Designed and Decorated with love

My grandaughter Hailey and I had fun creating, painting and decorating 2 collage frames- one for her mom and one for her great grandfather for the holidays. I love Tulip brand Beads in a Bottle. They come in different colors and work well on picture frames, glass, paper crafts-pretty much any surface including fabric! They are easy to use and they give a 3D effect and harden like a brad or a bead. We got more creative with our frame design as we went along and I even tried it directly on the glass frame on the top left pic. The words For You Mom are in black beads in a bottle. When my grandsons saw these they asked how come they couldn't do one! So for Valentine's day they will be doing small picture frames for their mom- Can't wait to create with them!

Have an A to Z holiday Weekend!

Get Jazzed & Joyful Thought:
Today and this Holiday weekend your mission should you decide to accept is:
To Give yourself Permission To ....

-Accept the flow and pace of things!
-Be the Best You to everyone!
-Count your Blessings!
-Dare to be Yourself!
-Enjoy yourself with Enthusiasm!
-Feed your Soul as well as your Tummy!
-Gratitude Power for the whole weekend!
-Honor yourself and others!
-Invite Everyone into your Heart!
-Jazzed & Joyful at all times this weekend!
-Keep it simple!
-Live fully, Laugh outloud and Lighten Up!
-Make it Memorable!
-NO Negativity!
-Open your mind to all the Possibilities!
-Play and Plug into Life!
-Quiet! your inner critic!
-Release your Inner child!
-Step out of your comfort Zone!
-Take a risk; meet new people or Try something new!
-Use your Funny Bone!
-Value yourself!
-Work - on having FUN!
-Xtra calories are OK this weekend!
-You can Relax and take time for You!
-Zany can be fun this weekend!

Affirm:
     I give Myself Permission to do and Be all of the above from A to Z!

Have a Marvelous Memorial Weekend!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Every Day in Every Way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Gear up in Serenity for New Years!

Get Jazzed & Joyful Thought:

One holiday is over and another one will soon be upon us. After all the high frentic energy, the fast pace of all the recent activities, the peaks, the valleys of interacting with family and friends - STOP! - take a deep breath in ....and let it out.....do it again...releasing all stress and emotional back up. NOW breath in peace, serenity, love and joy.
As you gear up for the next holiday- New Years, remember to take a little time out for you. Break the momentum of stress, tension and emotionality by giving yourself the gift of a mini retreat simply by sitting right where you are now and breathing in - peace, love and joy- and breathing OUT all stress, fear and negativity.

However you travel during these holiday times; by car, plane, train or Brain - decide to Enjoy the trip!

Affirm:
     I generate positive energy today and I choose to be positive and peaceful.

Have a Terrific Tuesday!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Every Day in Every Way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Just Lighten up and Laugh!

Get Jazzed & Joyful Thought:

An average five year old child laughs more than four hundred times a day. An Adult? Fourteen.
Do you think that's why so many adults need laxatives? Loretta LaRoche

Your mission today and this holiday is to find reasons to laugh. To Lighten up and enjoy yourself. Find the humor in the little things. Laughter is not only good for your soul but is healthy for your heart. Laughter de-stresses our entire system not to mention providing a wonderful attitude adjustment for ourselves and those around us.
So this Holiday go for it! Find a reason to laugh!

Have a laughter filled Wednesday!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Every Day in Every Way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Too Blessed to be Stressed!

Get Jazzed & Joyful Thought:

Whenever you feel yourself being anxious, frustrated, overwhelmed just STOP! and tell yourself:
              I am too Blessed to be stressed today!
                    (Repeat as often as needed.)

Have a Blessed Tuesday!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Everyday in Every Way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Scatter Joy Today!

Get Jazzed & Joyful Thought:

Your mission should you decide to accept it is to Scatter Joy today!
A smile on your face to all you meet. Saying "Happy Holidays!" to strangers brings the most wonderful results. The most powerful of all words is "Thank You." Try saying "Thank You" to as many people as possible today. Random acts of Kindness are very powerful, especially at this time of year.
Whenever I see bell ringers outside of a store I always say "Thank you for braving the cold to help other people." Sometimes I even come out of the store with a cup of hot coffee or cocoa and hand it to the person and say "Just a little something to help keep you warm"
Try it for yourself and see the immediate surprise of joy that follows.

Affirm:
     Today I greet everyone with a smile and an attitude of Joy.

Go for it- have a Scatter Joy Monday!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Every day in Every way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Tis the season to Choose to be Jolly

Get Jazzed & Joyful Thought:
They say "'Tis the season to be jolly."

I say 'Tis the season to CHOOSE to be jolly. Today make the conscious choice for joy and happiness. It's an inside job so start within and begin to feel happy and joyful and let it radiate out. As you go through your day encountering other people and circumstances remind yourself that you chose happiness and joy today instead of being right, being a victim, being perfect, stressed out, being critical or judgmental.

Affirm:
    Today I choose to be jolly, happy and joyful!

