Inspiration in LaConner

Do you ever have one of those days? You know, the type where you spend hours strolling through books that are so inspiring that your brain is popping with ideas? That is how I felt last week when we went to the Tulip festival.
And we found a great book store/cafe and literally spent hours there. I was also thinking how the things we see and read influence us, whether we like it or not. And then I was thinking of how great it is to fill my brain with inspiring, artistic people. This month Amy is hosting our creative juice challenge. I love it. She is doing such a great job of reminding us to GIVE to others. I love eye candy and inspiration- but I love it even more when it comes from a generous, and kind heart. I was also thinking that I would love this blog to be super inspiring and full of good stuff. The good stuff you want to be filled with. Not self centered, egotistical, or filled with these covetous desires to want stuff. I want to be about simple living. I want to live a different kind of life. I don't want a huge house with lots of expensive things. I want a cozy place that nurtures a creative life surrounded by good things. I want it to be cheap so I'm not trapped in a mortgage so I can up and leave for a year and travel and help volunteer all over.

Well, one way of doing that is making my art more focused on God. I am totally a quote girl. And there are so many good quotes in the bible. I am going to make a new tag each week focused on a bible quote. Is anyone with me here? I'm going to do it in the same fashion of the art card challenge I did last year. Although I think I would like them to be a little bit bigger. We can stretch our creative minds and make them all artsy and then type or write up the weekly bible quote on it. I'm going to stretch a string or ribbon above my art space and hang them up, or randomly put them throughout my house. I don't want to be influenced by the american way of buying, buying, buying, consuming, consuming, wanting, wanting. I want to be content and reminded of what is important. I want to remind myself each time I'm tempted to buy something pretty that if I don't buy it, it's more money saved for reaching my goal. I also need quotes around me to remind me this.

So to start us off:

Matthew 22:37-40
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.

So I will post mine when I finish it. Lots of gardening to do today. Gardening is so rewarding! This is my first chance to do it. Something new to learn! And then later today I'm hoping to play with my new toys! (JoAnn Fabrics is having a HUGE 50% off sale. I cashed in my piggy bank from Christmas and got a cutting mat, and ruler, and when I was in Spokane Sue was kind enough to give me a rotary cutter- so I'm taking a stab at my first quilt with all my pillowcases!)

So be prepared. I'm going to fill this blog with the things that inspire. The good things. The things that really count. Although, you know I will have to continue posting my steals, deals, and finds- I just have to be more disciplined and not get so many!-The steal of the trip was a pair of pinking shears from a thrift store for $1! Score!