fresh picked whimsy

getting there

We always drive.  We actually enjoy the road trip!  This time, it was a little more stressful because of the crazy spring break traffic, which we had never experienced before.  But, it was still fun.  The best part of our road trip was the stop half way there to see my sister, brother-in-law and kids in Georgia. 

It was only one overnight, which was entirely too short, but it was so great to see them! 

We brought Kismet along with us on this trip.  She's simply too old and fraile to board at the vet, so we checked Sunny in for a week and Kismet got to go with us.  Katie said, "she's really checking a lot of things off her bucket list this week!"  Hilarious!

She was a pampered pooch and i think she enjoyed herself.  The kids set her up with a cushy bed in the van. 

She was a little confused about the rental house and it took her a few days to get the feel of her surroundings.  But, for the most part, she did wonderfully. 

Mark does all of the driving...by choice.  And, I don't usually sleep during our drives.  I love looking at and taking pictures of the signs, the other cars, unusual sights, funny things, weird things.  Here's just a few of the things i captured...

this is always a uneasy sight...

we've past these signs for years...what is Rock City? and, will i ever see it?  probs not...

About half way between home and Florida is McDonough, Georgia! 

And, if that weren't cool enough, the next town over is Griffin, Georgia!  Oh yes, he loves driving past all of the signs with his name on them. 

We bought the Hunger Games audio book and loaded it on my iphone and listened to it the whole way there. 

Katie was the only one who had read it and seen the movie.  Then, for the trip home, we uploaded the 2nd Hunger Games book.  We still haven't finished it.  It was very long!  On the last day of break, we took the kids to see the movie.  It was really good.  It's a very sad story and a little bit disturbing, but going to the movies was a fun way to wrap up our break. 

Sunny was so happy to have us home.  We couldn't wait to see that face again!

Feels good to be home. ♥

 

can't get enough of this everyday love

Love that Rascal Flatts song.  It so fits the way i feel at this very moment.  Finding love and joy in everyday things.  Like my favorite faces in my kitchen...

 Sunny's fashion sense...

coffee and blog time most mornings...

plants that i have managed to keep alive in the winter!!!  My mom will be so happy!

Still having Legos messes...fully aware that these days are numbered...

this canvas painted by my uber-talented Katie and gifted to me for Christmas.  Makes me cry every time i read it...

in awe that Riley can solve these puzzle cubes in mere minutes...he is crazy smart like his Daddy.

having a lit prayer candle on my kitchen counter.  A way of praying that my mom and her mom taught me.  at home, it's the first thing i do when someone needs to be lifted in prayer.  I buy these inexpensive devotional candles in the mexican food aisle at my grocery store.  Some people think they are cheesy, but i LOVE them. 

trying to read a magazine and having Sunny lay his big head on my arm so i can't turn the pages...

i adore that Griffin has my grandfather's funeral program pinned to his wall over his bed.  We talk about Poppop all the time and miss him so much...

so happy for every extra day that i get with this sweet girl.  She's hanging in there.  Thank you for all of your messages.  Day by day.

Hooray for Friday!  Pizza night tonight with Mark's parents and then tomorrow my boys are all heading downtown Indy for the NFL Experience, which they are so excited about!  Our little big town, Indianapolis is in a Superbowl frenzy right now.  Hope to have pictures for you this week.  Other than that, our weekend looks pretty quiet and i love that!  Hope you have a great one! xo

doodled door

if you can draw a heart...you can do this! 

Have you seen these awesome water-based Sharpies?  I found them at JoAnn's, by accident when i was looking for traditional Sharpies.  I was so excited and i knew exactly what i was going to do with them!!!

If you absolutely cannot draw a heart, you could always use a stencil, or trace the cardboard ones that you can buy at any craft store.  Then, just turn them different directions and embellish them a little with polka dots, stripes, arrows, scallops, etc... if you mess up, simply wipe it off and start over.  easy peasy.

You can even personalize them...

It was a little tricky to photograph on a snowy day, so i had to wait for night fall before i could take a picture from the inside out. 

After Valentine's Day, they will wash off pretty easily with a little windex and elbow grease. 

doodle away, my friends!

front row seats

a little breathing room after the massive rush of the holidays meant it was time for the annual...

i LOVE going to the movies, watching movies, watching the award shows, etc.  Going to the theater these days costs a small fortune...especially when you're taking the whole fam.  So, we really enjoy Netflix and the On Demand movie channels.  It's so much cozier watching movies on your own couch, snuggled up to your family and four legged furry friends. 

