Farewell 2011!

And so ends the last week in our Week of Reveals! 

J and what a fun three weeks it was J

   Wow, what a month, in fact, what a year it's been! I can't believe it's almost New Years, didn't it feel like this year just came and went real fast? And so many great things happened here in 2011, it's kind of hard to believe it's almost over. What great things happened, you ask? Well, umm... let's see:

We learned my dog can sneeze on cue,

And in November we had the 7 Days of Thanks, remember that?

And… oh ya we celebrated Nutmeg's 1st Birthday!

    Ah good times.

                            LOL! 

                     Makes me wonder what’s in store for next year…

What’s that?

Nope, can’t tell you (sorry)

But I have some awesome ideas!!!

Like an interactive Beautiful Truth that will push the boundaries of blogging,

More whacky videos,

Some new artwork,

And, of course, more short stories!!

   Oops, now I’ve said too much.

   Oh well, you'll just have to wait and see what else I come up with; it'll be a surprise but I can assure you it's also going to be AWEsome!! 

    In fact, 2012 will be awesome!

I can't wait to see what new adventures, surprises and blessings await us in the New Year.

Ooo, I can't wait!

   But until then just keep your eyes open for those upcoming new posts that I've already mentioned and be here New Years Eve for a special post! For now...

Happy Reading Y'all!!

J

Draco; the Dragon of the Universe

An original sketch by: Megan Finsel

Meet Draco, the latest dragon welcomed into my collection and the first installment into The Gallery! I sketched him with charcoal pencils on 9" x 12" (recycled :D) sketch paper. I don't really know where he came from, I just "saw" this dragon and put pencil to paper, but the unexpected ones are always my favorite.
    So what do ya think?

Third Reveal of Week 3

Alright this is it,

the final week

in our Week of Reveals!

Ooo boy and I’ve saved the best for last!!

    Last week you got a taste of my creative photography in the premiere of Daily Art.

    The week before you learned that my dog can sneeze on cue (and, no, I’m not joking).

    Well, you know I’m a photographer, and a cinematographer, but first and foremost I'm an artist.


You might’ve already seen my sketches of Bumblebee, Ironhide, and Jazz from Transformers (if you scroll down, they’re in the sidebar to your right) but, what about the rest of my artwork, you’re wondering?

It’s going into what I’m calling The Gallery, of course!

    I can’t wait! The Gallery will be all the posts containing my artwork,

from the Dragons

to the Horses

to the sports cars, 

anything that happens to fall out onto my canvas is coming right here to Nutmeg!

 

 It's like a VIP peek inside my overactive imagination

 

    And it’s going to be AWEsome! So be here Wednesday the 28^th for the first installment into The Gallery, and find out what happens when you give me a pencil and a lot of free time!

    Until then, happy reading y’all! J

A Picture Speaks 1,000 Words

When walking across the sea of your to-do list it’s sometimes hard to keep your head above dishwater, but when you look at it from a new angle it’s amazing how average, everyday sights (things that might be ugly at first) can become beautiful with just the right point-of-view! This is what I mean:

The little, lacy bubbles
are my favorite part of this photo.
See 'em?

I love how the light
is pouring down through the window
and reflecting off the rim of the bowl!

I had too much fun editing this one.
Doesn't it look like an antique photo
from an old family album
you found in your grandma's attic?

Black and white has a traditional, elegant ambiance that I just love. This one enhances the sunshine pouring in over the faucet through the glass mixing bowl, highlighting what I think might be pancake batter, lol!

It’s amazing how something as simple as a stack of dirty dishes (which we usually dread) could actually become art with just a change of perspective. Maybe we can apply that knowledge to other areas of life, to take a situation that might seem ugly, look at it from a new angle, and see something completely different... maybe even beautiful! That's something I'll have to think about...

What to do you think?

Second Reveal of Week 2

Ok, so you've had your first taste of my cinematography,
seen the first installment into The Video Vault,

And learned that My Dog can Sneeze on Cue (for those of you who haven’t seen it, no I’m not joking, he really can)

…and that was only week 1!

   

Now, welcome to Week 2 of Week of Reveals!

The next segment to premiere I’m calling:

Daily Art.

This segment is all about looking at the average world from a

                                                       Creative

Different

Point-of-view as we take

                                               Regular,

   Everyday

                                                     Objects

that may seem ordinary

and give them an extraordinary spin,

making them unique to look at.

I’m really excited about this series ‘cause it’s going to give you a hint of my photography background while challenging you to view the suburban world in a whole new way!

It’s going to be life, rediscovered.

