cREaTe {by RET}

Small Things ...

2012-01-30T17:11:00.001-06:00

Back by popular demand ... in pink, green & indigo. :) I love these little canvases. And I love my new books from the thrift store with the fabric covers. I got them just a few hours ago & already I'm putting them to work. :)

Linking Back & Looking Ahead ...

2012-01-26T15:01:00.003-06:00

In an effort to explain my Quote Canvases to someone, I thought it was just easier to send them a link to this little FAQ-like post I did 2 years ago. :) Need to add it to my sidebar like I said I would.

In other news, I have sold 4 of these Annette Funicello Quote Canvases in less than a week! I've discussed it in great length on Facebook, but I have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest. :) Lots of people apparently love this quote/canvas ... but literally thousands have repinned my artwork with the wrong links. [Same story, different artwork here.]

BUT. My friends, family & I have done some work dropping links & asking politely for them to be corrected. And finally, slowly but surely, people are being pointed towards my Etsy Shop.

I wish I could paint faster. All the ideas I have, quotes I want to do & color schemes I want to try out, I just can't keep up. But, I am in the early stages of throwing around the idea of making prints from the Quote Canvases. There will be a lot of trial & error, but hopefully soon I will give it a go! :)

Thrift Store Finds ...

2012-01-11T07:00:00.007-06:00

I'm on a hunt. For a new living room.

Yesterday, I started my search at Revival Home Furnishings here in Kansas City. It's a great store that mixes consignment pieces with new ones. The best of both worlds. :) Great stuff, but nothing that I just couldn't live without. I then went on down the road to a Salvation Army Store. Again, nothing I had to have. So then I went a little further on down the road to Pottery Barn. Plenty I didn't want to live without, but $1000+ for some of the pieces I was looking at. One should never go there directly after going to the Salvation Army Thrift Store. But I do love to look. :)

After doing my chores today [putting away Christmas decorations], I treated myself to a couple more hours of thrift stores, continuing my search for Living Room furnishings.

Here are my iPhone photos from my little outing today [oddly enough, nothing really for the living room] ...

Libby has a desk in her room almost identical to this one. I got it when we lived in Jacksonville. I paid $5 for hers, but the varnish has worn off in places & it has "Jennifer" carved on the desk part [which I've kept just because it's funny. Adds character.]. :) This one [above] was only $9.98 & is in near perfect shape! I texted a couple people & put this on Facebook because somebody that had seen Libby's was wanting to find one just like hers. I just can't remember who it was. But if you're wanting it ... it's at the Red Racks on Wornall! [*Just realized it's ideal for a left-handed person! Ha! I had to go check Libby's since it never even occurred to me, but hers is indeed right-handed.]

The next shop I went to doesn't look like this throughout the store ... but this was what one of the rooms looked like. Supposedly, it's just sort of a "storage" room. Pretty ... impressive ... little pile. I think I've done dumpster diving that felt cleaner than this did. But there were some cool little finds, including those 2 armed wooden library chairs [one has a TV in the seat, the other is under the Forta box]. I bought a chair just like these at a flea market last year. LOVE these. NO idea how much they were. But I am certain they weren't much.

I loved this lamp! There was no lightbulb & no outlet for me to test it out [& I didn't ask]. I also don't really have a place to put it if I were to get it. But it was only $11. I adore it. With a new modern shade? This thing would be stunning.

I wanted to buy this. It was $40 ... but needed a lot of work. I would have just attempted to clean it, restain the top & touch up as needed [not paint]. I definitely would keep the knob on the drawer, but the 2 pulls below would have to be replaced [the one on the right was broken].

The piece flips open on both sides & has wooden supports that pull out, doubling the length of the surface. I'm not exactly sure what reason there would be to open it all up like that? Bar? But I would keep it all closed up. I took measurements & will sit on this one. It's by "Thomasville", but looks old.

I was leaving the store & noticed a store window from a room I never even saw. I fawned over the table & chairs ... and knew I'd regret it if I never went in to at least check the price. $300 for the table & 6 chairs [5 side & 1 arm]. Seats would obviously need to be reupholstered [simple] ... but MAN. Is this ever gorgeous. And so well built. I want it.

I do not really need a new table or chairs. I just painted a buffet & repainted my table & chairs. 2 months ago. But SERIOUSLY. I kind of want it. I do. If someone were to buy it, fix it up for me & find a new owner for my table & chairs, I wouldn't be mad.

In the end, I walked away with just these things: 4 amber drinking glasses for the kids [$0.99 each] & this green oval bowl for $3.98.

This summer my mom was admiring the flower pot next to my kitchen sink. I bought it because a.) it was mustard gold and matched my kitchen; b.) I needed a cuter pot than the plastic one that came with my aloe plant; and c.) because it was only $0.99. She flipped it over to show me it was a "McCoy" pottery piece & made in the USA, which [according to her] both should have been my clue that it was worth more than $0.99. I had gotten it at a thrift store, of course, and thought I paid too much at the time. So going by the 'vintage American pottery rule', I decided to get this green oval bowl today. Mainly because I like it & hope to use it as a serving dish. It's a Haeger Pottery piece which I later learned is a company that has been making pottery in the USA for 140+ years. No biggie. You learn something new everyday. Today that 'thing' was Haeger Pottery. Now I know.

For the price of one piece of furniture at Pottery Barn, I could have purchased all this loot today. Crazy. Especially when you realize that most of the things you see in that store? Are reproductions. Made to look like these vintage pieces & originals that you find in thrift stores. Also, in most cases when you buy from a thrift store the money is going to a charity. In the case of my purchases today [4 glasses & the oval bowl], the money goes to Disabled American Veterans. Win-win. Don't be scared. Go on in. Yes, even the rooms that look like a scene from "Hoarders". There are diamonds to be found in the rough, I promise. [*Update: After sleeping on it ... I went back to get the bird lamp. Love it. So happy.]

Rehab ...

2011-12-21T09:33:00.000-06:00

The Handydandys ... proud new owners of this 2 bed / 0 bath home!

Needed a little work but they hope to be in by Christmas!

Bedroom #1 [hope previous owners didn't need that newspaper article tacked to the bulletin board!]

Living Room

Bedroom #2

Rooftop Garden

Going over plans with their interior designer.

Let the demolition [& 7 years of bad luck] BEGIN!

Where we're at as of today ... wood floors are in!

Some friends of ours gave us this little play house. It had come out of their basement & then it sat in our garage for 5 months while we found some wall space in Libby's room. If you recall, we played "Musical Dressers" a month ago. So, 2 dressers [1 used to be her changing table] came out of Libby's room & 1 went in, leaving an open wall space for the doll house. Perfect.

It was dirty from being in a basement & garage and I found the decor to be a little dated. I didn't know who would be "living there" ... her Strawberry Shortcake dolls? Barbies [which she only has 1]? Littlest Pet Shop animals? Wasn't sure what I was going to do for furniture either. I fell in LOVE with the Calico Critters line. It was pricey, but I was willing to suck it up because it seemed perfect for her. But then, the week of Thanksgiving, my mom & I were doing a little late night shopping at Target while she was in town. And I saw a new line, only available at Target. Lil Woodzeez ... so cute. I picked out the Mouse Family and we bought a couple furniture sets. We even went on a mad hunt to other Target locations to try & snatch up the last remaining furniture set. It was selling out quickly! But we got it. The Mouse Family & furniture will arrive via sleigh on Christmas morning. But the house is busy getting rehabbed here at home and she's enjoying seeing it get cleaned up & made over. I've loved being busy with my shop the past couple of weeks & getting packages on their way, but I do believe the last order intended as a last minute Christmas present will be shipped off today ... then I have the rest of the week to get the house done in time for the Mouse Family to move in!!! I can't wait! :) And neither can they! [Although I heard big brother isn't looking forward to having to share a room with baby mouse ... or having a pastel floral motif for wallpaper, but hopefully he'll get over it.] ;)

Vino, Anybody?

2011-12-02T12:25:00.000-06:00

I've been making these for several years [although the design has changed slightly over the years] ... but NOW, for the fist time, I've made them available in my Etsy shop. This is a trial thing. I have 2 in the shop at the moment, but before the holiday shopping season is done, I will have 4 available [if needed]. We'll see how they do. Custom artwork is always more time consuming ... but these are also some of my most popular items & the holidays are a popular time for them. Testing it out ... consider it a Wine Tasting. ;)

Dining Room Makeover ...

2011-11-30T12:14:00.003-06:00

Thought I'd make up for the long blog break with a long post that will take you 2 days to read! This will also explain what I've been busy with the past couple of weeks - when we weren't spending a week in Orlando doing the Disney thing! :)

So the make over started when we inherited this buffet [below]. We did what I call "Musical Dressers" - sort of like "Musical Chairs", but with dressers: this one goes here, this one goes there, that will go there ... and that [changing table / dresser] will get listed on Craigslist & sold that same morning to a lovely couple who will turn it into a TV cabinet! :)

We got the buffet from Kyle's parents. The storage was great, we had space in our dining room for it, but the finish wouldn't work. It was way too formal for my dining room and for my personal taste. It was cherry & glossy. We are not a formal family & we have a unique set up for a dining room ... it is an extension of the kitchen. It is where we eat daily - not just on holidays. It is also where we do puzzles, do homework & carve pumpkins. In other words, this room has to be casual enough for daily use, but fancy enough to host Thanksgiving dinner.

Buffet before with its cherry finish. If you have an aversion to sanding & painting furniture, you can end here. Otherwise ... continue. :)

Sanding. Lots & lots of sanding. Not a good idea probably if just a week ago you were diagnosed with bronchitis - but I was vigilant with cleaning up the sawdust [see the vacuum?]. A palm sander comes in handy for this part.

Rookie mistake ... I should have primed it. I tried to get out of it. I painted 2-3 good coats before I surrendered & got out the primer. Don't make this mistake. Prime first. As you can see, what was left of the stain bled through.

Then paint. I did a combo of roll & brush. This is freak-a-zoid Libby sneaking into the photo. She gets her freak-a-zoid-ness mostly from me, but her mad photo-sabotage skills from her daddy. She's the best of both worlds! :)

Next up on the redo list were my 6 dining room chairs. They had been painted cream right after I got them, but I had never sanded them. I had just primed & painted over the gloppy country blue. Then when we lived in Corpus Christi our kitchen had a little Spanish style thing going, so just for fun I had rubbed some antiquing glaze on the chairs. Between that & a little freak-a-zoid tracing green marker into the crevices of one of the chairs [see? Told you we're casual], it was time to give them a makeover as well.

I sanded all 6 chairs down, made repairs where needed, then gave them all a fresh coat before screwing the seats back in.

I left the table for last. It had been painted a few years ago, but I wanted to give it a little more attention this time around. [Two years ago I did this post where I had just painted the table. I also wrote about it here where you can see the before photos of both the table & chairs!] There were a couple cracks that I filled with wood putty, then sanded down before painting.

Ready for its close-up ... but still had one more thing I wanted to do before putting all my supplies away.

In the background, you'll see Davis who while playing games on my iPhone, was there for [an incredible amount of] moral support. But in the foreground, you'll see a pine board getting prepped. The day I bought this table [summer of ... '02?], I told myself one day I'd make a leaf or 2. Only took me about 9 years to do that project. And to think it only took about an hour & a 1/2 to do it. :) Took my measurements to the hardware store & had them cut down a pine 1"x12"x6' board to the width of the table. It cost me just over $7. I already had a wooden dowel [from other projects] that I had tested out in the already existing holes in the table. I believe it was the 3/4" [diameter] size.

The table came with 2 or 3 little pegs [but no leaves, they had been lost ] so I used the originals to make more.

I made more than I needed just to have a few extra & stored them in a drawer of the buffet. I just used a jigsaw to cut the dowel into approx 1.5" pieces, then sanded down the edges. They aren't perfect, but work perfectly fine!

Original holes, new pegs!

This next part made me nervous. Very nervous. I wasn't sure how to make the holes in the accurate spots. At first, I marked the ends of the dowel pegs with blue chalk, to see if they'd leave a perfect circle onto the pine board when butted up next to each other. They didn't. So then I traced it with a pencil, which wasn't perfect either. So I used the combination of pencil & chalk markings to guesstimate where I needed to drill.

Then held my breath & breathed again when it all fit together like a glove. Awesome. Old table from [we think?] the 1930's with some new accessories made for it in 2011. You just gotta love that.

Above is a pic of the table with the new leaf in place, all primed & painted. We don't have enough chairs to do this, but if needed, we can squeeze 3 chairs on one side now.

Finished. Less than 2 days before I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner.

The leaf helped us to spread out, which I think when it's 6 adults [kiddies had their own table], it's kind of nice to be able to do. Love love love. So so happy.

And since that last photo was right next to this one in iphoto, I couldn't help but put this one in of our Thanksgiving turkey [recipe found here]. I love trying out new recipes & thought with 200 reviews, a 5 star rating & a blanket of bacon, it was hard to go wrong. :) Hope you & yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Back to Life ...

2011-11-12T12:07:00.000-06:00

My last post I mentioned that my cold turned into a sinus infection. Seemed like things would be getting better, then I had the facial pain, teeth / jaw aching which told me I was wrong. Switched gears & got on new meds & did some sinus rinses. Finally [finally!] was getting over it, then one day I woke up & couldn't stop coughing & I couldn't catch my breath. 101 fever, chills, aches ... bronchitis had set in. S.E.R.I.O.U.S.L.Y. Got all better, was feeling like I was coming back to life ... then we got hit hard. With our 1st battle of head lice. S.E.R.I.O.U.S.L.Y. Oh & a stomach bug mixed in there for good measure, but luckily that was short lived. The head lice is not short lived. In fact, it disturbs your household for a good few weeks. And the whole time you have to cross your fingers that as it's making its way through classrooms, that it doesn't come back around. Things have been rough around here. I know things could be worse, but at times I wasn't convinced of that.

This poor, pitiful plant was living in my art studio. He was perched on the window sill. I went in there to get something last week & saw it keeled over. I realized how much it symbolized what was going on in the rest of our house. Worn out. Unhealthy. Uprooted. Needing a little pick me up. This plant looks the way I felt. And seeing it also made me realized how long it had been since things were 'normal' & I had a chance to work on things for my shop. :)

So things have been a little crazy. But a nice, long vacation is in our near future. I think we have earned it. :) When I get back, the store will open back up & I'll have some holiday specials & mark downs! Hope this fall as been kinder to you! :) Have a great weekend!

Leaves ...

2011-10-19T11:52:00.001-05:00

I am knee deep in piles of leaves. Of all sorts. I attempted to clean up the yard on Thursday by mulching the leaves with the lawn mower, then going back over the lawn while bagging it all. I do believe the dust & debris from all that it put my mild head cold over the edge & turned it into a sinus infection. Seven days later and I am still sick with it, although I am feeling better as of yesterday! Thankfully.

I have a big order I am wrapping up. Had a friend contact me to paint two 11x14 canvases of a scene with a tree [which they use in their branding], then we turned them into 25 prints. All to be given away as awards. How fun is that? It was definitely an honor to be asked to do such a thing & it's been a fun little project for me. :)

Home of the Brave ...

