enough: by pretty little thieves

imagine my excitement when i received an email from nancy mungcal, the artist behind pretty little thieves, with this image attached. she is absolutely one of my favorite artists, so yes, i was thrilled.

nancy says: it's a simple reminder for myself that i have more than enough. and maybe as a reminder when i feel like i'm not getting enough done.

gosh, couldn't we all use this reminder?

please do visit the pretty little thieves website and etsy shop- her work is so inspiring, and i simply just can't get enough.

*thank you so much, nancy!*

a little note: by leslie kuo

leslie kuo sent this gorgeous piece over, and i think it's a perfect message for you all today, after my funny video post earlier today-- see the bird saying "i love you"? yep. it's true. :) it was her first experiment with mod podge, and i think it was a success, don't you?

leslie moved from new york city to shanghai a few years ago, and is trying to demystify the shanghai art scene-- doesn't that sound like a fabulous adventure? wow! you can read her blog for her observations.

*thanks, leslie!*

thank you + my first video post!

good morning, pecannooters!!

you are in for a real treat this morning, because oh my gosh, you're about to witness my very first video post EVER. i am feeling *really* embarrassed about showing this to you, because of course, all i can see are the flaws (my crooked teeth, the awkward pauses, the low-tech nature of it...), but i'm also really excited to show it to you, because it's just me! sitting at my desk, no fancy effects (um, because i don't know how to create any fancy effects!), talking to my computer, feeling a little silly. ;)

i hope you like it.

xoxo

vote for earth day my tshirt on threadless!

hi friends!

i have a quick weekend interlude-- i know this is not typical pecannoot post material, but i thought you might like to vote for my t-shirt design that i submitted to the "threadless loves green" challenge in anticipation of earth day. if i win, you'll be able to buy my t-shirt, and i'll win some cool stuff, too!

i'd love it if you'd vote for me. :)
if i win, i'll do a giveaway here for the t-shirt, i promise!

so get to voting, my dears! (check out all of the submissions here, and mine right here.)

let it all go: by jess gonacha

i'm working hard at this one, people.

here are some of the things i'm trying to let go of:

-limiting thoughts based in past experiences
-fear of money (BIG one for me)
-feelings of lack and not having enough
- making myself into a victim as an excuse for inaction
-feeling jealous of other people's success and creativity
- telling myself i don't have any good ideas
-giving myself a hard time and treating myself harshly in my inner thoughts

***
and what i'd like to replace these thoughts with:

- knowing that i have enough and have always had enough, so i will continue to have enough
- being grateful for everything, including the challenges in my life, because there is a seed of learning and transforming in them
- embracing myself as a soul in a human body
- knowing that money is not the most important part of life-- it is just what it is: a tool for us to use. plain and simple.
- believing ideas come through me, not from me, and being open to letting that happen
- being gentle with myself, and loving and accepting
- i am the universe, and the universe is me. the universe wants to help me on my path if i believe that it can.
- abundance, abundance, sweet abundance!!!

***
let this list serve as a reminder for me, to go back to whenever i get off course.
**what does your list look like? if you draw them, i'll post them! so we can all be accountable to keeping each other in abundance.**

i wish you all a gorgeous weekend, and thank you, as always, for listening to my ramblings on these topics. :)

{print available here}

abundance: by valentina ramos

oh valentina.

what else can i say? if you have never seen valentina ramos' work before this moment, oh boy, you are in for a real treat when you click over to visit her website and her blog.

and lucky day for you, she wants to offer this print to you as a free download! so just click on the image for a high res version and print as you please. wowza!

*thank you for your generosity (and talent!), valentina!!*

enchanted makeovers: terry grahl's inspired business

terry grahl emailed me to share the story of her inspired (and inspiring) business called 'enchanted makeovers', whose mission is "to transform shelters for women and children into heartwarming havens, forming the catalyst, for all whom become involved, that creates the realization that everyone’s dreams can come true."

terry's story is pretty amazing, as she started this journey by answering a call to volunteer in transforming a shelter in michigan, all the while running an interior decorating business. she gradually gave up her decorating business to start 'enchanted makeovers', which is a not-for-profit volunteer organization. {you can read her full story right here}.

