If Only You Try


Think left and think right
and think low and think high.
Oh, the thinks you can think up
if only you try!

~Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!


I'm often told that I live my life in a fantasy all my own
I'm not to often concerned about what others think
or what is proper or expected
the word ordinary is perhaps the most terrifying word
in all the english language
next to Dentist that is
but for all the uniqueness that is me
I desperately and most fervently wish
that my mind could let go of pain
and anger, frustration, regrets, and disappointments
because I truly believe that these things
are what drive our inner child to hide deep
within ourselves
even when they do come out from the shadows
they are timid and reluctant to play


What short childhood so many of us have
we fall victim the world around us
We loose our ability to believe in magic
and in time even in ourselves


Do you still know your inner child?
Are you close friends after all these years?
Or do you believe that "childhood" is a place in time
rather than a place inside yourself?



I think we are most guarded with our imaginations
when we are playing with children
Is it that we feel we must be the adult in the room?
or are we afraid of falling down the rabbit's hole?
We play along but we don't open our eyes
to the world of their creation right in front of us


I don't know why I've gone all philosophical on my blog today
I came here to share some cute photos from a recent photo shoot
and instead got lost in my own thoughts


I think it's because I am around children so rarely
that when I am I fascinated by how very rigid I have become
my imagination is more like an old guitar
dusty and out of tune
sure it can still make noise
but you would hardly call it music


Well on to business ^^
first off I absolutely must thank my new friends Kayla and Fontanna
for being such wonderful pals and helping me get
some new photos to showcase my headbands
and of course to little Guin who charmed our socks off
and brought to life the most beautiful horse in the parade


I now have 27 newly posted YoYo headband listed in my shop
Next week I'll have some new products to share with you
and maybe even a giveaway
what do you think? Do you gals like giveaways? ^-


Here are a few of my favorites
Check out my shop to see them all
and I'm currently offering a killer deal
if you purchase 3 headbands I'll send you the 4th for FREE
if you do the math that makes each headband is just $10.50
which is a great steal - I mean deal!
These are truly a labor of love
I try not to think about how much time goes into
making each one ^^

Past My Bed Time

It seems perfectly fitting that I write this post
in the state I am...
so tired, I can hardly keep my eyes open
this weeks Doodley Doo
was "I could use a nap"


my finished piece didn't quite turn out
my melting ice cream looks more bashful than tired


you can see in my sketch he was suppose to look cranky
the concept of cranky, tired sweets came from my years
of babysitting kiddies who had had way to much
sweets in their little tummies
and couldn't fall to asleep
not to mention melt down of epic proportions


* Anyone know if it is possible to get PINK watercolor?
I might need to go to a "real" art supplies shop?
All I can find is rose colors and I want a true pink
for my cotton candy character
I vaguely remember from high school having a tube
of white watercolor and thinking that was strange
perhaps you can mix the white in to make pink?

My friend Kayla drew these cute little guys
the other night at my house
I actually made it up past 11pm with her watching movies!
I know that might sound pathetic but I love my sleep ^-^


So here is some pretty big news!
After 9 years of trying to grow out my hair
I finally went back to my beloved pixie cut!
I was really nervous and excited about getting it chopped off
I have just never felt comfortable with "long" hair
as soon as the stylist cut it up to my ears
I just started to grin from cheek to cheek
I felt like I was seeing myself again
my "true" self!!!
My husband has been REALLY against the idea
of me having short hair
but he is being a good sport about it
and I think in time he will grow to like it
his first words were
"if you didn't look so beautiful I would be really pissed off!"
haha I guess that means I don't look like a boy?!

Well I'm off to visit my sis and baby nephew for a few days
so i'll catch up with you all the end of this week!
HUGS~ Chelsea Ann

The Cruise


My Mr and I went out the other night
for our towns "cruise night"
we had a lot of fun
watching hundreds of classic car drive up and down the strip


I thought it would be fun to get into the spirit of the cruise
and wear a new dress my grandmother recently gave me
My grandmother is so funny
she is quite a bit shorter than I am
so I am sure this dress fit her a bit different
but she said and I quote
"I was brave enough"
well my husband wasn't about to let me out if the house
unless I added some length
- thank goodness I had this little girl slip I picked up at Old Navy
I just think its astonishing that in the 50's
anything above the Knee was considered scandalous,
to a mere decade latter the invention of the mini!
My grandmother gave me quite a few dresses the other day
I'm so glad she kept them all these years!
This dress was terribly stained
but it came through the dry cleaners perfectly
well almost - I could hardly believe it
but the dry cleaner took out all the pleats in the skirt
I was just baffled -
she apologized but said she just couldn't get them back in
So SAD! Oh-well!!!
It's not like me to get all fired up and cause a seen
so I just let it go
but honestly, wouldn't you think
a dry cleaner of all people could iron in pleats
or have the brains enough to pin them in before hand?


