Getting the itch BACK!!!

It has been a year since getting pregnant and so much happened in that year that my art has taken a back seat, it is just in the past few weeks that I have got the overpowering urge this week to get back into painting. So I got stuck in on the lounge floor and finished a piece for my mate in Palmy and did some more work on a painting I started for Maddy's room. I can't wait to get a studio again but will wait till the weather gets better and Maddy is a bit older as she still needs lots of sleep and the warmth.

There are loads of things happening in Wanganui for the arts, there is a new gallery that has opened in the building that I would like to get a studio space in the upstairs, I have been praying that the space will come available for me at the right time! There are competitions and a glass festival coming up over the next few months.

Life has been so different having Maddy has opened up so many different doors, there is so much to learn. There are so many favorite parts like buying her clothes, even through she hates getting dressed and would much rather be NAKED! She is SO cute, a chatter box and growing quickly, she is already 6.5kgs at 3 months. Maddy hates sleeping through the day but is great through the night once you get her to sleep, I dread the hours of 5-7pm when I'm feeling low on energy and she just wants to feed and fights going to sleep! Anyway the little treasure has just woken up so I better go and feed her.

The message for you today is: IF I AM REALLY WISE...

... I WON'T COMPROMISE MY INTEGRITY ("wisdom is pure")

I'll be honest with you. I'll keep my promises and commitments to you.

... I WON'T ANTAGONIZE YOUR ANGER ("wisdom is peace loving")

I'll work at maintaining harmony. I won't push your hot buttons.

... I WON'T MINIMIZE YOUR FEELINGS ("wisdom is courteous")

I may not feel as you do, but I won't ignore or ridicule how you feel.

... I WON'T CRITICIZE YOUR SUGGESTIONS ("it allows discussion')

I can disagree with you without being disagreeable.

... I WON'T EMPHASIZE YOUR MISTAKES ("it is full of mercy")

Instead of rubbing it in - I'll rub it out.

... I WON'T DISGUISE MY MOTIVATIONS ("wholehearted...and sincere")

I'll be authentic with you. I won't "con" or manipulate you.

Here is a music clip I recorded of Rere playing her song ROCK HOPPERS....

Madeline Rose McCullough Tizard

Life has changed! Our new baby girl is such a dream, we have been very blessed!!!

Everyday is a different day and she is becoming more alert and now knows who her Mum and Dad are. It's amazing to think that only 11 months ago we would have never thought that we would become parents.

Everyone has been so kind and generous, we are very spoilt, THANK YOU EVERYONE X X X

Maddy coming home...

I haven't picked up a paint brush for a couple of months but have been clicking away with the camera instead. Hopefully after the winter months I will find a studio space and get back into creating masterpieces. My mind is full of many wonderful ideas and I'm itching to get back into it. I have even been thinking of studying something but not sure what, when and how? I have always been fascinated about people and the mind so I may go off in this direction.

LIFE ROCKS!!!

My music clip for the day is

Adam Lambert

February 2009

Man time flys past, we are into February already!

Loads has been happening in my life....I only have 6-7 weeks of my pregnancy left, I have a new niece Lucia, became the treasurer of the Wanganui Arts Society and loving it, we love our new home, and started a new business Tizard Design

Today I have been playing around with a new art website My Art Plot it seems to be like DeviantArt . I'm not sure if I will use it much but everything is worth a try.

It is one of those hot, hot days here today. I started it with a cold bath and have been cruising around in my togs and sarong. I haven't been able to keep drinking enough water and am feeling like a bloated cow from water retention, I'm wondering if I'm going to need to get my rings cut off or not? Oh the joys of being pregnant. I have volunteered to be the model at the portrait class next Saturday and I'm hoping I will be able to do it with our looking puffy.

We had a great Christmas and New Year. My wonderful man bought me a new video camera but I haven't spent much time sorting out the new software to create masterpieces, I did try but got frustrated, I think I really need a better computer so it doesn't crash all the time!



