I love the blog world!!!

I got sooo many great ideas from you guys!! The sad part - I've got the two unfinished night stands {that I mentioned} and a huge unfinished shelf {chocked full of toys} that also need some kind of something done to them!! I'm probably going to do them first - then the table and chairs!! But I have to have a plan before I start!! AND I have to be caught up with "sold art"!!!

Speaking of, check out this one

This one is actually a gift that was being given today at a shower {CUTE name!!} Look how sweet the bedding is!

Hopefully, I'll get feedback soon - I'm dying to know how much she loved it!! Okay, maybe I'm jumping the gun - she might hate it!! Oh, that would be awful!!! I will let you all know!

What is a momma to do?

So, I found this little set of cuteness at the unfinished furniture store. {The one that went out of business = steal!!} My di-A-lemma arises from the fact that I have no idea what to do with it!

One thing is for sure - it is not being stained!!! I mean come on . . . it's kids' furniture, for a kids' room. For Pete's sake, it is going in my 3 boys' room. It is probably going to look trashed out in about 6 and half weeks after it's completed! But it still has to be done up fabulous - not ghetto fabulous - but fabulous!! Should I paint it like I would a canvas {I was thinking like the charmed collection} or should I paint it a solid color with some distressing? Maybe each chair a different color as well as the table a different color??

Wait . . . . that last option is sounding familiar - oh yeah, 'cause I saw that option in Pottery Barn Kids!!!

Check it out - the same-exact-stinkin' furniture!!! Except I didn't pay 59 bucks a chair nor did I pay 99 bucks for the table! Okay, that is adorable and the table is even stained!! So, what the heck do I do!?

I'm really diggin' the green - and I do have 2 unfinished night stands that I can paint up to match. Oh, jeezey - the decisions!! And I'm loving the blue . . . . and the red. It would match the room so perfect. But so would all the choices listed above. I have NO idea what I'm going to do?

Any suggestions????

**wOw**

Can you believe 120 comments?! That is way more than I expected!!!

Well - the lucky winner is Joanna {number 66!!} We have already made contact and I will be getting her painting out to her very, very soon. She has twins as well!! And they are only a few months younger than mine. Joanna, if you are like me, I'm sure you are glad that first year is over!! Until those monkeys started walking - Jeeze, I had some biggo' arm muscles! 'Cause you have to carry them together {everywhere} - or at least I had to.

I'm so glad that so many of you liked the site! The music was a big deal for me. Like so many of you, I normally do not like music on websites and I really find the noise annoying when I'm trying to read. Fortunately, you can click on the spinning disc in the lower left corner and the music will fade out. But I had to use that song, it {for me} was sooo perfect for the site. The funny part - everytime I now sit down at the computer and Hudson is in here with me - he starts singing that song!! He sings it long before I get on my site! You can tell I worked on the site a little tooooo much right before the launch!

As far as the colors - that was a very hard thing for me to do. Actually, that took me the longest when plugging all the pictures in. So, I'm extremely happy that you guys noticed!

And for the pictures!! Oh, don't you love them all!!! And I'm talking of the pictures behind all the text. That was random stuff in my studio space. Good ol' Krista took those - and she did an awesome job!!! I've actually got some more ideas - so, you will notice some of those pictures will change out. Not many, just a few! Krista did take some of the pictures in the Charmed Collection. I really want her to take them all - but I've not had the time to make any samples AND I normally deliver or ship paintings out as soon as I complete them!!

I did have someone say it ran a little slow for them - you can bypass the slide show and click on each individual picture. That way you can go at your pace. I also had a comment about the description of the collections not with the collections. I wish that I could put the descriptions with each, but there was no way with the template that used to do that. I could have done something up in photoshop and posted it as a picture, but then you would have to stop the slideshow and read the description. I thought that might be a little more confusing {because I know some of you guys wouldn't know you could stop the show!!! And then you would be trying to read that joker in the 3 second interval it is set on!! hahaha} That is actually very funny when you think of it - everytime it rolled back around, you would try to pick up where you left off with the last 3 seconds!

Overall, I'm so happy with the finished look. It has a clean look with punch! And after reading every single comment I see that you all saw that! I need to thank Kim over at Today's Creative Blog! I know she sent a bunch of you over here!! Bless her heart!!

Well, I got quite a few orders from the new launch, so I have alot of painting to do!!! So, thanks bunches!! I also have alot of blog visiting to do!!! I plan to visit every blog that commented on my site {as long as you are not private - which I noticed so many of you are!} Hopefully you liked it, loved it and want some more of it!!! So, come back and I will talk to you all soon!!

