Laura Muraco

New Kittens New Paintings

Last weekend I created some original paintings for my shop! I just posted them and they look super cute!

This is Adella. Adella is very sweet she is the type of girl that will always offer you her last piece of chocolate. She loves to go on walks through the forest and collect things she finds beautiful, like fallen chestnuts, polished stones and pieces of red bark. Adella will never tell your secrets and she doesn’t speak poorly of other people, she finds that very rude. Her rabbits name is Chase.

And Ellery. Ellery is quick-witted and wonderfully articulate (which sometimes gets her into trouble). She loves the smell of freshly painted fingernails and her favorite nail polish is clear with a slightly whitish pink hue. Ellery’s guilty pleasures include freshly baked chocolate chip cookies with peanut butter smeared on top and romance novels. Her kitten's name is Oscar after one of her favorite writers, the great Oscar Wilde.

And Devon. Devon is a bit of a tomboy yet she loves to dress up. You will most likely find her on the soccer field covered in a dress a bow and lots of mud and dirt. Boys love her but she couldn't care less, in fact she finds it quite annoying and a bit embarrassing. Devon loves the sound of her mother’s shears cutting through fabric and the smell of basements. Devon has a pet bird named Babe.

But in other news John and I are parents! Of new baby kitties that is!! I cannot tell you how in love I am with these fuzzy little angels. There is a girl kitten named Lydia and a boy kitten named George. They are doing so well! We got them from a Brooklyn cat rescue shelter called www.kittyshockwave.com

We had to give them a bath when we first got them because they were a bit on the stinky side.

I cannot get over how adorable they are!!!

They love to play in the book shelves. Their little tummies are the softest things I have ever felt and they smell like baby powder. I think the most heartbreakingly adorable thing about them though is the fact that everytime you pick one up it purrs.

Ciao!

Happy Birthday Happy New Year!

I know it is a bit late but I turned 25 on the 18th of December! I am officially in my mid 20s! I definitely wasn't expecting anything but my friends in my building and John surprised me with a party! Sonja even made a vegan cake for me! I was so happy!!

I hope everyone is having an amazing 2008 so far! I feel so blessed, I really have so much to be grateful for. I have all the nuts and blots that lend to a fulfilling a happy life, love, health and prosperity.

For New Years John and I went to Lake Placid! It was so beautiful (and very cold) one of my favorite things we did was go one a dog run! If we lived in place that was had enough snow I would definitely travel only by dog sled

Ciao :)

New Paintings!

I completed this painting right before Thanksgiving.. I am very happy with the way it turned out it was inspired by my trip to Italy!

Here is also a new piece that I am working on.

Well that is all for today, I am doing my christmas wrapping today and I also hope to get some art done :)

Ciao,Ciao..
Laura

Back to my Roots

So this weekend I decided to give my poor fried hair a break and return home to the good old brown shelf in the hair dye isle at Rite Aid:

Here is me Before

Here is me as a Unicorn

Here is me confused

Here’s me as a Kitty

And a Sea Hag

And here is me After! Earl Grey anyone? Let's try that again

Dear Feria Gods please make me as pretty as your professional airbrushed model and take away all my ashy woes

I promise Ill be good

(Queue the choirs)Halleluiah!

*Note to self- hide the Herbal Essences before the Feria-Gods get pissed

Sweet Dreams

I found this really amazing site called Concious Media Network. It is an online station filled with interviews with the most profound thinkers and teachers today dealing in the realms of metapysics, quantim physics and spirituality. Here is a link www.conciousmedianetwork.com

Here is a pic of a little doll I made for John. I wish the picture was a little better so you could see her more clearly. The little buttons represent the chakara system and on her coat is a prayer for truth. I think the best part howerever are the pom poms on her toes. Also I have been meaning to share a picture of our new room! I am so proud of our "grown-up" bed. John and I were sleeping in a sort of hodge podge mixture of a little of my stuff from college and a little of his and it didn't really feel like either of ours so we set out to make a room that is both of ours. We got the poster in Italy this summer and believe it or not John picked out the comforter-- never mind I did a little reasearch online first to narrow the choices a bit ;) The lamps on the side tables have a funny story because John and I found those one summer at a barn sale while we where both home. Then when we went to college I took the boy one and her took the girl one. Finally after 5 years they are back together under one roof.

