A Little Treasury Told Me...

So here I was trying to think of a witty way to tell you the results of my latest ultrasound, when I got an email saying I had been included in an Etsy Treasury! The title? LOL No joke- "A Boy or a Girl?" Click here to check it out. :)

The answer to that question? A GIRL!!! How cute is that? It will be fun when they are all grown up, in each other's weddings, being wonderful aunts to each other's babies! We are looking forward to meeting her! So far she seems to be wanting a gymnastics career and is tumbling around like crazy!

I'm thinking of starting an all girl band...possible names...Lillian and the Shortcakes or the Strawberry Shortcake Trio...this one is bound to be a redhead too, right? :)

In other news, I've spent the ENTIRE day making a video for a family member...I don't know how that happens...I TRY to do it quickly, but it takes forever! Anyone know of a great editing program? So far, Windows Movie Maker and FlipShare are about the same speed. Or maybe it's just me. :o

I hope you all have a day that is full of sugar and spice, and everything nice! I know we will! :)

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day!
-To my Mom, who's also my best friend! Thank you for the daily talks, wisdom and insights, and even the wake up calls that help me improve my own parenting skills. :) Thank you for always giving me a creative outlet...right from the start. For showing me that it is not scary to paint or create, but fun!

-To my Mother-In-Law, for always being so nice and a special friend! I am very lucky to have a MIL like you!

-To Dave's Grandmother and Aunt, for being so sweet and encouraging to all the Wright girls! :)

-To my fabulous Sister-In-Law...you know you rock! And not just because you bring me the BEST apple bread when I'm pregnant! ;) You are such a source of joy for my two little redhead beauties! They have the best aunt ever and they know it!

-To my blog friends, local friends and friends far away...Happy Mother's Day to you too! Even if you are not a Mom, you can still make a difference in a child's life...and that is worth celebrating too!

Six Months Ago...

I decided to take a leap... a risk...just for the sake of taking advantage of every little moment...



Well, that leap led to a big surprise and my face pretty much looked like this for the rest of the day! There was also lots of screaming and grabbing my head in disbelief!

I was told it would be a while before anything would actually happen. All the while I kept wondering, "Was it real, or just a dream?" as well as the imfamous, "Are they going to come to their senses and change their mind?"

Until one day, after opening the mailbox, I felt like this...

Now, I just can't help but smile when I think of it...

So what's the fuss all about?!

My Alice doll is one of the features in the latest Art Doll Quarterly!!!
The whole experience was just so much fun, from the beginning to the end. Making her, lol, make that figuring OUT how to make her, selling her, meeting Suzan and corresponding with her while we repaired her from her fall. From being nervous about sending my submission off and feeling like I won the lottery when Jana told me they wanted an article about her, writing my first ever article outside of school, to having her show up in the mail, glossy photos and all, it has been a blast! :)

I hope you get a chance to pick up a copy- there are some crazy cool dolls in there- including art dolls that move!

Can you believe it?! I'm still wrapping my head around it! Thank you for giving me such happy moments! Your visits mean the world to me! It also wouldn't have happened without the lovely and helpful editor of ADQ, Jana Holstein, and Suzan, Alice's sweet and VERY funny owner, who actually drove Alice over to Stampington herself and gave her up for several months just so she could have her photo shoot!

If you are visiting me for the first time, WELCOME!! Be sure to check out Alice's original post, the one about her latest fall down the rabbit hole, and the cream pie fight, I mean video I made about my adventures in Wonderland!

Hugs to all...I'm off to my next adventure! In celebration, nothing but painting, smushing clay, and playing for the rest of the week! Woohoo!

With gratitude,

Let Spring Break Begin!!!

YAY!!!!

It is spring break here at the Victorian Lady's house and we are all very excited! I am now out of my first trimester (double yay!), morning sickness along with all others, have subsided and the majority of the work is done. I tried to clear this week up so that the girls and I can just play, and paint, and create together...something that has been LONG overdue for all of us!

In the meantime, I do have some past events to share with you that you haven't seen yet. Are you ready? :D

First up is a long promised photo of the fair I did with my friend. The abstracts belong to her, as well as the cute little fairies-quinns. The look of the booth kept changing, things were going and we kept adding to it. It was fun, and I learned a lot. I might do more next year, but not one that requires me to work the register for 12 hours. I slept very little working to fill the booth, so much so that I got sick and then had to work the fair too. Then I would go home and paint until 2 am! Overall, though, total success! :)

Madeline discovered that she loves to decorate trees, and then undecorate them, and then decorate them again. She had a white snowman topped tree that she could do whatever she wanted with. See that look of satisfaction on her face when I gave her a whole box of candy canes to hang?

Ahh...sisters. :) Lillian is so sweet to Madeline and you can see how Maddie feels in this hug. That is how it is supposed to be.

Some sweetness by the Christmas tree. Lillian had a very special date for Valentines at the Daddy Daughter Dance. They both came back all light up, and then Dave collapsed on the couch! He said the DJ put them through quite a workout!

I was going to show you what we made Madeline for Christmas, but the pictures aren't that great. I'll take some new ones and make them their own post. To make up for it, here's a laugh for you!

