hello 2020.
new year. new day. new decade. new. I love the first bit of January, when a brand new year starts and everyone is hopeful and ready and willing for change. Improvement. Quality. It's inspirational.
This year is already wonderful in Echinacea and Panicum (proof below :)  Yesterday at soulcycle, Garth said some words about Being Enough. We've heard these words before, but in really thinking about them... I believe a shift is taking place. I am enough. I do enough and I will continue to strive for feeling happy while living an enough life. I am lucky, and I'm grateful for all the enough I have.  Happy NEW year friends. See you soon. x

HELLO FRIENDS! 
I am having a sale on the smARTs!!  I have 33 available currently (pictured below).
The smARTs are small art for your fridge. (or anywhere, but they have a magnet on back).
They make the BEST little surprise gift and are fab to give away to friends.
​They are packaged in cute little parcels as you can see.  I sell these for $10.00 a piece,
but RIGHT NOW if you order  from me, they are only $9.00 each. Pocket that dollar. 
​Contact me at lhoveke@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram,  I'm barnwords there. 

Hi Friends.
Barnwords has a cute little display at Northwind Perennial Farm. Its a really beautiful place to go any time of year....but at THIS time of year they have all sorts of  Christmas greens, a barn full of cute Xmasy things and a roaring bonfire complete with marshmallows and roasting sticks!
I must say, the Milkhouse looks soooooo great though.  I hope I sell some stuff. 
​Here are a few pix-

Whats on your mind these days? 
I've been thinking about single use plastic (reducing substantially!), How brilliant Madmen really is (sooo brilliant), why i love something terrible for me, upcoming show THIS Sunday! (come!!) and GRATITUDE.
Have you noticed that there are a lot of posts about gratitude and making lists of things you're grateful for and all? I think it's one way people deal with the impending doom of winter and less light etc. etc.-making gratitude lists. But lemme tell you I think about things I'm grateful for ALL the time.
Not just my bed or my great cup of coffee (in said bed) or hot water or green plants or friends or my kids....but I am so filled with gratitude for people I will likely never meet....
Anyone who has done incredible kindnesses to my grown children (this list is long).
People who fight actively for a cleaner better world. People who care and teach others all around the world.  Artists who inspire me daily. Yep. So thanks everyone I will never get to thank in person. I'm grateful for you.

fall. autumn. seasonal.
I am forever affected by the seasons. I do think that every season is glorious looking in nature, but for years I dreaded fall because of how it made me feel. I always liked the way it looked! and smelled and the light is better in (Midwestern) fall than any other time, honestly...but oh how I felt.
Once I realized that, of course I began to take precautions and measures to deal with it and now I am proud to say that I do NOT dread or dislike fall any longer. It's been a process. But hey,life is learning.
​

August 
What a month of mixed emotions. Here in Illinois, the kids all go back to school mid August, and although my own kids are grown and done with school, the dreaded back-to-school feeling arises at this time of year.  August is quite lovely in the garden tho. Many beautiful things are fully grown for the season and look so lush and the large grasses are starting to flower. The Rudbeckia subtomentosa is in bloom and makes an incredible cut! (Fall is coming)  The garden phlox was beautiful this year. The Japanese Anemone has started to bloom! (already)       I love every time of the year in nature. 
Haven't posted much here on the www as it has been incredibly busy and dare I say....a bit stressful with moving my mom to assisted living (93) and then proceeding to completely empty her home with just my sister,  all while working crazy 9-10 hour days. Needless to say, I haven't created much art.  But friends, I've been THINKING about art. I'm so inspired by the natural beauty I see around me. There are loads of ideas in my head.  I am going on a quick little trip to Detroit to see art. I can't wait! 
I wanted to check in here since I still have people checking out the www and am so appreciative! 
​Got something to say?  I'm all ears. :)

Just a quick check-in...I'm here! I'm here! 
I am feeling pretty blessed. Pretty lucky. Which is a great way to feel in February, by the way. I'm having a sort of lazy winter this year... Normally that would elicit all sorts of negative feelings, as my mode of operating is Be Busy. But for some reason.... I'm lovin it. 
Been working on some new projects using collage (my first love) and it feels great! I've collected so many loverly papers and vintage ephemera and I want to use some of it in my art. My workspace is a bit of a collage....
I'm loving instagram these winter days as well. too much scrolling, yes but so many good things to see. I started a yearlong posting project which is bringing me a lot of happiness. hashtag #ayearofseeingdifferent Check it out!  I'm still in love with my mural titled Seeing Different and it is sort of a theme for me.   Thanks to everyone who is checking out my website! I welcome comments or emails or messages.... Got something to say?  Also stuff is still for sale....( Photos on the photo gallery page). 
​see ya soon! 

HELLO FRIENDS
February is a beast. We have experienced snow, rain, ice and lots of wind and its only the 6th!!
I realize that I live in a geographical area that allows me to experience all the weather and so I am trying to appreciate the beauty in every season, more so than I used to in my younger life. Today the trees look like they're crying! It's stunningly gorgeous and requires lots of picture taking. I'm grateful for my warm home. I made a huge welcome sign. Contact me if you would like to purchase it. It may be just what your home needs. 

HI  it's super super cold these days and I feel a little trapped (in a good way)
​because it's soooo much work to go out. 
I walked into the yard yesterday because I wanted to throw some birdseed out there. The snow is knee deep in my yard and the poor birds have no access to water in my yard. I am trying to clean out some boxes/bins of stuff in the art room and then I get distracted and start a whole new project! I'm spending entirely too much time scrolling, but OH I've discovered some exciting artists recently!! Past and present.
​I finished the broken garden sign. I want to plant a little Sedum in the cup (half-cup ;)   Pix below. 
​Last day of January and this fatty needs to get back to exercising.  

OH MAN. 
I have started to make.... something  using my own broken plates, cups, dishes that got broken thru the years and I saved since the pieces are so beautiful. There is something so lovely about beautiful/broken stuff and I remember all these pieces.  Just when I needed a fresh project....I got one. #workinprogress <3