I just love how these pictures turned out!
I can't wait to show them to my grandmother
and I'm even more excited to share the rest
of the dresses she gave me with you!


I got a chance to sit in my first hot rod
oh don't ask me what it was?
but I think when hubby retires
I can see us going from town to town
showing off our hot rod!
Hubby already knows how to rebuild and paint cars
so it's a natural fit!


It's fun getting to know a new town
and new people


My new friend Kayla and I went out the other day
to check out the local shops
well... that didn't take very long haha
and so we spent the rest of the afternoon
looking for good places to take pictures
we found the alleys to be the most intriguing
my mother-in-law is going to just die
when she sees this picture
she LOVES all things Coca Cola


It amazes me the detail and workmanship that went into
advertising on the back sides of buildings
if only we put such care and craftsmanship into things today
the world would be a far more photogenic place that is for sure!

Doodley Doo & A Few Hunks Too

My husband was watching this alien investigation show the other day
while I was working on my Doodley Doo for the week.
The theme was "up in the air"
- and hence this weeks drawing came into form
I was mad crazy about the tv series Roswell in high school
as I recall it didn't air until 10pm my time
making it an all out battle some nights with my dad
to let me stay up and watch it
many nights I would sneak down to the basement
the sound barely on and my nose just inches away from the screen


I was a pretty naive as a young girl
so many of the episodes where pretty steamy in my mind
not exactly a show I wanted to watch with my family


I was crazy mad in love for the character Max Evans
played by actor Jason Behr
Not being one of those girls with posters of boys
plastered all over my walls
Jason was pretty much my first "omg he's a hunk" crush


Next came Steven Hyde from
something about his 'fro and bad boy persona


Then came the tv series Boston Legal
and I was just over the top in love with Allen Shore
played by James Spader
you might recall his bad boy act in the film Pretty in Pink?
The character of Allen reminds me a bit of my very own hunk
- my wonderful husband!! Yeah babe - I think you're hot ;)


My last crush was short lived in the tv series Greek
Max Taylor, played by Michael Rady
I think Casey made a BIG mistake dumping this sexy geek



Doodley Doo - Week 2


The second challenge for Doodley Doo
was Flamingo Summer
I believe this was the quickest sketch I've ever done
I'm starting to feel more comfortable drawing "people"
I've let myself relax a bit on proper anatomy
and fingers - oh how I hate fingers!


I'm not as pleased with the coloring
I think I would like to try this one again in water color
I've not done too much water colors
but I think I might like it and it would help create a softer look


Nikki of Liefgeal submitted this darling drawing
I thought it was rather amusing that we both incorporated
a girl into the theme
Nikki shares on her blog about coming from an artistic family
but struggling to find her own style
I'm really thrilled that she has joined the challenges
I know we will both grow a tun
I think drawing is no different than learning to play the guitar
sure there are natural talents
but most of us have to dedicate our selves to learning bit by bit


I really struggle with inspiration and confidence
when it comes to art
I think it is only now that I am even beginning to really embrace my own style
and feel comfortable with my work and ideas


I just finished this series of robots for a friend
it was a commission started over 2 and a half years ago!
The issue really wasn't about procrastination
but rather finding the right frames
believe it or not


But when I started the project I was really into drawing robots
you might say they were my muse
robots and elephants that is ^^


but as time passed so did my style and my muses
so when it came to finishing these up I really had to stretch
out of my comfort zone- so to speak
but in the end I'm really happy with them
and so is my friend! Which counts more than anything else!


The different robots represent
all the things that define who my friend is
and the things he loves


The Interior Designer robot is my favorite
many of you probably don't know this
but Interior Design is what I majored in


It's funny to think about really
because as soon as I graduated I kind of ran the other way
as fast as I could!


It just wasn't what I had expected
and I really struggled with who I was as an individual and an artist
in the very formal, commercial driven curriculum


My instructors didn't know what to think of me
and because they didn't take my work serious
I didn't take myself serious


I tried really hard however to be as true to myself as possible
I knew that I didn't want to follow the line drawn for me
and so my work was loose and conceptual
and for the most part - whenever I could
I would design for children
Many of my projects were inspired by robots
my senior project was a learning center
based on the adventures of a robot and his dog


I passed this class with a C
and I was so happy for it
I had survived!
For my portfolio show I showed none of my school work
instead I showed what I had at that time of drawings and such
going through the program made me realize that being an artist
is about following your heart
not the bottom line
you can't change yourself as an artist to please others
your work might be salable but it may not
~
I still have a lot of growing to do as an artist
but I'm no longer scared to try
~
So if you have been holding yourself back
I hope you will join me in practicing your skills
and maybe even learning who you are as an artist!