Heidi's Journal of Life and Art

The Before

2010-10-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

We are in the process of renovating a building in our hometown in hopes of opening our own restaurant. This is my son who is sitting on a hammer in one of the old studs.

This is my Dad who is running from that big ol' piece of drywall that is falling to the ground. There was a layer of drywall, cornboard, and lathe and plaster on this wall.

Here is a little better picture of the layers. Check out those light fixtures which have now been replaced.

This is what the wall used to look like when you walked in the door. It had lovely blue carpet with about six layers of subfloor and linoleum underneath it.

Here is my little friend who helped me rip out the old wall paper of the plaster walls. She was a fantastic helper!

Stay tuned for some after pictures. We hope to be open in about two weeks. Tomorrow is our safe food handling class. I'm taking it with my husband and I'm expecting to get beat on Tuesday's test. I hope this explains why I haven't blogged in so long.

Have a good one!

:) Heidi

Do you take "no" for an answer?

2010-08-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

After the separating of the twins for one day the school called and offered to put them in the same classroom. Not exactly sure what changed the Principal's mind just glad that something did. Home life is peaceful once again. So I'm curious to know how many of you would take "no" for an answer?

What would you do if it happened to you?

2010-08-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

Last night was Unpack Your Backpack night at school and we found out that our identical twin boys are being split up in their second grade classes. When we found this out I looked over and saw the tears start flowing down my little boy's face. He tried to fight back the tears but he just couldn't. We tried separating them in 4 year old preschool and it was not a good situation for them. I took the advice of a wonderful, well-meaning teacher who I adore but one of the twins had a hard time being away from his brother. That was the year of "I don't want to go to school, mommy!". We have a new Principal this school year who made a policy of no siblings in the same class. When my husband and I went in to question her the first words out of her mouth were"I'm not changing classes". My husband and I live in the same housing subdivision as the superintendent of schools so we paid him and his lovely wife a visit. He was pretty surprised that the new principal would shut us down without even a discussion on the subject. So now I'm left with what do I do. Do I make a big deal out of this ?(I kind of got the feeling from the superintendent that I could go over the new Principal's head since he gave me her boss's phone number and told me everything would work out fine.) The boys wanted to go to school this morning and my husband and I asked them to give it two days to see if maybe they didn't like it. Their teachers assured me they would let them get together as much as possible.

I called over to the other elementary school in our area and was warmly greeted by the school secretary who let me talk to the Principal there. She couldn't have been more helpful and friendly. If you were in my shoes what would you do?

Red Oak Restaurant in Bishop Hill

2010-06-02T05:34:00.000-07:00

These are Dala horses. They are a swedish good luck symbol. I just love the colors of them! This picture was taken at the Colony Store in Bishop Hill.

Beautiful tulips in front of the Red Oak restaurant. The gal that owns this adorable restaurant brings in lots of flowers from her gardens and places them on her tables.

This is the porch where she puts out the Swedish flag and the American flag.

This is the sign on the side of her building. I just love the thought of "Comfort food and Pie Co."

Here is a large Dala that hangs out in the garden. I didn't see one like this at the Colony Store otherwise I would've bought one for my garden.

This is a reataurant that I have been to many times with the special people in my life. It is just one of my favorite places to go. It has soft music playing in the background, beautiful flowers and a little patio out back where you can sit and eat a fabulous lunch.

Art Institute in Chicago!! Spring Break 2010

2010-04-13T06:29:00.000-07:00

American Gothic by Iowa artist Grant Wood! Being an Iowa girl myself I was so excited to see this right in front of my eyes! The placard off to the side read that Wood was trying to depict a farmer and his daughter and traditional values. I always thought it was supposed to represent a husband and wife. It said the gal was supposed to represent womanly duties such as cooking (the apron she is wearing) and home (houseplants on the porch). So amazing to see in person!

Do you love Van Gogh's The Bedroom? I did! Yep saw this too!

Can you believe how big Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte is? Loved this one too!

I googled for the name of Picasso's sculpture and here is what was said about it. "Pablo Picasso's untitled sculpture was placed on Daley Plaza in 1967. While many Chicagoans initially scorned it as unintelligible modern art, it came to be a familiar icon of the city."

My family only spent an hour in this magnificent museum. I want to expose them to this but not bore them to tears. :) Anyway if you want to go inexpensively, go on Thursday evening. We all got in for FREE. The Art Institute has a sponsored evening by Target (love Target). The free hours are 5:00pm-8:00pm.

Happy Day everyone!

Heidi

Having fun with Decoupage!

2010-03-11T09:38:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to Hobby Lobby and bought paper mache Easter eggs and Decoupage glue. My friend Ann showed me how to take napkins and glue them to eggs to get these cuties. We had such a nice time sitting around the table talking with our 7 year old twins. They loved this project! They didn't want to put the napkins on the eggs so they just painted their eggs.

These were the bigger sizes of eggs. I love the one on the left but I think they all turned out good.

Here are the napkins I bought. The two beverage size napkins were from the dollar store and the others were 40% off at JoAnn's.

More eggs! My Mom and Dad sat down and helped us so it was definitely a fun family project.

What Easter things do you like to do?

Happy Day to all!

What would you be?

2010-03-04T07:05:00.000-08:00

If I were a month I’d be April

If I were a day I’d be Sunday

If I were a time of day I’d be morning

If I were a planet I’d be Earth

If I were a sea animal I’d be a dolphin

If I were a direction I’d be south

If I were a piece of furniture I’d be a outdoor lounger with comfy cushions

If I were a liquid I’d be green tea with pomegranate

If I were a gem I’d be a pearl

If I were a tree I’d be a lilac (I know this is a bush) ;)

If I were a tool I’d be a ion drill (these things are awesome!)

If I were a flower I’d be a day lily

If I were an element of weather I’d be sunshine

If I were a musical instrument I’d be a saxophone

If I were a color I'd be yellow

If I were an emotion I’d be happy

If I were a fruit I’d be a grapefruit

If I were a sound I’d be a happy tune

If I were an element I'd be water

If I were a car I’d be a Jaguar

If I were a food I’d be a cupcake

If I were a place I’d be an outdoor patio

If I were a material I'd be soft cotton

If I were a taste I’d be sweet

If I were a scent I’d be lavendar

If I were a body part I’d be hands

If I were a facial expression I'd be a smile

If I were a song I’d be jazzy

If I were a bird I'd be a bluebird

If I were a gift I'd be extravagant

If I were a street I'd be a street in St. Charles, Missouri

If I were a city I'd be Florence

If I were a door I'd be painted red

If I were a pair of shoes I’d be a pair of sandals

And what would you be?

(I found this here http://kingofmicestudios.blogspot.com/)

What I've been working on...

2010-02-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

Inspiration hit me one morning. I bought a little pendant from the talented Danita of a mermaid and an octopus. What could be better than a friendly hug from an eight-armed creature? So I made this little cutie and wrote a little story about what it might be like to be a mermaid who finds herself making friends with an octopus. So if you could make friends with a creature what one would you choose?

What I want Today....

2010-02-05T06:40:00.000-08:00

A walk in the park where I can see these beautiful flowers blooming...(not going to happen for a few months)
This book to read...(Border's paperback $14.99 Half.com hardback $6.09 includes shipping)
These adorable owl stamps...
The heart tree to stamp on the kids' valentines...
The Matroyshka doll stamps would be nice too...

Do you ever go window shopping with your camera? I do it all the time now. If I want to buy something I take a picture of it and if I still want it the next time I go shopping I buy it. It also helps if you want to try to find it cheaper online. This cuts down on the impulse shopping which leads to runs to the Goodwill and Salvation Army. What do you tell yourself when you are considering making a purchases? What do you want today?