We're not so much a popcorn family, as we are an ice cream family. 

Which leads to the stacks of yummy blankets and pillows. 

These are some of the movies that we've watched over the past month and my review of them {if you're interested}...

Super 8 - loved the 1970's setting of this flick.  Brought me back.  It was scary and entertaining, but the ending was just a little hokey.  big kids loved it.  Didn't let Griff watch it...too scary for him yet.

Dolphin Tale - good family friendly movie.  Not as awesome as Soul Surfer, but a feel good movie nonetheless.  A little over-acting.

I Don't Know How She Does it - eh. 

Adjustment Bureau - crazy premise.  good movie. 

Crazy Stupid Love - i love just about anything Steve Carrell does.  Totally didn't see the curveball they threw at me towards the end of the movie.  katie and i liked it.  Mark did not. 

Arthur - I LOVED the original and was afraid they would ruin it.  they didn't.  i thought it was cute.  Not a huge Russell Brand fan, but i thought he did a good job and had me cheering for him.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Katie and Riley picked this one.  again, crazy premise.  we all know how it ends going into this one. 

We Bought a Zoo - Mark took the kids to see this one, while i went to visit a friend in the hospital.  They all loved it.  I will catch it on Netflix when it comes out for sure.

Next on my list are some movies that are getting Oscar buzz...because its so much more fun to cheer them on when you've seen them!!! {Tree of Life, Moneyball, The Descendents, The Ides of March, WarHorse and The Help} Yes, i'm the only woman on the planet that hasn't see The Help, which is crazy because i read it so long ago and freaked out when i heard they were making the movie.  I'm DYING to see it.  Maybe this weekend...

any other movie recommendations????

 

in my camera...

hard to get back into the swing of things after the vacay.  Had so many nice comments and messages here and on FB about the pictures.  Thanks for that.  Our tans are fading and we're going through a little paradise withdrawl.  :(  Wondering when we'll use these passports again...

Halloween was waiting for us as soon as we got back.  Griffin was my only trick or treater kid.  The big kids are too cool for that now.  Bummer.  Sigh.  This was the first year in a long time that i didn't have my grandfather with me to hand out candy to the kids.  Missing the good ol' days, for sure.  That's my Griff, i mean Paul Blart, Mall Cop...

i Love the deep red leaves this time of year...

homework...shomework...yuck!  my deep thinker...

 love waking my family up with something that smells yummy like french toast...

Sunny hung out by my feet hoping to catch any crumbs...

they look like they're all snuggly and she's holding his arm, but really, she is so clumsy in her old age and tried to make it around the coffee table where he was laying down and fell on him.  Then she became wedged between him and the table.  i couldn't resist the shot, though.  They look like an old married couple...

 
Sooooooooo looking forward to my annual girlfriend's trip to IKEA this weekend!  Me and my neighborhood homegirls are hittin the road at the butt crack of dawn on Saturday for our road trip to Cincinnati.  There's still no IKEA in Indiana, but what would we do if there was?  That would really mess things up!  I'm makin' my list and checking it twice!  My creative neighbor Stacey made everyone one of these chalkboard trays...complete with a countdown to our pilgrimage.  I helped her deliver them to all the girls on Saturday.  Check it out...isn't it cute?!...

i have the BEST NEIGHBORS EVAAAAAHHHH!!! 

Reach out!

Being a freelance artist can be a little lonely sometimes.  Although it rocks that i don't have to clock in, ask permission for a vacation day, and can work in my jammies, there are some days when it would be nice to have the commeraderie of co-workers.  Don't get me wrong, i totally value the unconditional support, non-office-drama and wet kisses from my studio interns, Sunny and Kismet. 

But, in this biz, sometimes it's nice to be able to bounce an idea off of someone who can give you some constructive feedback, and will not drool on your work.  That's when i try to make time to meet up with my creative peeps.  A few weeks ago, i met up with my sweet friend, Jenny Elkins.  She's an amazing artist.  We have completely different styles, but that totally works for us.  We love to brainstorm and talk about what we are each currently working on.  No matter the conversation, whenever i see Jenny, i always come away with some fresh inspiration.  I consider Jenny to be my creative mentor.  She sort of took me under her wing, when i was just beginning to test the waters of selling my art.  She made it not so scary and encouraged me to just "jump in", feel the fear, and do it anyway.  It was such a gift.  She hosted my very first "show" a few years ago {revisit it here} in her own backyard studio and i will forever be grateful.  This was my tent at that show...