Before I go, I wanted to thank you all for the sweet comments from my last post. I appreciate it!

Hugs to you all!!

P.S. What are YOUR plans for spring break? :)

My Latest WIP

!!!!! Surprise! Now you know why I've been away for so long! Morning sickness and fatigue are NOT my friends! It really has been overwhelming, more than my other two pregnancies. I haven't been able to do much...too dizzy. I miss you all, and haven't made anything in a while. I am not the kind that could lay in bed all day, especially with my family and art waiting. It's been very depressing.

I am trying to stay positive though- We planned this pregnancy and even though I've been stuck in bed, I haven't had a single migraine. I consider myself very lucky for that! With Lil and Maddie I had them the whole first trimester. I am 10 weeks along, so I hope to be myself again once everything settles down. :)

There is another part to this story. My ultrasound at 6 weeks showed 2 sacs- twins! We were so shocked! It was a good and scary thing at the same time. Good because it was another life, a blessing. Scary because it was two times everything! We were given books with great tips about how to manuever twins- thanks Holly! Lots of family members eagerly volunteered to help us get through the first few tricky months. We could do this.

In that 2 weeks, I heard a lot of great stories about twins. Even though they are twice as much work, they are twice as much of a blessing too. Twice as many coos, etc. And any parents of twins should get a medal... I mean it!

Then, at my 8 week ultrasound, we were told that one twin had vanished. We were aware that this could happen, especially with such an early ultrasound...turns out it is more common than people think. Toss in some pregnancy hormones and I was quite a mess. Even though I knew it could happen. Even though I knew that the remaining baby had a much better chance at avoiding premature birth and tons of other complications. Even though my fears of not being able to give each child enough attention were gone.

While I understood these things, I still was sad for the loss of whoever that was. Not in the same way as someone that was actually born and lived a life here on earth, but still sad. I got used to the idea of twins, I accepted it, and was even looking forward to it. It wasn't a great day.

Things are better now.

It just wasn't in the cards for me, and that's okay. I did nothing extra to have twins, and there was nothing I could do to stop one from vanishing. And I'm STILL blessed when it comes to children. I have my 2 little redhead beauties, and 1 healthy baby growing in my belly. We are talking STRONG heartbeat people! :) So please, no pity parties for me...it's all good! :)

I painted this before all the pregnancy fun set in...I knew what it meant then, but it is much more significant to me now.

It's a reminder to put your heart into what you do in life. Make it the best it can be. Then send it off, let it go, with no regrets and no worries about how things work out. Because you did all you could.

My Peppermint Girl

This folk art doll sculpture was made for a PWGL challenge entitled "Enchanted Christmas." However, so many hours went into her that I missed the entry date completely. Like, swoosh, completely flew over my head!

She has just come back from the factory, conveniently located in the North Pole, because really, that's where all the enchanted Christmas people live right?

After spending her day making sweet confections, she's getting to do what she's been thinking about all day- decorating for Christmas! See that pinkalicious garland? It's about to go on her fireplace! Right next to her tree of ooey gooey gumdrops!

This challenge really was a challenge for me...just not used to making such a whimsical face. I debated a lot with myself, but figured it would be more fun to eat a peppermint if someone like this actually made them!

She's on ebay now until Thanksgiving night. If she doesn't sell, I'll be taking her over to Briar Patch on Friday.

It does make me curious though, what is your favorite Christmas candy? Without a doubt, mine is peppermint bark...YUM! :)

Best of luck to you all as you get ready for Thanksgiving!! :)

Peppermint Bliss

Well, hello ladies! :) How is everyone today? I can't believe it has been so long since my last post! I've been working like crazy to get ready for Briar Patch...it is this FRIDAY!!! Time has just flown by!

But first, Bliss Fest!! This event was put on by the store Domestic Bliss in Mesa- a store that is full of eye candy! Allow me to introduce to you a few of my favorite bloggers/artists. First, there is Tricia, from Vintage Bliss. She makes wonderful items and has great little vintage items too! :)Next up is Julie Haymaker Thompson...she is one of my all time FAVORITES!! I am so glad she moved to Arizona and I can't wait to take one of her classes. Seriously folks, check her out- she rocks with a capital R! And now I have a piece of my own! :)Ironically, another one of my favorites is her cousin, Beth Quinn! Creativity and talent must run in the family! I admit to not being a big fan of jewelry, but that is just NOT the case when it comes to Beth! I had been drooling over her necklaces long enough and finally got one of my own! She has the best sayings right in her pendants. Mine says, "She loves her journey." How perfect is that?! Such an optimistic sentence...one you can believe when you are happy with the way things are in your life, but also when things are hard because it is the hard times that gets you to the good ones...it's all part of the journey! :)I also got to visit with Michelle of Mosaic Cottage. I have definitely talked about her before! She is putting those antique doll heads on her cupcakes now...pure heaven! Each artist was just as sweet as pie...it was a such a treat to go! :) I mean, really, how lucky am I to have all these artists right here in my part of town?! It's like Esther Smith being excited about the Worlds Fair being in St. Louis! Don't know what I'm talking about? Watch this!