Are you thinking ahead?

2010-01-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

My friend called today to ask what I've been up to in the craft department. These are creations I made from wool sweaters that I felted. They are actually made with the scraps I had leftover from scarves. Here is the shop I saw on etsy that inspired me to make mine. Love the gray wool felt bowl with little felt hearts. The one with "LOVE" spelled out in beads also tops my list. Here is the link cosedolci.etsy.com .

I've been eyeing this sweet little couple now for quite some time. Most of you probably know this shop marmeecraft.etsy.com .

Today is my wonderful husband 's birthday. I wonder if he really knows how much I love him? He is so kind and generous to me everyday. I'm not talking diamond rings and Cadillacs generous but the kind that comes from something bigger than material goods.

Is there something you made that is Valentine's Day related? Do you have your eye on something?

Have a wonderful day!

~Heidi

My love for star shaped ornaments continues...

2010-01-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

I found these in a shop in Iowa City, Iowa called Artisan Gallery. It is located downtown in the Old Capitol pedestrian mall. My parents and I went there last Tuesday to go out for a nice lunch to celebrate Dad's birthday. It was bone chilling cold but we really wanted to get out of the house. The stars and snowflake ornaments are two-sided and are so nicely done. they are made by Des Moines based business Sticks. This is a link to their website http://www.sticks.com/installations.html. If you go to their website and look at past work they installed in libraries, campuses, and hospitals you will be amazed at their wonderful creations!
I love this mirror! I unfortunately don't have the funds to buy it but I'll put it on my wish list. :)
What wonderful messages for all of us and I love the seemingly simple artwork.
And if you happen to go to Iowa City check out New Pioneer Coop. It has lots of organic foods and I loved their hot case. I didn't eat the maple pork loin because we were going out for lunch at a restaurant but I thought it looked delicious. I can testify that the Broccoli Swiss and Mushroom soups they let me sample were delicious! Next time I find myself in Iowa City on a warmer day, I'm going to grab a cup of soup, some of their freshly baked bread, have a little picnic and watch the world go by. You may wonder why I would take pictures of a hot case. My husband manages a deli style kitchen and I like to give him unsolicited advice. :)

Hope you are all staying warm!

~Heidi

More Art for the Art Project

2010-01-04T08:22:00.000-08:00

This year for the Muscatine Art Center Mosaic Project I brought home nine canvasses to distribute among my family. I had a leftover canvas and did this angel. It is reminiscent of the russian iconic angels.

And this was my hubby's attempt. Can you tell who he'll be rooting for in this year's Orange Bowl? I was so impressed with his ability. He hasn't done anything like this since he was in school.

The sales from these little works of art go directly to the Art Center. It is a blind buy so for $20 you take a chance. I love going to the artists' reception so you can put a face with the beautiful works of art. It just is so much fun to do these together as a family. My Dad has also done a couple and I will post them soon.

Hope you all have a beatiful day and that it is warmer where you are than it is here in frigid Iowa!

Donating These to the Local Art Center and More Stars

2009-12-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

This is a painting I did for the local art center. My family and I took part last year and had so much fun seeing what each other dreamed up, we had to do it again! This needs a title. What do you think? I was trying to paint a loving couple holding the "key" to each other's heart. I'm up for suggestions. :)

So last year my sister did two so I thought I should try to do two this year. It is abstract and not what I normally paint but I was trying to branch out a bit. This also needs a title. My young niece and I call this "Shark Bubbles" but again I need suggestions.

Do stars on your Christmas tree make you happy? I don't know why I like stars on my Christmas tree so much but I have at least 5 star ornies!

Here is a Santa quilted star ornie. He's been around for several years now but I still think he is great. What's also great is that it is an "unbreakable" ornie for a house with three growing boys and a Christmas-tree-climbing-kitty.

This is my newest star ornie I won from one of Jane Says giveaways. It was made by Wordz of life from an old quilt. I just love it!

What about you? What tops your list of favorite ornaments?

Happy Friday to you!

~Heidi

My giveaway winner is...

2009-12-11T05:31:00.000-08:00

Heather form Audrey Eclectic. You have won a hand made star from me! Your fair and non partial judge is my oldest son. He reached in the little blue bowl and picked your number! I wish I had eleven stars so I could give one to everyone who entered. Thanks for playing along.
Here is the kitty in the Christmas tree. Jasper LOVES having the tree put up. He is getting lots of exercise! Well I must be getting the boys off to school after back to back snow days!

Wishing you all a beautiful day!

~Heidi

A feel good story

2009-12-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

Wow! It is really snowing around here today. It is sooo beautiful! It really puts me in the Christmas mood. To put you all in the christmas mood I thought I would show you one of my creations. I made this mousie from a red wool felted sweater and embroidered "laugh" on a strip of osnaburg. He then got a rusty jingle bell and safety pin to keep his warm blanket around him. I couldn't take a picture of him on my tree yet. I think we are going to be in for a snow day tomorrow so I'm going to have the boys help me do that.

Here is another picture of the stars I made for my show. Be sure to leave me a comment on either this post or my last for your chance to win one. I'll pick a winner this Friday.

So I got an email last night from a friend of mine who informed me there are 10 kids who are coming to school without a winter coat. One of the boys is coming in a coat too small to zip up and some are coming wrapped in blankets. This is a school in a poor section of my hometown and just happens to be the same elementary school my Mom attended. I passed the email along to my parents and several of my hometown friends. My Dad took up a collection from his breakfast group this morning. He asked his friends to chip in a $. Some did more and one sweet man (this man lost his only son as a child) was heading out to a department store to buy a new coat. Well my parents took the money that Dad had rasied and went to the local Salvation Army thrift store. My Mom picked out two nice, heavy winter coats, two pairs of snowpants, and some hats and gloves. The workers at the Salvation Army gave them everything for a mere $7. They still had leftover money from the collection and were at last report on their way to the Goodwill to see what else they could find. I love to hear of people knowing of a need and doing something about it.

~Blessings

Heidi

Giveaway is now closed. Thanks for all the nice comments!

Our Open House and a giveaway!

2009-12-07T07:02:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a great open house we had at Ann's! On this table we had stuff from Dee Miller. The snowman on "ice block" and the snowman in the carrier didn't last long on the first day of our two day open house! My pictures don't do them justice.

I made up some of my new favorite things to make. I take wool sweaters and do everything your mom told you not to do. Wash in hot and then throw them in the dryer. They become "felted" and when you cut them they don't unravel. Warning note some of the sweaters get very thick and hard to sew through. Ann found this out when she tried to sew through a pink GAP cable knit that had become very thick. She broke two needles before I told her my secret to increase her stitch length. Hee hee! And by the way all four of these scarves found new homes.

This is Ann's dining room table laden down with handmade ornaments, lighted home decor, and lots of baked goods homemade from scratch from my friend Nicole. Her coconut macaroons were a big hit! She made them like merengues and added just the right amount of coconut. Delicious!
.

This doesn't show up very well in my picture but it is ADORABLE! Ann made this winter arrangement by taking an old kitchen chair, spray painting it red, added the greenery, lights and an old pair of ice skates. She then give it a generous dusting of mica flakes. This was my favorite item of the show.

This is one of Ann's wool felt ornaments. She does such beautiful quality work. I think she had $12 on this cutie.

