The Girl in the Blue Glasses

Happi Tree

2012-02-09T12:25:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I got to paint a mural for Melissa's little girl, Winter! Their nursery was almost all set, and after the tree was up, they were ready to welcome her into the room!

They chose the Dena Happi Tree bedding, which is absolutely adorable!!! To top everything off, the crib and dresser/changing table was a gorgeous shade of pink!!!

I instantly fell in love with their style the moment that I walked in! I think it helps that I love all things baby, but doing murals and customized canvases for families is one of my favorite things!

I just loved how the room turned out!!!

You've Got Mail

2012-02-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

I'm talking to you, Brooklyn Art Library!

Mom and I really pushed it to the last minute this year with our sketchbooks for The Sketchbook Project 2012! We mailed them on the deadline day!!!! :/ And, in perfect "us" style, we documented the whole thing :)

Don't our covers look great?! Here's a closer look at our books.

Let's start with Mom! I'm SOOOOOOO proud of her book!!! Since I was little, I remember her talking on the phone and doodling these beautiful little women all over her notes page. She recently began creating more expansive drawings of these woman, and I think she has really found her style! Each page of her book screams her spirit, love of art, and attention to detail! Here's her front cover:

Mom chose the theme "Encyclopedia of..." And her's is "Encyclopedia of Filet." You'll have to read her sketchbook, but basically, "filet" is what our family calls the best of the best. I believe a more common example would be "Cadilac." Can you find her title in the books?! :)

Wait, who's this fancy girl?! She seems so artsy, so cool, so...everything! Oh, wait, that's me! ;)

This is one of my favorite pages. I can't believe she did all of that pen detail by hand on the left!

This next picture is mom's fav. This lady is so super cool!!!

And, this is the Resort! If you look closely, there are so many details specific to The Resort!

And, this is the back cover.

Great job, Mom!

Here is the inside cover of my sketchbook. You can see the sewn collage through the leaves when the book is closed! I chose the theme, "Folds and Stitches," but the full title of my book is "Holes and Folds and Stitches and Stuff." :)

I feel like there's not a whole to explain about my pages. There is just a wide variety of my mixed media and collaging.

There are cut out leaves in the middle of these spreads with an orange netting in between them :)

Ta-Da! My book!

So, Tuesday morning, I met up with Mom to mail our packages. She was super cute and did adorable drawings on her envelope!

Mine was lame and super boring :/ :)
Anyways, we packaged them up,

And headed to the post office!

The guy ringing us up was extremely patient...especially when we struck up an extensive conversation with the sweet lady behind us, who was actually taking this picture! She has 5 kids- 3 of which are triplets! Anyways, back to the story :)

We were SO excited to have sent our books in on time! Truthfully, I was just thankful that I completed it in time!!! (p.s. Zoom in on this picture. My face is pretty hilarious!)

Thanks, Mom, for doing this project with me! I love that we do this together, and I can't wait to go visit all of our books in years to come at the Brooklyn Art Library!!! :)

Watch them grow!

2012-01-16T16:00:00.000-08:00

My nephew, Pax, turned 1 at the beginning of the month! We were so excited to go to his party and watch him scarf down his cake and play with all of his toys!

Since Kendall and I share a love for adorable little robots, I knew the perfect design for Pax's growth chart!

I had so much fun painting it, and knew Kendall would love having it hang in his room one day. I must say, it's probably my most favorite growth chart so far!!!

Happy Birthday, Pax! We love you so much, and may just steal you and keep you at our house!

Future Artist!

2012-01-13T06:46:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my parents got Tucker these wonderful paint brush pens!!! I've been working with him a little on holding crayons and coloring, but he is only very slowly warming up to the idea. Since it's snowing today, I thought coloring would be a fun activity, and I was right!!!

Tucker liked picking the colors, and playing with the pens. He's still learning to put it on the paper, but like the crayons, he likes to "hit" the paper in a pointillism style :) He also introduced a new technique by picking up the paper and laying it over the pen while he moved it. Brilliant, kid! :D

He was very excited with his finished product, as was Mommy :D I'm really looking forward to introducing more art into our daily lives!!!

And, here's a little video to see him at work!!!

Happy Friday!

painting ideas

2012-01-09T06:06:00.000-08:00

Now that you've seen a few Color n Cups painting parties in action, I'd really like your help. I want to add more painting options to the repertoire. I'd like some fun, fresh paintings to get people's attention. I've been dying to do a peacock one, very similar to this one, but with slightly different colors.

I also really like the abstractness of this next one, but with the brightness in the middle. What do you think?!

I think it'd be fun to do a fully abstracted one as well, and add a cross or two into the mix!

So, what do you think?! I could really use your help on this. You could even link to a picture that you think would be cool to paint in a painting class! I hope to work on some of these here pretty soon!

What are you being inspired by on this Monday morning?!

Ruston Colors n Cups

2012-01-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-laws requested a Colors n Cup party while we were visiting for Christmas, and it was SO much fun!!! Naturally, they chose the Fleur dis Lis.

For the background, they learned how to create texture and value changes using multiple colors.

Next, they created gorgeous shading using at least 4 different browns!!! Once they learned where the light source was coming from, the shading came easier. Both girls picked up the techniques so well, and created beautiful paintings!

I love how unique the they turned out!!! Great job, girls! I had so much fun with you! :D

*If you are interested in hosting a Colors n Cups party, and live in the Indianapolis area, please email me to set up your party! You can also read more details HERE!

Custom Canvases

2012-01-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

We just got back from Louisiana, but with the business of the holidays, I haven't had a chance to show you some of my custom orders!!!

The Jolliffs are dear friends of ours who are leaving for the mission field. Elizabeth wanted something for the boy's room (they have 3!) Sam loves camo and he and Andrew love to be outdoors. The stripes just matched their bedding. This is one of my favorite canvases since I haven't done many boy's rooms...except T's ;)

We had also seen this one on Pinterest, and she had to have it!!! I will be so sad to not see those little faces anymore! We'll miss you, Jolliffs!

My friend, Erica's, mom is the one who invited me to participate in the recent art show that I did. While we were there, she ordered a custom canvas for Eva's room! You can see her adorable little face in the lower right hand corner! She's an absolute doll, and Erica said she loved the art!

I also got this custom order at the same fair. I was pretty pumped to do this one, and had a great time with all of the John Deer paraphernalia. I actually went in to our local John Deer store, obviously looking out of place, and asking, "Do y'all have any, like, catalogs that I could have?!" in what probably sounded to them like a Valley girl accent. Luckily, there were some sweet guys behind the counter who were more than willing to help me, but with a slight snicker under their breath :/ I should have wore my work clothes in there :)

Enjoy!

Here comes Santa!

2011-12-20T13:07:00.000-08:00

Last night was our small group's Christmas party! I made a little prop for our pictures if you'd like to watch the tutorial!

I made a little photo backdrop using a sheet and some hand made snowflakes! I think the pictures captured the abundance of fun we had last night! Great times!

Merry Christmas!

My first Vlog!

2011-12-17T14:28:00.000-08:00

I recorded this a while ago, but Big A just helped me figure out how to get it up on my blog! It's super fun, and I have a feeling that there will be many more to come! :D Enjoy! Also, feel free to subscribe to my YouTube page!

Spreading Christmas Cheer

2011-12-14T14:30:00.001-08:00

Today I made little treats for Andy's coworkers. I really jump at any chance I get to bake :) So, of course I made chocolate chip cookies!

They turned out so perfect, soft and fluffy! I got these adorable little treat bags at Wal*Mart for $1.27, and they came with the twisty ties.

I packaged up 8 cookies in each bag, and added some delicious mint hot chocolate to put into the neat little tins that were only $1!

Tucker was really wanting to get in on the action, so I suggested he make the cards. I think he did a great job! ;)

Aren't his little hand prints adorable?! They make cute little reindeer :) (oh my goodness, the crafts you can do with little hands and feet!!! I am LOVING this age!)

Everything got neatly packed inside (it all fit perfectly!)

And the card really tops it off!!!

Each gift was made for under $2 each, but the love that was put into it is priceless!!! :) I love making great gifts at little to no cost!!! Enjoy!

Under the weather

2011-12-08T07:42:00.001-08:00

I seem to have a caught a bug (oooooorrrrr gave my family food poisoning :/) this week. It started Monday night, and then Andy got it Tuesday at work :/ T has been doing great the whole time, which I'm so thankful for, but the last couple of days we've allowed the couch to mold to our bodies.

I have actually been doing some orders, which I'll post pictures of later, but other than that, I don't have much to talk about. I don't want to deprive you of the whirlwind of randomness that is my mind, so here are a few thoughts I've had recently!!!

*I struggle to come up with a Christmas list every year, and as soon as I get other people's lists and go shopping for them, I find a MILLION things I want!!!

*I LOVE the Christmas decorations in my house! It's not so bad being sick when you're surrounded by a colorful winter wonderland! ...have i talked about my decorations too much?!

*I anticipate the sound of the mail man each day so I can run out and see if we have gotten more Christmas cards to hang on the fridge! :)

*No matter how hard I work on the house or laundry, it is never apparent to anyone who comes into my house :( I kind of feel like a failure...a lot

*I'm hoping that the lack of snow so far will promise for quite a bit of snow days and 2 hour delays for Andy after Christmas break!!!

*I only want to wear sweat pants. Every day. All the time. And never have to wear "real" pants again.

*I'm almost done with my Christmas wrapping! I can't wait to stuff stockings this year, and am SO excited that the Hinton's will be staying with us during Christmas! :D

I hope you're having a great Thursday! I'll try to be more exciting next week! Any random thoughts you want to share?! Go ahead! I'd love to read them!

Oh, I SEEEEEE!

2011-12-04T15:07:00.001-08:00

This weekend our church celebrated Belle's Brunch, all the tables get decorated by different women, brunch is served to us by the men, and music and a speaker is enjoyed by all. I LOVE doing this! This year my mom and I created the theme "Kid's Christmas," using many of the traditions my sisters and I had growing up! It was SO much fun!

Afterward, mom and I got to wander through the mall, stroller free (thanks, A!)) and browse through shops we usually just rush through. We were soaking up Anthropologie when I spotted these:

YES! New blue glasses!!! Unfortunately they are reading glasses and not fit to my specific prescription... so mom got them :/

I'm a little jealous, to say the least, but it seems only fitting that my crafty partner in crime would dawn a similiarly-hued pair of specks!!! Aren't they just gorgeous?! Speck so ;)

Let's just say we weren't feeling the Sally-Jessie/Harry Potter look, so I think she made the best choice :)

It was a great weekend! Did anyone try the hanging ornament craft this weekend?! If so, send me pictures! :)

Ooooh, also, does anyone know of a cheap website where I could possibly find an adorable pair of turquoise frames?!

Christmas Craft!

2011-12-03T13:30:00.001-08:00

Hanging Ornaments:

The last couple of years we've gone the "simplistic" route of trimming the tree. I've only put the brightly colored balls on the tree, and kept the other fancier ones in the box. ...I had a kid, don't judge! ;)

Anyways, I wanted to do a little extra this year to make it feel more like the North Pole :) After hanging the ornaments on the tree, I still had a good bit left over, so I came up with this little decoration!

Supplies:
*Ornaments-colorful, different sizes, your favorites!
*Ribbon-different colors, sizes, textures (use your scraps, or buy some on sale!)
*pretty easy, huh?!

Cut your ribbon to different lengths, and tie them to your ornaments. Next, either tie them to your curtain rod, or use an ornament hook and attach it to your blinds.

It brings a color and cheer to your windows, especially on those gloomier days, and it's a great way to display some of your favorite ornaments! Enjoy!

Christmas Crafts!

2011-11-28T05:21:00.001-08:00

Hanging Gifts!

I hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving! We sure did! What a wonderful week full of family, food, and fun! :)

I am soooooo excited to finally be getting the Christmas decorations up! It just feels so magical now that T is a little bit older, and I wanted the whole house (well, at least the downstairs) to be completely decorated!

I know that we're on a bit of a tight budget, so I've been creative with a bunch of my decorations. I wanted a "new" look, but without having to buy anything. I thought I'd share some of my crafts this week with you so you can make "free" new decorations, too!

For these little cuties, here's all you'll need:

*Cardboard- I used diaper boxes because I had an abundance!

*Wrapping paper. I bought a double sided roll at Sam's 4 years ago, and I still have about half of it left!

*Ribbon, whatever you have!

*Tape

*Hot glue

*Push pin

For starters, I cut long, skinny rectangles out of the cardboard. I made 3 pieces because I'm a big fan of odd numbers :)

Next, get out your wrapping paper and ribbons (I actually got my ribbon this year at Michael's on Black Friday for 70% off!)

Then, just wrap your "present!" I put the brown side of the cardboard towards the front in case my papers were thin. I didn't want that baby peeking through on the front!

Apparently I forgot to photograph this next step, but add your ribbon to the "gift." Make whatever kind of bow you like (or know how to make!). They don't even have to be centered, or tied in the same place or way! They'll look adorable if it's all mix 'n matched!!!

Finally, add a little loop on the back to make them easy to hang *DISCLAIMER* Do NOT use tape, as shown in the picture! I did, and all 3 fell down in the first hour. There are currently 2 on the floor again, so I will be fixing this with hot glue! I should have done this in the beginning, but wasn't thinking :)

Finally, hang them up!!! They add just a bit of color and festivity to an otherwise boring space!

Enjoy! If you make these, please link up in the comments below! I'd love to see yours, too!!!

Stay tuned for a few more easy Christmas decorations this week!!!!

Finale

2011-11-25T13:27:00.001-08:00

Last weekend was my last art show of the year. I was invited to it by Erica's Mom who puts it on each year. Originally I didn't think I'd be able to make it, but after the Oktoberfest fiasco, I had tons of stock, and no where to sell it! :)

Mom and I got up and headed out at 4:15 with no expectations, except to have FUN! It turned out to be just that!