Next on the list - BLOG redo!! It has to match the site, Silly!!!

Good morning friends, . . . .

*** Edited ***

I have some exciting news . . . . .

I'm LIVE, the NEW SITE is up and RUNNING!!! Can I get a WHOO-HOO!!!

So, here is the deal - everybody that comes to my blog must, and I do mean MUST, go visit the new site!!! Then, come back to the blog and post a comment and tell me what you like best!!! Everybody HAS to post a comment. All you lurkers - and I know some of you, don't make me post names . . . example would be VICKIE in ATLANTA {aka Dallas, GA} . . . oh, I know others {don't make me get nasty!} - Now come on my peeps, let me know what you think!!!!!

Let's make this fun - all those that post a comment will go into a drawing for your very own "Classic Collection" 8x10 canvas - so if you don't want one {I really don't know what to tell you} - Leave a comment anyways and maybe you can give it as a gift!! hehe - Good luck

Remember - visit the site, and come back here!! You must post a comment and tell me what you like best!!!!

**If you have any suggestions on how to make the site better - please leave those comments as well!!!**

So, I completely forgot to set a date as to when I will draw a name from the growing comments!!! Lets say, . . .uhmm . . . . how about . . . Monday at midnight {that is central time for me} - I will use one of those random number generators and post the winner on the blog! So, you will have to come back and see if you win {I will try to contact you as well!}

I am trying to link the blog on the site {not just from the splash page} AND I need to change the color on the pricing sheet. I can't change the white wording and the background is a little too light. I have a couple of emails and post saying they didn't see the pricing for all the collections. There are little arrows that will navigate to the bottom of the pricing list, but I don't think everyone can see them.

Thanks again for all the comments - keep them coming!!

Yes, I'm still waiting . . .

But on to better things . . .

Check out my new brochures!! How stinkin' cute can it get? I'm sooo lovin' the new look. They coordinate with my business cards and are sooo incredibly funky-fun!! I'm dying to see my new thank you cards!! Brandi, my friend, you rock!!!

Waiting, waiting . . .

Oh, how I'm patiently waiting - it is official - the request has been sent - now I have around 36 hours till I'm "contacted" - tick-tock, tick-tock, . . .

The suspense is killing me!!! I'm ready for my site to go live about . . right . . . . . NOW!!!! Aren't you guys?! Okay, probably not - I'm sure it's only me that is about to pee on myself from excitement!! I really hope I get some great response from everybody!

This is almost as suspenseful as waiting to birth a baby!!! And I would know - I'm a "professional-baby-birther" - I'm sure that's not a word, but it sounds funny!!

. . . tick-tock, . . .

So, hopefully I will know something soon - Pray for speed, people!! Because I'm probably the most impatient person they will ever deal with. If I don't hear from them soon, I will start aggravating them. They will then probably sabotage my site - that would be uncool!!

I'll keep you updated!! Tick-tock, tick-tock . . .

Another match . . .

Whewww!! Another gift that has officially been given - meaning I could show you guys a picture! And it matches AND I think she liked it {I hope she loved it!} And I know you lurk - so speak!! hehe - I did have some fabric samples to go by, so that helps ALOT!! As most of you know, I try desperately to match up bedding, but I can't duplicate it exactly. I just don't want to get into any "kinds of troubles" with the whole copyright issues. {Trust me, if it was to happen, it would happen to me!} So, I didn't do the dots in the exact pattern. I did them randomly on the canvas. I am very happy with the way it turned out - and don't you just love that font!?

AMAZING . . .

Do you hear the choir angels singing?? I've completed my site!!!!

Okay - except for a few things I'm waiting for Krista to email me - nothing major, just a few pictures to upload and it's really done!!! Yeah me!!! I can't believe it!! So, everybody - be waiting for the post that will tell you all it is up and running!! How exciting!! Or at least for me - this has been a true monkey on my back!! I just had to find the time to sit down and get it done!! I'm only 2 months behind schedule . . . not too bad with a 3 week old {-can you believe she is already 3 weeks old?}

Now, I got to get back to painting!! See ya . . .

This might be the week . . .

I go live with the new SITE {I'm actually meaning next week!!} Whoo-hoo!!! I actually accomplished several hours with it yesterday and I'm sooo close to completion! Here is the deal - for now I'm just going to keep the names of each collection of paintings that I currently have and I'm also planning to use some of the "ghetto" pictures that I took! I do have professional ones made of "some" art, just not as many as I was wanting.

