Why do we collect things?

     

      Do you have any collections? Have you had this collection since you were a child or have you just recently started collecting? Why have you chosen this specific item for collecting? Is it the historical importance, or the money value, or the emotional connection, is it a purely visual attraction to the collection? Collections are fascinating to me!

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     There are many reasons that people have come up with over time to why people collecting things. I haven't done any studies myself to say that this is the best reasoning but I would like to think that people collect things because it makes them happy. Even if you think your collection is for money purposes, how does it make you feel when you acquire a piece that fits your collection and you know it's worth money! That's right, you guessed it!

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    The top ten things that people tend to collect are: Coins, Movies, CDS, Video Games, Stamps, Books, Dolls, Cards, Key-chains, and Rocks. Now that I think about, I have a collection of books. I have a TON of books and most of them I have read and will never read again but I keep moving them from place to place with me because I can't let them go. They make me happy. I am attached to them and the meaning they hold. Most of them I know where I was in my life when I was reading it. So I suppose this unintentional collection of books is from emotional connection. 

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    I am however decided on a new collection that will be intentional! TEA CUPS. I love tea cups and I always have. Why do I love them? Well, I am glad you asked! The first reason I love tea cups is because I am very connected with the story and Disney movie of Alice in Wonderland. Tea cups remind me and make me think about wonderland and looking at beautiful tea cups really set my imagination into power mode! Also I actually love drinking tea. My gramcrackers and I drink tea every time we are together and so the collection could actually be functional which I like. I don't know if I could collect something that I wouldn't do anything with like rocks. 

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    I have mentioned to my boyfriend a few times now that I want to start collecting tea cups and he has recently told me that he wants to start a collection as well! He wants to collect music records. He also wants his collection to be functional. He imagines his collection being displayed in a part of the house where company can actually sit around and listen to the records when they are over. I am definitely supporting this collection!

Let me hear what your collections are and what it is about them you love! Do you think your collection brings you more happiness? Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

She's Whiskey in a Tea Cup Jack Daniels summertime american apparel tri blend graphic tee Women's Racerback Tank Top by - EllieSueTees

Song of the Day:

Alice | Pogo

Color of the Day:

Farrow and Ball

DIY - PAINT BRUSH CLEANER (Made with hot glue gun)

It has been a weird couple of days but also an AMAZING couple of days. My love took me away for a night to the west side of Michigan with another couple. We stayed in an amazing castle and saw my favorite band Lake Street Dive. It was a magical two days and I felt very inspired and in love.

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Since I have been away all weekend I wanted to use my last day off to really get things done in my studio. I entered the room this morning and felt SO OVERWHELMED. There were things everywhere. I have started so many pieces and each are different mediums. I just couldn't get my thoughts together so I decided it was time to clean and reorganize everything.

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I started by getting all the random trash out and creating more space. I felt cramped and anxious and now I feel free! I had also been putting off cleaning a ton of my brushes that were just sitting in old mineral spirits. I was actually convinced I had ruined all of them because they had been sitting there for so long. I remembered this great idea I saw and decided to make one of my own!

I understand that this video was made for make-up brushes but it works the same for paintbrushes. I made one on a metal tray that I had left lying around. It works so well I wish I had more brushes to clean. I not only saved every single brush I don't think they have ever been this clean. It took maybe ten minutes to make and if you are an artist with deals with paintbrushes of any kind I DEFINITELY recommend making one of these.

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ANYWAY! Now that everything is clean and has a place I am going to organize my inventory on paper which is something I have never done before. I want to do this because like I already mentioned I keep starting all these little pieces for the DIY Art Fair but not finishing them and I feel all over the place. I want to know exactly what I have and how many of each so I can focus on what I want to have for the fair. I know as of now that I probably need to at least DOUBLE my inventory which is terrifying but I know if I can just get my thoughts straight I will make it happen.

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Before I left for the weekend adventure I did however finish my lovely little Alice in Wonderland inspired Watercolor piece! Sometimes I make pieces and I think "oh, that's cute.....moving on" but every now and again I make something I love and it might be vain but I CAN NOT stop looking at it. I really want to make more pieces like this and get prints to sell but I feel like I need to stick with what I can do for the fair for now and after this month dive a little deeper into my watercolor ideas.

