ArtCafe Studios, LLC

09/02/2026

You may remember that I didn’t get my usual Christmas card done last year. Yes, it's September 2026, and I'm talking about 2025. 🤫

For the first time in years, it just didn’t happen. I did make hand-drawn cards, which I loved, but our annual family portrait still matters to me. A lot. A whole lot.

So I finally got it done.

Our kids are grown now, which makes these portraits feel even more important to me. They’re not about everyone being little and adorable in matching outfits. Although, let’s be clear, I still think they’re adorable, and matching outfits have absolutely happened. They’re about this season of who we are now, with our personalities, our rescue cats, our slightly dramatic ideas, and whatever creative world we come up with together this time. 😅

You know by now that I love fantasy portraits.

They don’t have to be only for young children. They can be playful, personal, a little ridiculous in the best way, and still incredibly meaningful.

And in my world, a family portrait is also a tradition, a time capsule, and proof that imagination doesn’t have an age limit.

09/01/2026

“𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭.
𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞.
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬.”
- Ullie-Kaye

I stumbled upon this quote and reread it several times. It feels so true to how life actually works, doesn't it?

There are days when I can feel genuinely grateful for what’s right in front of me. The people I love, the small ordinary moments, a quiet cup of coffee, a kind message, or something beautiful outside.

And then something will remind me of what isn’t here anymore. Sometimes it's a date on the calendar, a photo, a song, or a memory that shows up out of nowhere while I’m doing something completely ordinary.

Gratitude doesn't make those feelings disappear.

You can be grateful for what’s here and still leave room for what’s missing, especially when the missing comes from love.

08/31/2026

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲

I had this idea to make bubble art. In my head, it looked easy enough and like a lot of fun. It's the kind of thing that looks effortless in a tutorial and makes you think, “Oh, I can totally do that.” Famous last words.

I started experimenting with watercolor, acrylics, and mica powder. It was interesting, but also a little underwhelming.

I kept going because I wasn’t really making anything that had to turn out a certain way. I was just playing and testing things. I was also making a mess, just like I did when painting as a child. The good thing is, this time I didn't get in trouble, and that made it even more fun. 🤫

I think that, as adults, many of us have forgotten that creativity can be fun. We want a reason, a result, and a finished product that proves the time was worth it. As kids, we didn't care much about any of that. We tried something, reacted to it, changed direction, and kept going. Today, we're wondering if a page full of bubbles was a productive use of our afternoon.

I'm the first to admit that this was a learning curve for me. Productivity and perfectionism used to be high on my list. I forgot how much fun it can be just to play for no particular reason.

I’m not throwing any of these pages out. I don’t know what they’ll become yet, but I’ll keep an open mind. Maybe they’ll turn into backgrounds for something else, or I'll cut them up for another project. Maybe they’ll sit in a pile until I find them months from now. They'll be in good company with my other unfinished things.

Either way, they already did their job. They gave me time to play, experiment, and enjoy creating without needing the outcome to be impressive.

Hopefully, this Mindful Monday reminder will encourage you to play, make a mess, and do something just because it sounds like fun. And if anyone asks what you're doing, you can always call it “research.” Works beautifully for adults. 😄

08/30/2026

This week I dabbled in abstract art, which is a very interesting activity for a recovering perfectionist. 😅

I played with watercolor, ink, pencils, oil pastels, acrylics, and a few “let’s see what happens if I do this” decisions. Some parts surprised me in a good way, and others made me wonder if I had taken the whole “play” thing a little too far.

The last one? Not my favorite. But I already have an idea for it, and it involves cutting it up. So we’re not done yet.

I also had a great time at this week's Zentangle class, which reminded me again how much I love watching people settle into the process, one line at a time.

A little experimenting, a little learning, a little mess, and plenty of joy.

08/26/2026

One and a half weeks into the school year, the new routines are slowly falling into place. Earlier mornings, packed calendars, and the occasional “I forgot to tell you…” five minutes before bedtime are becoming a daily occurrence.

𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 evening, we’re taking a break from all of it with a 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤-𝐭𝐨-𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐭. Bring your teen or older child and create together, or come by yourself and enjoy 90 quiet minutes that belong entirely to you.

No art experience needed. I’ll guide you through everything one line at a time.

I'm looking forward to some shared creativity and mindfulness.

🎟️ https://www.wellnessloudoun.org/event-details-registration/back-to-school-mind-reset-beginners-zentangle-r-class

Take a relaxing, beginner-friendly class where Certified Zentangle Teacher Kerstin Becker guides you in creating a charming art piece using simple Zentangle® patterns—no art skills needed. Bring your child (late elementary + up) for screen-free creativity that doesn’t feel like homework.

08/25/2026

I’m trying to get into the habit of posting a little “What did I create this week?” reel on Sundays.