    So be here Wednesday the 21^st to see what a splash of sunshine and a little Photoshop can do to a sink full of dirty dishes when I premiere the second segment in this week's Week of Reveals!
    Until then, happy reading y’all!

J  

My Dog can Sneeze on Cue

Meet Blue! He’s our four-year-old lab/hound mix. He's many things including lovable, energetic, and really, really smart (as you’re about to see). We adopted him from a shelter three years ago; he was an abuse victim for most of his first year and although he had to learn to trust again he's adjusted very well to his new life and now rules the household with his soft brown eyes (which are impossible to say "no" to). Anyways, among many other things, we’ve discovered that he loves learning new tricks! This is the newest one I taught him, you might not believe it until you see it and yes you read the title of this post correctly…

My dog can sneeze on cue

Don’t believe me? Well, pop some popcorn and check it out for yourself!! 

See I told you J

Happy watching y'all!

First Reveal of Week 1

When I first started this site I mentioned I love cinematography and that I always have a camera on me to capture whatever crazy, interesting or just totally cool things happen my way. So you’re probably wondering:
 

“Where are those videos?”

And

“Where can I find them??”

Well, today, let me put those questions to rest:

   Those videos are

COMING SOON!

And you’ll be able to find them

RIGHT HERE!

on Nutmeg!

    Cinematography is just another way to tell a story, a visual story. For me it’s like a form of living art. And starting Wednesday the 14^th I’ll be posting the first in a new segment called The Video Vault, where you’ll be able to find all the living artwork I concoct.

You’ll be able to see the world the way I do,
through my camera lens!

    So be here Wednesday the 14^th for the first video inducted into The Video Vault on this first Week of Reveals!
   
    And what is the video I'll be posting?
    Let me just ask you this:

"Can a dog sneeze on cue?"

What it Takes (Part 1)

 

I know I write a lot about following and achieving your Dreams, but what exactly does it take to achieve those crazy fantasies that we entertain? How do you get from “someday I’ll be” to “today I am”?  

    I think:

You have to push yourself.

You never know what you’re able to do unless you push yourself outside your comfort zone, outside that box you’ve been living in, outside conformity and inside originality!

‘Cause that’s where life gets tie-dyed, where colors abide, and adventurestretches from tide to tide!

Test your boundaries, test the lines of your capabilities and see how far you can move beyond them.

You might surprise yourself!

Because you're capable of far more than you might think.
But how will you know if you never try?
How will you know the depths of your ability if you never test it?
How will you know the lengths of your agility if you never try to best it?

That’s how stars are made, that’s how dreams are achieved,

when you do what you can and then some just to see.

So go ahead and find out what you’re made of, be bold!
Who knows, you just might strike Gold
J

Breaking News: This Just In

   I preempt your regularly scheduled program to bring you this breaking news for all Nutmeg fans!

   Over the next three weeks I’ll be introducing three new segments for your entertainment pleasure! But shhhhhhh! I can’t tell you what they are yet, you’ll just have to wait and see.

   Just be here December 14^th for the first Week of Reveals when we push the creative boundaries of art and writing in the premiere of our first new segment!

   Alright, now back to your regularly scheduled program...

Beyond a Doubt

Have you ever found yourself stuck on the outside gazing in at a world you want to be a part of yet you just don’t quite fit in? And you find yourself so uncomfortable in your own skin! You feel like an outcast, an oddball, a nerd or weirdo, like on your shirt is written a big fat zero. You don’t do what they do, you don’t look how they look or think how they think, and it feels like you don’t swim, you sink.
 
Honey, we’ve all felt like that, we’ve all been there, when it seems the whole world just can’t help but stare. Maybe you’re a little different, maybe you’re a little scarred and you find it’s difficult to fit yourself in that square hole, that hole which doesn’t fit your round soul. Yah, that’s hard.

But you need to realize something; Jesus loves you just the way you are, you don’t have to “fit in” to anything at all. You don’t stick out, you stand out, so don’t let them make you feel so small! Stand tall! You can be proud of who you are (yes you!) ‘cause you're shining like a star! You don’t have to fit inside conformity, cause the Father above can already see the real you that you try and hide, and He thinks you’re worth the cost. If the world’s too blind to see your light, that’s their loss. Just don’t give up the fight, don’t let your light go out, ‘cause you illuminate the night, beyond a doubt!

J

Can I Tell You Something?

Never underestimate yourself. There’s a fine line between humility and cutting yourself down and you have way more ability, more talent, more capability than you give yourself credit. You're awesome, and it’s not a crime to admit it! So go ahead and raise your face, lift your chin, square your shoulders and know within: “I am who I am and I am great!” because that’s the truth for goodness sake! 

J