Each of the ladies who hosted a booth brought cookies for the fair-goers, and I really liked this personal touch! It smelled amazing in there, too :)

Our booth was in between Lynn's and Peggy's booths. Peggy was sooooooo sweet, and actually taught Mom and I how to knit during the slower times!!!

We were thrilled, to say the least, to have "mastered" a new craft, and can't wait to knit away!

It was a wonderful day! My new necklaces and prints sold like hot cakes! :)

Thank you, Lynn, for inviting us, and Peggy for teaching us your craft! We had a great time, and look forward to next year!

And, of course, we bought our own knitting needles on the way home :)

And the winner is......

2011-11-18T05:08:00.001-08:00

Jess from http://lifestyle-eating.blogspot.com/ Congratulations, Jess!!! Please email me @ SimplySmithDesigns@gmail.com and send me your address!!!

Well, I'm off to finish up supplies for my last show of the year! I'm probably a little more behind than I would like, so I'll be a busy little bee today! Wish me luck! :)

Giveaway time!!!

2011-11-15T05:48:00.001-08:00

Y'all, I'm soooooooooooo excited to share this gift with you!!!! My family fell in love with the movie, Julie and Julia, a few years ago. My mom has since then perfected Julia's amazing Beef Burgeon on various special occasions! Let's just say it's more amazing than it even looks in the movie!!

One lucky winner will be the owner of this fabulous cookbook just in time for the holidays!!!

Here's all you have to do:

1) (required) Leave me a comment telling me your favorite holiday tradition (Thanksgiving or Christmas).

2) For a second (and separate) entry, become a follower, or let me know if you already are.

3) For an extra 2 entries (both separate) Like me on Facebook, and repost about this either on your blog, twitter, or facebook!

If you do not have a blog, you can still enter! Here's how:

1. Click on "Paint Splatters" below this post. Type your entry in the box under "Post a Comment." *Be sure that leave your NAME and EMAIL address at the end of your entry so I can contact you if you win!!!

2. Below that box, choose "Anonymous" from the pull down box next to "Comment as."

3. Click "Post Comment" and voila! :)

The winner will be chosen on Friday Morning!

Mustaches and Lips!

2011-11-13T11:25:00.001-08:00

More Kellys!!! Last weekend, my roomie, Kelli, from college came to visit! We had a wonderful weekend, and it was topped off with chaperoning the Masquerade Ball at Andy's school! I was in charge of doing the pictures, and I wanted everything to be more fun than just the "Prom pose."

So, I fashioned a few mustaches and kissy lips, attached them to some sticks from the backyard (I'm frugal, what can I say?!) and Voila!!! The kids LOVED this!!!

I think their favorite part was getting to use the frames. I had 3 of them, so they looked really cool in group shots. I can't wait to do come up with more ideas for the next dance!!! :)

We had a good time testing out the props as well, and I must say, we look pretty good :)

Kelly Squared

2011-10-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Courtney and I went to Chica Boutiqua, a local art fair made up of mostly Etsy sellers. I was supposed to be a part of the show, but I didn't think I had enough art left, so I'm going to do it next year! There were some amazing booths there, including my friend, Barbie, but I was actually super excited to meet Kelly Barton!...in person! I taught with Kelly's brother, and we've emailed back and forth for a while now. I actually recognized her art first! I said, "oh, now this is my kind of stuff!" As I walked closer, I knew it was hers!!! :) I bought one of her gorgeous prints, and I'll show you a picture once I get it framed and hung!

I also thought I'd share this little table cloth that I snagged at Goodwill a while back. At first I was afraid it was too "grandma-y," but I think I like it. It's not out all the time, so for special occasions, it will be nice!

See-great details and colors!

Happy Halloween!

afternoon painting

2011-10-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

We've been living in our house for about 4 years now. I love my house, but I am ready for a few slight changes to keep things feeling fresh. After I finished the place mats, I decided that the painting in the kitchen needed a bit of an update.

The colors are pretty, but I got very inspired by Mati Rose, and wanted to try to experiment with her style. So, the cover up began.

I did leave some of the pieces of the original painting show through, but I also masked those pieces.

It was nice to have my easel out and paint again. I just LOVE to paint!!! I've been playing around with abstract after my class I took last spring, and really hadn't done it in a while. I think I was just in the zone because it all just kind of flowed!!! ...did I mention that I did all of this during T's nap time?!

And, ta da! The finished product!!!

It goes really well with the orange piece bellow, and it's a nice compliment to the kitchen!!!

Ahhh, to paint again! :)

Funky Place Mat in a Day Tutorial!

2011-10-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

I have recently been wanting a neat set of place mats. I had an idea in mind, and found some neat ones at Pier 1, but not exactly what I was looking for. Then, I found some fabrics at Goodwill and they were perfect to make my own!!!

They were a thick linen and were previously some very LARGE skirts, but I knew I could transform them!!! This is really all you need:

*fabric- a large amount to be your base, smaller amounts to cut into strips for the front.
*rick rack, ribbon, bias tape, anything snazy!!!
*pom pom ribbon.

First, I cut the base fabric (the pieces I got from Goodwill, but also 6 different scrap pieces for the back of the mats. Each back is different!) using an existing place mat.

Next, I cut scrap fabrics into strips and searched through my ribbon, rick rack and other goodies to find additional stripes.

I played around with the arrangements until I liked how each mat would look.

Notice that there's a separate back fabric with each set.

Next, I ironed the edges of each of the strips and began sewing them to the top of the place mat (don't connect the back piece yet, or you'll see all of your stitches on the back side...unless you like that!)

Don't be afraid to play around with all of those stitch options on your machine! I used almost all of them to add a bit of *pizazz!!!* I also used a variety of thread colors to add more interest.

*It's also good to have some moral support through your project. T was very interested in the machine that made weird noises!

Don't worry if your lines are straight, or if the fabric isn't perfect, these are FUNKY place mats! They're not meant to be perfect! Just have fun with this project!!!

Once your front side is sewn, iron the edges of your top and bottom pieces so they they will match. Pin your pom pom ribbon into the sides, and begin sewing away! I used a small zig zag stitch for this step to give me a bit more wiggle room for making sure I sewed that pom pom ribbon in really well.

Again, more moral support. T was sleeping, so Sookie stepped in for this tedious process...well, not so much tedious as super exciting because I wanted to see the finished product!

And, let me tell you, it was worth the wait!!! I LOVE how these turned out!!!

No two are the same, and each has a different pom pom color and backing!

They just looked so adorable with my dishes and kitchen!

I think we'll be eating at the table a lot more now :)

Happy sewing!!!

Jane of all trades

2011-10-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

So, apparently, my recent internet stalkings have proved that my interests are teasingly diverse. Not only do I love to look at a variety of things, but my mind convinces me that I could "totally do that!" ...if I had more time ;) Here are a few of my many interests:

*embroidery (in a new and funky way, of course)
*home decorating
*home decor (pillows, shelf makeovers, lamps...)
*abstract acrylic painting
*furniture repurposing
*pillows out of sweaters
*video making

Yeah, and I want to do them all right now!!! I seriously have a list of projects that I want to complete, and I am actually finishing them, slowly but surely!!!

What do you want to try in your "free time?!" Want to share any links to cool projects?!

I'm off to meet my new niece, Ainsley, today! I'll have pictures soon!

The Facebook

2011-10-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! I know you just can't get enough of The Girl in the Blue Glasses ;), so I thought I'd make sure you can join in ALL the fun!!!

Have you followed my page on Facebook yet?!

I try to keep things fun- just little tid bits of crazy throughout your day ;)

I'll also keep you up to date on any events that I'm doing, or exciting things happening on the blog!

You really want to follow my page?! YAY! I'm so excited! Tell your friends! Happy Wednesday!

Are we friends?!

2011-10-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

...on Pinterest, of course!!!!

If you haven't stumbled onto this glorious cyber pinboard, you are missing out! My bookmarks are thankful that I've found a new place to stash favorites, and I'm pretty pleased to open up one page and see a million things that inspire me!!! Here are some of my favorite pins:

Ahhh, it's so great! As of right now, I have 663 pins!!! What?! That's crazy...no, it's addicting!!! If you're on Pinterest, let's be friends! Find me here to see all of my pins!!!

Say "Cheeeeeese!"

2011-10-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

You know when it's really late at night, and you're convinced that you're about to hit the end of the internet, but for some reason, you can't drag yourself up off the couch and you just. must. keep. looking?!

Come on, you know you know what I'm talking about...Please tell me it's not just me...

Well, when I've hit that point, I usually land browsing through old pictures on facebook. And, since it's super late and I'm bored out of my mind, the memories usually evoke uncontrollable laughter. Yay, you know what I mean :)

Well, my sisters and I have this weird habit of "ruining" pictures at the last second. I'm not exactly sure when it started, or why, I just know that we do, and it's hilarious. Here's a great example:

Take 1:

Take 2:

Take 3: Finally!

And, I think all of us really found out matches, because this happens a lot:

We can usually get Mom involved, too :)

Sara is an extended part of our family, mostly because she pasted the "posing" portion of the interview ;)

Dad, he's usually just pretty straight forward, though ;) and puts up with us pretty well :)

I just thought I'd share a little of our crazy life with you before you go into this beautiful weekend! Happy Friday!

Sewing success!!!

2011-10-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned yesterday, Courtney came over to learn how to sew!!! I am by no means a pro; just learned in high school, loved it, and just kept up with it! But, since Courtney called me her "Sewing Master Jedi," I guess I'll add it to the resume ;)

So (Andy, that was for you ;), like any good sewing lesson, we started by taking apart the machine to see how it worked.

...JUST KIDDING!!! There was a broken part on her machine that we had to replace before starting, so thankfully, I'm a wiz with a philips and a flat head. I know, I know, Jane of All Trades (also on my CV).

Once we got everything put back together, Courtney was a super fast learner!!! I showed her how to thread the machine and her bobbin and she was off!

Of course, being the artsy girl she is, she started off with a zig zaggy type stitch! We were very excited to see that her machine was really that cool :)

I know it's hard to focus on what she's doing that that giant *bling* in the way, but notice her straight lines...A+ student!

Check out her form! Total professional!

And, Ta-da!!! The most adorable little bib! (*this is NOT for her, but for her little girl, Scarlett!)

She'll be adding a little rosette up at the top like this:

And, there's that funky little stitch I was telling you about!!! Isn't it awesome?! I always love a fun stitch, it just spices up the project :)

It was such a wonderful time of sewing, talking, and being crafty girls! LOVED it! :) Thanks, Courtney, for letting me teach you! Can't wait to see what else you'll make with that machine of yours!

Today

2011-10-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

Today, I will be teaching a friend how to sew!!! I can't wait!!! I taught my younger sister in high school, and haven't had a chance since then!

I will just be teaching her the basics. I really think that once you've learned how to thread you're machine, the hardest part is over! lol

Can't wait to have some good fun girly crafty time! :)

Happy Tuesday!

Stitching

2011-10-03T04:39:00.000-07:00

I had to write this post before I forgot!!! I woke up this morning and realized that I had been dreaming about cross stitches to hang in my house!!! Not just the normal kind, but really funky ones, like of my glasses, and a "you are my sunshine" cross stitch/watercolor to make for a bedroom!!! My parents brought back these adorable paper placemats from my Grandparent's house, and they would be the most perfect detail for that little piece!!! :)

Why would I be dreaming of this, you ask?!

Hmmmm, it may have something to do with my obsessive pinning on Pinterest last night!!! I found the most adorable vintage inspired kid's rooms, and they had gorgeous art hanging in them! I would actually love to do this idea around our house, but all in good time ;)

The picture above is actually from my studio! We've got a great little collection of cross stitches from growing up!!!! I just love how they look! :)

Anyone else addicted to Pinterest?!!! Come follow me and see what I've been pinning!!!!

flower pots

2011-09-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

I really like to have a lot of color out front of the house, unfortunately, my thumb is not green. It's actually usually a variety of colors, none of which help me grow anything!!!

So, I whipped up a few floral arrangements to hang out front. Yes, they're fake (*gasp!) I actually had a coworker come by and tell me one time that she always noticed when people hung fake flowers out front and how awful they always looked! I tried not to take offense, and chalked it up to a personal "make it work" moment that filled my own satisfactions :)

So, I've been looking at the pots recently, thinking how "blah" they've become, and decided to give them a little make over :)

It's a bit hard to tell the difference here, but I sprayed the pot with my most fav color as of now, "Ocean Breeze." It turned out beautiful! It's just a very pretty color, and will hopefully add a little pop from the street! I've got a table out there, too, which I just recently realized that I could improve as well! The legs are a dark forest green (*blah), and I think I'm going to paint it yellow! We'll see! I'll let you know! Have a great weekend! T just woke up, so I must go! :)

Moustache

2011-09-29T05:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when or how it started, but I just love me a good (fake) moustache (pronounced "moo-stash")!!! When I was teaching my 7th graders, I used to draw little swirly moustaches on their index finger, and take their pictures with it up under their nose! Hilarious!

So I found these the other day at the Dollar Tree! Big A asked me what I was going to do with them, and I'm really not sure! But I do know, one should never be without a good moustache :)

I recently saw these pillow cases, and I'm determined to make a set of my own! (in my free time, of course ;)

And, let's just say, if you're at a loss for what to get me for Christmas, these will do :)

And, since one should never be without said Moustache, here is a printable just for you!!! Imagine how suave you will look to your co workers when you dawn your mysteriouso mustachio!!! :)

Happy Thursday :)

Meet the laaadies

2011-09-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

So, I just love the look of old cameos and silhouettes, and I couldn't help but make a few! Say hello to my little ladies!

Meet Loraine. She is a calm, thoughtful girl. She loves to read and is very observant. She resides on an 11x14 canvas.

This is her sister, Nellie. Nellie is a carefree, whimsical spirit. She loves life, sunshine, and having fun. She resides on an 8x10 canvas.

There are 3 other ladies (so far) in this little group and I'm sure you're going to fall in love with them as much as you did these gals!!! :)

all done!

2011-09-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

See! I'm still here!!! I thought I'd share my last few shows! Art in the Park was super fun and pretty successful! I loved seeing good friends and new ones that I had met at the Freedom Festival!