Have a Happy inside and a Joyful Jolly out Wednesday!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Every Day in Every Way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Be True to You holidays

Get Jazzed & Joyful Thought:

It is very stressful, especially at the holiday times, to try to live up to everyone else's standards for you, to people please, over commit because you're afraid to say No, do things out of guilt rather than free will, hold back your own thoughts and feelings because someone may not like or agree with you.

Just for today try something different. Be your version of you, please yourself, commit only to what you really want to do, speak your thoughts and share your feelings with truth and love.
Just for today - relax and Be You! After all no one can tell you you're doing it wrong because you're the expert on you!

Have a Be True to You Monday!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Everyday in Every Way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Give yourself a Time Out.

Get Jazzed & Joyful Thought:

It's time to take a deep breath and sloooow down! All the hype from the radio and tv and newspapers telling us that time is running out - everyone around us, including ourselves feeling inadequate as we focus on all the things we haven't done and wondering how we will accomplish it all.
Feeling overwhelmed causes stress and stress causes the need for acceleration - as though if we could somehow speed up, quiken our pace, we could do more, be more, get more done.

When I think I have too much to do and therefore don't have the time to take a break for me it is like driving my car and seeing that I need gas but keep putting it off to get one more thing done. If I don't take the time to stop and put gas in my car - then the law of Cause and Effect will kick in and I will be forced to take a break -
while I walk to the gas station or call someone for assistance.
And I will not be in a great mood either!

By choosing to take time out for myself, I am in better spirits, have a better attitude and have more positive energy to do all the things I need to do - with a "light" heart.
So take a break for yourself today and recharge, refuel and re-energize! Fill your "gas tank" with time for yourself!
You are worth it and You deserve it!

Affirm:
     Today I deserve a "time out" just for me!

Have a Me time Wednesday!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Every Day in Every Way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Be a Secret Angel this season!

Get Jazzed & Joyful Thought:

They say this is the season of angels and miracles. This holiday season consider becoming an angel yourself. Miracles don't have to be big and have lots of fanfare they can be small, simple and anonymous.

There are so many ways to become an anonymous angel for someone else.

Get your family and friends to fill out Holiday cards and take them to a nursing home and have the staff give them to the residents, who don't always get a lot of mail.
After it snows, go shovel or snowblow an elderly neighbors driveway. If you can't do it yourself, see if you can get one of the high school students to do it as their contribution to spreading holiday cheer.
Put together a food basket and put it on the doorstep of someone you know is having a hard time.
Offer to babysit for free for a relative, co-worker or neighbor who needs to go holiday shopping but might have a hard time getting someone to watch the children.
See if you can get some of your family, co-workers or friends to join you in becoming Secret Angels. See how many creative ideas you can come up with. The more Secret Angels there are out there the more Holiday Miracles that can happen!

Affirm:
     Today I look for ways to become a secret blessing to someone else.

Have a miracle filled Monday!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Every Day in Every Way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Have an adventure Weekend!

Get Jazzed & Joyful Thought:

Make this weekend an Adventure Weekend! Do something different.

Make snow angels and go for hot chocolate. Play a card game or a board game with your family or friends. Listen to some different music just to try it out. Go for a drive in the car and go down streets that you haven't been to before and check out the Holiday lights.

If you're doing your Holiday cards pack them up and take them to the bookstore and write them out while having a cappuccino in the cafe.
In the winter time we can feel a lethargy that comes from doing the same routine. So shake up the winter blahs and try something new, something different.
Go on an Adventure this weekend!

Affirm:
    Today I create new energy and fun by having a sense of Adventure!

Have an Adventurous Weekend!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Every Day in Every Way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Today is your choice

Get Jazzed & Joyful Thought:

Today is a great day! A day of unlimited possiblities. A day filled with your potential for peace, love and happiness! It is the season of Joy and Gratitude.

With Possibility, Peace, Love, Happiness, Joy and Gratitude how can your day be anything but Great!

Affirm:
    It's my choice and I choose to have a Great today!

Have a your choice Thursday!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Every Day in Every Way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Holiday Ideas for the Little kid inside of you

Get Jazzed & Joyful Daily Thought:

Today's Daily Thought is for the Little kid inside all of us - (attention adult -this is worth the read!)

It's the holiday time. The time when we make a list to give gifts to people we love and care about. A time when we see children excited about the season and the anticipation of wrapped gifts.

Here is a fun idea. How about putting yourself on your gift list. After all there is a little kid inside each of us. So why not think about something you could get for your inner child? Like a paint set, a pair of fun pajamas, some legos or a constructor set, a stuffed animal or perhaps a journal, cool pen or fun stationery? How about a Santa or Snowman mug with a favorite cocoa, tea or coffee packet inside?

When you are out shopping let the kid inside guide you to something special - just for you. Then wrap it up and put it under the tree or with your other gifts that get opened for Christmas, Hanukkah or for whatever special holiday, season or faith you celebrate.
Every year I get a fun gift for Little Me and put it under our tree. I address the tag "To: Little Me" From: Adult ME". I get it early enough so that by the time I open it, it triggers the fun memories of picking it out and the knowledge that "Cool now I get to use it!"