I have got most of the stuff ready that we need for our baby. Audrey has just been a shinning star with all her help given to us! Shaughan and I are both getting really excited about the arrival of our little treasure. It is so nice seeing his eyes light up when he feels the baby kicking. We don't know if it will be a boy or girl and I have no clue, one day I will think it is a girl then the next a boy, so confusing! We have a few names we like but it has been the hardest thing to do so far, such different taste, I like flower names and he likes strong names.
I have learnt so much about having babies in the past 6 months and have a total different view on pregnancy. I thought that you didn't really change much of how I was wrong. I don't know how my sister has done it 5 times already?

Anyway I better get off the computer and pop my feet up. x x

Unique Expressions: How to Promote Your Website

Unique Expressions: How to Promote Your Website

Our Baby Scan

We went for the 20 week scan today. We thought we would find out the sex but it was shy and had it's legs crossed, will have a nice surprise at the birth, I think it's a girl most days but it's really hard trying to guess.

Here are some of the pictures from the scan.....

Middle of August already!!

Talk about a long time since I have written in my blog. It's been good not using my computer as much as I did.

Yesterday I went for a walk around Durie Hill and got this photo of our building with it's lovely new colours.

Last week I found out that I'm pregnant. It was a bit of a shock but we are both very happy and talk about getting excited. I'm so lucky to have my sister helping me out. I was trying to talk her into becoming a Midwife yesterday as she would be perfect!! Wanganui has a shortage of them I think there are 15 midwives and 800 babies being born a year. I heard some people are being shipped out of Wanganui to see a midwife.

This was another photo I took yesterday I love it when the moon is out!!! I think the moon coming over Durie Hill is one of my favourite sights. I'm lucky to have such a good seat in our house to watch this!

I have been busy doing lots of different things like the Tarot every morning which has been interesting. I have never kept a note of the cards I pull, so it is interesting to see which cards I keep pulling out. It was funny this morning as I woke up grumpy and wanted to lash out, the cards I pulled said.... wait, relax, trust and have good judgement. It totally pulled my head in!!!!

I finally used Skype for the first time in my life on Tuesday. It's pretty cool as I got to talk to my mate Kohava in Ozzie!!
And I had a group of people come and paint with me in the morning, it was a lovely, we are heading off to the gallery on Friday afternoon together. It's really cool meeting new people that hold the same passions as I do.

This is the beginning of one of the 5 mask paintings that I wanted to have finished by the end of August, man how life gets mixed up. I have only started 2 of the 5. Maybe today I should get cracking and get some more done??? Or maybe I should go watch movies keep warm and eat chocolate hahaha.

My message for the day was: The bliss of the Creator forever permeates all of creation, and it is only in the forgetting that misery exists.

Yay Spring it on it's way!!! x x x x

Here is a funny little clip I made of Ralph yesterday.....

Social Networking ROCKS!!!

Visit THE KEYHOLE a creative social networking website

Yesterday I found a cool place on the net which allowed me to start building a social network website for all creative people.

It was so much fun and I'm really excited to have a space for all my creative friends. I have been lucky to have friends from all creative fields and I have always wanted to have a space for everyone.

My last job in Auckland was a casting assistant, so I was surrounded by actors and people in the film industry. I got to know all the agents in Auckland which was MAD fun!

I have always had a passion for music and I seem to attract musicians like you wouldn't believe. And of course all the visual friends I have made over the last 6 years.

So here is hoping that everyone will feel as excited as I do and we can get a good bunch of people together to share their creativity and passions.

I had a beautiful surprise on Monday in the post, my sister In-Law, Christine Tizard, had sent me a book 'New Zealand's Favourite Artists 2' which she featured in.

Would you believe me if I old you it has 50 of New Zealand's favourite artists in the book?

It is a beautiful book and I'm so proud of her, she is such a Gem!!!!

I just found a 11 page PDF sample of the book click here to view.

It's only $50 so go buy a copy, you won't be disappointed!

For the past couple of days I have been adding books, music and movies to my website. It was like walking down memory lane as the website I was using had some great old movies and music, click here to check out my lists.

I have just emailed them to ask them to see if they can get Chrissy's book, so I can sell it through my website.

The Internet is such an amazing place!!!!! I LOVE IT.