My booth was a little different, but I also had a few new items (like the notebooks shown below! All covered in my artwork!)

Since it was "Art" in the Park, I brought most of my paintings that I would have normally kept at home. I sold a bunch of paintings, which was exciting for me!

Here are those custom notebooks! Love them! :)

It was wonderful to see Barbie and Miles (above) again, and to get to see Jessica, Shawn and Grayson!!!

This last weekend was my last show of the year, which ended up being an epic fail :/ My parents were out of town, so it was just Big A, T and I to do the set up. Well, it took quite a while getting the booth up with the wind, and a 13 month old. About 5 minutes after A and T left, a huge gust of wind lifted my tent, and tipped over half of my display, ripping one of my oil paintings.

I ended up just packing up for the day after that :/ I'm fine with my decision because I knew that the wind would only continue to ruin more work as the day went on. Sooooo, I'm just going to start building up for next year! :)

Got a few more projects I'll be working on, and hopefully be able to keep my blog updated!!! LOL! Thanks for stopping by!

Marco...

2011-09-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

Polo!!!
Don't worry, I'm still here! Just been a tad busy! T is moving around like a mad man...not walking....just doing his "wounded solider army crawl." The kids moves pretty quickly, and stealth-fully...minus his grunts as he pulls himself along! lol Big A has been working SO hard at work plus his internship and his responsibilities as Class Sponsor that we are cherishing all the family time we can get right now!!!

I attended Fisher's Art in the Park this weekend, and it shaped up to be a wonderful day! The cold morning was keeping the viewers away for a while, but as the sun came out, so did the people! I saw many friends, and made tons of new ones!!! Pictures are to come.

I will be attending Fisher's Oktoberfest this coming weekend, so Mom is coming over to get in some good T time tomorrow so I can create a whole new supply! ...in one day :/ Don't worry, I'm a fast worker!

For those of you who don't live close by, if you see something on the blog, but can't find it on Etsy, but you want it, just email me! I'm sure I'll give you a price you can't refuse ;)

Anyways, that's about all for right now! Anyone have any questions for me? Anything you want to know?!!! Just let me know! (I know how this is going to go...*crickets...* Just like my classroom when I asked junior highers this same question! LOL!)

Happy Tuesday!

Addicted

2011-09-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Kelly, and I'm addicted to journals. :/ It started as a child around the time when I watched Nickelodeon's Harriett the Spy. Not that I wanted to be a spy, but she carried around this notebook, wrote in it all the time, and just made the whole thing look so cool!

So, over the years, I've seen gorgeous books, journals, and devotionals that I just "had to have," and then they get written in for a while, and then get layed to the side and are looked at for inspiration :) I am working on this whole not finishing any thing. And it's getting better.

So, let me introduce you to a few of my journals. Last year, while shopping at Anthropologie with drool sliding down my face, I came across this book. It was like the mixed media journals that I make, but with the quotes and writing prompts already inside! My parents surprised me with it a few weeks later!!! :D You'll be pleased to know that this book has gotten much use (as you can see by the tabs :)

Ahhh, now, this little gem. You've seen it before. I bought it in Chicago this summer, but wasn't completely pumped. I loved the papers, but wasn't completely sure how I'd use it. Turns out that while I was waiting for and obsessing over the Smash Journals to arrive, this little guy became my Smash Journal! The pages are small enough that it's reasonable to work on in a short amount of time, and I've already filled 20 pages! :) wooo hooo!!!

Meet my smile journal. I ran across this one time, and after searching all of the internet to find out where to buy it, I found it here! This site is adorable, and I bought some really neat Washi tape with it! It's actually a planner with these adorable little Japanese Kawaii figures all over it! It's so uplifting and makes me happy! :) ...I'm still working on using it :/...

And lastly, this treasure of a find from my good friend TJ Maxx. While skimming the books and journals, this guy popped up!!! Unbelievable!!! It reminds me of Keri Smith's books. There are so many fun prompts, and the illustrations inside are great! ...and only $3.99!!!

So, clearly, I have a little addiction. I don't plan on breaking it any time soon! The way I see it is as long as I use up what I buy, I'm good to go!

What is your fun addiction?!

Cakes!

2011-08-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

I made T's birthday cake this year...and probably will for the rest of his life, unless he decides he likes something else better :)

I keep things simple...for starters, and stick to the box cakes. They are YUMMY and pretty fast. I ended up making 6 different cakes, all of which were put together into 2! His smash cake was chocolate with rainbow chip icing filling...yeah, I know, I rock :)

The big cake had a funfetti base with a top chocolate tier, both with the rainbow chip filling :)

Now, despite my Wilton classes, most of my techniques were just picked up from here and there. One of the things I do is make a base for the cake. This make it easier to move and work with. Sooooo, instead of buying the pre-cut Wilton cake bases, which would be too easy ;), I make my own.

If you're like me and have a constant supply of diapers and wipes, you basically have everything you need for this step. Add some wax paper, and you're good to go!

I traced the pans I was using for the cakes on the card board, and then cut away! After that, I just layed the circles on the wax paper, taped it on and I was good to go!

3 bases for my 3 cakes!

Ok, now here is where there is a lack of pictures.

I used this wonderful marshmallow fondant recipe from this site, and this super quick and easy video to help me put the fondant on the cake. I'm really glad that I went with the marshmallow fondant because it tasted so good!

Now, for the lack of pictures. If you read the recipe, you'll see that I was dealing with gooey marshmallows, powdered sugar, a broken sifter, and more Crisco then I'd like to have my hands on again ;) Big A was in the garage building something, and although we've practiced, Sookie wouldn't take the pictures ;)

So, this is how it turned out!

Now, remember, this was my first time!!! There are a few creases because my fondant may or may not have started unrolling itself off the rolling pin and I had to throw it on the cake and make it work :)

All in all, I was super pumped, and did a little Chandler dance around the kitchen as I called my sisters and mom to tell them that it worked!!! (I had a plan B just in case a teething biscuit type situation occurred)

I then moved on to the decorations. My older sister had recently suggested that I try working with Airheads and/or Laffy Taffy to add the details to my cake, instead of trying to color my fondant. Great idea!!!

I bought a multi-pack at a gas station and had all the colors I needed!!! Since it was an Eric Carle themed party, I went to work on those adorable colored dots from The Hungry Caterpillar book, and the huge sunshine!!! I heated the Airheads for about 5 seconds in the microwave, which made them easier to work with. I also wore rubber gloves to keep from dieing my fingers, and it worked very well.

This was the end result!!! We had bought candles that made up his name before he was even born, and the were perfect!!!

His smash cake was pretty easy. I didn't fiddle with the fondant, and just colored white icing. This cake was themed after the book off to the right in the picture about a little cloud. Super cute, and adorable blue cake!! It was a hit!!! Turns out T likes food ;)

So, that's all for the cakes! :)

party DIY gone wrong :/

2011-08-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer, I made a some notes (...6 pages...) of what I wanted to do for T's party. Part of that was making as much as I could! I hand high hopes of completing every part of my list, however, time and skill didn't allow for that :)

The first project that didn't work out were the homemade teething biscuits for the party favor cups, found here. I already had all of the ingredients, and thanks to a great tip from a reader on the site, I whipped out some pretty cute biscuits.

I was covered in flour, everything was covered in flour, I was super excited to use my cookie cutters, and I just knew this was going to be fantastic. My friends would sing my praises and ask for the recipe, and I would be the the Baby Food Pioneer Woman.

Things seemed to be going well. I was following the instructions, things were baking, and "buuuuuuuuuzzzzzz," the timer went off!!!

They cooled, but then something didn't seem right. They were soft. Like chocolate chip cookies out of the oven soft. And, that didn't seem right. Weren't they supposed to be crispy?! That's what I thought too. So, I had a choice to make:
1. I could put in another batch, cook them longer, and see if they came out crispier (it was already 9:30 pm...I go to bed an hour later)
2. or, throw in the towel and buy some puffs...

Guess what I did :/ If I hadn't had a million other items on my to-do, I would have given it another try, but I had to just move forward, so I did!!! :)

If you try these at home and get them to work, please tell me what i need to do to make them work! Thanks! :)

Invites

2011-08-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Hey! Well, T's birthday weekend went off AWESOME!!! He had so many great friends and family who came to celebrate with him, and well, my baby is a YEAR old!!!! (drying tears, fixing makeup...Ok, I'm good)

Where are the pictures, you ask?! Well, they're on my mom and sister's cameras!!! As soon as I get pictures of the whole party, I'll show you, but until then, here's a little tutorial on T's invites that I made!!!

Since we had an Eric Carle themed party, I thought it would be fun to include his artistic style in the details. After I made and printed the invitations, I prepared the envelopes. In Eric Carle style, I painted different color paper (although he usually used tissue paper). I then had T color on them, for a bit of a personal touch :)

Next, I made a template that would fit inside of the envelope, and cut all of the colored pieces to size.

Next, I glued them in, and stuffed them!!! I think it added a colorful touch when the recipient opened the invitation!!!

I was pleased with how they turned out, and loved the personalized look of his card!!! I even used some of Carle's letters for the invite, and it turned out great!!!

Do you have any other invitation or stationary ideas?! I'd love to hear!

This and That

2011-08-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! I thought I'd share a few of the things that went on this weekend!
*I was able to work on a few more pages in my Chi-Town sketchbook:

*And, I got a great surprise when I came in to get T-man up this morning!! This was SO cute!!! Not only was he sitting up and talking, but he had set P-Twizzle, his stuffed pig, next to him!!! I took a million pictures, of course, and sent one to Big A at his first day back at work!

*As previously mentioned, T's 1st birthday is this Saturday! I started this weekend on a few of the projects, and let me just say, I'm really glad I did! ...This one Did Not work out! :/ Soooo, I'm glad I know, but I also have to figure out a plan B. :) Let's just hope that the cake doesn't end up like this! :)

*Lastly, I got a great surprise yesterday! I went to the library yesterday, and upon leaving thought I would take a few shots of the train tracks. To my surprise, as i looked down the track, I saw that the Fair Train was parked outside the station due to the fair being canceled yesterday. I was able to take a ton of shots of this gorgeous locomotive, and just wish Big A and T-man had been there with me. We could have gotten some great shots of all of us! Despite that, it was an amazing experience!!!

Check out all of the photos HERE, and be sure to "like" my page while you're there! :)

Also, if you have any cake decorating tips, be sure to leave them for me!!! I'll be tackling that project on Thursday! :)

Fun Photos

2011-08-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share a few pictures that I've taken recently while T and I have been playing. He's been wearing his little chuck taylors recently and he just looks. so. cute!

I'm pretty sure I could do something with these...add some text, hang them as is...something cute :)

I love this picture! The colors are gorgeous! T and I were playing out front, and when I layed back, this is what I saw:

Anyways, tomorrow begins T's Birthday Week!!! I'm beginning the decorations tonight, and have lots to do!!!

I will be taking TONS of pictures of this big event, and plan on having a tutorial week afterwards for all of the birthday projects!!! To spike your interest, here are a few of the things I will be attempting:

*marshmallow fondant- never done before
*a 2 tiered cake- pretty sure I can handle it...hopefully ;)
*marshmallow fondant details on the cake

Those are my big ones...pray for me! :) Happy Friday!

Flowers and Football

2011-08-07T18:12:00.000-07:00

Quite a combo, right?! Not if you live with Ava and Landon!!! My friend, Katie, from high school is an extremely talented photographer, and a wonderful mother to 2, almost 3, of the most adorable kids ever!!!

Ava is going to be sharing her room with her new little sister, Haddie, in just a few weeks now! To help consolidate, her dad build her this awesome bed with storage underneath!

I painted flowers in the room to match the bedding, and put the girl's names on the wall above their beds.

Ava loved all of her flowers, and now she has a colorful space to play with her Barbies and Littlest Petshops!

We didn't want Landon to be left out, so I made over his room, too! First of all, let me tell you that Landon has my dream room. He lives in the basement (which is a rough term since it's a finished space, and very nice). It's away from the rest of the family, and feels very "Box Car Children-ish," which Landon has just started reading.

Landon loved the ideas of turning the cut outs on his walls into "lockers," and his parents came up with the score board idea for his book cabinet.

We continued with the sports theme above his bead.

This is my favorite mural so far! I think it was the lockers and score board, but the over all look was so much fun!!!

I really liked painting at their house. They were gone most of the time, but while we were there, we jammed out to some Tim McGraw and Justin Beiber. The best part was when both kids were standing on either side of me on the bed and belting out "Baby!" It was priceless, and I wanted to take them both home with me after that.

Thanks Landon and Ava for letting me adorn your walls! I had a blast with you guys!

Local Celebrity

2011-08-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

That's right. I'm kind of a big deal ;) You see, I get calls all the time for appearances at local events, broadcasts, radio shows...the usual. People. Love. Me.

Please tell me you don't think I'm serious!!! I just like to mess around a little. Live in my fantasy world. Pretend I'm an A-lister. :)

Actually, I got a sweet set up at our local bank! Apparently, they do a Business of the Month, and my dad signed me up for August!!!

I got this whole table to set up my goods, and promote myself a bit!!! Unfortunately, I only have about 20 business cards left after the the Fishers Freedom Festival, so those who don't get in there fast enough will have to just write my info on their money ;)

I'm super pumped to have this awesome set up as free advertisement!!!

I tried to put a little bit of everything to advertise all I've got!!! Hope it works well!

If you live around here, be sure to stop in the 5/3 Bank on 146th and Hazeldell!!!

SBP 2012!

2011-08-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, Mom and I got together to celebrate the start of our first Sketchbook Project! I was about 8 1/2 months pregnant with T-man, and couldn't wait to start this new project! (Oh my, I have grand expectations!)

We're really big on traditions in our family, so, we met together today in Mom's new creative space to begin our 2012 project! Mom chose the theme "Encyclopedia of" and I am tackling "Folds and Stitches."

