Updating My Blog

Hi everyone! I am in the process of updating my blog with a new layout and some new elements. If you notice things look different and things disappearing and reappearing, just bare with me - I should have it all finished hopefully by tomorrow!

The Princess and her Castle - Oh, and a Field Trip

My latest painting that my daughter specifically requested and named "The Princess and Her Castle." She said she had to have red hair, but brown eyes like her. Ashlyn loves red hair and has been saying that she wishes she had red hair, but she likes her brown eyes because they are "just like Daddy's." My girls are my biggest fans, no matter what I draw or paint, they think it's a masterpiece!

I finished the painting today while still recovering from the field trip with Ashlyn's Kindergarten class yesterday. Oh my, have things have changed! I used to think my parents sounded like such old fogies when they would say things like that, but now I'm the old fogy. It was all I could do to keep up. Myself and one other Mom were the only 2 parents from their class of 25 kids. All kindergarten classes from their school went to the ASI Gym and then to the park for lunch and play time. They put all of us parents to work at the gym helping to run the obstacle courses for a few hundred kindergarteners. I was wiped after that part, but then we had to go to the park! It was hot, and the kids were tired, and surprisingly not to disappointed when told that they wouldn't get to stay to long since it was so hot - that was until the teachers discovered the bus drivers all left without telling anyone! They got them back, and I was so glad just to get in my car with air conditioning and go home!! I will say that I was a little disappointed because I had to work the whole time and wasn't able to take hardly any pictures. I was able to snap just a couple that didn't turn out to well between groups in our course. The kids really had a wonderful time, and I know Ashlyn was more than ready to go to bed last night - I think it was just us "old fogies" that were the ones really wiped out! I am very thankful, though, that I am fortunate enough to be able to do these types of things with my girls.

I think I am off to bed, so everyone have a good holiday weekend if I don't post again in the next couple of days.

Artwork for the Home

I recently decided that I wanted to redo our home in "Old World" kind of rustic/Tuscan/antique like if that's even a style. Basically, warm earth tone colors and pictures similar to the one above. I purchased some ironwork for the walls, and then after pricing some paintings for the walls, I decided they were just way to expensive right now, and why not try my hand at painting some. Besides, not only will they (hopefully) turn out the way I would like them to look, they would also have more sentimental meaning since I created them. I was pleasantly surprised with my first shot at it. I painted this 11x14 painting that I finished this week. It turned into a project that took way longer than I expected, but I am pleased with it.

I have had this picture up on Flicker for a week now, and have not had a chance to write about it on my blog. Week before last was teacher appreciation week. The students were sent home with a list of things their teacher likes, and one of the things Mrs. Payton said she collected was pins. So, Ashlyn and I decided to maker her one out of PMC Silver Clay. I had her draw a picture of herself, and we transferred (carved) it into the silver. I then took one of Ashlyn's hearts that she has drawn and cut out around it, textured the edges, and then attached a pin to the back after I fired and polished it. It turned out to be a really unique and well loved gift! I wrapped it all pretty, and ready to go, and 10 minutes before we needed to leave for school, I realized I had not taken a picture of it. So, I had to unwrap it and snap a couple of quick pictures. Hence, the reason for the poor quality of this photo. It really doesn't do it justice. At least I remembered before giving it to Mrs. Payton : )

I have been working on my blog lately trying to spruce it up a little. I am hoping to have my new additions ready to add within the next week or so. I decided it needed sprucing up as well along with my house!

I now have to go police my house that is full of 5 and 6 year old girls right now! Take care!

Tag You're It!!

I have been tagged by the amazing artist, Shonna Bucaroff (http://twistedfigures.blogspot.com/)!!

The rules of the game are as follows:

1. Link back to the person that tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your entry.

OMG! This is what I get for typing this thing up at 5:30 am! Thank you, Shonna, for pointing out my absent mind and forgetting to list the 6 things about myself! Here goes:

1. I am a self proclaimed coke aholic - coca cola that is! I love to get a bottled coke, put it in the freezer and get it good and slushy!

2. I started painting with oils when I was about 3 years old. My Dad is an artist, and I always painted with him.

3. I won "best in show" in our local science and craft fair for a soft pastels painting I did when I was in the 3rd grade.

4. My favorite color is blue. It always seems to turn up in my art some how. Rarely does a piece that I create not have blue in it some where.

5. I LOVE "Pink Lady" apples!

6. I am maxed out on the stress level when I whip out the Ben and Jerry's "Karmel Sutra" - believe me,it cures all ills!

I am adding an extra one! 7. I am very forgetful at 5:30am!

O.K. So here goes - I have tagged the following 6 ladies whose work I absolutely admire!

1. Heather http://reverieart.blogspot.com

Fannie http://fannienartefineart.blogspot.com

Lorri http://auslorri.blogspot.com

Sara http://heartbreakart.typepad.com/

Mare http://moonstarsstudio.blogspot.com

crimsoncat http://crimsoncat05.blogspot.com


Have a good day!

Happy "Smothers" Day

For all you Moms out there - Happy Mother's Day!! If you are fortunate enough to still have your Mother like I am, please be sure and tell her you love her. It's important every day, but especially today!

For my Mom - Happy Mother's Day - I love you very much!! This painting I made for you, Mom, after you saw some of the others that I had done and really liked them, I decided to paint you one based on some of the things I heard you say you liked about the other ones. I didn't realize until I uploaded it that the picture looks a little blown out, but the actual painting is full of rich color!

This is the first year that I was not greeted with "Happy Smother's Day!" from my girls. Now that they are both 5 and 6, they said it correctly this morning, and I have to admit, it made me a little sad. Although I am enjoying watching them grow and mature every day, little things like this remind me just exactly how fast they are growing. I didn't realize how I would get that little twinge of sadness when they both said "Happy Mother's Day!" and not "Happy Smother's Day!" - they are growing just way to fast. It still gives me a warm fuzzy feeling just thinking about them saying it either way, though.

To you Mom - once again, I love you and thank you for all that you do. Through every thing the last few years with my health, and just becoming a Mom myself, I couldn't have done it without you. You give yourself 100% without ever asking for anything in return. To me, that is the epitome of what a Mother is and should be. All those times you would give everything to us and not anything for yourself, I never could understand that. Now that I am a Mom, I understand fully and it makes me appreciate what you did and continue to do even more now than ever. Thank you.

Mommy Sick Day

It's not often that Mommy's actually get a sick day. Unfortunately, I have come down with a throat infection, and my mono is active again - so basically, I have the "icks." My Mom was gracious enough to take the girls and give me a full sick day, actually a full sick weekend to try to get some much needed rest. Mommies aren't supposed to get sick, and when we do, it is hard on everyone in the family! I don't know what I would do without my parents to help me out when these flares hit me like this. I am definitely blessed! It's my girls, though, that come out ahead on the whole deal. They get to go to Granna and Gramp's house and get spoiled absolutely rotten!

I did take advantage of some of my free time and finished up a few projects that I have been working on and paintings that needed finishing. One of them is my picture from my "All About Faces" class with Paulette Insall. This was the last week for the class and I can't believe it has already been six weeks! I learned a lot from her and am so glad I took the class. I love learning new things, and my background is mostly landscape and still life painting, so painting human faces was a whole new world to me that I was quite intimidated by in the beginning. Now, I feel like I have overcome a "little fear" and learned a lot of new techniques that I can use for my paintings.
I am going to hang out on the couch this evening, watch T.V. with my hubby and just relax!