I'm looking forward to Shaughan's birthday party! It is going to be heaps of fun, I'm dressing up as Nina Simonne. I'm not sure yet which is the best way to make my skin dark? I love all the old girls of JAZZ! I'm really bummed out because my video camera has died so hopefully I can get my sister's one?

Here is some useless information for non-smokers.....I bought a packet of papers, not the normal Zig Zags and they made me feel yuck, my tongue felt like it had been pulled out of my mouth and snapped back in. It would be interesting to see if anyone else feels like this?

I better get back to doing some work x x x x x

Find more photos like this on THE KEYHOLE

WINTER is here!!

For the past week it has been snowing on the mountain so it has been bloody cold here! I am a Summer girl and I like to always be warm, so I feel my brain hasn't been working as fast as it normally does.

It was Shaughan's sisters 40th birthday last Friday and we went to her house for a party. It was so much fun, I got to meet loads of new people and make new friends. I really feel blessed to have married into the Tizard family they are all such lovely kind people.

We headed out to the hot rod show, the weather was perfect! I was so impressed with all the colours of the cars, it made is so yummy walking around them. My favourite car was a Chevy but this orange coloured car was my favourite colour! I think Shaughan and I will have to buy a hot rod when we have a house with a shed! If you are interested in having a look at more of the cars I have put my photos in the gallery on http://www.wanganui.org/

We headed out to the beach later that afternoon and watched the sun go down. Living in Wanganui is such a great place to be! The next house we live in has to be close to the beach!!!!

Here is a slideshow of the paintings that are on a boat heading over to the UK to be sold.....

I'm organising a party for my man's birthday, it took me ages to think of a theme and I'm excited....everyone has to come dressed as their favourite musician, bring a song and an instrument. I went and delivered the invites last week and our friends have their thinking caps on, wondering what to come as. I wouldn't have a clue what I'm coming as yet because I have so many favourite musicians but I'm going to use the excuse to get my hair cut and coloured CRAZY STYLES!!! Any excuse for a bit of madness!!!

I can't believe that we are so close to July, man this year has gone so fast!!!

My message for today was: The truth shall cast away all your fears, as we gently guide you to look within with loving honesty.

On Saturday I took Mum, Ness, Leah and Achilles out for an hour, it was fun, Shaughan had bought a XR6 last weekend, I took them for a cruise to the gardens out Westmere, the chicken farm and then out for coffee. In the afternoon my good friend Rere came over for a coffee and we hung out which was nice. Rere has become a full time kindy teacher so I don't get to hang out with her as much now.

Shaughan swapped one of his cars for a Holden V8 on Tuesday. I haven't taken it for a spin yet but I'm sure I will love the power and noise! He really loves his cars!!!

We are thinking about doing my FXGT up and racing old Betty, I can't wait I'm such a petrol head at heart. Dad joined all us kids up with the car club when we were teenagers so every weekend we raced our cool old Angle Box until it over heated or we ran out of gas. The buzz you get from racing is just out of this world!!!

Yesterday we took down all the painting in the lounge and it has inspired me to paint the walls and do some new paintings for the room. I haven't been painting much I think it's because of the cold weather? So that will be a good mission for me for the week.

We have been having people up home for the rugby every Saturday night which has been fun, I'm not really into my rugby but I do enjoy having watching it with a good group of people. I do think the All Blacks are HOT!!!! hahahaha.

I can hear my man is about to get out of bed so I'm off to make him a coffee x x x x x

I love surprises

I have had the most special week this week with loads of surprise visitors.

At 11:30am this morning I received a text from my beautiful friend asking me what I was doing for lunch? It was Stephen, I hadn't seen him since our wedding it was such a nice surprise.
We headed down to Stella and had pizza and beer hmmmm. I finally got to hear about his adventures overseas and meet his lovely friend from Indonesia.
They have just left and are heading down to the South Island for a fun filled holiday.
Hopefully we will have their company for a night on their way back up to Auckland in a few weeks.

Last Tuesday I got a text from the lovely Lisa, she was on holiday in the Mighty Mangaweka and wanted to come to Wanganui to get some photos on her new SLR camera. She packed Richard in the car and headed for Wanganui. I love it when things happen perfectly, I had filled my slow cooker with chicken that morning so there was plenty of food and wine so we had a relaxed night hanging out.