Okay I must paint. I spend all week working so I have money and time to paint and then the weekend is here and i just want to relax. But the hard part is starting once I get the paints out I am "in the zone"

Byeeeee!

Tofu Scramble

This morning it was breezy and wet outside. It was such a welcomed feeling after this extended summer. John had an appointment this morning and I have the day off so I enjoyed a cozy and delicious breakfast. Breakfast is definitely my favorite meal, mainly because buttered toast is almost always a centerpiece.

There is something about taking the time to really enjoy a meal that I feel is essential to a peaceful state of mind. It seems that we are often so over worked that we rarely have time to sit down to a prepared meal anymore. Personally quality of life to me means having time to enjoy it. Having time to take a hot bath or walk in a park. I once heard a quote that I really love. "One should not strive to gain more but to be content with less." I think that is so beautiful because where is the line between owning things and your things owning you? Time and quality of life are not things that you can buy they are things that you must choose. I think the trick is--and this is where I am at now, finding a career to make service of yourself. Use your gifts and exercise your soul. I think that is the only way to have true quality of life. Lets face it, meditating all day wont pay the bills, and I don't think it would leave you with much satisfaction after a while. Life is meant to be lived not only pondered. But on the same hand as Socrates said, "An unexamined life is not worth living."
I didn't intend on this becoming a blog entry on how one should live. But these issues are clearly on the forefront of my mind right now. I have been nannying lately and I can honestly say I have never been happier. I spend my days in a Park watching a one-year-old girl discover this enchanting world. Also for the first time in my life I have weekends off. I think one difference between this time in my life and all others is that I am not putting pressure on myself to be anything, but instead I am allowing myself to just be. I think this time has been so wonderful in allowing me peace and reflection to move me to the next phase of my existence. What a precious gift life is. I am humbled by the possibilities open to me. My spirit like a wild horse given a body to run free, to create and to love fiercely. I think the best way I have ever heard the meaning of life described was from the beautiful book Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsh
I am going to paraphrase from my memory-(this is god talking to us about life)
" You are here to know yourself to experience your highest vision of who you are and ultimately you are one." I am going to come back later and add in the real quote because it is very beautiful and I would like to share it. I believe that we are all divine and have chosen different gifts to create heaven on earth and to expressing the peace and love of God with our lives. Now I just feel that with this world wind of possibilities surrounding me what do I choose? What if I make a wrong choice? What are the intentions behind the things I want?
Lately I went to a lecture given by the great Thomas Moore he is the author of Care of the Soul which after hearing his lecture I know I must read. Basically he is a brilliant psychologist who has a very spiritual and archetypal approach. One thing that was discussed were creative arts therapies. Drama Therapy was mentioned and my heart buzzed with excitement. The keystone in my passion for Theater is the gateway it provides for deep expression and loss of ego. I believe it is just such a beautiful medium to transcend perceptions that divide us from one another and ourselves. I am definitely going to do more research on this field because it really pulled my heartstrings hearing about it.
Okay back to breakfast
This is called Tofu Scrambel. It is so easy and so good. I am Vegan so people ask me a lot about what I eat and what are some alternative ways to get protein that won't leave them missing their favorites.
1.This is just Firm Tofu, which you can get in any grocery store, usually in produce.
2. I take the Tofu and break it up with my hand and put it in a frying pan on the stove
3.and then I add a little Olive Oil or Sesame Oil (very delicious)
4.then a add in fresh Spinach and tomatoes and carrot shavings.
It only takes a few minutes to prepare and it will leave you satisfied for hours. The best thing about Tofu is that it is pretty neutral tasting so you can season it anyway you wish. I personally like spicy things so I added a little salt and a dash of Fajita seasoning.

Yummmm...
Have a beautiful day, and if you can make someone smile
xo
Laura

A fluffy little nest

I am so happy, this morning I made my very own Mediation Station!

I believe that Meditation such an important tool for getting in touch with your highest self and clearing illusions that lend themselves to energy draining habits and addictions. That being said it is amazing how difficult it has been for me to put aside even 15 minutes of silence each day. Up until now my mediation has been in reading spiritual books, journaling, walking in nature and yoga. I feel now though it is time for me to take my practice further by adding silent and still mediation. Planting a little meditaion nest for my self has been so healing.

