Happiness is a Choice.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Happiness is a choice - I am going to choose to not allow the outside influences of the world affect my mood. I promise you will live a happier life.

The last two weeks I have been through an emotional roller-coaster of getting kicked down by life and getting back up, to only get kicked down again. I consider myself an extremely positive and upbeat personality. Sometimes life gives us bigger lessons than even those of us upbeat positive people can handle.  

Life happens people! Everyday is a blessing and even in the most frustrating situations, the problems you think you are facing, are there for a reason and a lesson is to be learned. Today I hit a breaking point emotionally and I ended up being a cliche chick and having myself a super solo cry session. I cried in my room, then in the shower and then while brushing my teeth. Dramatic much? I think so.

All I know is I got it all out. Crying helped me let all my frustration out in a healthier way then being angry towards loved ones or in unhealthy eating and etc. You know what I did after I cried myself a river....I GOT OVER IT! I sat down and wrote a list of everything I was overwhelmed with and wanted to work out. 

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/68/ee/df/68eedfe0067545f3243d3b275d27cd07.gif

Seeing everything written down in a list is so freeing and I feel like I have my problems in a tangible and manageable form. Also, when I looked down at the paper and was out of things to write I couldn't believe how little I actually had that was really problems. It is amazing how writing down everything that is jumbled in your brain down on paper can really center you and bring back the focus on what matters.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I have the most wonderful man in my life I could ever ask for. As I am sitting here typing this mush of gush out, there is a vase full of pink flowers and a note to my left. He has noticed how much I have been struggling recently and he got me flowers and wrote me a note about how he is sorry that I had a bad day and that he loves me. 

With Valentine's Day tomorrow, this honestly meant so much more to me. It reminded me that I have someone who loves me enough to go out of his way to make sure that I know I am appreciated and have support just because I needed it and not because of a holiday. It really is the little things in life that we can take for granted and let all of life's crap cloud our vision. We can't forget what really matters and that's always love.

So as I end the day and start another tomorrow I will wake up with the attitude that today is the first day of the rest of my life. I am loved and have abundant happiness. Everything will work out the way it is meant to so long as I stick to my responsibility and trust that the universe has bigger and better things for me to experience everyday. 

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day: 

I love you to the moon and back - quote - ORIGINAL OIL and acrylic PAINTING - 14 x 9 x 1 inches on wood

Song of the Day:

Céline Dion - Love Can Move Mountains

Color of the Day:

 Benjamin Moore's Dalila 319

How a simple candle changed my productivity....

Mmmmmm, do you smell that? It's fresh baked cookies rising. The whole room is warm and safe.

Today is all about smells! I have always been very aware and effected by my senses and surely smell is not left out! This Gemini sun with a Taurus moon is all about aroma!

(Click for more on this image)

I have always been aware how a favorite smell might put me in a good mood. I had just brought home two WONDERFUL smelling candles that I snagged from my local craft store. One of which was Peppermint and the other was Christmas Tree.

(Click for more on this image)

I lit the Christmas Tree candle as I sat down to work on some recent commissions yesterday. As the room started to fill with the amazing aroma I melted into my work. It created such a perfect atmosphere to work in. I worked practically non-stop for HOURS on end. 

           This candle made me less restless and enhanced my focus and concentration by relaxing me. I realized that not only did the candle enhance my mood it enhanced my creativity and resources to express it in the way that I wanted. I never thought something so simple as a candle could help me be so productive!

(Click for more on this image)

Here are some of my personal FAVORITE SMELLS!

1. Lavender - My mother always had lavender around when I was growing up. I love it.

2. Books - The smell of a new book or a dusty old one, I turn the pages and smile in the scents.

3. Rain - Fresh rain is my absolute favorite smell. 

4. Fresh Paint - As an artist whenever I smell any type of paint I am immediately happy.

5. My boyfriend natural smell - sounds a little creepy but it's true I am attracted to his scent.

If lovely smells can change me so greatly, how about bad odors? As easily as I am effected by my favorite aromas the same is true for ugly ones. I can easily become nauseous by just one smell of something foul. You can't always avoid bad smells though so how do you think it changes your day when you are forced to come in contact with one?

My nose is crinkling just thinking about my LEAST FAVORITE SMELLS!

