My new B.F.F.!

BIG FAT FROG!

A little Friday funny for you!

On my way to the barn sitting in the road was this BIG guy!

I'm tellin' ya- he was HUGE!!!

I considered bringing him home and saving him for Princess #1 someday,

cause I'm certain there is a REALLY special prince in there!

Happy Friday!

Many Blessings!

The lime light!

This is our "lime light"!

Oh! I LOVE the bright, juicy color!
This lamp is one of my favorites...it has a very important job too...
it helps add soft lighting to the upstairs hallway/landing ...
(which can be seen from the downstairs living room as well)
and like a piece of artwork often has a light focussed on it to bring your attention
to its beauty...our "lime light" is perched atop one of our most
treasured finds...shining on this special piece...announcing to all who
see , "hey! stop and look!"

On our first anniversary we purchased this antique table as our gift to celebrate
our first year of marriage...we wanted something very special that we could
enjoy for many years to come...


If you look closely you will see a plaque that reads:
Presented to Mr. Gomer Jones
by his friends at Oswestry
on the occasion of his marriage
30th May, 1904

Well, we sure thought that would be a special way to celebrate our "first" year!


Never underestimate the power of a little old lamp!

Beauty AND function! One of my all-time favorite combinations!

I think the "lime light" enjoys this find as well!- at least it sure looks happy there!

Have a lovely day!
Many Blessings!

Sweet...

"Sweet Sixteen"!
A sneak peek from the studio:
a custom painting that will go to print for A Joyful Note Boutique, it will become invitations, custom candy bar labels, and personalized notes!
What fun! A sweet sixteen party with a candy bar - ALMOST makes me excited for Princess #1 and #2 to turn sixteen- just to plan such a "sweet" celebration!

Hope your day is filled with many "sweet" treats!
Blessings!

Summer!

SUMMER!!!

Let the F-U-N begin!

One of our "summer favorites":

Peach Cobbler!

YUM!

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup milk

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup butter

2 cups fresh peaches, peeled & sliced (or MY way- 1 can peach pie filling!)

1/2 cup sugar (delete if using can pie filling- a.k.a. "my way")

Sift together flour, salt, cinnamon & baking powder. Mix in sugars. Stir in milk & beat. Melt butter in 9X9 baking dish. Pour peaches over this. DO NOT STIR! Pour batter over this, again, DO NOT STIR!

Bake 350 for 1 hour.

Enjoy!!!

I strongly recommend you double this- you'll thank me! Promise!!

Happy Summer!

Many Blessings!

Just pieces...

Throughout the year I save (and cherish!) the children's artwork...

I always have the intention to frame every piece in a fabulous chunky (expensive!) frame...

REALITY: I have three children! The cost would be astronomical!

and even if I could frame each piece I would never have enough wall space

to hang them all!

Cost effective solution:

Collage frame!

I chose some of the artwork that wasn't going to be framed- yes, I still frame some of the art each year- I just can't help it!

and I cut pieces from all three children's collection for the year...

piecing them together to form little collages...

this way I can still have their artwork -or should I say "pieces" of their artwork-

framed to enjoy!

The finished project!

Oh, I also added a little black glaze to the frame- just to take a little "gold" out.

Happy Friday!

Many Blessings!

Inspiration...

As an artist I draw inspiration from everything in my life...

"It is when I take time to 'catch my breath' , that my breath is taken away!"

Horses grazing in a sunny field with a cool breeze blowing...

The colors of the ropes lined up on a fence...a bit patriotic in feeling...

The pure magic of a child and the love for her horse...it's contagious...

the joy felt is beauty in its raw form..




The color of the barn- red with a turquoise gate-

one of my FAVORITE color combinations!


Blankets stacked waiting to be chosen...

textures, colors,designs...some old...some new...


Here is where I swoon a bit! My breath is gone!

Saddles...

Worn aged leather...




Oh, the shades of brown...the grain of the leather...the DETAILS!!!!


Dundee...our horse...strong & powerful, yet gentle & graceful...

Just look at the sunshine beaming on the pasture flowers!

Their brilliant yellow blossoms mixed with the spring green...

May you find inspiration in the everyday and

"catch your breath so that you may be left breathless!"

Many Blessings!

The little things...

One of my all-time FAVORITE sayings:

" Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and realize

they were really the BIG things!"

-a fresh picked rose from a child this morning...

- a child's artwork...

- little love notes left by a child...

- handmade gifts from a child's heart...

- family...my absolute most treasured "little thing"!

Hope your days are filled with lots of "little things"!

Enjoy!

Many Blessings!

Field Trip! (for moms)

Peeling paint, rust and dents!

Oh my!

These are a FEW of my favorite things!

Let's stroll through my local antique mall- so conveniently located across from Princess #2's dance studio...(Yeah! Monday afternoons!)

The above rooster and this photo are from one of my favorite booths...I love that most of the pieces are painted bright and happy colors...the booth is usually brimming with lots of fun treasures...a few MAY have found their way to a "new home"...

