Jeanne Oliver

Italy {Here We Come}

June 17, 2013 By jeanne 13 Comments

I can’t believe that we are leaving for Italy in five days!

It has been my dream for as long as I can remember to travel to Italy and that I get to go to teach art is more than I can process.

When I first started my business and I began creating on a regular basis I have said over and over that the Lord answered a prayer of my heart that I didn’t even know I had been praying.

I look back over the past 5 1/2 years and I see the Lord’s hand over and over again in the success of the business.

I see the beautiful people He has brought into my life, doors He opened and the creativity he has grown in me.

So, this week I will get on a plane with my husband and we will experience Italy together.

I will be teaching in Bellagio along Lake Como.

After the week in Bellagio we are heading to Florence for another four days.

We hope to come back with all of the children to see Rome, Naples and Pompeii.

Here are a few peeks of the projects I will be teaching.

I can’t wait to meet all of the women and create with them.

If any of you have suggestions for the Lake Como area or Florence I would LOVE to hear!

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I wanted to let you know that today kicks off the start of my Creatively Made Home Summer Series!

The Art of Seeing {a photography class} begins right now!

The mini courses are priced at only $10 each so you can pick and choose what speaks to you…or take them all!

To register for The Art of Seeing click HERE.

To see all of my online courses click HERE.

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I also want to share with you that my friend Kimberly Taylor is hosting an auction to raise money for her upcoming trip to Africa!

All of the money raised will be used for supplies and clothing for the children in the home that her mother has built.

I have donated an Emerson Bag for this auction.

This is one of the bags that many of you have asked about and because of the vintage fabric used…this is the last one to be sold.

It was set aside months ago for this very special auction.

Click HERE to see all of the items being auctioned and help such an incredible mission.

Filed Under: E-Courses, Inspired, Travel Tagged With: Africa, cathy walters, Italy, online courses, photography course

The Art of Seeing {a photography class}

June 14, 2013 By jeanne 3 Comments

Is is summer yet?

Jack is still finishing up his math so I can’t officially call it summer until that boy wraps it up.

Jack may not be done with his math but I am pretty excited to launch the first of many mini courses in my Creatively Made Home Summer Series!

This coming Monday, June 17th, The Art of Seeing {a photography class} begins.

Cathy Walters is an accomplished photographer (and our personal family photographer) and the instructor of the course.

Cathy will share her favorite tips to get better photos from your fancy camera or you phone camera.

She will help open your eyes to all of the ways to capture those around you in the most creative way!

We all want those unique photographs that capture our children, families, pets etc. and we want to hold on to those memories…Cathy will help you do that.

Here is a peek into what Cathy will teach in her course…

1. how to pay attention, set an intention for the summer, and avoid the traps that trip us up in the process

2. my favorite apps, supplies, gear, software, and online stores that I use on a daily ?basis.

3. basic DSLR info and ways to get out of the dreaded auto mode

4. portrait tips and guidelines

5. a few photo projects that can really help document who YOU are, and ideas for what ?to do with your images when you are done.

6. a very long inspiration list of photo ops to get the creative juices flowing

I wanted to make this series affordable so you can take as many of the courses as you want.

This mini course is only $10 and you will have access for 6 months!

This is also the perfect class if you have a child with a creative photographic eye.

If you want your child to take their photography to the next level I know they would love it too.

Class starts THIS coming Monday!

I can not wait to see you in class!

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To register click HERE.

If you are brand new to my creative network please follow these simple steps to sign up for this class and any of the other summer series courses.

* Get registered at jeanneoliver.ning.com (registering is free).

Once you are on the site you will find free videos (business and art) and all of our online courses along the left hand side of the page (you will not see all of them unless you click “view all”).

You will find all of our courses/videos under the COURSES heading.

1) Go to COURSES along the left hand side of the page

2) Click on the course you are interested in

3) Click the +join button on the upper right hand side

4) Pay and you are in and ready for class

4) All of the details are on the page and you are all set.

Tell your friends!

We want to create an online community where you can create, connect and be inspired.

Filed Under: E-Courses

Random Ramblings

June 5, 2013 By jeanne 9 Comments

Good Morning!

It is a cool and rainy morning here in Colorado.

It is only just beginning to feel like summer and we don’t get very much rain so we are appreciating the extra moisture.

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We just finished our school year and we are ALL thankful to be done.

I always look forward to the three month break so I can get renewed and gear up for another school year.

Right now I don’t want to see one math book, pencil or eraser…but by the end of summer I am excited to learn again with my children.

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Our children go to a one day a week enrichment program through the public school.

On the last day of school this is what I handed out to the teachers…

I think they like me best.

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A few months ago we tore out all of the bushes that bordered the front of our house.

They had been planted ten years ago and were becoming more like trees than bushes.

With the guidance from my friend Alexis (gardener extraordinaire) we had decided to go with white Iceberg roses and strawberry plants as ground cover.

We have A LOT of rabbits in our yard so we also chose to border the garden bed with cilantro to detour the rabbits away from the strawberries.

I will let you know if it works:-)

It has been fun to start our spring off with some extra gardening and even planning a vegetable garden along the side of our house where we have terracing.

{I will have a whole post soon about the gardening we have been doing}

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I had to show you the most gorgeous print I recently received from the incredibly talented Pam Garrison!

I found a frame at Micheals (50% off of course) and painted it the turquoise accent color we have used many times in Maddy’s room.

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I am heading out this Thursday to teach at a retreat in Utah and can’t wait to create with all of the women.

{One woman had to back out last minute and I think there is one spot left if you want to join us!}

I still can’t believe this is my life and how I get to make a living.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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My children loved a quick sleepover they had with their cousins last week and their time was divided between playing outside and creating together.

They are all so sweet together and I love that my sister is so close.

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In less than three weeks we (I am taking Kelly with me) leave for Italy.

We wish we could afford to take the children (so do they).

This is a dream come true for me and that I get to go for teaching art makes it even more magical!

I have really been trying to workout more and watch even more what we eat.

In our house it has been referred to “Operation Italy”:-)

I think I am the only one playing along…oh well!

I am even gearing up to do another few days of a juice cleanse.

Do you remember the last time I did that?

I almost ate my children.

You have been warned!

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I had told all of you about the art day I recently hosted with Katie Kendrick.

I was so surprised the other day when Katie dropped off this beautiful painting just for me!

Of course I added it to my art wall…in my bathroom.

Isn’t that where everyone keeps their favorite art?

Thank you sweet Katie!

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This past weekend Kelly and the boys went to our church’s annual father/son camp-out.

It is three days of tents, junk food, bonfires, paintball, archery and listening to the dads snore all.night.long.

This was the first year that Ben was old enough to go and he felt so big and he came home SOOOO dirty.

It was a successful weekend.

While the boys were away I was able to soak up just Maddy and enjoy our favorite girly activities.

We went shopping, out to dinner, had our own spa night, danced in the living room, laying out at the pool, watched movies and went to the flea market.

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This week we launched our new bags for summer.