It is also a wonderful tradition to hand down to the next generation. It reminds my children who are now in college and my grandkids (seven of them from my husband's side!) the importance of keeping in touch with the inner child, the fun, spontaneous, creative and adventure side of our adult self.
It is an excellent tool for adults to use that allows us to lighten up, let go of some stress and to change our perspective from being overwhelmed by the season to actually enjoying it and participating in it with a softer, warmer heart.
I have been doing it for many years now and my kids and grandkids are used to it. Instead of saying "What's up with this?!" they say "Oh look here is one for Little Me!" In fact my husband does it too and we even give fun gifts to each other's inner child. There is a fun gift for Little Jimmy from Little Me and vice versa and so there is a genuine surprise gift (like one year it was a Zbots build it yourself Space station for Little Jimmy and a Sparkly stuffed Teddy Bear for Little Me which I still have).

How about exchanging names with some of your friends or family and getting fun gifts for your inner kids?

It may sound corny and ridiculous (and that would be the serious, "I'm too old for this" adult in you talking) but the fun, joy and love it generates is real and lasting!
Come on 'Fess Up! You know you want to! So go ahead! This year let your inner child have some fun too!

Affirm:
    'Tis the Seaon to be good to Myself and my Inner Child! And I am Worth it!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Every Day in Every Way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Keep a Thankful Focus

Get Jazzed & Joyful Thought:

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a day traditionally for Turkey, Ham, Stuffing, Family and Football.

Today many of us will spend the day and or this evening getting ready for tomorrow; going to the grocery store, making travel arrangements, cleaning house, baking and cooking ahead of tomorrow's dinner feast.
How much time will be spent on Thankfulness, Gratitude and Counting Blessings? When was the last time you actually wrote down a Gratitude list for this time of the year? When was the last time that you asked others at the dinner table to take turns and to share one of their Blessings with everyone?
What would your Holiday be like if the focus was on Gratitude, Thankfulness and Blessings instead of worrying if you got a big enough turkey? Or If there is enough time to get everything done? Or how long should you stay after dinner? Thinking about getting to bed early enough to get up for the day after Thanksgiving holiday Sales?
What if you just relaxed, slowed down a little and enjoyed the Holiday for what it is supposed to be about- thankfulness. What if you counted everyone that crosses your path today and tomorrow as a Blessing sent to you this Holiday as an opportunity for you to say Thank You to them all?
What would that Holiday be like? Find out for Yourself!

Affirm:
    This Thanksgiving I keep my focus on being Thankful, Grateful and Counting all my Blessings.

Have a truly Thankful Holiday!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Every Day, in Every Way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Start Thanksgiving early

Happy Friday!

There is all the media hype about Black Friday starting early. Why even last weekend the sales hype was already in full gear. So that made me think.
Why not start giving the gift of Gratitude and Thankfulness early too? Start saying Happy Holidays to everyone you meet. How about saying a simple "Thank You" to people who probably don't hear it a lot. Like the postal carrier, the sanitation workers, policemen, firemen, teachers, grocery store clerks, employees who go out and get the carts from the parking lot. You could even say "Thanks" to the customer who takes their cart back to the cart corral instead of leaving it in the parking lot.

There are so many ways to express gratitude, thankfulness and appreciation. This weekend why not challenge yourself and others to see how many different ways that you can find to extend the gift of Thankfulness to as many people as possible.
Then on Sunday evening or Monday compare notes over a cup of coffee to see how many creative ways everyone came up with to spread Gratitude and Thankfulness.
And see how wonderful it feels to make a difference in someone's life by making a big impact with small and simple feel good gestures.

Affirm:
    This weekend I will focus on spreading Gratitude and Thankfulness as I prepare for the Holiday.

Have a Thankfully Grateful Weekend!
Mary Ellen
Get Jazzed & Joyful About You, Every Day in Every Way!
Believe in Yourself, Anything is Possible!

Pumpkin Art Give Thanks

I decided to paint a pumpkin for Thanksgiving. It evolved as I painted. I started with the words Give Thanks and then added my signature flowers, one in red, yellow and purple. Then I added black swirls with Lime Green dots and finished with red hearts and white swirls scattered around.
My hubby took a picture of me and my finished pumpkin.
I have decided that I liked the way it turned out so much that I am going to get some smaller pumkins and some gourds and paint them and use them as a center piece for my dining table.

busy busy and yet

This is the holiday season and everyone is busy, busy getting ready for it. I have to learn to be more disciplined because although I have been busy creating art and making journals, affirmation rocks, holiday gifts and I have done open houses which have been wonderful, I don't prioritize making the time to do my blog routinely. I am one who always tries to figure out the why's of everything. The bottom line is ,of course, that there is only 24 hours in a day. We all prioritze and make choices about what to put into our 24 hours. So clearly if I want blogging to be important then I have to prioritize it and put it into my 24 hours. And then the solution is- just do it! And so I shall-

Here is a picture of my Art Studio Open House that I had last month- I even had a christmas tree up and lighted for it! It went really well and I am having another one- a holiday Open House this sunday. I will post pics from then too. In the meantime I am busy painting and creating!!