Now on to the giveaway! This is my 50th post and so many of you have been so generous with your giveaways (I've even won a few of them) so I figure its my turn! I will be offering one of my painted stars to one of you. http://heidi-heidisjournal.blogspot.com/2009/12/jackson-santa-and-snowman-2009-and-my.htmlWhat do you have to do to have a chance to win?
Just leave me a comment! That's it. Easy peasy! Thanks to all of you who have left me a comment in the past, I get so excited when I know someone out there likes something I did! Happy day to you!

~Heidi

Giveaway is now closed.

Chocolate covered rice crispy pops

2009-12-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

Just had to share with you my husband's contribution to tomorrow's open house. These are chocolate covered handmade rice crispy treats with Christmas sprinkles. I need these to be out of my house! They are too yummy!

Dad's Ornaments plus

2009-12-03T10:12:00.001-08:00

My Dad has really improved his painting skills in the past year! He came over yesterday and he painted some little brown paper packages I had made up from a paper grocery sack and a cracker box. He looked at my new Santa and Snowman as models and then he painted these. I think he did and awesome job! He didn't sign his work. He told me to do it so I put his initials on the bottom. I have to admit I added the bling :)

These are the ones I made up. I used canvas ribbon, string, chenille candy canes, a rusty jingle bell and just a sprinkle of glass glitter. The snowman I used acrylics and India ink. Just thought I would show you what I have accomplished today. Now its back to work! I'm so glad that tomorrow is the open house! :) Happy day to you!

Jackson Santa and Snowman 2009 and my new stars!

2009-12-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

I just love these two new pieces! They were presents given to me by my Mom & Dad as early Christmas gifts.

Here are my new stars I made for an upcoming open house I'm doing with my friend Ann Moody. She lives in a beautiful house in the historic district of Muscatine. She is the one who made the lovely stockings in my previous post. When I get done with the open house on Friday and Saturday I plan on helping her set up her own little shop on Etsy. She does fabulous quilts, purses, pearl button jewelry and so much more. When I get her up and running I'll post a link so you can see all her stuff. But for now I have to get back to work so I have stuff to bring to the open house. I'll try to take pictures to show you all the neat things at the open house! Have a great day!

The cutest stockings ever!

2009-11-24T12:05:00.000-08:00

My friend Ann Moody makes these. How awesome are they? She wants to open a shop and put these on Etsy in the future. She makes each one custom. She uses very expensive wool yarns and they do take her quite a few hours to make. She is hosting a holiday open house at her lovely home on the 4th and 5th of December. She will have lots of her pearl button jewelry along with handmade wool ornaments and lots of yummy baked goods. I'll post pictures of some of the goodies I made in an upcoming post along with my new Jackson Pottery Santa and snowman.

Oh Happy Day!

2009-11-20T07:58:00.000-08:00

This is my collection of Santas from the fabulous Illinois artists' Robert Jackson & his sweet-as- sugar wife, Sandy from Rock Island, Illinois.

This was the line to get in last year. If you want to be certain of getting a Santa you should be in this line at least an hour before the shop opens. I'm telling you this may not look like a lot of people but these ladies bring boxes to fill. My Mom being one of them, she buys 5 of everything!

Today is one of my favorite days of the year! Jackson's antiques in Rock Island is having their holiday open house from 5-8 pm. My Mom is going to wait in line for me so I can pick my son and the neighbor girl up from band. Anyway back to Jackson's, they design a different pottery Santa and snowman every year and today is the day to get one! They sell out of them in the first hour. They are made in a mold and then they are signed and stamped that they are made right here in our little part of the world! They make adorable crafts, have coffee and handmade treats, decorate their little house so festively. And did I mention the also have scrap booking type things that you can buy already done up? (They sell supplies but I like to buy the stuff already done up.) I can't wait to see what new and wonderful designs they come up with and I will post pictures of the new designs! Wishing you a beautiful, happy day too!

~Heidi

Tough times

2009-11-04T05:12:00.001-08:00

This home was my favorite one I saw when we were designing our own home. It was my inspiration for the house we built. I didn't end up with the funds to do the faux stone (yes it is "faux"). But I did incorporate a few of the elements. Anyway I heard yesterday that the gal who was the homebuilder and designer of some fabulous homes (this one included) around my area has filed for divorce, declared corporate bankruptcy and left town. She was an incredibly hard worker. She wasn't a personal friend of mine but I do admire talent and a good work ethic of which she had ample of both. When a community loses a person with her talents it really loses a lot. She also built a public golf course with an exquisite clubhouse, townhomes, condos you name it. And she could lay tile like a pro! This is probably a familiar story in many peoples hometowns given the current economic times. Good luck to her, I will miss seeing her creativity brought to life!

Our new "Stash" and some Jedi Warriors

2009-11-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

Oh no look what is on my kitchen counter! I think the Butterfingers are gone now so I may be a little safer. We live in an area where some towns have Trick-Or-Treat on the 30th and some have it on Halloween. We took advantage of this and went both nights! Got to get the most good out of the costumes because they are only used for this Halloween and they are already talking about what they want to be for next year.

This is the picture before the boys started off with their cousins. We do this every year with the girls and we have a blast! Dad makes a big batch of chili for when we get home. We love this tradition.

This is the sck my oldest carried around with him and I knew we had emptied out the sack so I went to grab it to put it away and.....

it was much heavier than I expected. Jasper had found his way into it and discovered a new hiding place!

My middle son thought it would be a good idea to whip a towel at me in the kitchen. The melted candle sitting on the candle warmer seemed like a good safe alternative to an open flame. It was a good thought but as you may know it melts the entire candle. I had candle wax on my kitchen cupboards, the wall, the counters and oh did I mention the dog? Yep a day late for Halloween but the poodle is sporting "Pumpkin Pie Spice" orange candle wax on his fur. Hope you had an excellent and fun Halloween weekend. We sure did!

My version of a fabric organizer

2009-10-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

I have seen three different versions of similar organizers on etsy.com. They all were cool but I wanted to try to make a custom one for me. Here is what I came up with today. The pocket on the left hand side of the organizer offers a great way to protect my post cards from the sweet and talented Heather from Audrey Eclectic. This is her blog http://reverieart.blogspot.com/

These are the supplies needed to make one. I used a heavy interfacing and fusible fleece along with a 1/2 yard each of tan linen fabric and a pretty cotton print I found at JoAnn's. Of course you need thread and a sewing machine. I didn't have a pattern but I had a small notebook that I used to design my pattern around.

This is what it looks like closed. The ribbon came from Cris at Mommy's Midwest Mountain Folk Art Studio (visit her blog here http://mommysmidwestmountain.blogspot.com/ )when I bought an adorable kitty angel from her off ebay. I also used a vintage pearl button from my stash to loop the ribbon around for a closure.

This is so much cooler than carrying around my stuff in a grocery sack. :)

Thanks Cookie!

2009-10-27T08:26:00.001-07:00

TDIPT Group (To Dwell in Past Times) just had their third anniversary for their group of awesome artists. They had a giveaway and look what I was fortunate enough to win! This is an amazing piece of art donated by artist Karen DeGreve aka "Cookie". This mask is made of paper mache and is just perfect for hanging on the wall. Here is a link to her blog. http://curds-and-whey.blogspot.com/Check out her latest post of Fall leaves in No. Missouri. She obviously has a wonderful creative eye with her camera as well!

Thank you so much Cookie! It is a treasure for my family to enjoy for years to come!

Pesky cat and Fireplace makeover

2009-10-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the kitty's behind. He actually climbed underneath the couch and somehow managed to climb into the bottom of the couch. This is also the reason I was woke up at least three times last night! Naughty kitty!

