tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20577114038899431412024-03-19T00:14:53.285-04:00being.messy.beautiful"You can't understand light unless you understand darkness, because that's where life is most often lived...somewhere between the two. It's messy and it's beautiful all at the same time." bebo.normanNicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400999931656236306noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-46277368176593115282013-10-22T23:04:00.000-04:002013-10-22T23:04:53.167-04:00I was on hiatus. But now I'm not.
So yeah. I've been on a break. Obviously. There have been no new posts in ages. Yes, I get that it's not like I am a super-duper regular post writer person in the first place. I think that I want to schedule myself soon though. Maybe. I was in need of a day where I wasn't stressing about how to write a post, when to write a post, or what to write in a post, a day (or two or twelve more ornicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-15357562256568526062013-08-22T12:02:00.002-04:002013-08-22T12:05:46.691-04:00Creating a Treat.Trinket.Gift
In July I went to a super.cool blogger event thingy at Ikea. My friend, Natalie, is a pretty cool blogger lady who is awesome at what she does. After attending a national blogger conference in the spring, she wanted to gather together bloggers who are in the Pittsburgh/Ohio Valley area. The Ohio Valley Blogger Meet & Greet was dreamed up, and 27 of us gathered. It was a nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-72191119872940844012013-08-02T15:20:00.001-04:002013-08-02T16:29:59.191-04:00he was my person
Two months ago, one of the best men that I have known passed from this world into the next. My grandfather is gone, and my heart hurts to know that I can't stop by his house and talk with him, that my children will have such limited memories of him, that I won't have another opportunity to dance with him and sing "Sweet Caroline" like we did at my wedding (see below), or sing "No, Nay, nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-69347133227841708002013-07-25T12:17:00.000-04:002013-07-25T12:17:05.100-04:00Remembering the moments with pictures
Today, I remember my dear grandfather. He passed from this world on May 25, 2013. It's been two months and it feels like forever ago and like it was just yesterday all at the same time. I want to tell you about him, but it's hard to fight the tears today, so the words I am trying to write for him will probably come tomorrow. Instead, I'll post some of my favorite pictures of us. I am so nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-16960385363077119862013-07-12T11:26:00.001-04:002013-07-12T11:26:48.084-04:00Color Me Rad Pittsburgh Family -- Lights, Camera, Color!
This is a long overdue post from the Color Me Rad race that was in our city on June 8th.
So here I am finally posting. It's an indulgent post chock full of pictures -- what do you want from me? My family is super cute and we're colored up. It screams, "post pictures of us!" We didn't run most of it as the race was on gravel and our running stroller doesn't easily stroll through nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-31905276971640063772013-07-10T00:12:00.000-04:002013-07-10T00:12:13.295-04:00Ohio Valley Blogger Meet & Greet 2013
So my friend, Natalie, who is The Busy Budgeting Mama, decided to host a fun event for local and local-ish bloggers and yes, I am going! I am kind of excited. Okay, I'm a lot excited.
I keep laughing to myself though because I don't really feel like a "real" blogger, I keep thinking that I might be one, you know, someday, but that today is not that someday. I don't think.
Anyway, nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-59442706346545415172013-07-05T10:02:00.000-04:002013-07-05T10:02:17.666-04:00A girl and her sparkle dog
So this one day we went to the mall. At the mall my daughter spied a bedazzled ridiculous looking, cheaply made puppy dog purse, and she fell in love. And she walked her dog all through the mall. And she named him Coco. And she walks her dog everywhere.
blessings! and joy!
nicole mArienicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-73376016610332494022013-07-04T12:33:00.002-04:002013-07-04T12:33:51.508-04:00with strength and dignity
Do you ever get the feeling that life is a little bit heavy to carry? That so much is going on around you that you react without thinking? That you become so overwhelmed that you get lost in it all and lose the moment?
I do. You're not alone.
And it's hard. And it's messy.
I keep telling myself that somewhere in the difficulty and messiness isnicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-83460992583188912302013-06-07T09:00:00.000-04:002013-06-11T10:52:34.658-04:00creating art on arms and hands.
So yeah, I'm going to post a picture of my son's arm. and then pictures of my arm.
You ask why? What do you mean why? Doesn't everyone post random pictures of arms? Oh.
Well, my daughter likes to draw all over herself. I always have markers all over the place. She draws on herself a whole lot. I learned that I don't mind if she uses sharpies to draw on herself because unlike washable markers,nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-78280491730204686682013-06-06T15:17:00.002-04:002013-06-06T15:17:49.833-04:00Recovery Day. Race Swag.
I really like our race shirt. It's bright and cheerful.
Race Bib. Joy for my family members via initials. Yes, I run for me, but gosh, I run for my family and for my charity and for those I love. That's a lot of foot steps to pray with!
The medal this year was a heavy duty piece of hardware. It totally rocks.
Recovery day. My blue nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-76192673039165251192013-06-06T14:27:00.000-04:002013-06-06T14:27:12.567-04:00half marathon recap. (finally)oh yeah. I have a blog.
;)
It's been a while. May was one helluva month, and that's me putting it mildly. I am going to to post a few times today to catch myself up on the life that I just lived and experienced since the last time I posted.
We'll start with Marathon Day.
Let me say this -- I finished! I crossed the finish line. I did walk a lot of the race, but I expected to walknicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-29703048410592312932013-05-02T11:58:00.002-04:002013-05-02T11:58:51.522-04:00goal reached. 3 days to go :)I am using an email as double duty again -- I send this "email" to you, my blog readers, too. Thank you for your support!
Hi, All!