“abundance is found in the most unexpected places. it is profound in its simplicity. terry grahl, founder of enchanted makeovers shows abundance to “at risk” women and children in shelters by transforming their surroundings. a woman, can see past the blur of her heart ache just for a moment as she lays in the comfort of an enchanted bed, peering at the words on a wall. it gives her a glimpse of the abundance that she deserves and can receive.”

please visit the enchanted makeovers website to learn more and possibily even get involved. here are 10 ways you can help.

*thank you, terry, for sharing your inspiring work!*

shine: by shelley kommers

it is raining here in atlanta. i mean raining-- it started yesterday and is supposed to continue through saturday! i love rainy days, but it's always nice when the sun comes back out, isn't it?

this gorgeous, sunny piece by shelley kommers feels almost like the real thing as it shines out at me from my computer screen! it's so happy and bright! and it's helping me to appreciate both the rainy days and the sunny days, because we need them both here on our planet.

shelley's work is all so lovely and somehow reminds me in each piece to appreciate whatever it is she's painted-- how does she do that? see if it does the same for you: here her blog, her etsy shop, her other etsy shop. {and you might remember shelley from this post here on pecannoot, too!}

*thanks, shelley!*

messages of love: by nessie noodle

these photos by vanessa (aka: nessie noodle) remind me to look for messages of love wherever i go. i also think it's nice that people are out there leaving lovely messages for others to find in their travels.

vanessa says:

i took these photos almost a year and half ago while on a road trip up to portland, oregon. i had just gotten a new lens for my camera and was 'seeing' the world with new eyes- that and a road trip always opens up the flood gates of creativity! these are some of my all time favorite photos-
the 'you are beautiful' hangs in the hall where i can see it on a regular basis- to remind me that yes , in fact i am beautiful even if I have only gotten 2 hours of sleep haven't taken a shower and have spit up on my shirt- i am still beautiful. the other two just have really great messages- I dig when I find positive words in my travels!

{you can see more of vanessa's photographs on her blog and her flickr page.}

something to think about: how can you see the world with new eyes every day? what little things can you notice that will make a big difference in your experience of life?

*big thanks to vanessa for sharing these lovely photos!!*

obesity: by susan at the sMacshop

i am smitten with this image. smitten. i'm sort-of obsessed with clouds, so i can imagine how susan (sMacshop) must've felt when she saw this huge and beautiful cloud. her description of it makes it even better:

may the day visit you with its massive freight, providing all the gifts you have ever deserved, but have yet seen flourish. let abundance and bottomless become the words to describe this delivery. and may you learn to use these gifts to create new ones to pass on.

i don't have any words to make this sentiment more perfect.

please visit susan's etsy shop for more of her gorgeous images.

*thank you, susan, for sharing this beautiful image with us!*

identity: by aimee dolich

if you are not a regular visitor to aimee's blog, artsyville, i highly suggest you go sign yourself up for her RSS feed right now. she is just a treasure. her posts are always insightful and fun, and i just love getting a daily dose of this lady! so, needless to say, i'm thrilled to share this piece of aimee's here on pecannoot-- here is what she has to say about it:

it's about a moment when i decided to reclaim a piece of me that i had left behind long ago (my art) and it was a very uplifting piece for me to do. i thought it might be encouraging for others who have abandoned parts of themselves and would like to make those interests part of their lives again.

sometimes abundance comes in embracing parts of ourselves that we left behind long ago, doesn't it? we need to nurture ourselves with the things that we love, even if they don't make us money or win us friends or whatever other excuses we use to leave them behind in the first place. we all need to do the things our hearts long to do.

so, a big thank you to aimee for the reminder!