2011-10-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

Print found here.

I remember the first time I read this quote: "This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave"... I got chills & it made me even more proud to be a married to a man in the military.

I painted this 8 years ago while sitting in our Jacksonville, FL kitchen. Brett was about 1 1/2 years old. I spent hours on it, but finished it in 1 day [I believe in 1 sitting, too]. It was one of the 1st things I ever painted that I was truly proud of. Here is the original [size 18x24] which now hangs in our boys' room.

Funny story about this painting: the next morning I couldn't turn my head without a sharp pain shooting all the way down my neck into my shoulder. I called Kyle [who had already left for work at the squadron] because I had no idea what was wrong & I was afraid to lift sweet Brett out of his crib. :) Turns out ... all the intensity from concentration while painting this made me tense up in my shoulders. A mass had formed. Ouch. I got some muscle relaxers & a shot of something in my neck & I was good to go. Lesson learned: a few shoulder rolls while in deep concentration can go a long way. ;)

For the prints, I played around with some different shots, but in the end I had to angle it ever so slightly to fit it all into the same square. So, as I explain in the listing, the canvas pock marks [which I love having in the print to show its authenticity & that it is indeed painted] are present on the right hand side of the print's image, but get smaller as you move left [or get 'washed out' as shown in the shot of the top of the flag.

I plan on hanging the sample that I've cut down to 8x10 in Kyle's office. And yes, for those of you that are wondering, I do plan on someday painting the C-130. It is this plane's fraternal twin, flown by the Air Force [versus this one being the P-3 flown by the Navy]. Kyle flew the P-3 for 4 years while in the Navy & now that he's in the Air National Guard, he flies the C-130. There is a slight friendly rivalry between the 2 branches in case you didn't know. Slight. But we all work together. :)

Love. Frustration. Back to Love.

2011-10-03T09:32:00.007-05:00

This is was what I found on Pinterest yesterday. :( See the source in the top right corner?

Sold in my shop last summer ... here's one similar that sold [I think its twin was part of a give-away].

We all know the internet is big. HUGE. But it must not be that big ... if I've had 2 friends in the last 3 weeks find my artwork on Pinterest. Not just my artwork, but artwork with the wrong credit given. Wrong site link. Or no site link & no credit. The positive spin on that is that I really didn't know how "original" my artwork was, or that I had a "look" until people spotted it & right away said "it's Rachel's".

One of my friends saw 2 pieces of my artwork on Pinterest just 4 days apart. Again, one with no credit & one with wrong credit. She was quick to mention me with a @RachelTwenter in the comment section. Then I clicked on the original pinner & left a comment as seen above.

It is frustrating to say the least. The above screen shot is just 1 example. I commented on 4 yesterday with a subtle request to change the link, if possible.

It's also frustrating to see your stuff with the title, "So easy to do! Cute idea! Have to remember to do this." I have seen my artwork copied brush stroke for brush stroke. Each & every letter of a quote canvas [& colors were spot on] was recreated by somebody & shown off on their blog. I know it is not just happening to me. Yesterday I saw one of my friend Lindsay's canvases knocked off with the title [something like] "Look what I made after being inspired by Pinterest!" It was not inspired by "Pinterest". It was inspired by a person who made something that was put on "Pinterest".

It's a thin line ... between being inspired. And copying something that somebody made out of their own creative thought & sells. Liking something. But not giving credit. I have never done this to "make a name for myself". It's just fun for me. And after doing this for about 9 years, I have found my niche. I'm not the only one with the niche of painting quotes on canvas. But ... I worked hard to get into my little teeny pin head dot in the art world. I know it's a needle in a haystack. But if it's something I spent time on. I hand painted. I came up with the design. I scoured books & the internet for quotes. I doubled checked who said it in order to give credit. I painted it. I photographed it.

I did it. Not the person whose Tumblr site got 2,283 "likes & reblogs" on one of my quote canvases where zero credit is given.

I did it.

But then I look at what people are pinning & it's not my message. I didn't say it & I know it. In fact, on the minis that are only 4"x4", I still try & make my initials smaller than the name of the person who said it. They said it. I found the words to be inspiring, so I painted it for all to see. I am happy they like it. And I know Mother Teresa [or whoever else I am quoting] wouldn't want my blood to boil with such a sweet message [that is meant to spread LOVE] being spread like wild fire. That's what people are "repinning" anyway. The message. I just gave the message some visual aesthetics.

So then I get over it. And learn from my mistakes. And try & do what I can to keep my niche in the creative world while not bringing a negative tone to my shop with the comments on Pinterest. I tried to be 'helpful' while not sounding greedy or bossy.

I need to learn from the quote that brought me much frustration yesterday ... "do small things with great love." What I'm doing with my paintings is just one small way to spread ... love. And I need to rise above the stuff that is taking away from that.

Or at least get better at trying to rise above it. Work in progress, here. :)

Hello Dolly ...

2011-09-29T10:18:00.002-05:00

I was given these 2 pieces to "redo" for a little 2 year old girl's Birthday that's coming up. They were being passed down from one generation to another. I was given free reign. They were in pretty good shape & already painted with a good coat of white. All I did was clean them up, give them a fresh coat of white & add this little dainty touch of personalization. I decided on this sweet & simple design.

Remember the set I met for Libby's 3rd Birthday [pictured on the left with more of my Thrift Store loot from that day]? I think for the set I paid $8. Because her room already had a lot of things I have painted, I went another route for hers; just wood glued the sweet little kitty cat to the head of the cradle. [side note: the baby in the high chair Libby used to call "fire baby". She thought those were flames on top of the head. So funny.]

And then a year ago, for my sweet niece's 1st Birthday, I redid a 50+ year old cradle that my sisters & I had played with when we were little. My mom had purchased it from a garage sale long ago. The sweet vintage fabric was ripped beyond repair, so for Anna's "redo" I bought some quilted fabric in a soft sage green & a little bit of lace trim. I just used the old fabric insert & followed the lines to make a new cradle liner. I kept the vintage peachy pink color because I liked it & also so that it still had a familiar look to it from when we played with it.

I adore these little pint size makeovers. This kind of stuff is so fun for me. It's one of the reasons I go to thrift stores ... a little paint can go a long way. I think it really says something that these pieces have been around awhile. After years & years of PLAY TIME? And with a little TLC they are as good as NEW.

Thank You ...

2011-09-27T09:19:00.001-05:00

Lindsay Hopkins! :) You are the name I drew from Libby's snack bowl [from yesterday]. On the upcycled Libby scratch paper! Woo hoo! Pick out your mini. I have a few more I can show you if you want to wait ... I can e-mail you a few pics from some I haven't listed yet. :)

And for the rest of you ... not only THANK YOU, but I also have made a change. I have increased the coupon code. The other one still works [until Friday 9/30] ... but if I were you, I'd use this one: 4YEARSALE20. For the obvious reasons. Unless you're bad at math. Then it may not be obvious & that's okay. We don't judge here. :) If you have any problems using these codes between now & Friday, let me know. I've never done a coupon code before. New territory here.

Thank you for coming to my 4 year Etsy Party! And for being my #1 fans [all 15 of you tie for 1st].

[Lindsay - just saw your own discount going on. Ha! Great minds, I tell ya. Go check out her deal, too.]

You're Invited ...

2011-09-22T13:05:00.003-05:00

My Etsy Shop! [And Libby still, of course.]

Back in 2007, I had little ones.

My oldest had just started Kindergarten. My youngest I still toted around in an infant carrier. My middle had just gotten potty trained officially. We had just moved from Corpus Christi, TX to Kansas City, MO. My husband had just started a new job. I already had my own site ... but was introduced to Etsy. Etsy had traffic - unlike my own site. Etsy made it easy to have an online "shop" - unlike my own site. I gave it a try, opening up my own shop 4 years ago today. It was NOT a smashing success at first ... but it was a leap of faith. It was making myself more "public" ... since, let's admit it, my own site only was visited by my family & friends. It was as off the beaten path as you could get.

And this ... is what 4 years later looks like. Big kids. Everyone is potty trained [most of the time]. No infant seats - just booster seats. Libby is in Pre-Kindergarten! In 4 years I've gone from people asking me "Where do you find the time?"to ... [now that I have 3 kids in school 5 days a week] "What do you do with all your time?" My oh my things have changed.

4 years has also given me time to grown into my own skin. I have fine tuned what I want to do. I've had some trial & errors. Have had some amazing opportunities including two custom 3 foot x 3 foot quote canvases. I've sold note cards & have added prints. I've had 188 sales to date. My shop has raised $1,781 that I didn't keep. $1,011 went to the Foundation for Inclusive Religious Education [F.I.R.E.] & this past April $770 was given to the Resource Center at our children's school, funding a Language Program. I've learned how to share our Autism journey with others because I learned that ignorance is not bliss. I realized that painting messages that create a moment of hope, strength or compassion for somebody are what I can do to make the world a kinder more loving place for my kids to grow up in ... especially the one for whom the world isn't always easy. But to be honest, seeing that the world isn't easy for him probably hurts the rest of us more than it does him. He's not always aware, but we are & it can be heart breaking. Our family having Autism has given me a purpose & a direction. It has sort of become my mission - to replace 1 hurtful moment with a happier one. Even when it's not Autism Awareness Month.

Life is about constant change - with the hope of improvement. That pretty much sums up the past 4 years. :)

So, now that my obligatory 4 year wrap up is done ... it's time to get on with the party. :)

First of all, no one has touched the cake. Please help yourself to a piece of the Strawberry Layer Cake. I made it from scratch. Even the cream [so no, it is not fat free]. :)

And what would a party be without a GAME? A no fun one, that's what! So the game is ... go to my shop. If you were to win either a 4x4, 5x5 or a 5x7 canvas ... which one would you choose? Then leave a comment below & let me know. If I draw your name ... you'll win it [unless it's sold in which case you can pick another?]. This game is only for the 4x4, 5x5 & 5x7 canvases ... One entry per person. Contest ends Monday 9/26 at midnight.

And since there will only be 1 winner ... I have a treat for everyone else. A coupon code to be used in my Etsy shop - to get 15% off any item/s in the store! Coupon code [4YEARSALE] is good now, but expires after Friday, 9/30 ... that way if you don't win the give-away & you had your heart set on something, you have a few days that you can still get it with your party discount. :)

THANK YOU for being my biggest fans! :) PARTY ON!

Walk with me ...

2011-09-16T15:03:00.003-05:00

I've started walking. With the occasional 100 yards of a jog thrown in there for good measure. Trying to be healthy & lose some lb's. I hate working out. But I love being outside in good weather. And looking at beautiful things. I walk with my iPhone so I can be reached, for a time check & Pandora. But this time I decided to snap some of my favorite things. Also known as "a walking tour of my ADD thoughts."

We've had gorgeous weather here. Don't be fooled by my 'weather location'. I live in Missouri, not in Kansas, but on my walk I make a big circle that crosses the state line, then loops back again.

Good walking music. Keeps good pace. I tried to take a pic of the "Coldplay / Viva la Vida" song. But I missed it. That's an even better walking song. It calls for some long, fast strides. But if I have to give a "thumbs down" to J.Lo's "On the Floor" one more time ... seriously. Any song that has "back it up like a Tonka truck" in it is annoying. Thankfully, I think that's the only song with those lyrics, but one is too many.

Fall is certainly arriving in Kansas City. I heart the RED on the leaves.

One of my favorite houses. So symmetrical. Love the diamond windows & the brick. Simple.

Hard to see ... but there are 2 tree swings hanging down just to the right of the trunk. Love tree swings.

Love this house. My favorite on the walk. The back yard is on a golf course.

Kansas City is the city of fountains. We have the 2nd most fountains in the world. 2nd to Rome.

Even harder to see than the last one, but this gorgeous tree has 2 tree swings hanging on the left. 1 regular swing & 1 baby swing. Even if you can't see the swings ... how gorgeous are all the flowers at the base of that beautiful tree?

I love being treated to a yard sale while on a walk. This one was "ehh". Definitely more like what one of our Goodwill piles looks like, than an all out sale. :) Unless you want to add to your seasonal & holiday windsock collection. In which case - stop by. They had about 20 different kinds.

Love the huge gas lanterns on the stone pillars.

Stepping over this, I always think of the root saying "I was here first!" while elbowing its way out. He is winning ... as he should. :)

I've seen a bunch of these flowers ... so pretty. The way the pink dries out & turns to orange & brown, such a pretty autumn look.

Whenever I see this sign, I always think it would make such a funny announcement if you were expecting. But I can assure you, it won't be us. :)

Then I walk past this park. And get a little sad. I now have 3 kids in school 5 days a week. This is how we used to spend our days. Park hopping. I see mommies & toddlers on their play dates & get a little emotional that those days are behind us. I wonder if those moms know to enjoy it while they can. Those days go by too fast. But then I think of the people who walk past this same park & see the mommies & get sad for a different reason ... they haven't had a chance to be that yet. And I say a little prayer for the people I know who are going through that.

Where Libby went to "Parents Day Out". :) The church bells sound at 12 noon. Gotta love that.

Another fountain.

Where I live, almost every neighborhood or block has these little statuaries. Love them.

More statuaries.

A little detail on an urn at another block's entrance.

Good ol' KC, MO. :) See the logo? City of fountains. :)

After lusting over bits & pieces of other houses & landscaping, I come home. Nothing special, but pretty roses that are still kicking after I transplanted them 3 times. :)

American Flag that flies 365 days of the year.

Definitely room for improvement, but plenty to love. We are here to stay.

Happy weekend. :)

Carrot Cupcakes ...

2011-09-15T09:34:00.006-05:00

It's baking season again. Today it was 49 on our way to school & it's supposed to be HIGH of 61 or so. I am COLD & I am NOT going to complain about it. I am also making these for the 3rd time in 3 weeks. They are SO GOOD. Especially when served fresh out of the oven, with cream cheese frosting swirled on one that's so warm, the frosting slightly melts [a la cinnamon rolls].

I cut this recipe out of Martha Stewart Kids several years ago ... and I have just doubled it so that it makes 18 regular size muffins. I've also added freshly ground flax seed to the batter. Because you might as well throw it in if ya got it.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups shredded carrots

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup ground flax seed, optional

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl combine shredded carrots, applesauce & lemon juice.

2. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt & cinnamon. Add oil & eggs; stir until smooth. This is when I add in the flax seed. Add carrot mixture; stir to combine. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan; bake until tester comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.

3. Cool muffins in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. When completely cool, decorate with cream cheese frosting. [Although, like I told you ... I like them warm.]

Now. I just used store bought. The Martha recipe also included one for cream cheese frosting, which I have made before, but if I recall my kids didn't care for it much. Way too "cream cheesy" - which not one of them likes. But that's okay. We can't make all things all the time. I'm just happy to hear the kids cheer when I say they can have carrots & flax seed as an after school snack. :) HA. As if I say that.

New Goods & Giveaway ...