This booth always has great prices and I like to look for items to use as gifts here...one of the things that I don't "love" about this booth, it does have alot of new items mixed in...but, it's always still worth a look... and again I love the painted pieces...

This booth!!!! Architectural salvage heaven!!! the doors, shutters, and even the chain link gate- Oh! with some paint , hung on a wall- be still my heart!!!

I like to stop by this booth for a little "calm"...this vendor always does a nice job and has a consistent shabby chic look...

you can find unexpected items from this booth...the look changes almost weekly...I stroll by just to see what the vendor has changed...

I also like when you find a booth that has alot of the same things...then you can choose from a nice selection...or -if you are like me...you can just want them ALL because they all look so good together...I mean I would hate to break up this lovely display!!

Oh! That was so much fun! I hope you enjoyed our little field trip...

*side note* regarding yesterday's post...I am fine...I will say throughout the day I would "think" my eyes were burning or was everything blurry??

Many Blessings!

A Beauty Secret???

Yep! It's a Monday!

Ladies, I may have discovered the World's Greatest Beauty Secret-

or I may be in the hospital later today...

let me explain:

This is a bit of a busy week. (HUGE understatement!) While rushing around getting ready this morning- I grabbed my "eye cream"- applied a nice generous amount- again, HUGE understatement- when I went to put away my "eye cream"- funny thing- it was already put away- strange, what's in my hand?

INTENSIVE CONCENTRATE FOR EXISTING STRETCH MARKS!!!

Are you kidding me?? (panic setting in)

reading back of tube- Oh my goodness!!!- no time to "flush the eye area", "test on forearm", and here we go..."do not apply directly underneath the eye or on top of the eyelid!" (EXTREME panic setting in) Oops!!! Aren't wrinkles kinda like stretchmarks??- I mean they ARE from the skin being stretched...- Oh, let's hope so!!!

on a side note...I've never had stretch marks!- Why in the world did I even have a tube of "stretch mark concentrate"???

Happy Monday Ya'll!!! Nothing like starting the week off with a good laugh!

It's gonna be a fun week- if I survive!

Many Blessings!

A sweet treat...

You're gonna LOOOVE these!

Princess #2 created these little yummies...

and I'm tellin' ya...hot out-of-the-oven...they are heavenly!!!

AND

there are only 3 ingredients!

Just take crescent rolls...I suggest several packages...yep, you'll thank me...

well, maybe not-it IS almost swimsuit season...

anyway...

1. roll out the "roll"

2. place dark chocolate chips in the center

3. roll-up and shape

4. bake according to package directions

5. sprinkle with powdered sugar

Enjoy!!!!

Have a "sweet" weekend!

Many Blessings!

Flowers for mom...

Well, "paper" flowers for my mom...

Each year for Mother's day, I paint a new flower for my mom...

Did you know, all my paintings begin with a thought or a reason behind them?...

I hope she likes her "bouquet" this year!

(oh, and she is also getting a FABULOUS necklace from my sweet friend Cydney at Savvygirl- have ya'll seen her amazing jewelry...pop in and have a look around- and she is having a fun give-away too! she is over there on my sidebar- just click on her box- tell her Jill sent ya!)

Happy almost Friday!

Many Blessings!

A helping hand...

In the studio this week I have had the joy of helping create

a "surprise" Mother's Day gift for a friend...

I textured, painted, & glazed a stretched canvas...

then snuck in the precious subjects,

placed their hands on the canvas forming a heart shape,

(I just LOVE anything with a child's handprint!!! )

after a final glaze and sealing,

it's ready to surprise their sweet mom!

after all:

"A child is really a mother's heart walking around outside herself."

So True!!! isn't it?

Many Blessings!

Pillow Talk

Pillows, pillows everywhere!

I great BIG puffy *glittery* heart pillows!!!

Pillows are such an easy way to change or add to your decor...

I love the sense of "cozy home" they give...

Why you can have your pillows literally say something...

You can pile on so many that a "time-out" is no longer an option (due to the time-out it would take to move all the pillows and then put them back)

They make a bed look so inviting....

You can train the youngest members of the family with your pillow ways...

yep, even the boys!

See? Pillows are just full of charm and style!

a great way to add a little "home" to any house!

Gotta run....those pillows are talking...saying, "take a little rest!"

Blessings!

Mud pies and fairy cakes...

I always dreamed of being a mom...

from an early age I just knew I wanted to spend my days making mud pies & fairy cakes...

I love each and every single moment! (minus the "throw-up" part)

I treasure every giggle, tear, cuddle & discovery...

like the first fresh picked strawberry...

grown and "discovered" in our garden by Princess #2...

"look mom-ma! my first stwaa-berry!"

Indeed it is!

Happy Mother's Day week!

Hope it's filled with the pure joy of mud pies & fairy cakes!

Blessings!