Kristen Robinson

Inspiration Unlimited

I have to say I am so so sad I updated my phone and after doing so I lost all of my photos shot in my IU classes. That said I have a few that I emailed to myself right away for posting which helps a bit but does not take the total sting away.

Inspiration Unlimited was AMAZING. To say I was honored to be amongst such amazing and creative ladies is an understatement. I was honored to teach alongside Stephanie Hunt, Vicki Boutin, Debby Schuh, and Teresa Collins. I would be remiss if I did not mention Ginger Nelson who truly is so organized and kind (thank you for walking this newbie to the Paper Arts through the way things work - I loved it).

From the moment I walked through my hotel room door and met my darling new friend Debby Schuh to the the last moments in class I felt completed shrouded in happiness and an outpouring of love.

I had so much fun not only in class but during the welcoming festivities, I was just sad I had to get home so quickly for the race on Sunday. It would seem a bit empty to say it was a delight as I feel this whole experience was an amazing gift that I will truly cherish Forever!

Thankful

 

I'll admit that I am a very private person. It is often times hard for me to talk about what I am really feeling especially here on my blog. However, I have also found through blogging I am able to journal and talk about things that are very personal to me and for that I am thankful. Thankful for the bounty of goodness that exists in the world and thankful for all of you who share this journey with me.

As I walk through my days it is my constant and fervent hope that through my creativity and words I perhaps offer a wee bit of inspiration and encouragement to others! So I give words of encouragement that come from the ever talented Hillary Weeks.

It's not about the race

It's not how fast I run

It's finding out what's inside

And who I become

From - That's Who I Am by Hillary Weeks

Meet Jackson

It is official our family is growing, we are getting a puppy. After weeks of being secretive (we did not tell the little man), we traveled to the breeders on Friday to choose our wee little dog. I have to admit I was not 100% about this as I have never had a dog not to mention I am a bit allergic to them.  I won't lie I am a bit nervous taking on this new adventure however once again this is the year of change for me and viola another change is headed my way.

After a very short discussion over names which consisted of Tucker and Jackson, we chose Jackson simply becasue we learned Tucker is his Dad's name. So here he is our wee little Jackson who will join us next Sunday after my feet land back on the ground after my journey to CKU. I find I am as excited as everyone else in the house; I cannot wait to bring this darling little boy home.

A Day of Pure Delight

I absolutely adore Fall! For me the with the arrival of fall a certain magic occurs. Perhaps it is a  magic that is composed of more than just one thing. While I cannot put my finger on this magic I can say that I am not only completely enthralled with the crisp air and the changing on the leaves but they activities that come along with it. From Harvest Festivals and hay rides to trips to the pumpkin patch and crisp apple cider I love it all.

This weekend was our first pumpkin patch visit; I say first as we will make the rounds before Halloween actually arrives. While making our way through the sunflower and corn fields (seated within a wagon filled with bales of hay), I was mesmerized by the sunflowers; the way each blossom danced in the breeze almost in unison with one another looked much like a dance choreographed just for us to view. While, the sky looked blustery and cold we were blessed with a lovely fall day complete with the perfect breeze.

Choosing a pumpkin is no easy feat, as not only are the fields covered in perfectly shaped beauties but the pumpkins are HUGE. As we made our way through the field of vines which held lovely orange orbs and spotted  a wee garden snake here, I could not help but feel that this was one more of the many reasons we left our suburban life for our new rural one.

After much thought and hard work in the end the little man decided on three pumpkins, one for each of us in our wee family; one very lovely pale shaded beauty and two rather large traditional pumpkins. A delightful day for sure, one that I will cherish always.

Lavender Fields

After two self imposed weeks of rest and play with the little man I am back in the studio and fully rejuvenated. I cannot think of anything better to share with you than the amazing day of beauty I was gifted with yesterday, it was truly one of the best days ever.

An impromptu picking of lavender on my friend Laurie's farm was definitely a delight and so amazing. With the breeze slightly blowing the smell of lavender filled the air permeating the senses and concocting images and tales within my mind of Provence.
Of course the Little Man was enthralled with the process as it entailed using tools and hard work both which he loves. I paused to look up at the perfect moment to see him working in this manner it was in this moment it dawned on me how much he has changed this summer - he is growing all too fast.

Basket after basket was filled with our bounty of lovelies. I found with each passing moment I was ever them ore excited. 

Of course every good harvesting lady needs to stop for a wee break and while I admit I did taste the lemon lavender cookies I opted to indulge in the amazing cherries Laurie provided for us. Of course the lavender infused lemonade was something I could easily become addicted too.

As we packed the fruits of our labor into the car I could not feel cleansed; whether it was the soothing scent of lavender that infused this feeling or the amazing day I was extremely blessed to have these moments. As this is the kind of life I have dreamed about for so long - embracing that which is simple and full of beauty while immersed in the surroundings of our area.

Of course a perfect bounty of lavender is the perfect addition to any door. I could not resist creating this after Laurie mentioned the idea of creating a wreath - and while it is my first attempt to create such a a thing I do believe it might become habit forming. 

One of the most amazing things about living where we do, is the amount of  history. This history came to life for us in the form of the Jin Lin Trail.  As we ascended up the hill we heard the stories of Chinese Miners who labored upon the land in search of gold in the 1800's. With each step we took voices from the past seemed to emit from the soil.

While the scenery was amazing I could not avoid the feeling of sadness that hovered about as the wind whispered upon the trees. As an immigrant these men could not own the land upon which they worked unless it had been mined to exhaustion by a non-immigrant. Therefore, for many the dream and hope they sought to find was squelched.

Jin Lin was no exception to this rule however, he was a brilliant engineer who saw past the obvious and developed methods that allowed for deeper mining. Accumulating a mass of claims he soon found himself an acclaimed businessman. The result of this perseverance came with a great reward, gold and a lot of it. During his life on American soil he deposited well over 1 million dollars in gold into the local bank- keep in mind this was the 1800's.

Of course no story of such magnitude cannot be without a twist. Upon closing his operations and traveling to Chinatown (San Francisco) he disappeared en route. Some wonder if he was waylaid by bandits however my feeling is this, no man this savvy succumbs to such a fate. I think Jin Lin disappeared purposefully - perhaps relishing in the very thing he sought "The American Dream".

A Day in Ashland

Yesterday was truly one of the BEST DAYS EVER! Little man and I headed down the road to Ashland for a little fun in the sun - okay overcast day (the sun did peek out a wee bit). As we do on every trip into town we visit the park, taking in the beauty and calm that seems to emit from each tree.

We both found ourselves enthralled in the shared moments, little man laughing and giggling at me as we stopped and took photos; for some reason my IPhone is always switched to the video mode when I go to the camera hence we have a whole lot of video of little man laughing and me saying "why does it do this". 

Shades of pink were everywhere we looked - just the thing I needed as my soul was soothed and the bright colors inspired me. As I looked down at the small hand, that is truly not that little anymore I felt my heart turn over. I was consumed with the beauty of time and the gift of life.

Of course it would not be an outing without taking a photo of our feet a new favorite of the little man. It was truly a delightful, fun filled, sneaker wearing day. One of the BEST DAYS EVER!