Paris Mosaics

I have shown you some beautiful mosaics from Paris in former blogs. Here are two more places I would recommend if you want to see more incredible mosaics: The Sacre' Coeur and the Paris National Opera. They are both FULL of wonderful mosaics. 

                         This is the Sacre' Coeur it is full of mosaics from floor to ceiling. 

This is the Basilique in Sacre' Coeur

 Basilique in Sacre' Coeur

Here are a few mosaics from the Paris National Opera. 

Here again there are mosaics from the walls to the ceiling. 

Paris National Opera

Paris National Opera

Paris National Opera

An Empty Studio

My Empty Studio After Packing

What a strange feeling to have an empty studio. I keep going to the room which is no longer my studio to find string or a special glue only to remember it is all packed away in boxes deep in my storage unit.

My Studio Before Packing

My Studio Before Packing

I'm going to see this as a challenge. What can I do creatively without my well supplied studio. It will test my creativity and make me learn to find inspiration in a different way using less materials.

My Studio Before Packing

It kind of excites me.

Learning to Receive

Paint Party

 I haven’t been able to do a blog in the last couple of weeks because I am trying to get my house ready to sell this spring and time has slipped away from me. I have been packing, cleaning and painting.

I found that I couldn't get it all done on my own so I reached out to my friends. I sent out an email to ask those who had mentioned they wanted to help. I asked 18 friends and 14 replied that they would be there. Several were out of town but they offered to help later. It was an amazing feeling to have such support.

I have always been a giver because being a giver feels really good and you are not vulnerable. To ask for help felt strange and a bit uncomfortable, but I knew I could not do it without them. They had offered many times so I took the chance.

I am so glad I did. It was the most wonderful feeling. My friends showed up and worked so hard for two days that the house buzzed like a bee hive, lots of laughter and talking. I felt so supported and loved.

We had pizza and tea, it was more like a party than work. I really learned something from this experience. I learned that it makes others feel good to give back. It made me feel really valued by my friends that they loved me enough to paint (a rather awful task). I felt uplifted and loved, that they would be there no matter what.

I now feel stronger and safer than I ever have. I want to give back even more than I did before. I still need to perfect the lesson of receiving, as I sat at the table for tea I kept telling people, "sit down we have a chair for you" and, "did you get any tea or cookies?" All my friends just laughed and said, "you need to trust that we will ask for what we need and you don’t have to take care of everyone."

What a gift. It took my life falling apart to learn this. I hope you have known this or can learn to receive without the pain of loss. It is truly amazing.

"The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I  have received it."

- Hubert Humphrey

Butterfly Finger Puppets

Here is a fun and easy craft to make with your kids or friends. 

Supplies you'll need:

One old glove (cut off the fingers)

Felt

Fabric glue or white glue will work if you don't want to wash them.

Decorating things like beads, rhinestones, sequins or whatever you have.

1) Cut butterfly shapes  out of your felt. 

Butterfly Finger Puppets 

2) Then before your kids start glue the glove fingers onto the butterfly and let dry.( this way when they are done decorating they can carefully play with them.)

Butterfly Finger Puppets

3) Working with the kids, decorate the butterflies. Have fun.

Butterfly Finger Puppets 

Parisians love for Wall Gardens

Wall gardens are popping up all over Paris and covering large museum walls 

and tiny shops. Here are some examples of them.

Paris Wall Gardens

 I am amazed at all the different plants they use. Look closely,

it's hard to believe they even use hydrangea's. 

Paris Wall Gardens

Paris Wall Gardens

Paris Wall Gardens

Here's what they look like when they start them.

Paris Wall Gardens

 This one is on a private home.

Paris Wall Gardens

This Garden is on a department store.

Wall Garden on a Tiny Shop

Wall Garden on a Tiny Shop

Notice all the different plants that work.

Wall Garden on a Tiny Shop

Wall Garden on a Tiny Shop

Great Idea For Your Old Book Covers!

I was at a used book store and this is what they 

handed me with my prints tucked neatly inside.

Great Idea For Your Old Book Covers

What a quick and simple idea to recycle your loose book covers,

 all they did was tape up the sides. It's a fun idea for wrapping a print 

or something pretty flat.  It would even work for a tee-shirt.

 I think it would even be fun to mail a letter inside of one.