OWOH Welcome!

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog that I call ArtsyFartsyMe! This is my first year to participate in the One World One Heart tour. Sadly, it's also my last, as you all know that this is it's last year. I'm so glad you've stopped by. Let me introduce myself to you...

My name is Jaime and I have many different hats that I wear (just like most women). It's kinda hard to label them all but I'll go through a few and these are not in any particular order. I am an artist, I like to draw, take a zillion photographs, paint, create things and also design, paint and draw on the computer. My background is in Graphic Design because that's how you get paid! The term starving artist is one I understand, but if the average gal wants to actually make a living then unfortunately you gotta work for the man. I do try to sell my artwork through the normal venues that are now available to us all. You can see the sidebar if you want to see stuff I've created.  I say this as I am currently staying at home with my almost 5 year old son. He turns 5 in March. Now that he'll be in all day school come August I have the opportunity to jump back in the race if I choose to. Thankfully, I have that choice.

I'm a Mommy to my very energetic and funny son, Asher. Having him later in life has been a joy. I wasn't sure I wanted to have kids when everyone else was having them which would've been in my early twenties, but God has a plan and I had a change of heart around 32 or so. I had put the age 35 in my mind that I wanted to have a child by then and it all worked pretty much as planned. I had Asher one month before I turned 36. On the other hand... I am exhausted, haha. If I knew how much fun he is and how much love I have for him, I would've done it 10 years sooner. Also, if I had known that my mom would've only had 3 years with her grandson, whom she waited so patiently for, I definitely would've done it sooner. That is one of my greatest regrets in life. My mother was my best friend. She was a great lady and my best teacher of life. I lost her to cancer October 20th, 2009 and I miss her terribly everday and it shows a lot, especially on my blog where I unload a lot of my thoughts and everyday life. Of course I am thankful for the 39 years I had with her, but can't help but feel cheated in not having her here with me now. I'm kinda selfish that way. I'm also an only child, so enough said ;)

I love flowers and am an avid gardener. I live in zone 6b (Indiana, USA) and am sick to death of winter so I'm really looking forward to Groundhog Day because even though I know it's just lore, I know that spring is close. Every year I grow from seed Heirloom Tomatoes and sell them as plants. It's very small time, but I love to do this. I have a local following and I just ordered my seed this last week. So it's almost tomato planting time... a very busy time for me. I'll be posting about that soon. I always go overboard and plant waaaay to many tomatoes in my own garden especially considering I'm the only who eats them. Last year I had 20 plants, just for myself. I do give some away to family and friends but I also make a mean salsa and can the rest. I also grow and put up corn, green beans, jalapeno's, peppers, watermelons and cantaloupe. I was born in city but have become a country girl. We live way out in the boonies and have 10 acres and a small lake.

I'm a Christian, and believe in God and that He loves us all. I believe that I will see my mom and my loved ones that have passed again someday in Heaven. I'm not a Holy Roller, but I am strong in my beliefs and I have to ask for forgiveness everyday as I know I'm a sinner (some days worse than others! haha). I tend to have a potty mouth but try to curb it especially here for my blog.

I don't post everyday, it comes in spurts. Sometimes a week goes by without a peep from me. I'm kinda moody and sarcastic but funny too. I'm loyal and consider myself a "helper". I get myself into things without thinking them through sometimes, but that's how I am and as much as I try to change, I realize that I am a Taurus and dang, I can be stubborn. I'm naturally a night owl and stay up waaay too late most nights so that means I am a very slow starter in the morning. I tend to be very messy, something I try to fix, but end up doing anyway. *notice huge mess in background on above photo* Ah well.

I have a bunch of fur babies that I complain about and brag about all the time. My sweet baby Glove, my 19 year old big fluffy white kitty, Zoey, my new faithful companion (doggy) and the newest members are twin boys, Thunder and Lighting who are mess making havoc wreaking monster like ninja kittens. And somehow this one lone Cichlid fish has managed to stay alive while all the others ended up either being eaten or flushed. I have more messes in my life than I have time for!

