarie getting inspired by the art of Kelly Rae Roberts! Her book is awesome! I love it. Love.

Later,
Julesmarie :)

Beautiful summer in Alabama

A friend of mine called me on her way to work to tell me about these sunflower fields. I took my daughter, Amy, to go see this sunflower garden. We took some great photos. I'll share with you, they are way-cool. I hope you are having a great summer!
:)

Spending the weekend in the country...

My daughter and her Randy played pioneers at a fall festival in south Alabama. It is so cool out in the country of south Alabama... fun was had by all. My husband, my friend, and I went down to spend a sweet weekend in the country. It was great, being out in the open country, o.m.g. ... the stars where out of this world, miles away from any city lights, beautiful!!! There were baby deer running across the yard as we gazed at the stars, totally breath taking. I want to share some photos... some from the "Pioneer Days" festival, and some shots from the old home place where we stayed...

xox,
jules :)

Sorry I've been away...

Hi guys! I have not been a very good blogger as of late. I went to visit my BFF (of many years)... she lives in Atlanta. We had a great long weekend, actually stayed for 4 nights, it was great. She was my maid of honor, I was her maid of honor. We met our husbands at the same place, a local (well, not any more) cool joint, live music and the best sub sandwiches you'll ever eat. That was a long time ago, but our friendship just gets better and better.
I've turned over a new leaf, well, an old leaf that flipped, and now I am flipping it back over... I am getting back into my yoga practice. I love doing yoga, it makes you feel so good, can't imagine why I let so much time go by without it!

I've been working on a painting of my BFF and I - will preview soon!
So, for now, Namaste!
~jules :)

My 50's retro dollhouse:)

Check out the decor, sweet, right?
xoxo,
jules :)

Painting makes me happy :)

I have become a member of Suzi Blu's Les Petite Academy of Art. This is going to be fun. Suzi's creations are really colorful, fun, and just the kind of art I love.
This is a painting of a "before" my lessons from the Academy, stay tuned for my "after" shot!

xoxo,
jules :)

Toy Story

My kids always wondered why I liked old toys, I am realizing I am not the only one! A fellow artist (and Etsy shop owner) posted a link to a Toy Story movie clip ... cool. Check her out:

http://blueyeduckstudios.blogspot.com/

XOXO,

jules

Finally, a sunny day in Alabama :)

It has rained a lot here in the deep south, and I gotta tell you, my plants, my lawn and the woods are so green, it's great!
Check out my red bell pepper plant ... they are green until a day or two before ready to be picked, then they turn red. Cool, huh? Makes me want to keep on keeping on :)

~xox,
julesmarie

Painting on the porch...

These rainy days are the best for hanging out on the porch, I just love hearing the rain, and it is so much cooler. I love my porch, it is the perfect spot for some quiet time. I am working on a new painting called "just us girls" - 6 girls - could be sisters, or could be friends. (I just so happen to be 1 of 6 girls in my family!)
The rain sounds so soothing, and my plants are so green!
:)

My Mom's Handmade Dolls

My sweet Mama has been making handmade dolls ever since I was a kid. She would donate them to our catholic school, for the annual fundraising "bazaar" (which is called a Fall Festival these days.)
The children in our family lovingly received one of these dolls from my Mama.

See her shop on Etsy! Just copy & paste:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=8236368&ga_search_query=stellasraggedyanns&ga_search_type=seller_usernames

Aren't they precious, my great niece, Stella (photo 1)  and my cousin's newest grandchild, Sofia (photo 2.) Beautiful babies!

~xox, jules

My pretty girl!

Here's a sweet picture of my buddy, she hangs out in my art room with me. Isn't she beautiful? We love her!

xox,
jules