Celebrating 50

Today is my 50th birthday. WOW...just typing that seems surreal. I had so many plans on how I would celebrate...grandiose plans...grand plans...wonderful plans. I was going to throw myself a huge 50th birthday bash, inviting all my close girlfriends to the beach for a weekend. I was going to go away to the islands for a nice long weekend...all by myself.

But here I am ... in the midst of packing...house in total disarray...my eyes on the move out date of October 31st. Today is being spent taking a break from packing and letting my 16 yr old son in the drivers seat for once...giving him the keys and will enjoy the surprises he has in store for me.

I realized this morning, that is what it is all about ... just letting things happen naturally. Yes, I'd have loved to have spent all that money with my grandiose plans ... but I will be 50 all damn year...and the practical side of me won out. Today is my day ... today is a day that I never even dreaded - I was only curious about. Would I feel different? Would I look "old"? Would I be alone? The answers are no and yes.

No, I don't "feel old" .... and while I am alone in the relationship sense, I don't "feel alone". Yes, I feel different...I feel excited for what is coming this year. This year is going to be nothing but changes - big changes...I am moving, I am launching a fantastic new website, I am creating some great things to share...and it's all just exciting for me.

I have never failed at something, not to have the outcome be anything but better. This has been a tough year emotionally and financially, but it has propelled me to hold on and dig deeper... and though the words seem trite, the spirit really does carry you - it may bruise you - but you get through it...I got through it.

Happy Birthday to me .... I'm ready for my New Year...and looking at myself in the mirror- I say, bring it on if this is what being 50 looks like - and feels like.

Coming Soon - Hand Painted Events

Out with the old ... in with the new. With KenyattasKreations.com no longer my domain name - I'm forging ahead ... and in the coming months I will be relaunching - under my new site - Hand Painted Events, under the Kenyatta Thomas Designs umbrella.

My art, my style ... has evolved since KenyattasKreations.com was created 13.5 years ago ... so my new site will reflect my art as it is today - and I'm excited to share it with you. Below is just a sample of what's been on my painting table:

Coming Out Of Hibernation

Seems I've been in a fog since my step father passed away in June after a swift decline in his health due to kidney problems. During that time, my domain name host was bought by another company - and did not send out alert emails ... and long story short - Kenyatta's Kreations, my presence online for the past 13 years - was bought. The sellers offered to sell it back to me for almost 1400.00. Real tears were shed - I felt like I'd been robbed. What to do? I'm starting again. I am starting from scratch - new style, new website... and new domain name.... and this time, I will not rely on reminders from the host site - I will check on the status of my name every month...but most importantly, I will keep moving forward.

Bloom Girl Stamps by Prima

When I saw Prima's new line of stamps, Bloom Girls - I knew that there were two I HAD to have - Joy and Hope. There are so few stamps and paper lines out there for crafters of color ... so when I watched Jamie Doughtery's USTREAM class, and saw her debut her line of stamps ... I was thrilled! This weekend I finally had a chance to try out my new stamps, on the pages of an album I am working on - for a round robin swap over on Your Paper Pantry.

Prima Bloom Girl Stamps - Joy and Hope- Layouts Still in Progress

Recycled Mini Lap Book

I finally finished this mini lap book, which I made from cardboard packaging and scrap papers. I hope next time it doesn't take me so long to finish!

YPP 2014 Mini Album Round Robin

My favorite of all swaps to do, are the round robin mini album swaps over on Your Paper Pantry. They changed their method a while ago to swapping only pages, so I stopped - but then they started up - sharing the entire albums...so I'm back in the swing. Here's my album that I created - and shipped off ... I can't wait to see it in the fall!

Soul Food 2014 - What A Journey So Far - Lesson 1

Sometimes, the best way for me to shake off the doldrums creatively, is to step far outside my comfort zone and embrace other forms of art.

Mystele's Soul Food 2014 art course is just the ticket. Though I've been sidelined with severe bronchitis, I've been able to play catch up and enjoy the ride with Mystele, Heather, Jeanette and their merry band of sous chefs on this artful journey.

Lesson 1 with Mystele

This lesson called for a gelli plate - which I do not have, nor do I have the money to purchase one ... but I do have an old acrylic mousepad that is almost the exact consistency of the popular gelli plate:

Wasn't sure how I'd like it, but I was able to complete my first lesson ... a little rusty, not as good as Mysteles - but it was fun!