Good Day...with the sweetest of old friends!

The kids at play.

I finally, after quite possibly 6-7 years, caught up with some of my favorite old friends (thanks to facebook). The Sikes (Robin and Brian) are just the best people. I met them in college when we all worked at Daniel Boone Inn Resturant, and we had some goooood time! They were the first of my friends to get married. I drove Brian to his own wedding in Richmond. Today I got to meet their two beautiful little girls and they got to meet London and Scott for the first time.

On the way home my husband and I were just glowing at home much fun we had. It was a hit and boy did Robin cook it up. She made this incredible brunch cassarole dish. I can not wait for our next get together...I know for sure it will not be another 6-7 years before we do. I give it less then a month.

Robin and London

London and Olivia


Madeleine and Olivia...sweet girls!



Here is what my art looks like waiting to be sold. I have lots and lots of work, neatly placed in the appropriate sized baskets. It takes up a shelf and 1/2 in our walk-in hall closet. They only go in the baskets once they are givin a backing. Oh this reminds me, I am participating in a show/craft sale March 14 in Rock Hill.

I would love to see you if you are in the area...here are some details
York County Army National Guard FRG
Spring Bazzar and Bake Sale
Sat. March 14 8am - 2pm







Yes this is right below where we store clean sheets- hee hee

It has been since Nov 2007 since I have shown and sold anywhere in person. Hoping to sell a lot and meet some good people!

Ahhh my first blog interview!

Thank you so much to the wonderful folks over at 29seven20 (the Lancaster SC blog!) They featured me as a spotlight artist and I am ever so grateful! You can find my interview Here .

I love that my little city has a blog...fantastic!

Garden Plans '09

Here is a sneak peek of our garden plans for 2009. When we moved here in May 2006 I was only a few months pregnant and it was super hot outside...so we had no garden that year which made me sad. I was working full time and commuting 81 miles a day so really I had NO energy for digging around in the dirt by the time I got home.

The next year we tilled up a small patch where our herb garden resides now. It was so dry the summer of 2007 that we barely got any veggies. The deer would come and eat our green tomatoes and I let them b/c I could only imagine how thirsty and hungry they were.

Last year we planted some Hot red peppers in planters and I think a tomato plant or two and then converted our once patch of garden into a permanent herb garden. I cook with herbs all the time and it is just outside my front door so I just love it.

Here is a look at our future plans. Hopefully we will get it all going this season so I can post a lucious garden with plenty of harvest!

My hearty rosemary that we have had for about 2 years now...I cook with it all the time!

Right now the herb garden is under a cover of leaves. I purposely let the leaves hang out this winter just incase some of the herbs make it through the winter. So far it looks like the sage, parsley and thyme are still hanging in there.

View from our driveway looking down upon our garden layout. We have a lot of work to do still. we have to round up the area, then till it and then fill it with a few truck loads of top soil. Not to mention we have to build up the wall since this is the sunniest spot of of our yard but it is down hill.

We have split rail fence on 3 sides of our yard and these are some extra. We are going to try to build the wall around the garden with these and Scott is going to sink some poles on the side that will be the tallest and is at the bottom of the hill..hope it works.

This is a little patch that the original builder/owner of our house planted a bunch of bulbs. I love bulbs but I plan on digging up this spot and planting sweet potatoes. If you have never seen sweet potatoes in the ground they make a beautiful ground cover. They have lush green leaves and these beautiful purple flowers. Then you just dig up the sweet potatoes and usually you will have enough to share! :)

View into your compost box...this will be so fantastic once mixed in with our garden dirt. Plus we feel so good about composting because that is that much less that goes into the landfill.

Compost box chillin with it's lid closed.

This is the wall the runs along our front walkway. This spot does get a lot of sun all year and we considered putting our garden here at one point but decided upon the other area. Instead we are planning on lining a row of blueberry bushes on the inside of this wall. Oh so yummy to have fresh blueberries on my cereal in the morning.

One more peek at our garden lay out. I really want to do a patch garden again but my husband is dead set on rows. I think he has agreed to put the viney plants (squash, cucumbers etc.) up in the top of the garden that is at the highest point in a patch. We may even build a trelis on one side for some of them to venture up.

I am so excited to get my hands dirty and get this thing going finally this year. I will keep you posted on the progress...wish me luck!

Magical...life

Sometimes when I find an artist or interesting person I want to know more about I see if they have a blog or a flickr account. Then I dive in and try to find out who they are or more about their lives. Often I find them to be so very magical and inspiring. Or I find myself trying to relate to what stage in life they are in. Kind of like reading a good novel. The books and authors I love tend make me feel as though I am the main charater and I am going through what they are going through in that moment...even if I have never been in those shoes.