We wore our t-shirts from our Chi-town trip, and added a little "get crafty" flair because, well, we're just cool like that ;)

We gathered our supplies, and with the help of Elle, got to work on our books!

I brought over my supplies in my grandpa's old tackle box. When my Grandma passed away a few weeks ago, my dad brought this home for me. I was so excited to use it because I knew Grandpa would love that I was using his box, and Grandma would love that I was filling it with art supplies!!!

This year was a little different than last. Last year, I jumped into this project with reckless abandon, painting pages, applying my cover-jabbering and giggling along the way. Mom however, was a bit more hesitant. She was nearly paralyzed by the looseness of the guidelines, and not sure of how to approach the blank pages.

As the project progressed, she warmed up and found her groove. I slowed down as T-man got a little older, but we both finished with pride and excitement.

This year, Mom seemed to be a little more prepared :) She had a clear idea for her first page, and dove right in!!! Although all my ideas are in my mind, I seemed to only produce a random part of my to-do list! I painted my cover, a few pages, and made some bagels inspired by my lunch :)

I also created a few pages with some stamps in preparation for journaling. Feel free to upload these and use them for your own projects!!!

It was a wonderful work day! We listened to Adele, chatted about our ideas, and laughed!!! Oh, it's so good to laugh! I'll continue to update as pages progress!

Wedding signs and journal pages

2011-07-31T19:39:00.000-07:00

One of the ladies I work with asked me to make some adorable sign's for her daughter's upcoming outdoor wedding. They will be attached to pieces that are stuck in the ground and will point people towards the wedding and reception. What a cute idea!!!

I told her to send me some pictures after the wedding so we can see the finished product!!! They will be adorable!

In other news, my on going journal obsession continues. I don't know what it is about cute journals, but I want them. I have such high hopes of filling them, but so far, my Sketchbook Project book is the only one that has ever been successfully finished!

...Despite that fact, I bought this little gem in Chicago!

The graphics are so neat and have a vintage feel, and I've already completed some pages!!!

...notice how I'm talking about ANOTHER journal in my new journal!!! ...are there groups for this type of thing? ;)

I've even used some of my new little stamps!!!

I hope y'all enjoyed Ann's post last week about the Handwritten Letter! It was such a blessing to have her post, as I was kept very busy with some little preschoolers at Vacation Bible School. We did crafts all week and had a blast!!! I just love those little guys, they're such a hoot!

I'm glad to be back, and I hope y'all had a great week!

A WORD OF IMPORTANCE

2011-07-28T17:01:00.001-07:00

I have enjoyed my week of reminiscing with you on my love for the handwritten letter. It comes easily to me and I have discovered over time that those who are passionate at heart and free themselves to share with others…have thus found their “gift”. I have friends who sew like the wind and create beautiful wears and accessories. Kelly can paint and create and I am still trying to figure out what size canvas to buy! But I also believe that we all possess a bit of a gift in all areas and we soar when we allow ourselves to do so…without parameters restricted by what others will think or say, but with the joy of the gift that God has given us in His many promises to us. So, I hope that someone might have read this rambling this week and become inspired or encouraged to share a handwritten note with someone who is dear to them, or a friend that needs kindness inside a .44 cent envelope, or just a note of love.

I encourage the handwritten letter writer to include the most important information on the exterior of the envelope (yes, the recipient’s address is necessary, and the postal employees will appreciate a return as well), a flashy new sticker or cute stamp are always entertaining… but I suggest… write a verse from God’s Word or a favorite verse; something as simple as; “The Lord is my Shepherd.” You never know whose eyes will fall upon those trustworthy and faithful words. The Word of the Lord will stand forever and in letter writing there is nothing more essential and powerful than the Word of God. I try to always include His Word inside and out of my letters, for truly, THAT is what will enrich the recipient the most and ultimately even the writer. Refreshment comes from seeking and sharing…speck so!

Lastly, I encourage you to find a location for your writing. That cozy comfy spot, where all of your “tools”, stationery, pens, addresses, stamps are together, but most certainly, a quite spot where you can nestle in and write without interruption. Sometimes, I leave my desk and head for the great outdoors (presently, be cautioned to the extreme heat…for you do not want to melt!). Just hearing the song birds sing as you script your handwritten letter, will bring solace to your own soul. Wherever you settle, make it your spot.

The weekend is upon us. There is free time in everyone’s busy schedule. Take a few moments, think of someone….find some special paper….reach for a pen that brings you joy… chose your words thoughtfully and lovingly…search for a nugget of manna in God’s Word and wrap it around your handwritten note…and let someone stumble on a treasure when they head to the street corner with hopes of seeing that “You’ve Got Mail!”

The Instrument and the Ink

2011-07-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

As a child I received certain limits. No make-up until I was thirteen. No pierced ears until junior high. No stockings until I was twelve. One thing I distinctly recall from my years at Fall Creek Elementary… I could not wait until I reached 5th grade, for THEN, I would be able to write my assignments in fountain pen! Could life get any better? Legal handwriting with an ink pen! By 6th grade, my parents transferred me to a college prep girl’s school. The trendy uniform was gray! Drabness! No one would be graduating with an art degree from this “plain” institution…however…this was the 60’s and rebellion was the theme…hence, the gals who befriended me, influenced my wild streak and introduced me to a new drug for my Schaeffer fountain pen…

Peacock Blue Ink! I had died and gone to heaven! But, like most finds in junior high and high school, monotony wears thin, and soon my fountain pen and peacock blue ink, found its way to the back corner of my desk drawer…surely to be empathic with the Woody character in Toy Story.

By the time life fast forwarded to 2002 and the entire “special” paper incident, I began to search for that old fountain pen…but too many moves and “spring cleans” had caused its disappearance. I relocated my exact fountain pen; Sheaffer, at that, at a Staples Store…but blue and black inks were my only choices.

I must have talked about my beloved Peacock Blue Ink more than I realized or a more accurate assumption would be that I have a very attentive husband with a good listening ear. For Christmas 2003, I opened a small square box from my hubby. It had intrigued me as I usually make multiple scans for new gifts appearing closer to the 25th! When I opened my present…I was in shock! I was breathless! I said “where, where did you find these?” “On the internet” my husband replied. It had never occurred to this technically challenged gal to check such a source, but this gem of a man had bought me 5 boxes of peacock blue ink! It took me back in time…to fun…to a love…both of writing and a privilege…it was comfort in a Sheaffer ink cartridge box. I used this special ink on and off for the next several years…but then we moved and all of our “stuff” moved and got stored and moved again and then “stuff” finds a way to hide at times. Well, just a few months ago, I was rummaging thru my old dresser drawers and stumbled on a box…containing some old notes and then…my peacock ink! I currently have some fabulous fountain pens that I only use black ink in…but while in Wheaton, IL last week, Kel and I visited our “art” shop…and a must have purchase was a $5.78 Sheaffer fountain pen…just like the one from 5th grade.

Ink is important. Probably more so to the writer…but I find it an integral part to letter writing…speck so. The point I am trying to make is that from my experience… a joy in the handwritten letter is found in the instrument used and the ink that flows. As in most things in life, you must make the most of every moment or it will just “pass you by.” I believe there is a significance in peacock blue for me just as there is an incredible effervescence of thrill that comes to me when I pick up the fountain pen that my three daughters gifted me one year for mother’s day and the special pen that my parents gifted me because they purchased it from Dr. Whitney’s favorite store…the price of such a treat could equal that of a small mortgage payment! It IS the experience…it IS the story from within the heart that makes the letter “sing!”

THE PERFECT PAPER!

2011-07-26T17:30:00.001-07:00

Hi! I just had to make a quick note that is is my most favorite topic of this series!!! For YEARS "special paper" has been a constant part of mom and my's vocabulary. Besides being visually drawn to a gorgeous design, our second gut instinct is to feel the paper. Yes, we're quite a site! :) I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do!

Now, back to Ann!

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Hiddy Ho wRiting Rancheroos!

Paper… “Special” paper…stationery… on Wikipedia, the definition of stationery states that “historically stationery has meant a wide gamut of materials; paper and office supplies, writing, implements, greeting cards, glue, pencil case, etc.” I LOVE the word gamut! But paper has a huge importance to my handwritten note. Sometimes, due to a crisis moment, I am forced to forgo the use of my number one criteria for a note, due to mismanagement of proper stationery inventory and my thoughts find their way scripted onto a handy dandy typical notecard…but the paper source for writing is interracially woven into the importance of the handwritten letter.

In the summer of 2002, our family traveled to Alaska for a most marvelous cruise. An early side trip brought us to Victoria Island. After an intriguing day on the Isle, we wandered the streets of quaint shops and explored an old bookstore. Up to this point, paper had no uniqueness to me really, any old card or paper source would do…but that evening, in an old dilapidated bookstore…I spied it! It was….”special” paper! A sheet of soft yet textured piece of heaven, ivory in color with little delicate ladybugs and green leaves meticulously ornamenting that which I fell in love with at first glance,…it had to be mine! I purchased two sheets and traveled with it for the next sixteen days, snuggled in my suitcase for the duration of the cruise. I was very protective of my “special” paper and when it was gone…my obsession with such only escalated! My search for that same texture and feel became finite back home in Alabama and it has never ceased. I seem to not be able to tolerate just “any” paper…texture and feel is everything to this writer.

Kel and I just returned for our Chicago/Wisconsin trip and on the way home, we made a side tour to Shamburg, IL. I was not looking for it…Kelly actually discovered it…”special” paper in the MOST unlikely find! That is what makes it so very exciting to me. I usually discover the stationery that I dream of most, in unexpected places. I always wonder, as I write my notes and send them; do the recipients know that my heartbeat skips to not only the joy of sending them a handwritten letter, but the feverish fluttering of just the find of such a product, the touch, and the privilege to write them a note on that which I hold dear to my heart.

So, to all of you wRiting Rancheroos, some may make your own cards, others may just find true delight in a colorful design, but whatever floats your boat…I hope that the paper product becomes an essential part of your handwritten letter experience as much as it has become for myself, speck so.

Do you have a special or favorite type of stationary?! Feel free to share a link so the rest of us can check it out! :)

The Art of the Handwritten Letter

2011-07-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

As written by Ann :)

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Kelly has been asking me for over a month to write a contribution on such a subject matter. My thoughts come from a passion deep within my heart, and thus I think this is what has drawn her to ask me to be “featured” on her blog; that, and her kindness, which runs as deep as her loving spirit and enthusiasm over anyone’s passion. So, here goes…

Why a “handwritten” letter? Technology has brought us so very far. Instantly we can communicate via internet and such the like. Spelling, as I have seen on facebook and email, does not really matter…the “close enough” theory seems to adapt well in such circumstances. Instant, immediate, spontaneous chattering…as long as it is brief, quick, and speedy to reach the “one” or many…it has become our way of life…and possibly…expectation. But a handwritten letter, done with fervency of my heart, is completely opposite of the descriptive words fore mentioned. It involves pondering, practice, penmanship, a dictionary, a thesaurus, compassion, and joy!

In my case, the following are essential for the handwritten letter; “special paper,” a fountain pen, and a beautiful ink. The passion for the letter encompasses an emotion to the receiver, an excitement over the thought of them loving the aspect of the note, the craze of the intentional selection of the feel of the stationery, and the zeal within the letter writer’s soul to explain the tender thoughts that lie within and the challenge to properly convey that message to the recipient.

Can the handwritten letter bring comfort, joy, kindness, enthusiasm? Can the note reveal a humble spirit but bring eloquence bestowed from the sender to the intended? I have found all to be true over the years, as I have made many first and second drafts to many notes and received a multitude that have brought life to my spirit and comforted me in many ways… I have saved numerous such treasures.

Framed is a note from my eldest daughter with an attached etching from my first grandson. Packed away in the attic is a humorous four page letter from my mother to me, scripted in the 1980’s when she and my father explored the region of Peru South America as she colorfully described their travels. A saved treasured letter from a lady I had never met is still in my possession. She lived in Tennessee and I had first written to her when I was eleven or twelve years old about goats. Goats?...what about goats? Well, that is another story for another day, but it is the paper she wrote on, the shaky hand that penned the words, the time she took to write to a young girl (a child, really) whom she never met and share the information I had requested in those young years of my life. I still enjoy today, re reading that which was saved from many years past.

The handwritten letter begins with a passion. It is a readiness to convey a thought, an emotion, an expression of the soul to the intended family member, friend, or in some cases, the perfect stranger. Words are powerful and can influence a mood or outcome of any situation. Letter writing has become my gift. I believe it was developed by my mother’s insistence to always respond in thankfulness by a handwritten note. My love for writing was encouraged by my father as he worked diligently with me in junior high to excel in composition class, by leading me to understand the importance of “rough drafts” and chosen and selected words. Here was my introduction to a thesaurus and a reminder…that I am spelling-ly challenged and hence, a dictionary is always a wise companion.

So, I end with the thought of passion…love for words and how they can be used for goodness. Ponder… think how you can increase someone’s joy just by pondering on some well thought upon words to encourage and delight their spirit! Savor the thought of the thoughtfulness of those words as you meditate and heart fully think of the one you are writing to. Seek out some “new” words to use in your letter writing. Finally, fast forward in your mind about five months…December is almost around the corner! Doesn’t your heart just skip a beat thinking about the mail…at Christmas time? The only month when cards and letters seem to outnumber the statements that meet you daily! Ha! You and I have the power thru the handwritten letter to produce that same excitement to others during the entire year! Until we meet again…God Bless.

Meet Ann:

2011-07-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

This is Ann. She is more commonly known on my blog as "Mom." :)

See the resemblance?! Yeah, we get that a lot :) I don't just get my dashing good looks from her, but a lot of my creative juices as well!!! Although never "classically" trained, she has always created beautiful works of art from doodles and birthday party decorations, to her most recent work of The Sketchbook Project! I asked her a while ago if she would be interested in guest blogging here at TGITHBG about her greatest talent, and since I will be doing VBS all week, this turned out to be the perfect time!!!

For those of you who have met my mom, you have also probably received a letter from her. The Lord has blessed her with an extremely wonderful gift of writing. Along with this, he bundled up encouragement, compassion, truth, and love.