1. Skunk - It doesn't make me gag but I quickly receive headaches after smelling a skunk.

2. Cigarettes - As an ex smoker I am shocked to see how harshly I am effected by this aroma. PEW!

3.Moldy Food - One sniffy of moldy food and you'll find me gagging.

4. Vomit - As I get older my sensitivity to this smell is getting better but it still isn't pleasant

5. Port-o-potties - I mean it's obvious why I wouldn't like this.

(Click for more on this image)

Most of these are everyone's least favorite smells but it's interesting how I can tell I am effected so easily. Simply glancing at the list of my favorite smells and then at the least favorite smells my body language shifts. Even in my seat in front of my laptop. 

(One of my favorite author's Gretchen Rubin explaining aromas in her life)

Well what do I do now that I am more aware of how aromas effect me and my moods? I have started with permanently having a wonderful candle in my art studio at all times. I have also placed a few more in other rooms of the house. I was careful to make sure that the ones I placed in other rooms were liked by my loved ones. I wouldn't want one of my favorite smells to be one of their worst! 

(Click for more on this image)

Lastly I have decided to carry a tiny bag of Lavender in my purse with me all the time. If I am ever in a situation where I am driving and pass a dead skunk, or walk down a street and get a face full of cigarette smoke, I will be able to wash it away with something I love!

(Here is a fun video from YouTube stars trying foods and smelling others at the same time!)

What are some of your favorite smells? Do you have any in common? Are you as effected by smells as myself? Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to subscribe with the blue button on the top right of the blogs! I hope the rest of your day is a perfect as the smell of roses!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Vintage 80s Scratch and Sniff Smelly Stickers Sticker by - ModerneMe

Song of the Day:

The Gallows Trailer Song - Smells Like Teen Spirit Cover

Color of the Day:

Sailor's Delight

How to turn your dream into a color scheme - Week 4

It FRIDAY! It time again for another Dream Scheme Friday! Every Friday I take a dream that I have had recently or from a past dream journal and I turn it into a color scheme. Friday's blog always gets me inspired and ready to go into an art-filled weekend. Let's Begin!

(Click for more on this image)

   We are reaching back into the past again to a dream journal entry that I actually can't remember! Almost every single entry I can retrieve the imagery instantly as I read it and it is like I had the dream the night before. There are only a handful of dreams I do not remember and this is one of them. Also the dream stops so abruptly that I thought it was interesting enough for the blog! This was written in my dream journal on

Tuesday February 28th, 2011

    I was standing on a platform in the clouds and it lowered me down dramatically like an elevator. When it finally reached the ground my closest friends and I are standing in an "Avatar-like" field. There were close to 50 mere-cats dancing together in the magical grass behind a jeep. We walked toward a bush and they all followed me. 

We then heard a scary growl coming from a large hole in the bush. We all stepped back in fear and then a giant bunny hopping out all cute and innocent. We all laughed together and then continued walking along taking in everything around us. 

We then saw two women who looked like twins but felt more like mother and daughter. They were sitting on a white deck with very nice patio furniture. They welcomed us to the land and told us how amazing it was here and how lucky we were to have found it. They were very happy to live in their crazy little paradise. 

We went inside this clean and simple hotel-like room and set down luggage like we had been traveling for days and finally arrived..... Then the dream ended.

              This dream had many different visuals but when reading it I got a general sense of a tone of colors! I tried to represent that feeling in each color. Each color represents a certain part of the dream or feeling the dream gave me. 

Color 1 - The first color is the general color of the "Avatar-like" field that we landed in from the clouds.

Color 2 - This was very close to the first color but just darker for the scary noises that come from the large bush.

Color 3 - The blue is representation of the clouds as we came down from the sky and entered the dream.

Color 4 - The pale tan color was for the dancing mere-cat herd.

Color 5 - The darker tan was also for the mere-cats but for the feeling of them following behind me.

Color 6 - The final grey-brown is for the sudden ending in the dream but not leaving uncomfortable feelings.

Bonus Color - Stark White - I couldn't show the white in the color scheme but it needed to be added because the deck and furniture that the women are sitting on felt very important.

(Click here for more on this image)

This is something anyone can do! Write down your dream and create a color scheme from it. Use it to make a meaningful painting for your bedroom or to pick out your outfit for the day. I believe we have dreams to guide us and show us things that are hiding in our subconscious. This is just one way to use the wonderful information your mind has given to you while asleep. 

