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 ~ 

"Marvalee's Basket of Hopes" ~ 

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's Huckleberry Heart"

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's Gift to Lucy" and "Jubal's Huckleberry Heart"

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