2011-09-09T14:54:00.003-05:00

While working on another painting, something caught my eye. It was something that's been on my bulletin board for close to a year. A doily & a 'Life is Good' sticker. Just two separate things I liked & combined. As seen below... [from Oct. 2010]

Seriously. Who doesn't love doilies? They make me happy. And they do make everything sweeter. Whether it's a quote. Or a cupcake.

Had a few trial & errors, but overall loved the look combining paint, doily & a sweet quote. And I had fun with the color combos. My favorite being the yellow, pink & red. Do you have a favorite? Happy Friday! Oh & don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY. Ends tonight at midnight!!!!!! [*now closed*] So far it's a small pot ... your chances are pretty good! ;)

Celebrating Oma ...

2011-09-06T11:42:00.003-05:00

It's a gorgeous 63 degrees here, our windows are open, I'm in a great mood & I'm excited for my mama's new journey as an Etsy seller [<-- link] Let's celebrate. What better way, than to give away one of my prints of the vintage books? You're right, there is no better way.

For a chance to win this 8.5 x 11 print [for sale here, frame not included], simply "heart" [aka mark as an Etsy "favorite"] her shop, Oma's Trunk [<-- link] and / or some of her "ephemera". :) Oma needs some fans that aren't her daughters. Not that she won't get there on her own ... I know she will. But a little extra grand opening publicity never hurts.

Please leave a comment letting me know 1) what your favorite item in the shop is; 2) that you love Oma in the form of an Etsy heart. Don't have an Etsy account? I will also accept just a heartfelt sentiment from those who haven't joined Etsy yet. :) Make sure I have a way to get in touch with you [either because I know you personally, can find your e-mail address in your Blog profile, or simply leave your e-mail address in your comment]. Give-away ends at 12:00 midnight on Friday 9/9. Winner will be e-mailed shortly after! [*now closed*] Goooo Oma!

P.S. If you have already purchased one of the prints of the vintage books & you are picked as the winner - you may pick out any of the other prints in my shop, if you choose to do so!

The Trunk is Open!

2011-09-06T10:11:00.003-05:00

Shop found here.

I think these old book jackets would look awesome framed ... [HERE]

These would be fun to frame as well ... [HERE]

Cute as a vintage button! Love the tomato red color ... [HERE]

I snagged some of the duplicates of these wine labels to frame. I love the artwork & colors ... [HERE]

And look out. The "Rosie the Riveter" sheet music [top left] is worth $75 - 80. Set of 3 WWII sheet music, Oma's selling for $75 ... [HERE]

You can only IMAGINE how much fun my mom & I had this past weekend setting up her 1st Etsy shop. :) Playing around with her shop title gave us creative expressions that we used all weekend. Even Oma's 7 year old grandson, Davis, caught on & started using them. :) 'Junk in the Trunk' doesn't even scratch the surface. I don't want to give anything away ... she might use some of them as titles for her items or branding.

All joking aside ... my mom has opened a vintage shop on Etsy, called "Oma's Trunk". My mom has not only taught German, but has lived in Germany for a year in college teaching English. She figured using the name "Oma" instead of "Grandma" helped separate her from the rest & gave a hint at some of her things she will be selling - some of which are German or European.

We went shopping for some supplies that she'd need for packaging & sorting, brainstormed some branding ideas, did research on the worth of some of her items & practiced photographing - including the trunk as seen in her banner & profile photo. That trunk was actually her grandfather's [my great grandfather's]. We were again laughing - that perhaps this trunk has never gotten so much attention. I'm sure it felt like a celebrity as we took probably close to 50 photos of it, different angles, etc. He worked it.

Another opportunity to laugh was when my mom said "I've given you girls [me & my sisters] enough time to take what you want ... now you'll have to pay for it." :) ha ha And by "it" she means her "ephemera" - which she explained to me was just a fancy word for "crap". :) She knows these things aren't crap, however, which is why she wants them to go to a good home.

Some of the items are from her own Garage Sale hunts 30-something years ago, back when she'd take 3 little girls. Who I'm sure complained. Or were so embarrassed [as we got older], we wouldn't want to be seen, so we wouldn't get out of the van. :) Back then, if a purchase wasn't for her own personal use, knowing the worth, she saved it with the thought that some day when she was retired from teaching she'd open up an antique store or booth. Well, back then they didn't have Etsy. :) I think Etsy will be a good fit for her. And my dad now has something to keep him busy during his retirement, as well ... making sure to nail down [or hide] the things he doesn't want sold. ;) ha ha We're just JOKING, dad. Kind of. Are you using that coaster? Going, going, going ...

Anyway, be sure to visit my Mama / Oma's shop. And 'heart' her! Take it from me ... these 14 listings in her shop are only the first 14 of about 50,000 items she is slowly parting with. Oma's party is just getting started. :)

P.S. Don't miss the give-away going on now 'til midnight on 9/9!

Anything Goes ...

2011-09-01T13:25:00.000-05:00

My little Libby is an "anything goes" kind of girl, as displayed in the 'knee sock montage' above. So we revamped some things in her room in order to reflect her style & make her space something that would be easier to grow up with.

1.) The framed artwork of the little girls in the ballet studio was actually a Birthday card to me from my mom & dad, from when I was probably 4 [same age as Libby]. I trimmed off the part that said "Happy Birthday, Girl" & let Libby help pick out the paper for it to be mounted on. I think Libby was RIGHT ON with this paper. It wasn't my 1st choice, but I immediately fell in love with her pairing. You might notice who is front & center? A little red head. Libby loved that. :) The artist is Joan Walsh Anglund & had [& still have] a pretty extensive collection of her stuff. We also have this illustration in a puzzle. I adore it.

2.) The little pennant banner that hangs under it I had hand-painted & sewn a couple of years ago. I used it in my booth at a craft show & always wanted it in Libby's room, but it didn't 'go' before.

3.) On the other wall hangs the rose I painted 3 summers ago. The background was a green & I just was never really happy with it. It always seemed like it was missing something. I knew in order for it to go in her room, the background would need to be this color in order to round out the color scheme. The cool bluish purple background was just what the warm red & orange flower needed.

4.) I got the 2 red 8.5x11 frames at Ikea over the weekend & let Libby pick out which drawings she wanted to put in them. She did these 2 drawings last week at school. They are her friends in her new class this year. :) She didn't tell me until they were up on the wall, that she actually ran out of time & didn't get to draw somebody. So I promised her I would get it down & so she could add Jane. :) Her drawings are so darn cute. Their outfits, their hair. And she knows who everybody is & even said to me "isn't Helen so cute?" [FYI Helen is in the red shirt, purple pants, red bow, red socks, black shoes]

5.) The frame that sits empty is waiting on something cute she made the 1st day of school. It is her name painted with watercolors. Her teacher still has them hanging up in the classroom - but when it comes home, that's where it will go. :) It's just a plain frame that I wrapped some string around.

Total cost of the redo: $7, for the 3 new frames. Everything else we already had. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Homework HQ

2011-08-22T10:40:00.001-05:00

We are BACK-TO-SCHOOL after what was one of the best summers on record. It's hard to get back into the busyness of the school year, but we are trying to stay ahead of the curve for as long as we possibly can. WHICH. Is why we have been doing some back-to-school related projects.

I have had this 'Secretary' since I was little. It has had a few makeovers, as seen here. I am still using the part inside of the desk door for my packaging supplies [notecards, stickers, bakers twine, etc.], but the bottom 2 shelves continued to be a nightmare. They were filled with coloring books, kids magazines, then a basket or 2 crammed with the kids school work, forms, newsletters, artwork, mail, even things I had found in magazines such as recipes, cool ideas, etc. It was a free for all. I won't mention any names, but 'someone' enjoyed putting things in the baskets. And since the baskets were never 'defined' with a true purpose, the other 'someone' never knew to look in there. A couple field trip permission slips got lost in there. And the day of, mom or dad had to go up to the school to sign a new form before they were allowed to go. Not a good system.

So before school started, Kyle & I discussed things we wanted to fix & this area of our dining room was one of them. The dining room is not only where we eat, but also where the kids do their homework. To do it right, we decided NOT to use the baskets we already had. We took measurements of the height, width & depth so that when I went shopping, I would know if they would work or not.

I found these baskets at Target [had to call around to find the 4th at another location!]. Originally, we wanted a more shallow basket where the papers could be placed flat. But based on the dimensions I had, I knew these would look more streamlined since they would fill the space. I'm not crazy about the pattern & color on the fabric, but I know I can always make new ones or even dye the fabric.

I debated whether to do numbers or letters [B, D, L & T for Twenter as the family's basket], but decided numbers would look more organized, less busy. I wanted to do stencils, but didn't have any, so printed out some numbers for tracing, instead. Then I was going to fill in with some paint. Until ...

... I discovered how easy it was to use the colored pencils on the baskets. Because ...

... the baskets were made of paper. [duh.] I had fun creating the perfect 'color', which actually turned out to be a blend ... of lime green, brown, orange & yellow. So easy & fast. And so much easier to control, than paint. [LOVE.]

Each child gets their own basket & the #4 is the one we use for the family.

I have a feeling that soon the whole piece will be turned over for Homework HQ. Inside the door would be a great place for notebook paper, pencils, rulers, a dictionary, etc. But until I'm convinced the kids will not lean on the door when it is open ... I have some safety concerns. So cREaTe's 'Packaging HQ' can continue to lease out the top half for now. :)

Check in ...

2011-07-28T11:08:00.000-05:00

If this was Facebook, this post would be a big STAMP graphic with a "Rachel Twenter has checked in at ... www.createbyret.blogspot.com" message attached to it.

I think sometimes a blog can feel like a monkey on your back ... if you don't check in for, like, a few weeks. :) My friend, Dana, excused herself before she took a break. I didn't. :) ha ha! So therefore, everyday [not really, but at least a couple times a week] I tell myself "put up a BLOG POST already". So this is my "blog post already". And me, after-the-fact, excusing myself while I finish off some of the summer fun. I'll be back soon. Pinky swear! And I'm even *gasp* painting.

Operation: Order

2011-07-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

So far, this summer has been about less about getting cREaTe orders & more about getting order in the house. :) It's nice when you get on those kinds of kicks - & they're fun; not a chore. It gets to be a little addicting. Especially when you pair it with successful trips to the thrift store. Or in the case of these photos above, successful trips to Hobby Lobby where I found an aisle of framed artwork 80% off. With a little careful dismantling, I had a quality frame for the price I would have never gotten it for had it not come with artwork in it. As you can tell in the first photo, a piece of the framed artwork was already loose.

The first frame is about 2.5 feet x 1.5 feet. The poster was an odd size & luckily, so was the frame. The second frame is about 22 inches x 18 inches. Big enough for an 8x10 photo + the mat. Both frames are nearly 2-3 inches thick = HEAVY. You should have seen me carrying these 2 cumbersome frames and a 3 feet x 5 feet sheet of red mat board. All while herding my 3 kids out of the store as severe weather rolled in while we were checking out. Do not underestimate the powers of a stay-at-home mom in the summer time.

More projects & thrift store finds SOON! :)

Reorganized, Redecorated, Rearranged, Retro ...

2011-06-23T06:31:00.012-05:00

This was my surprise for Father's Day. A new lamp. A new-to-him vintage 'Airguide' thermometer / barometer [identical to this] that I had gotten at an estate sale for $8. New artwork framed. Reorganized book shelves & closet. New furniture arrangement. And last but not least, I finished reupholstering the 2nd chair. He left on a trip early on Wednesday & got back at noon on Father's Day. I spent a good part of that time working on the room & all the projects it involved.

Ever since moving into this house, this room has been an office. About a year ago, however, it was stuffed floor to ceiling with items from the basement while we had it remodeled. Kyle has always dreamed of having a nice home office & as the basement remodel was wrapping up, he was on the hunt for a nice, BIG desk. He found a really nice one on Craigslist - an actual "bankers" desk. The person we bought it from, inherited it from his grandfather who owned a bank. It is beautiful & came with a glass top. Kyle got his office all "set up" just days before he deployed to Afghanistan. He didn't have time to get the entire room in order ... and after getting back, those finishing touches were just never made on the room. I kept making mental notes to attempt to tackle this as his Father's Day gift. It worked out perfectly. :) I was still racing around putting finishing touches on the room when he called to tell me he had landed & was on his way home. We made a sign that said "Surprise!", put his cards on his desk & shut the door.

There are still things that need to go up on the wall, but I don't "do" wall anchors. So the organizing system will have to wait ... but I did put new photos in [the pic of the white frame with white matting]. All the photos are from our 3 military homecomings we have had - August '02, February '04 & January '11. Those are the happiest photos that you will ever see & I love that they are all in one place. I swapped out one military poster for another in some of the custom frames we had done for some military posters years ago. The colors weren't working with the old posters ... but the one for the Royal Air Force [a souvenir from when Kyle did an air show in England] looked perfect with the "join Navy" poster [that we have had framed for years], so I chose the 2 of them. I LOVE the way they look together.

Funny thing about the floating desk ... when Kyle & his friend who was helping moved the desk into the room [8 months ago], they had it floating in the middle of the room. I laughed. And might have joked "Who do you think you are?!" :) It looked random. And really funny. I won that battle & minutes later the desk was facing the window. But the other day when I was rearranging furniture & looking at Pottery Barn design ideas for inspiration, I saw several 'floating' desks. And a light bulb went off ... that ... it ... just ... might ... look good ... after all. :) [Sorry I laughed, Kyle]

Spend the afternoon ...

2011-06-14T11:19:00.000-05:00

Spend the afternoon.

You can't take it with you.

-Annie Dillard

That is what we did yesterday. No plans. We just spent the afternoon. The boys' swim team practice was cancelled due to inclement weather that didn't amount to anything. Instead, they had a friend over for a couple of hours and after we took him home, we swung by the park. The boys were in their swimsuits, Libby was not. The spray park was open - no one was there. Who can pass up that? No towels, no sunscreen, no swim suit even for Libby - but it was fun. I knew they would dry off on our walk. We saw hawks - up close. We met the most darling dog ever - Marcos. He kept dropping his ball in the pond, but wouldn't go in to get it. Brett went & got a branch to drag the ball in close enough to where they could grab it. Brett was pretty proud of himself [told the dog's owner she could call him "Superhero Brett"] & Marcos was one happy pup. :) Saw ducks. And turtles. Climbed trees. Walked on logs. That was it. Taking advantage of the fact that I a) had my camera on me, b) had such beautiful, natural surroundings, & c) such genuinely happy kids ... I snapped a bunch of pics. The results were better than anything we could have tried for with nice, coordinating outfits or brushed & completely dry hair [Libby's was still drying]. Incredible Hulk crocs & all ... I love this pic.

But ... maybe I'll just turn it into a black & white before I blow it up to an 8x10? :)

Best night ever ...

2011-06-09T12:30:00.001-05:00

Brett leading off of 2nd.

Brett crossing home plate.

Brett with the game ball!