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So that's all I have for today. I really want to get to work in here now that it's cleaned up but I wanted to make sure I blogged since I couldn't while I was away. I hope you all have a wonderland day!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

USB flash drive 8 GB, kawaii blue cat, cat with constellation big dipper, back to school , cobalt cat usb flash by - CloverPower

Song of the Day:

Garden Sessions: Lake Street Dive - "Look At What Mistake" - Radio Woodstock

Color of the Day:

 BENJAMIN MOORE CORLSBUD CANYON 076

5 things to remember when you feel like you're falling behind.

Look who it is! It's me the slackiest slacker on the world wide web of blogging! Oh man guys and gals I really haven't done anything with the blog in three days! See I miss one day and BOOM three days later here I am. All or nothing kinda gal......What's that?.....You forgive me! Great! 

You are the best.

These past few days I made a mental promise to stay away from my studio for the most part and spend more time with my boyfriend's two kids. They will be going back to school soon and I have been hiding away working on pieces for the DIY Art Festival.

I did manage to get a little time in the studio for myself and started a fun watercolor piece themed from Alice in Wonderland! It is going to be very dainty and girly with flowers! I love it already. What do you think so far?!

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Even though I started a piece and worked on a few others I still can't help feeling like I have totally fallen behind. I have this feeling more than I realize. Behind what? My expectations? Due dates? Have you ever given up doing something completely because you felt you were too far behind for it to even matter? I didn't choose painting as a major in college until two years in because I felt that since I never took any courses in high school I would be so far behind everyone else that why bother. Switching was one of the best things I ever did! 

So are you feeling behind? Do you feel you're stressed because you can never get ahead of your laundry? Do tasks at work keep piling higher every time you finish one? Feel like your business will never succeed because so many just like it are already so popular? Have a new blog and think will this ever take off......wait....oh how silly of me I am getting off topic.

Here are 5 things to remember when you feel like you are falling behind:

1. Take a breath and enjoy life. You only get one.

I have mentioned before what taking some time to meditate and breathe can do for you. If you haven't heard....it does wonders! If you feel like you are falling behind you probably have some anxiety and stress along with that thought and closing your eyes and breathing can help wash that away. It will make it easier to continue on with getting those things caught up and back to normal without the pressure of guilt and even depression!

2. How did you get here?

Is this the first time you have felt this way or have you been in this position before? What lead you to feeling so trapped and helpless? Take a step back from the situation and look to see how you could have avoided it, if at all. If you could have avoided it, let yourself feel disappointed (BUT ONLY FOR A SECOND!) You have to acknowledge your feelings. Then move on! Get up and try again better next time. If you find that you couldn't have even avoided getting to the point you are at....then make like Elsa and LLEETT ITT GOOO!

2. You are further ahead then you think!

Ever look back at a stressful time and think....why was I so crazy I did great! I think 9 times out of 10 when I think I am behind I really am ahead! I guess this depends on what you are feeling behind.

..if it is you're own goals then you might want to reevaluate your goals or the manor in which you are trying to reach them. BUT, if you are feeling behind "others" or some sort of "work" I bet you will look back on today and say that you really were ahead of the game.

3. Need some reassurance?

Sometimes I think I am like Gretchen Rubin and need a ton of gold stars. Reassurance can so important to people (especially artists) that they create this sob story in their heads when they don't receive it enough. I am guilty of this. If I am not getting enough good feedback I can make myself feel like I am falling behind. When someone gives me a gold star and recognizes my good work I feel a lot better. So what I need to learn is that I need to give myself a gold star whenever I start to feel behind. If you have trouble with this like I do here is one free golden star just for you: YOU CAN DO IT! WOW WHAT A GREAT JOB YOU HAVE DONE SO FAR! DON'T WORRY ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE LOOK AT ALL YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED! 

4. Just do the best you can do.

All you can do is the best you can do. Odds are you are doing just fine. If you can say you are putting 110% into everything you do and are still feeling behind, then you might want to think differently. 

