The Magic of Winter's Gifts

December 21st was the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice and the start of the Yule season. Most of us know it as the beginning of Winter. Although this means the days are colder, it is the start of the solar year, a celebration of light and the rebirth of the sun.


I took a walk to the local market today. As new snow quietly fluttered down upon me, and crackled under foot with each step, I thought about all the wonder and beauty surrounding me. Nature has many secrets to tell. We need only open up our hearts and minds and little by little, her message is revealed.


Sparkling, crystal snowflakes landed delicately upon my eyelashes, nose and lips like gentle fairy kisses. Through the softness of the winter breezes, her fairy wings did whisper to me of nature's never ending promise of renewal.


I see the winter as a time of patient waiting, of quiet contemplation and appreciation for the cycles of life as shown to us through the seasons. We begin the new year full of hope and positive expectation for what may lie ahead for us. I find such possibility in new beginnings and I, like most have set my sights on change in the coming year.


If I could say one thing to help others along their path it would be to listen to your inner fairy. She has great wisdom for you. She is full of love, light and has only positive, affirming wishes for you. Believe in yourself, and listen to your heart for there is where your joy will always be.

Call for Nominations ~ February Feature CLOSED

The Artful Elite panel is now accepting nominations for the February feature. Please refer to About the Artful Elite Club for questions about who and how to nominate a blog.


Leave the link to your nominee in the comment area by copying and pasting the web address from your browser window. Do not attempt to leave it in html code as it will not work, I've already tried. If you miss type the address, we will not spend time searching for the correct one so do be sure you check them carefully before posting.
I would love for visitors to be able to see who is being nominated and by whom just to keep things honest!


Be sure to include a brief (no more than 2 sentences) about why you believe your selected artist should be featured. Be creative as we will include your statement and a link to you in the feature article.

Enjoy and happy blog hunting!

Cheers! =D
~Kellie

One Lovely Blog Award

I am flattered and delighted to have been nominated by the lovely SueAnn of SueAnn's Journey for this beautiful award. Thank you so much for thinking of me! Be sure to have a peek at some of the thought provoking work she is doing which is just magnificent!



Below are a few guidelines for receiving and passing this award on:

1. Add the logo to your blog.
2. Link to the person from whom you received this award
3. Nominate some blogs (as many or as few as you like)
4. Leave a message on their blog, letting them know they are "One Lovely Blog"!

I want to thank the beautiful ladies who are members of my Ning network of the same name. Below are a few of my picks for this lovely award! Thank you for being part of the magic at The Artful Paper Doll Ning network!

Fleur de Bee ~ An absolutely elegant blog!

Michelle Brown ~ Exquisite watercolor paintings!

Sharon's Cottage Quilts ~ Beautiful shabby chic, cottage charm!

Alison's Heart Sings ~ Love her beautiful girls!

This Good Day ~ Such delectable pretties!

This is in no way meat to be an exhaustive list. I wanted to recognize of few of my members and hope to do this on an ongoing basis. Thank you for enriching my life with your artistic expression.