Davis & Brett after the game. :)

Two nights ago, Brett had a good game. Like a really good. Not just a good game for being a boy who is developmentally behind from his peers. I'm talking a good game even for a 'typical' 9 1/2 year old. And that? Makes a mama of an 'atypical autistic' child: jump to her feet, hootin' & hollerin', taking pics of him on every base just to record every second of the event. I was so proud. And so happy for him. He has worked nearly every day of his life just to be like his peers. It's not a conscious thing, he just does it on his own. Sure we work with him a little extra on things & provide him with tutors & therapists. But I think most of it is his own drive that gets him places.

The other night, that boy got a great hit that got him on base. He stole 2nd & 3rd, then on the next hit by his teammate, Brett scored a RUN. Everyone in the bleachers & dugout was genuinely HAPPY. For him. He had the biggest grin on his face & was making sure EVERYONE KNEW. And just when we thought it was as good as it gets? He repeats the aforementioned sequence. Two singles, two runs, in back to back innings - his 2 times he was at bat that game.

His coach awarded him the "game ball" where we wrote the details of the game - his name, date, who they played, the score, etc. That night he slept with it next to him. :)

I am so happy for these moments. And he deserves them. He works so hard. These are the moments that take you back to the days of a doom & gloom diagnosis when you really didn't know what Brett would be capable of when he was 9 1/2. I know not every game will be like this. I don't know if he knows every game will not be like this, which will lead to frustrations, I'm sure. But for now we just soak it in as his BEST NIGHT EVER to date. :) So proud.

His & Hers ...

2011-06-03T11:28:00.003-05:00

In August, we'll have been in this house four years. It's taken that long to get some rooms, walls & furniture fully figured out. I am happy to say lots of progress has been made just in the last few weeks. Mine & Kyle's room has been low on the totem pole, but since the door is across from the main bathroom I finally decided it was time for its makeover. I painted our bedroom a year ago, but hadn't decided on what to put up on the walls.

When we did the construction in the basement, the painting I had done of the peony made its way upstairs [like everything else] & landed in our bedroom. I decided I liked it in there, I just needed to change the background color. Then, I got us an "R" & "K", but wasn't sure what to do with them [paint? cover with paper?] or how to hang them. Everything just sat on my dresser or end table for MONTHS. I was so proud of myself last week when I finally bit the bullet & got at least my side up on the wall. Not knowing what "Kyle's artwork" was going to be above his "K", I left his side alone. But my side was complete. I even thought I spaced it all knowing that eventually I wanted to get bigger / taller lamps. I've wanted new lamps FOREVER.

Wouldn't you know that 2 days later I finally found lamps that I liked. And. Well. The painting & "R" was not exactly where I would have put them had I gotten the lamps 1st. The shade kind of covers up part of the letter. But. Whatever. I'm still just happy I finally got them up on the wall. I'm not sure what we'll wind up putting in the lamps, if anything [they are jars]. I'm [obviously] not in that big of a rush. I might have it figured out in another few years. ;)

Next on the agenda was figuring out what "Kyle's artwork" would be. He is not artsy. Where he lacks, I more than make up for it. :) So it was kind of challenge coming up with something that was "him". I got to scratch off yet another "to-do", however, by coming up with a way to use one of his old flight maps. I had always wanted to do something with the flight maps from the places that had significance to us. I got out the one of the midwest & traced a big heart encompassing Kansas City [where he's from & where we live now], St. Louis [where I'm from], Columbia [where we went to college & met], & St. Joseph [where he is in the MO Air National Guard]. I cut out the heart, then traced it on to a painted 12x16 canvas. I painted the outline of the heart a little larger so that it would 'frame' the map. Then I took antiquing glaze & did a brush / blotting with paper towel thing to give the background a little more interest. Finally, I got out the mod podge to glue & seal the map onto the canvas.

Honestly. It is hard to knock Kyle's socks off, artistically speaking. But I surprised him by hanging it all up on his side [with his K] while he was on a trip. He had seen the big robin egg blue heart on the canvas & had his [serious!] doubts about what it was I was doing. For HIS SIDE. That involved a heart. :) HA! But despite his skepticism ... he truly hearts the heart. He even used the word "awesome". [I think it's what made him okay with the cost of the new lamps.] :)

P.S. Thanks Lindsay for showing me how to hang the letters! :) Brilliant. And TOO FUNNY. Look at my comment under your blog post. Apparently, I have you to thank for the nudge to complete our makeover, too!

Summer ...

2011-06-02T11:46:00.001-05:00

Kids on last day of school ...

Someone was uncooperative, so I took one of just the cooperative boys. I love this one.

Shortly after, I found the reason for the uncooperativeness. I think all the end of the year festivities caught up with her. :)

Yesterday was the kids' last day of school. So today? The kids are wild & crazy. They were awake & playing chase in the house at 6:40 AM. Acting like hooligans. Ehhh ... not okay. I tried to sleep in. They trrrrrrrrrr-ashed the house. The contents from their end of the year school portfolios [& of course plenty of their toys] carpeted our living room. Ehhh ... not okay. There's also been enough potty talk to last us the rest of the summer. I have lost control & it's only a few hours in to our 1st day of summer. After establishing some ground rules & cleaning up the house ... we are now headed to the pool with some friends.

Cheers to SUMMER! :)

Worth the mess ...

2011-05-31T06:50:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, Brett had to do a school project: a 3D National Symbol. He chose the Bald Eagle. After several internet searches for "eagle crafts for kids" & coming up a little short on something that was appropriate for a 3rd grader's class project, I did some research on Papier Mâché.

I found this impressive site which led me to this easier [& quicker] recipe for the paste. Worked like a charm. With some newspaper from the recycle bin, masking tape, glue & water we made an eagle. Then we let it dry over night before Brett got to paint it. We had so much fun. And Davis & Libby were so jealous they didn't get to help beyond helping shred newspaper. So I told them maybe this summer we can do it again - all of us picking out our own thing to make. These little bluebirds are mighty cute. :) Seriously. So cute. And so fun. Messy, but worth it.

I can't remember if I've already blogged about my favorite local book store or not ... if I have, I'll link up. If I haven't, I'll do a post on it. Papier Mâché might just become my new favorite hobby. :)

Heartbreaking ...

2011-05-25T07:00:00.004-05:00

[Photos from here]

I'm so sad for my state right now. 123 killed so far in Joplin, Missouri. 1,500 still unaccounted for. Hospital nearly in ruins. A Walmart & a Home Depot in ruins. Think of all the people that were there, just before 6:00 PM on a Sunday evening. Tornados are ugly, ugly, ugly. When we were in St. Louis over Easter weekend, there was one. The airport suffered some damage & was closed for a day. The day it opened, the kids & I flew out of there back to KC. The drive to the airport there was surreal. Neighborhoods just leveled. Tree trunks without branches & leaves. Creepy. But the damage & deaths in Joplin is even more widespread.

The kids are almost out of school for the summer ... and so today I did a lot of projects around the house. I hung some things up in our bedroom that have been waiting patiently for months. I went out & planted a couple more strawberry plants. I popped in a thrift store on my way to get some groceries & got the cutest mustard colored pot for the aloe plant in my kitchen. I also finished putting away my bargains I got at Target on Sunday.

Several times today, I had the thought "this wouldn't have mattered". This thought was reminiscent of when Kyle & I lived on North Padre Island & there were threats of a hurricane. After you board up & evacuate your house, you think of all those little things you've done - inside & out of your home. And they suddenly do not matter. Back in 2005, I remember thinking "all those knobs I changed out on all the cabinets, all those updates here & there, the landscaping I worked hard on - they will not matter." Luckily, we were spared from a hurricane when we lived there - but I still remember some of those thoughts I had at the time. So today, with the devastation in Joplin [just 150 miles away], I find myself again telling me some of this "stuff" just doesn't matter. All those red sticker bargains at Target. My cute new thrift store pot. My garden I've invested a lot of time & money into the past couple of weeks. The new wall decs finally hanging in our bedroom. Someone was probably doing all this on Sunday in Joplin. And now, just as long as their friends & family are accounted for ... that is the only thing that matters.

Yesterday I had a friend taking stuff to a collection center, so I quickly raced through our drawers, bedroom closets & bathroom closets to augment the "donation" bag that was already out in the garage waiting to be hauled off somewhere. Then today I got an e-mail that our school & parish is making a delivery down there to Joplin & were in need of some specific items [bottled water, baby blankets, socks & underwear]. After I dropped off Brett at baseball practice, I took the other 2 with me to the store where we picked out a package of socks for every age group & gender combo there is: babies, girls, boys, women & men. I tried to visualize the type of person that would be getting them ... What happened to them? Their house? Do they only have the 1 pair of socks that they had on? Did they need socks? Do they like the ones I got? Am I buying the ones I would want, if it were me? Are they thinking I'm a cheapskate? Where are they picking these up from? Will they be getting 20 pairs of socks or just 1? Please tell me companies just donate thousands of their socks in cases like this? Do girls this age wear these kind of fold-over socks? It's summer ... do they even need socks? Maybe I should be getting underwear? All over SOCKS. I think I just wanted my purchase to be perfect - I wanted these darn socks to make everything better for them. And I know they won't.

Please say a prayer for healing, recovery, for the losses, to find the missing & for those who have nothing, but can not even begin to start anew.

Keeping Busy ...

2011-05-20T10:16:00.000-05:00

[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Okay, first of all. How darling are these chalkboards? I adore the colors, her sayings & her lettering! They are by Mary Kate McDevitt and are found here in her Etsy Shop. I wish i had enough wall space for 1 or all 5. I am a serious list-maker. If I bring my "A" game to each day ... each day gets a new list.

The notepads I'm using are as far from cute as you can GET. They are from when my Father-in-Law cleaned out his old basement office. He had personalized notepads from when he worked for this company - oh like 30 years ago. I just looked them up to see if they were still in business. They are - same logo that's on my notepads. :) I think we got over 100 notepads passed onto us. As ugly & old as they are, I was excited. "YAY! 'Cause I'm a LIST PERSON!" This was almost 2 years ago. We still have [a TON of] them. We have so many, they have become a joke in this house. In fact, when Kyle went to Afghanistan, I tucked one away in his luggage - with a note on the top sheet, of course. :) I told him I hoped it made his place feel more like home having one of those notepads.

Yesterday I had 2 lists going ... "In School", "After school". That was things I was supposed to get done while the kids were in school & the things they/I/we were going to do when they got out. I need the lists to help keep me focused. I need to get better at using the mere 24 hours a day we are all given more wisely. I would love it if, as in the Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol, I had a little ghost come & walk me through my day pointing out ways I'm wasting time, energy & my breath. My list seems so manageable when I'm making it [okay, reupholstering the chair was a bit lofty]. Then at the end of the day, the only 3 things I got done are what should have only taken me a combined hour. And I can't even tell you what 2 of the 3 were yesterday because they are so insignificant they should have never even been written down. They were definitely the freebies of the list. ;)

Long story short, these days are busy. There will always be 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week. News flash: THIS WILL CHANGE, like NEVER. I know that should be a given. But based on how I spend my days? I still don't think I buy into it. And now I have 14 hours left today ... to use up on my yesterday's to-do's. Luckily, I am excused from 2 of them because it is raining. :)

Happy Friday! 14 hours left to enjoy this fabulous day. Spend them wisely. :)

Smiles ...

2011-05-16T07:03:00.002-05:00

My friend Dana from plum.tree.studio was raising money last month for Operation Smile. :) She was wanting to [and DID!] raise enough to pay for an operation which fixes cleft palate, cleft lip or other facial deformities on a child. Her reason for choosing this charity was so sweet: her sole purpose of plum.tree.studio has always been to make children smile. :) Love it.

So, I let Libby pick out a shirt ... and as you can see, she was not only thrilled to get the little owl in the mail, she wasted no time putting it on. :) Dana, we love it & loved helping you reach your goal! To that we give a big "woo HOO - HOO!" :)

Fundraiser wrap up ...

2011-05-09T08:09:00.003-05:00

Real quick because I'm supposed to be packing. But, just wanted to send out a final tally for my Autism Awareness Fundraiser for my son's Resource Center at school. My goal was to raise $500 in order to purchase a Language program & together we actually raised $700! :) AMAZING. Thank you! So so much!

I am off to spend a few days with some old faces. One of my Mother's Day gifts was a shiny new red suitcase with a flight reservation in it. Had to suddenly break some plans with some peeps here & have to suddenly make some plans with some peeps there. Say a prayer for me ... I'm not used to operating solo. It's already feeling weird! :)

Under the Umbrella ...

2011-04-29T13:23:00.001-05:00

Brett is funny. In so many ways. He's funny in ways that just leave you with a huge question mark in your thought bubble because you have no idea where he's coming from with an idea. It keeps things interesting. :) For instance, he Lah-Ha-Hoves umbrellas. Always has [as seen here in the bottom of a post from 2 years ago]. We? Don't get it. But that's okay. Who are we to question what's awesome & what's not?

A little over a month ago he drew the [above] umbrella. Before we knew it, he had cut it out and taped it to our door. After I got over the fact that he had gotten his hands on both the scissors and tape that I usually try I keep out of reach from little hands ... I told him how pretty it was. Brett was so proud of it, he showed all of us. And you have to know Brett. He doesn't just show you, he makes a production of it. He usually stands back with his hands on his hips with a smile so proud, yet bashful that you feel inclined to play along with the huge WOW factor, that quite possibly is there just for him. Sometimes he even adds a "Well, well, well... WHAT. do we HAVE here...."

His dad couldn't resist. He just came out & said what we have all been thinking. "Brett... why do you like umbrellas so much?" Instead of really telling us what the fascination is all about, Brett went on to tell us how they are useful, for instance that they protect you from the rain. Kyle, seeing a window of opportunity here, cut him off from his spiel & said "Brett. If you want ... I will buy you an umbrella. If you have 10 perfect days at school, I will buy you whatever umbrella you want. You have to have 10 good days. I don't want to see "grumpy" or "sassy" or read that you stomped out of the classroom." Brett's face lit up like the 4th of July & said "You MEAN IT?" A big hug followed. So we made a chart. And day after day, we got reports of "Good; Great; Wow; Awesome; So proud!" I didn't tell his teacher until we were a few days into these good days because I didn't want to sway her in anyway ... I wanted the change to be real & noticeable.

He was so excited, he continued to have good days, every day. Even at recess during a kickball game when he reportedly kicked a pop fly & someone caught the ball, making it the 3rd out for his team. I think he had the umbrella on his mind when he slowly turned to look at his teacher & threw his arms up and ... just ... said .... "Ohhhh man!" [a line we've been feeding him for years for when he gets frustrated]. It was awesome.

10 stars later, we were ready to take Brett umbrella shopping. He had all sorts of ideas for what kind he wanted, but in the end ... it was slim pickin's at the store. But he was so excited to buy, he didn't want to go to another store to see what they had. In the ladies' section, it was leopard, zebra print, floral & this solid lime green one. In the men's section, they were all black. So we got the lime green one & he was happy. He was on cloud 9. All for an umbrella that was $7.99 + tax.

Now, this story wouldn't be complete if I didn't tell you what happened in the 5 minutes while we were taking the above pictures of him with his umbrella. Completely unrelated to the umbrella, but yet it falls under the umbrella of Autism. No true segue here at all. I'm just going to throw you into the situations as quickly as I was thrown into them. It's part of the fun.