I love dark humor, a good steak (Medium Rare Ribeye please), Mexican food, Stuffed French Toast from IHOP and Pina Colada's. I've got about 16 sweet tooths (teeth?) and give in to them almost daily. I love ice cream, milk chocolate and I hate to exercise unless it's digging a hole to plant something in or dancing to a good beat. So as you can guess, there's a little bit of a weight issue here... Oh and I just love to listen to music, I feel it just sings to my soul. A song can make me cry, laugh, think deeply and all of the above. Music inspires me to create, to love, sometimes to hate and most of all music inspires me to live. I love all kinds of music, not just one genre. Some old stand-bys are Rock, blues, Spanish guitar (If I believed in reincarnation, I would swear I was Spanish at one time!). In my player right now I've got some Audio Slave, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Romantic Spanish Guitar, Blues Traveler, Sigur Ros and Little Big Town.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you come back and see what's new around here and I can't wait to learn more about you and read your blog! I'm not always this chatty, I promise. If you are so inclined, join me and become a treasured new friend (follower - I hate that term). I hope to meet all kinds of new friends to keep in touch with, learn from and maybe teach something to or perhaps I'll have to be a terrible example of what not to do... Hahaha! My door prize for getting this far and commenting on this post is a set of gift cards (see below) which are blank inside. Winner will be announced February 17th. Just make sure that I can get back in touch with you by leaving your email on the post or by having your bio filled out with your email on it in case you're the winner.

Special thanks to Lisa, creator of OWOH for this incredible idea of fellowship. I'm betting someone may be willing to carry the torch.

So long for now!

Snow, snow go away

Zoey's thoughts --"more of this crap?"

Enough already. I know I'm whining but I am sick of the cold stuff and ready for spring. I especially know I'm whining when my friend Theresa keeps getting more and more of the white stuff. But I guess that's what you get when you live waaaaayy up there in the North East like she does. Here in the Ohio Valley, we're just supposed to get 15" a year. So it snows an inch here and the schools are closed.

It's just so gloomy. I made myself a crystal sun catcher and have only been able to see the rainbows it creates like twice since I made it a couple weeks ago!

Speaking of Theresa, (of Welcome to My World) she gave me some great advice about listing on Etsy. Did you know that they have this new feature that you can copy a current listing and just change a few things here and there which speeds up listing dramatically! I just listed my little stylish girl birthday card in no time! Thank you Theresa!!

Here's a look at the card:

Stylish Girlfriend Birthday Card

inside

You all wouldn't believe how big these kitten monsters are getting! I'll take a current photo and post that soon. I still call them monsters because they are still that way! I lock them up in the basement at night because they are so obnoxious. There's nothing like being woke up out of a deep sleep to a ninja cat bouncing off your head. They have wrecked my basement, strewn my seed collection everywhere down there and can single pawedly trash my pantry. Lightning actually has a weird obsession, he chews on my potatoes through their plastic! Who knew the damage they could do? I am shocked all the time at what they are able to demolish. Cleaning up the messes is never ending. Dare I say they rival the mess that Asher can make??? Maybe not that bad, but you get it.

OH, the picture above of Zoey. If only I had gotten the second afterwards when she looked up at me with this look on her face like "I have to go pee out in that? You're kidding, right?" Ha ha, poor girl. I don't blame her.

Listing takes forever

I spent a better part of Sunday listing and doing a little editing on my Etsy shop. Jeesh... it takes forever. I even had all my new photographs taken and resized and ready to list, because I had spent the better part of Saturday for that! I think I may have gotten 4 new things listed between the 2 shops, GeeJayCreations and ArtsyFartsyMe. I now need a serious neck massage from sitting here so long plus my butt hurts. I'm not very productive it seems. But I am doing a little something which is good and getting a flash of a little spark possible. A little spark of gumption that is. Could be I sit here peeling Hershey kisses all day in between each page on Etsy that is taking so long... hmmmm. Nah.

