Wild Child!

Asher has gotten a 4 wheeler a couple months ago and he took to it like a fish to water. He has to change the gears by bending down and pulling it up with his hand but that doesn't slow him down a bit. Oh Lord, help me!

How did this happen?

I was happily replying to some new friends tonight and I tried to email one and it requested that I accept Google Friend Connect, so I said Ok. Now I am following my own blog and don't know how I did that or how to change it, how did this happen? On the upside it nicely rounded up my friends (following) to 50 :)  ha ha, but it feels a bit shallow. :^}

Mom's Birthday

My Mother's birthday is today. I miss her so much, it still hurts so deeply. I still am in disbelief.

This is one of my most favorite pictures of us together. It was a spontaneous decision to get our picture made, because we were there just to get Ashers 3 month picture made. I am so glad I have this. This is August of 2006. We were laughing and having a great time, we were soooo close. Isn't she beautiful?

Happy Birthday Mom. I love you.

Has anyone read this article in the NY Times?

I was logging onto my email at yahoo when one of their articles caught my attention. A beautiful picture of this tiny little Victorian cabin with this tiny little pretty woman on the porch. I read the article and cannot believe what this woman has accomplished all on her own, no thanks to her big burly husband whom she takes up for but I think secretly wants to shame, and rightly so! 

She has taken this hunting cabin and made it gorgeous, something worthy of Victorian Magazine or Better Homes and Gardens. But I am just dumbfounded at her story. I know love is supposed to be blind, but it doesn't have to be stupid and kick you in the head too! This man from what I gather is a loser with a capital L and living off of her while he stays home and makes a mess for her to clean up. He is a great big guy and stays home baking bread and picking flowers while she commutes 4 hours and works in the city during the week and looks like she really needs to eat something!! It must be the full moon making me crazy, but I tell you what, I want to go give this life sucking leach a piece of my mind! I have no use for free loading men, no matter how romantic they are (which she claims he is). Yuck. I just feel sick. I hope the right person reads this article, sees her potential and offers this woman a great job with big $$ and benefits so she can have the self confidence to leave his sorry ass and have the real dream home that she is so obviously able to create for herself. Kick his butt to the curb. ooooo!!!!! I need to stop, I am getting more mad just typing about it! %#$@! Loser. ooo don't you hate men sometimes!

ok, ok, I've just made a funny button and have managed to calm down a bit... I do realize that this chick doesn't exactly sound like she's playing with a full deck and this could be one of those deals like that wacked family that said their son was up in a hot air balloon, but all kidding aside. I am not a male basher, I like men. I just don't like free loading men ;)

Wow, this may have been my first rant. I feel better. Feel free to snag my button.

I'd love to hear what you all think of this. Here is the article http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/garden/24cottage.html?pagewanted=1&no_interstitial

Where bloggers create wannabe

Yesterday I discovered on accident a great.. well I don't know what to call it... maybe a "challenge"? It is a rather large party of sorts to show off your creative space called "Where bloggers create" (450 participants!). I found the originator Karen Valentine of My Desert Cottage and have been spending a lot of time browsing all these incredible blogs and really incredible creative spaces from her list of party goers. It was even featured in a magazine called "Where Women Create", which I haven't ever seen but will now look for! They are even in the act this year too, giving prizes to lucky winners and also to one special creative woman a feature in their magazine. I would be horrified if anyone wanted to come and take pictures of my creative mess and put them in a fancy magazine, but some of these gals have got it going on! Most of them actually, and that's why I'm pouring through every single one looking for ideas on trying to be more organized and neat. Being pretty and fun to look at is a bonus! I'm almost into the "b's". Lucky for me it will be up all year long.

I'm planning on moving my art studio from its current room to another room (catch all) down the hall of our small upstairs. It's an awkward and dark room that is full of real wood that is long and has a tiny deck outside the glass door that is the front of the house. But, it is about twice the size of my current studio. I don't want to paint the wood, but wish it were lighter. The glass door faces east and is the only source of natural light. I may paint the rather dull blue gray walls to brighten it, just not sure what color yet and the carpet is hopelessly dark blue. Summer is always a bad time for me to start projects because I love to be outside so much, so I will have to make myself do a little at a time. I have so much stuff though and no where to put it, I'm not sure how to start. I didn't join in of course, but just for funzies.. I'm going to embarrass myself in front of you all and show you my lack of organizational skills...  hide your children hahahaha

By the way, I am definitely open to suggestions and ideas and if you want to come here and help me with it, I'll cook for you and rub your feet! :)

My Current Messy Studio

Soon to be Messy Studio

View from the door with window.

