Rain or Shine... it's FRIDAY!

“A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition.”

                                                                  -William Arthur Ward

1. O jardim, 2. artur, 3. Japanese hard candy, 4. Eyelet light, 5. spread the love..., 6. house cake lucia, 7. Candy Apple Cafe, 8. Untitled, 9. pretty maids, 10. Mary Quant, 11. Cotton Candy, 12. wip-world in my hands, 13. Zoo pouch, 14. My Home, 15. DSC_0005, 16. ready for the party......???

EEE!!! ♥

I am so thrilled to share with you all that I was invited to be a seller in the much anticipated Lolli Shops! EEE!!! I haven't sold a single thing in my etsy shop but wonderful things are already starting to happen. I feel so honored to be featured with so many amazing artist. 

To learn more about the Lolli Shop stop by the shops blog. 

Oh my, I have so much to do!!! Wish me luck! :)

Tell Me Some More...

Life has changed in our home. Where once I had hours to myself, now I have very little. My college roommate has moved in with us along with her 3 year old son. Its not only a daily adventure in how to share one bathroom, handle the dogs, and serve nutritious meals... its a life lesson on how life can change so quickly; with very little notice and all at once your learning just how much life can change with a little one in the home.

Tonight we read Tell Me Some More.. by Crosby Newell Bonsall and illustrated Fritz Siebel. 

I adore this book! Lovely Illustrations! 

The book is full of silly and wonderful ideas about the adventures of reading.

So I thought I would share just a few of my favorite stories and illustrators. 

My taste in children's illustrations is all over the board, from very loose to very refind. I think what is most important is the relationship between the story and the artwork. The artwork should compliment the story, not over power it. 

The Lovable Lyle series by Bernard Waber is fun and silly. 

Lyle is the sweetest crocodile with the biggest smile. 

I love Waber's loose illustration style. 

The work is charming and holds a lot of expression. 

Bill Peet is also an amazing story teller and illustrator. The Caboose Who Got Loose was the first of his work that I've read. He also has some wonderful short films. I found this wonderful site that breaks Peet's artistic process from schematic to finished piece. I love his sketching quality. He had a great talent in bringing his characters to life.

Last but not least- My all time favorite book Alexander and the Magic Mouse by Martha Sanders and illustrated by Philippe Fix. The illustrations in this book are so over the top its like stepping right into the book. You feel like your having tea with Alexander the Alligator himself! It can be a hard book to track down but it is well worth the hunt! 

There are so many fabulous children's books out there both old and new. I hope to get my hand on as many as possible... but for the ones I miss I found this wonderful blog 

- vintage kids' books my kids love

Wonderful blog devoted to the subject, and so well written. 

As we all know I'm not always the best at this writing business!

Do let me know what your favorite children's books are!

 I would love to add them to my collection!

Pinkday

1. cute face cupcakes, 2. ., 3. lumpy, 4. in love sky, 5. Happy Mother's Day!!, 6. Petticoat Junction, 7. STRAWBERRY PINCUSHIONS, 8. trash to treasure, 9. First day without tights :), 10. bunny and quilt 3, 11. Dreamy day, 12. Untitled, 13. Piecework Magazine Pincushion Contest!, 14. Aqua & Pink Crinoline Hazel Atlas, 15. vintage strawberry pincushion, 16. Utah AIDS Foundation - Pink Party

"Whenever life seems to drift you away from me, I can't help but cry. You've grown to be such a part of me that without you life is no more than a desperate sigh. They do say love comes and goes, and to that I disagree. So, here's my hand, take it and don't let go of me."

                                                                                                      -unknown

Jimmy is out of town and I'm feeling a little blue...

so I thought I would surround myself with pink! 

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

The Sweetest Things

Yesterday I received the most wonderful package in the mail from Kristen at Shabby Vintage Mom. She and I did a swap just for fun... and these are just a few of the very special things that came to me. The little duck was my very favorite. My husband and I have this silly thing where we will quack-which means I love you. Very silly I know! Kristen also sent me lots of sweet things with my cakes in mind- I thought that was just the sweetest thing! 

Swaps are so very fun! Its the best of both worlds- Giving and Receiving!

Thank You So Much Kristen! 

I had so much fun and feel very spoiled!

♥ Quack! ♥ 

The Grand Opening Party!!!

Welcome everybody to my Etsy shops grand opening party!

Okay so isn't exactly a real party but more of a photo shoot. 

If it were real I would have sent pretty invite to all you- my very dear friends!

But I thought it would be fun to do a photo-shoot based on a party

because what else is better suited for cake?

The theme was backyard birthday party!

I drug out almost every cute thing I owned!

Eeyore was a very good model... 

he just sat there patiently waiting to eat his cake.

This is my very favorite cake! 

It is so colorful yet still very girly!

I found the very best model ever, don't you think!?

My beautiful model Ashlee got hungry during the shoot 

and sat down to enjoy a taste humbugger. 

All the cakes look so yummy... 

sometimes its sad to think they don't taste as yummy as they look!

I do hope you all enjoyed the photo-shoot, I mean party! 

Do stop by my shop! 

I couldn't have gotten here with out all your love and support

Now its time to draw a name for the giveaway. 

Thank you so much for your lovely words of encouragement!

 I am so blessed to have you all in my life...

So here is how it went! I wrote them all out and put them in a little basket... 

Shake Shake Shake...

But then Miller decided mom's project looked tasty!

 But soon enough I had them all back in the basket. 

And the winner is...

Jojo-Caramel! 

I couldn't have asked for a more lovely and happy go lucky lady to own my sweet home.