Oh, I did make my own cool smoke for one of the cards in Photoshop. I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. I used Painter for the card above which is the front to this below.

cool smoke

Still trying to get used to our new "normal" with our new schedule. It still stinks and I am sick to death of the snow. If we have another dang snow day from school I may truly go outta my mind. That damn groundhog better do his thing and bring on the spring.

I'm a little pissy today... maybe it's the Kisses. Hah.. I will tell you that chunky chocolate chip cookies and Diet Coke don't taste very good together. Who can guess what time of the month it is???

Being a Purple Man

Four Faces of The Tree - very old drawing from my sketch book

Things are in a weird state of being these days. I forget what day it is, I've been having crazy dreams and stuck in a bit of a funk. I dreamed this morning I was actually a man and I was in a large metal tub of dark purple dye. I knew that I had a mission and that I was an agent of some sort. There was another man in the room with me as I dyed my body but I couldn't see anything but his silhouette. Now strange dreams are nothing new for me, but I don't recall ever dreaming I was the opposite sex. I would lift my leg and arm and could hear the water trickle from them and see the deep purple liquid dripping. I was not above the tub as I am sometimes just an observer but I was in the correct perspective to be in the tub and looking up to this mystery man. The lights were dim and it was very light outside. I could see this from the cracks in the walls and small window behind the man. I was looking at my skin as it got darker and darker and I was pleased with the effect. I'm not sure where this came from because I was hooked on watching the bio channel last night and was watching the biography of Dolly Parton before I went to bed. I just love her.

Sometimes my dreams are definitely from something I had encountered or watched from the day but a lot of the time they are just off the wall. I actually go to bed hoping I'll have some wild dreams since I get a kick out of them. Although I don't like the dreams where I dream someone is trying to kill me. And sometimes I wake up freaking out about my son. I've had a few dreams where he was in danger and I'm extra cautious for a while. I do believe that our dreams are our sub-conscience mind mostly. But occasionally, I think something or someone comes to me in my dreams as a warning. I used to keep a dream journal when I was younger. As soon as I woke from the dream I wrote it down, as much as I could remember that is. Funny thing is sometimes something would happen later that day or even the next day that would jar a dream from my memory. Kinda like deja vu... which is another post for another day.

Enjoy your weekend friends.

Inspiration in the mailbox

Soul Card by Amy

I opened my mailbox yesterday (after a bit of a boo hoo fest) to find a piece of art made just for me by my new friend (yes Amy, I said FRIEND). I love it. She picked out the colors even though I had given her my picks for other colors... but I think I like this better than the ones I told her, so good call Amy!

Amy is one of the busiest artists I know that isn't selling their work online. She creates more I think in one week than I get accomplished in a year. You should check out her blog, Amy on the Flipsyde, but be forewarned she doesn't sugar coat anything and is hilarious with her mannerisms. She is brave enough to live out loud and makes no apologies, which I like. I think her cool artists exterior (dreadlocks and all) masks a soft heart.

Here is a close up, check out the texture... it's delicious. Plus as an added bonus, it smells great which we cannot figure out quite why but it may be lead. Joking.

So I'm not sure if this is burned or what, is that subliminal for my soul? Not sure but the result is beautiful. The textures comes from flowers from her garden.

So this is the backside of a sweet little note she wrote me. Alright, is wasn't really sweet that's a lie but it was totally her which is cool. Amy also has a round robin thing, which I don't really know what that means but it looks like fun and you swap things. Check it out on her blog. Even though she doesn't follow MY blog, I still like her and that's ok.

To all my friends that left me encouraging words, thank you. They really did brighten my mood.