My fireplace just got its mantle thanks to my parents. My Mom's nagging and my Dad's handiwork. Just a little staining left to do. He had leftover pieces when he got done, should I be scared?

I found this picture to show what the fireplace used to look like. Big improvement I think!

Another picture of our craft show we did. Almost everything we put on this table sold. We bought the metal pumpkins at Goodwill and spray painted them silver. A lady came by and bought them both. The little pumpkins with the ribbons were just dollar store pumpkins spray painted with ribbons attached. One lady bought all we had! My sister had a great time using up my german glass glitter to bling several of the things she made. Almost everything on this table was done by her. She really liked the idea black, white and silver for Halloween this year.

This is a great picture of some of my kinfolk. This is for you Aunt Char!

Wishing you a beautiful time!

Heidi

Who wants to see my Hooters?

2009-10-05T11:16:00.001-07:00

This probably wasn't the first thing that popped into your head was it? Tee hee. These are the cute little owls I made from wool sweaters that I felted in the washing machine. I love how these turned out. My sister loved them so much she now is the proud owner of five of them. Happy October birthday to you!

Who gives a hoot? I do of course. I took this set to a craft show yesterday but it didn't sell for $10. I can't tell you how many hours it took me to paint this but its okay because I will decorate my own house with it:)

This is my Halloween Annie I made from a pattern from Back Porch Pickins. I love how she turned out!

Here is a picture of the signs we made to take to the show. I think the only one that didn't sell out of this pile was the Spooky Hollow. We should have made it into a stake and then I think it would have sold.

This is a picture of some of my favorite things. My husband made these cute little treat sacks from an old Martha Stewart magazine. We sold several of these yesterday. It was crazy, we had some old burlap bags left over from the corn show and we put some weeds in the bags and they sold for $5 each. How crazy is that? My Mom joked that she finally got my Dad to cut the grass. Sorry it has been so long in between posts but my honey and I took a week to rest and relax on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale and then I worked liked crazy getting ready for that craft show. Hope all of you are enjoying these beautiful Fall days!

Fall craft shows

2009-09-02T16:27:00.001-07:00

Original art and candy corn pieces.
Doodle Pads for Halloween

A Halloween doll I made from a pattern by Tonya of Back Porch Pickins.

Some of my recent craft projects.

Back to art! My first Halloween Painting

2009-08-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween and I love cupcakes!
These are just to show how the worked progressed

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. My childhood memories were getting to choose a costume, have a little party at school and then go trick or treating with my plastic pumpkin bucket. This painting reminds me of the Halloween cupcakes that were brought in with cute little plastic decorations on top of them. My boys are lucky enough to go to a school that lets the kids were a costume in the school's parade. They parade past each other then go back to their class for some fruit juice and treats. I know some people like to make Halloween into something more than a chance to play dress up and get treats but to me that is what Halloween represents. One day a year you can be anything you want and eat sweets. What do you like best about Halloween?

More Pics From Bishop Hill

2009-08-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

Plants for sale in a neat old wire stand.
Swedeish Flag with begonias decorating the front of the Red Oak Inn restaurant.
The front of the old colony store. There are large groupings of beautiful zinnias on the left side of the building. My favs:)
We were told that these ornately painted horses are a good luck symbol in Sweden. I'm not even sure that I captured half of what they had on their shelves in the Colony Store. They also have moose painted like the horses (shown towards the top of the picture).

Oh how I love places with a sense of history, charm and a relaxed atmosphere. Bishop Hill not only has an art gallery in an old iron works building, a super cute restaurant with fabulous food but an old time colony store! There is really something for everyone in there; candy in jars, kitchen goodies, Christmas ornaments made in Sweden. My ten year old son got to write in his end of year book at school all of his favorites and he listed this place. Definitely like mother like son.

Feline, Friends, Fair and Fun

2009-08-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Jasper trying to figure how to break into the art world. He has scaled to the top of the Museum of Modern Art. Now if only he could get in there. He would show them all his talent!
My niece and my oldest son taking the Sky Glider at the Iowa State Fair. The weather was fabulous and it was a picture perfect day.
Aunt Charlene and I standing outside the restaurant in Bishop Hill.
Aunt Charlene really liked this idea and may end up making one of her own.
My little boy enjoying the view 150 feet off the ground.

This Iowa State Fair is listed in "The 1,000 Places to See Before You Die" and it truly is so much fun! My must see list includes:

5. The fabulously decorated cakes(think Food Network cake competitions but not as tall)in the Elwell Family Center
4. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources building with the huge aquariums holding Iowa's native fish species
3. The Big slide (the kids love this giant slide painted in yellow and green)
2. The giant butter cow in the Agricultural Building (love the exhibits in there!)
1. The Cultural Center my favorites are the miniature houses and rooms they are so elaborately done. I wish I would've taken pictures but I was busy keeping my eyes on the kids:) This is my favorite building because it has all types of art from photography to paintings to tie-dye.

The third picture is Aunt Charlene and I standing in front of one of my favorite restaurants in the world! See the pink cake box in her hands? She bought a yummy strawberry rhubarb pie for Uncle Bob. I wonder who's going to churn the ice cream for this pie?

The fourth picture is of an angel done in wool scraps. Aunt Charlene thought this was a very cool idea. This gal knows how to make do with what she has. The more I visit with her the more I realize just how much we have in common. She loves arts and crafts, never likes to make more than one of things and loves yard sales. She and Uncle Bob are up visiting for a long weekend at my parents house and the four of them are having so much fun running around! We passed the casino on the way to the restaurant and Aunt Charlene said she lost 800 at the casino Friday night. Knowing her thrifty spirit I wisely guessed that is was 800 pennies.

The last picture is of one of the twins riding high above St. Louis. The building the ferris wheel sits on top of is the City Museum. It is eleven stories tall. I love St. Louis and all the free things you can do there. We so enjoyed the zoo, art museum, the Basillica of St. Louis and the best part? All free!

Mississippi Valley Fair - I made the local news!

2009-08-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hello all! My family works really hard one week out of the year serving up sweet corn and potatoes to hungry fairgoers. The local news anchorman stopped by to work at our booth and here is the cute video. I'm in the green shirt helping Jason Fechner, hunky newsman, prepare one of our delicious baked potatoes.
I am going to have to start watching the evening news again just to see this guy. He was a lot of fun! Oh and the tall guy at the end is my Dad.

More Art Gallery Pictures and Indians

2009-07-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

While I was in this art gallery (located in an old brewery in Mineral Point, WI) I snapped some pictures of some art that I liked and thought you may as well.
Love this chicken!

How beatiful and peaceful does this look? It looks like the area we were in, in Wisconsin!

What a nice grouping of colors!

These are the Indians that I put on Ebay for my Dad. He sat all day at an auction to buy vintage Star Wars toys for my 10 year old son and these were one of his purchases. They were in a big box that had a stuffed whale that my seven year old wanted. My son plucked the whale out of the box and left the rest for me to deal with. I spent probably 3 hours going through the box and taking pictures and finding which little pieces went with each little figure. The money raised is going back to "Pops" for all time he spent sitting at that auction.

Door County and Mineral Point

2009-07-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

This is a county park in Door County called Cave Point.
Here is another angle of Cave point. It is very pretty in person.

This is a sod roof with goats keeping the grass mowed sown on top of a restaurant in Sister Bay, Wi. The place was Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant. Very charming!

This was the view out of the condo we stayed at in Sturgeon Bay. Westwood Shores was a very accomodating place to stay with two bedrooms, a kitchen, two baths and most importantly TWO pools both heated (indoor and out!).

I found a cute little pottery and artist gallery in Mineral point after the tour of the Pendarvis State Historic site. So many beautiful things to look at here!