All my life I have received loving notes hidden in my desk at school, lunch box, on my bed, attached to "happies," and later in life, in care boxes and in the mail. She has a way of filling each note with the warmth of a hug and the comfort of The Word. On many occasions I have watched people come up to her and thank her for the wonderful blessing that her note had sent them. I don't think you understand. It's a Big Deal to receive a letter from Ann. People love them. Save them. Talk about them. It's her thing.

And guess what?! She's going to share it all with you!!!

This week, Ann (mom) will be featuring a week long series entitled

The Art of the Handwritten Letter

Here's a little preview of what's to come!!!

"Why a “handwritten” letter? Technology has brought us so very far... But a handwritten letter, done from within the passion of my heart, is completely opposite of the descriptive words for mentioned (brief, quick, speedy)... The handwritten letter begins with a passion. It is a passion to convey a thought, an emotion, an expression of the soul to the intended family member, friend, or in some cases, the perfect stranger. Words are powerful and can influence a mood or outcome of any situation."

Join us this week to dip into the "lost art" that holds so much treasure!!! Have you ever received a letter from Ann? Please comment and share with us!!!

Sketchbook Weekend

2011-07-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

I returned home late last night after a magical trip to Chicago!!! Our trip was extended a bit because my Grandma passed away. All the guys met us up in Chicago, and we headed to Wisconsin to celebrate her life and soak up as much time as we could with family that we get to see way too little of.

We made some GREAT memories as we traveled to see our sketchbook, and here are some highlights!

After we made it to our hotel, we explored some of the terrain not usually tredded on by the "Potter" clan. As you can see here, we visited "the ocean." Yes, that's what I called it. Mom quickly corrected me that we were not look at the ocean, but in fact Lake Michigan. ...I'm an artist, what do you expect ;)

Our "ocean" walk led us to Navy Pier:

Where we spent way too much money in Garrett's popcorn shop and the little Candy Shop next door! :D

We left with bags full of food, orange fingers (from the popcorn), and sailed out on a canal architecture tour!

We had never learned about the buildings before, so it was very interesting. Unfortunately, the sun was fierce, and it honed in on mom's back, leaving a rather intense sunburn above her shirt line. To add to it, we had to walk a LONG distance from the pier back up to Michigan Ave. in the blazing heat. It took quite a toll on mom. :/ She heroically made it all the way to Gino's East where I barely got her to the second floor booth. Thankfully, salad and some delicious pizza later, she was back to new :)

We carved our moment in history into this little booth, documenting the historical Sketchbook Project Trip of 2011 that will undoubtedly resonate on the walls for all of time :)

That night we rested up, (I'm pretty sure I fell asleep around 8!) and the next morning, after a delicious breakfast at the Ritz Carleton Cafe of eggs benedict, we made it. All together now: "Hallelujah Chorus!"

I think I had been so busy preparing to leave and complete orders that I had fully prepared my self for this experience. As soon as we walked in the door and saw the sign and the books, we both had a complete freak out!!!...in a good way!!!

We were HERE!!!! it was happening. to us. right now!!! We could see all the books, and Caitlyn and Eliza, and Shane! We felt like we knew them from all of our research of the Library, and it was all coming to fruition!!!

Did you see all of the books?!!! 10,000 of them!!!! Oh, the stories they held, and the time that was put into them. 10,000 people who were brave enough to commit themselves to paper to be permanently archived for all to see!!! And we were going to get to see them!!!

Naturally, Mom checked out my book, and I checked out hers. Then, from the pleathera of unique covers, we were allowed to choose 2 more to view *squeal!!!* Mom picked the polka dot cover, and I chose the red cover for her :D

I check out hers, and iHanna's, and a magnificently decorated black and white sketchbook.

It was such a joy to see the books that we had spent SO many hours dwelling, working, and experimenting over...and others had now seen them too. As we were looking, I experienced a great blessing. A fellow viewer of the books walked by and complimented my book as mom was reading it!!!! She had no idea it was mine when she said something, but after viewing it herself, she told me that it was the best one she had seen so far!!!! (please note this is not me tooting my own horn, but rather documenting a wonderful experience that encouraged me as an artist)

We were also blessed to meet Jo and her children Shibon and Ian. They had started this project while their husband/dad was serving in Iraq to complete as a gift to him upon return. He was so thrilled when he got home that he wanted to participate as well!!!! Jo's sister even completed a book!!! We just loved making this new friendship with such a sweet family :D

As we were getting ready to leave, we got to talk to Shane, one of the founders of The Art House. We loved hearing about how their dream for this project has grown in this last year. It was all we could do to not say, "we're moving out there and becoming part of your team!"...or maybe we did say it ;)

This project has done so much for both of us this last year.
For me, it has been a creative outlet as I entered into motherhood. I looked forward to working on pages during nap time, and used it as a bargaining chip for myself to do the dishes and laundry :) It has also been a way for my mom and I to team up doing something fun! I cherish my time with her, and we have had so much fun along the way!
For mom, it has been a leap of faith. Although she does not claim to be an artist, she is. She pushed herself through her sketchbook, experimenting and thriving along the way. She doesn't always see it, but she has been developing her style through this experience. Now that her book is done, she continues to be inspired and works in her newly made work space with gusto!

After having such an amazing experience at the exhibit, we both ordered our sketchbooks for next year!!! I chose the theme "Folds and Stitches," and mom chose "Encyclopedia of." I hope you will join us on this amazing journey!!!

And, we're off!!!

2011-07-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

It was just one short year ago that Mom and I received our sketchbooks for the Sketchbook Project 2011. I was just a few weeks away from delivering T, who was nestled not-so-subtly in my ginormous belly, and I was so pumped to get my hands on this journal!!!

Miraculously, we were both able to finish our sketchbooks by the January deadline, and have been anxiously awaiting our time to visit them on tour ever since!!!

Well, our time has come!!! Mom and I are heading out tomorrow morning for Chi-Town! I can't wait to see the 10,000 other sketchbooks involved in the project!!!

So, you probably won't be hearing from me until next week. BUT, if you also participated in the 2011 Sketchbook project, please let me know because I would LOVE to check out your sketchbook!!!!

weekend happenings

2011-07-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

Thank you for everyone who entered the giveaway!!! Click here to see the winner!!!!
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This weekend we started the first of what will be MANY birthday celebrations for T and his friends!!! Lukey celebrated his 1st birthday on Saturday, and we had a great time watching him enjoy his friends, presents, and cake! :)

Tucker wanted to give his something really special, so he made this growth chart!!!...I may have helped a bit ;)

Luke's Dad, Adam, coaches football, and was thrilled with this gift!

I've also been working on some projects for Courtney over at Klassical Keys!!! We met at my booth, and have become fast friends!!! I'll give you more details in a while, but it was nice to work on some mixed media again!!!!

Smash Book!!!

2011-07-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!!! Although, in my world, all the days pretty much just run together, so everyday feels like the weekend :D Lucky, I know :)

Anyways, I had to share this with you!!! I entered a giveaway to win this today, and thought it was just one of the neatest things! You know my love for journals, so of course I loved this! It's called a Smash Book!!!

What is a Smash Book?! Well, this is what they say:

The book comes in various themes, based on the color of the binding, in which the pages in side reflect it through gorgeous pages to get those creative juices flowing! Awesome!!! Blank white pages can be daunting...

And, it even comes with a pen/glue stick! One side pen, one side glue stick!!!! AMAZ!

Look at all of these neat pages to work on!!!!

So, you should really watch this video to see how it all works. You'll want to buy one!!! You'll finally have a place to put all of those random "things and stuff" that you want to keep, but don't know what to do with. Anyone else?...just me?! mmmm-K!

They also have a great blog, which I'm sure I'll spend way too much time browsing through... :) with more videos, examples, and inspirations!!!

They have tons of additional accessories in their store, at beautifully cheap prices to make your Smash Book even cooler!!!!

Super neat, huh?!!! Just had to share with my lovies!!! Which one would you get?! What would you put in it?!!!

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Also, if you haven't entered my GIVEAWAY, do it now!!! Remember, a clutch AND a surprise!!! I know, I'm so kind ;)

Sock Monkey Babuskas!

2011-07-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

You know how I love those Babushka dolls! Oh, their little faces are just so cute! They make me happy :D

Yesterday, I received a text from my mom who found these little guys!!!

HOW FUNNY!!!! I also love sock monkeys. T's got a bunch in his room. Again, something else that makes me happy :) I think she found these at Target, so search for them if you're there!

Oh, and have you entered my giveaway?!!! Remember, you don't just get a clutch, you also get a SURPRISE!!!! A double prize!!! Tell your friends, shout it from the rooftops!!! :D

Happy Thursday.

Clutch Giveaway!!!

2011-07-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 11 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Congratulations, Jessica from Jessica & Josh
Turley

email me at SimplySmithDesigns@comcast.net and send me your address!!!

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Hey, lovies!!! Happy Hump Day!!! Guess what?! Right after the FFF, I reached 100 followers on my Facebook fan page, and have now jumped up to 113!!! That is SO exciting, and warrants a giveaway, don't ya think?!

Me too! :D So, here is my "gift" to one of my wonderful followers...

This adorable fabric clutch!!! It's about 14 in. long and approximately 10 inches tall (I'm eyeballing this, people!).

Check out the adorable details. That button alone is awesome!!! The fabric is so great, as well!!! If you're in my line of duty, this is the most perfect "Mommy Pouch" to put in your diaper bag! It's big enough for your wallet, phone, lipstick, and anything else your heart desires!!!

AND THIS ISN'T ALL!!!! The winner of this giveaway will not only receive this awesome clutch, but you will also receive a SURPRISE...from MOI!!!!!

I know, a surprise! I LOVE surprises, and hope you are the same!!!! Any guesses as to what it is?!

So, how do you win this bad boy?! I'll tell you:

1. Follow me on Facebook, and leave a comment telling me that you do (or already do)

2. Follow my blog, and leave a comment telling me that you do (or already do)

3. Post about this on your blog, and leave a comment telling me that you did

4. Post about this on Facebook, and leave a comment telling me that you did

*I would love to reach 100 followers on my blog, so help me get there! :D

The winner will be picked by Random.org on Monday morning!!!

Hidden Treasure

2011-07-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

My grandparent's house is a storehouse of lovely treasures!!! There are many a "lost" Christmas gifts purchased well before December, but forgotten about, just waiting to be found among cherished belongings held dear for many years.

Recently, I stumbled about an unexpected treasure in my Grandparent's room.

After inquiring about this unique double sided case, my Grandpa filled me in on it's purpose. During his years of running his own private practice of pediatric dentistry and being the Dean of Students at the IU Dental School, he used this box to hold his many slides for the presentations he was asked to do!

Now, that makes sense! The slides were easily accessible from both sides without having to "dig" for the desired group! After a great story about the slides, Grandpa graciously gave me the box!!!I'm not exactly sure what I want to do with it...just yet,but I knew I had to have that box!!! I do know that it will house wonderful special things and stuff :)

Any suggestions for what I could keep in here?!

DIY hutch makeover

2011-07-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

Beautiful hutch, right?! Right!!! However, this gem isn't really getting much use right now in my parent's basement, so I helped my mom vamp it up!!! Here's all you need!

1. A really good ruler...and someone who's keen on measurements :)
2. multiple pieces of foam board
3. fabric
4. double sided tape

Hancock's is really getting to know mom and I. We hit a great sale and snagged our fabrics for less than a dollar a yard!!! I think we left the joint with all of our fabrics (9 total) for around 8 dollars!!! Don't you just love some gorgeous fabrics?! Us too!!! :D

After that, it's really very simple! First, cut your foam board down to size. Mom wanted 3 fabrics per shelf, so we measured the pieces to mimic the sizes of the windows on the hutch (I won't mention that I spent last night altering some ill-measured foam boards :/)

Next, put strips of double sided tape around the back edges of your foam board, like so:

Gently pull your fabric (cut slightly larger than the foam board) over to the back and attach to the tape!

Pretty easy, huh?! Then, take down the corners of the fabric with tape, and you're done!!!

Set them in the back of your furniture piece, and ta-da!:

Beautiful!!! :)

Mom chose to use this as her craft cabinet. Great idea!!! She displayed books, paint brushes, paint, and nearly everything she uses to create. She even has room in the shelves on the bottom for the big stuff!!!

It really looks SO neat!!!! Great job, mom, on a beautiful transformation! Thanks for sharing!!! :)

I hope you all are having a great holiday weekend, and don't forget to check out some of my "happies" in the previous post!

"happies"

2011-07-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend!!!

"Why is she posting on a holiday weekend?" you're asking yourself.

Well, because I'm lame. ;) just kidding...sort of. I feel like I've been so busy recently, and my blogs have taken the back seat. So, as I lay here on the couch, immobilized by the heat outside, I thought I'd update!...That, and no one has invited us to do anything, so yeah, lame :)

At the very end of the day, once facebook has been checked, all of my blogs stalked, and the news has finally come on tv, I like to wander into random online stores and look at little "happies" that I don't necessarily need, but think it would be fun to have!!!

So, with that said, I thought I'd share some with you!!! ...and if you happened to want to purchase one or two for my upcoming birthday, I wouldn't be opposed ;)

This cutie patootie can be found over at Mod Cloth. That blue! Those owls! What fun!

Oh, the Non-Planner datebook by Keri Smith (found here)! I've always wanted this! It just seems like so much fun, and let's face it, these days, if I don't write stuff down, it gets forgotten :)

This little gem is from Two Seaside Babes!!! She was right across from me at the FFF, and I tried on one of these gorgeous hats!!! She makes them in tons of colors, but I think I would pick either the color in the picture, hot pink (#16), or teal (#30)!

And, I couldn't leave you without an adorable Babushka doll!!! I'm not sure why, but I just love these little things!!! When I visit my sisters in Louisville, one of my favorite stores to visit on Bardstown is Why Louisville! They just have the quirkiest little gifts, and it's so much fun to see everything!!!