You can't see it but there is actually a twin bed to the left under a bunch of stuff. I think I inherited my mom's hoarding gene. Oh boy.

Video bit of Blues Festival & Catching up

Can you all believe how fast time goes by? I was filling out Asher's baby book this morning and realized I hadn't posted in a while. We took Asher to his first movie theater show. It was Toy Story 3 and in 3D no less! He did great with the 3D glasses. When I ran in to check the show times, I didn't notice that it was 3D but we paid the extra money anyway to see it since he was so excited. He did really well in the show, I have to say I was surprised. The movie was really cute and kept me entertained the whole time, too.

He had another first a couple weeks ago that I don't remember sharing and that was I taught him to use scissors! I have diligently kept all scissors away from him up to this point for fear really that he would cut off his super cute hair and of course I didn't want him to hurt himself ;) For about 3 days all he wanted to do was cut stuff up and then it magically disappeared. He's probably just forgot about them, but for a short while I was thinking I had an artsy kid again! Lately he just wants to do boy things like dig and cars and trucks. Oh well, it will come and go I guess.

I took him to the W.C. Handy Blues Festival last Wednesday evening which was so much fun. We played in the water area where the water shoots up from the holes and then we walked over to the park where the bands where and laid our blanket out to enjoy the music and people watch. I was a smart mommy and brought his diggers and dump truck so he happily played and dug all around this tree while I got to relax and enjoy myself. I absolutely love to go to things like this and now that Mom is gone, I don't have anyone really that can or wants to go. This was right next to the Ohio River and so nice with the train bridge going across and a cooling breeze coming off the river. Hopefully I can keep my little buddy interested in the blues.

I haven't been creating much lately, taking a bit of a hiatus. I have been reading some art books while Asher plays in his little pool to cool off. It has been crazy hot here for a while and a while to come, too. I need a laptop to catch up on all of my blogs while I sit outside, that would be great!

short video clip 1

shorter video clip 2

Farmer's Market Today

2010 New Harmony - First Day of the Farmer's Market

This morning I drug my tired butt out of my cozy bed to get ready for the first day of my local Farmer's Market in New Harmony. It was gonna be a steamy day with the "feel like" temperature 100 degrees and boy oh boy was it ever. I had sweat rollin' down the crack of my butt by the time I had the car loaded at 7:45 am. Oyi. 

There were just four of us this first day but we all knew each other and laughed and complained about the heat together. One lady, Becky, has an orchard and sells homemade jellies and jams, one friend, Kathy, whom I wrote about the other day  - the fiber artist, and another friend, Kay, who makes beautiful handmade baskets. Our market allows handcrafted items and the town is attractive to tourists. None of us really have any homegrown goodies to sell yet, but I did offer my heirloom tomato plants and flowers as well as my artwork. We have a baker, Gloria, that comes regularly and a couple that makes honey and all things related to it but they weren't able to make it this time.

My Booth

I love the people at the market, they are so friendly and helpful and we all just get along great. It makes me feel like a part of something, which I like because I don't really belong to anything. It went by fast as our hours were 8-noon and I had to rush home to cook because my husband had to work today and he was leaving at 1. I managed to make some chicken fajitas after the 15 minute drive home and unloading the car! sing with me now *I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan...*  ha ha

After cleaning the kitchen up I had enough energy to take Asher and myself off to Henderson for in the park blues music. He played in a fountain to cool off and splashed me enough to keep me wet and not as miserable. The music was great. Two of the bands were Blues 4U and Velveeta Jones. We stayed a couple of hours. I love to listen to live music outside. Next starts the W.C. Handy Blues Festival... my favorite!

I did manage to sell a framed print of a colored pencil drawing of a dragon and several tomato plants and flowers. It was fun and I will probably sporadically go again, I have some ideas for some things that may appeal to the tourists. It's always more fun to actually sell stuff ;)  Oh, and my pots I painted earlier this week, well I didn't get them finished and so they didn't get to go. Hopefully, I'll have them ready next time. I always plan too much and my time management skills suck... I'm working on that :)

Whatcha Workin' on Wednesday?