Wow! I love Door County Wisconsin! The bay side had all these lovely little towns with names like Egg Harbor, Sister Bay, Fish Creek and Sturgeon Bay! Let me tell you these are extremely charming places to visit. My parents and I took the boys up for a few days and ended up staying one more night because we found it to be so incredibly beautiful. I found myself not wanting to go home. On our way back home to Iowa we stopped in Mineral Point, WI to see a state historic site called Pendarvis. It was a coal mining town that in the 1840s was bigger than Chicago and Milwaukee combined! It had immigrants from Cornwall England. It was so interesting to hear the guide talk about the area when the mining industry was booming and the subsequent bust when lead prices fell and of course the Gold Rush sent the miners of the area on to look for their fortunes elsewhere.

We all had the best time and will probably make the six hour trip next summer! Thought I would share these pictures with you all in case you were wanting to take a vacation anytime soon. Happy 4th of July! Enjoy the festivities!

Daytripping in Historic LeClaire Iowa

2009-06-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Aren't these yard stakes made out of old metal items so funny?

Love the one made with an old blue mason jar!

This was the most charming shop, "Grasshoppers".

This is the mosaic Welcome in front of the store "Artworks". Also a very neat place to shop!

This was a very colorful window as shot from the inside of "Artworks". It was really different with all the patterns and materials.

This is Buffalo Bill Cody's hometown and it is so charming on the beautiful banks of the Mississippi! My Mom, Sister and Cousin visited this town a couple of weeks ago and we absolutely loved spending the day together. There is also a riverboat museum and Buffalo Bill exhibit and of course antique stores and home furnishing stores.

Make me one and Pics of the new kitty!

2009-06-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

My sister found this in a boutique on our little trip to LeClaire, Iowa and wants me to make her one. I know I can do one but not sure if it would be that pretty when I'm done. Isn't it just the cutest banner, tho?

Introducing Jazzpurr (Jasper) our new little bundle of teeth and claws. He only drew blood on two of us today:)

Here he is trying to sleep on my husband's hand as he moves the "mouse" on the mousepad.

I'll try to post pictures of out daytrip to Leclaire tomorrow I'm getting SLEEPY and the cat keeps stepping on the keyboard.

Fun with buttons and a new addition!

2009-06-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

I'm going through my sister's things. She had an antique shop that was closed after 20 years in the business. Everything has sat in a trailer in my parents yard for a very long time now so I am grabbing stuff out and listing it on ebay. I figure to use the money to fund a vacation for all of us (my parents, sister and her girls and the boys and I). So far I've made enough money to go to the Amana Colonies about an hour and half from here and buy everyone a lunch:)

I helped my Mom and Dad list some more of my Dad's buttons. He must've been feeling American or Pepsi with this design.

More fun with my Dad's buttons. He did very well on his last set so we just put more on ebay. I had to share with you this tray that my Dad designed. Can you make out the smiley face?

In other non-ebaying news, my husband forbid my mother from bringing home a kitten from a flea market for my 7 year old son. Of course it was "free" and he turned on the water works for Grandma. So we got a new kitten. He is so cute with smokey grey fur and blue eyes! I will post a picture of him when my camera battery gets recharged. Oh and by the way who does the kitty like best? If you guessed my husband you'd be right! Hee Hee!

Just playing around with Arts & Crafts

2009-06-11T04:20:00.000-07:00

This is an auction on eBay I put on for my parents. This is an auction for 1000 vintage buttons.

I love experimenting with Fridas. The Frida on the left is painted on a piece of scrap muslin and the one on the right is on a piece of canvas. I figure while I'm practicing why use up canvases. I had fun making my version of this cute little dollie. There is a free template for her at Martha Stewart's website. She is from the Etsy powerhouse seller Black Apple. http://www.marthastewart.com/article/black-apple-doll?lnc=38f9cf380e1dd010VgnVCM1000005b09a00aRCRD&rsc=showmain_tv_the-martha-stewart-show

I sat down a couple days ago and had an art day with the kids and I was trying to do an Uncle Sam. This is my first attempt since grade school of doing a whole body so I know I need more practice to get the porportions right but overall I kinda like his folk art look.

Today I am going to the little town of LeClaire, Iowa with my Mom, Sis and cousin Merideth. My incredibly smart cousin is going to be in Moscow, Russia for the next 10 months working for a fellowship. We feel lucky that we get to spend the day with her in a charming Mississippi River town. I'll take some pictures and report back with any goodies that I find there.

Mom's Birthday and the Red Oak Inn Dining Room

2009-05-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

Can you picture yourself here?
This is the area by the front counter. The refrigerators covered in red gingham are full of pies for diners to take home! We took a blueberry crumb home for the kiddies!

The outside of this charming place. They also have a shaded back patio with a pergola to sit under and dine in the summertime.

Yesterday was such a beautiful day! My parents and I enjoyed having lunch at the Red Oak Inn Dining Room. If you ever get the chance to visit the historic village of Bishop Hill, Illinois take it! For lunch we had delicious Swedish Meatballs in a cream sauce served over noodles, a side salad, and served with a slice of light Swedish Rye bread. Of course they had ligonberry iced tea and homemade desserts to choose from. My Mom got a slice of their fabulous coconut cream pie, Dad got Swedish cream served with a raspberry sauce and I got quadberrry pie a la mode. Is your mouth watering yet?

I won a Polkadot Pixie Giveaway & New styles to try!

2009-05-08T06:27:00.000-07:00

This is the one that I painted in the style of Jane De Rosier for my Mom for one of her birthday gifts. Jane does such a super job on her angels but I wish she would do more trees. Jenny from Wonders of Whimsy has the one that I wish I had. It is so pretty in pinks. My Mom loves it so much she is going to hang it in the not-often-seen guest bedroom. HeeHee!

This one is going to hang in my living room. I painted this in the Noodle and Lou style. The number three is the house number of my home and I have THREE boys! The boys have told me that the house closest to us is Grammy's house.

I painted this on fancy scrap booking paper and stitched the edge. This is dedicated to my son's first communion that took place last Saturday. I wrote the date and the occasion on the back for him to have as a keepsake of his special day.

This one is all my own design. I didn't try to copy from anything. Not sure what to do with her yet but I like her and may keep her on the fridge for awhile.

Wow! I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that I had won! Jenny (aka Polkadot Pixie) has chosen my number to receive one of her oh so sweet creations. http://thepolkadotpixie.blogspot.com/ She does absolutely fabulous work and I wished she lived closer to me so I could take a class and learn how she does what she does. Speaking of trying to emulate others, I have been trying my hand at some styles of artists' work that inspire me. They are too close (or maybe too far) to the original to sell but I created them for me and my Mom.

BTW today is my Mom's birthday so I want to wish her a very Happy Birthday. We will be going to Bishop Hill, Illinois to have lunch at the extremely charming Red Oak Inn Restaurant. Their speciality is handmade swedish food, particularly homemade pie with freshly churned ice cream. Super cool place to visit!

Tomorrow is the start of one of my favorite weekends of the year! The Beaux Arts fair will be taking place in the downtown area of Davenport, Iowa. I always buy something. I've bought art, jewelery, clothing and furniture. This year I am going in search of something sculptural for my yard. They usually have some pretty awesome stuff at this Fair. If you are an artist or a buyer than this is a destination to come to. People come from all over the region to do business here and I think they do pretty well as you see a lot of the same vendors year after year. I will take my camera with me and try to post about it soon.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you! Thanks again to Jenny of the Polkadot Pixie for the giveaway. Have a GREAT weekend!