(for me it would be picking up my guitar and writing music... it's been a long time! what would it be for you?)

and make sure you head over to aimee's etsy shop full of bright and vibrant goodies-- it will lift your spirits through the roof!

adorable animals by sparklepaw!

i'm pretty much in love with each and every one of these cute critters by sparklepaw. the fact that they are saying uplifting things makes them all that much more sweet!

i think i've gotten a bit lazy in this super-speed, technology-filled world we live in-- i tend to send emails instead of making a simple phone call or sending a lovely card (i used to be the queen of sending lovely handmade cards for every occasion!), and these cards make me want to send special notes to the important people in my life, just because. :) there's something very luxurious and receiving mail these days, isn't there?

please check out all of the sweet goods in sparklepaw's shop-- there are cards galore, as well as cute mirrors, and more! i've been wanting a little mirror to keep in my purse lately, so i'm off to her shop to choose my favorite one!

you can also find her on twitter, flickr, facebook, and myspace. go stalk her everywhere! (in a good way. not a creepy way. ha!)

*thank you to leslie of sparklepaw for sending these my way! they are fantastic!*

caroline pond's pecan photos!

good morning, my dears! i hope you had a fabulous weekend full of things you love to do, love to eat, and love to see, smell and hear. :) my weekend was lovely-- i spent a lot of time outside because the weather here in atlanta right now is just incredible. the trees are blooming, and it's full-on spring now. YES.

so speaking of georgia, some of you may know that pecans are abundant here (another reason the name pecannoot is so fitting for me, since i live, obviously, in georgia), so i was *thrilled* when i visited caroline pond's blog a while back and saw these photos of pecans and a pecan grove that she took in south georgia. she even mentioned pecannoot! i asked her if i could post them, and she said yes, so here you go. some pecans to start your week off in the most abundant of ways. :)

*thank you, caroline!*

it's the weekend: put on your party clothes!

ok, so i'm not a partier by any stretch, but i like the idea of wearing my fun clothes around the house just because! i work at home, which means i don't go out very often at all, and it also means i spend many days in yoga pants and a t-shirt. it gets a little old (even thought it's comfy!)

so it might be fun to get all dolled up occasionally. what do you think? do you work at home? what do you do to keep it fun? i'd love to know!

i hope you all have a terrific weekend, and i will see you on monday!

{the illustration is by me, obviously) :)

goodies by milagro loco chic

this is a fun post for me because you'll never guess who made that sweet felted heart above: my very own mom. :) my mom, pam, is one of the most creative people i know (she used to have a doll-making business-- how cool is that?), and she and her talented friend ann (a fantastic graphic designer, and she even created a banner for my mom's business back in the day) have teamed up to make some adorable and inspiring goodies. i have one of these hearts hanging right above my desk that says "love you". it's a nice reminder. :) they're working together under the name milagro loco chic (FUN name!) and are having a blast.

this is one of the cards that's available in their etsy shop-- i'm hoping they add more stuff soon, because it is all just too cute!

i definitely got my love of art and making things from my mom, so it's a real treat to be able to post something of hers here. and i used to babysit ann's kids when i was a teenager, so it's really cool to relate to her on an adult level now-- growing up is so strange, isn't it?

be sure to check out their shop-- if you are in the market for some baby shoes, be sure to check out these ones. i wish they fit ME! ha ha....

*thanks, ann and mom!*

everything will be alright

just a late night quicky here. my wedding photographer just cancelled on me, and i'm trying hard to remind myself that everything will be alright.

if anyone knows of an amazing (and inexpensive) photographer in the los angeles area, i will love you forever if you would pass on his or her name. feel free to email me!

samantha spitzer and her birds

samantha spitzer sent over these fun paintings that she commissioned of her 3 parrots with this fantastic description:

i live with three parrots, all who teach me everything i need to know about abundance. not that i always listen, but at least i have daily messengers! my birds take just what they need, and leave the rest. they are role models of moderation, but also what it means to share sounds of joy at the top of your lungs. they are full of abundance because they know what it means to live with abundance at every moment, never going over the edge, never letting themselves dip below the line. always just right!

my baby birds, abundance in a ball of fluff!

the paintings are watercolors created by sue gill rose, an artist who lives in the seattle area,
like samantha.

samantha is a yoga teacher, so if you are interested and in the area, you can learn more about her on her website and her blog!