But hey, that is the glory of having a website that "I" built!! I can just change out the pictures and the collection names as I go! I still plan on having a contest for naming some collections, I just need to paint up some new samples for "me" so that we can get that baby going!!!

So, I'm off to work on the site a little more. I'll be back tomorrow!

thanks. . .

I just wanted to say thank you to all the comments left about Emsley. She is definitely the cutest little girl that I've given birth to!! haha - okay, so she is the only girl I've given birth to!! {I thought it was funny.}



So, this is another Fan-tab-u-lous picture that Krista took for the website! {that I've got to finish --- yesterday!} I thought it fit today's post!

Well, I'm actually working on the site {as soon as I log off blogger} - so I gotta go!! Have a super-great weekend!

Who wants to see some Wheeler cuteness??!!

Oh, I know you do . . .

and last but not least - my fav-O-rite in the bunch!!!!

Krista - thanks for emailing me the little sneaky peeky!!! I can't wait to see the rest of them!!

As promised {for yesterday's post}

Oh - I didn't do a post for yesterday!! Silly me - hehe!


Well, here is the "mary rose" painting completed!! I did get the stitching finished around the few dots! This one will be shipped to her new home in Illinois {tomorrow morning!} I need to get a map and mark all the places that I've sent my paintings. That would be a very interesting project - I actually have sent a few abroad - Yes, I think that would be a fun little something to do - I'll get right on it!!

Krista came by again today. She took a few pictures of some art AND a few of Emsley!! Can't wait to see them!! She will hopefully email me a few AND I will post them! We did the cutesie ones with her in one of the drawers of the pink chest. We stuffed the drawer with my dupioni silk bedding. Then we laid her ever so gently {butty naked} on top - we were trying desperately to get the pictures {because we know what kinda chances we are taking with a naked baby} AND guess what happened - Oh you guessed right - she peed!!! All over the silk bedding - the price we will pay for a picture!! I know it will be so worth it! I can't wait to see them.


So, check out this little number above!! Whatcha think of that!! How super cool is it?! Let me just tell you about this. That groovy frame {if you do any framing at Hobby Lobby, I know you've seen this one in the custom order section!} has been wanting me for a long time - badly!!! Well, someone ordered this one, but must have decided they didn't want it {or something.} After I saw the original price of $113.50, I might not have wanted it either! But it was marked down, and marked down and then they marked it down again {thanks Debbie!} - so I had to get it!!! It was an odd size, but who cares - it will work perfectly in my little studio!! I've had this joker now for about 4 months and I finally figured out how I was going to use it - DRY-ERASE! My friends at the Hobby Lobby put a piece of white mat board under glass and -*BAM*- a new {and super cool} dry erase board!!! I was so excited that I ordered {half off of course} a red frame to match that will have a bulletin board in it!! I think I might take my dry-erase calendar and have it framed as well!!! Now, I just need to start using it!! hehe

Was I on speed or WHAT??

So, here are the two paintings that I've been working on this past weekend! Seriously - the one that says "grant" - just started on it yesterday!!! This morning, all that was lacking was the sealer! I really don't know how I did it that quick. {Must have been a really great naptime yesterday!!} The other one still needs ribbon stitched around some of the white "dots" - I will complete it tonight after all the kidlets go to bed. I will post the completed picture tomorrow. I really enjoy working on two paintings at a time - especially when they are as different as these two were. When one canvas is drying, I can work on the other and back and forth. I don't get bored when there's such a huge difference with the designs.

OHHH - I've got so much to do so I'm keeping it short!!! I will {hopefully} post tomorrow!!

Absolutely no reason for this post . . .

I feel bad when I don't post everyday - or at least every other day!! And it's been since Wednesday since I banged on this keyboard for this blog! I have absolutely NOTHING good to say - literally nothing! It has been pretty boring around here. I'm working on a few paintings and I think I finally came up with an idea I'll be painting for Emsley's room. I'm really getting into this "funky" look - actually, I really am going for the "vintage meets funky" look. Does that even makes sense?! Maybe it will when I get the time to "whip" up her paintings - because you know I have all this "free time" - HA!!