My New Frida ~ Mi Frida Nuevo

2009-04-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I attended the Artists' Reception at the Art Center and was encouraged by some very nice compliments of my Frida. It was a blind buy so I don't know if the recipient of my Frida liked her or not. I feel like calling her and offering her the twenty dollars back if she doesn't want it. When I say this people often say well just paint another one. It isn't in my nature to be repetitive. I am always looking for new challenges. Anyway I decided to do a new Frida and this is what I came up with. the last picture is of my first Frida. This was a mosaic project and it was really a cool exhibit.

I feel bad I haven't been blogging. I guess I like reading better than I like writing. I've got to run to the school and help my fifth graders with math. Happy day to all!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T07:34:00.000-07:00

Let's go for a ride!
Can you say sugar overload?

Hello blog friends! I want to wish everyone a Happy Easter! My kids have had such a great time with the egg hunts, Easter baskets and the nice weather! They were so appreciative of what the Easter Bunny brought them. It was such fun watching them opening up the plastic eggs with the dollar bills tucked inside. The golden egg had a five dollar bill in it! I know I will be picking up Easter grass and candy wrappers for the next month! Oh well, it was worth it to see their big grins when they went through their baskets.

Happy Easter to all!

New decorative boxes

2009-03-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

I call this one "Marin". She looks like she is spending a day by the sea.

This is my version of a "black sheep bunny". Why should the Easter bunny have all the fun? Spotty here wants to have an Easter egg hunt too;)

Snowball looks like she wants to hear what Spotty has planned.

Of course Little Red and Wolf are joining the others in my etsy shop.

Just wanted to show you what I've been doing with my spare time. I had so much fun painting these litttle 3" paper mache boxes. My Dad and my friend Kelsey came over and I gave them a box to paint too. Tell me, what do you like to paint? Leave me a comment and I'll come visit your blog.

Oh how I love paper dolls!

2009-03-27T07:18:00.001-07:00

My obsession with creating continues. I made this paper doll out of some scrapbook paper and some of my vintage blue pearl baby buttons. Not exactly sure what to do with her yet. She makes me smile when I look at her. My Mom plays paper dolls with her granddaughter all the time. She uses her vintage ones and then she and Little Miss cut up magazines to make their own. They love cutting up the "American Girl" catalog. Did you play with paper dolls when you were younger? It really is fun to make one. I highly recommend it!

Le Chaperon Rouge

2009-03-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

Well I did it! I listed my bunny creations on etsy. I also created my version of Little Red riding hood and her "friend" the wolf. I might try ebay for those. I really like the idea of etsy but I wonder if ebay wouldn't be better in the long run. I wrote their names on the paper mache boxes in French. Those four years sitting in French class during high school are slowly coming back to me (with the help of dictionary.com). I then sprayed two coats of gloss protective coating on them.

Holy Cow I'm going to list my first thing ever on ETSY!

2009-03-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is a paper doll I made after I lost out on bidding on one on eBay.

This is the Easter display I set up in my living room this morning. Oh how I love my Jackson Pottery bunnies! If you click on the picture you can see it in detail.
I'm thinking of using this photo to list my bunny.
SOLD Thanks Mary

This is one taken outside. Kind of a overcast day but it was the best I could do.

Hello fabulous readers! I have been saying for a long time now that I want to start my folk art business. I have an ETSY account set up in my great-grandma's name. Her maiden name was Rosa Emma French. Isn't that a beautiful name? She married my great-grandfather and became Rose Smith. I'm thinking of the business name "Blooming Mind Studio". Mostly because I think I'm out of my blooming mind most of the time.

I want to thank so many of you in "bloglandia" for inspiring me with your creativity and your kind words about my adventures into crafting!

Puppets and Easter Bunny toys!

2009-03-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

This is a recycled rock candy stick that I painted to make a cute little Easter bunny creation.

This was a variation on the theme. I made this with a paper mache box and a dowel rod I rescued from a wall cloth calendar.

Here is the puppet I made at the Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre yesterday with my boys. I was going for an Irish lass but the boys thought she looked liked the Poison Ivy from Batman.:)

This is what the place looked like from the outside. (close up shot of the way cute Owl)

The front of the theatre, it is located in the town of West Liberty, Iowa. (Click on picture to see the detail better)

The boys and I had such a great time at the Puppet Theatre working on our finger puppets and the foam core stage. They each got their own stage to decorate and they made several puppets. I absolutely love doing things with the boys. The cost was $10 for each kid. Parents were free!

What do you like to do with your kids? I'm always looking for ideas. Especially those that don't cost and arm and a leg to do. :) Spring break is next week, yikes!

My Frida and a shot at cake decorating

2009-03-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

This is my version of Frida. My husband asked who was the Asian girl with the unibrow. What can I say? I was trying for ethnic but I guess I didn't quite capture the hispanic element. Anyway this is my donation to the Art Center.

This is my Dad's contribution. Can you tell he lives to fish? He calls this one Mighty Muddy.
This was my attempt at Dr. Seuss style fish. This was my cake to decorate for Dr. Seuss Night at the kids' school. It was a challenge but I was pleased for my first attempt at cake decorating.

This is my friend Nicole's version of The Cat in the Hat. Not her first cake rodeo. Isn't she good at this? We both had Dr. Seuss books to look at but we still had to do it freehand.

I was asked by my sister to do a painting for the Muscatine Art Center Mosaic Art Project. They sold 300 canvases for $5 each and people took them home and painted them then they brought them back. The artist gets the $5 back and the art center is doing a blind buy for $20 for each artwork. My sister said there were a lot of wonderful pieces donated. They will be on display in the art center I think on the 15th of March. In April there will be an Artist Reception where they will serve refreshments and give everybody a chance to discuss their art. My Dad and I each took on a 6"x 6" canvas and I think the results turned out pretty good.

The next thing I took on was a Dr. Seuss birthday cake. My friend baked the cakes and crumb coated them and then brought them to my house for decorating. She made one white and one chocolate. The chocolate had chocolate mousse in the middle and her Swiss butter creme frosting was delightful! I decorated the one with the fish and she did the Cat in the Hat.

I went to Michael's over the weekend and bought another canvas. It is a 5" x 5" Gallery style with 1 1/2" stretcher. Trying to find the right thing to do on it. It was about $7 on sale so I want to do something really cool on it. I've got a couple ideas and as soon as I get off the computer I'm going to try my luck at it. Check back to see what I come up with.

Now I know why experienced Bloggers use...

2009-03-02T06:51:00.000-08:00

Tooter Puff is in "time out". See next picture why.

She didn't think I would find out who made this mess in the kitchen.

This is where she came from.

I loved these pictures from the post I deleted so I decided to put them back on for the fun of it.

Okay so I was so excited to see that someone left me a comment aout the Monster doll I made for my niece's 6th birthday. I clicked on it to see what it said and it had an appeal for money or art to be donated to someone I've never even heard of before. I decided to delete the entire post to get rid of the unwanted comment. If people are in a real jam I am more than happy to help but how do I know this wasn't just some computer savy spammer.

A Game for Bloggers and a coupon link to TGIF

2009-02-23T12:28:00.000-08:00

I just read The Spotted Sparrow blog about Googling your name with a needs in front of it. Choose the top five and post them to your blog. Here goes Heidi needs: attention, more privacy, to finish her latest novel, one more drink and a trainer. It is almost a complete list!

