fresh picked whimsy

Antique Road Trip

Yesterday, Mark and I had a "parent's day out" and went on a little road trip with my parents.  Our first stop was at Not Just Popcorn in Edinburgh, Indiana.  They boast about having over 289 flavors and they make it right there. 

We even got a little tour of the place.  Super nice hometown folks.  They had this cool push pin map showing where all of their visitors for the past year and a half have come from.  I didn't get a shot of the international map, but there was one, and they had pins in every continent except for Antarctica.  Impressive; considering it was a little off the beaten path and we had a little bit of a hard time finding it. 

We got to sample several flavors and bought some tins for our upcoming family Superbowl party.  My personal favorite flavors:  White Chocolate Vanilla Nut, Chicago Cheddar and Classic Caramel.  Yummmmmmmm!  They had a huge order going out this week of their Superbowl Special "Go Blue", which was a combo of Extreme blueberry and Vanilla ice cream....it was SO good! 

Next up was our ultimate destination...the Exit 76 Antique Mall {catchy name, huh?}. 

My sister, Susan and her husband, Andy met up with us there, too.  We had a blast.  This place has over 600 booths covering over 1.5 acres.  I remember when i was younger thinking that antiques were stuffy, ugly and boring.  Maybe i have a new appreciation for them now that the things of my youth are considered antiques themselves.  Kinda depressing!  Regardless, i love going antiquing.  I'm very lucky that my hubby likes it, too.  It's just not very often that we get to do this {especially without kids complaining that they don't want to be there}! 

The 6 of us had a blast.  We each have our favorites and things we collect, but none of us take it too seriously.  The most fun was making of fun of some of the wacky and weird things that people were selling.  Really, are there people out there collecting bedpans???...because they were everwhere in this place.  Ewwwww.  Here are a few of our faves, starting with these salt and pepper shakers...

rinse and spit...

say "cheese"....or, rather, "the cheesiest"...

 
 

Just loved that it's "hand-did"...

 

My boys would have LOVED this...it rotated...

My dad was a good sport posing for this picture...he's so cute:

 

 I had a Baby Chrissy doll when i was little.  I LOVED her!!!! 

 

We found an entire booth of vintage cleaning supplies {the boxes were full!}.  Then we spotted the Duz box right next to the Zud.  So, i had to take a pic for my favorite Duz (our nickname for Mark's Dad)...

I collect milk glass...but had no urge to buy this one...

 

 Mom found a comfy lounge late afternoon and had herself a little siesta...

 
 
 We all LOVED seeing all of our old childhood toys, like fisher price, tonka, star wars, matchbox, and barbie.  We had never seen this old Tonka Conversion van.  We had a REAL van like this when i was growing up. 

 

 I don't know if these were authentic Putz houses or not, but i wanted to take them all home with me...

 

 Andy cracked us up all day by modeling crazy hats we found.  I think maybe he found his calling...

 

 This one was my favorite...

 

Andy ultimately took this one home with him...love it!

 

These were my finds.  I scored this awesome aqua mailbox for my little alcove side door entrance.  I love it. 

 

And...this {not really an antique, but a find i'm thrilled with anyway} magazine/card spinner, which i will use for my prints, books, etc... for my open studios and possible future shows.  It was a major deal for only $10!

My dogs were barking today, but it was so worth it.  We're already making plans for our next antique road trip.  Come again, next time, friends!

Don't be so vanilla!

I love vanilla...don't get me wrong.  It's yummy.  But, you shouldn't be afraid to try another flavor once in a while!  Deep down you're not really vanilla.  Really.

Have you ever been in a house {maybe even your house}, that is quite lovely, but it's completely beige?  Inside and outside?  People say, "Well, if we should ever want to sell the house, it needs to be neutral."  What?  What kind of attitude is that?  Do you decorate your house for YOU or do you decorate your house for the next guy that's going to live in it?  And, really, what's a little paint?  It can be painted again.  Our house is filled with color.  It makes us happy.  We painted our kitchen a shade of chartreuse a few years ago.  My kids call it "mountain dew".  It's really bright and not everyone's cuppa tea...i get that...but we love it.  We know that we would have to paint it if we ever wanted to sell.  But, we're not selling now.  So...mountain dew, it is.  My point is, inject a little color into your life.  Into your wardrobe, your house, your decor, your ice cream.  Do it for you.  Don't worry about what anyone else thinks.  Because, life is too short to be vanilla...all the time.