Our little outing also served as a Mommy-Daughter date. So the icing on the cupcake was that I got to share it all with my little girl who is not so little anymore. Can she be eight already???Now to what has been consuming all my time lately...the show! The sad part is, I have no plan. What I make anyway is so random...I have so many WIPs I'm just trying to finish them all and throw some paintings in with all the cupboards and scrap wood I've been hoarding. It has been very satisfying to go through my stash...which is way too large even though I've been extremely thrifty in how I have gotten it, and using only what I have. I really want to get some sewing done...I have an antique red velvet bedspread that is just amazing and patiently waiting to be turned into something else. I know I'll never get it all done in time, but I'm still determined to try! :) I may never do this show again and want to make the most of it!

In searching for ideas, I remembered this photograph that I love. These are Dave's grandparents, Florence & Pete. I hear they were a very cute couple....looks like it doesn't it? :)

Pete died when my hubby was just a newborn, but Florence is just as devoted to him now as she was then. I wanted to do a folky version of the photo and here it is: Not my regular face, I know! It wasn't planned, but I liked how it looked and decided to stop. Kind of funky I think!

A Goodwill makeover: I would love to live in white and weather house in the country like this!

I'll post tomorrow about my Peppermint Girl...this post has gotten a bit long. Thanks for sticking through to the end!

Have a happy day!

Mere

P.S. I posted this on my facebook, but through this process, I have noticed that I have an art quirk! I have to work on three things at a time in order to be happy when creating. Sure it gives things time to dry, but why three? Don't know! It made me curious though, as to what other art quirks might be out there....what is YOURS? :)

Busy as a bee and...

...I have so much to tell you!! :)

First off, I was interviewed this last weekend by one of my favorite bloggers...Jennifer Rizzo of Sanctuary Art for her Women Who Create series. If this is your first time visiting me, WELCOME!! :) If not, thanks for coming back! :) If you have not been to Jen's blog yet, you must go see what this wonderful woman can do with discarded furniture and a gallon of paint! Her blog is full of great tutorials too! I want her home, I really do! :) Thank you for such an honor Jen!

Secondly, I'm sorry for being MIA, but that show wore me OUT! In two days, I had 1.5 hours sleep! It went well, but I'd have to say it is a lot easier to sell online than in person. I'm still glad I did it though!

It was so much fun to meet so many people and see their reactions to our booth. One sweet lady even sat down with us and we enjoyed a nice long talk! Here are some photos from our booth.
My friend, Jeri, did the landscapes and abstracts, and all the little nifty home decor items. She has a blog now...finally! :) She is one of my best friends, and we have a blast on our designated art day that we have once a week! We are now getting ready for our next show, Briar Patch, on the 27th. Come and see us if you can!

Here are some of my latest pieces. I'm also busy working on a peppermint candy girl for a PWGL challenge...it's been fun! :)

A Good Laugh is Sunshine in a House

She Has Stolen His Heart

This is from a photo I took of a birdhouse at a round barn in Frederickburg, Texas. The barn looks like the birdhouse!

You have to love Jodi Messina! :)

The Late Rabbit's Portrait

My first Christmas angel for the season. Real glass glitter on her wings!

Lastly, I'm so excited to tell you that I heard back from Stampington! They want to do a feature on Alice for Art Doll Quarterly!!! The owner of Alice was even so kind to drive her over there for her photo shoot! Thank you Suzan! It sure makes a girl feel lucky and blessed, that is, once I got over the shock! lol

Thanks again for stopping by...my next post will be on our Mommy/Daughter date at BlissFest!

Have a great day all!

Look What I've Gotten Myself Into!

Hello all! Thanks for all the kind words on Jack! It was so sweet of you! He was really fun to do and is on his way to his new home. :)

I've been taking a lot of risks lately. It's not my nature, but I'm making myself do it.

It's partly one of those live life while you have life to live things and partly about seeing where I am going in this adventure I'm taking with art.

Starting this blog was one of those steps. Listing items was another. Joining Prim & Whimsy Girls. Each step I took was not done without me wondering if I can do this. Do what I love.

It's been fun, SO much fun, and I've met so many great people that I never would have met otherwise. YOU, of course, customers that have become friends, other artists. What a great ride.

So I've taken another couple of steps. First, I sent pictures of the Alice Story Doll I did to Somerset for their Alice in Wonderland challenge. In March, they will be doing a whole issue dedicated to the story for the movie...can't wait! If they don't choose her, that's okay. It was all about taking the risk and maybe getting a chance to be part of something fun.

Second, I'm going to be doing two shows this fall! I admit that I am nervous, but it's not a risk if you're not nervous! :) A friend of mine is sharing a booth with me and we are SO busy getting ready for the first one...this SATURDAY!! If you are local and want to stop by, consider yourself invited! :) I'd love to see you!

Here's the information:
In other news, I just came back from TEXAS. I LOVE Texas! We did SO much and I have great pictures, but that will have to wait for another post as I have some sculpture thing-ies waiting for me!

Is there a risk you've been thinking about taking? I'd love to hear about it! Maybe you could take that leap of faith today! It would definitely make life more exciting, now wouldn't it? :)

Have a great day today!