Let me start with attention. Lets just say that with kids in school full time & married to the same man for almost 15 years I could definitely use more attention. The privacy thing is true too. We built a house last year and I still haven't decided what curtains I want for my bedroom and bath. Next is the novel thing but I don't think I have one in me. One more drink? Why not? And a personal trainer well, I could stand to lose 2, 3, or 20 lbs. I'm too cheap to hire one tho.

Just one more thing Click here: T.G.I. Friday's® Worldwide - Buy One Get One Free . If you and your honey need a cheap date this would work. The coupon is buy one dinner and get one free. It expires on March 1st. No need to sign up for anything just print out the coupon and forget about doing the dishes. Hope all of you are having a great day!

Back from Vacation

2009-02-18T06:18:00.000-08:00

My son got chosen to pick out an alligator for this alligator wrestler . Of course he picked out the one in the middle. Do you happen to notice where this guy is holding the gator? Right by his neck! This is super scary to me. I wonder what his mother thinks of him doing this.

We just got back from our Florida trip. We stayed at Vacation Village in Orlando/Kissimee. The weather cooperated with highs near or just above 80 and sunshine everyday. What luck that was compared to last year when we went to the Naples/San Marco area and had to wear our winter coats. I have decided I love Florida. I am actually looking forward to moving there for the winters when my husband can retire from work. It truly is the fountain of youth. My boys had a fabulous time at Universal's Islands of Adventure. Their favorite ride was the Spiderman ride. It had great special effects! The Universal Studios park I liked a little better because it wasn't all about the rides. I started to get a little green from the Jimmy Neutron ride and the Simpsons ride made me want to toss my cookies. But the very best part was Gatorland. It was our second trip back to Gatorland. They have absolutely huge breeding gators there. They claimed to have 100 females and 30 males in their breeding marsh. My oldest loved the white gators they just got in from Louisiana.

Getting back

2009-02-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

Officially last week was the week from well you know. When someone you love has been there everyday of your life and then suddenly isn't it can be a hard thing to swallow. My grandma passed on after being on this earth for 83 years. I wish I could say she had more good days than bad but I don't know if it would be true. She suffered from mental problems throughout her adult life. Mental illness wasn't understood so much in the 1950s and she was given harsh electric shock therapy. She would come around for a time but would eventually need to be recommitted for more treatments, drugs and therapy. She was the loving Mom of my Mom and three other wonderful "kids".

We (my boys and I) were on our way to the nursing home to say goodbye but were just a few minutes too late. We formed a circle around her after she had just passed and said prayers for her spirit. The pastor had asked if anybody had anything to add. My oldest son said he would like to thank great-grandma for being such a wonderful mother and he knew she had been because she had raised such a wonderful kid. He looked at my Mom with love and adoration in his eyes.

During the eulogy my sister had prepared she said Grandma "wasn't her role model on how to live a perfect life but rather on how to live when life wasn't perfect."

Dad's Birthday,Free Time-the kids are back in school!

2009-01-05T07:47:00.001-08:00

This is a bear I made from a pattern last year for Valentine's Day. I think it is a Country Stitches pattern.

I think this is a Christmas angel turned angel of love. Again I made this from a pattern, (All Through the Night?) I think. I stitched little hearts on her wings.

I bid on a similar painting on eBay and didn't win the auction. This was my first attempt since middle school (I didn't take one art class in high school) of painting.

Here is my sister's masterpiece. This is a handed down recipe from my Dad's mom. Its his favorite cake and according to my sister very time consuming. It was delicious last night when we celebrated my Dad's 67th birthday a night early. Happy Birthday to my great Dad! Thanks for inspiring me to take on new challenges. There isn't anything this man can't do. He was a Navy sailor, former shops teacher and entrepreneur. This man loves to fish for bass and bluegills and he can cook them too! He is a devoted family guy who loves his 5 grandchildren!

This is one of the most special places to my family and I'm sure lots of other families in our area. This is the Old Mill at Wild Cat Den State Park near Muscatine, Iowa. Its even more beautiful in person. They have also moved a one room school house close by where you can see how they taught kids before central heating, computer labs and school cafeterias. Very interesting indeed to see the differences between schools today.

I was a little sad to see the kids winter break end but it was time for them to get back. They had seventeen days off! I know my oldest was rearin' to get back. The little ones not so much...

Enjoy the free time when you get it...it doesn't last THAT long.

These are a few of my Favorite Things

2008-12-31T05:16:00.000-08:00

This is my collection of Jackson Pottery snowmen. They are located in Rock Island, Illinois. Every year around Thanksgiving they open their shop to sell this years snowman/Santa creations.

This is the line to get in the door on a maybe 30 degree morning. My mom is 3rd in line. This is the woman who sees any line at a restaurant and wants to go somewhere else :)

This is a picture of the chocolate fountain that my husband took to the botanical center in Moline, Illinois last winter along with some of the treats he had for sale. Chocolate covered pretzels with sprinkles, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate covered nutter butters, chocolate covered rice crispies on sticks you get the picture...

This is my mom's favorite flower Moss Rose (Portulaca). Our Mother's Day routine is pretty much the same every year. We go to a nursery in Illinois City, Illinois (Hilltop Nursery I think is the name) and I help mom pick out little red wagons full of flowers to go home and plant. Of course this is a picture of later in the summer when they were all filled in and doing beautifully. The down side to this flower is all the deadheading but since my mom loves it and it brings back her memories of her grandma its worth it.

This is the heart I put in my front window. I picked it up at Walgreen's last year and since Christmas is over I thought I would rush Valentine's Day a bit and put it up.

These are just random pictures I've taken over the last year. They brought back very good memories. I'll be a little sad to see 2008 go but I'm always hopeful that the New Year will be a good one. There is a lot to look forward to. So I wish all of you a very Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Whew!

2008-12-26T17:23:00.000-08:00

Just beautiful!

To add to my collection of delft my mother-in-law found these charming bottles - Thanks Betty!

She also gave me this piece of Mosse pottery. I love this stuff! Its made in Ireland.

From K - Thanks for thinking of me!

These are my favorite gifts I got this year! Mark my Christmas a big success! My husband said the new house was my present. How will he top that next year?

My day after Christmas started with a trip to my favorite bakery, Simply Sweet Bakery (handmade goodies). I of course had the breakfast burrito, my mom had the creme brulee oatmeal, my sons had a blueberry/lemon scone, a huge cinnamon roll and biscuits and gravy. I wish I would've had my camera with me but alas it was left at home. The gravy on the biscuits and gravy was homemade and the sausage she uses is soo good.

My friend (youngster) 19 year old K stopped by and we went to Wal-Mart (she found three beautiful pink roses in the half off bin and she bought them for me. We then went to lunch at my favorite Chinese restaurant. They have the best egg rolls I've ever had and the Almond Chicken is fabulous.

I just got home after a nail biting drive through some of the densest fog. I changed the music on my blog because now that Christmas is over I'm ready to hear some new stuff. Its going to be nice to focus on getting this new house set up so I can find my things again. Surprisingly after packing up most of my worldly possessions and storing them for so long I really haven't missed that many things. The Salvation Army will be the recipient of a lot of stuff we don't need anymore.

How about you what was your favorite gift this Christmas?

Beautiful Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T06:17:00.000-08:00

1976 Hallmark ornament - a present from my babysitter way back when

My son and I's favorite Christmas cookies (they have a marachino cherry in the middle - yum!)

Its time to eat the cookies!!!!

Please???

View out my back door. Actually neighbors trees since we still have a dirt yard. Hee Hee!

