Let us find our courage ...

Feel free to print and enjoy!!

Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else.

Maya Angelou

June is Pride Month!  A month to celebrate all who count themselves as part of the LGBTQ community - *see more info below. Now with all the hatred being stirred up in DC I feel that we all need to find the courage to stand up for ourselves and ESPECIALLY stand up for others.  

I was honored to be involved with the Peace Flag Movement which was started by Maggie Sky in 2016.  I helped design the flag and we created this poster that businesses would post to show their commitment to community and peace.  You can learn more about the movement by clicking here: https://commonstreet.org/rainbow-peace-flag-project/

Feel free to print and hang

The PEACE Flag Movement

MISSION

The PEACE Flag Movement works to unite the world in the fight for equity and care for all people. It starts with the flag, making the hope of change visible. And it grows when we turn education and conversation into action. Raising this flag is a promise to speak up, stand up, rise up.

SEE THE CHANGE, BE THE CHANGE

This flag makes the hope of change, visible—in flying colors. Show the world what’s in your heart! Raising this flag is a promise to speak up, stand up, rise up. Take this first step, be part of the change—every person, every promise, every flag makes a difference.

Let us all find courage to stand up to all the hatred, and to celebrate all the wonderful differences that we all have, because that is where our strengthens lie.

PEACE

click here to get a flag

*Pride Month, sometimes specified as LGBTQ Pride Month, is a month-long observance dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ pride, commemorating the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer culture and community.Wikipedia

Celebrate the freedom of expression on 4th of July and pick up a beach towel while you are at it ....

TODAY ... get 20% off + free shipping on everything at 

Society6 

https://society6.com/virginiafitzgerald

Here are some beach towels that 

might brighten your day at the beach ...

my shop on Society6

Happy fourth of July!!!

Bye bye June .... it was grand!

June .... a month of inspiration, celebration, observation, illustration and pattern!!! 

First, my eldest turned 18!!! graduated high school and is heading to college?!?!

I was honored to participate in “FEMMetonymy,” @ Carver Hill Gallery, Rockland Maine;

a show featuring: Maryjean Viano Crowe, Lesia Sochor and yours truly!

 I received samples of an illustration job and loved seeing my work on a product! 

Also sampled more of my wares from society6 !! I have been SO happy 

with the quality of each product that I have received, I have been adding more and more designs, so make sure you check out my society6 shop!!

And I wrapped up June by throwing my hat into the ring to win
a scholarship to Jessica Swift's patterncamp ...

The contestants were given 3 rounds of pattern challenges ~

round1: find patterns in nature 

round 2: find patterns around the house 

round 3: make a pattern out of objects around the house. 

for this round I discovered repeating the pattern in my iPhone app, layout, and I went a bit crazy!!! 

 And I won!!!  

I won a space in @patterncamp!!!! 

 and was reminded how much I love/think/live pattern!!!
example:
note the pattern on the vessel that I create for
 the window display I did for Renew Arts & Industry ... 

And now on to July!!!
Thank u for sharing this wonderful month with me!!!

Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one.  John Lennon

Nearly 150 years later, Mother's still want the same thing ... PEACE

To me, it is not such a surprise that the women and mothers in 1870 had the same desires and wants as we women and mothers have today, in 2016. 

It doesn't surprise me, but it does sadden me.  

Julia Ward Howe, in 1870, wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation, asking women to stand up to end war.  

At her time she was referring to the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. Now, almost 150 years later, I could not even name all the 'wars' and military conflicts that are raging.  It is sad and depressing that violence and war are still such a mainstay of our world.

Here is the post I wrote a few years back about Julia Ward Howe and her Mother's Day Proclamation. 

Thank you Julia Ward Howe; the real mother's day story

 

Today I got a wonderful Mother's day present ~ I learned about the true origin of Mother's Day and I have been blown away by the story. 

I thought that this holiday had been started, or at least fostered, by Hallmark and the world of commercialization.  But that is false. This holiday DID NOT begin to get people to buy stuff!!!! 

Mother's Day began when Julia Ward Howe (an amazing woman ~  a prominent American abolitionist, social activist, and poet)  wrote the Mother’s Day Proclamation, written in response to the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War.  She asked for women to stand up for ending war. 