I hope you enjoy! These little shops should give you tons of browsing pleasure! Such adorable things at all places, yet still not all of my favorites!!! Oh, well! Enjoy, and don't forget to invite us to celebrate with you next year! We're really fun at parties ;)

Puppy Love

2011-06-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

There were so many dogs this weekend at the fair! Big ones, small ones, black ones, white ones... :) Dr. Seuss would have had a hay day! Many of them stayed friendly, but we did hear a few fights around the corner :/

As I was sitting there watching all of my canine friends, I realized that I didn't bring ANY of my dog portraits!!! I am definately going to put some out there for my next fair in September. Here's where I need your help!

I have done traditional portraits in the past, as seen here, but I'm really wanting to branch out and do a few funkier paintings that are more my style. I will still be offering the traditional soft pastel portraits as well, though.

Ok. I KNOW that you have a pet that you LOVE!!! Please email me your favorite Doggie picture to me so I can make up some examples!!! I would LOVE for you to send me your pup for me to practice on!!! I'll post them as I get them done! Thanks for sharing!!!

Email me at: SimplySmithDesigns@comcast.net!!!

Also leave me a comment letting me know that you sent me one, just in case it doesn't go to my inbox :/

Fisher's Freedom Festival!!!

2011-06-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

I can't fully describe to you how amazing this whole experience has been!!! Like I've said before, I have always wanted to do an art's fair. After experiencing my first one, I'm hooked!!!

So, wonder where I've been the last few weeks?! Doing all of this!!!:

As soon as we got home from vacation, I went straight to work on finishing up a few final projects, and tying up loose ends. I'm usually a procrastinator, then get super stressed out at the last minute, and end up in a hot mess of melt down. Not this time!!! I was easy and breezy :)

My ultimate plan unfolded as seen in my mind, and Big A helped me set up my booth mock up in the garage the morning of set up. I actually made my first sale to a neighbor while it was up!

That evening, with plans in hand, Big A, mom, dad and I headed to the park and got everything ready to go in nearly no time at all!!!

And, ta-da!!! The finished booth!!! Since the space next to me was empty, we eventually opened the left wall out to make the whole thing more open. It was much nicer :) I had a perfect booth space in the shade, facing north, so we never had any direct sunlight. The weather was perfect!

My whole family was there to support me!!! The girls came up with their guys, and I loved getting to love on the boys! Thanks for coming up to be there for me! You guys rock! :D LOVE you!

My parents were an amazing help and encouragement through this whole journey! Mom came all week to take care of T-man while Big A and I got ready for the weekend. They were both there for practically the whole weekend with us, and Dad shared his muscles and his sweet tea at the booth. I am so blessed to have family who just wants to be a part of my life!!!

And, these guys :D My adorable matching men!!! Andy has always adored my passion, and as my "business manager" and partner ;) helped me with all parts of this project!!! T did amazing all weekend! He follows in my footsteps as a people-watcher, so he was in his element :)

And, of course, was thrilled to have his homies here, but I think they'll need a more extended play date in the near future :)

I was thrilled at my over all success at the fair. My favorite part is getting to know new people and learning about them!!! I love sharing the background of my artwork and knowing where it's new home is! My peacock feather stuff sold like hot cakes!!! I think I only have one left!!!

And, the aprons were a huge hit, too!!!

To see pictures from the whole weekend, click here!

Keep up!

2011-06-24T09:08:00.000-07:00

I haven't really had any time to update my blog, but I have been updating my facebook page!!! So...if you'd like to see everything I've been doing, check it out here!!! Be sure to "like" my page while you're there!

Thank you to all of you who have been following this journey and encouraging me along the way!!! I made my first sales this morning while I was setting up my mock up booth in the garage!!! I even got some commissioned work set up!!! YAY!!!

I'll be putting up tons of updates tomorrow and Sunday from the festival!

Crunch Time!!!

2011-06-20T05:59:00.000-07:00

We rolled into town last night from an AWESOME vacation, and woke up this morning to torrential downpour!!! Now, it' crunch time!!!

No worries! I'm captain crunch! I've got my lists made, delegated jobs to Big A, T-Man and mom, and now, I'm off to work!!! :) Wish me luck!!!

I'm official!

2011-06-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

My vendor tags and booth site came today in the mail!!! I was so excited when I saw the envelope said "Simply Smith Designs" under my name!!! YAY!!!! Just 2 more weeks!

Progress

2011-06-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

"Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming." :D I've actually gotten a TON done this week! Today, I'm focusing on leaving for the beach. This is my list as of this morning...more has been added to it, but also some stuff has been marked off!
Yesterday, I covered all 6 of the moleskin notebooks that I had bought. Now, onto painting them!!!
Last night was I was bound and determined to finish the Gnome-inhabited bookshelf, and whalla! :D I just love how it turned out!!!
I plan on displaying my note cards, prints, and moleskins on this shelf at the festival. And, one they've all sold out ;), it will still be pretty!
I also got a steal of a deal on all of these gorgeous fabrics!!!! I've got a bunch of aprons already finished, but I'm going to see if I can whip these out, too, when I get back!!!
And, of course, a little bit of spray paint :)
I actually really like using spray paint!!! You can transform an object right before you eyes, like that awesome retro phone that I got at a garage sale for a dollar!!!
I just wanted to prove that my lack of blogging was actually due to very intense work! :D I'm hopeful that I'll have everything done by the festival, so we'll see!!!

Also, if you haven't "liked" me on facebook, click HERE!

Counting Down!

2011-06-07T17:48:00.000-07:00

The Fisher's Freedom Festival is 2 1/2 weeks away!!!! That's a lot of time, right?! NO!!! We're going to the beach all next week!!!! YAY!!! If you've seen me, you know I need a little sun ;)

Anyways, I still have TONS to do! I'll be an apron-making machine the next few days because I just got a great deal on some gorgeous fabric!!! I also have to put finishing touches on a few other projects that are almost done!!!

Doesn't seem like much, right? WRONG!!! I have a 9 month old, remember?! Lol, that little guy is SO funny!!! He's a good helper, though. He talks to me while I work, we sing, and take breaks outside. He's cool :D

Anyways, if you don't hear much from me, I'll be drowning in a sea of fabric...or water ;)

Kandinsky-esqu

2011-06-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend I attended the Woodruff Place garage sale with my friend, Amanda. It was like a bazillion degrees out (I hoped she wasn't too worried about me when my face turned a deep shade of pink/purple), but we had an amazing time, and each came home with our own treasured finds.

I am a big garage saler. I've always been amused by looking at other people's "stuff," and am amazed at how true it is that "one man's trash is another man's treasure!" The trick is to not go with anything in mind. Just be open to finding something that jumps out at you!!!

Recently, some of my best garage sale finds have been the people that I meet. A few months back, Mom and I met 2 lovely ladies and after talking for quite some time, we exchanged email addresses, and we've even kept in touch!!! We also met another woman in my neighborhood who, after her husband passed away, has felt God's still, quiet voice calling her to leave her life here and follow Him. She's not sure exactly where, but she's being obedient to His calling, and is following Him!!!! And then there was the sweet old man who, by his own admission had "memory problems," and wore a sign around his neck that said "Not for Sale!" LOL!!! He was a HOOT!!!!

In addition to these wonderful people, I met another heart treasure on Saturday. As we walked down the street, a tall group of shrubs slowly unveiled a lawn full of paintings. Gorgeous paintings, done in oil, and on cardboard!!! Cardboard of all things!!! The shapes were beautifully organic, the colors were smoothly blended, and my heart leapt inside my chest. I had to meet the artist!!!

A young girl came down from the house and told me about how the paintings were just experimental. She had joined with a pianist who played while she painted. Since they were just trying things out, they wanted to keep the cost cheap, so that is how she landed on the cardboard. I wanted to hug her!!! I explained to her how I used to teach Junior High, and that I had the students do this exact same experiment with colored pencils after we studied Wassily Kandinsky! We would study the lines, shapes, colors, and feelings of his paintings, what they could have represented, and then we just created while listening to music.

Oh, I can't tell you how much I enjoy meeting people like this. I should have bought one of those paintings. I know that now. I think my judgment was too impaired at the time by the extreme temperatures, but I would have loved to have had that art in my home simply for the story and the memory.

Car First Aid Kit Tutorial

2011-06-01T17:29:00.000-07:00

My sister, Allison, came down for the week, and we decided to do a little craft project!!! I am so excited about this because it was SO fun and easy!!!

We wanted to make a cute little first aid kit to keep in the car for, well, mishaps that kids can have. You know :)
Isn't it cute?! Here's all you need:*6 plastic baggies
*fabric- I used 2 coordinating patterns. You could probably use a few old cloth napkins if you wanted!
*sheet of padding-I used cardboard in this tutorial, but after it's all said and done, I will be using the sheets of stuffing in the future :)
*button
*elastic

First, cut your stuffing about a quarter of an inch larger than your baggies (laid out 2 in a row=front and back). Next, cut your fabric about a half an inch larger than your stuffing:
Iron your fabrics with about a quarter-half an inch seam allowance:
Sew your button to the front of one end of your rectangle. Sew it about an inch away from the fold.
Now, place both fabrics with the WRONG side facing each other, and lay your sheet of stuffing in between like an Oreo :). Pin around the edge to hold everything together.
Next, cut a 2-2 1/2 inch strip of your elastic:
Loop it, and pin in between the two fabrics on the opposite end of the button.
Now, sew all along the edge.
And, ta-da! Isn't it beautiful?! Pretty easy, huh?!
Now for the baggies. I layed 3 of the baggies going one way, and three going the other way, and sewed right down the middle to hold them in:
Once your kit is finished, it's time to fill it!!! We bought a pre-packaged first aid kit with everything in it, and then added a few items of our own!
Everything fits perfectly!!!
Enjoy!!!

30 Days, Day 1

2011-06-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

I decided to participate in the 30 Day Journal Challenge. Janel, over at Run with Scissors, is hosting this 2nd annual challenge for all who would like to journal!!! It's really very open, and she just gives us a prompt every day for the month of June, and we complete a page! I love the creative freedom that is involved in this since there are no specifics as to what type of journal you have to do.
Normally, I would do one of my artist's journals containing my mixed media style, but I really don't have time for that sort of thing right now. So, I rummaged through my studio and found this perfect little journal!!! It has 16 pages, so just enough for one page each day!!! YAY! I knew I'd use it some time! (I seriously think I've had this journal since college!...I might be a hoarder ;)
As you can read in the page above, I am basically doing this to work on my journaling skills. It's really been the most challenging part of my artist journals because I never know what to write! ...I know what you're thinking, "you?! Really?!" Yes, it's true! I guess if I just saw those books as another blog, I wouldn't have any problem! lol! Anyways, I just wanted to try something different!!!

Today's prompt: Create an introduction page. This can be an introduction of yourself or of your journal. This is kind of like the title page for your journal.

Without even knowing it, I had already completed this when I got the prompt!

If you're interested in participating, the button is on the left column of my blog! Now, on to day 2!

dreaming big

2011-05-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

So, my dream has always been to have my own studio/gallery where I could sell artwork of local artists, especially those who are young or just starting out, and a place for people of all kinds to meet, create, talk, and have fun!!!

This is still my dream, but I have to be honest. I have NO idea how to make it happen!!! I keep reading about people who are making their dreams come true-they have their own business, they are selling their artwork all around, their Etsy site is a success- and I can not figure out how to get myself going!

I told Big A the other night that I need a business manager/publisher/marketer to run the business side of things, which is probably what's holding me back so much. I have GREAT ideas, but no idea how to get them going.

I feel defeated sometimes and just wish I could be successful. Don't get me wrong, I'm so thankful for those of you who have/are supporting me and have bought my things in the past, and even patted me on the back, encouraging me that I'm a great artist, but seriously, I have no idea how to move forward!!!!

Uggghhhh, I guess this was just a venting post. However, if you feel as though you fit the bill and would like to volunteer your services (yes, volunteer. You heard me, I'm not really making enough to pay you, let along myself! ;) you would be greatly appreciated! :)

I'm sure you'll see me one day...at least I hope so. I've heard follow through isn't my strong point, so paired with my keen business sense, I'm sure I'm headed straight for the top ;) ...I kid! :D

Storage Container Tutorial!

2011-05-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

Well, as you know, my studio is also functioning as a sewing room, and a guest room, so the space is definitely tight!!! Big A built me a gorgeous storage unit/work table, which I absolutely LOVE, but in my design, I only designated one area for my paints (silly me!), and now, my paints overfloweth! :D

So, I had to come up with a different solution than the Wal*Mart bag that was holding all the extra paints! So, of course, I looked around to see what I already had to work with, and this is what I came up with:

*Shoe Box (an old diaper box will be PERFECT also, or any other box)
*Wrapping Paper (I prefer the look of FABRIC, but I didn't have any scraps big enough...well, at least not in a patter/color that I liked :))
*Tape (or glue if you're using fabric)
*Scissors

Easy, huh?! I thought so, too. Just a few materials, and wallah!
Super cute storage container! Mine is Super basic, and I plan to add a little ribbon around the middle and a tag that says "paint." That aught to spruce it up, right?!

Ok, so this is how it works. First, lay your box on your paper/fabric (I used my double sided Christmas wrapping paper because it has adorable white polka dots on one side). Make sure it's big enough to wrap up the side, and tuck over into the inside.
Next, extend the sides of the boxes onto the paper with a pen (you can barely see mine, but they're there). Once you've done this, measure an inch out from that, and cut that corner away (as shown below). Then, snip a little cut from the corner of your paper to the corner of your box. This will allow for an easy fold.
Now, get to wrapping!!! If you're using paper, just tape it up real good on the side, and use your finger or then end of the pen to go over it so it becomes transparent on the outside. If you are using fabric, glue it well, and make sure your cuts are straight :)
Lastly, choose your lining paper/fabric. I used teal, of course :). Trace the bottom of the box onto the paper, and crease it. Cut the exact same way as you did above, only, make sure the right side of your paper/fabric is showing.
Now, tape/glue into the inside of your box. Once this piece is in, you could add a piece of ribbon to cover where the two papers/fabrics attach. It will give it a much more finished look.
And, ta-da! super cute storage container!!! These are perfect for storage bins on the changing table, holding DVD's, storing toys...anything your little heart desires!!!

