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Art

Pottery artist leaves gorgeous, handmade bowls in random places for people to stumble upon

Imagine coming across one of these gorgeous gifts.

Sailing Adrift Studios/Instagram

Kim Press drops free art in random places for unsuspecting wanderers to find.

Imagine you're hiking out in the red rocks of Moab, Utah, or taking a stroll down the beach in Key West, Florida, when you come across a gorgeous piece of glazed pottery. No one is around, just a beautiful, hand-carved bowl sitting with an envelope next to it that reads:

FREE ART

This bowl was left here for someone to find and keep. If it doesn't speak to you, leave it for someone else to find, or take it and give it to a friend. I only ask that it be enjoyed, and if you like, you can let me know where it ends up. (Contact details inside.)

Love, Kim

Kim Press is an artist from Texas who shares her pieces under the name Sailing Adrift Studios. When she travels, she takes a piece with her to leave for a random, unsuspecting person to find. Lucky wanderers in 36 states and two countries have come across Press' pottery "free art drops" and gotten to take home an unexpected artistic treasure from their own travels.

And these aren't any old bowls. Check out how absolutely stunning these pieces are:

Press recently shared a video highlighting some of the pieces she's dropped, and every single one of them would be an incredible gift.

"To say that I am proud of these numbers is an understatement," she wrote. "In my wildest dreams, I could never imagine how much taking a pottery class and playing in mud would change my life…. And it just goes to show that if you travel far enough, eventually you will find yourself."

People who find Press' pottery let her know where the pieces ended up, and half the fun of it is seeing how far they travel. She put a page on her website where she shares the pieces' "found" stories, such as the bowl she left in Santa Monica, California, making its home in Spain, a bowl she left in Tucson finding its way to China and a piece found in Pennsylvania ending up in Mexico. Sometimes she leaves them in hiking spots in the wilderness. Sometimes she drops them in the middle of a city. Some pieces have stayed in the states she dropped them and others have traveled across the country or the world.

People who have found them have shared how much joy their discovery brought them:

"Just wanted to drop you a note to say that I picked up your 'Free Art' in the park in Fairhope during my last day of my Snowbird stay (January and February) in Orange Beach. While I was in Orange Beach, a dear friend fell and broke her hip and I wanted to get her something to take back. When I say your beautiful bowl, I knew it would touch her heart. Thank you so much for your generosity. She absolutely loved it."


"Dear Kim , Today I found a wonderful surprise, we were at Ft. Zach for my grandson's 5th birthday party and found this on our table, my first thought was ..why is this here? Then I read the card and was speechless... How incredibly lucky I am to have such a precious gift. You are an amazing , talented person. Thank you so much , this will be something I will pass on to my grandchildren. I wish you nothing but the best!"

"Found this incredible gem today. It makes me happy how people are so passionate about their gifts and talents that they would want to share it with the world. Thank you."

Some people have even started looking for the pieces when Press does an art drop announcement, alerting friends and family if the drop is near where they live. A woman who found a bowl in Boise, Idaho, wrote:

"My friend follows you and today she shared your profile with our friend group. We all followed your page and on my way home from work she called me and sent me on an adventure. I squealed when I found it. Thank you so much!! Keep on keeping on."

And a group in Lago Vista, Texas, shared:

“Our out of state guests were about to do a polar plunge in our pool when they saw your post and decided to go art drop hunting instead... so exciting!!!”

Everyone who found pieces shared how much gratitude they felt upon finding them.

Check out the Sailing Adrift Studios website to see where Press has left her free art so far, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram to see where the next art drop happens.

Thank you, Kim Press, for bringing joy not only to the people who happen upon your artwork, but also to those of us living vicariously through them. (I really need one of those bowls!)


This article originally appeared two years ago.

From Your Site Articles
Parenting

Mom tears up sharing the perfect parenting advice she received from a complete stranger

Sometimes the we get exactly what we need from the unlikeliest of places.

@_stephmorrison/TikTok

May we all get this kind of encouragement from time to time

Parents often get unsolicited commentary that however well intended ultimately does more harm than good. This is especially true for those times when complete strangers kindly remind parents of how hectic and demanding their post-baby lives must be. Cause nothing eases the mind quite like being told how stressful things are.

But this story is the opposite of all that. In a now-viral TikTok, mom Steph Morrison shared that she had been on a walk with her newborn when an older man approached her, and instead of giving her the classic platitude of “you must have your hands full” he offered the exact encouragement she needed in that moment.

It was so perfect, in fact, that Morrison immediately began crying as she repeated it in her video.

“Wow…you’re going to have a lot of fun.”

It was such a simple statement, yet so poignantly refreshing. And made all the more touching since Morrsion could see this man’s memories of parenthood “flash” through his own eyes while giving the compliment.

Watch:


@_stephmorrison_ I never would have guessed what the man would say nor did I ever predict tears would roll down my face like they did. Thankful for this sweet glimmer from God 🫶🏼✨ #momspiration #momsoftiktok #momsover30 #quotesforyou #momquotes #postpartumjourney #postpartumlife #happywords #happinessbegins #creatorsearchinsights ♬ take a moment to breathe. - normal the kid

This man’s words didn’t only strike a chord with Morrison, but literally thousands of other parents who viewed her video.

“The way I burst into tears hearing that 💛,” wrote one person.

