Reach for the Stars

one thing I have learned from life is that you have to go for it

ofcourse I've never not gone for it

I've always followed my dreams and reached for the stars, 

albeit with alot of blood, sweat and tears

no matter what I do, I like to do it with heart 

I totally love pull ups! 

I have now worked up to doing 60 every back day and usually do 6 sets of 10 reps

and depending on how I feel, I will try and do a few sets with some weight. I like to use a 10kg plate and try my hardest to get up... (as high as I can)

I prefer to do things the hard way...

to me - nothing is more satisfying that doing something the hard way

though I am not advocating doing all things the hard way - you gotta be smart if you choose this way, because unless you can take the knocks, it is going to be damn hard to keep getting back up every time

life and the gym are parallel in so many ways

- train hard but smart

- know your stuff and push it

- every time you fail you are 1 step closer to succeeding

- listen to your intuition and let your feelings guide you - irrespective of what your ego says (um, now that's a conundrum that one!)

you have to have alot of self belief if you choose the hard way

luckily I was born with lots of self belief under a real lucky star -the god of war- and those war gods, they don't give in easily!

em, so after those 2 sets I did one without the 10kg plate and got my gym mate to watch my form - yeah, I was being a bit slack, not reaching as high as I should have been...

(what can I say? - it was a good hair day - remember I said I'd post clips when I was having a good hair day?)

okay, time to wind down, I can feel my ego writing this post...

I'm really liking this toon by 50, love the rhythm, so relaxing

but at the end of the day it doesn't really matter what way you do it,

it doesn't really matter what way you reach for your stars

the fast way

the ski mask way (!!?)

the hard way

the easy way

because if you are not giving up on your desires and reaching for those stars then you are doing it just right

cause sometimes you gotta take the knocks to grow and become stronger and smarter and better and...

and if you learn just a little from everything you have been thru

then you will be just fine

- sometimes it takes some time out (from life) to be able to live again

and to give yourself a break if things are not going the way you expected, and life feels like shit and you've lost your way a little, and the stars sorta disappeared when you reached up for them, 

cause that thing you think you failed at, well - don't worry about it too much, something better will come along and when you are ready to see it, you will - that's the way of the Universe

the dolphins know how to do it best eh? -

~just be easy about it and go with the flow~

(can you hear the same easy rhythm that was in 50s toon? sounds sorta similar to me)

best unsolicited advice? - put your heart into something that makes you feel good

put your heart into something that makes you feel really, really good!

and do it as often as you can

- because if you are doing things that please you and making you feel good, then you are on the right path to your stars

*I promise* 

(I'd done it the hard way all my life, and now I only do it the easy way : )  (but I do the easy way real hard though, cause that's the kinda girl I am)

always nice to believe in dreams - always nice to encourage others dreams - to let them know that you believe in them 

that no matter what - they should reach for the stars 

life sure has it's ups and downs

I like mine to have a greater majority of ups now

~I follow my heart and do what I love every day

and every day I love what I do

no matter what~

(that was alot of ups eh?)

I made this pillow for a lovely friend. His wee heart-pal left for the stars not long ago

so I put some of Sparky's fur inside the 'heart' and sewed it up

wee paws tie the pillow together

and feety prints run all around it

and with the fur safely inside the heart there's still a little bit of him down here

...this particular star is staying here on earth a little bit longer

my little Guardian Angel hares have been finding new homes and hearts

no matter what knocks you for 6

no matter what life deals up

whether you have lost someone dear

or lost a little bit of yourself

remember to be kind to yourself

(you only have the one of you : )

and when you are ready again -

and feel the fire beginning to burn inside you again

- reach for those stars

cause it's not just you, down here on earth, invested in your own life

- it's all those stars you have wished upon too

they are all backing you, calling to you, supporting you, encouraging you, loving you 

they want you to win

they want you to be happy

they want to see you smile

they want to feel the warmth in your heart too

that's why they sparkle so much every night! 