I already missed last Sunday, so clearly this routine is off to a very professional start. 😅

But I still created, and that’s the part I actually care about.

I finished my Zentangle , which was a lot. A lot of tiny lines, a lot of “am I done yet?”, and a lot of joy.

I also played with watercolor some more. I’m still figuring it out, which means some parts work beautifully while others make me stare at the paper wondering what I'm doing.

But the fairy mushroom? 🍄 Love it!

So here’s my slightly late weekly creative check-in. Finished pieces, experiments, learning curves, and a reminder that creating still counts even if I remember sharing on Tuesday instead of Sunday.

08/24/2026

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲

“Whenever you are happy or feel good, generate the wish that your happiness might extend to bring happiness to all beings.”
- Patrul Rinpoche

I read this quote a few days ago, and it made me think.

It’s such a beautiful thought, isn’t it? That when something feels good, we don’t have to hold it tightly or keep it only for ourselves. We can let it ripple outward a little.

I think that’s one of the reasons I love creative spaces so much.

When someone finishes a drawing and looks at it with that little surprised smile, it doesn’t stay only with them. You can feel it in the room. Someone else relaxes, gets curious, or starts believing, “Maybe I can do this too.”

That kind of 𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬.

It’s the same with the little things in daily life. A kind word, a small moment of patience, or a smile from a stranger can change the way the whole day feels.

Those moments matter. When we feel a little more grounded, we show up differently. Maybe a little calmer, a little kinder, a little less likely to lose our minds over something that, five minutes later, wasn’t actually the end of the world.

So today, if something makes you feel good, notice it, enjoy it, and let it expand a little. That might be a bigger thing than we realize.

08/22/2026

I realized that every time I mention my Back-to-School Mind Reset class, I talk about bringing your teen or older child.

That can be a lovely way to spend the evening together, but it is absolutely not a requirement.

If what sounds good to you is 90 quiet minutes without anyone asking what’s for dinner, where their charger is, or whether you signed that school form, please come by yourself. ☺️

We’ll draw, slow down, and let the first couple of school weeks fade into the background for a while.

𝟗𝟎 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐙𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲. 👇

https://www.wellnessloudoun.org/event-details-registration/back-to-school-mind-reset-beginners-zentangle-r-class

Take a relaxing, beginner-friendly class where Certified Zentangle Teacher Kerstin Becker guides you in creating a charming art piece using simple Zentangle® patterns—no art skills needed. Bring your child (late elementary + up) for screen-free creativity that doesn’t feel like homework.

08/21/2026

I asked ChatGPT how it thinks this makes me feel.

The summary of the answer?

“𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥, 𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 ‘𝐨𝐡, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞.’”

Pretty accurate!

I'm not here to dismiss AI. It has its place.

But every time I see posts promising that AI can make something “look like a professional photographer did it,” I feel that twitch.

Because photography isn’t just pushing a button and transforming a file.

A professional portrait experience starts long before the final image. It’s the idea, the planning, the styling, the conversation, the trust, calming nerves, the tiny adjustments, the way someone slowly relaxes in front of the camera, and the moment they begin to see themselves differently.

- It’s knowing how to guide a child into a story so they forget they’re being photographed.

- It’s helping a woman feel beautiful again when she hasn’t felt that way in a long time.

- It’s creating a fantasy world that actually means something to the person in it.

- It’s noticing the expression that matters, not just the one that looks “perfect.”

AI can do impressive things. No argument there.

But the experience I create for my clients is not a prompt. It’s personal, collaborative, and thoughtful. I care deeply about connection, the process, and the final product. For many of my clients, that's worth just as much as the portrait itself.

08/20/2026

Another day, another chance to play with art supplies and question my decisions. 😅

This started with a piece of watercolor paper, a tangle, some lines, and colored pencils. I didn’t love how the pencil felt on the watercolor paper, so I went over parts of it with markers. The colors turned out way darker than I expected, the markers didn’t blend the way I wanted, and at some point I thought, “Let’s use watercolor. What else could possibly go wrong?”

This still didn’t feel right, so I sprayed the whole thing with water. Because once nothing is going according to plan, why not keep the adventure going, right?

After it dried, everything looked a little washed out, so I added some bold black-and-gold lines and called it done.

𝐃𝐨 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭? Nope.

𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞? It felt like it for a minute, but I decided to learn from it rather than seeing it as a failure.

This is why I like creating without a fixed outcome. In mindful drawing, the finished piece isn’t always the point. Sometimes you learn what a paper doesn’t like, what a marker will absolutely not do, which colors surprise you, and how far you’re willing to keep going before you finally say, “Okay, we’re done here.”

The pretty finished pieces are fun to share, but the messy ones deserve to be talked about too, since they usually teach me more.

So I’m sharing this one because learning and evolving don’t always look polished. Sometimes they look like trying the next thing, admitting it didn’t quite work, and staying curious and playful anyway.