(click for more on this image)

Well there you have it! Another week, another color scheme. How are you guys enjoying it? Has anyone had any dreams that they have written down lately? Have you tried this yourself? Let me know in the comments below and maybe I can make a color scheme of one of your dreams! Don't forget to subscribe and everyone have a wonderfully inspiring day!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Mugwort Dream Oil by - MotherMountainHerbs

Song of the Day:

Blondie - Dreaming

Color of the Day:

Benjamin Moore Barren Plain

How to turn your dream into a color scheme - Week 3

Happy Friday! It time again for another Dream Scheme Friday! Every Friday I take a dream that I have had recently or from a past dream journal and I turn it into a color scheme. I always have so much fun with my blog on Fridays so let's just get right into it! 

(Click for more on this image)

I have really been lacking in the dream department lately which is very unlike me! So let us once again dive deep into my past and open a dream journal to see a dream I had a year ago. This was written in my dream journal on

March 20, 2014

              I was in a school and late for class. I fumbled through my books and things in my hands and locker to find something important like a binder so I could make it to class. I knew i was already too late but I hustled to get there anyway. I stepped inside the classroom that was small with everyone at their desks. The teacher calmly turned toward me it seemed he was expecting this to happen. I stopped & he said, "I wouldn't even bother going any further, it's useless. The building is on fire." Then he smiles still calm and looked to the back of the room in the corner desk their was a candle that had caught the desk on fire. Everyone else looked and when they noticed the candle the room turned into a madhouse. People shoved past me in the doorway and I didn't understand why someone didn't try to put it out for the fire was certainly still containable.

After most everyone made their way out, I did the same....things got fuzzy & I was trying to find my way out of the building. The hallways were all now dangerously aflame and every way I turned I was in harm. Next thing I know I am in a hallway where both sides are completely blocked with fire. I stood & turned toward an entire wall of glass windows. On the outside were all my classmates peering in at me in danger. Someone else was trapped with me but I never saw their face and they always stayed directly behind me. 

A girl from outside came to the window and began trying to break the window with her forehead. It looked insane but after a few tries she managed to break the glass enough for me to kick the rest of it through and create a whole to climb to safety. The most vivid part of the dream was when I reached my freedom it was my favorite weather. It was gloomy and sprinkling rain. I was walking on a sidewalk and looking down at the drops fall and feeling the cold water hit my body and I felt still and calm. That was the end.

This was one of my longer dreams and I felt it was harder to make a color scheme that wasn't all just fire colors but here it is! Each color represents a certain part of the dream or feeling the dream gave me. The first there colors obviously represents the flames from the fire but I wanted to make sure I had a very burnt red and orange and not neon bright colors. The dream fell like fall or damp even for there being fires. The fourth color grey is a very general middle grey to represent the lockers and normal school inside. The fifth color of a grey-brown was from the feeling I got from the being behind me that followed me but I never knew who it was. Lastly the sixth and final color of navy blue is for the calming sensation I felt with the rain hitting me and the weather being so dreary but comforting.

(Click here for more on this image)

This is something anyone can do! Write down your dream and create a color scheme from it. Use it to make a meaningful painting for your bedroom or to pick out your outfit for the day. I believe we have dreams to guide us and show us things that are hiding in our subconscious. This is just one way to use the wonderful information your mind has given to you while asleep. 

(click for more on this image)

Well there you have it! Another week, another color scheme. How are you guys enjoying it? Has anyone had any dreams that they have written down lately? Have you tried this yourself? Let me know in the comments below and maybe I can make a color scheme of one of your dreams! Don't forget to subscribe and everyone have a wonderfully inspiring day!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away
Samantha Menzo
Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

SHAMANIC DREAMS CANDLE by- ScentualGoddess

Song of the Day:
Gavin DeGraw - Fire

Color of the Day:

Blush Pink

I am in the mood for some reading!

(Click for more on this image)

Hello again everyone! Today is the first day of October and boy does it feel like fall has finally arrived! My favorite time of year and I couldn't be happier! Mercury is still retrograde until the 9th. (Click here is you want to know what this means) This Mercury Retrograde has been more difficult then I anticipated. I haven't been able to go inward or even wanted to like I normally feel pushed to do as soon as mercury retrograde appears. Today I felt it.