Bad Blogger, baaaaaadd

Chickadee Birdhouse

Houses 2 families of Chickadees (1 on each side)

I just haven't been motivated to blog lately. I have been in some roller coaster moods lately. I started out this year rather melancholy and I can't seem to shake it. Just when I think I'm coming around the bend and seeing some light again... BAM. Maybe I've just been acting like I'm coming around, who knows. I haven't done any art in a while other than paint this bird house for my husband. It's not exactly Monet, more like paint by numbers. He's a woodworker and made this from scratch for his mother for Christmas. He made two and this is the second one for a friend of his.

I had this grand plan of getting up there in my studio and painting and drawing and creating, after I got it in order that is. Yep, that hasn't happened. The hubz has gone on this new shift and I hate it. It is week two for thirds and I don't know if I'll ever get used to this. I sit here in my robe for hours and don't accomplish much. I did start to go through a box of things of my mothers (that are smack dab right in the middle of said studio) and ran across a little ceramic perfume sprayer. Shalimar was my mom's signature scent and I knew better than to do what I did, but I couldn't stop myself. I knew what the pretty little container held. Smell, for me, is a powerful thing. I smelled it anyway and WhamOO! Instantly I was flung into another universe of time and memories flashed before me and I actually cried out loud in pain and wept and wept that night. It feels like it's all new again and I am disbelief that she is gone even though the second Christmas has gone by without her. I have never looked up the 7 stages of grief, even though I've meant to, I wonder if I've gone through them all yet?

Enough. I'm really trying not to wallow here. I feel like that new Speaker of the House John Boehner. I feel so sorry for that man. I totally understand his emotional candor. I too, where my heart on my sleeve and can cry at what seems like the most ridiculous things but I think what it comes down to is associations. I'm an empathizer for sure. I associate everything with everything. You know that 6 degrees thing? It seems like my mantra... haha   Not really, but you get the idea. One thing or thought leads to another.

Monsters are back and/or the Bullet Train

Let us out!!

I said NOW!

I don't think I mentioned it, but I got the boys sniped and nipped this week. That is, they were neutered and declawed. I was going to say castrated, but isn't that such a hurtful word? I really am not entirely sure if they were indeed castrated because all their "junk" is still there. In fact, since they were shaved "back there" for the procedure all their junk now protrudes out for all to see. Ick. I would post a pic, but it's practically pornographic. Asher is like what's that?? He also asked me this week why I pee outta my butt. Hmmm... now how would YOU answer that one. Remember he is 4. He will be 5 in March.

Now wait a minute before some of you animal people out there get all over me for declawing the boys, just take this in a moment. Imagine a world (my house) that is covered in wall to wall, floor to ceiling carpet and the monsters, I mean kittens have velcro on their feet. Now imagine them running at the speed of light round and round in circles on all four walls, knocking down everything in their path. Pictures, curtains, plants, etc. That was them. I have puncture wounds still in my legs and waist from them deciding that they needed to be on my back... while I was standing there as an innocent bystander. Or the umpteen times they pulled the curtains down, rod and all with their evil plans to wait for you like a sniper and jump on your head as you again innocently walk by. Monsters I tell you. I don't really have wall to wall carpet, I actually have wood flooring for the most part but I needed to tell you this for the effect. ;^)

So, I giggle when I see them jump up on the couch or trying for those curtains now... muh hhahahahahahhahaha. What a confused look on their little monster faces! Don't get me wrong, they are still the cutest little things, but so are raccoons until you get one cornered and then they're rabid vicious little things! If it makes you feel better I put up the extra money to have them taken out by laser and they are doing great. I still love the little guys, you just won't hear me screaming at them as much now.

It's been a long time since I've had to deal with a cat that's just been declawed because I had forgotten that you have to give them shredded newspaper to do their business in. What a pain in the ass that is (forgive me). I've been shredding it in vain I think because today I went to change the papers and discovered they had all 3 been peeing outside of the shredded part and on the paper laid out on the floor to catch the accidents and spills. I also discovered they have been pooping under the stairs as did Zoey as I rounded the corner just in time to see her chowing down on a turd... ZOEY!!!!!  Argh... So now I'm yelling up the stairs to Asher "Don't let Zoey lick you! She just ate cat poop!" Of course he comes running down the stairs to see and right into Zoey, his face right at her licking height and of course she licks him. Ugh. Nasty.

gingerly opening the door and Lightning tip toeing out, then...

