fresh picked whimsy

I still haven't received my invitation...

...and even though i believe there must have been a mix up, i'm not going to get in a royal tizzy about it.  I know that Wills and Kate have very busy schedules (pronounce it: "shed-yules").  So, i will just celebrate it over here on this side of the pond, just like i did when Chuck & Di were married. 

 
I was 11 years old when William's parents married.  We were on a family vacation in Cape Cod and my mom woke my sisters and i up so we could watch it on television with the rest of the world.  I will never forget it.  I remember the excitement of seeing her dress and their first kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. 

 
I suppose that's when my love affair of all things royal began.  If Diana was on the cover of People magazine, i wouldn't miss reading it...pouring over the pictures.  Tiaras, gowns, jewels and castles.  What little girl doesn't daydream about that?  Of course we all know how that fairytale ended, and i was once again glued to my television with the rest of the world as we watched with great sadness learning of Diana's demise.  We all so hoped that her boys would be able to find happiness in the wake of their unimaginable heartache. 

and, so...i will be setting my alarm and waking in the wee hours of the morning of 29 April, 2011 to celebrate a happy, happy day.  I plan to wake my children, serve scones for breakfast and drink my coffee (sorry, I'm not a tea fan) from my china teacups. 

and as their future unfolds before our very eyes...i will be rooting for their

happily

ever

after

♥

 

Magical autumn

I'm loving this time of year!!!!  I do love summer, but i really do love the changing of the seasons.  I'm sure i would miss it if i lived in a region of the country where they don't see the leaves change or snowflakes fall.  There's just something about the first pot of chili...

 

and going to football games wearing sweatshirts and jeans under the lights because it gets dark so early now!

 
that's my sweet boy R, with the ball...go, R, GO!!!!!

 
We are loving apple cider, apple crisp and everything pumpkin.

 

The house has been decorated for Halloween.  Our favorite wicked witch has taken her place in the studio window...

 

the old vintage Horror movie posters are up (scored them for $1 each at the Dollar Store about 5 years ago!)

 

 

my Nana's autumn painting adorns our mantel.  It may be my favorite piece she ever did...LOVE it.

 

and the spooky silhouettes are, once again, decking our halls... 

 

speaking of spooky, G and I spied these turkey vultures that were perched all over a neighborhood clubhouse nearby...

 
They were so U.G.L.Y! 

 
Then, we looked over at this tree and they were everywhere!

 
We were a little creeped out because it was a gray, blustery day and they were all staring at us.  I was beginning to think they were eyeing G for a snack, so we quickly got back in the van and were on our way...

 
We have these enormous black walnut trees on our property. 

 

They drop these walnuts all over our yard and driveway. 

 
They're huge!  Last week i was pulling the van out and had my sunroof open and you guessed it...BAM!  right on my noggin!  I was seeing stars and little birdies circling my head for a few minutes.  I think the squirrels were aiming for me!

 
I can't wait for my very favorite Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus to air on TV...here's my favorite scene:

 

 Still looking forward to a trip to the pumpkin patch, cocoa and marshmallows, more Starbuck's pumpkin spice lattes, trick or treating and of course...my annual "girlfriend's trip to IKEA"!!!!   Hope you're enjoying fall, too, friends!  xo 

 

who lives in a pineapple under the sea...

you know who...

This is a one of a kind Bikini Bottom edition of the little houses that i make. 

   

They were sweetly requested by my nephew Sam, who adores all things Spongebob.  This was our conversation a few weeks ago...

Me (my nephews & niece call me Owie {pronounced Oh-eeee}):  "Sam, what do you think you might want for your birthday this year?"

Sam:  "you know your little houses that you make?"

Owie:  "yup"

Sam:  "i think they are soooooooooo cool.  and it would be soooooooooo cool if you could make Spongebob's house and Sandy's house and Squidward's house and the Krusty Krab and Patrick's house, too."

Owie:  "Gosh, Sam, i don't think i would know how to do that."

Sam:  {kind of sadly} "oh, ok."

When I arrived at his house on his birthday with a big gift bag, i told him that i hoped i got the right size underwear and socks.  He wasn't buying it for one second.