Another shared, “As an overstimulated single momma of two, thank you for shifting my perspective.”

Many were inspired to share their own experiences of getting unexpected but oh-so needed encouragement from a stranger.

“An older man in the grocery store stopped me when my son was 8 months old and said ‘young enough to still talk to the angels, put in a good word for me!’” said one person.

“My only son is 7 months. I can’t have anymore kids due to life threatening complications at birth. The other day a man said to me ‘he gets to have you all to himself, isn’t that so special?’ I cried,” said another.

Parenting isn’t easy (then again, many of the most worthwhile things in life aren't). But it’s those small, pure moments of bliss that make it undeniable special. Those are the moments we need to hold onto. As Morrision put it, “It’s the right vibe and energy to bring to motherhood.”

It’s not possible to always hold onto this positive vibe, which is what makes kind words from a stranger truly miraculous gifts. So the next time you see a parent in the throes of childrearing, maybe take a page from this man’s book and remind them of the joy that is ever present.

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heartwarming
Humor

Mister Rogers' crew once pranked him during his opening song. His reaction was so very him.

He really was such a delightful human.

80sThen80sNow/YouTube

Fred Rogers went to put on his shoes and found they didn't fit.

Fred Rogers was truly one of humanity's greats, in every sense that counts most. He wasn't a titan of industry or a builder of empires. He wasn't a man of great means or a wielder of political power. He was humble, gentle and kind. He was a teacher, a learner and a leader in his own way.

For generations of children, he was a consistent voice of compassion, curiosity and caring. He was a calm haven in our television set, a safe space where we always knew we were loved just the way we are.

And yet he was strong, too, just not in the way we often think of strength. He was a fierce defender of children and a champion of justice. His testimony before Congress about public television totally turned around the sentiments of a judge who was extremely skeptical before Rogers started speaking. He wasn't forceful, he didn't yell or cry, he just shared his feelings, indicated his trust in the judge's conscience and explained the value of quality children's television programming in a way that was impossible to disregard.

No one could deny the wholesome awesomeness of Rogers. No one. He was the real thing, tried and true, through and through and the world misses him greatly.

It's quite well known that Rogers was the same man off-screen as he was on his show, and a video of his cast and crew pranking him once during his opening song offers a bit of delightful proof.

Check this out:

Seriously, he was the most delightful human. His laugh when he sticks his foot in the second shoe—priceless. His "Thanks ever so much"—epic.

People have responded to the video on Reddit with gushing praise.

"Mr. Rogers thanking that man for a delightful practical joke just changed something in me for the better," wrote one commenter. "Off to go thank my husband for some stuff."

"What a magical person that just a clip of him having a laugh is making me well up," wrote another.

"My childhood was a scary place but when I turned on Mr. Roger’s, it all disappeared for awhile," shared another. "Thank you for being a light to so many children. May you Rest In Peace."

"An amazing human being and an utterly sweet person," wrote another. "We should all aspire to be the person Mr. Rogers knew we could be."

Indeed, we should.

There may be many wonderful people who walk this earth, but there will never be another Fred Rogers. What a precious gift that we have so many hours of him on film to enjoy and share with generations to come.


This article originally appeared on 6.24.22

From Your Site Articles
Family

Her sons started playing her favorite song. Pure, unbridled joy ensued.

Momma busting out her moves when the beat drops is priceless.

@guggin94/TikTok

This mom dropped her cooking and broke into joyful dance when the beat dropped.

We all have that song that gets us every time. No matter our mood, no matter where we are or who we're with, when the rhythm starts popping, we just have to dance. Okay, maybe not all of us. But if you know, you know. And this Punjabi momma knows.

Self-described actor and prankster Gagandeep Anand shared a video on TikTok and Instagram of him and his brother Ishwardeep surprising their mom by playing her favorite song. She was cooking in the kitchen when Gagandeep walked in with a stereo and Ishwardeep with a dhol (a traditional Indian drum) and as soon as they started playing, her face lit up like a firework.

Then the most joyful 30 seconds of dancing took place, right there in the Anand kitchen.

The song, "Dhol Jageero Da" by Master Saleem, is commonly played at weddings in Northern India. It's a song that's hard not to dance to just by its nature, but Momma Anand clearly has her own personal history with it. The sheer joy she exudes as she drops her cooking to break into dance? Infectious. And her disappointment when the music stops? Just precious.

Watch:

@guggin94

Instagram - Guggin94 👀

Her smile and youthful energy, holy moly. And when Gagandeep said he has to dance when he sees his momma dance was adorable. If only they hadn't stopped the music so quickly.

People are loving the video, claiming Momma Anand as their own and delighting in her delight.

"Your momma?" one commenter wrote. "She is now our Momma."

"She literally got younger the moment the music started," wrote another person.

"OMG I've watched this too many times....she was so happy, I couldn't stop smiling," wrote another.

Others scolded the boys for leaving her hanging:

"How y’all gonna tease mom like that… her favorite part was coming up."

"You better go back right now and do it again for her!!!"

"YOU GO BACK IN THERE AND FINISH HER SONG RIGHT NOW!!"

Gagandeep frequently features his mom (and dad) in his videos, which usually feature silly pranks. And Momma Anand has her own Instagram page too, where she shares cooking tips.

For more fun with the Anand family, follow Gagandeep (@guggin94) on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube.


This article originally appeared on 2.9.22

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joy
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