The snow keeps falling and falling! It is so beautiful! My oldest had only requested a white Christmas this year (along with Batman action figures, webkinz, and Harry Potter stuff). Looks like someone heard the wish and is ensuring it comes true. I haven't left my house since Friday and I know I need to go out today but I'm a little nervous about the road conditions. My family thinks Christmas Eve is the most special time so that is when we all get together. Santa always makes an appearance and passes out gifts to the kids. I remember when "Santa" (my great uncle Harold) would make his rather late appearance. I remember asking my mom why Santa smelled a little funny. She told me he had stopped at a few bars to wish his friends a "Merry Christmas" before coming to our house. He was a great man with a gentle soul. Thanks for the memories Uncle Harold.

I just wanted to wish anyone who happens to stop by a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! May the magic of childhood touch us all!

Still so much to do

2008-12-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

My new Cart Before the Horse Ornament
The ornament that hung on my Grandma's tree. It has my name on the back :)

We hardly missed a year of going to the Iowa State Fair when I was a young girl. My sweet Grandma Marian always let my sister and I buy something. This is what I picked out when I was probably 6. They sold these in the "Indian Village". Its my favorite!

Okay I admit it. I'm a procrastinator. I still need to buy gifts for my in-laws and my parents. What do you give parents who let you move back in with three young boys, two messy dogs and a husband? We spent close to nineteen months living with them while I had blueprints drawn and then we tried to build in the worst winter in years. My father came up with me everyday to "help" me do the electical wiring. By "help" I mean he told me where to drill a hole and what type of wire I needed to pull through. He was definitely the brains of the operation. My dear husband had to chuck 5" thick ice out of our basement because they didn't get the site covered before all the big snow hit. We then had tornadoes and severe rain storms go through. The force of the tornado/thunderstorm that dropped like 3" of water in an hour, broke out the egress window in the basement filling the basement with gooey brown mud and lots of rainwater. But for the last month and a half we have been living in our spacious new ranch in a nice subdivision. The past is fading from memory and we are all enjoying our new digs.

Getting in the Christmas spirit

2008-12-14T05:04:00.000-08:00

Today I am going to have my parents and a couple of friends over for our tree trimming party. Oh, I should call me sweetheart sister to see if she could come too...see it does help to journal. The sunrise is gorgeous this morning. It is mostly blues with streaks of pink, peaches and cream. It's good to see the beauty of nature this time of year. I think winter, after the beautiful sparkling snow has melted, can start to look a little dreary.

I am trying to improve my artistic talents. There is so much beautiful art online that I want to see if I can do it. My goal is to get good enough to sell online and at craft shows. There is a huge craft show twice a year 15 minutes from where I live and when I go see booths with "imported" craft concoctions I just walk right by. The last time I went I found only one booth out of a couple hundred that I went back to buy from. By the time I got back the lady was almost completely sold out. The show couldn't have been going for more than 90 minutes and she had very few things in her booth. Reasonable prices and super cute stuff must have been popular with lots of other shoppers too.

Chinese food and time to talk

2008-12-11T05:31:00.000-08:00

Last night my parents took the kids to their activities for me so I had time to spend with my very busy husband. He brought home takeout chinese. Yum! I love Sesame chicken! It was nice to be able to sit down and talk to him about things. He is really a wonderful man and I know why I chose him. He is a great dad.

I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and bought some art supplies with my friend K. There was so much Christmas stuff. It was so beautiful to walk through there. I adore looking at all the beautiful things. It is hard not to go overboard in there. Thank goodness I didn't have much time or money to spend.

Today I am going to the school to help Mrs. R with the math part of her day. My son had her a couple of years back and said he never learned so much as when he had her. Thank goodness for teachers like that!

Freezing Rain

2008-12-09T08:08:00.000-08:00

That's what we can expect today. Some area schools are being cancelled. My new furnace is not working and my hands are getting cold. So I thought I would try to warm them up by making a post. This blog is suppose to invite me to write down the things that make my life happy. Today I went to the kids' school for about an hour and a half to tutor second graders so they don't fall behind in class. I love seeing the light bulbs go on and their faces light up. There were actually a couple of questions I wasn't sure of the answer. How could I a college grad not know the answers on second grade worksheets? It keeps me humble. I am always surprised how much these kids already know. Was I that smart at their age?

I am very thankful for my friend K. She came to my house last night and made sugar cookies. She is such a wonderful girl. At her age of 19 she has had to learn a few of life's lessons the hard way but she has taken them to heart and is on a really great path for her future.

My husband and I had a disagreement over the weekend and we were able to work it out. What happens when neither of you are in the wrong? He wasn't wrong and neither was I. Just some tough decisions that makes you wish you were a kid again.

Simply Sweet Bakery

2008-12-05T13:25:00.000-08:00

I was in my hometown this morning visiting my parents and went to my favorite new breakfast spot. Their breakfast burrito is simply delicious. It has diced potatoes, bacon, sausage, scrambled egg, cheddar cheese and a smidge of roasted red pepper. My mom and I went furniture shopping and I asked the saleslady what would look good with black dog hair and dog slobber on it. My mom is watching our black lab at her house because we just moved into a new house with no grass. We then went back to her house and I helped her set up her blog and playlist. She was really interested in having the music on while she cleans her house. Tonight is my hometown's holiday stroll and there is a special Christmas train coming to visit. It should be very cool.

Holiday break is almost over

2008-11-30T21:47:00.000-08:00

What a time we've had for the second half of November! Let me start off by saying the highlight had to be moving into our new home. Being able to put the kids clothes away in their closets has made getting off to school so much easier. The 20 minute drive every morning has now been shorten to just a couple. My husband has worked his crazy Thanksgiving holiday schedule and I am really glad that its over. At least for a week before the Christmas rush kicks in. Our Thanksgiving was pretty ordinary. The kids and I spent it at my folks house. The only exciting thing that happened was the 911 operator called to ask who called 911 and hung up. Five kids running around it was hard to come up with a name immediately but we narrowed it down to two. The suspects were my son and my sisters daugther. Since my son thinks you can dial 991 I pretty much figured it was my niece. After the rather large sheriff's deputy left, my sister asked which phone her daughter had used and she said "the one by the computer". She vehemently swore she was not responsible but it is pretty easy to trick a five year old into confessing.

Black Friday was an event that I seem to do about once evey five years. It takes me that long to forget why I don't do it. My three kids were actually begging me to leave Toys R Us it was so crowded. We logged about 7 hours of shopping and my parents took us with them. My mother was on the search for a black cashmere sweater. We went to several better department stores before she found one at Kohl's. Meantime I had to give my oldest the socks off my feet because kids don't think they need to leave the house with socks on and his shoe had given him blisters.

Saturday was a rare day off for the hubby. He wanted to have his folks and his cousin Beth over for dinner so we stayed home and cleaned and organized. He made a fabulous prime rib and a ham. He was so proud of the kitchen he had designed. He loved showing it off to his family. We had a really nice evening and played a fun new scrabble-type game called Banagrams.

Sunday the last day of the kids break and the kids and I did as little as possible. I just wanted to lay on the couch with them and watch movies. There are so many good holiday movies on tv this time of year. Great day to just tend the fire and be couch potatoes. I guess you could say we accomplished something... my son can now tie his own snow boots! I'm trying to get him to help me teach his twin how to also.

I'm going to try to make this a gratitude journal as much as help me keep track of my too fast growing brood. So here goes... What I am most grateful for every day of the year is the wonderful family I have been blessed with. My husband who works so hard so that we can have a good life and I can stay at home with the kids, my sweet "angels", my folks, my sister and her oh-so-cute girls. Those will be a given. Today I am thankful for the beautiful snow that fell all day and leftovers. It allowed me to have a "bum" day with those fast growing weeds I call my kids.