Brett loves people. He loves to smile, say hi & hug. I'm usually hoping it just ends there. It normally doesn't. We can sometimes unknowingly find ourselves knee deep into an uncomfortable situation. Within about 5 minutes of each other we found ourselves in about 3. He was on a roll. He pointed at a lady in a red Rascal & thought it was awesome :\ ... He's seen the infomercial & does think they are awesome. A Hispanic family walked by speaking Spanish. He spoke it back to them. And by "it" I mean a made up jargon that was his impression of the Spanish language :\ ... And when 3 Asian girls in their late teens walked by, he JUMPED at the chance to show off his Chinese he has learned from the cartoon Ni Hao, Kai Lan & gave them a friendly "Ni Hao" :\ ... I decided to wrap up our umbrella photo shoot outside the T.J. Maxx ... 3 potential insults was our Maxx.

From there we went to the grocery store where in the parking lot he saw a lady maybe in her 60's. She did have gray here. He yelled & waved "hi". Surprised by Mr. Friendly, she happily said "hi" back. Then he said to me, "Mom, look! He's a grandma!" Double whammy. Wrong pronoun [every time] & then there's the age thing :\ ... so much for making her day. We're going on 4-5 years of this 'insult' in particular. I've probably told him 100 times, just because they have gray hair, it doesn't mean they're a grandma or grandpa. And some aren't comfortable with the term either way. :\

So, as we conclude this year's Autism Awareness Month, I think part of Autism Awareness is making you aware that not all insults are created equal. Some are born from a very sweet, innocent & friendly place. If only I had a chance to explain that to everyone we encountered. Perhaps I need to start carrying around pocket sized leaflets. They would read: "Sorry 'bout that. Rest assured, we will talk about ___________ and this situation just as soon as we walk away. Work in progress here. We'll learn about you, if you learn about us. Go to www.autismNOW.org. :) Thanks & have a wonderful day!" I will have to look into having some of those made. In the mean time, we'll be getting a lot of use out of that umbrella...

Did he say just say that? *unsnapping the closure strap ... hitting button ... vwoomp ... doo-dee-doo ... you don't see us under this big green umbrella ... keep walkin'.*

P.S. Tomorrow is the last day of the month, also the last day of my fundraiser & handmade with purpose! :) Thank you for all your support!

The Imperfect Nest ...

2011-04-20T12:55:00.004-05:00

Print found here.

From now until 4/30, in honor of Autism Awareness Month, all proceeds from this and the rest of my prints will go towards purchasing a Language program for my son's resource center at school.

This is one of my favorite quotes. I have done a few paintings of it before [as seen here] ... but ironically enough, I couldn't get a photograph turned into a print that I was proud of to save my life. The irony, of course - that they weren't "perfect" enough. :) I tried twice to get prints made and came home with new batches of both ... but never put them in my shop because I just wasn't happy with the product. There's perfection & then there's the fact that you are a shop owner creating a product that you want to stand behind whole-heartedly. I didn't want to sell something to somebody that I would not buy myself. But my fundraiser had to have that quote. So third time was the charm. I painted an entirely new nest with new colors, new angle. Literally and figuratively. :)

When I paint, I think [& sometimes listen to Pandora or watch the Barefoot Contessa]. This time, I got to thinking of the previous night's special on Autism. It's an in-depth look into a retired PBS news anchor's new world of Autism. Robert MacNeil's 6 year old grandson has Autism & as the grandfather, he is intrigued & heartbroken. He basically came back to reporting just to tell this story. I think he's doing a fabulous job covering all the bases, one of which was interviewing his 10 year old granddaughter. He asked her questions about what it's like to have a brother with Autism. She got choked up as she talked about how sometimes she longed for the perfect life ... she sees others not have to struggle with Autism in their family & it didn't seem fair.

I was heartbroken for her. I've had similar conversations with my middle 'neuro typical' child, Davis, who often thinks life is unfair & that as his parents we're unfair. And you know what? He's right. It is not easy to be a sibling in an Autistic Family.

I've heard him say that we're "only proud of Brett". Of course that is not true, but in actuality, we probably are more vocal in praising Brett because after correcting him or asking him to do something 473 times, NEWS FLASH: he finally did it! However, now that I am aware that it might seem skewed, I do my best to praise fairly.

I spend over an hour every weekday night with Brett on his homework, but Davis can do his one math sheet of homework all by himself in less than 3 minutes. I don't even have to go over it and check for mistakes. It's almost always all right. I feel bad I'm not more involved with Davis when he's doing his homework, but it's so d.r.a.i.n.i.n.g to do it with Brett I almost have nothing left over. I know I take for granted that Davis is so smart and self-directed.

Recently, we started an incentive program for Brett here at home. If he got all stars for good, cooperative behavior at school for 10 days, he got a prize. We were trying to undo a pattern of bad, uncooperative behavior and thankfully, it worked. Well, Davis wanted one, too. He told me "I know dad says I'm always good at school, but I want a chart, too". I am aware that some children could have used this as an opportunity to act up at school, in order to create a need for a chart themselves. But thankfully, not Davis. So, I asked him if he wanted to start a chore chart. Luckily, he was okay with our modification. He loves chores. Last night he earned two stars for cleaning up his & Brett's room and for helping Libby clean up hers. Such a great kid.

Since Davis was born, he has spent on average an hour & a half per week either in a waiting room or somewhere waiting for Brett's therapy to get out. We started therapy with Brett, when Davis was just about a week old. He is 7 years old now ... so if my math is right, that is approximately 546 hours of Davis's life spent waiting. Just on his brother's therapy.

We don't have as many play dates after school because quite frankly, I'm exhausted just taking care of my own and there just aren't enough hours in the day. Our evenings are so busy between winding down after school, getting a snack, sports practice, speech therapy, making dinner, eating dinner, doing homework and showers, that there is not much more I want to take on. I know this is no different from other parents with school age kids, but ... it just is. I know it is.

We also know Davis gets embarrassed by, frustrated with and angry at his brother. We have sibling rivalry to the umpteenth degree. I have had a few heart to hearts with Davis. About Brett. And we both usually wind up crying. I start it and I think he then feels so bad that he starts in as well. I think so much is said between us just in our tears. I know his life isn't easy. But neither is Brett's. Neither is Libby's. Nor mine. Nor Kyle's. So I'm led to believe that no one's is. We all have our things that make life seem unfair; small imperfections in the nest that has been made up for us. Some are more apparent than others, some are well hidden, but we all have them.

Our children live in a nest that apparently is more noticeably imperfect than others. As the mother bird, I am aware. But I hope and pray that one day, they will look back on it all and realize all those colorful pieces that were woven into our life story, is what made ours beautiful.

[To view the PBS News Hour segment, on Autism, click here.]

The Game [guest post] ...

2011-04-15T12:46:00.000-05:00

Today I did a guest post over at the {handmade with purpose} blog. :)
Read it here.
Happy Friday! :)

Almost 1/2, Almost 4/5 :)

2011-04-14T09:51:00.001-05:00

2 days shy of being 1/2 way through the month of April ...
and I am 1 print purchase shy of being 4/5 of the way to my $500 goal.

I think this is going to happen! :) As of Monday I had almost every order all wrapped up, shipped or hand delivered. Felt good. Very time & space consuming process, but I'm so blessed to be & grateful for being this busy.

In addition to all the purchases from my shop, I have 2 Etsy shops helping me try & purchase the Language Program. Lindsay from Paint Me A Picture is splitting up her proceeds from all of her children's artwork this month. 50% will go to her local Autism Therapy Center in Albany, GA & the other 50% will go towards helping me with my goal of buying a Language Program for Brett's Resource Center. So awesome.. :) I also got a phone call this past weekend, from a 4th grader at our school [his brother is a classmate of Brett's]. He makes and sells rosaries [Etsy shop here], and always gives 10% away to a charity. He called to tell me he wanted to give 10% of his sales to the Resource Center. Such a sweet kid. I bought this soccer ball rosary for Brett's 1st Communion last year & it was perfect. Thanks to both of these Etsy shops for your amazing generosity!!!!

Last but not least, I did have a family purchase 1 print, but pay $100. And when I begged them to pick out a few more prints, they told me the 1 print would be a reminder that "we do things for others, not just for ourselves". What a response.

I tell ya what ... when you give, you do get so much more back. You hear that all the time it gets to be cliché. :) But it's true.

It was an Angry Birdthday ...

2011-04-12T10:13:00.002-05:00

[the Angry Peeps that I made]

[Gift from his grandparents: his favorite, "Bomb Bird"]

[the cookie cake I made for him to take to school]

[the Angry Birds he made with his friends at school, used as decoration]

[playing Angry Birds on my iPhone while waiting for pizza]

[Pigs]

[Pigs & structure.]

[Pigs & structure all lit up for the occasion. Yes, the pig front & center had already lost an eyeball, which actually made it even more like the game. :)]

[Angry Peep close up. I feel bad for the actual Peep underneath that disguise.]

This winter while Brett played basketball, Davis could be found with us in the bleachers. Sometimes he would go off & sit with friends ... and apparently take turns playing a game with his friends on his friends' parents' phones. He wanted me to get the game on my phone & luckily my old school phone didn't have the capabilities. :) He would come home from school with drawings of these weird birds. I had no idea what they were. Sometimes there were green pigs. Even weirder. Then one day in February, I got an iPhone. I tried to keep it from the kids, but that didn't last long. The second Davis saw a smooth flat screen [no buttons!] on my phone, he KNEW it had the capabilities. For Angry Birds.

He's a fan and after my mom sent me a link to this Angry Bird Birthday Cake video, we agreed Davis would love it. We also agreed that slaving over cake ... probably wasn't necessary. I told my mom "I'm thinking ... NUTTY BARS". I was going to make cake balls for both the birds & pigs, but then saw this version using donut holes via Meg's Whatever blog. Sweet. Taking shortcuts where you can & it really won't matter - that's my style. So I was off to the grocery store where after staring at all the items in the sugar aisle, I picked up:

2 boxes of donut holes, 5 tubes of icing, a bag of Laffy Taffy and M&Ms, a bottle of confetti sprinkles, a package of Peeps, white almond bark, a box of Nutty Bars & Fancy Cakes [those square white cakes].

I did the pigs 1st. Not pretty, but tasted good. After making just a handful of pigs, I was done with the white almond bark. So I looked at my Peeps & thought "let's see what we can do with you." A squirt of white icing there, some chocolate sprinkles here ... then I raided my sprinkle collection to find something orange. I found my Halloween mix which had pumpkins & bats. I used both ... pumpkin for the 'beak' & the bat for the tuft of hair on top. So ugly, so funny, so angry ... I felt so bad for the Peeps. They looked especially funny going back in their packaging. :) But they WORKED.

When it was time for dessert, I got out the Nutty Bars & Fancy Cakes ... and in less than a minute I had the structure built. Added the green pigs, grabbed the packages of Angry Peeps & a sling shot ... and headed outside. Davis was absolutely beside himself. I had kept it a surprise ... and it just got better when I told him he could shoot the Angry Peeps with the sling shot. A 7 year old's dream. I think it made his year.

It took awhile to get the knack of it, but those Peeps did indeed fly. I even got beamed in the eye with one while I was hovering behind the table taking pictures. And I think the bat sprinkle got me head on because it actually hurt. Well, more than just a regular Peep would ... but it was hilarious. :) It was fun. So so so fun. And so so so worth it. When all the Peeps were either eaten or far too dirty to use [umm, yes. I may have let them reuse 1 or 2], we called 'game over' & dug into the sweets. I think Davis will remember this Birthday long after the Angry Birds craze is over. :)

P.S. My incredibly talented friend Alissa has a Peeps blog & featured me today. :) Check it out.

7 Years Young ...

2011-04-08T12:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my middle ... Davis. :) He is only 7 years old, but has always been wise beyond his years. My mom used to always joke "he just doesn't look happy about being a baby." :) One of my sisters used to always say "you got cheated out of a 'baby' with Davis." :) And I have always said "he is a 40 year old trapped in a __[however old he is that particular year]__'s body." All true statements. That's my Davis. He was a darling, happy little baby - don't get me wrong. But he has always wanted to be BIG. You could see it in his eyes that he was unhappy that his little baby body couldn't do the things his mind wanted him to do. There are moments he is still upset he's a kid. But I love how sweet, silly & wise he can be all at the same time. :) He's a great kid & I'm not just saying that because I'm his mom. ;)

Happy Birthday, Baby Davis.
P.S. I have a surprise for you later ... it involves a slingshot, donut holes & nutty bars. :)

Story time ...

2011-04-07T12:41:00.002-05:00

[photo from Dana / plum tree studio]

Four years ago this summer, my sister was in the process of adopting from Russia. As her sister, it pained me to wait, wait & wait [for her]. I craved information. I know she revealed all that she knew & had to go by - but still, I craved more information. I hate surprises - even good ones. So, I searched for information on Russian adoptions ... reading about happy endings [beginnings, really], looking for timelines that we could use as an example, etc. I wanted it to happen for her so badly, I think I wanted to taste a little of it before it even happened.

During my search, I found a blog. Linked to another blog. On there was a photo of 2 little girls in cute handmade t-shirts. They were done by the writer's friend's sister. I clicked on the link & it let me to one of my 1st ever "crafty blogs" ... plum tree studio. That also later led to my 1st ever link to Etsy. A lot was discovered on that life-changing internet click. :)

Over the next month or so, I would occasionally stop by the plum tree studio blog just for some creative inspiration. I loved seeing how she blogged & linked it up to her store. At the time I had my own website - but this seemed like a more ideal set up! Another friend started an Etsy shop ... and September of 2007, I got in on the fun. I "hearted" plum tree studio. If you look on page 22 of my favorite Etsy shops, she's there, right after my other friend's. I still just visited her blog every so often - totally lurking. :)

One day [early summer of '08] on her blog she announced that she was coming out with a shirt with a cute redhead on it. I had to get it for my redhead. I commented & placed an order. :) Soon after, she did another post that was right up my alley. It was about home improvements ... I commented. She commented back. The ice had been broken & I started commenting more often. I could tell we had a lot in common!

The more we shared, the more we realized all that we had in common. We are both in the middle of 3 girls. Both of our older sisters have a darling blond child, adopted from Russia. Our birthdays are 25 days apart [the same year]. We both got married in 2000. We both used the term "sweet teeth" & had never heard of anyone else using it before [instead of just "sweet tooth"]. The list goes on as our friendship goes on. :)

Almost 2 years ago, her own adoption journey started. That same pain I felt with my own sister that led to my search for information & answers, came back. I wanted to take the pain away. I wanted the wait to not seem so bad. I wanted to do something - in a situation that is completely out of any one person's control. So the idea I had come up with for my sister, but never used, came back to me. That was the idea of a "shower" [like a baby shower] but spread out over the months. Every month that they had to wait - a little surprise would arrive, to help keep them going. Little pick-me-ups - spread out over the time, spread out amongst other friends & family. I had come up with the idea for my own sister, but her wait for a referral turned out to be so quick - the other hostesses & I had to start planning a REAL shower. That of course, was a GOOD problem to have. :)

But my friend had been told of a much longer wait ... little did we know it would keep getting extended. Her sisters & I teamed up and formed the The Little Itty Bitty C Support Committee. One of her sisters came up with the name - so perfect. We formed a committee of friends & family who would support her & her husband throughout their wait for Little C. :) Each month, they got a little pick-me-up in the mail. I know if I was in their shoes, my fear would be that our wait was forgotten about. When you are experiencing a pregnancy, you have a belly as a reminder to your friends & family that your excitement is growing. I wanted a monthly reminder for my friend as well.

