Jan Avellana | Hazelnut Cottage

little bliss list #1

:) i am playing along with liv and the gang over at liv lane’s blog, where each friday she lists 5 things that bliss her out. here’s mine:

1. blissed out that i was able to break through and capture this image as an original painting. it nearly killed me. it began as a pencil sketch, then grew into a digital illustration, and after 3 failed painting attempts, voila! yay!

2. so grateful for those moments of clarity and gigantic and not so gigantic shifts that happen in life. it’s been a season of unexpected growth lately and i really feel like i’m a different girl than i was just a week ago!

3. so utterly grateful for my children. my husband. my family. for love that surrounds me.

4. blissed out on forward motion. thank you chris guillebeau.

5. so glad i made it through another week. happy aloha friday everybody! :)

wordless wednesday...

5 Random Things | 10.30.10

random thing 1: working on my very first .pdf file, for quick, free and easy download! woohoo! it will be fun and useful!

random thing 2: are you taking advantage of the historically low interest rates? we are thinking of refinancing...pray for us!

random thing 3: i am slowly beginning to practice my “morning pages”, an artist’s disclipline from julia cameron’s “the artists’ way”. a truly pivotal book that is a must read for every artist. for me, these pages are a journal of prayers to God. hard to start, but so good in the end.

random thing 4: recently, sort of obsessing thinking about clay and plaster wrap. i don't know what it is, but i know enough about myself to realize i should just get some and play. i will either grow tired of it before i rip open the package, or it will become a new passion!

random thing 5: thinking of a brand new, slightly edgy haircut and color. stay tuned and don’t say i didn’t warn ya!!!

5 Random Things | 10.14.10

random thing 1: i met a bunch of great folk from the kelly rae’s online flying course this summer and we’ve formed an online community. through this community i’ve made some wonderful friends and so, i decided to feature fellow artists from the kelly rae class, every friday, right here on my blog! (if you are a fellow flyer and are interested in participating, please contact me through the facebook page and i’ll be in touch with you soon!) tomorrow’s interview is with the fabulous juliette crane, painter and artist extraordinaire!

random thing 2: slowly introducing my fall/winter line of jewelry in the hazelnut cottage shop on etsy...more to come very soon!

random thing 3: i need to manage my stress better...much better...

random thing 4: nervously and excitedly awaiting the november issues of somerset magazine’s artful blogging and cloth*paper*scissors studio (vignettes) features!

random thing 5: i want to write and sing and paint. there are parts of me waking up and it is a bit startling! what an adventure this life is!

5 Random Things | 9.8.10

“slow down you’re doing fine, you can’t be everything you want to be before your time.” ~billy joel

1. my body has been reminding me (lately, by throwing bricks at my head) to practice more and better self-care. okay, okay. i’m listening.

2. had the best brainstorming, soul-affirming talk with my pastor and dear friend yesterday. exciting things in the works...will share soon!

3. assaggio's chicken saltimbocca is soooo good!

4. can’t figure out which i need more right now; a new camera, or a high quality flat bed scanner...decisions, decisions!

5. i dream (DREAM I TELL YOU) of holding an art retreat at the fabulous, undiscovered kawela bay. anyone want to join me?!

Maple Bacon and 5 Random Things | 4.19.10

Random Thing #1: Had an organic peanut butter and jelly (strawberry) with maple bacon strips. Lunch today will be organic wild basmati rice with chicken, I think.

Random Thing #2: Looking for a new part-time work from home venture...any leads, please forward them here!

Random Thing #3: Almost done with my DesignFesta inventory. Ships out this week; maybe even tomorrow. And then, I will be treating myself to late night dates with encaustic and mixed-media play. Can’t wait!

Random Thing #4: Loving Rachael Yamagata lately. Listing to “Horizon” over and over again while I work.

Download 09 Horizon

Random Thing #5: Netflix instant streaming to my computer is awesome while I make necklace after necklace for that big wholesale order I was telling you about. Makes the time go by quickly. Well, that and a few left over Easter candies do the trick...

5 Random Things | 4.12.10

1. Am finishing up orders for the Tokyo handmade design exhibition—DesignFesta—with shipment due next week...thankful for this opportunity...

2. Summer is coming soon. Looking forward to play days, beach days, lazy sleep-in days, lots of goodness coming up…i can hardly wait.

3. Learning to get over my insecurities and making attempts at connecting with other artists online. Scary. Exhilarating. Oh, did I say scary?!

4. Quietly celebrating the 3rd anniversary of my Etsy shop. I never know when to celebrate this anniversary since I opened my Hazelnut Cottage on February 28, 2007, but actually stocked the shop in May and made my first sale on May 8, 2007.

5. Learning how to use Facebook for networking (see #3)...find me there and friend me! ;) (Twitter...I still don't get it.)

5 Random Things | 3/29/10

1. Ate miso soup and rice with spam and sato-shoyu vienna sausage for dinner tonight. Simple local Japanese-style comfort food on this cold, windy, rainy night.

2. Looking into pre-school options for the littlest guy. Am torn (as usual) by the fact that I might have an empty nest soon (I know others consider “empty nest” during the college years, but for me, it's preschool)! Maybe I will wait another year!

3. Plan to watch the Swedish indie film tonight, “As It Is in Heaven”. Came highly recommended from a friend...looking forward to it.

4. Been feeling more and more that I want to write. That I want to somehow do film. The desire to paint and collage is slowly coming back too...I feel as if I am slowly thawing out! Wondering why there is such an ebb and flow to my life, my desires and emotions.

5. Anticipating the upcoming Easter Service at Wellspring Covenant Church, my church family, and the Lenten Art Exhibition that we will have on Sunday.

5 Random Things

1.

I am finagling a way to to get myself to the fall session of SQUAM 2010  this year, in celebration of my 40th birthday in May!!! Chances are less than slim, but one can dream…

2.

I finished 3 small pieces of encaustic work this week...it felt good, it felt authentic. I don’t quite know how else to say it except that when I am making art—ceramics, painting, collage and encaustic—it feels right in my soul. Don’t know why, but it feels so good and right and I am wondering how to work more of that into my life and wondering what it all MEANS.

3.

I swear that ever since writing about how I was going to write about “The Etsy Mom”s Guide to Maintaining Sanity: Depression”, I have been depressed! A coincidence? I think not. Sheesh. I am wracked with guilt that I STILL have not finished the series...and it is now 2010.

4.

I came to the realization after making blingy wedding-ish things for a new Hazelnut Cottage line I was sure I was going to launch, that I did not want to do it, despite having talked myself into this new venture. Clear as day, the voice said: “I donwanna make no more jewel-ery anymore!” I don’t know whether or not hand stamped jewelry counts or not…I am still figuring things out.

5.

I’ve been hard at work putting my creative energies towards a surf and Hawaii inspired line of products for the blog I write for—Hawaii Traditions. The re-launch is scheduled for tomorrow at mid-night, in celebration of it’s one year anniversary, so do stop by, leave a comment or two and check out the Hawaii Traditions Zazzle Shop that is now chock full of yummy stuffs! Whew!