My stupid computer is running so slow - I think it might be time for a new one!! I mean this one is about 2 years old - isn't it now obsolete?? Okay, just kidding - my husband wants me to believe it because he is ready to get a new one! I've said it before - I guess I'm going to have to sell some of my fertile eggs!! We need to get our backyard redone {about 2500 bucks,} then the fence {8000 bucks,} I really want that new camera {500+ bucks (after all, my batteries won't hold a charge with my current camera and I think it will be easier to just buy a new camera than new batteries - I'm thinking like Lonnie now,)} Lonnie is crying for a riding mower since our yard is 4 times the size it was at the last house {1800 bucks,} I really can't stand these boxwoods they planted before we moved in - so I really want to redo the front landscaping {200+ bucks,} dang - I could keep going!! Uhhhmmmm, the computer is definitely going to have to wait!!!


This picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but don't you love it!!! I love ribbons and these were scraps that have accumulated in "my space" that I've tied around what I use as a business card holder. I really want to have a picture for every post - even if it doesn't have anything to do with what I'm writing about! So, start expecting it! I didn't even take this picture - Krista did!! This is just a few of the MANY she took for the new website - that I really need to be working on right now!! Do you know, that it has been so long since I worked on it, that I forgot my password!!! How pathetic is that?! It took me about 45 minutes going through old emails trying to find it! I think if I devote about an hour a day, I could have it ready in less than a week. I'll just throw that in with all the free time I have while I work on Emsley's paintings.

Man, it sounds like I'm whining!! I swear I'm not!! I need to be thankful - really thankful - for all that I got and how well it is going for me! So, I'll shut-up and surely have something fun to post about tomorrow!!

First outing with 2 of the 4 kids . . .

So, I'm starting off slow. Yesterday - I got my hair cut and I took one kidlet {Emsley} with me. Today - Hudson got his hair cut and I also took Emsley with me. Now, don't expect me to post tomorrow about taking 3 kids with me - 'cause it ain't happenin' people!!! But can I tell you how EASY it is to take 2 kids out at the same time. As most of you know - I skipped that and went straight from 1 kid to 3!! I have taken only 2 kids out at a time, but not when anyone was as tiny as Emsley! How stinkin' easy!! My suggestion - everyone should have twins their first time around, it makes the second {or 3rd in my case} sooo easy!! haha!!

I got myself a dry-erase calendar while I was out today - I've got to do something different! Not that a calendar is different - especially since I use about 5 of them at a time!! Does anyone else do that? Seriously, I've got my "planner" - {obviously it has all the going on's around here in it!} I've got a "what happened" calendar - {when my kidlets have a milestone or something funny happens or whatever!} I have Hudson's school calendar {which I swear, I try desperately to combine with my planner!} There is also Lonnie's calendar - {anything of importance also goes in my planner, but somehow something always gets left off!!} blah, blah, blah - I'm sure you guys get the point!

Oh, yeah - my dry erase calendar - I lost the thought there for a second {I did just have a baby! Forgive me!} Well, I'm a huge goal person - I set goals and I expect to meet them! I think it stems from my Mary Kay days - did any of you guys out there sell those cosmetics too??? Anyhoodle, {I must focus!} I thought if maybe I got this board and could write out all my "weekly goals" - I could {maybe} focus on each objective and accomplish it!! And {maybe} then I wouldn't feel so defeated by the end of the week!!

I've been working from lists - but that just ain't cutting it anymore! I need a visual - a large visual! Something that will be breathing down my back. I could hang it right here beside the computer. Then, while I sit here, blogging, emailing or whatever I'm doing - I can see it out of the corner of my eye and feel some type of guilt and work on these "things" that I must do!

I'll let you know how it turns out. . .

Does Pride = Bragging????

Seriously?! Does it?? The reason why I'm asking is because of an email that I received earlier today. It was about this painting from this post. Did you just check it out?? Well, do it if you didn't.

Okay, can I just say "OH MY GOSH!!!" Check out the pictures I got today . . . .




Do you see what I see?? That the wall colors are a "perfect" match with that painting - a painting that I DID? Now, I was told the walls were "blue" - I'm thinking a light blue - not a teal color. If I would have known that, I wouldn't have taken such a gamble and painted the canvas's background teal!!!! But it freakin' matches in the most unbelievable WAY!! Holy Cow!! I'm really blown away!!

So, yeah folks - I'm bragging! Take it for what it is - pure bragging!! And I don't care!! I'm really just amazed! Thanks so much Lauren for the pictures!! The room is adorable and I love all the aquatic "stuff" on the walls - {If anyone was wondering - NO, I did not paint that - I'm not that talented!} And how stinkin' cute is that quilt hanging from the bed?!

I've got alot of paintings out there - send me some more pictures to post!! PA-Leez!!!