My friend [Dana] & I have never met in person. And have only talked on the phone once - last August! We were scheduled to have our 2nd phone conversation on Tuesday morning of this past week. I remember thinking "wouldn't it be cool if we got interrupted by a referral call?!" BETTER. She called me the day before that scheduled phone visit & left a voice mail saying she needed to cancel our phone date because she had gotten their REFERRAL & was going in the next morning with her husband to SEE THEIR BABY BOY. Dana & her husband are FINALLY getting to turn to the next chapter in their storybook. And it includes pages filled with a little cutie named Oliver, born in South Korea.

Our friendship was technically born from an international adoption almost 4 years ago... and now I am here as her friend [who she calls with news!] as I witness her own international adoption story coming true. Blog world is weird like that. :) But I am so so happy it is. Dana, I hope these next pages in your story book turn quickly ... and we can get to the part where you're making Oliver breakfast, reading him stories & taking him on evening walks! And of course making him robot tees! :D I am beside myself happy for you. Let's plan another phone date, and maybe it'll be cancelled because of a Homecoming Call! :) You think?

Go with the flow ...

2011-04-05T11:33:00.002-05:00

[Look how old & mature he looks here. He'll be 7 on Friday!]

Story behind these paintings [& the print]:

Remember when I went in to talk to the 1st graders [Davis's grade] a couple of weeks ago? Well, I had dug through my old college & high school portfolio, in order to bring in vast artistic styles of some things I had done. One of the pieces I brought in resembled these above. It was all black & white - done with either ink or watercolor. Very interesting to look at & when I handed out large drawing paper to the students, it was one that I urged them to try. I even showed them how to do it with a dry erase marker on the board.

Well, that weekend, Davis was bored. When he gets bored, he ain't happy, it's not pretty & nothing seems attractive to him. It's a challenge. I was absolutely beside myself thrilled, after hearing him declare he was "bored", to look over in the dining room & see him trying to replicate that piece. I went over there, watched & gave him some tips. He did a line. I did a line. Then we turned it in to a game. We had so much fun & so many laughs. So fun to bond over art. [LOVE]

I made a mental note to try it on a canvas later. So fun, therapeutic & addicting. I did another & another & another & another 'til I ran out of canvases. As I painted each line, various ideas & quotes came into my head. All of course having to do with your ability to change, bend [but not break], & go with the flow. These all are very important qualities to have when dealing with a person who has Autism ... and these are all things as a parent, I am trying to teach my child [Brett] who has Autism. And like the lines in these pieces... I'm hoping love, patience & understanding for Autistic people spreads & has a continued ripple effect.

I've already sold 2 of the 5 original paintings like this. But I'll be making more. The paintings & prints are available in my shop - 30% of the paintings & ALL proceeds from the prints are going towards my fundraiser from 4-2 - 4/30. For more info, click here. :)

{handmade with purpose.} 4/2 - 4/30

2011-04-02T14:01:00.000-05:00

Participating Shops:  Aisle to Aloha Studio • Along for the Ride

aPearantly Sew • Brazen Design Studio • Casey Wiegand Art

 Craftee McGee's • cREaTe by R.E.T. • The Elephant's Trunk • EmeraldCut  Emerging Em • Five Sparrows • Food, Wine & Mod Podge • Hiya Luv Handmade  Jaclyn1423 • The Joys of Jess • Leapfrog Lane • Mandipidy

 One In The Hand • Paint Me A Picture • Plum Tree Studio

The Shine Project • Squirmy Worm Studio • Yes Teacher Crafts

I think this is so awesome to see all these shops / blogs choosing to do this. :) Be sure to visit the {handmade with purpose.} blog next week to get to know each of the shops, their causes, their story.

I have stocked & updated my shop. Again, all profit from my PRINTS & 30% of all proceeds from my original artwork on canvas will be used to purchase a Language program for our school's Resource Center. :) Thank you for your support!

Tomorrow ...

2011-04-01T10:11:00.001-05:00

New prints available tomorrow! :)

[watermark will not show on prints]

Starting tomorrow & running the rest of the month I will be participating in {handmade with purpose.} It is a group put together by my sweet friend Lindsay [of Paint Me a Picture]. She started a blog for all those participating - so you can see all the various shops & blogs, what they're doing & what they're doing it for. It's going to be pretty cool. And I know as much as I love buying just because I like it / think it's cute / have to have it ... I like buying something 10x more if there's a story behind it & if I'm contributing towards a positive change somewhere in the world. Think of it as a donation with benefits. :) So get ready to click & shop & support with all your heart!

This will be my 3rd year doing something for Autism Awareness Month. I have said many times - I am a terrible business person. :) I paint because I like it & that's that. I don't like to push my work on anyone. But this is the one time a year I feel comfortable doing it - because it's not for me. This year, my fundraiser will concentrate more on PRINTS. At the moment I have 6 different prints available. All the net proceeds [everything minus the cost to print, shipping supplies & etsy fee] will be donated. In addition, 30% of all the original hand-painted artwork [the ones on canvas] will be donated. Throughout the month, if I find the time to make more artwork & prints, I will. So please visit the shop through out the month to see if there's anything new! :)

What am I raising money for? Well. This past summer we had some private speech therapy for my son Brett with one of our very favorite therapists. :) She was wonderful, the fact that she came to the house was wonderful & the program she used was as if it was written for Brett. It was language based. He has both a speech & language delay - but his speech has improved so much over time. His language on the other hand, still needs a lot of 'organization'. Sentence structure, prepositions, pronouns & all that fun stuff. As you can imagine - as a 3rd grader, having a language delay greatly affects your reading & writing among other things, like communicating with others.

This fall, when school started again, I was catching up with our Resource Teacher at school, telling her what we worked on this summer. She became interested in the program & started researching it. A month ago I spoke with her & she informed me the "Language for Learning" program was on "the list" of things for the Resource Center to buy after they had the money to do so. I was thrilled just knowing it was in our future!!!!! Of course I wish I had the money to just buy it. But, $500 (+) is a lot of money. Last time I shook out my piggy bank, I was a lot short of that. So I got the idea to use my Autism Awareness Fundraiser towards that ... raising enough $ to hopefully purchase that program, which will benefit not only Brett, but other students at our school with a language delay.

So that's my {handmade with purpose}. :) Can't wait to share my new artwork with you. Throughout the month I will write a bit about the art pieces ... why I chose them. Stay tuned.

Just a Note ...

2011-03-29T13:47:00.001-05:00

... to say I am busy painting a few new things!

April is Autism Awareness Month. Once again I will be holding a fundraiser in honor of my son Brett, starting April 2. I look forward to sharing my new work with you while drawing attention to Autism. :)

P.S. Instead of going out on my own, I will be participating in {handmade with purpose.} ... a group of some shops & blogs joining up, but with our own separate shops & charities. Pretty cool idea by this girl (Lindsay) who helped me out last year! Strength in numbers! Can't wait! :)

The Best of Both Worlds ...

2011-03-26T11:05:00.002-05:00

Mr. T talking about Afghanistan.

Me, some of the 1st Graders & our banner we made.

Remember this? Well. I thought about it. And was going to. Probably. Some day.

Ever since Kyle got back from Afghanistan, the 1st Grade has wanted Kyle to come in & talk about his trip. Even while Kyle was still gone, Davis would say "My teacher says you are going to come in on a 'Fun Friday' & talk to us about your trip!" So that part was always planned. But another 1st grade teacher saw me at school earlier this month & told me she wanted me to come in when Kyle did & talk to the kids about Art. Kyle would take 1/2 of the kids, I'd take 1/2 - then we'd switch. Apparently, Davis had asked her, too, if I could come in. Oh. So he was serious. :)

We set the date - "Fun Friday" on 3/25. As it got closer [the week of], I started thinking about what I would talk about, what I would bring in to show them, what kind of art project the kids could do. Kyle had the brilliant idea for the kids to make a card with me to send to a squadron in Afghanistan. Perfect - combining the best of both worlds. I loved where he was headed, but wanted something a little more artsy. Something that involved my medium: paint & canvas. Something bigger & more durable. So I thought of a banner [made with canvas material]. Kyle liked that even better.

I won't lie - this idea didn't come to me until 6:00 pm the night before as I was on my way to the craft store to buy materials. At the store I texted Kyle "Does it have to be patriotic? What about the Irish Blessing?" I needed to know what color of paint to buy - red & blue? Or green?. :) He was the one who had been in that hallway in Afghanistan - not me. I waited for him to reply back. I didn't know if the Irish Blessing would be too "religious" for what we were doing. But he said he liked them both equally - so it was up to me.

I thought about if it was me over in Afghanistan. What would have me walk away after reading something - feeling loved, appreciated & more secure? No doubt, it would be knowing that there are prayers being said on my behalf for God to keep watch over me. And as a gift from a Catholic School ... I thought it was a good fit. Even better, our school's logo has a shamrock & the squadron's has a four leaf clover, so it worked out well. Each of the kids made a shamrock with their fingerprints, then signed their name by it.

I brought in some of my current & past artwork. Shared my "art" story. I told the kids one of my favorite things to do, is to paint in order to share joy with others. The banner we made to send to a U.S. squadron in Afghanistan was a perfect example of that. I talked about how the only thing that our military overseas could take with them was what fit in their suitcases. They don't have a lot of pretty things to look at - like we do in our homes. These men & women don't get to come home from work & look in their kids' backpacks & see beautiful artwork either. I can't imagine.

But again. If it was me, I know what I would want to see & feel: love, joy & prayers. So, it is my hope that a visual reminder of that is what is received in Afghanistan very soon.

Never mind ...

2011-03-24T10:16:00.000-05:00

[photo credit: Libby]

What you do not see here is a huge gripe session ... Because I have deleted it. Because it was random. Because everyone is busy. And doesn't have enough hours in the day. And has sick kids. And has a messy house.

Not just me. :)

So instead, I will leave you with these fascinating close-ups Libby left me with on my camera.

You're welcome!!!!!! :)

P.S. If you want to use these photos on your blog, please ask before doing so. ;) [hee hee - just a little blog photo humor]

11 Years ...

2011-03-22T10:18:00.001-05:00

{Engagement in Pensacola, kiss through the sunroof of the limo}

Our last day of vacation [3/18] Kyle & I celebrated our 11th Wedding Anniversary! Very nostalgic being down there in the panhandle. Pensacola was where we got engaged & where we lived our 1st month as Mr. & Mrs. while Kyle was in Flight School. Last week we had a "Party of 18" [3 other families traveling with us] so we didn't drag them around with us to all our old hot spots, but it was fun to be back there & reminisce. Those were some good old days, but 11 years & 3 kids later ... these days are even better.

Still here ...

2011-03-17T11:06:00.000-05:00

We are off to enjoy our last day of this. :) This is the life. Sometimes it's hard to believe people live like this every day - not just on vacation. {LOVE}

I tell ya what ...

2011-03-11T11:12:00.000-06:00

Get Well letter press card by Vandalia Street Press.

This week? Doozie. Libby continued to not feel like herself for the rest of the week. I had a root canal [oh yes I did] on Tuesday & Kyle left 2 hours after I got home from that - for a long trip. Got a call to pick up a sick Brett yesterday a 1/2 hour after school started. He's home again today. And I was back for more dental work this morning. Our dog has a limp that comes & goes, but her bummish leg causes her to get spooked about coming down the steps after she goes up them [she likes to sleep in the kids rooms at night]. So she gets stuck upstairs. This week was just a big mess. Our week wore a cone collar.

Next week? Should find us on a beach. In warmish weather. I'll take warmish. And no cough. Or vomit. Or tooth pain. We are very deserving of some R & R if I say so myself. So, you might not hear from me much next week. The shop is closed, but should reopen next Friday!

Have a wonderful, healthy, sunny, warm WEEKEND!

Party on, but ...

2011-03-08T12:16:00.000-06:00

The party was on, we decided after all. Shortly after I wrote this post on Saturday, Libby's cough [which she had had all week] made her gag & get sick. She & I stayed home from her twin cousin's Star Wars party. Daddy was working, so I sent the boys to the party with the grandparents. She napped all afternoon. She just wasn't herself - on her Birthday. I felt guilty because we had been to the doctor 2 days before but for something else & I wasn't worried about the cough. I should have just addressed it then. I hate that she was sick on her Birthday.

We told her we might have to cancel her Birthday party & she didn't even get upset. :( About a month ago, when Libby & I were discussing her unicorn & rainbow party, I used the word "magical" to describe things. She didn't want me to use that word because "that means it'll fly away". She was right. Her party almost flittered away. We sent out a message to all our party guests making them aware of the circumstances & we might have to cancel. But Sunday morning, she was back to her silly self. We sent out another message to our party guests telling them the party was on ... but we'd understand if they opted out for the obvious reasons. :( How's that for a sad little invitation? They always say the invitation is your opportunity to make the 1st great introduction of your party, theme, etc. And that was ours. "She's sick with something. Has a cough. We'll let you know, but might have to cancel. Never mind. Come on over. Or don't. We'll understand." Poor girl.

And as if that's not bad enough ... I slacked & backed off of the party plans on Saturday, once I thought the party might not happen. I was worried about Lib-Lib & just wasn't feelin' the party the day before. So then on Sunday, I had to do all the grocery shopping & decorating before our party @ 2:00 PM. I do not recommend that. I was flustered & disorganized. I was mad at myself.

The craft project [wind socks] bombed. The glitter glue should not have been an option! :) I should have had a sample to show everyone. I should have asked for help. Or just had more of the steps done before the kids got there. I had to finish them up while my little girl was opening presents. I heard she kept saying "look, mama" to show me & I wasn't in there. :( Guilt. Total guilt.

When your children are not themselves, you are not yourself. I wish I would have just simplified the party plans in order to be with her, instead of following through with the previous plans & doing a bad job at it all. Quality over quantity. I wish every time she said "look mama" I would have been there, instead of making dumb wind socks. Lesson learned. She might forget, but I probably won't.

At the end of the day, she snuggled up with me in her pajamas & we talked about her party. She told me I was the best mom in the whole wide world & she loves me "even on Thursday". This goes right up there when she told me she loves me more [than I love her, we always play this game] because she loves me for "21 minutes". But I'll gladly take an "even on Thursday" kind of love! All that matters at the day's end, is if the people that matter to you are happy & healthy. I know some of it is out of our hands, but it's the stuff that isn't, that I hope to remember for next time. :)

Libby Girl ...