It is nice because I now have a place to light a candle or 10 and surround myself with peaceful images and things that I really like. I even have a special place for my crystals and Tarot cards.

I really recommend making a mediation area in your home if you don't already have one. I was surprised how easy and inexpensive it was-in fact it was totally free! I just moved around things that I already had in my apartment. It was already in my house just waiting for me to find it :)

Well that is all for now, if you have a little sanctuary in your home or if you make one I would love to see it. I think that peoples little corners dedicated to their hearts are so beautiful and uplifting.

Bye, bye <3

Hi, I always feel I have so much to add to my little blog world until I sit down to do it. I have to say Etsy is the most amazing place on earth to buy things from. I am going to do a post later to show all the amazing things I have purchased from Etsy-ers. I got three of these little cuties in the mail the yesterday from Silly Geese Designs.etsy --(sorry I tried to add a link and it didn't work for some reason)

These little cookies are so amazing because they exist to be cute! I was so happy when I got them.

So I got a question the other day from Abby of Wear Your Heart.etsy-who by the way has adorable and very fun items you should check out-anyway Abby asked about my computer that I got used from Ebay for $242! So I thought that I would put a pic of it up. I know that before I only had a picture from it's Ebay listing so here is further proof that if you are looking for a nice and cheap computer, Ebay may be your ticket.

Well thats all for now. It is getting late and I want to go to bed. Be back soon :)

Good Night...

New Art!

I just finished this little sweetheart and I love her like I cannot say. I felt totally relaxed when I was working on her I didn't have any expectation for how she would turn out and I think that always allows for really interesting things to take place. I don't know where her hairstyle came from. My subconscious let this one slip and I love her ghost kitty- that is another funny fluke that I ending up really enjoying.

I also recently did a logo for my friend Andrea who is opening a bakery! The name of her business is Sassy Red Velvet-very cute. I wish her loads of success.

I also finished some other paintings yesterday that I will post-after I eat breakfast-my favorite meal of the day. I am trying to put new things in my etsy shop but it is not working for some reason. has any one else been having trouble?

Thanks for stopping by :)

xo

a little ramdom

Please forgive me in advance for this slightly random post.  First off I must show off my latest purchase from Ebay.  Remember when I said that my computer broke?  Well have no fear Ebay is here!- With used macs! 

I got this G4 for $242 including shipping-and I got it the next day!  I am so stoked about it.  This is a pic of my new comp from the ebay posting.  It runs great.  I still have to see about getting all of my music transfered on it--I don't have everything backed up --oops.  Oddly enough on my computers final day I backed up all my pictures- thank god.

Okay to totally change subjects I must confess my major-ly geeky fan-crush on Maggie Gyllenhall. 

Not only do I think she is beautiful,she is hugely talented and she has great style to boot.  I wish I could have a career like hers, I love how she has done so many interesting indie films.  I don't know if I am quite as hard core as she is--I would say my dream would be to do work along the lines of Maggie and Rachel McAdams crossed.  I like Rachel's career because it has a little comedy and sappy romance mixed in.

Another artist I absolutely adore is Fiona Apple. I find her so engaging and sincere.  I love her music, it is brilliantly articulate.  I love how great writers and lyricists can pare down things that are seemingly indescribable into the most imaginative and concise little packages.  It is such a gift to reveal the absolute beauty and perfection in even the most "mundane" and infuriating moments.  Oh and one more reason I love Fiona--She's a vegan.  I definitely feel a connection  to anyone who shares such a deep concern and compassion for animals.  Oh okay and one more thing on miss Fiona-I finally watched her acceptance speech at the MTV music awards-that she got so much heat for ,and I totally knew what she was saying - I think that she could have said it a bit more effectively perhaps but she was  19 and in front of millions of people.  I think anyone with the courage to stand up for what they really believe should be applauded.

  Honestly there are soooo many amazing artists sharing there gifts with the world that I feel endlessly inspired and touched by.  These are just two performing artists I had to mention because i never have and I am so appreciative of there work.

Well That is all I have to say for now.  I am going to make some shop updates as soon as possible.  I have some new things that I am very excited about.  Have an awesome day!

If you have a moment I would love to hear what artists most inspire you!

xoxo

Laura