Today, I got my pots out that I had started last summer. I was in the process of priming these smaller pots last June when I got the call from my mom telling me she had cancer. They've been sitting in my studio ever since. Actually, the one I had half primed when I took her call is still there on the shelf, a reminder of that fateful day that changed my life so drastically. I'm certain that she would want me to continue to create and I wish she could see these and help me in the next direction that they are to take.

I'm adding more layers of the sunflower one because I screwed up and painted the whole pot ultramarine blue and should've masked out the flower first. So more and more yellow layers I have added and hardly made a difference. ahhh... live and learn... my motto.

I really like the direction the red one is taking. It's hard to see by this picture, but I have a little purple at the bottom that turns into red and then splashes of yellow at the top. It looks prettier in real life. The pot in the front is actually more teal than it's showing here. I didn't mess with the picture, I just uploaded it the way it was.

I'm not sure what I'm going to add to the pots, but I feel they are not finished. I hope to have these finished by the weekend because I am going to the Farmer's Market this Saturday and hope I can sell them. I thought about adding an herb in it... Mom's favorite one that I have an abundance of... Sweet Annie.

What are you're thoughts on price for these little one of a kind pots? I was thinking $10 each. 2 of them have saucers, which I may tack on $2 for them.

So... whatcha workin' on?

Delayed gratitude

This post is a long time coming. About a month overdue that's for sure. As some of you know I turned 40 this past April and my dear friend and fellow artist, Kathy Sands of Art Journal - A Creative Journey, graciously and unselfishly gave me this most beautiful scarf that she hand dyed herself. Kathy is one of the most creative people I know. She is trying new things all the time and comes up with fabulous work without even an effort. Truly a natural and creative soul. 

I love this scarf and was immediately drawn to it when she told me to take my pick. I felt bad about taking it, but only for about 2 seconds! haha I proudly wore it through out the show Arts in Harmony where she was displaying her art that weekend and got many envious looks.

Kathy creates unique hand dyed and painted silk scarfs and cloth. She makes her fabric by dyeing, painting, bleaching, printing, silk screening and just about anything she can think of. She has branched out and now also makes felt bead earrings, digital collages, fat quarters, artful cloth bags, children's wear and even doggie clothes. There's just no telling what Kathy will come up with next. She really has been an inspiration to me and has given me uplifting words and kindness when I have been down, a helping hand when needed, and a shoulder to cry on. I am proud to call her my friend.

Kathy and I met at New Harmony's Farmer's Market last summer and became fast friends. I am truly blessed to have met her and I hope you take the time to read her blog and visit her etsy shop, MyWildflowerDesigns, I'm sure you'll find something you can't live without. 

Thank you, Kathy. You have made a lasting impression on me more than you may even know.

Remember to enjoy the simple things in life

This is to share with you the shear joy of being a child. Do you remember what it was like to find thrills in the simplest of things? I remember being so happy and smug with a simple playing card attached to my "Cactus Flower" bicycles spokes with a clothes pin, pretending to have a ten speed as a young girl. Or riding my Big Wheel in the street and the sound that it made that brought a smile to my face. Sitting in our driveway coloring rocks. Sharing a can of Double Cola or Ski with the thirty-five cents that we found in the laundry mat at my grandma's apartment complex with about 4 friends (it didn't last long!). Sitting outside on the steps of that same apartment with friends when the power was out one time. I have many fond memories of staying with my grandma a lot. She could cut up a chicken to feed 10 people. Best fried chicken you'd ever tasted, too. We fought for the pulley bone. Riding bicycles with my mom and dad through the park and fancy neighborhoods in the 70's and early 80's. The excitement I felt the entire day of July 4th just knowing we would be going downtown to the Ohio River to view the fireworks with all the people of Evansville. What a feeling of belonging that gave me.

I'm feeling a bit lonely and have carried a wistful smile with me today. It's hard to stay sad for long though with such a cute kid, huh? I hope he will have simple and happy memories one day of growing up.

I'd love to hear of your most favorite memory.