I love the farmers market!

Saturday mornings and Tuesday afternoons all sorts of people come together to offer their hard work to us in the form of tomatoes, spinach, kale... kale... kale, green garlic, and lettuces of all kinds - wow I never imagined God made so many different types! The farmers market is exciting for many reasons, but one of the most important I though I should mention is that I'm doing a 21 day paleo challenge at the moment. Its fun to walk around and think "Hey! I Can eat most of this!" (sans the amazing focccaca breads and amazingness of the bread lady's tent).

Any who, I was holding gray (2.5) and trying to pay the blueberry man his $6, and Gray is grabbing everything he can out of my wallet and purse so out falls this walmart receipt that was as long as my arm and it was a little embarrassing because here is this man who grows amazing blueberries and he's telling me all about packaging them and "here get this pint it's got more." When I shop at the farmers' market, I am living in the promise that these farmers and growers and makers really care about me and want the best for me from their talents of growing food or making amazing bread (that I cannot enjoy at his moment). That idea contrasts so greatly with the $267.84 I just spent at a huge store that could care less about me and my family's wellbeing. Even when I bring my own bags (not all) of the cashier friends look at me all crazy!

I feel the same way about art! Why not buy local, original art? We don't have to go out and make our homes or offices perfect all at once, take your time, make it an adventure! As an artist , I care about you and your family and your home - I want my paintings to bring joy and light and a little bit of happy into this world, which needs it so badly!

I also want to be part of your story- when we first moved to Oxford I wasn't accustomed to normal families who sought out and invested in original art. My circle of peeps just went to Hobby Lobby or Pier One and bought whatever was cool and on sale, but this super small eclectic town encouraged an environment of celebrating original art! And so far I've heard so many fun stories about paintings or photographs or drawings in people's homes - one couple saw a large painting at an outdoor fair in Florida and strapped it to the roof of their car to drive it back to Oxford all the while taking turns holding it from inside the car (picture a car with 2 arms sticking out the windows holding on to their treasure for dear life during a 8 hour car ride!) So fun! Clearly, it was onnly possible because they didn't have children at the time! But they treasure that painting and have an adventure to go along with it!

In Staci Eldredge's book "Captivating" she says about beauty (and I'm paraphrasing here), "beauty matters, beauty speaks, it nourishes , beauty comforts, it inspires and is transcendent"

C.S. Lewis says, "We do not want merely to see beauty, though , God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words- to be united with beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves" (The Weight of Glory).

I hear "buy local" a lot lately but my heart has truly been awakened even more to the desire for investing in others who invest in my family and this town we live in- teachers, farmers, artists, writers, makers and Bankers, boutique owners and the list goes on and on! Thank you to all who have invested in me - I keep painting and exploring and expanding my abilities to create because of you!

I grabbed the boys away from their impromptu soccer game in the field next to the tent to do a quick selfie