Monday, January 13, 2014

Hope in 2014.....More Faith and Less Fear ~

2013 left my family and me on an unpredictable note.
And we are still hanging there...staying hopeful.

On December 9th, my husband was unexpectedly laid off from his job
We celebrated Christmas and New Year's with that reality hanging over our heads.

With a new year upon us, we are vowing to make 2014 the year of "more faith and less fear."  Hope is at the center of our everydays more now than ever.

Believe it or not, we actually managed to have a nice Christmas.  We had our traditional meal of homemade enchiladas and enjoyed a quiet holiday.

Much to my surprise, my daughter gifted me with something I never dreamed I would have (and proved to me never to give up hope) .... 

"The Bust Of Deirdre"


 I've had my eyes on Deirdre for several years now.  I saw her at Kat Von D's Wonderland Gallery.  She is an amazingly engineered candle.  When you light her, she drips wax tears from her eyes.  She is more than a candle....she is a piece of art.

My daughter secretly visited Wonderland Gallery without me and managed to keep Deirdre hidden from me throughout the season.

I haven't lit her yet.  I'm a little afraid.  But, I do want to light her for a short time just so she has a few tears streaming from each eye.

Isn't she beautiful?
My daughter rocks!

I recently planted some wildflower seeds ~


They are sprouting now ~ 


I check them everyday and they offer hope for future beauty.

Little things can make a huge difference.
I collected little things when I was a girl.  Miniature glass animals.  I was in LOVE with those tiny glass sets of breakable creatures.
There was a time when I had so many sets.
But through the years, some broke and many more were misplaced during a move.

I had really given up hope of ever finding any of my little glass animals.
I said good-bye to them a long time ago...

Then....


A few weeks ago, my husband was looking through a box in the garage...
Guess what he found!

He found 3 of my little glass sets...
A deer family
A squirrel family
and
A tiger family.

You see?
There is always hope.

My little studio gives me hope for work ~


...and the blessing of creating art from home ~ 


"Marvalee" is a character from my fairy tale.
I have always wanted to create an illustration of Marvalee and her red basket of hope.

This time in my life was the perfect time to finally bring Marvalee to life ~ 



Here is an excerpt from my book that tells a little about Marvalee ~ 

"Marvalee was known for her hopefulness. She gathered hope like other's might gather wildflowers for a kitchen table bouquet. She collected hope in her red basket and passed it out to her family and friends and neighbors in need. It was the greatest gift. The gift of hope.

People knew her for miles around and they came to her on their lowest days. Days of loneliness, sadness, hopelessness. Marvalee would reach into her basket and pull out a handful of hope big enough to conquer loneliness and strong enough to push away sadness. There was enough hope inside Marvalee's red basket to heal her whole world...."

I just listed the original in my Etsy Shop.  The art will come with a printed sheet that tells Marvalee's story.

I also listed a print from a brand new piece ~ 



Jubal (and Lucy) are also characters from my fairy tale.
I have great hope for them this year.
So....at this time, I am not offering the original art for purchase.

You can also have a look at this new print set ~


Jubal and Lucy are at the forefront of a secret project right now.
I am hopeful that they will have a great journey this year.

It's these little things that keep me going onward.
Never give up.

Hope for a quiet space and a few good books to savor ~ 


Hope for Johnny Appleseed Skies ~ 


and sleeping puppies ~ 


Always
Always
Always.

There is always hope.



Until Next Time:
Kim
Gerushia's New World

12 comments:

Raige Creations said...

<3
I love this post! Hope, we all need it from the horrible 2013. Thank you.

Gerushia's New World said...

Hi Rebecca:

Yes! Let's all hope for a better year ahead. It just has to be better. ♥

xoxo
Kim

Vanessa said...

Oh Marvalee!! <3

I loooove those puppieeeees!!

Oh, that candle is ridiculously amazingly wonderfully awesome! I want one now!! ;)

WOW WOW!!!

I would never be able to light it, save for a few tears like you plan to do.

Hope.

Hope to all hopes, yes indeed.

Hopeful heart here for sure.

Love, V

Kim you are a beautiful person!

Marie Rayner said...

There is always hope Kim. Even in the darkest of hours. I have learned in life that there is a purpose and a plan for everything and every one. Praying that there are much better things in store for you in 2014. xxoo

Gerushia's New World said...

Vanessa:

I wish you were here with me when I light Deirdre for the first time. I'll take photos for sure!

Yes, hopeful for 2014. Both of us.

xoxo
Kim

Gerushia's New World said...

Hi Marie!

I am grasping onto every thread of hope I can get my hands on. I don't know how this turn of events will end up, but I'm trying to stay faithful and hopeful throughout.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I miss the old blog days.

xoxo
Kim

Thunder Rose said...

I enjoyed reading your blog post. I found you on Zibbet. Your post is so honest and inspiring. Your shop is really nice. Many blessings to you and your family going forward.

Gerushia's New World said...

Thank you very much, Debbie. I really appreciate your kind words.

xoxo
Kim

Laura T. said...

Good luck with the new year & new starts! I believe that there is a reason for everything. It just means that there is a much better job out there for him! Your puppies are like mine, they seek out the nice sunny spots!!! :0)

Gerushia's New World said...

Hi Laura!

Yes, I am hopeful that this will be a good thing. Also hoping that the lay-off doesn't linger too long.

My puppies are always looking for sunshine. Even on the hottest summer days, you'll find them sunning themselves!

xoxo
Kim

Anonymous said...

I'm sending you even MORE hope through the air, Kim! And lots of hugs.

Deirdre is awesome. I'd freak out over lighting her, too. Maybe once a year? One tear for every year? Maybe you could make her bleed something else, like those fake Mary statues and shrouds that drip fake blood and whatnot? Ha! I just had this vision of Deirdre dripping something super tacky like KETCHUP.

Puppies! Bellies! Sunshine! Those are all such hopeful things. 2014 will be better, Kim--it has to!

Gerushia's New World said...

Laura!

Can you believe Ava bought that for me? She used her own money. It's something she's wanted to do for me for a long time. Now that she's working, she has her own spending money! I adore Deirdre!

Yes, 2014 has to be better. I'm staying hopeful, but each day that passes without a job offer takes a little hit on my hopefulness. So frustrating and scary.

xoxo
Kim