Vacation, all I ever wanted

The Go-gos Vacation
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Hi readers. Just popping in to say "howdy". I've taken myself on a little vacation, and will be posting on a less than regular basis until next week. I still might pop in, but I just wanted to let you know I'm taking a little blog-break. Until next time, I leave you with this incredibly corny video from my teen years. This song plays in my head pretty much every time I go on any sort of vacation. Thank you, 80s.

Favorite Things Friday!

It's Friday again (how did that happen so fast?) Here are a few things that I enjoyed this week:
1. Butterfly chairs - I want to put some of these on my deck this spring. 2. Dipping into my kiddo's whole milk - I couldn't get enough of it this week for some reason. This could become a seriously bad habit. 3. Black licorice - the most recent addition to my stash came from Iceland! 4. This Gnome figure from the Tic Toc Apocalypse to series by artist Amanda Visell. Holy moley he is cute - I found him while researching gnomes this week. 5. My new foot soaking bucket I got at the H Mart. I love this thing, and anticipate using it to cool my swollen tootsies this summer. 6. Daffodils, which are everywhere these days, but I think they are so cheerful.

Say Yes!

Hey, guess what? This is my 36th post this year! This means I have blogged more in the past three months than I have any any other year total, and it feels pretty good. I actually miss it when I am not posting.

Here's another exciting thing, a few days ago I was emailed out of the blue and asked to be part of an art sale and show in my town. What is crazy is I have been saying, for about a year now "Oh, I want to have a show in a cafe this year..blah, blah, blah." I've really done nothing more about it than talk and say that it is something I want to do - and then I get this totally random email, from a woman who owns a cafe, asking me to be part of a show and sale. The universe works in mysterious ways, my friends.

Of course I hemmed and hawed for a few hours trying to decide if I should say OK, I'll do it. But I really think when you get handed these opportunities you just have to say YES!

What are you saying YES to these days?

March Giveaway: Eat 5 a Day!

Oh my goodness! It is already March 16, and I forgot to announce this month's giveaway item - the Eat 5 a Day print!

I'll draw a winner at the end of this week - March 19th - just to give you a bit more time to sign up for my mailing list (you can do so here).

For those of you on the list - a little "e-pology" for my lack of newsletter-ing in the past two months. I have been blogging here so much that I am feeling a little unsure what to report in my newsletter. I'm working on it though, and pretty soon you will see a pretty newsletter in your inbox.

Thrifty & Nifty

Last week was a long one. A lot of our 'regularly scheduled programming' was canceled due to illnesses and the like. Luckily my kiddo was up for tagging along with me on a bunch of errands to break up the days.

One of my favorite things to do - ever - is to go junk shopping or antiquing. I don't even need to buy anything. I just love looking at old stuff, the colors, the shapes, the design, the weirdness; it totally inspires me. So I decided to combine two of my loves - time with my kiddo + junk shopping. It was a huge success.

I came home with two fun items, this "Big Top" soda bottle will make a nice vase for spring flowers. I couldn't pass up this postcard book celebrating the Ohio Turnpike - I love the layout of the postcards, the horrible photography, and the little tiny photos of the postcard images "for your memory book". Because who wouldn't want to remember the glorious "FUEL & FOOD" signs of the "World's Most Modern Superhighway" ?

Favorite Things Friday

I love that my pal Librarian Girl sometimes does a week-end review of the items she consumed and enjoyed in her week. I thought I'd do a collage type one of the things that made my week a little brighter.

1. Researching vintage fruit crate labels for an upcoming project. 2. My PITT drawing pens 3. Coffee (with lots of cream and sugar). 4. A Bauer Alladin Teapot I scored for a ridiculously cheep price at a local consignment shop. 5. The packaging of Late July crackers and setting the box in front of my kiddo as she eats them - hoping she'll adsorb the design goodness. 6. This pink Eraser Ring 7. The promise of wearing new sandals even though it snowed this week.

Oh yeah, and also this. My kid is OBSESSED with this 70s rendition of Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head. I love the cheesy dancing and set in this video. Happy Friday!

Art, I want you!

This video appeared on one of my new favorite blogs, unicorn poo and I thought it was so sweet, I wanted to share it here.

It is a rainy gloomy, drippy Thursday in my part of the world - the kind of day that feels like it is perpetually 4 PM! I feel like I should be in England with a cup of tea and a warm scone or something like that. So weird, because yesterday was sunny and lovely. Come back, sun!

Wall Wednesday #7: Clouds, Blue

"Poppy Afternoon" 5" x 7" - $14 print on plastic paper, by Helene Lacelle of neon matisse

"Harvest III" 8" x 8" - $30 photo on fine art paper, by Jo Bradford of green island studios



"Head in the Clouds" 8" x 10" - $25 original watercolor painting by Jennifer Comstock of printmakerjenn



"August Sky" 9.25" x 7.75" - $45 original landscape collage on paper by Harry Stooshinoff of paintbox landscapes

I had so much fun with the last Wall Wednesday Etsy mash-up, I thought I'd do it again. Last week I had fallen face first into Flu-ville - and really missed doing a wall Wednesday post.

This week's group was found by doing a search of the keywords "Clouds, Blue" in the Art category on Etsy.

Again, if you need help doing your own search on Etsy: here is a helpful article.

Have you bought any art via Etsy recently? If so, let me know what you bought! I'd love to hear about your experience, and "see" what you bought.

New Print: Bee Yourself

Being yourself (or BEE-ing yourself) means doing stuff like wearing hot pink and white stripes when the rest of the hive is wearing the same old yellow and black. And here's another Friendly Little Reminder print to help you (or someone you love) remember to just be themselves!

I've been thinking about being myself while working on these prints. As I've said before, I'm just having a lot of fun making them, and ideas and imagery are flowing out of me like crazy. I think there is an important message in this new found ease. I interpret it like this: when we let ourselves be ourselves - without apologies, without the worry about what others think, the struggle disappears and our work feels effortless, joyous and crazy-fun. I'm also finding that in being more myself in my work, I am happier in the parts of my life outside of being an artist. Double bonus! Just proof that being yourself will send you buzzzzzing to new heights!

The fine print: $20 will get you this sweet 8 x 10 inch giclee (pronounced gee-clay) print. It is professionally printed in the US of A, on Legion Entrada Rag Bright 290 (a fine art, 100% cotton paper) and with Vivera Archival Inks, giving it an archival rating of 150 years. Please note that the copyright mark will not be on the print.

Back in The Swing

'Higher Higher' image by The Boy Fitz Hammond via Threadless.com

Hi all, happy Monday afternoon. I'm slowly getting 'back in the swing' after a week of the flu. I'm always shocked at how long it takes me to get back to my regularly scheduled programming after being away from my blog and work for a week or more.

Today I got to go to my studio early - but I just kind of sat there staring at the blank white walls, not really knowing where to begin - there was almost too much to do. So I made a list and discovered that March and April are indeed shaping up to be two very busy months. But somehow, the list-making made me feel better. And so did a boost from the huge latte I was sipping while making said list.

What are your favorite ways to get back on track after an illness?

Germs

So, you know how I was saying last week that I wanted to fall down face first in the snow? Well, turns out I was coming down with the flu. This makes two times this year that I have had the flu (and I'll remind you that this is only MARCH of 2010). Maybe if I followed the simple instructions from the filmstrip above I wouldn't have gotten sick int he first place.

Anyhow, back to more regular posting soon, just wanted to pop in and say hello. I'll be back as soon as I finish eating more Jell-O.

In the meantime..Run! Run for your lives! Germs are trying to kill you!!