2011-03-05T09:07:00.000-06:00

Our sweet Elizabeth ["Libby"] is 4 today. She won't let me call her a baby - but that's just because she's feelin' BIG at the moment since it's her Birthday. I'm sure she'll allow me to soon enough. A couple weeks ago when I showed a hint of sadness that my baby was turning 4, she called me out on it. She said, "Mo-ommm... why won't you let me be 4?!" Kyle laughed & said "yeah, MOM." I told her "Of course I'll let you be 4! ... But you're my baby. And babies don't turn 4. But you'll be 4, don't worry. There's nothing I can do about that." :)

We had a special visit from my parents earlier in the week where she got to open presents from the St.Louis peeps, had cake & ice cream. Birthday treats at school on Thursday, where she got to hear a Birthday wish on the all-school announcements & take home the special Birthday Bag. Last night we did her Birthday dinner at IHOP [her choice]. Today we will get things ready for her party, then attend her twin cousin's Star Wars Birthday Party. [He was born 8 minutes after her - the Twenter Family was busy that day with texts & phone calls of the new niece / nephew / granddaughter / grandson that arrived in Texas & Missouri!] Then tomorrow we'll have her Unicorn & Rainbow Birthday Party. She's pretty excited. As am I. Is there anything happier or prettier than a Unicorn & Rainbow theme? :)

New 4x4's ...

2011-02-28T12:27:00.001-06:00

I had a special request to recreate the mini heart canvas [Elizabeth Barrett Browning quote] ... someone had bookmarked it almost a year ago & came back long after it sold. She had saved it in her 'favorites' knowing that when her little girl got her "big girl room", this should go in there. I love requests like that ... makes me so happy for originality. In this big creative world, it makes me feel like I've left my mark. So thankful she came back to have me do this special piece for her special little girl. :)

While I was down there painting, I recreated two more of another favorite: the Mother Teresa quote, "Do small things with great love". This is probably my favorite quote for the mini 4x4's because a lot of love goes into that small canvas. :) Blue & Gray 4x4 found here. Rose & Blue 4x4 found here!

Melted Heart ...

2011-02-24T15:05:00.000-06:00

This boy melted my heart last night. When I picked up Davis from school, he told me his friend's mom [a Dentist] had been in to talk to the class. Fast forward several hours later, and I had him brush his teeth right before bed. I didn't make the connection at first because of the lapse of time, but now I get it :) [Brushing teeth = Dentist]. However, at the time, I was caught off guard when he said "Mom, will you come in and talk to my class?" Puzzled, I said, "Why?" [again totally forgetting] He then said, "Come in & talk to my friends. And you can show them your paintings."

I giggled on the inside, just a little ... and told him "Oh. Maybe! Yeah, we'll see!" You know, that canned answer when you're like "HA! Right." Then my heart melted. For multiple reasons. That was probably one of the best compliments I have ever received. As a mother & as an artist. Sometimes you never really know who appreciates you. Every once in awhile I get some of the sweetest messages sent to me & I am so honored that someone seeks me out, comes back a year or more later after seeing my shop, or even comes back to have me paint something additional for them. Oddly enough, all these have happened this week. :) But, it doesn't happen very often. So usually I just keep on keepin' on, knowing as long as I'm having fun, I have the time & the creative urge - I can paint. Then I take pictures. Pay my 20¢, per listing & put it up for sale. I am not a business woman. I truly am just a mom who paints when the stars align. That's pretty much my 'business plan'. Lofty, I know.

Apparently, Davis takes me more seriously than I take myself. What a refreshing way to look at myself & my work ... through the eyes of a 6 1/2 year old. He looks up to me. His dad's a cool pilot who comes back with fun stories & awesome souvenirs. And apparently, I am not just someone who lifts a paintbrush when I'm bored. I am a creative genius & skilled artist who paints masterpieces that everyone admires & wants in their home. What a compliment. :)

Letter R ...

2011-02-23T06:50:00.004-06:00

My sweet friend Dana had this made for me [by a cute shop on Etsy called "Oh Hi Shop"] & sent it to me for my Birthday. I think it's so cute, creative & unique. I love those little tacks pinning down the folds, too! I haven't decided where to put it yet ... I'm torn between 2 places! I love that they are the same size & shape of some of my 4x4 canvases, but they couldn't be any more different, seeing that they are made with fabric & embroidery. Such a great contrast with my 4x4 paintings!

Dana's Birthday is next Monday & to celebrate, she is having a giveaway for a pair of her handmade earrings! Enter here! :) Her shop is adorable, as is she!

Thank you, friend! And ... you should have a little surprise on your door step next week! :)

Weekend & Winner :) ...

2011-02-22T06:53:00.002-06:00

Kyle & I got new iPhones. So fun. Such new territory for us. And I am utterly AMAZED by all it can do. It hardly feels like it's my cell phone 'replacement' ... because it blows my old 3.5 year old phone OUT OF THE WATER. It's more of a mini laptop with the afterthought of calling & text capabilities. We have been busy familiarizing ourselves with it. Feels so weird & foreign.

Yesterday I got the "Hipstamatic" app for my iPhone & I've been having fun snapping photos on our outings this past weekend. We had a super fun weekend filled with a pretty day at the park, the pool, B & D's basketball games [B made 2 baskets!], the batting cages, Star Wars movie marathon, family, friends, a fun date night with friends & 2 parties. We partied like rock stars this weekend. And listened to lots of Pandora on our iPhones, giving us many impromptu dance parties, too.

Speaking of celebrations [& good music] ... Lindsay of Paint Me a Picture, you can wave your hands in the air like you just don't care because you are the winner of the 4x4 canvas of your choice! You were the #8 random.org selected out of 16! Congratulations girl! :)

4x4 Giveaway ...

2011-02-17T06:57:00.013-06:00

4 Reasons for a Giveaway:

1) I heart February. It is my birth month. [It was the 3rd. My little sister's was the 2nd. And my dad's was the 13th along with my husband's 1/2 birthday which is the 13th as well. <-- That's just a fun fact. We don't really celebrate 1/2 Birthdays. :) ha!]

2) Today is supposed to get up to the high 60's [this just in: got up to 77!]. Just a week ago, I woke up & it was in the negatives. So today we're definitely celebrating [windows open!].

3) I want to [because of reasons 1, 2 & 4, but especially because of reason 3].

4) Giveaways are fun because everyone says they never win, but someone HAS to win. So it makes someone happy & always catches someone by surprise. :)

So click here to go to the 4x4 section of my shop. And then come back & let me know which one you'd pick ... and either where you'd put it, why you'd pick it or who you'd give it to. Giveaway will end 4 days from now [Monday @ midnight]. Oh & please if I don't know you personally or if your profile doesn't have an e-mail address listed for you, please leave your e-mail address in your comment so I know how to get a hold of you! :) Thanks! Happy Thursday!

[*Now closed!]

Happy Hearts ...

2011-02-14T13:02:00.000-06:00

[I love Davis's face here. So him. He's 'skeptical' of one of Libby's drawings.

They are so funny together.]

This has become a tradition ... I still think I have yet to buy a box of Valentine's. I'm pretty sure, but don't quote me on that. I'm a little foggy on what we did at the boys' preschool when we lived in Corpus Christi. I need to look through old photos & the memory boxes. I'll have to put all of our Valentines together in a 'through the years' post if I can find them. [Click here to see last year's and here to see the year before that.] But I love them. I love seeing the miniature versions of my kids artwork mass produced. It's SO FUN & they love it, too!

They all have their own ideas ... Davis deliberately did those white clouds so we could "write" in them. So cute! I told them just to draw "whatever", then for a little more direction "things they like". Brett of course is obsessed with airplanes [particularly the C-130], Davis loves eagles & Libby just went crazy with all her faves [AKA 'everything + the kitchen sink]! I didn't know the brown thing was a horse [I thought it was a bear] so that was when I decided labeling would be both helpful & funny. :)

Happy Valentine's Day to you! :)

Soul Sithter ...

2011-02-10T09:48:00.000-06:00

This is Libby's favorite song on the "KidzBop" CD that Davis got for Christmas. The first time she heard it she went "HEYYY! They said "sithter" like IIIII'M a "sithter"!" Then she claimed it as her favorite & has been belting out "Your yipth-tick stain..." ever since.

And we've been cracking up. My mom & dad were here a couple weeks ago & my dad almost fell out of his chair. I knew I had to get it on video before she grew out of this adorable little phase of belting out songs with a speech impediment. :) [Disclaimers: Sorry for the lighting ... it was dusk. No, I wasn't driving. We were parked waiting for brother to get out of basketball practice. And yes, that's a huge mound of snow.]

Hope your weekend is a "jeam". I mean "dream". :)

Heeby Jeebies ...

2011-02-07T15:13:00.001-06:00

Print by ConstantDreamer

"Relax. It's *clean* underwear." is written in the description of this adorable print I found on Etsy. ha! :) But "clean" & "adorable" pertaining to underwear is, unfortunately, far from my mind at the moment.

I like thrift stores. I like yard sales more, but when it's the dead of winter & there is a foot of snow on the ground, no one has yard sales. So every once in awhile, just for fun, I go to thrift stores to see if there's anything I can't live without or anything I can alter & make perfect for me or our home.

But. I get the heeby jeebies. The smell ... sometimes grosses me out. Touching some of the stuff ... sometimes grosses me out. I often get out the anti-bacterial gel after getting back into my car. Can't help it.

Libby's Birthday is coming up ... and she wants a unicorn & rainbow birthday! We got out of the house today to get some fun supplies for invitations & decorations ... and since the craft store is across from a thrift store, I decided to run in there really quick to see if there were any unicorn or rainbow trinkets. There weren't. But as my eyes were scanning a high shelf for some pretty treasures, Libby was walking along side of me with her hand reaching up, touching at least 50 pair of thrift store underwear [before I noticed]. Oh but not just the underwear. No. It had to be the lowest part that hangs down, when one hangs underwear up on clippy hangers. Yes. That would be the crotch. Of cast-off underwear. Her little hand set off a ripple of dancing underwear behind us. I didn't know there was an underwear aisle at the thrift store. Or that we were in it.

And that was the moment that I quit looking for rainbows & unicorns ... and we got out of there. And got out the anti-bacterial gel. Because I do believe that was a moment for the heeby jeebies if there ever was one.

DIY PBJs

2011-02-01T15:36:00.002-06:00

[Blizzard out the window]

[Lots of licks goin' on.]

[Brett cutting his in 1/2]

[Davis cutting out his penguin]

[You can't see it, but I pulled off a dog hair from in between his sandwich

right after this photo was taken]

[Libby trying to cut around her polar bear]

This is our 4th snow day in 3 weeks & 1 day. So we interrupt the boredom & what seems like endless Wii-fighting to bring you ... a fun activity that I get to do approximately 21* times a week! [* = okay, Kyle helps out with this when he's home]

Here were my reasons:
1) Snow day activity.
2) They'll think I'm the coolest mom ever.
3) Looks like I have the next 2 snow days to clean up the kitchen [at the rate this snow is going].
4) Give myself a break from the 21 PBJs / week.
5) Maybe there would be some appreciation gained, for me not ripping the bread & making them look tasty [not gross].

Davis & Libby decided on their own that they wanted their sandwich in a shape. So they went & picked out one of my cookie cutters I occasionally use on sandwiches [mental note: Surprise them more often with shape sandwiches. Apparently, they love it even more than you thought]. The peanut butter got taken away from each child as they put their spreader in their mouth. And the jelly got taken away from Brett after he put the top of the entire bottle in his mouth.

Brett did freak out a tad when while cutting the bread in 1/2, it was starting to crumble. But the best was Libby saying "This is fun, right Davis?" And Davis saying,

[wait for it]

"No, this is hard. My arm is tired."

Yes, I think my kids have a full appreciation now for the pretty little triangles [or shapes] that show up in their lunch box or on their plate each day. And you can tell I've made many in my lifetime. I don't think I've EVER complained that my arm hurt while making a PBJ. That must be a newbie thing.

Heart Love ...

2011-01-28T14:45:00.000-06:00

E.B.B. Quote in Teal found here in my shop.

Just in time, huh? Just in time for you to have already decided what you're getting your love for Valentine's Day. Yep. That's me. Day late. Dollar short. :) Oh well. Hearts & sweet quotes are good for all seasons.

More to be listed in the shop just as soon as my laptop quits showing me a rainbow pinwheel [AKA the hourglass]. Happy weekend! :)

Tinkerbell Tutorial ...

2011-01-25T10:02:00.005-06:00

How to draw Tinkerbell.
By Libby, age 3 1/2
First, pick a pose. Arm up, arm down ... whatever you want to do.

Then lay her down & trace.

Next you can add in some features, such as her eyes, mouth ...

... and accessories like her headband, belt, wings, glittery skirt.

Last, but not least ... don't forget to sign your artwork!

And if you're really lucky, like me ... your brother will get in the spirit & make a Peter Pan with a pirate ship, complete with 2 holes in a cloud [from the cannons] with the sky peeking through. :)

Comfort food ...

2011-01-24T07:15:00.006-06:00

Love this print. Love the colors, the sketches, her handwriting.

Found here from dawntanwenyi.

Yesterday, I made the ultimate comfort food. I made this cheddar beer bread again, paired with this recipe for Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew with Paprika.

YOU GUYS.

[no words. just make it. the both of them - together.]

Painting perfection ...

2011-01-20T16:45:00.002-06:00

For 7 years, the boys have been on our mantle. Poor Libby hardly even has any photos up around our house, much less a presence above the fire place. It has bothered me [and I'm quite certain her, too] pretty much since the day she was born. I attempted to paint a picture of the 3 kids a few years ago, but I couldn't make it work. Maybe some day I'll try & fix it to completion.

Until then, I just decided to start from scratch. With one that is just Libby. It is an 11x14 & still a work in progress. When it's done, it'll get framed & I hope to display her with her brothers on the mantle. Her daddy saw the painting the other day & said [as he squeezed her tight] "but how do you capture such perfect beauty?" I have to agree ... I have my work cut out for me. One wrong move ... and it goes from looking like Libby, to a perfect stranger. The key is just making sure I have Libby staring back at me. :) I worked on it for 6-7 hours on Tuesday. By the end of the day, it didn't look like her at all. She had even lost her baby face ... and suddenly the painting looked like that of a 14 year old. So I took a break for 2 days. I couldn't look at it until this afternoon - with fresh eyes. Then I got out my Jonas Brothers pencil & tweaked the face 'til it looked like Libby again. :)

P.S. Libby has already protested the change I made to the top she has on. :) I can tell that's going to be a fight ... just like her outfits in real life.

Together again ...

2011-01-18T11:18:00.001-06:00

The photos sort of speak for themselves. We are happy to have someone home! :)

Wintery welcome ...

