bring me home beach

my husband served an LDS mission in Ventura California for two years. he woke up faithfully every morning for two WHOLE years and served with all his heart. it's in my top ten FAVORITE THINGS ON THE PLANET to hear my husband talk about his mission. he LOVED those two years. he met some of the most INCREDIBLE people that took care of him and became his family. he lived for those people and for the gospel of Jesus Christ. my husband is the ULTIMATE man because he learned how to truly love complete strangers and create life-long friendships. 

this last summer we had the WONDERFUL WONDERFUL opportunity to return to this mission. i got to see first hand the places that created the memories and the people that were lucky enough to have dillon in their lives. although he didn't go to a foreign countries, there were parts of his mission that seemed third-world! there were slums and ghettos one day and the next day we were on the coast passing mansions! it was an EPICALLY beautiful experience. i fell in love with the people and the scenery in merely a WEEK :) 

this painting was inspired by beautiful MORRO BAY :) someday i WILL live there. it's your classic beach town right on the coast with the ocean stretching for miles and MILES! this was one of my husband's favorite coastal sites, just this random view around a bend of the road. ABSOLUTELY BREATH TAKING. i loved the memories that we made in california and can not WAIT to get back there asap! my heart just belongs to the coast! and the mountains... i pray that there will someday be a beach in provo canyon! YESSS then life will be complete! until then, morro bay will MORE than suffice :)

my dear humpty dumpty

WELL HELLO WORLD :) it's been a while TO SAY THE LEAST! i've been so saddened by how little time i have to create now that i'm overwhelmed with business and advertising classes! i try to find a few minutes here and there to keep myself SANE through artwork! i've decided that i'm going to start illustrating some of my favorite children's nursery rhyme stories in three images each. 

nursery rhymes hold a forever special spot in my heart... the spot that's really warm and cozy, right in between my love for campfires and my love for rubber duckies :) growing up my mother and father instilled a LOVE for reading and books through nursery rhymes. i can still recall watching a home video of me sitting on the bed next to my dad reciting the story of "hickory dickory dock" and "hey diddle diddle" to him. 

i believe that nursery rhymes don't have any reason or moral or "lesson to be learned", they just inspire imagination! they tell of mice running around clocks and cows jumping over the moon! nursery rhymes teach children to dream big and explore the impossible! 

so here's to you mr. dumpty, you mark the beginning or my NEW nursery rhyme explorations!

seesters keesters :)

i have been blessed with four INCREDIBLE siblings. i'm the oldest of three sisters and one, lone, sole survivor brother! Bonnie is seventeen right now, we're only three years apart and we have been BEST friends since birth... well HER birth anyways... since i lived without her for three years before she was born... HA ANYWAY we have created so many lasting memories and have really become a part of each other. I wouldn't be who I am today without my sister :) she's changed me FOR GOOD! (hope you caught that bon haha) we've seen each other through the ups and downs and have so many dorky inside jokes it's ridiculous. she was my other half and we told each other EVERYTHING. we brought excitement into each other's lives! we had ideal and PERFECT childhoods because we had each other :) bonnie still inspires me today. she is so kind and driven and motivated and hard working. she is a born leader. she is so strong! she stands up for what she believes in and truly cares about others. although bonnie is my LITTLE sister, i find myself looking up to her on the daily. 

i have another ABSOLUTELY AMAZING SISTER named judy! we are six years a part and growing up bonnie and i weren't the greatest sisters in the world to jude! we thought of her as a tag along, that annoying third wheel... :( i wish desperately that i could go back and change how it was. LUCKILY we all came around and judy is now one of my VERY VERY best friends in this world! she is smart and EXTREMELY talented and HYSTERICALLY HILARIOUS and is just a beautiful person to have in my life! judy is another strong woman and an incredible example of endurance to me. that woman has gone through some rough and tough times and she has come out on top. she believes in herself and doesn't judge. i am lucky to know judy stowell and call her sister :)

ever since i moved out for college two years ago, bonnie and judy have become inseparable. at times i find myself jealous that i'm not around more often, that i can't be in on EVERY moment of their lives. but i am SO incredibly happy that they have each other. i moved out and got married and began a new chapter of my life, it's so nice to know that they're alright without me around! they are still the strong and beautiful people without me to watch over them! 

i found this picture of my sisters on facebook and it seriously sums them up... i painted it up and characterized it to embody the unbelievably fantastic stowell sisters :) they are mine and i LOVE them with all my heart :)