Jenny is a mixed media artist and lover of all things vintage.  I want this fun necklace from her etsy shop {found here}...

and you know how i love little houses {found here}...

Visit Jenny's etsy shop, and if you are local, stop by her booths at the Exit 76 Antique Mall in Edinburgh, Indiana.  She recently gave me this handcrafted necklace she made. 

 

I can't tell you how much i love it.  It's funky, edgey and every time i wear it (or my daughter wears it to school), we get so many compliments!!!  I call it my badass necklace because of the little yellow gun.  Me...badass=funny!  LOVE it, Jenny!  Thank you!  You can read Jenny's blog here and i encourage you to follow her on facebook.  Good stuff!

If you are a creative, reach out to other creatives in your area.  Maybe you have what it takes to mentor someone or maybe you're looking for a mentor.  The point is, it's not a competition.  Your work is uniquely yours and i think you will find that most creative types enjoy and thrive on being in the company of others.  Just go for it and find your Jenny! ♥

furry blessings

 
Yesterday was the annual blessing of the pets at our church.  We took Sunny and Kismet, because they could definitely use a little extra blessing.  Couldn't we all?  We met my mom there and her two pups...Rosie and Tidbit, too. 

It turned out to be an all-canine crowd.  Kismet barked along as we sang a hymn and Sunny was a bit overwhelmed.

 
But, amazingly, as Father walked around blessing them each with holy water, they were totally attentive and calm.  It was very sweet. 

 
I think our old gal, Kismet needed this blessing most of all.  She's not been feeling like herself lately and is scheduled to see the vet this week.  Sweet girl is 13 years old. 

 
One of her very favorite things to do has always been riding in the car with her head out the window.  She doesn't have the strength these days to keep her head out the window, so she really loved it when Katie held her in her lap for this afternoon treat on our way home from church. 

 

 ♥

*Giveaway alert!  Head over to the Crafty Scrappy Happy blog to enter to win a print of your choice from my etsy shop.  And...while you're there, you can grab the coupon code for 25% off your purchase in my shop.  The giveaway and the coupon code are on now through Friday, Oct. 7th!

Dog's best friend

Meet Herman.  a.k.a...Hermy.

 
A few weeks ago we were sorting through old toys to keep or toss into the goodwill pile.  Sunny saw Hermy in the midst of all the toys and lunged for him.  Literally knocked us down to get to him.  Like he was a long lost friend he hadn't seen in years.  We've only had Sunny for a year.  Prior to that my sister had him for 3 years and says she's never seen Herman before.  So, we have no idea why Sunny had instant chemistry with this stuffed toy, but that day he began to walk; actually pace, quickly and nervously around the house with Hermy ever-so-gently tucked in his mouth.  Three weeks later, his love affair with Hermy hasn't waned.  It's the craziest thing.

 
He takes Hermy (we named him) everywhere he goes.  He's extremely possessive and protective of him.  He never chews on him, but does enjoy biting down just enough to make the squeeze toy inside of him squeak.  Sunny does allow us to play fetch with him, but only if we play by his rules and toss him right away.  If we hang on to him for too long, Sunny will pick him up and take him away. 

 
 
It's so sweet to see this gigantic dog love on this little stuffed giraffe. 

 
 

Good, sweet doggy.

you dirty dog

 
Sunny enjoys my garden, especially after i water the flowers.  So, it was time to give him a bath. Thankfully, he's not bashful and enjoys an outdoor bath. This was a job for the fellas.

 
 
 Look who's feeling frisky now...I'm not sure Kismet was feeling it...

 

this beauty stuff is exhausting...

 

 

Hip hip

 
Friday, you rock!

The sun is shining, my ipod is singing and i'm spending the day cleaning my house from top to bottom.  Don't you love a clean house for the weekend?!  It makes me so happy to wake up on a Saturday morning to a clean house.  Not, that i will be lounging on the couch eating bon bons all weekend. Noooooo. We've got 4 soccer games, church, a trip to the vet for that guy hiding behind my coffee cup up there, a lawn to mow, weeds to pull, gutters to clean out, flowers to plant and a pool to open!  I'm exhausted already! 

Hope the sun is shining where you are today, friends!