I humbly and proudly want to announce that I have, in fact, reached my goal of $2620! I've raised $2622. Woo! I want to thank each of my 33 monetary supporters and all of my prayer supporters!! You did this. I am blessed that you are mynicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-67557549979042407732013-04-24T09:43:00.000-04:002013-04-24T09:43:49.863-04:00blessings.in this mess.
as i sit my my living room filled with toys that we dumped from their bins and never returned, my little girl is spinning on a zebra with sunglasses over her eyes trying her hardest to become dizzy. dizzy doesn't seem to faze her, she enjoys it. she's the crazy one ;) my little boys are here chewing their gum like cows in my ears, one in the left, one in the right, and i realized nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-17020841145179699542013-04-04T11:45:00.001-04:002013-04-04T11:45:28.696-04:00*waves* Hi! Running Update! Hello :DSo, Hi!
It seems to be that the last time I wrote to you all about running was the middle of February right after I ran 12 miles. Holy cow. So much has happened.
Let's see:
I managed to do 14 miles two weeks after the 12 which is the farthest that I've ever gone. I was exuberant when the run was over and so very excited to have accomplished it! Woo!
I  nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-62521334501060106362013-03-24T11:13:00.001-04:002013-03-24T11:13:46.101-04:00another two year old in the house :)
Hi, dear friends,
She's two years old today. I can no longer call her, "baby". I have been trying to hang on to having a,"baby in the house", for a while now, but she's definitely one of the most strong willed, bright, silly, and incredibly sweet two-year-olds that I know. Did I mention sassy? Yes, she's sassy. There's nothing "baby" about her. Today we will have nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-61832811830921983892013-03-08T12:27:00.002-05:002013-03-08T12:28:32.922-05:00a list. colored.I have a lot of little things that may or may not be enough for a blog post, so I am just going to write about a whole bunch of stuff and call it a list. I won't number it, I'm going to color it ;)
<list>
BLUE: Marathon training took a backseat to other stuff in my life recently. Yesterday was the first day that I ran/worked out in 7 days. My grandfather had heart surgery and then henicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-70208400152330587222013-03-05T10:29:00.000-05:002013-03-05T12:59:52.177-05:00Disney on Ice!
Last Thursday we had the opportunity to take our little people to see Disney on Ice: Treasure Trove. Cool right? Even cooler is that I won the tickets for the show! Mamas, if you are local, go check out the Pgh Momtourage blog or the fb page for playdates, giveaways, information about happenings in the area, and everything else mom.
My kids described nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-9137853022979348122013-03-03T11:50:00.000-05:002013-03-03T11:50:03.338-05:0029 faces challenge 2013, #12, #13, #14, #15 and brave art
I tried really hard to get my boys to stand still so that I could trace their shadows. My younger boy stood more still (#12) than my older boy (#13). hehehe They thought it was a cool project and wanted to watch me trace their shadows. After I traced them, the boys went ahead and painted themselves.
I went back over the portrait on the left with a white grease pencil so that nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-48033330442065595702013-03-01T22:39:00.005-05:002013-03-01T22:40:13.748-05:00word tickets. dear friends. so much arting :)
This is what I am doing this evening. Being Creative. Missing dear friends, and feeling so much love brimming over for them! I miss those who I created these words with.
Oh, the canvases are new. Well, new-ish. Yes, I know that mighty is jumbled and strange looking. The loved word tickets are from 8 or 10 years ago, perhaps? Word tickets were inspired by this nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-82143947340459549912013-02-22T20:09:00.000-05:002013-02-22T20:09:20.777-05:0029 faces in 2013, #10 & #11I promise that I haven't forgotten about the challenge. I am just terribly slow at taking pictures and blogging them.
My littles wanted balloons and wanted something drawn on them. I decided that faces were the way to go. They thought it was the coolest thing that the balloons had eyes! I didn't have more than like, 10 seconds with each balloon because my 3 and almost-two year olds were nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-539146303140455392013-02-22T09:33:00.004-05:002013-02-22T09:49:53.239-05:00share love. adventures in loving.
How pretty is all of that art! That's the collection of Valentines that I received the week of Valentine's day. I've joined a fb art group and some of the women and I exchanged homemade Valentines! It was so lovely to receive such beautiful mail!
Those ------>
are the cards that I made for everyone. I personalized each card on the front, and on the backnicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-15025239295832149822013-02-19T16:06:00.000-05:002013-02-19T16:09:22.439-05:00Surprise Package :DOn Friday afternoon, I ran a few errands with my littles and when we arrived home I noticed a box on my front stoop. I assumed that my husband probably had ordered [insert random computer part here], and that it wouldn't be for me. Well, it was definitely not a computer part. The return address was from the Pittsburgh Marathon which totally piqued my curiosity as I was not nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-17738201426107271782013-02-10T23:31:00.002-05:002013-02-10T23:36:03.671-05:00#4, #7, #8, #9 of my 29 faces in 2013
# 4 is four faces.four feelings.
#7 is hombRAY created by my husband, worn (and picture taken) by me
#8 happened after I took a painting one of my kids made and drew/wrote on it. I was pleased with how she turned out. I like this one a lot.
#9 this is me. This is a self-portrait that I took today immediately after my 12 mile run. I am hotnicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-68732971692849780062013-02-09T22:59:00.000-05:002013-02-09T22:59:42.166-05:0029 faces in 2013 #6
*smiles* I like these faces. I like this picture (of a picture).
blessings! and joy!
nicole mArienicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2057711403889943141.post-49833426044265283372013-02-08T10:14:00.000-05:002013-02-08T10:14:06.638-05:0029 faces in 2013 #5
I'm posing #5 before #4 because I forgot to take a picture of #4, but I will probably take it today. This is the result of watercolor painting with my kids. Simple. Fun. I was looking at some of the other faces that the other artists are making and I was laughing at my silly attempts because I am not those sorts of people. With that sort of talent. I am just me nicolemarieartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17418061554021089825noreply@blogger.com1