to show you the diamonds in your own dreams

and to encourage you to reach for them!

so if you try just that little bit harder

to look for things that make you happy, and please you, and delight you, and make your life flow easier

and stay true to your desires

then I promise you

you will reach the stars

~it took me a while 

- but I got there!

um, except when I have a 10kg plate on my belt!

xxx

..not a creature was stirring, not even a, er tank...

usually I prefer to paint during the day with the natural light,

but being a night owl, I don't usually turn in until after 4ish, and I can just as easily be found daubing the canvas in the wee hours

this tank isn't making too much noise

even though it is travelling at speed in this painting (yeah, really - got lil bits of dirt being flung up in front of the tracks...)

it's nearly finished

sometimes it's best not to 'overpaint' a painting

recognize it? 

it's an M1 Abrams MBT, the Australian Army's main battle tank

so LOVE my military hardware big time!! love love love!!

surrounded by a litter of leverets....

uh-oh! they're all awake! that tank's not so quiet after all then

these pics are all aceo size - 2.5 x 3.5 inches

sorta tiny eh?

cute 'n' tiny

talkin' 'bout cute 'n' tiny - here's some REAL cute 'n' tiny -

totally adorable eh?

my dreams of Wesley are still continuing :)

I have his photo next to me and he looks 'so real' every time I look at him

I can smell him, and feel his fur, he looks ready to hop out and into my lap *sigh*

the hares I am painting are coming along

...at their own pace - as my paintings do

this one has dark rich brown lowlights now, and detail on the ears

- not ready to hop off the page yet

no fur in yet, nor whiskers

I'm still getting the 'feel' of the hare

watercolour dictates it's pace to me

not the other way around

anyway - leverets of another type have been born and have now left the nest

I made these 6 little chaps as a donation for Nowzad Dogs - the charity that helps stray dogs and the soldiers who adopt them, 

and I support them with every sale of a Drive Safe baby Army Hare

and this half a dozen will raise £90 for them

nice eh?

if you are a serving soldier in the coalition forces (British / America / Australian..) with a set of old cams and would love a free hare, plus 2 free hares going straight to Nowzad for fundraising then get in touch with me - my contact details are on that link above
(for EVERY set of Army cams sent to me I make 3 free hares as a thank you - 1 for the soldier and 2 for Nowzad - this is my way of showing my appreciation)

which one will look great in your wheels?

these wee hares are expert back seat drivers, and so willing to adorn your rear-view mirror

each hare is an original, and perfectly 'imperfect'

these ones are made from German Flecktarn cams and it was rather tough to turn out, so I made the ears 'open'

and why not? they look pretty neat I reckon

and like all those stray dogs in Afghanistan, and the soldiers on deployment there, they all have their 'scars' 

~ whether visible or not ~

so if you want to give one of these 6 hares a home, then just get in touch with Nowzad

£15 each and all money goes to the dogs....

....doggies like Anjali and her new litter 

she was rescued by German soldiers, 

so it's pretty good that I've got those hares made in flecktarn 

isn't she such a beautiful lady! soft and gentle and loving, and look at those tiny little puppies

omg! so adorable!

here's a close up of those imperfect ears

blue-eyed beauty...

purdy lil hare...

and one with fully sewn ears but still a bit tatty and with some fawn coloured bits like Anjali

always good to be so individual eh?

because nothing is perfect in this world 

anyway  *yaaaaaawwnn*

times' gettin' on

uh-oh!

someone is out for the count already!

and if the fur-ball at the front is not careful he will be tumbling out of bed and straight into the foody bowl :)

(I reckon he might be dreaming of rabbits eh?)

so here's a little something relaxing 

to listen to

with your bedtime cup of tea

50s pretty cool 

likin' him lots..

I reckon he'd love one of my little hares in his hot wheels

....anyway it's nearly 4am and time to stop stirring