Look out for the Bullet Train!

Lightning was so fast, he shot out of that cage like a rocket. Notice I barely caught the end of his tail in this shot. Even Thunder was thinking "I'm outta here!"

I got you Babe.

Thunder and Lightning are extremely loveable with us and each other. Look how sweet Thunder is hugging his brother. They even lick each others butts, now that is brotherly love... haha sorry, I had to add that because they do. They all really are disgusting little creatures, all the animals. I try not to think of that too much though because I do treasure all of their little hearts. What would life be without animals (besides less aggravation, haha)? Not as happy, I think.

Oh, and thanks for all the well wishes on the annual boob smushing. All went well, as well as peeling your boob off plastic after she tells you to switch can go. She finished me up and then rolled my boobs up off the floor for me. I then just threw them over my shoulder, grabbed a mint and got outta there as fast as I could. Good Riddance! Today I got the All Clear letter, so I'm good for another year! Yay!

BOOBS

Boobs, boobies, ta-ta's, bumpers, bazookas, cans, the girls, melons, hooters, jugs. Whatever you call 'em, mine are getting their 2nd annual squishing and torture by a smashing machine and a chick in colorful scrubs aka the mammogram tomorrow at midday.

As you can tell, I'm siked. Not that last year, which was my first, was so terribly bad. It's just that now I know what's coming and let's just say I didn't take into consideration the monthly timing vs. squash-a-thon ratio. When I made the appointment the lady on the other end of the line, who apparently had no sympathy for me whatsoever, asked if I wanted a morning appointment, afternoon appointment or first available. Since I'm firmly against anything before noon, I selected the afternoon appointment. I've even got Asher on the sleeping in gig. As a matter of fact this past New Year's Day I got him to sleep in until 11:45 am! Of course he didn't go to bed until 2:30 am, but that's another bad mom story. I know this will end in about 8 months when full time kindergarten starts, but I'm taking advantage of it. Oh dear, I'm getting off point.

Oh yeah, back to the twins. Which in my case is fraternal twins since one is what I would consider quite larger than the other. I have everything like that it seems. I measured my ears once and the left ear is three quarters bigger than the other! Have you ever taken a mirror up to half your face to see what you would look like if you were symmetrical? You haven't?!! ha ha! I can't be the only one... I may have to chock that up to another one of my quirky traits. Here I go again, off subject. Anyway... she also had me a bit alarmed when she asked if I wanted an appointment to find out my results or have them mailed to me. I'd rather just forget the whole event... ignorance is bliss kinda thing. But I know the wondering would catch up with me, but I did opt for the mailing scenario in hopes of getting out of there sooner.

I've got so many boob stories. As a matter of fact my friend Amelia and I were walking through Walmart the other day and chatting about how we each hate to buy bras and we were just talking out loud and matter of fact. She said something like she had to wear underwires and I said I needed guide wires, that these puppies were headin' south and the man who was walking in front of us suddenly veered off in another direction and quick. He obviously had been listening to us. Serves him right. If you're going to eavesdrop, then don't be squeamish or shocked by what you hear!

Isn't it funny how as young women, girls really, that we are so embarrassed by our bodies? Well at least I was. Come to think of it, I'm still embarrassed but for different reasons! I remember my mom buying me bras and wrapping them up for Christmas presents for all the family to see me open... talk about being mortified. She just looked at me like what's the matter with you?! ha ha ha... those were the days.

So, send me well wishes and your thoughts for good results as they hand me my boobs on a platter with butter and syrup tomorrow. Better safe than sorry.

Giggles,