Artful Presence

10/20/2024

03/25/2024

🐘👩‍👧🐘👩‍👧🐘👩‍👧🐘👩‍👧🐘
💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

You are probably wondering why I’m posting an elephant.

I found this while thrifting the other day and while I love the color and it’s cute… there’s a backstory and deeper meaning here.

I recently became a curator for The Turquoise Iris Journal. I was added to a group chat with my fellow curators and at some point they were talking about stomping elephants. I wasn’t in the loop and thought… ok… they like elephants 🤣

Then Dionne Woods shared this beautiful story about female elephants and how they circle up to protect other females who are vulnerable. They stomp and create dust to hide her scent from predators.

The more I read about female elephants the more I realized how amazing they are. They are fierce protectors, they provide each other with a sense of security, and the more female elephants in a herd the less stressed they are.
We have a lot to learn from these majestic creatures.

I am so very lucky to belong to several herds. My girls have kicked up dust and encircled me when I needed it. And I in turn have been one of the girls in the circle protecting a more vulnerable sister.

I’m keeping this thrifted elephant tray as a reminder of my appreciation for my herds… both old and new.

03/12/2024

I love this!! We're each our own beautifully up-cycled works of art! 🤩🌎♻️

“You are comprised of 84 minerals, 23 Elements, and 8 gallons of water spread across 38 trillion cells.

You have been built up from nothing by the spare parts of the Earth you have consumed, according to a set of instructions hidden in a double helix and small enough to be carried by a s***m. You are recycled butterflies, plants, rocks, streams, firewood, wolf fur, and shark teeth, broken down to their smallest parts and rebuilt into our planet’s most complex living thing.

You are not living on Earth. You are Earth."

~Aubrey Marcus

Artist- Naomi McCavitt

With gratitude to Lee Miller from Biosophy

03/04/2024

Still needs to be ironed and finished, but GOLD 🪙🪙🪙 was the right choice. You're all so smart! 😀

03/03/2024

Today is warming up beautifully, enjoy the sunshine while it's here! 🌅

02/27/2024

Decisions, decisions! 🤔
I'm almost done with the lotus flower, and getting ready to start working on the emblems. I was intending this to be all one color, but I'm kinda digging the gold in the fabric... maybe I'll go for gold?!? Hmmm, what do you all think, blue or gold? 💙🪙❓

02/24/2024

A few more dragons in honor of the Lunar New Year, these are incredible works of art!!! 👏🏼🐲

02/24/2024

Sincere sentiments to share from a great little shop in Somers, CT. Check out her website or stop in soon, and be sure to support local small biz right where you live! 🙏🏼💓🛍️

❤️Long, but heart-felt post❤️
Hello friends! Small business life has gotten harder and harder each year post-pandemic. I follow so many other small businesses all over the country and the majority are seeing a decline in sales/business. Just last week, two businesses I have patronized in Massachusetts have made the decision to close their brick & mortar shops. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for the little guys to sustain their businesses. Everything has gone up in price, for everyone…even going to the grocery store is like a punch in the gut. So I understand with the current financial climate, that many of us have to cut back on spending. But I do ask that you try and be more mindful when you are shopping, eating out, or looking for work done on your car or home. These small businesses are the ones that are called upon to make donations to fundraisers and organizations, Amazon is not supporting your local youth sports teams. Please support the businesses that support your community as often as you are able.

Many people talk about the shops that used to be here in Somers…but if the businesses that are here are struggling to stay open, it makes it difficult to get other businesses to want to open up. Small businesses really are so important to the local economy, and they keep your community unique and strong. The most important aspect of my business is YOU!! I’ve so enjoyed watching your children grow up, hearing about family vacations, talking about family pets and so much more! I’m so appreciative of everyone who has walked through my door and supported my dream…and I want that to continue for many years to come. Please get out and support your local, small businesses…like their posts, share their posts, comment on them, tell a friend…it all helps us! Thank you so much!

02/22/2024

I knew Ed from the theme park years, and it's been so fun to follow along with his career moves. Check this out! ✍🏼