"...In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask

That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,

May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient

And the earliest period consistent with its objects,

To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,

The amicable settlement of international questions,

The great and general interests of peace."

(The full text is at the bottom, thanks to Code Pink)

The fact that this proclamation rings achingly true 142 years later is not lost on me!! So much violence rages in this world ~ in the name of power, justice and even peace-keeping.

Later the holiday was used to help reunite families after the Civil War, lead by a West Virginia women’s group led by Anna Reeves Jarvis.  "After Jarvis’ death, her daughter began a campaign for the creation of an official Mother’s Day in honor of peace. Devoting much of her life to the cause, it wasn’t until 1914 when Woodrow Wilson signed it into national observance in 1914." (from the article on Nation of Change's site.) The article goes on to say that Jarvis actively worked against the commercialization of the day, but alas, here we are! 

But that does not mean we are need to keep 'buying' into this commercial version of Mother's day.  We can change the focus of Mother's Day.  Just as Julia Ward Howe called for women and mothers to 'arise' for peace in 1870, we can 'arise' today, this year and next year and demand PEACE.  

We can take this day back from the marketplace and make it a celebration of PEACE.  I believe Peace on Earth would be the best gift to any mom!!  

I have always loved the idea of celebrating Mothers, motherly love and the nurturing concept of TLC and the desire for PEACE only adds to that equation.

  So . .  PEACE! 

PEACE!!

PEACE PLEASE!!!

Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation - 1870

Arise then...women of this day!Arise, all women who have hearts!Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!Say firmly:"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,For caresses and applause.Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearnAll that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.We, the women of one country,Will be too tender of those of another countryTo allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."From the bosom of a devastated Earth a voice goes up withOur own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."Blood does not wipe out dishonor,Nor violence indicate possession.As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvilAt the summons of war,Let women now leave all that may be left of homeFor a great and earnest day of counsel.Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the meansWhereby the great human family can live in peace...Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,But of God -In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly askThat a general congress of women without limit of nationality,May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenientAnd the earliest period consistent with its objects,To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,The amicable settlement of international questions,The great and general interests of peace.

Imagine all the people living life in peace. John Lennon

this post is a direct copy of today's daily dress inspiration blog .

With today being September 11th,  I felt that today's message and 

quotes were worth repeating. (and for those wonderful folks that subscribe to 

both my blogs, I apologize for the 'rerun'.)

may this dress bring peace ~

'dear jeff' (2011-2012)

for all of those affected by

the events of September 11th,

which is all of us - 

some more obvious than others.

Today's dress is a commissioned 

sculpture for a man who lost his fiancée

12 years ago today. 

At the 10 year anniversary 

of this tragedy he felt that it 

was time to let go of 

his box of memories.  

He asked me if I could create 

something out of his treasure box.

I was honored and accepted the task.

This was a box full of letters;

notes between the couple during college,

cards of encouragement for new jobs, 

the announcement about their engagement,

articles about 9/11,

the missing person flyers, 

and then

a cornucopia of condolences cards, 

from friends, family, coworkers, 

communities and even strangers. 

These communiques played a huge role 

is Jeff's recovery; 

the power of a caring community.

When Jeff approached me, 

he didn't want a memorial of 

his fiancée and her death.

He wanted a sculpture that would portray 

the importance of community,

and the positive growth that 

can come through adversity, 

as well as a celebration of Amy's spirit.

To read more about the piece, click here,

(though I just realized that longer 

description of this piece is yet to be written)

So for today I give you 'dear jeff' 

and the words of John Lennon, 

from his anthem, 'imagine'.

 One of my utmost favorite songs, 

with lyrics that reach into the true 

 depth of my soul and makes me ache 

for the world he describes!!

 let us all strive for peace in our time.

As John Lennon said : 

“War is over ... If you want it.” 

"Imagine"

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

if you have received this post as an email 

click here to visit the entire blog, thank you & peace 

wishing you . . .

a joyful, enchanting, magical & heavenly holiday!! 

Hope all your dreams and desires come true during this festive season!!! 

Please know that I am so grateful for your witness of my thoughts and works, and for your cyber support ~ thank you & peace, Virginia