*thanks, samantha!*

submit to pecannoot!

hey pecannooters! (a little interlude here.)

i need your submissions! i had a rush of submissions up until now, and i need to you keep 'em coming! get those images of abundance in so we can continue our little abundance party here. :)

also, if you have anything specific you'd like to see on pecannoot, or any ideas at all, please feel free to email me or leave a comment.

thank you thank you, as always for your support of and enthusiasm about the blog. you make my day!

dreams: by vineeta nair

oh vineeta. she is such a talent. i just know you are going to love this gorgeous image that she created, and hopefully it's just what you need to hear right now.

vineeta says:
"i find that i am beset with needless doubts & question myself when i dream BIG. so i just created this as a reminder to myself. i am worth all the goodnesses i can ever dream of. i don't question, i don't doubt & i dare to dream"

wow, i want to remember that i'm worth all the goodnesses i can ever dream of, too. what a beautiful idea. get your fill of vineeta's gorgoeus attitude and work on her ever-inspiring blog, artnlight.

*thanks again, vineeta!*

cupcaprons: by glue & glitter

my friend becky of glue & glitter makes these *amazing* aprons that she calls cupcaprons (cupcake + apron... get it?), and they are all made of vintage and upcycled fabrics and recycled felt. aren't they adorable?

she said "nothing says abundance like a pan of vegan cupcakes!" and i couldn't agree more. in fact, i'd eat the heck out of one right now if i had one! perhaps i'll go check out my abundant stash of raisins instead. :)

you can get your very own cupcapron in the glue & glitter etsy shop! also be sure to check out becky's website and flickr page-- her goodies are just too delightful!

*thanks, becky!*

bulbous blossoms: by chrissy foreman c

chrissy foreman c is one of my favorite people i've met here in blogland- her enthusiasm for all she does oozes through my screen and makes me smile whenever i hear from her. so i was quite happy when she sent along this piece, with this fabulous description:

a while ago, i came across a weird pod-looking piece of jewelry and fell in love with it. i didn't know what it was at the time, but it was beautiful and organic and it both melted & stimulated my heart. a few weeks later i went to a dear friends' house, who had the 'real thing' lying on it's side on her bookshelf -- found out they were dried lotus flower pods! once again, I felt all gooey about it, and I drew it there and then at her house. my lovely friend gave one to me ~must've been those puppy dog eyes and drool.
so from then on, i associated this lovely natural item as a symbol of abundance, since it swelled my heart so. i loved to fiddle with the tiny seeds inside the surface wells, created to nurture & house each individual seed comfortably.
during my recent trip to thailand, i stumbled across an an entire bunch of freshly cut lotus pods, in delicious pinky~purply~yellowy~greeny~bluey~orangey hues. couldn't bring the bunch home with me so decided to take a piccy, with a view to paint them when i got home.
i love that I felt so inspired by something already existing to the point where i just had to reproduce it myself. usually i like to make my own stuff up because when i do, i feel like an inventor or creator of something new that never existed before I assembled it. in this case, i felt like i was emulating God's-own masterpiece. the process was lovely!
so now, abundance hangs in my lounge room to remind me every day of the beauty in the world and inside me as well. i love creativity!!

do check out all 3 of chrissy's blog: her main blog, her kids blog called 'creative kids oasis', and her 'intuitive essence art' blog.

*thanks, chrissy!*

snow baby: by helen williams

sweetest.photo.EVER.

there is nothing more abundant than watching a child innocently enjoying the world, in my opinion. just look at that joy! i smiled so big when helen sent this photo to me.

helen says: "this is my precious niece, sally. she is my life, my light, my perfect symbol of abundance."

i just love this so much and thought you would, too. :)

you can visit helen's blog here-- *thank you so much, helen!*

hope: by melissa mcclain

ok, pecannooters. this morning's post a bit heavier than usual, but it's really a touching story, as you will see. i received an email from melissa mcclain, who is a magnificent photographer in new york city. i mean, just look at that image! *gorgeous*. one of her best friends, nicki, is living with cystic fibrosis and needs a double lung transplant, and melissa is sharing and showing her abundance in a wonderful way. she says:

"i wanted to send you a photo that I'm using to share my abundance. one of my best friends is living with cystic fibrosis. She is 33 and needs a double lung transplant. medical costs are very high for a transplant and she has daily medical expenses that most of us couldn't imagine. the photo i'm attaching is her favorite of my collection so we have made it a limited edition fundraiser piece with all profits going to her transplant fund. i'm sharing my abundance of love for her, support of her cause, and an abundance of "hope" for a cure for cystic fibrosis."

what an amazing friend! it makes me think about what i would do if someone i love needed this kind of support. i like to think i'd be as generous as melissa. below is a flyer for the fundraiser-- if you would like to purchase a limited edition print, you can do so on melissa's website. and you can also learn more about nicki's story right here.

good luck to nicki-- melissa says they received some good news recently, so they're gearing up to be her cheering squad! a big thank you to melissa for sending this over. i hope the fundraiser is a giant success!

wolves in love: by astulabee

nicole from astulabee is just so talented, isn't she? this collage is amazing. i think it's such a nice reminder to be nice to the people we love no matter what-- even when we are feeling wolfish. :)

(perhaps this is not at all what nicole meant by this piece, but it's what came to mind for me! that's what i love about art-- people will always create their own stories around a piece, even if the story was not intended.)

you can find nicole's work in her astulabee etsy shop, on her flickr page, and on her blog.

*thanks so much, nicole!*

believe in yourself: by jess gonacha

happy monday morning to you all, dear pecannooters!

i made this illustration yesterday and really wanted to share it with you, because it feels very pertinent to me right now. it is so easy to listen to the negative self-talk (i'm not good enough, so and so did this better than me, blah blah blah..), when really it's so much more productive and loving to just believe in ourselves. we are all unique and on different paths, and comparing ourselves to others is useless! (can you tell i've been doing some comparing lately?)

so, this is a reminder to myself really, and a reminder to you, too, if you need it.
and you can find this print here in my shop, if you want a printed reminder. :)

love is everywhere : by leslie lindell

i don't think i could be more thrilled to share this project with you on pecannoot today. when leslie lindell sent it over, i got a little choked up looking through the photographs, because i just think her project, love is everywhere, is just so beautiful.

leslie says: "i have been photographing found and accidental heart shapes for over two years. i feel they are a message to me, a reminder, every time I find them."

"it started with the collecting of heart shaped rocks at the beach. i decided to document some of them. then it seemed hearts started to appear everywhere. the only rule I have set is for them to be naturally occurring and/or accidental to count (i have bent the rules a tad here and there, though :).

once i gave this a name it slowly became more and more of a gentle reminder to me. a kind of nudge from the universe reminding me to breathe, that everything will be ok, to remember to pay attention to the little things. even the bin of tomatoes at the supermarket :)"

just look at these images! it makes me a little weepy to think of leslie out there noticing and documenting these heart shapes that most of us likely pass right over.

how different would our lives be if we were looking for signs of love rather than focusing on the negative aspects of our experiences?

you can see all of the images from leslie's project in her flickr stream (i just chose some of my favorites to post here-- there are many more!) and also scoop them up in her etsy shop.

all of leslie's beautiful photographs can also be seen on her website, as well as her blog.

{and i highly suggest reading this touching post on her blog about the dandelion love photo above, as well as this post.}

*thank you, leslie! your project just astounds me.*

---
have a great weekend everyone!

nuts about you: by tamara garvey

hmmmm, for some reason i want some peanuts right now. i can't imagine why!
i think this illustration by tamara garvey is just the sweetest, don't you?

tamara says:

a lot of my other drawings, even the colorful ones with cute little characters, have sad or uncertain undertones. but i wanted my illustration of abundance to be pure, cheerful, and positive. so i thought about that the whole time i was sketching. i ended up with a baby elephant in coordinated rain gear enjoying a peanut rainfall, and what's more pure and cheerful than that? :)

it's true-- that's about as pure and cheerful as it gets! bring on those peanut rainfalls, or whatever feels abundant for you-- for me it would be grapes! i can eat them until i'm sick. literally. what would you want to be showered in?

visit tamara's website, etsy shop, and blog for cuteness galore!

