Natalie's Xmas Wish List - Now Available

Hi all - I am getting the "what's Natalie into these days?" questions, so here is her Amazon 2007 Christmas Wish List. Hopefully you can see what she is into through this list, if course these are not in order of what she wants more, it is just a few things that she has been circling in the Sunday ads. She circles things and says, List...List....List. And when we are in the stores, I just tell her that we will put it on her list this year, so that gets us out of buying toys this time of year too!

Enjoy!

The Tree is UP

Well, we, or should I say I, put up the tree Friday afternoon. Isn't she pretty! Just a few mishaps since then, the cats seem to think that the skirt underneath is there is to be messed up and hide under, um, no, it is decoration cats! They also pulled down one of the drapey ribbons and I thought for sure I didn't make them too long, but who knows, these cats at night are a bit crazy!

Also, Natalie seems to think that the ornaments are there for her to take down and play with, um, no, she is too silly!

Oh and I finished another painting, it is a fairy angel and it says "WISH"

Pink Elephants on Parade

Painted as Natalie discovered Dumbo. Have you seen that movie as an adult? Kinda strange and there is this part where strange looking elephants with a black background sing 'pink elephants on parade,' very LSD-ish. This movie just deals with a lot of more mature issues that how I remember it, but that is a good thing.
I call this: Believe in the Unbelievable

I am thankful for...

Family, Friends, Health and Freedom

Another Painting & Natalie and Talula

Good vacation so far, kinda board, but got to paint!
This I call: Ask And You Shall Receive.
UPDATED: I had to give her some eyelashes and a big smile!


Also, Natalie and Talula have been relaxing together!

Way cute!

Painted Today...

Well, today we played hooky from dance class and went to Michael's to get more paint. Specifically some glitter paint...and I wanted to get some flat canvases too. I will be showcasing my work @ Wendy Butlers' House Boutique Dec 15th. I thought I would have some scarves, but they take a LONG time. So maybe some scarves, maybe some artwork. We will see, no stress, all fun and games!
I call this 11x14 canvas panel piece: Seek and You Shall Find


I have been truly inspired by SuziBlu and really enjoy learning and experimenting with paint and mixing and moving it around till it looks good. Oh and can you see the glitter? It is on her crown and wings.
Have a good weekend everyone, I hope to paint again tomorrow.

Tough Day Today!

You know, it is really rough when your manager tells you that working a 40 hour work week is not enough. I asked to add a headcount to the team because they are working more than 40 hours a week and I was told that since I work 40 hours a week, that we cannot justify another headcount unless I was at 50 or more hours a week and totally burnt out.
This was somewhat disturbing to me. I honestly believe that I complete way more than most people in 1 hour and that I have been working really hard to get this team up and running and darn-it there has been tremendous change since I started.

Is being burnt out something for which one should strive?

horoscope today = If you are feeling like you want some time on your own, this is a good time to take it. Whether you want to take a vacation day, work from home, or schedule yourself a getaway solo weekend, do what it takes to get some alone time. As far as your friends and family go, just keep them informed as to what you need and where you want to go. They'll understand. Your inner extrovert is being overpowered by your inner introvert, and it will create some long-overdue parity.

I shoulda taken off to some far away place today, that woulda made me feel better, or even spent $ I don't have, that is always fun fun fun!

UPDATED: Instead, I made this today. Get it?

Went to Walmart Again & New Art Jourrnal Pages

You know, I took about 8 photos of her wearing these, but this one just summed it all up, it is perfect. Silly face, she loves to make that face!

Recent Art Journal pages - the bottom left is a collaboration with Natalie, she drew a monkey and a gorilla - and her as a scarecrow...ok....that works!

AC=Inspiration

Angel Card of the day was INSPIRATION!

Great horoscope too!
Your priorities should be easy to establish today -- there is a lot of clarity to your thinking, and no shortage of motivation. You are ready to roll up your sleeves and get things going, because there are vivid concepts about birth, growth and nurturing fulminating within you. You know that something new and wonderful can get started today, and you have no interest in wasting any more time thinking about it. You're ready to move, so that should be the thing you focus most on today.

Soooo Exciiiitteeeddd!

Ok, one of my very bestest friends in the whole wide world called me and said, "I am preggers!!!!!" Yes it is true, Jennifer Mackey (Stubbs) is officially 12 weeks pregnant! How cool is that! I am so excited for her and Pete and think that these two are going to be the bestest parents in the whole wide world.