Also, if you are covering your box with fabric, check out this other tutorial for making a basket liner. I really like how it gives a nice finished look. Once you perfect this inexpensive and easy project, it will make for a great gift at your next baby or wedding shower!!!

Enjoy! Send me a picture if you end up creating a decorative storage container of your own! :D

And the winner is.....

2011-05-23T05:20:00.000-07:00

Kaisha!!! Congratulations!!! Email Chloe at mynewlifeasahousewife@gmail.com Thanks for all of you who stopped by!!!

GIVE AWAY!!!

2011-05-18T20:25:00.000-07:00

Hey, y'all! Meet Chloe from My New Life as a Housewife. Isn't she just as cute as a button?! I think so too :D

Chloe is one of my new blogger friends, and I have just so enjoyed getting to know her!!! You should follow her blog, she's pretty neat! One, she lives in Spain (awesome!), and 2, she has a ferret!!! His name is Stitch, how cool is that?!

Here's a little more about Chloe:
"I started crafting a long time ago. I've always loved crafts. Since I was a child. But I started making felt brooches about three years ago, when I finished my degree. I couldn't find a job and had a lot of free time, so crafting became one of my favorite hobbies. As well as blogging.

My (now) husband proposed, we bought a house, got married and the name of my blog became "My New Life as a Housewife". Because that's what I was. Although I was always trying to earn some money working as a private teacher, translator or photographer. Then I decided to open an Etsy shop, Chloe's Boutique, to sell some of my stuff: felt brooches, and prints of pictures I've taken during my trips. We really needed/need some extra money! And now I got a job as an English teacher! So I'm really busy nowadays... AlthoughI'm trying to find time to make more more felt items for my shop. Maybe headbands? What do you think? Well, hope you like my Etsy stuff!!"
Aren't these Tweety Bird Broaches adorable?! One of them can be YOURS!!!!
And, I'll even give you a few ways to enter! Here we go!

1. Swoop over to Chloe's Boutique. Take a gander at her beautiful work, and let us know what your favorite items are!

2. Become a follower of My New Life as a Housewife AND The Girl in the Blue Glasses (me!) ...or let me know if you already are (you can enter twice if you follow us both!)

3. Let me know what color broach you will choose if you win!

I will pick a winner on Monday morning! Thanks for stopping by!

Rosette-a-palooza!!!

2011-05-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

I've definitely been into rosettes recently, but as you can see by previous posts (or lack there of :/), I've been a little less than motivated. In fact, I've been flat out tired. Despite the jokes of my family (no offense taken), I am not creating a child; merely keeping up with one!!!

Anyways, mom came by today and was actually able to kindle a bit of motivation in me!!! We worked together for 30 minutes, and that spurred on a few more hours of rosette making before bed!!!
Oh, mom! Does she remind you of anyone you know?! ;) Yes, yes, we look VERY much a like!!! Also, she will be guest posting on my blog in the near future, so be sure to head back to hear from this wonderful woman!!! :DOur fingers are covered with glue. The table is covered in fabric. And the rosettes are just too cute!!!
Here are a few of my favorites!!!
I added a clip to the back of these so they could be used for various purposes! I LOVE this next look! I took a necklace of mine, wrapped it around twice, and added 3 of the rosettes to it! Great way to snaz up your own jewelry, don't ya think?!
Then, of course, they look adorable in your hair!

Such fun!!!
We will be making various products out of them for the festival booth, so stay tuned!!! :D Happy Wednesday! :D

Hoo Are You?!

2011-05-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

Over at Night Owl Crafting, she's got a few questions to answer!

1. What type of diamond cut do you like?
I love the classic round cut. Originally, I loved the princess cut, but after MUCH research, Big A decided that the round cut was more vibrant, and I totally agree! It looks beautiful on my setting, too!

2. If you are married when is your anniversary. if not what month would you like to be married in?
Our Anniversary is June 2. It was a beautiful day with perfect weather!

3. What were or would you like your wedding colors to be?
My wedding colors were sage green with light pink, peach, and cream accents! It was beautiful!

4. How many bridesmaids did or would you have at your wedding?
I had 3 bridesmaids. They were my 2 sisters, and one of my great friends (who set Big A and I up!)

5. How long have you been married?
We will be married for 4 years this June! :D

Blah

2011-05-17T08:16:00.001-07:00

This is what it's like around here. Blah. Sookie's got the good life, don't you think?! :)

Babushka!

2011-05-16T05:16:00.000-07:00

Mom, T, and I spent a few days in Louisville this weekend with my sisters! It was SO much fun!!! Besides fellowship, garage sale-ing, and eating ice cream :) I got to visit a few of my favorite shops.

One of my most favorites is Why Louisville.
They have such quirky and bizarre items, and a lot of unique local artist's work. T and I got to wander around a bit by ourselves, which gave me a chance to soak up everything. As I was finishing up the very last shelf, I spied this treasure!!!!
Be still my heart!!!! I have been looking for something like this!!!!
I'm not sure why, but these little Russian stacking dolls have been calling my name recently. I even made my own Babushka stamp! (pictures to come). I about fell over when I found this! There are 4 different size and styles of the doll cards, and they can be displayed standing up, or just serve as a cute note!!! *LOVE!* I want to send them to people, but I think I'll have to stare at them for just a while longer :D

This weekend Big A got the paint on my wood shelf!!! I've got one more coat to add today, and then the decorations will be added :D

Hope you had a great weekend! :D

Domino!

2011-05-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

The Fisher's Freedom Festival is just a little over a month away!!! A MONTH!!! I'm going to admit something to you now. I was thinking that it wasn't until the middle of June. Then, while looking at my calendar today I had quite the wake up call!!!! (Don't judge, I think I have baby brain- where T man took many of my brain cells)

So, if you live in the area, mark your calendars for June 25th and 26th!!! Also, if you follow me on my facebook page, you may be able to win a prize at the festival! So be sure to do that! :D

Alright, on to the good stuff!
I just finished this huge batch of adorable Domino necklaces!!! The fronts are made of pieces of my collages, and the backs are the domino numbers!
Look at all those colors!
They're like candy!
2 necklaces in one! :D
Want one?! Come to the Fisher's Freedom Festival to my booth on June 25th or 26th!!! :D

Have I mentioned recently how much I love my readers?! I do! Thanks for being faithful! I know that many of you don't comment, but I know you're there. I try to keep it exciting for you to keep you coming back ;)

Happy Wednesday!

Mother's Day weekend

2011-05-10T06:18:00.000-07:00

Whew! I missed almost a whole week of blogging! :/ Anyways, I missed you guys, and it's good to be back! We had a great Mother's Day weekend! My sisters came up for the weekend, and to celebrate T-Man's dedication at church! It was a such a blessing to have everyone here!

Mom took a few pics of T, and they turned out AMAZING!!! I love them! We will definitely be framing a bunch of these!

I made an adorable card for my mom out of T's hand prints, but I forgot to take a picture of it! She's going to frame it, so I'll show you later! :D
My mom also made an amazing canvas for T's dedication!!! I was SO excited, because she branched out of her comfort zone and into the mixed media techniques that I work so much with! She wrote out the words to "Jesus Loves Me," and we will be hanging it in his room! ...again, no picture yet :/
But I do have pictures of this little guy!! Worth it, don't ya think?! ;)
Here's the whole fam (minus Zack, Stone, and Grandma) at church on Sunday!!! What a great day!!!
Happy Tuesday!

Mother's Day gift ideas

2011-05-03T04:54:00.001-07:00

As you know, Mother's Day is coming up this Sunday. Unfortunately, I'm facing a bit of a dilemma.

You see, I basically have the BEST mom ever!!! She and I have always been the best of friends, and even now, we love spending time together, crafting, creating, shopping, and hanging out!!!

Ok, my struggle. Kendall, my younger sister, has already trumped the Mother's Day gifts this year. She created an adorable Shutterfly picture book of all of the boys for mom! It was SO cute!!! Mom loved it, and of course, how are we to top that?!!!

So, that's where I need your help!!! I need ideas!!! What were some of your favorite gifts that you've gotten for your mom, or even received as a mom? What things are you considering giving this year? Any neat, unique items that you've seen?

Your helps is greatly appreciated! :D Happy Tuesday!

And the winner is.....

2011-05-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!!! I was so glad that y'all shared in my excitement over this giveaway! I was even more pleased at the number of my teacher friends who might try this idea at their own schools! (If you do, send me a bowl! :D)

Well, their can only be one winner, so Regan's beautiful bowl will be sent to....

Carlee from Carlee and Jared!!!

Carlee wrote, "How awesome! I would use the bowl for my daily Cheerio's so I can think (and pray) for the people affected by hunger. It would be a daily reminder of how blessed I am and how I can give back to those around me."

Thank you, Carlee, for your prayers for others!!! What a blessing! Please email me your address to SimplySmithDesigns@comcast.net

Well, Big A and I had a big weekend!!! Since he teaches high school, we get to go to prom each year!!! Last year I was pregnant, which made for an interesting experience. We realized in the car on the way to after prom at midnight, that we were for sure much older than we thought we were! Yawned and talked the whole time, just trying to stay awake!

Let's just say that I took a VERY good nap today while the T-man slept! :D

Happy Monday!!! See you again tomorrow!

A VERY special giveaway!!!

2011-04-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

Last night I headed over to one of the Elementary Schools where my friend, Allie, works! We met while I was in Grad school, and I haven't seen her in a few years!!!
The elementary school put on the event, Empty Bowls. The students got to design and glaze a bisque fired bowl, and sell them to raise money to help hunger in their area.
There were so many to choose from, and these are the ones I bought!
This is the first one I picked up. It was made by Nate in Kindergarten!!! All the bowls are about 6 in. in diameter.
Each bowl came with a hand-made note thanking the receiver of the bowl for helping them fight hunger!!! *melt!* This one is from Wilson who is in the 3rd grade. The inside of the bowl is jet black with a beautiful green glaze. The 3rd graders glazed their bowls a specific color, then attached some sort of "sticker" and painted black over their color. When they removed their "sticker," their design showed through.
Regan, who is also in the 3rd grade, made this next bowl. The gorgeous blue color caught my eye from a few tables away!!! It's hard to see in the pictures, but she created a cloud design along the lower outside. It's beautiful! She also addressed her letter, "Dear Friend." *melt again!* Once I saw that, I had to get her bowl!!!
And I'm glad I did, because I am giving away Regan's bowl to a special friend!!!! I want Regan's bowl to go somewhere else, somewhere away from here for a bigger purpose. I want her bowl to go far away to remind others of the cause she worked so hard to create for.

In her letter she says, "Thank you for buying my bowl. You are helping to fight hunger in the community. We are trying to help people who are hungry. I hope you like and enjoy my bowl because I worked very hard on it. We had fun painting and making our bowls. I appreciate you buying this bowl and helping the community fight hunger."
My heart melted a million times at this event. 1. I so appreciated the letters that came with each of the bowls. 2. I loved the turn out of families and kids who were showing off their bowls. 3. I was saddened by the number of bowls left on the tables, and didn't want those kids to feel left out. I wanted to buy them all!!!

I plan on writing a thank you letter to each of the classes from which my bowls came from. I want to include where Regan's bowl is when I write to her, so that's where you come in!!!

Here's how you can enter to win this VERY SPECIAL bowl:

1. Leave me a comment telling me why you want to win this bowl. Where would you put it? What will you use it for? I want to share it with Regan!

2. For a second entry, Follow my blog!!!

3. For a third entry, Like my Facebook Page!!!

Please share this with others! I would like as many people as possible to know about this great project that these wonderful kids created to help others!!! I can't wait to send this bowl to one of my amazing blog friends!!!

***Remember, you don't have to have a blog to enter this giveaway!!! Simply choose the Anonymous option, then leave your name and email address with your comments!!!

Little Boy Knee Pad Pants Tutorial

2011-04-28T05:17:00.001-07:00

Cute kid, huh?! :) Check out his pants!!!
T-man is sport'n some new pants that I made him!!! It was a super easy project, and they look adorable!!! :D Here's all you need!:

*a pair of pants (I used Carter's little "sweat" pants-the thin kind), but these knee pads would be so cute on a pair of jeans or corduroys!!!
*colored fabric of your choice
*iron on fabric stuff (you iron it to the colored fabric, then iron that piece onto the pants)

Step one:
Cut out your knee pad shape. Trace it onto your iron fabric as well.

Step two:
Iron the iron fabric to the colored fabric.

Step 3:
(optional, I suppose) Sew a cute pattern onto the knee pads. Peel the backing off the iron fabric FIRST to make things easier. I chose a little criss cross diamond pattern, but stripes would be cute too!
Can you see the pattern? I used light blue thread to give it a bit of contrast.

Step 4:
Iron the knee pads to the pants!!! Try them on your child first to make sure they will be covering the knees :D

And, ta-da!!! Fini! :D

I LOVE these pants! I think it's so hard to find cute stuff for boys. Girls get tutus, leg warmers, bows and headbands, so boys need something to make them looks super cute as well!!! Success? I think so!!! :D

Happy Thursday!!!

Meet and Greet!

2011-04-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

I am having so much fun with this blog right now, and LOVING all of the new friends and followers I'm making!!! However, if you haven't followed my family blog, you probably don't know much about me. So, let's change that!!! Here we go:

A. Age: Twenty-Seven

B. Bed size: Queen. I want to be able to still be close, but let's face it. He's a King Size man, so sometimes it gets a little crowded :)

C. Chore you dislike: Oh my gosh, ALL of them! J/k...sort of :) If I had to pick, it would be laundry. It's Never Ending!!!! I feel like I just keep folding and putting away, just to do it again!

D. Dogs: Sookie!!! She's a Bichon, and basically part of our family! We've had her for about 3 years now.

E. Essential start to your day: Breakfast, usually Life cereal or Strawberry Pop Tart, and as of a few weeks ago, my cup of coffee!!!!