*thank you so much, tamara!!*

abundancia: by justine standaert

you know how sometimes an image just hits you and really makes sense in a way that words don't? that's what is happening for me with this drawing by justine standaert-- it is an interpretation of a saying in spanish that says:

de la abundancia del corazon, habla la boca,

which justine says literally means, "the abundance of the heart is spoken by the mouth"... or "whatever your heart is full of, you will talk about it"...

it makes me think about what is coming out of my mouth that starts in my heart. for example, this morning my heart is feeling grumpy, and that definitely came out of my mouth this morning! sounds like it's time for me to turn that around so i can have flowers coming from my heart and through my mouth, as justine's gorgeous drawing suggests. :)

check out more of justine's work in her etsy shop and on her blog!

*thanks, justine!*

make your own sunshine

one of the coolest things about being a human is that we get to make choices. in each moment, we have a choice to make our day whatever we want it to be. sometimes it doesn't feel that way, but we truly do. if you're having a bad day, at any moment you can choose to be happy. you really can! it's that simple.

simple doesn't mean easy, though. do you all have any tricks for turning a mood around and creating your own sunshine?

sometimes just remembering we have a choice is all it takes for me- how amazing that we are able to think our way out of (or into) any emotion.

in other news, i made a couple of pecannoot buttons that you all can take and put on your own blogs to link here if you'd like-- they are below, but you can also get them in the sidebar to the right. link it up!

also, if you haven't checked, i have some of these illustrations that i've posted here in my etsy shop, in case there's one that's particularly resonated with you. :)

happy hump day, my dears! and let me take this opportunity to say a great big thank you to all of you for your support and encouragement of Pecannoot-- you all make my day!

stacy kathryn holst

this image makes my heart skip a beat a little, because this happened to me yesterday! ryan (my dear fiancé) came home and surprised me with flowers-- totally not normal.
granted, i had driven to rescue him earlier in the day when he locked his keys in his car, but it was a nice gesture, and i appreciated it!

stacy kathryn holst is the hand behind this sweet illustration, and she says:

"i thought the illustration related to abundance as its about the little things in life that we are abundant in, like love, and how we can share that with others in small ways."

i think it can be easy sometimes to take for granted the people that love us and that we love-- let's make a list of all the people we love and think of small ways that we can show them!

also, check out stacy's website, blog, and etsy shop-- they're all colorful and so sweet!

open heart: by marianne konvalinka

isn't this a joyful way to start the morning? marianne told me she's doing a lot of these open heart pieces lately, and that this one, overflowing with flowers and color, is all about abundance to her!

oh, to have a heart that is overflowing with flowers and color-- what a life!

marianne's blog is an inspiring browse, too-- with lots of images from her travels and other lovely doodles and pieces of art. ;)

*thanks, marianne!*

robots: by travis smith (aka: mr. purty)

these paintings by travis smith (aka mr. purty) just make me smile. i love how the robots have feelings and big hearts on their chests-- it's ironic, because robots aren't supposed to have feelings, right? plus, it makes me think about the ways we live our lives-- sometimes i feel a bit like a robot, just going through the motions of life, but we are people! with feelings! isn't that joyous? let's embrace it!

here is what travis has to say about these paintings:

a lot of people say my robots look sad. i never set out intentionally to make them sad, but maybe it's an unintentional reflection of my mood when i painted them. with these i set out to purposely make them a little happier. abundance - for me that means taking a minute to realize what you have instead of what you don't have. by no means am i the best at doing that, but i try. in the words of ferris beuller: "life moves pretty fast. you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

life does move fast. i want to enjoy it- how about you?

check out more of travis' fantastic paintings on his website and flickr stream.

*thanks, travis!!*

things we forget

ask me how much i love this project.
the answer is that i think it's my favorite project i've seen so far in 2009. i just love the idea of someone walking around singapore, anonymously placing these hand-drawn post-it notes with positive messages for people to discover.

the blog is called things we forget, and i am just beyond touched, thinking about people going about their business and coming upon one of these sweet notes. it could change someone's day, yes? it would change my day to find one, surely.

i had a lot of trouble choosing my favorites to post, so i figured i'd just post a bunch. :)

please please check out this project. it really is such an inspiration, and it makes me happy to know that somewhere on the other side of the world, an anonymous person is spreading some anonymous love. :)