fresh picked whimsy

Family ties #GlobieFamily

On the last night that Katie was home with us over Christmas break, we watched home movies.  For 4 hours straight.  Oh....my....goodness. 

That was the most fun we've had in a long time.  Vacations, birthdays, first days of school, holidays, simple everydays and all the kids wanted to watch their birth videos!  (their birth videos are very G rated:)  I LOVE that we spent the night watching memories together.  Truth is, we have a lot of fun together no matter what we are doing.  And, the only thing that really matters is that we are together...

in the van...

playing on family game night...

wrestling, er, i mean snuggling...

Saturday morning pile up on mom & dad's bed...

putt putt...

at the fair...

or the happiest place on earth...


With Katie away at school now, this quality family time together, whenever and wherever we can have it, means everything. 

I'm excited to announce that i am now a blogger affiliate for the Harlem Globetrotters.  We will be going to see them when they come to Indy on MLK Day.  We have never seen them before and my kids are so excited!  You know i will be sure to tell you all about it.  I remember watching them on TV as a kid in the 70's...in their own cartoon, on Scooby Doo and on The Love Boat!  Do you remember that?

*Affiliate disclosure:  I was not paid for this post, but will receive tickets to their upcoming Indianapolis show.

"The Harlem Globetrotters love seeing families laugh together during our games, and would love to see your family when we come to a city near you.  If you're looking for an awesome event the whole family will enjoy, get your tickets to the Harlem Globetrotters "You Write the Rules" tour.  Your family's smiles will start before you even get to the game because this year, your family can vote at harlemglobetrotters.com, and decide rules for the game like two balls in play at the same time that could affect the final outcome. After the game, Globetrotters will stay on court to sign autographs and take photographs with your kids.  The only thing better than finding an event the whole family will enjoy, is getting a great deal on it.  Save $7 per ticket* by using the promo code "TOGETHER". 
Get ready to experience a show your family will remember for a lifetime!  *Discount available on select ticket levels"

 

have a seat

Ahhhh, i finally got this project done.  I'm ashamed to admit that it's been a decade in the making.  For realz.  I bought these chairs at a garage sale when Griffin was in diapers (he's 12 now).  I got them for a dollar a piece!  They were filthy and gross.  I think they had been in a garage for years and years.  After I scoured them, i painted them each a different shade of blue. 

My mistake was leaving the gallon of paint and brush by the freshly painted chairs.  Toddler Griffin quietly found them and decided they needed a little more paint!  I was able to mostly fix them, but there is evidence of his michieviousness on them still today and i LOVE that. 

The part of this project i never got to was recovering the yucky seat covers.  I don't really know why.  I just never got to it.  Until yesterday.

I actually ordered this oilcloth a year ago from here.  I love polka dots and i love black and white.

I think i removed 10,000 rusty old staples.  It was very hard work and my hands hate me today.  By the sixth chair, i just couldn't do it anymore.  My fingers were so sore.  Riley rescued me and finished the job.  Such a good boy!

I love love love how they turned out!  Here is the official BEFORE...

and the official AFTER...

There's just one more thing that i think they need.  See those seat backs?  They are like little blank canvases to me.  i think i want to number the chairs.  No vinyl numbers or perfect stencils for me...just my hand lettering.  What do you think?  Anyone, anyone...Bueller?

Stay tuned...

it's a feeling

i love the fresh start of January.  i know it's technically just another month, but it feels so different.  I love that feeling after the Christmas decorations have come down, and everything seems so open and fresh.  There's this feeling that anything is possible because you've got a whole year in front of you.  I know it's all in my head, and that's true at any time, but it works for me anyhow.  And even though i hated taking Katie back to school yesterday and will be sending my boys back to school tomorrow, i am looking forward to starting fresh in the studio...super excited to work on some new projects, make new art, teach more classes and see where this journey takes me next.

This print is new in the shop today.  A client requested it and i fell in love with it. 

the one where we jingled all the way

Yes, i'm aware that it's late for another Christmas post, but it will be my last for 2012 and it's very necessary.  It's the annual Woods of White Oak aka "WOWO" Christmas party.  It must be posted and preserved for posterity; just like this ugly Christmas sweater, which made it's rounds that night...

