Joy List Monday

I am freshly back from my girls' weekend and despite today's rain, rain, rain am feeling so Joyful! I hope you are, too.

• a wonderful girls weekend + road trip
• Dana's package for ART*FULL Sketchbook
• the Handmade Joy exchange
• the responses to my Paint Party Friday post
• Spring!

Chatting and laughing. Tapas and sangria. Ice cream. Wine. Hippie breakfast and walks in the sunshine. Italian food, wine, coffee, conversation. We've known each other for almost 30 years and we're all very different, but we can still sit around talking about nothing (and about more important somethings, too), play silly games (did you know there's a free Madlibs app for the iPhone?), go on "adventures" and laugh, laugh, laugh.  We had the most perfect weather for the weekend and even though I left Cleveland in a bit of a snowstorm, most of my driving was under blue skies and sunshine. It was good to spend the time in my car listening to an audiobook and to music, alone with my thoughts and the flat expanse of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio farmland. I'm feeling inspired to take out my acrylics, turn on some music and just paint. I haven't done that in a long time and I feel the need for some meditative, messy painting!

And speaking of painting, "Thank you!" to everyone who commented on my Paint Party Friday post. Coming back from my weekend away and finding all your lovely thoughts really did fill me with Joy. Such a wonderfully supportive atmosphere! I'm so grateful to be a part of it.

I'm also grateful to be joining Dana for her ART*FULL Sketchbook class. I received her package in the mail before I left for the weekend and it is a delight!

Opening it up and looking through all of the carefully chosen bits and pieces filled me with inspiration and with such a wonderful sense of connection. The internet gives us the opportunity to "meet" people we would not otherwise get the chance to meet and to be inspired again and again.

I'm feeling Joyful, inspired and excited about my Handmade Joy exchange. So far seven people (edit: now we're up to 8 and have someone in London joining us, too!) have signed up, mostly from the U.S., but one from Canada and one from Saudi Arabia!  I was thrilled to receive her email when I was catching up this morning! She's using her UK address for the exchange, but she lives in Saudi Arabia. Isn't the internet amazing? Take a look at her lovely blog. Food, crochet, knitting, flowers, photography... right up my street, but on the other side of the world.

What's filling YOU with Joy today?