Happy Birthday Gram!

My mermaid painting is almost all done...just have to finish up the back. However, there is much bigger news today! Today is the birthday of one of the sweetest women I know...Awesome Guy's Grandmother...we call her Gram! Happy Birthday Gram!
Gram has raised two children and had a big part in raising her 3 grandchildren as well. How lucky they and now we, their spouses, are to have her in our lives!
Gram worked in a department store in Johnstown where she met none other than Van Johnson! Be still my heart!
She is also the sweet sister to Sara & Aggie, the ones that joined the circus in the 30's. Gram has taken care of so many, she is a great source of wisdom, and a model of strength! Happy Birthday Gram! We love you! :)

Art Glass and Butterflies...YAY!!!

So I went on a field trip with my oldest today. :) Desert Botanical Gardens with their special exhibit of Chihuly Glass! I won't say much now, I'll just let you enjoy the glass and the butterflies we met there too!














Have a happy day!

Are You Up for Tea Under the Sea?

Miss Lisa at Faerie Enchantment is at it again and I am so glad! This time the theme is Mermaid Tea Party...we had a lot of fun with this one! And I mean laughing so hard that you can't see for the tears in your eyes and thinking you might toss your cookies. A LOT of kind folks helped out on this one...Kandace, Ryan, Zach, Savannah, Jeri, Jeri's Mom, Holly, Lillian, and two of her little girlfriends too! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

My FIRST First Friday and Today's BIG Project

So I FINALLY got to a First Friday. I pretty much wanted to go for 2 years and ACTUALLY REMEMBERED (!!!) it before the first friday of the month, and not the first Saturday as I usually do. We decided to take the new light rail because I've heard that it is SO easy. Not really, at least not at night anyway. It took over an hour to take what would have been a 25 minute trip and then we still had to walk more than three blocks in the middle of the city at night to get to the event.

Not exactly what I had in mind....not something like this:


Once we were there, it was very artsy, fun, and a bit adventourous. You could feel something in the air, like an acceptance of everyone. It was very eclectic...we saw a little bit of everything as we walked through each old house that had been turned into a gallery. The streets were lined with vendors, DJs, and people just dancing in the streets. There was an AMAZING tap dancer there, people were walking across the street just to see him.

I enjoyed all the art, some was dark, lots of pop and abstract too. TONS of jewelry. Great music... Glass mixed media...it was a lot to take in...we could have been there for a whole day, not just the few hours that it runs. The only thing I didn't see are pieces like I enjoy on the web. Whimsical, primitive, folk art. It made me appreciate you all even more than I already did!

It was my first Friday, but hopefully not my last. There is something planned for the next one that I just have to participate in! It is a secret for now, but I will tell you after I get back! :)
Oh and guess what? Oh a whim, I decided to make a headband to wear to the event. I tried to give it a vintage feel...love the button and the dark golden beige tulle too. I curled my hair in pin curls, been learning about it here and am enjoying getting lost in that 40's style I've loved since I was a kid. It's not an everyday hairdo, but I thought WHY NOT?! I'm not going to be old and gray (already have some gray come to think of it!) and wish I had that gorgeous hair when I had the chance. I'm also slowing convincing Awesome Guy to take up swing dancing with me in someplace OTHER than the kitchen. Someplace like this.

In other news, I put some pieces in my etsy shop, decorated and painted my daughter's stage for her music program, and TODAY....today is a BIG day with a BIG project especially for you. Today I'm filming a new video for this:
The last one was so fun, I had to do another. I'm getting all the props together now. Promise you'll come back Saturday to see it? I'd love to have you!

Thanks for all you do...your posts on your blog, your comments on mine. I'm grateful for you! :)

Viv on a Whim's Egg Swap and Hunt

Have you ever had one of those days? Where everything you tried to do didn't work out? That was today for me. Today is the BIG day to show the eggs we made and recieved as a result of Viv on a Whim's Egg Hunt and Swap. We had to make two eggs and send them to her to then send to our secret partner. Today everyone's posts will reveal who's egg is who's. One problem...a certain two year old got a hold of my camera and deleted my egg photos! I felt bad about posting just a wordy description and wasn't sure what to do until...

Blogland to the rescue! My partners not only posted photos of what they sent, but a photo of the eggs I sent as well! YAY! So forgive me for cheating and posting their photos, but it is all I can do today. So without further ado...

These are the eggs that I made. I loved making them, especially how the colors are muted and blended and then stained. Fun, fun, fun! :) The nest was made out of fabric strips. They have a new home with the Faerie Wysperer...I hope she likes them!Now for the eggs that have a new home with ME. :) First up is a tea cozy!! Can you believe that?! You all know my fascination with tea parties...can't seem to stop painting about them! I have the perfect teapot that has been dying to get all cozied up! Look at how much work went into it! I appreciate every stitch! Thank you so much Little Black Crow!The next egg was from Lisa from Faerie Enchantment, which is SO neat because it was only a couple weeks ago that I discovered her blog and joined her Carnival Soiree! Such a gifted artist and such a beautiful egg! I am a fan of Marie as well and this egg brings back all those lovely images of the movie. I am SO happy to have this egg from my new friend! Thank you Lisa! :)
Please do yourself a favor and stop by these and all the other blogs involved in Viv's Swap...I found some new ones to subscribe to...maybe you will too! :)

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I put up three pieces on ebay today and have 5 pieces to put on etsy this week. Thanks for visiting me today...I'm so glad you stopped by! :)

Who's in the Mood for an Egg Hunt?

Ooooooooohh...I can barely hold my excitement! Prim and Whimsy is doing an egg hunt and my dear, sweet friends...they are having a giveaway just for you! :)


Here is how you enter:

I donated items for the baskets and entered the Easter Egg Parade as well. You might remember this make-do set. I dressed it up some more...click on the link for a bigger picture. There is lovely, delicious glitter inside the egg now and each has a creamy satin ribbon too! It is now up on ebay, along with some paintings too!So won't you please join in on the egg hunt? Just go to Prim and Whimsy to pick your favorite egg. If that just happens to be mine, then that's just icing on the cake! :) And don't forget to search for that Golden Egg! I hope you win! :)

A Day With That Red Furry Monster

My Madeline turned two...can you believe it? Has it really been a whole year since this?
Madeline has a very strong affection for that lovable furry monster known as Elmo. Don't you love the tutu?! It was made by a friend of mine that I used to work with a LONG time ago. Now she's all grown up and creating cute and adorable kid stuff! Her shop is here.Funny how kids pick what they like. Lillian was SO into the Wiggles and when Madeline was born, we assumed that we'd be pulling out those tapes again. Strangely, she had no interest in anything expect Elmo and the occasional story about the monkey and the man with the yellow hat!Our little girl loves to jump so an Elmo bounce house was the perfect activity for her. She was jumping all over, singing, "Happy Birthday to Me...Happy Birthday to Me!"
Lillian had some of her girlfriends there too! As I took these shots of them, I realized that they are not even "little" girls anymore. How did that happen so quickly?!


These were her invitations. I loved the idea of the red fur envelopes, but I was covered in it by the time I was done! I'm heading over to put some of these in my shop, as birthday cards, but also as invitations. Some of you may know one of my other hats is that of a children's party planner. Business for all inclusive parties have slowed, so at least I can offer bits here and there. :)

I'm off to hug my baby girl...she's growing up too fast!