We look forward to this night all year.  The little kiddos stay at one house under teen and tweenage supervision...

while we big kids move from house to house, enjoying holiday hors d'oeuvres and spirits...

(Stacey's famous photo made another appearance along with a new one featuring Debi in the 80's...

we may or may not be starting a new tradition...stay tuned)

We traditionally take tours of each other's houses.  We live in a neighborhood of 40+ year old houses.  Jeff and Debi win the prize for biggest master bathroom.  How many WOWO residents can they fit in there, anyway?  Oh yeah...we needed to find out...

strange bedfellows?  I think, yes.

Who knew 'Arry Potta lived in WOWO?  The Click's, that's who...

seriously...how cool is that?

In between houses, we came upon this sight.  I think Jim & Stacey's kids have seen too many episodes of Duck Dynasty!

This night is about...

coming together to celebrate something really special.  Friends who are like family.

 Thanks again, for a wonderful night, friends!!!  Love you all!

The year of me!

Brand new print in the shop to kick off a brand new year! 

Happy New Year, friends!  Wishing you all the love and happiness and hope that a new year brings!

 

merry days

So fast. 

The blessed day we look forward to all year long goes by so, so fast.  This is the craziest time of year for me and my little studio that could.  It's always a challenge to get my orders out the door in time to really enjoy the holidays with my family.  The first two weeks of December is a blurrrr of fulfilling orders, painting, decorating and online shopping.  This year, of course, our December was a little furrier, too...

When I picked Katie up from school, i found him on her dorm room wall.  So funny...

She could hardly stand the one hour drive home.  She was so excited to meet Abraham!

i cannot put into words the peace and contentment i get from having all 3 of my babies under our roof.  

This tree in my studio may or may not have been knocked over a few times by a puppy and his big furry brother...

Our very special stockings...a treasured handmade gift from a special friend and neighbor who is no longer with us.

Jingle, our nutty elf got himself into all kinds of mischief this month... 

There was much baking to be done.  The kids love dipping the pretzels...

 

 We got 6 inches of snow the day after Christmas and then 6 more last night!  That's more than we got all of last winter!  The kids are loving it!

We've got so much to be thankful for. 

Most of all this...

{Virgin and Child by Giovanni Battista Salvi}

Wishing that we may hold the peace and love and hope that this wondrous Babe brings, all throughout the coming year.  Many blessings to you and yours! 

For the love of Abraham

Meet Abe.

He is the newest member of our family.  He found us at a time when we didn't know anything was missing from our lives.  But, now we know better. 

 
Abraham has had a traumatic start to his young life of 10 months.  In October, Abe was hit by a truck.  He had two broken legs, a broken hip and pelvis.  He was brought to a kill shelter in Kentucky and because he had so many injuries, nobody wanted to adopt him.  In the final hours before he was scheduled to be euthanized, he was rescued by a wonderful organization in Kokomo, Indiana called Pals for Paws.  They picked him up and got him the medical attention he needed.  He had surgery on October 25th and his front leg was amputated.  His back leg still has nerve damage and he often walks on top of his paw.  It may or may not ever completely heal.  My sister Susan and my friend Carolyn happened to be at a local Petco, last weekend, when Abe was there looking for a new family.  They both thought that we needed to meet him.  They sent us these photos from Petco.

 
I'll admit, for a day, we resisted.  Two days later, he was ours. 

{look at those happy faces on our boys on our way home with Abe.}

He was so scared and traumatized in the photo that was blasted out on the shelter's facebook page.  it breaks my heart.

 
and now he is happy, and comfy and so loved!

He and Sunny have become fast friends.

We are still learning his quirks and silly ways.  He doesn't like the vacuum, but he loves it when Griffin plays his trumpet.  He also loves to lay on top of pillows, beds and clean laundry piles...

This is his favorite perch...on the back of the chair.

But, what he really loves is to snuggle...

and he can't wait for his sister, Katie to come home from college on Friday so he can meet her and catch up on snuggles with her, too!

Welcome home, Abraham.  We think you are perfect in every way and we love you very much!