I finally remembered to get my video camera and catch Richard and Shaughan having a Jam..........

My message for the day was: You do have great love within you at this very moment.

That reminds me....one of my friends has fallen in love and it is so beautiful to watch her so elevated with her love for this special man! LOVE ROCKS!!!

If everyone was loving the world would be such a happy and kind place.

Relaxing morning

Shaughan just took me out for coffee, before he jumped on a bus to Palmy. It was so lovely the sun was shinning and we got the chance to catch up with friends. It is days like this when you feel so blessed to be in this beautiful world.

Last week I thought I would try ordering a photo book from digitalmax and when it came I was so happy! It was only $30 and it looks fantastic! If any of you are looking for a portfolio I highly recommend making a book online at http://www.digitalmax.co.nz/. It did take me a few days to create the book.

I found out about the arts policy for Wanganui this week. I'm really excited about the way the council are moving towards supporting all art forms in Wanganui. If you would like more information I posted an article for you to read at http://www.paintpit.com/.

Shaughan and I went out of town for a couple of days over Queen's Birthday weekend. We headed for Napier but only made it to Palmy, it was the best weekend! I bumped into heaps of people. I saw my hairdressing mate and found out he had opened a hair salon, thank God as he is the only hairdresser I will let cut my hair!!! I was really getting sick of cutting my own hair.
I don't know about you but I have had terrible experiences with hairdressers! This one dude, who was thought to be the best hairdresser in the world, cut my hair and I felt like such a boy! It was a fun experience mind you, he was totally CRAZY!! He lived in New York and had some great stories to tell.

Last week I was doing little things to our home to make it feel better and now that the framing gear has gone, I have more spaces to fill. So I set up a little area for my hairdressing gear, it was great fun getting out of the shower and using the space this morning! Tonight I'm going to cut one of my mates hair before she heads off to the South Island for a holiday.

I went for a job interview last week, it was strange as it has been such a long time since I have been for an interview. I really had forgotten what it was like to be in that situation. I did a terrible job, my mind was blank and I was not thinking straight!!!! I do hope that they find the perfect person for the job! It's a great job and the right person could have such a big impact on the whole community.

I just received this email, I was just talking about this with a lady at the coffee shop:

DEVELOPING PATIENCE

Life is a test in patience! This week you can expect to be tested at least four different ways:

· Interruptions - you'll sit down to dinner and someone will knock at your front door; you'll be in the restroom and your cell phone will ring; you'll be working on a deadline and your boss will ask you to attend a meeting.
· Inconveniences - flights will be canceled or delayed; car trouble may leave you stuck on the motorway. How will you react?
· Irritations - those little things that are beyond your control and make life uncomfortable. Irritations tend to bring out either the best or the beast in us.
· Inactivity - you'll be forced to wait... in lines, in offices, in traffic, in elevators. Kiwi’s would rather do almost anything but wait.

Research has shown that people who are habitually impatient are the ones most prone to be heart attack victims. Proverbs 19:2 says "Impatience will get you into trouble." You could probably provide a few personal examples of that truth!

THREE SECRETS TO DEVELOPING PATIENCE:

1. Discover a new perspective. Find a new way of looking at the situation. Patience always begins by changing the way you think about something. And there is always more than one way to look at something. "A man's wisdom gives him patience." Pr.19:1

2. Develop a sense of humor. Learn to laugh at yourself and your circumstances. Find the fun in your frustrations. On average, people with a sense of humor live longer than those who don't. "A relaxed attitude lengthens a man's life." Pr. 14:30 (LB)

3. Deepen your love. When you are filled with love, almost nothing can provoke you but if you're filled with anger almost anything will. Love is thinking about what others need, not just yourself. "Love is patient." 1 Cor.13:4

My music clip for the day is 'MAD WORLD' by Gary Jules


My message for the day was: Darkness is simply unable to penetrate the intensely bright glare of the One. It is literally cast away by the beam of brightness.

I am just sitting here thinking that it's been about 3 weeks since I have had a good painting session, so I'm going to leave you and go get my painting shoes on!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x