There you have it! Just remember life is about having fun and love! I hope today's blog makes you feel a little more at ease and you can forgive me for being absent the last few days. Oh and I almost forgot! Gues what came in the mail today! My brand new business cards! Take a look and let me know what you think! 

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Pinback Button, Magnet, Mirror, or Bottle Opener by - PinMeDown

Song of the Day:

Fun.: We Are Young ft. Janelle Monáe (ACOUSTIC)

Color of the Day:

Glass Slipper

My 4 kind of movies that INSPIRE ME!

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I have been in the mood to watch some movies lately. Movies that I have already seen multiple times. Movies that INSPIRE me to create.I thought, that's an interesting topic for the blogs! I have mentioned before that I do not watch TV and I find that very important for myself and staying on track with my day. I am an all or nothing girl so it's hard to just watch an episode or two of something. Once I realized this and cut TV out completely I have been much happier and definitely more productive. 

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But LOVE to watch movies. I don't do it often but when I get to watch a movie that really connects with me I am in my element. Something stirs up in me and I am motivated to make art! I have a hard time sitting still though so if I watch a movie at home I often find myself sketching or working on an existing project during the movie. Sometimes I can even look back on a piece of artwork and remember what movie I watched when I was working on it.

What kind of movies inspire me the most? I would say I have FOUR major kind of movies that really get me into the creative art making mood

. So let's start with #4. HOLLYWOOD CLASSICS. I have had a love of old movies ever since I was a little girl. I really don't know where it came from but I use to fall asleep to Turner Classic Movie channel on my TV all night long. I would sing old songs and practice impressions of actors like Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Greta Garbo, Rock Hudson, Doris Day....I could go on forever. There is something about an old movie that instantly inspires me to think and create art. What are some of your favorite Hollywood Classics?

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#3. ARTISTIC FLICKS

This one may be obvious but maybe you are an artistic but get nothing out of artistic movies. Well I definitely do and some of my favorite movies of all time are the cliche artistic movies. I really latch onto a movie that uses all of the outlets for art. Wes Anderson is one of the best known artistic directors and most all of his movies really do the trick. The Life Aquatic and Moonrise Kingdom being my top two. I love Eternal Sunshine for the spotless mind, not only is it acted by two great actors but the color schemes and camera work flip a switch in my brain when I sit down and watch it. Anyone want to recommend a great artsy flick to me? I could use some new material. :]

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#2. MOVIES FROM BOOKS I READ

I am a big reader and nothing is more exciting then hearing that your book is being turned into a movie! When I was a kid and gripped by the Harry Potter series like everyone else it was my world to go see the pages I had read put up on the big screen. Since then I am not sure if anything else comes close or ever will but there have been  a few really great books into movies. Not always is the movie as inspirational as the book but it is still fun to see someone put colors and sound to the story you imagined in your own head. 

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#1. Disney Classics and Animated Movies

I use to feel so embarrassed to admit how excited I was to go see a new animated movie in theaters over other movies. Now I don't care I will shout it from the rooftops. Animated movies have really come a long way and nothing gets me more inspired for art then a good cartoon. Disney classics are probably my number one go to for putting on a film while making some art. Maybe the fact that I don't really need to watch it and I can see it in my mind so I can concentrate on what I am working on. I think it has to do a lot with bringing out my inner kid. My inner kid is highly creative and sometimes I forget how to play and be imaginative like my inner kid can. So Disney Classics and Animated Movies are my biggest film inspirations!

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Man I had a lot of fun making today's blog! I hope you enjoyed reading it. Now that you know what kinds of movies really get me inspired what are some of yours? Do we have any in common or are you the wildly action packed adventure movie lover? I love me some action but I wouldn't say it makes me want to make art. What are your thoughts?

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Movie Camera Giclee Art Print - Watercolor Camera Poster - Movie Art Print - Inspirational Wall Decor by - MaryWatercolorWords

Song of the Day:

Harry Potter - Prologue/Intro

Color of the Day:

Sandcastle