If you are thinking of adopting a pet for the holidays or in the future, please consider working with your local pet rescue organization.  What these people do is so wonderful and they care for and foster so many sweet animals who need a loving home.  I am so thankful for Pals for Paws.  If you would like to contribute financially to help support the work they do and the animals they rescue, follow the link here.  Thanks ever so much! 

Open Studio with a full heart

Once again, i was blown away by the turn out and excitement at my Holiday Open Studio.  Lots of familiar faces, family and friends and lots of new friends, too!  If you weren't able to make it, here are some pictures that capture the studio all decked out for it's biggest annual event! 

These snowmen were a last minute idea that popped into my head 2 days before the big day.  I used only supplies that i had on hand (including the wood).  I was only able to make a dozen of them and they sold out pretty quickly.  I promise to make larger quantities of everything for next year.  I should probably start producing in January!

These artsy fartsy necklaces also sold out quickly.  I will be replenishing these all year long and yes, i promise to get them into my etsy shop for all of my out of town friends!

This year we expanded the studio into what was formally my dining room, next to the studio.  The dining room furniture has been relocated to the sun porch by the pool and it looks so pretty there!  I will share pics of that another day.  We moved all of my supplies out of the studio and into this room, allowing for a little more elbow room in the studio.  I bought that light at IKEA this year.  I had been drooling over it for the past few years and never had a place to put it...until now!!! i lurrve it!

These signs were a HUGE hit this year.  Again, they were another "hmmm, what could i do with this wood?" brainstorm.  Now, i have ideas for all the holidays to come.  They are fun to make and fun to display!  I love to hand letter!

Thanks to everyone who came out to support me and my little studio that could.  Thanks to my family and friends who helped me get organized and ready for this weekend. I have to be honest and share with you that a little over a month ago, i was completely drained emotionally and creatively.  Mark's mom had suffered a stroke and i spent a week helping to care for her in the hospital and rehab center.  I didn't know how i would be able to pull this open studio off and help my in-laws and be a mom, fulfill my etsy orders, and show my work in a local salon, too.  I prayed and prayed for some direction, a sign, anything.  Within a day or two, i got this wild burst of creativity.  There weren't enough hours in the day to do everything that i wanted to do, but i had this clarity about how to go about getting what was important done. And, no...it isn't lost on me that i prayed for a sign and got the idea to make all of those signs you see above! Ha! God has a great sense of humor! I LOVE what i do and sharing it with all of you.  In a million years i never dreamed this is where my art would take me, but i do love the way God is showing me how to use the talent He gave me.  I have so much to be thankful for.  ♥

p.s. Mark's mom is doing really, really well and came home this week from the rehabilitation center.  We are all so happy to have her home!

it's the hap, happiest season of all!

Tis the season for giving and i've got something merry for you, friends!

FREE printable holiday gift tags...

I recommend you print them on white cardstock.  Feel free to share!  Download your tags here!

I've seen my illustrated tags from years past pinned all over pinterest and you all send me the sweetest messages and comments thanking me for them.  I so appreciate the shout outs on your blogs, twitter and facebook, too.  I just want to thank you for your support and encouragement throughout the year! I LOVE creating these tags for you every year and I LOVE that you love them!  You guys are THE BEST!  Mwah!

Be sure to click on the "free stuff just for you" button on the left side bar for gift tags from previous years and loads of other fun free printables, too. 

Enjoy this holiday season, friends!

Sorta kinda obsessed

...with movie quotes.  We are a movie quoting family.  Lotsa one liners.  My head is full of them.  I can't remember algebra or geometry to save my life (or to help my kids with homework), but I've got a library of movie quotes in my noggin.  Real life skills.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory {the original one!} is loaded with gems.  And, this one has always been one of my favorites...

Maybe it's because it doesn't add up.  Just like me.  Ha!  I think it would be a fun one to hang in a classroom.  Teacher's gift?  :)

Don't forget...there's a BOGO print sale in the shop right now!  Whatever you do today, be sure to shop at small business stores!  It's Small Business Saturday!  Thank you, friends!

Hope you're having a great weekend!