White Night

This is a treasury that one of my necklaces is featured in today. This collection really blew me away because of the gorgeous color combinations and very wintry theme. I think it's perfect for a little early winter charm. Just lovely!

'white night.' by CLoVeN

electric pole in the sn... sarahreidphoto $10.00	Stud Earrings - Winters... SoleDeVita $8.00	Blue felt wool acorns w... CityCrochet $12.00	Too Much Freezing 5x7 m... TheTwoMinds $10.00
Blue Velvet Krista snow... LadybugSF $32.00	manchester - a medium c... bungaloe $60.00	Holiday Tree Ornament -... PeanutButterPi... $25.00	winter wonderland- orig... leverettfinn $30.00
NAVY BLUE Itty Bitty Ha... bellasbowtique... $14.99	EVERGREENS - One Limite... redbirdink $20.00	Meredith and Tyler... w... jaymefort $1.95	Winter's Eve jenmarie0324 $36.00
Cobweb Felted Lacy Wrap... FeltedPleasure $65.00	in the navy earrings - ... whoop $18.00	Navy Blue and White Art... orangeandyello... $8.00	Hand Embroidered Snowfl... SeptemberHouse $170.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art

 I just finished watching Bright Star, a movie about the poet John Keats and the love that inspired one of his most famous poems, his love with Fanny Brawne.
I've seen the movie before, it is one of my favorites, but, without spoiling too much of the ending, I will just say that it is a movie that always makes me cry. This makes me wonder or really want to ask, why do we watch movies that we know are going to make us sad? Or maybe I'm alone in this, but I do know that there are at least a few movies that I know the ending is going to be sad, and yet, I watch anyway. And I guess this could just as easily apply to books. Granted there are also several movies that I know end in a way I don't like, and that I refuse to see to the end. But, knowing how Bright Star ends, I still wanted to watch it anyway. And I count it among the story lines that are completely hopeless, and yet....
Perhaps I'm just digging for a profound answer or something psychological to explain away these actions, but truly, within myself, whether within movies or books, what causes me to walk down such a road? I think a lot of human nature can be observed in this, again, at least in my case. I find myself taking certain paths in life that I also feel I already know the ending and it is not what I would prefer. Is it hope? Hope for a different ending. Hope for a better ending. Hope for a change. Hope that maybe this time, John Keats will return to London in the Spring. Hope that love will conquer all.

Maybe Hope is what motivates the creative spirit that fails many more times than succeeds. Maybe Hope is what motivates the Romantic to open her heart again knowing the hurt has hit more times than healing can catch up or more times than wholeness or acceptance happens. Hope is what believes. Hope gives the heart reason to thrive.

Or, maybe the reason we walk into such an existing dilemma is that we find anything is worth the joy of that one moment- the moment when all is well, everything is as it should be. We hold that moment like a treasure buried away, locked inside, hidden within our hearts. These moments see us through the sad days, through the storms, and through the silences. Such moments are worth ten thousand heartaches, if that is the price that should be paid.

And maybe what is more, all of the pieces of moments make up the daily living of our lives. The sadness lets us know we are still human, that the others that surround us share in this experience also. They can feel the dripping rain making our bones heavy with drenching wet clothes sticking on our skin. Yet they too can feel the rays of warmth in a cloudless day, our eyes blinking to take in the brightness and the light, eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. The cold drizzly rainy days are embraced all the more as they heighten the joy of shimmery clouds like organza flitting across a sunny day. We want to feel every muscle tense alongside these characters, hear hearts pounding in our ears and the small catch of breath, for then we too may better embrace our own heart's love, burning like the brightest star.

"Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art--

Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors--
No--yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever--or else swoon to death."

John Keats

 

 

 

 

Mom's Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 cup pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla

For Filling:
4 oz cream cheese
6 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat softened butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Then add pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk together dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then add to the wet ingredients. Place spoonfuls onto baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. These should have a cakey texture. 
Wait until outside pieces are completely cool. Then mix together ingredients for the filling. Use the filling to ice half of the outside pieces and then top the iced "cakes" with another piece to complete your whoopie pie. 
Share these bits of fall with someone you love to warm your day.

Purple is Still My Favorite Color

Last night was just a night to chill out and spend a quiet evening watching movies-- The Young Victoria and Masterpiece Theater's Persuasion, two of my favs ♥-- and also, working on a new necklace. I have to be honest, I think that I spend my time making jewelry and sewing when I'm experiencing "artist's block" with my painting. I can't seem to come up with a good idea for a new painting, or I can't find the motivation to work on one that I've already started..... I'm in one of those times when it feels like everything I put on the canvas is just yuck... I've even been more diligent with my color pencil pieces because I can't seem to paint. I've heard that part of artist's block is fear, and I know that fear itself is one of the greatest inhibitors to creativity. Maybe I'm afraid that what I make now won't be as good as the pieces I made for my senior exhibition. Being in the shadow of your past work is such a scary and depressing place to be for an artist. I have actually been avoiding looking at my old paintings or even images of my old paintings, because I constantly compare myself with what I was. Anyway, all of this to say, I think that I'm just going to ride out the artist's block.... see where it takes me and just do what feels natural. I know this very much goes against the discipline of most (if not all) artists to make yourself have studio time, but right now, I'm just not feeling anything. Maybe some time spent on thinking of other things will do me some good. Afterall, I did (do) find most of my inspiration from just ordinary things that I love or love to do- not from a forced session of creativity. Hence my quiet evening watching movies and sewing last night..... consisting of these:

 

  

And

 

 

 

*Sigh* Such wonderful storylines.... I know, I'm such a girl right now :) But both are very inspiring in reminding me that you really should not be forced to be someone you're not, just to try to impress someone or to get them to have feelings for you... Yeah, a lot of what I will take from these movies is obviously very telling of where I am personally. But nonetheless.... so love these two ♥

And my piece I made last night during my mini movie fest;

Violet. Lavender.

Lilac. Plum.

Mulberry. Mauve.

Orchid. Amethyst. Indigo.

No matter the shade,

Purple is still my favorite color.

Winter Inspired

I've got some new pieces in the jewelry shop this week, and a few of them are very wintry. I love colors that remind me of winter's chilly charms, with deep blues and subtle whites. Frosty color schemes just happen to be some of my favorites :)

 

And here's another new piece, with a wonderful antique and old lace feel. 

And finally, a fall-inspired headband that is now a part of my end of fall sale

Snuggie = Success

Yes, that is correct. My dog has a snuggie. But at least she is warm in this sudden winter weather.... It was a clearance Christmas gift from last year. I think she appreciates it :)

Redbubble Sale-Woop Woop!!

Apparently Redbubble is doing a sale with a discount code for my artwork only through November 14. Check it out and use this code----

JennaDavid_is_on_sale_1868

Check out JennaDavid's portfolio here



............Haha... totally updating this post. I just read the coupon code. Apparently I'm on sale? Nice. Lol