Then today I stopped and wondered what do strangers who come across me on the web (my blog, flickr, etsy shop) think of me and my life. Is it magical to them like so many are to me? I do not plan on changing who I am or how I do things but I do wonder. Who do I seem to you?

I recently dumped the memory card on my cell phone (that I have had since Aug.) and found so many fun shots...mostly of my little guy. When we go and do fun things I still have my cell phone camera- which is quite spectacular if I do say so myself - even if I forget my real camera.

So some highlights of my wonderful, magical little life with my family for whom ever would like to enjoy them too. :)

xoxo

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I take each day as it comes and try to make the most of it!

Dustings of White {our 1st snow day this winter}

Here is a new little piece...I am into these shadowy people.

"The Moon Cast her Shadow" - new Fabric on wood piece in the shop..prints coming soon or upon request :)

I am so excited and need to start getting ready for a Spring Bazzar I am participating in on March 14 in Rock Hill at the National Armory. It has been over a year since I have done any shows so Im pumped...so much work to sell!


Scott and I enjoying a little SC snowfall...he got to stay home from work even though the roads by us were fine. We did hear that some of the roads were icey in Charlotte and why chance it- ha We were stock up with bread and milk and fruit and lots of goodies. The sun actually came out right after lunch and worked her magic on most of the snow. Sad it was barely with us for a day but better than nothing.

London was really not feeling good at all. We took him out anyway b/c who knows when we will get snow again. He had a fever and the next day I took him to the doctor and found out he also had a sore throat and double ear infections. Poor little one.

Calhoun and Alex had a blast in the snow...good eating for a dog!

For V-day (I like to give presents early) Scott had this custom decal made for his laptop. We just went onto etsy under the "custom" tab and put in a request on Alchemy. We ordered it from this guy who was great to work with and super fast! http://www.precisionengraving.etsy.com/

Here it is on his laptop...it really looks fantatic and it is a great topic of conversation at work. And if you have never met my husband he has a thing for pirates..yarrrr.

"Follow Me" - Fabric on wood...another new one in the shop

Other then getting over everyone in the house having a funk (aka- really bad bad colds) we have just been chillin. I have a bit of cabin fever and am hoping to be busy this week with lots of outings. Also, I am planning to catch up with some old college friends this coming weekend. I have not met their 2 kids and they have not met my husband or London so it should be a good time.

Getting Back to Normal

After the hussle and bussle of the holidays we are really trying to get things back to normal. One of those things is London's schedule. He has had a few rough nights and snuck a nap or two here and there but not in the afternoon when he used to nap. Infact, when I came to pick him up at Mother's Morning Out on Thurs. he was fast a sleep in his teachers lap. What...this is the kid who has not napped in 3 weeks? So unfortunately for me I think he is really done with his naps at 2 years old...just when I needed them most - ha ha

London and I snuggling

"Gathering" - Original Fabric on Wood piece...in my shop now

London and Aunt Ju Ju on New Year's Eve.

London laying on Alex's back...Alex love it.

"Frolicy Skunk" - original ACEO

Now I must get back to my coffee and hopefully making some art. Here is to hoping you're lives are getting adjusted to the daily grind after the excitement of the holidays.

My Mom's Etsy Shop

Here is a new custom piece I just finished called "Holding On"

I did not know the whole story before I finished the piece. It is an illustration meant to heal and comfort the loss of a loved one and I hope that it does eventually do that.

My Mom's New Etsy Shop http://www.inhersparetime.etsy.com/

For her birthday I helped her set up an etsy shop. Her bags are so much better in person. Please check her out...she gets so excited when something has a new view. ha ha

Brown Paisley Pleasure Handbag - yes she quilts all of these herself (go mom)!



Red and Smokey Dark Teal Florentine Bag

Imperial Striped Shoulder Bag

Black Beauty Quilted Shoulder Bag

London turned 2 right before the New Year and here is his beautiful "Starrr" cake his daddy made him. I helped decorate a little but that was it. London is obsessed with stars and moons so we thought it was a fitting cake theme. We had a fun little cookout at the house to celebrate. It was nice to entertain since we really do not have to many friends out to the house since we moved. We are kinda far from everyone and it takes a lot of work to get the house clean enough for guest. ha ha

London Jammin on his new little piano - he is so musical

London in his custom made firehouse (it goes right over a card table...coolest fort). You can get your own at http://www.missprettypretty.etsy.com/

Happy New Year everyone!