Decorating your child's bedroom

The new year often is a time when we look around our homes to see what decorating we would like to do for the new year. Children's rooms are always a common and fun project for redecorating. Creating a happy, fun, and secure atmosphere in your little darling's bedroom is easy and fun to do. Where to start - well perhaps with a theme - and of course a focal point. A piece of artwork can be the focal point establishing not only theme but color scheme also. My fairytale/theme paintings could be the starting point you need to get you going. Whether it be princesses, mermaids, castles, baseball, dragons or deep sea divers, these personalized canvas acrylic paintings are a loving gift signed by the artist, personalized with their name and birthstone and have the advantage over murals of being "portable keepsakes". Of course, they also can enhance a mural if you decide to do a mural in your child's room. To see more examples of paintings, check out the website at http:/www.happyheartprincess.com

Choosing to Be Happy!

It seems that everywhere I turn lately, I meet people who have CHOSEN to be Happy! It is as though with the challenge to survive that is so much a part of our current scene, we have stepped up to the task and begun to be grateful for what we have. I remember several years ago, when I was wishing I had a new living room suite, and at some point I realized that with a good cleaning and some colorful throw pillows, . . . .it well,.........it would do fine. Actually, it proved to be one of those ah ha moments when I looked around at what I had and said to myself. . . . "How dare I ask God for more if I am not taking care of what I have". This little mantra has become an important part of my thinking over the years. It was an important lesson for me to learn and plays a huge role in my gratitude experience.

Christmas Love

In two days I will drive north 4-1/2 hours to spend Christmas with my son and daughter-in-law and my two grandchildren, Carol and Kevin Jr. I can hardly wait. They are my Christmas! The love I feel for them warms my heart and completes me. My big strong dependable son Kevin Sr., my wonderful down to earth gentle daughter-in-law Holly, my gorgeous,bright, sweet grandaughter Carol, and then my precious little pumpkin Kevin Jr. What a bubbly little creature he is (his mere voice makes my heart smile). I cannot imagine my world without them and I thank God that they are a part of my life.

NEW YEAR REDO!

I always get excited about a new year - it's like having a fresh canvas to paint anything I want or a new chapter in the book I'm writing that is just waiting for me to fill the pages with my adventures.

One of the things about a new year is to look around and spiffy up my home - a new painting, new curtains, new furniture arrangement - I like to take a fresh view - it's a time when parents often decide to 'redo' the kids rooms. Where do you start? Well with a fairytale kids paintings! Check out my fairytale kids paintings at www.happyheartprincess.com and look at some of the paintings I have done for other clients to help them with their "redo"!

We Never Know How and When We Touch Lives

This morning as I was taking my shower, I was thinking how grateful I am for my nice hot shower in the morning - don't forget, the majority of the world population does not have this 'luxury'. My thoughts led me to a news clip on Afghanastan that I saw years ago. It was about a grandmother and her grandson who lived in what could be described as a mere cave in Afghanastan. The grandmother was ill and spent her days waiting for her grandson to return with a few coins or food that he managed to get from begging. Her image is imblazoned upon my heart and I have thought of her so often over the years for two reasons. The first being my gratitude for living here in this country. I think of her in the morning when I make my first cup of coffee - not only do I have running water, I have the ability to heat it - not only do I have coffee, I have great coffee beans that I grind myself to make REALLY REALLY great coffee. I thought of her again this morning when thanking God for a hot shower. The other lesson I learned from that clip is that we never know how we might impact other's lives. That poor grandmother living in that cave in Afghanistan has no idea of the way she has affected my life and my sense of gratitude. And since I have shared her story with many, perhaps she has affected many. It's a reminder to me to try to live my life to the best of my ability "just in case someone is watching".

My Holiday Gifts

How wonderful in this time of economic uncertainty, to feel such hope and joy and gratefulness! This week I have received numerous holiday gifts - oh they weren't wrapped in paper and tied with a bow but they are gifts I'll remember nevertheless. A gift of the precious little voice of my grandson on the phone "Nanny are you coming to my house for Christmas"?, and then "I love you Nanny", the warmth of friendships renewed at a Christmas party, an appearance on a local tv station where I was able to once again talk about my book "On Being a REAL Princess", a wonderful music download from a good friend, the gift of an absolutely inspirational Christmas proclamation from our Convention Bureau with each staff person remembering their best Christmas story and/or a gift they received or gave. Their stories reminded me of one of my most memorable Christmases.

I was living in Atlanta, newly divorced with few friends in town. Christmas morning dawned with the realization that I had no one in my world to wish me a Merry Christmas. Thankfully, I had signed up to work at the Christmas dinner event for the homeless. It was a bitterly cold morning (not typical Atlanta) so dressed warmly, I trudged to the Marta station to take the train to the Convention Center site. As I entered the lonely terminal, I saw three little black children huddled together. I could tell that they were relieved to see a friendly face as I called to them "Merry Christmas". They explained that they were headed to the Christmas dinner at the Convention Center but their mother was unable to come because she had given her coat to one of the girls. Seated on the train, I looked down to see that they had no socks on their little feet. Shame washed over me at feeling sorry for myself that no one had wished me Merry Christmas. Well, it turned out to be quite the day for those kids! Because I knew some of the workers at the event, I used the little bit of influence I had to get them extra clothing, extra food, enough to take home to mom and miracle of miracles, the little boy won one of the bikes being given away that day. We even arranged for a ride to transport them and all their loot home. It was truly one of my best Christmases to see their shining happy faces and one I will never forget!

TODAY . . . I danced in the aisles at Walmart

Okay - so I'm doing a lot of my Christmas shopping this year at Walmart - trying to buy practical gifts that the people on my list really need. With a slowdown in my business, money is definitely an issue this year and so, while I am standing in the wrapping paper aisle (at the back of the store I might add) trying to decide if I can afford the $4.88 wrapping paper or if I should just settle for the $2.88 wrapping paper, a particularly beautiful rendition of "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" comes on the store speakers. Suddenly I felt a warm rush of pure joy and happiness - so much so that I could not help but begin to dance and twirl in the aisle! For that moment, all was right in my world - beautiful music eliciting happy memories, gratitude that at 66 years of age I can still twirl!, thankfulness that I have family to spend Christmas with and love for My Creator! It was a moment of pure joy that passed as quickly as it came but this Christmas I intend to find more of those moments and string them all together like lights on the Christmas Tree

Can We Reinvent Christmas?

I find myself engaging in thoughtful fantasies this year with regard to Christmas. With the emphasis on a fumbling economy and families trying to make ends meet, I am reminded of how very commercialized our holiday season has become!. I know, it's an overused phrase but this year, it seems to take on additional meaning. When I think of desperately trying to purchase a gift for people on my list who "need nothing" or are "hard to buy for". I think of the absurdity of the antics we go thru at this time of year to make it Christmas. What would Christmas feel like if it was reinvented without the frenzy of piles of gifts under the tree? Could we be content with a Christmas centered around music, food, family, fun (games), a time to slow down and enjoy our time without the pressures of getting to the office, etc. These thoughts ramble thru my head as I engage in my own Holiday shopping frenzy. Your ideas?