These photos i found on flickr may be extreme examples, but oh, how lovely they are!  I want to live in one of these neighborhoods!  Won't you be my neighbor?

1. Whitstable: Cottages (County of Kent UK), 2. Standing on Stilts, 3. Rainbow house, 4. Colorful Cottages, 5. The Rainbow House, 6. Little pink, blue, orange, teal, yellow and green houses..., 7. The colourful town of Newquay, Wales, 8. Rainbow, 9. The Rainbow House, 10. Someones yellow house, 11. colorful beach houses, 12. Vardo, 13. near Billie Joe's, 14. Untitled, 15. Pride, 16. Symi 17

When I was a kid, i wanted to live here:

Photo by liaa.cariaga~

Do something COLORFUL this weekend, my friends!  Oh, and don't forget to take my JOY challenge and enter to win a free print of your choice from my shop.  I will close the giveaway at midnight on Sunday and announce the winner on Monday. 

Baby, it's cold outside...

but, it's nice and cozy in this little neighborhood.  The next installment in the little villages series for my client, Dee...a Snowy Winter Village:

 

 

For those who are new to fresh picked whimsy, Dee is a client of mine who has commissioned me to create a little neighborhood village (7 houses in each set) for every holiday of the year {and then some!} Already in the works is the Valentines Village...stay tuned for that. Click to see the already completed Summer Village, Cupcake Village, Back to School Village, Fall Village, Halloween Village, Christmas Village and my original winter village {which started it all}. 

Speaking of joy...

Today's front page of the Indy Star...

Things have been getting very blue and white here in Indiana.  We are very proud of our Colts!  I painted horseshoes on my parent's front door and our front door...

    

 

OK, so we know the rest of the country will be cheering for the Saints {except for maybe the state of Minnesota!}.  I mean, if the Colts weren't in the Superbowl, i'd be cheering for the Saints, too!  Their story is close to everyone's heart. 

But, this is Colts country...so giddyup!  GO HORSE! 

Bring that trophy home again, boys...

Joy

...your kids, your spouse, your family, your friends, shopping, working, learning, kissing, decorating, skiing, your pet, singing, being in the sun, reading a good book, golf, playing video games, cleaning, music, painting, running, cooking, football, going to the movies, crafting, daydreaming, dancing, traveling, soccer, sleeping, tennis, collecting, playing chess, gardening, photography, sewing, laughing, cheering on your team, exercising, praying, baking, snuggling, eating...

what  brings  you  joy?

Making time for joy can change your whole outlook on life.  Think about something that brings you joy and think of a time when you did it, had it, or spent time with it.  You were happier, right?  Why is it then, that we don't make more time for it in our everyday lives?  If we did, we would be happier and that happiness would permeate every aspect of our lives....might even make the people around us happier, too!  Just think about how happy it makes us when the sun shines after a few days of cloudiness.  Sometimes we don't realize how much we miss it until it shows up again! When i tell people that i'm an artist, they often tell me that they "used to paint" or "used to sew" or "used to" something with longing in their voices.  Their reasons vary, but really, they're all the same...they just don't make time for it.  Yes, sometimes there's expense involved with a particular interest, and we have many obligations in life with work, school, family, etc... but life is short.  And, the laundry can wait, and the lawn can be mowed tomorrow, and it wouldn't kill you to turn off your iphone for an hour.  Go for the joy! 

So, how do you live a more joyful life?

 

This past week, Mark and I attended our church's Parish Mission and were blessed to hear visiting priest, Father Dennis Corrado, speak specifically about just that....joy.  Here's Fr. Dennis' abbreviated list of ways to find even more joy in your life...

• Develop a short term memory.  In other words, forgive and forget.  Nobody goes to their deathbed praying for justice, "Dear God, give me what i deserve..."  Rather, we pray for mercy, "Dear God, forgive me..."  Be forgiving of others.
• Keep learning
• Be a good friend
• Count your blessings - it reminds you of what you do have instead of what you don't.
• Look for the humor in daily life - this will give you perspective...don't take yourself so seriously.
• Deepen your faith - this will help you to see your place in this world more clearly.
• Overlook a flaw in another person and ourselves- nobody is perfect.  "See everything, overlook a great deal, then correct a little".
• Thank someone who has enriched your life - don't wait until it is too late.
• Make peace with your life - when you think to yourself "this is it? this is my life?" - embrace it.