(Click for more on this image)

All I have wanted to do all day was read. I want to dive into a book and get lost in the world it brings like I have so many times. I have a long commute to work and it has been a year this month since I discovered audio-books. It really has changed my drive and allowed me to always stay with books even when life gets busy.

(Click for more on this image)

I remember as a child when I fell in love with a book for the first time. I had read many books before and enjoyed them greatly but nothing captured my attention and made me lose reality along with sleep than Harry Potter. I truly believe that Harry Potter and the entire series will always be the most amazing thing of my childhood. I think every time I start a new book or search for my next one I am hoping that it will even come close to grabbing my heart like those books did. 

(Click for more on this image)

     Sometimes I feel guilty reading books. I have this undeniable need for constant production. Even to the moment before I go to sleep I have the need to check emails or update a listing on my Etsy Shop. During movies you can normally find me sketching or writing this very blog. Reading doesn't allow me to be "productive" and I have convinced myself that taking time for me to read is selfish and I feel I will fall behind. I have been thinking about how to change this. How to read more and change my feelings of guilt and anxiety about reading. It is something I love and I should take time to do it without a negative aftertaste.

(Click for more on this image)

Reading before bed instead of working on my phone is a good start. Does anyone else feel the way I do? It's sad, books inspire me so much. Books help awaken parts of my imagination that are so crucial for making art. I would love to use reading as a tool for creativity.

(Click for more on this image)

Right now I am reading a wonderful book that has me gripped by its world and characters. It's called "The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly. I am not going to tell you anything about the book. Just trust me and go get it!

(Click for more on this image)

What are some of your favorite books? Do you have any reading rituals? I love a good cup of tea and a blanket when I am reading. How do you think I could get rid of my negative feelings of guilt when trying to set time aside for reading? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away
Samantha Menzo
Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Book Necklace by - OxfordBright

Song of the Day:

The Best Indian Chill Out

Color of the Day:
Benjamin Moore Evening Sky 833

Shipping your Etsy Products. Save money and ship safe!

Hello Hello! Welcome and I hope you all are having a great day so far! Who doesn't love getting packages? I know I do! Most of our regular mail today is all upsetting bills and advertising, but when you get a package it is something wonderful!

(Click for more on this image)

With having an Etsy Shop I deal a lot with the topic of packages and shipping. My shop is just starting to take off and in the last few weeks I have been shipping multiple Art Pieces in different mediums and styles. YAY GO ME!

(Click for more on this image)

This is the first time I have had to ship anything on a consistent basis and I am realizing how in the dark I am with options and processes of shipping. So I decided to do some research to find out exactly what is out there! I came across this video documentary on YouTube that is a bit long but I was interesting to watch and I can not believe the process it takes to ship a package!

(FedEx and UPS)

Every penny counts when trying to run an online shop and learning how to ship most safely and cost efficient is very important! Ordering your own supplies and packing your items yourself saves BIG! I sent a wine bottle out a few months ago that I had packaged myself and last week sent the same bottle that I had FED-EX packaged for me in person and the cost to ship was more than double! Both packages arrived in great condition, so it really saves to do it yourself!

(Click for more on this image)

Something that really helps boost your customer's happiness with the packaging is a personal message or thank you card! It puts that extra love into your package and it has been proven to drastically increase the amount of positive feedback to your Etsy Shop. It's the little things that really matter!

(Click for more on this image)

Figuring out how to package and ship your products is mostly a trial by error basis. My main questions that I am still trying to figure out is the differences between using Fed Ex , UPS, and Etsy Shipping Directly. Searching the internet and YouTube for answers have proven a little harder than expected. Already I can say that I prefer FedEx over UPS as far as customer service goes but am unsure at the cost differences. 

(Click for more on this image)

It's a learning process and the more I learn the more I will share with all of you! Stick with me and blogs and let's grow together. Also if you are a shipping pro let me know some of your secrets and trips or tricks! Which do you prefer? 

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Handmade Rubber Stamp Made With Love Stamp Heart Stamp Wooden Rubber Stamp Handmade Stamps by - PrettyTape

Song of the Day:

Dropkick Murphys - I'm Shipping Up to Boston

Color of the Day:

Decatur Bluff, Benjamin Moore, HC-38