My name is Hayley and I am the mastermind of this project! I just turned 30 and the ever flowing hum-drum of life was starting to get to me. I have a back ground in fine art and a passion for all around crafty-ness! I am the mother of two beautiful and funny little girls! Having children really changes the way you view life and definitely speeds it up! I want to instill a love of nature and art in my girls, so I have invited my oldest to be part of this project as well. I chose the subject matter of flowers because there is a green thumb that runs in my family on my mothers side. I have also invited her to take part in this journey. I have tried to stay true to the stop and smell the roses mentality throughout my life, but have felt it lacking as of late. This is my way of getting back to art and the love of life and sharing it with my family.
My mother, Melissa, is happy to join me on this journey as she is the one who has instilled a love for nature in me. She has the wonderful ability of finding beauty in everyday life, often spotting flowers within random objects or verbally pointing out how much fun we are having at any given moment! A trait my daughter has picked up and often expresses by saying, " This is so much fun!" I remember being a little girl and going on "tours" of my grandfather's garden, as does my mother! My grandfather has always been able to grow anything and make it thrive through the harshest of conditions! A mentality that has not only helped us in the garden but in our lives as well. This characteristic has been passed down to my mother and I am learning from her. I am continuing this legacy by teaching my daughters this trait as well. Now my mother takes my daughters and I on "tours" of her garden!
Though my oldest daughter, Lily, does have a passion for nature, she is more preoccupied with conquering her fears of the unknown. primarily with what might lurk in the darkness of night! She is 4 years old and will be focusing her creative efforts on inventing monsters and sharing their lives with us. Hopefully throughout the year she will discover that monsters are just like all of us, each one unique with special qualities and all overcoming some silly life events! Hopefully the skill of looking at "monsters" in a different way will follow her throughout life and help her deal with the hardships of life.
I have also invited my youngest sister, Aubrey, to join us, but for a slightly different reason. She has recently married a military man and is currently traveling the globe with him. She is also studying to be a teacher and was happy to have a project to keep her busy while her Army husband is overseas, and to have a chance to share special moments in each day with us. She likes to live in the moment and has the ability spot the uniqueness in things. She has a passion for nature along with my mother and I, bringing attention more to the wildlife and scenery around us. I am delighted to have her along for this journey and to see what she comes up with.
Well, know you know a little bit about us and why we are doing this project. We will begin posting our images here on this blog on February 1st 2011! I hope you join us and share your thoughts along the way. Let the journey begin.........