Ok, it is late and I am on antibiotics for a sinus infection, I really should get some shuteye-but can you believe it! Yenny is Pregant!!! WhoohoO!!!

Pumpkin Carving Night!

Check these out! We had Pumpkin Carving Night. We decided to paint on them a little this year and boy am I glad, the cat turned out great and you can actually see him on there....Natalie painted her's too, like a clown. They look great on the porch flickering away! Can't get a good photo in the dark tho, but take my word for it, they are very happy next to the scary rat on the porch!


Natalie took these photos below, she has got some mad camera skills. Well she is OUR daughter!


While outside I took this one, see the orb?
Hope he/she is a nice one...boohoohoooohhaaahaaaa!!!!!

Halloween Carnival with ALAN!!! and New Family Portrait

Natalie and Alan attended the Halloween Carnival today. It was busy day we had dance with a lil party thrown in, then the Halloween Carnival in Dublin. They have such a good time together Jo Ann and I could hardly talk because these two kids were actin' crazy! They LOVE eachother so much it is cool! They are pure silliness!


Oh and here are some new family portraits...now that I gave mom&dad their copy, I can post them. Here are the other ones too. I just couldn't wait till xmas.

More Art Journal Pics

New Cover - I have some great foam stamps that I have NEVER used. Now, they are coming on handy! I just paint the paint on them, then stamp and they come out GREAT!




Just some pages I did a while ago - found Samantha today, so I will be making more this weekend, of course!
Here are Natalie's pages, we did glitter on her first page, she loved that!

Lil Tidbit.... LOL

Ok, last night, we were watching Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on the TV talking about the fires and what is going on and Natalie says, "He sounds like a robot."

LOL We were cracking up!!! I love these lil things that she comes up with. Well, of course he does, he's the Terminator! LOLLLLLLL

Look what I made today!

Yes, I started this last night and finished it today. Just now. Whew! Took a long time, but I think this is my fav thing I have ever made. It will keep me warm in the winter and I just love these ruffles. Been wanting to try ruffles and finally did, now I am hooked, prob everything I make from here on out will have ruffles. :)
I got the crochet pattern from here, see, she is wearing it on the cover! Fun stuff, great day, got nothing done around here, but who the heck cares.
Vivent le jour. *live the day*
Oh and it is for ME not Natalie, she is just a cuter model than me.

~Angel Cards~

These are my angel cards. Daily inspiration if you will. Every morning I ask a question in my head and pull a card.
Today, it was Balance.
My angel cards have been with me since college and are never far away. In college (1996) I made this bowl with wet clay, fired it, and painted it. It seemed the perfect place for my angel cards and to this day, they sit perfectly in the palm-sized bowl. I also aquired a moon stone at some point and put it in there too since I am a cancer and my ruler is the Moon.
Happy places = happy days.
Also, when I was putting the cards back into the bowl, one flew out. I love it when they do that, almost like it HAS to show me the word. Freedom. This is what I have been trying to acheive for a long time. Life freedom, financial freedom, artistic freedom, body-issue freedom, emotional freedom, and creative freedom.

OMG - Wii Princess Game

Have you see this yet? Just in time for the holidays, of course, but WOW what a great game. The girls are going to love this one. Definitely on the list for xmas. :)

Awesome Horoscope Today

The good news is that your career is about to take a very exciting turn -- the bad news is that it might also take up a lot more of your personal time, at least for a while. Your past problems at work are all water under the bridge, and you have learned some very valuable lessons. Things are much more under your control than ever before. You have proven yourself capable of the responsibilities you have been given, and everyone is ready to see what you have to offer!

My Art Journal (mon journal d'art)

I started an art journal. There is this totally cool chick named SuziBlu and she totally inspired me to create and put all of my excuses aside and just do it (for the lack of a better term).

It is the coolest thing ever. I have been feeling very stifled by the scrapbook industry these days and wasn't creating at all. I felt like I had to have the coolest product and the hottest embellishments and I said f-that.

Mon journal d'art lets me be free to create without any competition or hoping that I would be published one day. F-that! This has been great, I can look around and get inspired by just opening my eyes wider.

I purchased a moleskein book, some oil pastels, acrylic paints and some brushes and went to town. I always thought that drawing was something that you could or couldn't do, but now I am convinced that there is no one way of 'drawing' that everyong interprets it in a different way.


This was my first page.

This is from suziblu's lesson. She also has two mixed-media items on ebay.

This was...just because I always see blonde angels...what up with dat?