2011-01-13T00:43:00.003-06:00

We are gearing up to welcome dad home. Hopefully today. But. There's snow. Everywhere. Where he's at. Where we're at. I am saying a prayer & crossing fingers it's today. The kids don't know. They think it's tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be picking them up early from school & surprising them. I'm sure it doesn't seem like much of a surprise. 1 day less. But to a little kid who hasn't seen their dad in 70 days, 1 day less is a pretty good deal. Everyday, they cross off a day on a countdown calendar. They're counting. I can't wait to see their faces. And his. :)

Self Control ...

2011-01-10T13:33:00.000-06:00

Print from UUPP, found here. Ca-ute store!

Well, bake cookies, I did. Why? I had 2 boys fighting over the Wii. The words just came out "Want to make cookies?" Instantly, I had 2 participants & the 3rd got the Wii all to himself.

Now I have a container full of cookies. I am practicing self control. I had one batch that got browner than the others. Naturally, they don't taste as good. So when I can't resist the urge to pop the lid off & have one ... I make myself go for the brown ones. Then when it tastes not nearly as bad as I thought it would, I let myself have another. Again, only from the brown batch. Then if I feel up to a 3rd, I do reward myself with a lighter, softer one [for being so disciplined & choosing the brown ones]. Lastly, when the kids at lunch time [SNOW DAY!] each ask if they can have a cookie, I say "Yes. You can have 2." [Get them the heck out of here!] And that, my friends, is how I keep myself from eating more cookies. Self control.

True strength ...

2011-01-07T14:37:00.015-06:00

Speaking of nostalgia ... the last time Kyle deployed was 7 years ago. These photos are from that period of time. I was pregnant with Davis. Brett was 2. Kyle was gone 6 months. This was us hanging out at the playground, just miles from the Navy Base, where we'd watch the P3's fly overhead ... and we were just days away from our own husbands' P3's flying overhead, returning from overseas. We were giddy with anticipation, just as my kids & I are now.

This deployment is different in several ways. Kyle & I have 3 kids now, all school age. Kyle's in a different branch of the military, flying a different airplane. Instead of staying in a Bachelor Officer's Quarters in Sicily, Kyle's staying in a 6x9 little hut in Afghanistan. The flying is different, I know. And this deployment I have more to worry about than just Mt.Etna.

Having a husband that is deployed, I get a lot of "I don't know how you do it" comments. Help & prayers definitely are helping us getting through. But honestly, I think that picture above of the little kids at the playground is what helps keep me in check the most. Brett is obviously the little boy. :) Surrounded by girls.

Two of those little girls are sisters. They since have added another sister to their family. Their dad is also deployed. But for longer. They opened Christmas presents via Skype, just like we did. Their last deployment wasn't 7 years ago, it was about a year & a 1/2 ago [less?]. But that doesn't mean they are used to it.

Another little girl in that photo has a daddy deployed, as well. And since 2004, has added a little brother. She & her brother said goodbye to their daddy just after Christmas. 2009. Since that time they have had him home for only 1 week of "R&R". To know that Kyle left 9 months after he did, but gets back a week or 2 ahead of their dad? Hard.

The other little girl is a big sister now as well. Their dad isn't deployed, but in May their mom found out the infection she had was actually Stage IV inflammatory breast cancer. She has become a warrior of a different kind, going through countless rounds of chemo since June. Throughout losing her hair, having surgeries, taking drugs that make her feel horrible, making changes in every aspect of her life because of their new "normal" & even walking in the Susan G. Komen walk ... she has had a winning attitude, strong spirit & a huge smile on her face.

These little girls' moms were the girls who I last went through this with ... and we are all connected again on a day to day basis thanks to Facebook. :) We live in 4 different cities, in 3 different states. They keep me in check. They show me it's okay to complain a little over the obvious. But big picture? I have it pretty good. It's not that I look at their situations & feel sorry or sorrier for them. But, I look at their strength, humor & attitude and know that it's not only possible for me to join the club, but expected of me. If you surround yourself with negativity, it's easy to think you can't get through something or to look at your situation with self-pity. But if you surround yourself with people of strong character who take those "I can not even imagine" situations & show that it's still possible to survive under those circumstances [and have a heck of a lot of fun while you're doing it] ... you will follow their examples.

“Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.” - Unknown

These are the girls who have shown me that even with an "excuse", it's not an option to fall apart. Not back then & certainly not now. Together they have helped me keep it together. They are my secret weapon. They are my response to "I don't know how you do it". They showed me how; I am just following their lead.

Nostalgic sledding ...

2011-01-03T12:53:00.000-06:00

Last week when I was staying at my parents house over Christmas break, I took the kids up to my elementary school to go sledding. It's where we always went on the "good" sledding days. We even had the exact sleds my sisters & I used back in the day. That orange circle one with the blue handles is about 30 years old. We tried out 3 different hills which gave us many opportunities to check out the school & peek in some windows.

Ahhh ... elementary school. There is nothing like it. My kids go to the same school their dad went to, so this was neat getting to show them a little bit of mine & tell some stories. :) We peeked in the doors of the cafeteria ... ahhh pretty much the same. Then we peeked in another set of doors & immediately wanted to be a kid again at Henry School.

This photo is one of the coolest spots in the whole school. The stairs on the upper left to up to the main level of the school, the stairs going up on the right go to the library & the stairs going down go to my favorite spot of all, the Art Room. So cool. Peeking in through the glass, my heart skipped a beat. Oh I loved this place.

After sledding, we came back to my parents where we put the kettle on for some hot chocolate. [The shot of Davis in the kettle, he had just called me over to see his long neck. But when I got there, from my angle, he just had a sweet pig nose!] :) My kids sat at the same table, in the same kitchen where my sisters & I used to sip hot chocolate after an outing sledding at Henry School. When so much can & does change in our world & our lives ... it's so nice to get that little taste of nostalgia. [With marshmallows on the side, of course!]

Get moving ...

2010-12-31T13:36:00.000-06:00

Things are moving at the new pace of my sweet little niece Anna. :) A slow crawl. Her crawl was delayed ... and so at 12 months old, has had some physical therapy sessions to get her moving & get her joints & muscles prepared for this new movement. And as always, the rewards are so much sweeter if you have to work for them. This past week while visiting in St. Louis, we got to witness her spreading her little wings. She went from crawling just a few feet, to crawling into another room, making a lap & going back to the room she was previously in. The best part of it all was her adorable little giggle as she did it. She was so incredibly proud of herself & happy with her new freedom, it was so awesome to see & hear that. We all couldn't help but cheer her on & at times crawl alongside of her. Oh she's so adorable. We love you Anna & are so proud of you.

So now that Christmas is over ... I have luggage & clothes x 4, new toys x 4, gift wrap & decorations to put away. It is 1:00 pm & we all still have our pajamas on. :) We haven't had lunch ... but seeing that I planned to go out for pizza before our favorite pizza place gets crowded, I think we'll just snack our way through the belated lunch hour. No big plans for tonight ... I know it's the end of 2010, but I truly don't feel like our New Year's celebration is until 2 weeks from now when Kyle gets home from his 2 1/2 month deployment. I sort of feel like we're on hold 'til then. We're at the point where everything we're doing now is in preparation for that [YAY!]. So much to do between now & then: getting the house ready, putting all of Christmas 2010 away and finishing up projects I had saved up for this deployment [can you say "lofty" & "I thought I'd have time on my hands"?]. None of that will happen as long as I have a keyboard attached to my finger tips. So I am signing off [after spending all morning working on this new blog header], will get dressed & ... will finally get moving. Hopefully I'll have as much fun as Anna does when she does it. :) Bye bye 2010!

Another week ...

2010-12-17T20:07:00.002-06:00

Another week, done. Filled with a night without a working furnace, Brett's Christmas concert, lots of Christmas shopping, and lots of Skype. Seriously. How cute is this? Libby's teacher had sent a package with pictures & some of Libby's school work. She loved seeing it. Such a cool thing to do & see. And my oh my has technology changed since we did this last. Thank goodness.

The Blue...

2010-12-10T07:44:00.001-06:00

found here

How true & beautiful is this quote by Elizabeth Barrett Browning? Love it. Happy Friday. :)

Mini Quotes ...

2010-12-03T13:05:00.001-06:00

At the time of this posting, I have 6 new minis done ... with 2 for sale in the shop & 1 already sold! :) The rest will be listed over the next day or so [why does listing a new item have to take so long?]. Happy weekend! :)

Happy December ...

2010-12-02T12:58:00.001-06:00

I finally got to work. :) I turned up my Christmas CDs & got in the groove. I worked for 2 days & finished 10 items. I have 2 more on the workbench waiting to be finished ... but today's my day I set aside for appointments [eye doctor & cable guy = check], errands [grocery store = check], important phone calls [drip in a PVC pipe going to the furnace = still a to-do] & taking care of the clerical work for my Etsy shop [uploading photos & listing all the new items].

Then. Tonight the kids & I will decorate for Christmas. I am taking a few shortcuts this year ... this is the year of the artificial tree. And instead of going through bins & bins of ornaments ... I grabbed a collection that is put away in its own box. We might not look as Christmasy as we normally do from the street, but I'll give it my best before my chicken self has to run back inside to the heated home.

But I'll build a fire, we'll have hot chocolate with peppermint oreos & we'll turn this place into a Twenter Wonderland the best that we can - knowing we're already missing one very important component; one that can't be bought, made or brought down from the attic. :)

My somebodies ...

2010-11-29T10:20:00.002-06:00

[found here]

Last week I finally made a new Quote Canvas for the shop! :) Took me a week to list it, but here it is. We had a busy, whirlwind of fun & family this Thanksgiving & for most of last week. I put some finishing touches on the new basement [since this past weekend was most everyone in my family's 1st time seeing it], all while trying to get ready for company, shop for & make various recipes & keeping 3 kids happy and an ailing or just aging dog who "roo's" [she's a Husky, so she doesn't bark] at me all day long happy as well.

So if you're thinking I've dropped the ball on my blog & my Etsy shop, it is not your imagination. It is just that I am very necessary to somebodies & the somebodies' Daddy who rests easier knowing all is well here. I only have 1 brain, 1 voice, 2 hands & 2 eyes to share with everything & everyone. The most important thing at the moment is that I put 3 kids to bed with hugs & happy thoughts ... and if the Tooth Fairy comes a day late, it's not the end of the world. We all understand. She's busy, too & she only has 1 set of wings. :)

Ta Da ...

2010-11-18T13:21:00.001-06:00

Here are some shots from my new studio. :) I really didn't have any visions of how it was going to look when it began ... because I know beggars can't be choosers. I just wanted a cozy place where I could paint.

But I'm really happy with the end result. I like that it's simple. And nothing's permanent. We had talked about doing built-ins ... but in the end, everything came together & built-in's just weren't necessary. Which is a good thing seeing that we were waaa[+aaa]aaa[+aaaa]aay over budget for the entire basement [+a].

[Here's just a sample of how the paint conversation went & it'll give you an idea for how the rest of the basement came together: Me: "Honey, don't be silly. I LOVE painting. That is like NOT WORK for me. It's fun. I love it. We can do that ourselv- [[[thought about all the sheetrock ceilings that would need primer & paint & all the new walls, trim & doors that would need primer & paint]]] - OK fine. Let's just call & see how much..."]

So on that note. The shop is open. And new things should be in there soon now that I have a place to paint again. And I [sort of] feel the need to help pay off this room. So far I think I've paid for 3 cubic inches. Or let's just say the new blinds on the window [with 10% off military discount, thanks Lowe's].

Work it ...

2010-11-15T09:15:00.003-06:00

So my little studio is just taking 10x longer to put together than I thought it would for reasons that I just typed out, but that's not the point of this post - so I deleted them. :) I really really want to see it done, but I am o.v.e.r.w.h.e.l.m.e.d by the amount of cra[p]-ft junk that I have. I don't want it all in there. Seriously. Silk flowers - just be gone already. What are you even doing here? But the room has the basics done. The workbench, a shelving unit, a place to sit & a new TV. Oh. And a bathroom & a utility sink right down the hall. [score]

Here's a little sneak peek of my workbench. I've had this for almost 6 years ... but just converted it from manly workbench to pretty workspace. I bought all different combinations of things to try & skirt the bottom. But in the end I screwed in 4 eye hooks, used one 6-foot steel rod & used the 3 white fabric shower curtains I already had [that were in the Goodwill pile]. The steel rod fit into the shower curtain's grommets just perfectly. I love the way it turned out ... especially the way it looks like this little nook was custom made for my workbench. But it was just a happy accident after we decided to have a closet built for the room. The workbench was supposed to go on another wall, but after getting out the tape measure... we knew it was going to be perfect fit.

Here's hoping everything else finds its perfect place ...

Mail call ...

2010-11-08T21:29:00.001-06:00

This has summed up our weekend. :) E-mails to dad & pink roses delivered for me. I also woke up on Friday [a day that I didn't want to wake up] ... to a sweet e-mail, letting me know I was the winner of a Gussy store credit [from Paint Me a Picture's Giveaway!]. Made me cry. :)

I haven't made as much progress on my art studio ... but we're making progress in other, more important ways. We're finding our groove. Tomorrow I plan on locking myself in the studio & getting it done. Wish me luck. :) [Gosh - might have to go down there tonight to get a jump on it. That's a lot of pressure.]

We're there ...

2010-10-26T11:52:00.002-05:00

We are in that bittersweet time ... that the basement remodeling project is wrapping up, but someone else is starting to pack up. This past weekend I sanded, primed, sanded [again] & painted all the wood that is getting used to build our staircase in the basement. They are here now building it & it's going to be absolutely beautiful. I am excited for all the work to be over. But as the workers carry all the wood up & down to make all the right cuts, I am wiping some tears & hoping the lump in my throat goes away before they ask me a question. This morning a groggy little 6 year old woke up & asked if today was the day dad left for his "long trip". Luckily, this morning I got to tell him "no". But it was definitely bittersweet knowing soon I will have to look into those concerned eyes & say "yes". So. I don't anticipate having a lot to say between now & then ... but soon my new studio will be all set up & production will start up again. :) And we will gladly take any spare prayers in the mean time.

Still here ...

2010-10-14T11:32:00.001-05:00

I technically have been "laid off" from cREaTe since July. :) It is when our basement was gutted & all of my painting supplies were shoved in a corner of our house. I thought I'd have a temporary set-up, but it just wasn't to be. Just wasn't feelin' it. If you saw the space cREaTe was crammed into for the past 3 months, you'd understand why I haven't felt "inspired". You can no longer walk in that room. :) BUT. I had past customer on Etsy come back to my shop, requesting yet another Quote Canvas from me. I made it work - I was so honored someone came back a year later to add to their collection. The above canvas is the one I made for her. What an amazing quote by Viktor Frankl, which has even more impact knowing he was a Holocaust Survivor. If you read it again knowing that, it's even more powerful.

This has been a busy week ... as I gear up for a big Oktoberfest Party on Friday, Brett's 9th Birthday on Saturday & last major details going into the basement today & tomorrow before we can start to MOVE IN this weekend. After the grout dries. :) I'm sure I'll have more than enough photos to share next week. Very exciting weekend! I'm sure yours won't be as heavy on the "grout & kraut" like mine will be ... but I hope your weekend is exciting in its own way! :)