F. Favorite color: right now, teal!!! I am totally a color person, for sure! So, also included in this list would be orange, pink, and yellow! :D

G. Gold or silver: I think silver. Most of my jewelry is in it, but I do have some gold as well.

H. Height: 5' 5"...shortest in my family...due to the coffee maybe?!

I. Instruments you play(ed): Piano for a little while when I was younger...I have the talent show tapes to prove it!!!

J. Job title: Wife, Mom, Homemaker.

K. Kids: T-Man!!! Oh, my goodness! This little guy is the best thing EVER! He is SO much fun, and I just love him to pieces!

L. Live: Indiana.

M. Mom’s name: Mom, Momomia, Mops, Toodles :)

N. Nicknames: Kel, The Girl in the Blue Glasses (people actually call me this when they see me!), K-Money (one of my favs given to me by a couple 7th grade boys :) Gebbs.

O. Overnight hospital stays: My first time was when B-A was in the ICU for his A-fib. Second time was as a patient for the first time giving birth to T-man!!!

P. Pet peeves: Oh, goodness. Whistling, people who drive slow, people who start a sentence, then tell you that they can't say what they were going to say, flipping through the channels really fast without seeing what's on, people who look in the mirror at themselves while they're talking to you, rude people, babies who don't sleep...:) I kid ;)

Q. Quote from a movie: "The man up and disappeared like a fart in the wind."

S. Siblings: 2 sisters. One older, one younger. We get mistaken for triples and twins when we're together!!!

T. Time you wake up: It depends on when T-man get's up. Usually between 7 and 7:30.

U. Underwear: what about it?!

V. Vegetables you don’t like: broccoli.

W. What makes you run late: Well, besides my existence (I've ALWAYS run late!), T-man!!! There's a lot of stuff to think about when leaving the house with a baby!

X. X-rays you’ve had: On my back. I have scoliosis, so I had a bunch when I was younger. Don't worry, nothing serious, just a slight turn of the spine!

Y. Yummy food you make: Pioneer Woman's pizza!!! I also make delicious chocolate chip cookies and chocolate mint cookies!

Z. Zoo animal favorites: Oh, my. I haven't been to the zoo in forever!!! Maybe the elephants and monkeys?

Well, I hope you feel like you know me a little better!!! If you have any other questions, shoot them my way! :D

Book Shelf tutorial

2011-04-26T05:05:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun this weekend with redoing the wall outside of our bedroom!!! One of my favorite projects was this book shelf!!!

I saw it somewhere, and HAD to try it!!! I am a huge fan of old books...think I get that from my mom ;). I will buy a book based completely on the fact that it looks cool, and then never read it :/ I have high hopes, but let's face it, I just don't have time to sit still right now!!!

Ok, so all you need is:
*L shaped brackets (the larger your book is, the larger your brackets should be...for support)
*paint (if you want them to blend into your wall)
*An old book! (fabric covered ones look the best...something to look for at your next garage sale!)

Next, screw 2 brackets into the wall. Make sure they are level so your book is not crocked. Lay your book on top, and mark where your top bracket will go. I pushed my down a little to make sure that it was holding the book really well.
***You are NOT drilling ANY holes into the book. You are only drilling into the wall, therefore saving your beautiful book for later use! :D The brackets will hold the book in place.
Once your book is securely fastened,
You can add something to your shelf!!!
I am really loving this look, and as soon as I find some more good books, there will be more shelves going up in our home!!!

Enjoy!!!! ***If you make your own shelf, email me your pictures so I can share!!! SimplySmithDesigns@comcast.net

*I am also now on Twitter, so if you'd like to follow me, click the little button on the side :D

Winner and a Makeover!!!

2011-04-25T04:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great Easter weekend, celebrating our RISEN Lord!!!

T-man is getting over his RSV, so we didn't get to go to his first Easter Sunday :(, and we didn't even get to visit the Easter bunny!!! Oh, well. Since we were banned from The Resort because of our sickness, Big-A, T-man and I all got to have our own family Easter! :D

Now, onto the good stuff! The winner of Meghan's gorgeous canvas isssssssssssssss......
ERIN!!!! Congratulations!!! Email Meghan your address at meg.simonett@yahoo.com!!!

And now, for a little wall makeover!!! The wall leading into our bedroom as been bare since we moved in. I've had some high hopes for it, but after some Great garage sale finds, I was able to finally transform it from this:
to this!:
(I apologize for the bad pictures. I took it last night, and there was no good light :/) I got all of those brand new picture frames at a garage sale for a great deal!! I filled them with favorite pictures, and wallllaaahhh!!

I've got some super cool tutorials to show you this week from this wall alone, and a few others as well!!! Happy Monday!!!

GIVE AWAY!!!

2011-04-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!!! I am pleased to present you with another fabulous Give Away!!! It's a great way to end your week, right?! :D

Well, meet my friend, Meghan!
I LOVE this girl! I actually met her 3 years ago when she was a counselor at the camp that we took my students to! We met again a few months later at Gallery 116 where she worked, and I taught classes. If you know Meghan, you know that you just instantly fall in love with her!!! For a high school student, she was so mature, articulate, and just FUN!!! We became fast buddies!

Meghan is now a student at IU majoring in art therapy. She has started Outside the Lines which specializes in custom paintings and shoes, as well as jewelry.
Do you see that gorgeous green ring? It's one of my favorites!!! My mom has that ring, and it looks AMAZING!!!

I also own this pendant that she made me. I LOVE the funkiness of the wrapped wire, and I get so many compliments on it! It really spruces up a lot of my bland outfits.

Meghan also makes these amazing dry erase boards!!! I wish I had known her when I was in college because that would have been awesome on my door!!! Need a graduation gift? This would be PERFECT!!! I might even need this for my kitchen!!! Menus, To-Do lists... :D

Now, for what you can win!!!!

This 8x10 twisted wire painting could be YOURS by entering any of these ways:

1) (required) Leave me a comment telling me your favorite item(s) from Meghan's Etsy site.

2) For a second (and separate) entry, become a follower of The Girl in the Blue Glasses, or let me know if you already are.

3) For an extra 2 entries (both separate) post about this giveaway on your blog and facebook, and link back to here!

4) Become a fan of my Facebook Page

*** You do not have to have a blog to enter! Simply choose the Anonymous option when posting, and include your name and email address in your post!!!

*** Winner will be announced Monday morning!

Almost Done!

2011-04-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

Remember that little craft I showed you?! It's almost done!!!!
That's right, this little beauty is still not completely finished!!! I love it "as is," but you're going to love where it's going!!! I'll show you on Monday with a tutorial for it as well!!!

The re-decorating is coming along...in theory. My ideas are super fresh, but I'm moving slow because of our little Sickie :/ Poor little guy! In the mean time, though, I'm enjoying tons of cuddles!!!

Now, be sure to stop back by tomorrow for another great GIVEAWAY!!! Don't you just love to win cool stuff?!!! But to hold you over in the mean time, Alison is hosting ME over on her blog for a chance to win one of my aprons!!! PLEASE go enter to win!!! I would love to send one of my faithful readers a happy!!! :D

Well, have a great day!!! See you tomorrow!

We're Making It-Wednesday!

2011-04-20T05:14:00.000-07:00

Hi again! Sorry I missed most of you yesterday. T-man has some kind of respiratory viral infection (maybe RSV, maybe just his ugly cousin :/), but either way, we were just taking it easy yesterday!!!

I thought I'd share a few pictures of some of my projects that I started over the weekend! I'm working on this gorgeous wreath, in teal of course :), that I saw on another blog! I'll reference and give instructions when I show you the finished project :D
Next, I was a spray painting maniac this weekend! Unfortunately, I can't find the pictures of the other stuff I did :/ Well, I used my new best friend, Blue Ocean Breeze to transform one of my gorgeous garage sale finds!!!
Aren't they fantastic?!!! I know!!! Trust me, they are just amazing now that they're blue!!! Did I tell you that I'm trying to vamp up our bedroom? Well, I am. It's pretty boring in there. But since we only sleep in there, I haven't really been motivated to improve it.
Also, check out my Colors n Cups tab up top!!!! Parties are now only $35/person!!! Email me to set your party today!!!

And the winner is.....

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#1, KENDALL!!! Congratulations!!! Please email your address and prize choices to Alison at justinandalison@gmail.com

Thank you to Alison and Whitney for giving away such amazing prizes, and to all of you who entered! Stay tuned this FRIDAY for another fabulous giveaway from my friend, Megan!!!

I was going to post a few pictures this morning, but T-man is sick :/ Hopefully he'll be feeling better soon, but I'll have pictures up tomorrow of some of my current projects and garage sale finds!!! :D Hope y'all had a great weekend!!!

Giveaway!!!

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Meet Alison and Whitney of AW design! They are today's special guest on The Girl in the Blue Glasses' Giveaway!
They specialize in headbands, hair accessories, uniquely decorated onesies, wreaths and burping cloths.

Alison and Whitney are two women with a passion for children, design and providing families with affordable and trendy children items.

They have a strong attention to detail and need for perfection, so we give every item we make a lot of time, care and attention.

If you don't see what you are looking for please email them and they would love to create what you want!

Here are some of their gorgeous creations!
This fuchsia flower is one of my favorites!!!
So many styles, and all so cute!

Oh, my goodness! The T Man would look SO cute in this!!! He's rock this style for sure!
These burp cloths look amazing!!!

Ok, so now, how to win!!!

One lucky winner will win their choice of a headband and a burp cloth (your choice of fabric)!!!

So here's the deal:
There are 2 ways to win!

1. Go check out their Etsy shop AW Design and come back and leave me a comment telling me what you would choose if you won.

2. 'Heart' AW Design on Etsy and come back and tell me you did.

(2 separate comments please)

The winner will be announced Monday morning!!!

Thank you so much AW Design! I am so excited to have you here on The Girl in the Blue Glasses!

Good luck, everyone!!!

Hang up

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This is what I worked on yesterday:
Weird picture, I know, but the sun was coming in on them when I went into the studio this morning, and I kind of liked that :)

I made this series of key/jewelry hangers using my gorgeous new teal paint that I got ridiculously on sale!!! I LOVE the color combination, too!!!

I know what you're thinking, "where are you supposed to hang stuff?" Good point! The hooks are to come. I have to wait for Big A to use his massive man strength to curve them for me, and then screw them in!!! I'll show pictures of the finished product when they're done.

Don't forget to stop back by tomorrow for another GIVEAWAY!!! If you missed it last week, be sure to enter this week!!! Happy Thursday!

Etsy and such

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My Etsy shop is not as empty as it used to be!!! I just posted some of my mixed media collage prints!!! I love these things-so colorful, so fun!!! I didn't put up the originals because I'm saving them for the festival this summer!

I also added a boy example to the custom silhouettes. My friend, Katie's adorable son was a GREAT little model, and that canvas is going to look perfect in his little bedroom!!!

I have also been painting like a mad woman!!! My friend Sarah will be having little Miss Marlee on the 28th, and her room just wasn't complete yet!!! I brought her this 16x20 canvas to her school shower yesterday, and she loved it!!! I've got to say, it's one of my favorites too!!! The butterflies and circles matched her bedding perfectly!!!
I've got lots more paintings to show you, but that's for another day :)

Be sure to check out my Etsy shop, and let me know what you think! Also, let me know what some of your favorite Etsy shops are. I'd love to take a look!

*Remember, if you have an Etsy shop, or just like to make stuff, contact me if you'd like to get a little free advertising and donate something for a giveaway!!! Email me at SimplySmithDesigns@comcast.net

Gel Markers!!!

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Ever since I was little, I loved school supplies!!! I soooo enjoyed getting to put my art box together for the first day of school, and oh, the excitement when we got to use it in class!!!

Since then, I have always found a way to sneak into the school supply isle on any given shopping excursion just to see all of the colored pens available, new markers, and any other supply that might enhance my life :)

So, it's no surprise that I adored my job as a junior high art teacher!!! Despite the fact that I was often mistaken for one of the kids, I enjoyed the projects that they created, and finding the next "cool" thing in the giant supply order book!!!

Then, I stumbled onto these:

If you have any junior high aged kids, or know any, you know that any type of cool pen or maker is a must in their life. My kids went crazy over these things, and now I know why!!!

They work amazing on black paper, but just regular paper as well!!! The quality of the mark changes as it drys on the page, giving it that real gel look. I love the thicker line, and how it flows SO much better than a small gel pen!

You don't have to be an artsy, crafty person to enjoy these pens! They can jazz up any note to a friend, drawing for your children, or just a little doodle time on the phone!!!!

You must try these!!! (Wal*Mart for like 3 bucks!!!) Do you have a favorite school supply?

And the winner is.....

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Rachel@dreaming of the country!!!!
Congratulations, Rachel! Please email me your address at SimplySmithDesigns.comcast.net and I will get your new purse in the mail!!!

Thank you to all who participated! Check back again this Friday for another fabulous Giveaway!!!

Also, if you have an Etsy shop, small business, or just like to make things, please let me know! I would love to host one of your items for a Giveaway, and give you free advertising by sending people to your site!!!

Give Away Friday!

2011-04-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

I thought we should celebrate my gorgeous new makeover with my first Give Away!!! (No, this is not the "something big" I was talking about, so stay tuned!) How appropriate for our little item to be a gorgeous shade of blue!!

This Vera Bradley clutch will spruce up any spring outfit!!! I love the paisley pattern on the outside, and the smaller pattern on the inside!!! This bag is just perfect for your wallet, phone, lipstick and any other accessory you take with you on the go!

Now, for how to win this little beauty!

Rules:

1) (required) Leave me a comment telling me your favorite style of purse/bag for spring.

2) For a second (and separate) entry, become a follower, or let me know if you already are.

3) For an extra 2 entries (both separate) post about this giveaway on your blog and facebook, and link back to here!

4) Become a fan of my Facebook Page

5) Winner will be announced Monday morning!

Thanks for stopping by!