Happy Birthday, Sam! I love you. ♥

Keepin' it real...

with me, what you see is what you get...here's what you get today...

 
i color my hair every 4 weeks...L'oreal dark brown, because i'm worth it and because i would look like a skunk if i didn't. 

 

i wear my Wham! concert t-shirt from 1984 everytime i color my hair...it's worn so thin, you could read a newspaper through it. i love it. Wham! 4-eva {susan and karen, that one goes out to you ♥ good times, good times}

i hate playing video games...i just don't understand the big dealio over them. I should have named my boys Mario and Luigi.

i wish sugar tasted like fish because i hate fish. Nah, forget it...then i would just have a fish addiction.

my guilty pleasure tv show is Keeping up with the Kardashians. Mark hates it, but if i have to sit through Through the Wormhole and Through the Universe, then he can watch Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami. Kardashians and Quantum Physics...we're a pair, aren't we? Somehow, it works for us! ♥

Every day when the Etsy Finds land in my inbox, i cross my fingers that one of my prints will be in it. Hasn't happened yet, but i'm thinking happy thoughts.

i'm the unofficial spokesperson for Grand Traverse Pie Co. apple crumb pie and Fat Free Vanilla CoffeeMate. Those companies don't even know it...but i've got their backs. mmmmmmmmm!

i'm a world class procrastinator ...doing it now even...i work best under pressure.
 

a heartbreaker...

It's Blue Monday here in Indy.  We thought we would be celebrating a win today, but instead, there's a party in New Orleans.  I am happy for them...especially Drew Brees.  He's a good guy.  They just played better.  We had a fun day even despite the loss.  Here are some highlights...

My grandfather, the human good luck charm (he let me paint his head)...

As always...too much food.  Dinner was Make your own Paninis.  So yummy! 

My crazy family...

 

  

The party mood was considerably more mellow after halftime...

Congrats to the COLTS, for a super season...we'll get 'em next year!

Congrats to the SAINTS for a Superbowl win!
 

Blue Friday!

In honor of my Colts playing in the Superbowl this weekend, it's Blue Friday!  I wish so badly we were down in Miami cheering our guys on, but we are having our own pep rally up here in Indy.  This city is bathed in blue and bursting with pride.  The energy is crazy cool and we're having a lot of fun with it.  Here are some yummy blue finds from etsy that i would love to call my own...

How cozy and sweet are these {by formydarling}?!  I didn't even know i needed arm warmers, but now, i really do...

This print {by SuspectShoppe} has been on my wish list for entirely too long.  I must own it.  Now, if only my Valentine was reading my blog today...hmmmm....

Sweet upcycled pooch {by sighfoo}...

This is a funny take on all of those "keep calm & carry on" prints you see everywhere.  This one {by Earmark} totally speaks to me...

Darling little birdie bowl {by tashamck}, do you know how cute you are?...

Oh, and you, too, little fella, {by tracyechinmueller}...

This bag {by iroshka} is just so lovely...

If this ring {by masoams} were on my finger, i would daydream about the beach all day long...

Finally, we are having a big snowstorm today...which brings to mind this print from yours truly.

Like i said last week, if my Colts weren't playing, i'd be cheering for the Saints...after all, Drew Brees is a proud fellow Boilermaker.  However, i've gotta go with my hometown team.  They are all heart and i ♥ them.  Happy Friday, friends!  No matter who you are cheering for, have a fun and safe Superbowl Sunday!

GO COLTS!!!

My Friday night guy...

 

Tonight is pizza and Walker night with my standing Friday night date...my 94 year old grandfather.  For several years now, Poppop has been coming over on Friday nights for pizza night with us.  We watch Cash Cab, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and his very favorite show...reruns of Walker, Texas Ranger.  He LOVES that show.  He has seen every episode of that show probably 100 times, but it makes him happy.  So, Friday night is pizza and Walker night with Poppop.  Life is good.  How blessed am I?

Right now I'm loving...

This custom made sterling silver bracelet and earrings given to me by my parents this Christmas.  They were handmade by amazing jewelry artist, Terri Lindelow.  She's a family friend who has a studio in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  Keeping in close touch with my Mom, Terri designed 3 different sets for my sisters and I.  I am crazy about mine...it is SO me. 