So, here's my joy challenge for you:

1. Find your joy.  Click here to download and print the FREE "what brings you joy?" print at the top of this blog post. It's my gift to you. Hang it somewhere you can see it every single day: the refrigerator, your bathroom mirror, next to your computer, inside your locker, etc... and make time for your JOY!
2. Spread the joy.  If you work in an office, put a copy on the break room bulletin board, or stuff everyone's office mailboxes with a copy. If you know of a community bulletin board in a store, restaurant, school or library, put one up there! Just think about how much happier the world would be if EVERYONE would just make time for joy. Think about your grouchy boss, your grumpy co-worker, a crotchety neighbor or maybe even a curmudgeon that you might {gasp} LIVE with?! Help them to contemplate, and maybe even find their joy. Your joy might just rub off on them! {I'm not trying to sell anything here, just trying to spread the joy, so pass it on!}
3. Share your joy.  Tell me what brings you joy! Leave me a comment and tell me what brings you joy and what you are going to do to make more time for it.  You will earn a chance to win a free print (of your choice) from my etsy shop.  Tell me where you've posted the "what brings you joy" print for yourself or others to earn a second chance.

Finally, I had to share this you tube video of the group called Improv Everywhere.  Their mission is to create chaos and joy in public places.  Their latest global "mission" was the No Pants Subway Ride, which occurred just a couple of weeks ago.  The result was unique and truly unforgettable for those not in on "the joke" and lots of smiles!  Check it out! Oh, to be a fly on the wall...or on the subway!

A day in my life...

I thought it might be fun to photo journal a typical day in my life.  There's always an extra errand, field trip, carpool or appointment thrown in here and there, so i just picked a semi-normal day and tried to capture my stops along the way.  I'm just a mom, juggling family life with my art.  This is how i roll...

wake up the teenagers

wake up Mark and G and get them all out the door

 
I miss summer laundry...tank tops, shorts, and no socks!!!!  Ugh...i hate matching socks! 

I did my chores....can i play now?  I mean, work now?  When you do what you love, work = play!

{eat dinner, clean up kitchen, help with more homework, get kids into bed}

sometimes, i head back into the studio when it gets quiet again.

 

Life is so good.  Especially when it's Friday!  TGIF, friends!
 
 

A whimsical gift for every occasion!

Introducing the Fresh Picked Whimsy gift card...

 

Available in any amount, hot off the presses (well, my printer, anyway).  To purchase one, simply send me an email or convo me in etsy and let me know the amount, then i will set up a custom listing for you.  To redeem, go to the shop and send me a message with the items you wish to purchase.  I will set up a custom listing in the shop accordingly.  If you're local, you can email me with your shopping list and we can arrange pick up. 

Shop on, friends!

My own personal film festival

Over the holiday break, i caught up on so many great movies that i've been wanting to see that i never have time for.  Our DVR was full of movies that i've recorded but never watched.  I LOVE going to the movies, but rarely do.  Mostly because it's ridiculously expensive, but also because when we do splurge on a trip to the theater, it's usually to take the kids to see something.  Really, that's ok with me, because i'd much rather be cozied up on the couch, under some blankies snuggled up next to my sweetie anyway!  Here's what we watched and my mini review (and an illustration i made a few years ago):

 

• Up {very cute and made me miss my grandmothers, especially for my grandfather}
• The Proposal {way better than I was expecting.  Love Ryan Reynolds and that house!!!!}
• Julie & Julia {my very favorite of all...i wished it just kept going so i could see more.  And, of course, i loved how the blogging storyline unfolded...i ♥ blogging}
• 500 Days of Summer {quirky and romantic.  didn't like the ending, but LOVED the music!}
• The Hangover {hysterical...and i heard they are making a sequel due out next summer}
• Angels and Demons {i love a good suspense thriller...i couldn't predict the ending, so that's a good one, in my book!}
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince {Love me some "Arry Potta"...i wish Ron would just kiss Hermoine already!!!!}
• He's Just Not That Into You {i love Ginnifer Goodwin...she's adorable.  the movie was just ok}

Have you guys ever fallen head over heals in love with a house in the movie and wished they would move some of the characters out of the way so that you could see more of the house????  Me, tooooo!

