Last weekend, I saw Kacey Muscgraves perform at the Houston Rodeo.

Let me tell you how much I love me some Kacey. She was my most-listened-to artist that I according to my end of the year summary on Spotify; I spent over 32 hours of last year listening to her music, particularly her newest album, “Golden Hour.” Last summer I launched a collection of paintings, that I named “The Color of My Sky” after a line of one of her songs, the namesake of her album:

“...You’re my golden hour,
The color of my sky
You set my world on fire,
And i know, i know everything's gonna be alright…”

Needless to say, I’m a fan.

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Slowly but surely, I’m learning what the true meaning of “adulthood” is. Looking back, there are so many times when someone older than me dropped some wisdom, or told me a truth that I brushed off, thinking, “No, it’ll be different with me/us. We will do it differently,” just to turn around and nod my head saying, “yup, you were right.” Whether it’s about marriage, sticky situations, or life changes, some things are just always true. One of the lessons I’m beginning to learn is two-fold.

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Dear Spring,

You have nearly arrived. You teased us a couple of times throughout the Winter, sneaky you, but I’m glad you’re here to stay. I’m ready for the days where I don’t mind walking to my car, walking my dog, and I don’t have to run on the godforsaken treadmill because biting morning cold is just too much too early. Because you’re here, I can wear fewer layers of bulky clothes, and don’t have to panic if I leave the house without a scarf. Your warmth is a welcome visitor.

I know you won’t be here long, but I intend to enjoy every minute of your visit.

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As the end of the year is approaching, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about my goals for next year and dreaming up all of the ways I can grow and develop in the coming year. A long term goal that is always on my mind is building my own studio.

While its true that art-making can happen anywhere at any time, there’s something dreamy when I think about having the perfect studio. It would be bright white, with tall ceilings and lots of wall space. There would be a corner with a comfy chair that I could sit in as I take a step back from the canvas, and I’d love to have a chair right next to it so that I could welcome guests and clients.

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If the Christmas season wasn’t already festive enough, I get even more excited to shop for my loved ones. Gift-giving is one of my love languages, and there is nothing more satisfying than discovering a gift that the recipient will a) love, and b) actually use in their day to day life. When I select gifts, I want them to be a combination of thoughtful, creative, unique, and somewhat unexpected. I take gift giving as a personal challenge to consider the recipient, think about what I’ve head him/her say or do in the past year, and assign a gift that perfectly suits them. Maybe for you this year it might be an ornament or vellum landscape!

While I spend the bulk of time online searching for gifts for other people, I can’t help but slowly build a list for myself. I’d be lying if I said that I haven’t had my eye on a couple items over the year, and finally get the chance to pull them from my bookmark archives. Every year, I always end up with several items from my favorite artists on that list, and this year is no exception. My favorite creative minds have outdone themselves this year. I’ve picked my top favorites that are on my list that just might end up on yours too ;)

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There are a lot of ways that I try to generally take care of myself and my surrounding environment. I exercise, I generally eat well, I recycle, and I try to maintain healthy boundaries for myself, all adding up to an intentionally healthy lifestyle. The one area that seems to be the exception to my self-imposed rule is my art practice. I’m completely aware that the fumes of the mineral spirits and the accidental paint blotches that get on my skin aren’t the best for my long-term health. In the past year or so, I’ve been actively researching and pursuing ways to clean up my studio so that my career minimally affects my long-term health. Also, looking into my near future, I want to maintain my art practice while pregnant and growing a family. This is deffffinitely not an immediate need, but something I feel I need to go ahead and educate myself on.

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