 

This book, An Illustrated Life by Danny Gregory.  Loaded with actual pages pulled from the private sketchbooks of illustrators, artists and designers.  Inspiration on every single page.

 

Sweet father/son projects like this.  Mark and G are building this boat for the Annual Cub Scouts Raingutter Regatta...she sails her maiden voyage tonight!  Next up...pinewood derby!

 

Breakfast at Taste...an urban chic cafe in Indianapolis, with my friend, Jenny Elkins.  We plotted out our 2009 artistic goals and enjoyed this super yummy food...

 

If you find yourself on Indy's north side, give Taste a try.  It is SO the kind of place the girls from Sex & the City would have met at for breakfast.  You can channel your inner-Carrie Bradshaw there.  Although, Jenny and I looked more like a couple of tourists, whipping out our cameras and taking pictures of our food and surroundings.  Good bloggers always have their cameras with them!  :-)  I love their biz cards...

   

An afternoon of tie-dying with my teenager.  It was so cold out on the garage floor, but we were having so much fun...the hours just flew by. 

 

The return of some of my favorite tv shows in January.  Especially...Friday Night Lights...It came super close to being cancelled and the fans rallied and helped to bring it back.  It's a show about High School football (and all the drama of high school, too) and they show it on Friday nights...um, hello...all the people who would be interested in watching it were at high school football games on Friday nights in the fall!!!  Hmmm...i wonder why the ratings were low?  Genius marketing.

 

I'm also excited about Big Love, American Idol and The Biggest Loser...how about you?  What are your "can't miss" shows?

The new Indianapolis International Airport.  Wow!  Mark left on a biz trip on Sunday and we took a family field trip there to drop him off.  I am so impressed.  What a massive improvement. 

And...there are art installments throughout the airport that really pop.  The kids just LOVED these synchronized lights over the moving sidewalks. 

The red lights "followed" you from end to end and then, every few minutes, the lights dance to music.  We were so fascinated by them, that after we saw Mark off, the kids rode the sidewalks back and forth about 6 times on the way back to the car.  At one point, the lights started strobing and the beginning to that old disco song came on, "awwwwwwwwwwwww, Freak out!..." We used to roller skate to that song back in the day!!! :-)

I went back yesterday by myself when the kids were at school to pick Mark up from his trip.  I had about a half hour to kill while i waited for his flight to arrive.  I sat outside the arrivals gate and watched so many sweet airport reunions.  I think it may be my favorite favorite thing on this list.  I didn't know their stories, but with each one, i was touched.  It felt like a little intimate glimpse into their lives...put out there for everyone to see.  I could have stayed all day...just watching the hugging, kissing, smiles, handshakes and love.  The best part, of course, was when my guy came through that gate.  :-)

Finally, having sweet neighbors who are more like family than friends.  I found Martha and Jay shoveling my front walkway yesterday...we finally got some snow!  They did this sweet gesture for several of our neighbors.  I came outside with my camera and Martha exclaimed to Jay..."oh, honey, we're going to be blogged!  Quick...let's pose!

The ode to Grant Wood's "American Gothic" was their idea...they are so funny!  How blessed are we to have them for neighbors?!

The entire eastern half of the US is in the middle of an arctic freeze.  The kids had a 2 hour delay today due to the sub zero temps, which are expected to go even lower tomorrow...10 below!  Our fingers are crossed for a snow day.  Wherever you are, in this great big world, i hope you are warm! 

Second in a Series entitled "We Go Together"

My fascination with adding faces to inanimate objects in my illustrations stems from my childhood.

I remember vividly waiting with great anticipation for my mom to pour the scrubbing bubbles into the bathtub one particular day.  I thought for sure the little scrubbers with eyes and foamy bubbles would be zooming all over the tub to get the job done.  Imagine my disappointment when i discovered the lackluster activity coming out of the bottle.  As a little kid, I was so bummed.  It was a let down that i still think about every time i see a scrubbing bubbles commercial.  As an adult, i see the genius in the marketing. As an artist, I get a kick out of giving a little personality to everyday objects. 

This is what greeted us this morning.  And yet...a snow day still eludes my weary schoolchildren!  We are so over winter.  Hit the road, Jack (Frost)...bring on the sun!