I recently discovered the website Hooked on Houses, a gorgeous website that gives you the low down and inside scoop on these fabulous digs.  For me, I've always been smitten by the little bungalow cottage that Isabel (Nicole Kidman) lives in in the movie Bewitched, the house (and the shop!!!!) in the movie Practical Magic, the big houses in Stepmom, Father of the Bride, Cheaper by the Dozen, of course the one everyone loves is the beach house in Something's Gotta Give. 

That house should have been given top billing in the movie credits.  To Die For!!!!!!! 

What is your favorite movie house?  I'd love to hear it!

Only 63 days until Spring...

We're at that muddy, melty, dirty snow part of the winter right now. 

 

Yet, winter has really only been with us a few weeks...a depressing thought, I know.  I really only like the snow in the month of December.  It adds to the Christmas-y feeling.  By December 26th, i'm over it.

 

So, let's just take a break...together, shall we?

 

 
 I feel better already...how about you?

i wish i may, i wish i might...

New Year's Resolutions never stick.  Then, when they don't, you feel like a failure.  I prefer to make wishes about the upcoming year, instead.  It keeps things positive.  I've heard many people saying how happy they are to see 2009 come to an end.  It was a bad year...financially, politically, etc...  Yes, there was hardship, but there's always hardship.  I like to focus on what we survived, not what brought us down.  In 2009, we {my family} survived painting our house (ourselves!), a first year in high school, driver's ed, a broken back, the swine flu and turning 40!  Those are accomplishments, not blemishes on the year!  Hooray for us! 

2009 was a banner year for whimsy studios.  In my wildest dreams, i couldn't have forseen the joys and rewards it brought!  The book I illustrated was published and gloriously launched, and then it won an award! I was featured in a local magazine article, freelanced and was published in another publication, was humbled by the support of my friends and fan in the fresh produce contest, and blown away by the turn out at my first Open Studio.  So many blessings!

Here are my creative wishes for 2010...

• To host more Open Studios...so many of you have told me that i should do this more often. I'd like to do it 4 times a year (seasonally), but would be thrilled to make it happen at the very least in late spring and late fall.
• To finish illustrating and publish the second book, Getting to the Heart of Respect. Ultimately, I think we're shooting to work on book 3 this year, as well. This wish is alreay underway...very exciting.
• To blog more consistently (at least 4 times per week, but as many as 6). I'm more centered in my creativity when i journal about it. I consider my blog my journal. This, in addition to drawing in my sketchbooks, truly helps to keep the creative juices flowing.
• To market my Lake Lovers and Ocean Lovers personalized prints to brick & mortar stores nationally. I think they are the perfect souvenir for beloved vacation spots everywhere. Marketing is not my bag...so if you or someone you know is up to the challenge, let's talk.
• To participate in Illustration Friday more often. This was something i did pretty regularly in 2008 and a lot of whimsy studios faves came out of it. I want to get back into it.
• To learn to sew. Really. i know, you've heard me say this before. But, now that i actually own a sewing machine, there is no excuse.
• To start a Creative Girl's Night Out. A monthly gathering of creative peeps who want to learn a new craft or teach a new craft to other creative peeps! I'm thinking a little vino, a lotta chit chatting and some crafty magic would be a fun way to gather with friends. I think doing something creative just makes me a happier person. Who's in?
• To make more time to make more personal art. My sketchbooks are loaded with ideas and art to be made. i love this...just need to make more time for it. It's really important to me.
• To possibly begin having trunk shows. Some friends expressed an interest in hosting them at their homes. Still trying to plot out the logistics of it. But, i think it could be loads of fun.
• To license my work. This is the biggie...the toughest one...the most challenging. There's so much to learn about this. I need to do more research. There's a lot of great resources out there about this. This is the key to making a living from my art.  It's scary, exciting and totally intimidating all in one.  But, i would really love to do it.  Paper goods, greeting cards, tshirts, mugs, totes, prints...the sky's the limit.  
• To continue spreading happiness with my art.  I know that sounds completely hokey and cheesy.  But, i really, really mean it.  This is who I am.  This is my God given talent.  He gave it to me for a reason.  I love sharing it.  All i can hope is that my art brings a smile, love, or happiness to all that see it.  That's why i do it.  To make Him proud and to give Him the glory.  That's what it's all about, right?  Right.

2010 is already emitting good vibes...can you feel them, friends?  Where will it take you?  Where will it take me?  Here's to wishing that it takes us somewhere wonderful...together!  ♥