So now it's time to clean up and get to work! 

Unfortunately I can't stay out and play... 

shops don't run themselves you know!

Toodle-oo!

Setting Up Shop

Setting up shop is quite a lot of work. And I haven't even begun to upload on to Etsy - hopefully I don't have any problems on that end! Loosing my blog layout was not a very good start to the week. But I'm in a better mood today!

So I thought I would give you a little sneak peak of two items that will be in the shop!

1st

Two Mitzy dolls - 1980

They are the sweetest set of doll heads I've ever seen. 

Unfortunately for me I don't really sew so I'm passing this fun find to you!

2nd

One original framed collage by ME!

Entitled: Practice

This piece features two little girls diligently practicing the piano.

I think it turned out adorable!

BIG Mistake!

Oh NO! I made a huge boo-boo and accidentally lost my new blog design! 

What a terrible feeling... I just stared at the computer screen for a couple of minutes in pure shock! Three hours later and I'm feeling a bit better. Finally came up with a look I'm happy with! But what a sad lost! The only positive here is that the new colors are easier on my eyes! 

I'm soooooo sorry Chelsea! I'm the biggest looser ever!

P.S. If you haven't already- 

make sure you leave me a comment on my last post for your chance to win one of my original illustrations!

A special Giveaway

Wouldn't life be fun... if we didn't live in cookie cutter homes. If windows and doors didn't come in ready to place shapes, and we each had a house completely unique. What if life as we knew it was just a bit more random, and lot more out of the ordinary? 

When I day-dream life is as such... when I put my pencil into motion amazing new places come in to shape. In my imagination there aren't so many rules and absolutely no pre-planning. Objects come to life organically. When finally I think a drawing is done, I hang a cloud or two in the sky and watch to see if it shall rain or shine. I wish I could visit this place more often, the perfect street with the very best kind of neighbors. Where children play all day long until at-last they sleep. Where woman gather on porch fronts to knit and quilt and such. A place where the men work hard until late afternoon then visit along the river bank with fishing poles in hand.

Well for the last couple of week I have been able to sneak away to my sketch book to let my imagination stray. Its a very special house built with love and care. The clouds have not yet come... so I can't share it with you all quite yet but...

I would like to offer it to all my friends as a little "thank You" for all your sweet words and friendship. For me blogging is very much like my make-believe neighborhood...

A safe, and fun place where everyday my dearest friends stop by to say hello. A place where life is a bit slower and we all take the time to listen. 

So...

Please drop me a comment bellow and I will put your name into the hat. 

I will post the picture of the house and draw a name friday morning at my Etsy shops grand opening party. 

P.S. I would love any advise you all may have, from running your own business to finding joy in life!

Also- of coarse my international friends are included in this special treat :) It wouldn't be the same without you!

A Night At The County Fair

 

Growing up in a small town in Southern Idaho, the fair was a highlight of the year. It was a week of getting together with all your friends, winning ribbons, and flirting with boys. The smells and tastes of your favorite treats that only came around once a year. The Rodeo and concerts and magician shows. Not to mention the carnival. To this day the fair is a reminder of the small town life. So of coarse when Jim asked if I wanted to drive two hours to go to the Tillamok fair- I said "YES!" The food was bit different, and I didn't know a single soul, but the magic was much the same. 

I love the flowers... so many varieties and lovely smells!

I forgot the name of this strange thing. But some nice fellow said that the leaves on the plant grow up to 6' tall. Very Strange indeed!

Ever heard of Tillamok cheese? It's pretty famous!

There were lots of cows indeed, all milk cows... no beef. 

Jim who once brought cows to the fair himself- good ol' FFA Boy 

(Future farmer of America)

told me all about the differences between steers, cows, bulls, calfs, and heifers and such

Very interesting stuff...

This little guy really liked the camera. What a cutie!

And last but certainly not least we got to see Sawyer Brown! It was a wonderful concert...

These guys have been together 27 years!

                                 

Can't wait until next year!

F R I D A Y !

1. Fisher Price Puppy, 2. Selina Lake - Pink Summer Room, 3. Pup, 4. Birthday girl with her cake, 5. Cupcake Picnic - Detail, 6. ISBN 4-573-01127-7, 7. The dollhouse, 8. Vintage Fisher Price Pony Music Box, 9. pillows, 10. if this were pink it would be the world's most perfect dress, 11. new project..., 12. embroidered atc (wip) with a few changes, 13. edwin and sally, 14. Josephine, 15. 217whisperingwoods, 16. Ich mag sie....

"My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling, 

but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places."

& 

"This writing business. Pencils and what-not. 

Over-rated, if you ask me. Silly stuff. Nothing in it."

                                                                                    -Eeyore

After reading Artful blogger I have started to feel a little uneasy about my writing. So many of my fellow bloggers spoke of loving the writing process, about the joy of telling the story. 

Without blogging I would not write at all. My mother has said that she has seen an improvement in my writing over the last past year. But still, its frustrating to not have the words, the grammar, or the ability to play with words. 

I had pretty much never written a single paper until my freshman year of high school. Had I written earlier in life perhaps I would not struggle as I do. I seem to have so much to say in my head, but am unable to slip the thoughts down to my finger tips. 

It's a constant battle of trying to say just enough without sounding like I have fluff for brains - as Eeyore would say. I have lovely things to share... and hopefully with practice you will all be first in line to hear it. If writing is truly like drawing I know I shall improve. Thank you, everyone of you for encouraging me to tell my stories through your sweet comments. They mean so much to me, especially because no one sends replies back with red ink!