Broken Promises

So this month just didnt work out as getting a list done a day, oh well I gave it a good effort at times! So to wrap it up I am just going to do a Link Love Friday. With all of our lives in boxes I havent painted much and for awhile there wasnt even thinking about painting canvases it was more about painting walls and home decor. I think the thrill of that has passed (we still have about a month before we are moving in to our house) so now that most of my art stuff is in storage I am missing painting so much and am squirreling away information for when I can get all my art stuff out and make some messes! Here are some things that I am inspired by! Enjoy!

Im a HUGE fan of this artist. I love that she shared a glimpse into her changing styles as her art evolved. Really left me inspired and not so alone that sometimes my style is pulling me into a COMPLETELY different direction.

Hello beautiful statment wall! I am thinking of doing this in one space in my "art" area. First though I am going to try it as a background for a painting. Practice makes perfect right?!?!?

Not only does the above designer paint her home in bold amazing ways (take a look at her DIY tab, SO much fun stuff) she also has a pretty genius business that is a DIY dream! Dont know how I didnt find her stuff sooner!

I have been inspired lately by more structured backgrounds/artwork. This post wanted me to brush up on drawing straight lines, and get away from the throw the paint down and see what emerges process I have lately.

And finally I just found this artist late last night in an interview she had done on a PBS show I saw late last night (thanks insomnia I have had lately!) Isnt she amazing?!?! Makes me want to get out my paper and start tearing it up and making something RIGHT NOW.....

Now I have to fight the urge to bust into my art supply boxes! Have a great weekend friends!!!

Favorite days of the year

1) thanksgiving - hands down my favorite holiday

2) my birthday - a day all about me and only me? Yes please!

3) the rest of the families birthdays- its fun to celebrate each person in the family on their own special day

4) mothers day- I normally can guilt hubby into taking me to my favorite antique store

5) Sundays- favorite day of the week (except late Sunday evenings those I always wish go slow but normally fly by into Monday morning)

Pet Peeves

1) My kids not eating what I made for dinner because its "yucky" (even though last week they ate it and LOVED it!)

2) Mean people. Nuff said

3) The "stink eye" face Leila makes when she is grumpy at someone. Drives me batty!

4) the crumbs that magically appear on my carpet RIGHT AFTER I VACUUMED! (all caps folks hate it!)

5) my kids enjoy emptying every tissue box and baby wipe container they can find. I have literally walked into a room where you can no longer see the floor since it is covered in tissues *sigh*

What about you? What drives you batty?

Things I overheard today

Ok so this is a tough one since I don't go out often so it's normally just me and the kiddos so this is more things the kids said, in the words of Tim Gunn: make it work!

1) moo. Quack. Ssssss. Kenson is big on animal sounds still working on full words but we will get there!

2) yea I'm naughty sometimes. It's because I'm a kid - Leila

3) 7 out 10 days have been record highs- weather man on tv Seriously it feels like the middle of summer here in Wisconsin.

4) life gives to the givers and takes from the takers- Marie Forleo mentioned it in her q&a today.

5) full belly laughs as Valen discovers were his belly button as daddy tickles him.

Toys and Tools to try

(this picture has nothing to do with the list, just love how Leila likes to dress herself!)

This list is gonna be fun since we are shortly going to be homeowners (eek... sorry I know I have talked about packing a lot lately!) there are new toys Ken and I are super excited to play with!

1) Circular saw: we are wanting to build our own furniture and thanks to this website, I really think we can!
2) Push Reel Lawn mower: our yard is decent but not too big that using a man powered lawn mower would be too big of a chore.
3) Polaroid camera: I have a few that I have collected and briefly played around with them I am excited to bust them out again since I recently found a stack of film I had stashed while packing!
4) Wax: I have been wanting for a VERY long time to add wax to my paintings and this is the year!
5) Serger: I have had one for two years that I have never touched (I know I know I have this huge fear of sewing my fingers together, dont know why since I have no fear of doing this with my sewing machine) no more fear, plus I have lots of home sewing to do, hello curtains!

I couldnt trim my list so here is one extra

6) Spray paint! Odd I know but since we live on a second floor apartment to lug things down to paint them and make sure I have drop clothes etc to paint furniture it has been a bit of a pain. Plus as a bonus I can use it in my artwork more easily thanks to an outdoor studio in my future!

10 years ago....

(a view from my childhood home)

1) I was in my first year of college
2) dating the man I would marry
3) had no passion for sewing or painting
4) was ready to take on the world
5) used yahoo messenger to chat with friends (havent used it years!!)

What about you?

Super powers Id like to have...

1) a way with words
2) the ability to put anyone at calm at any moment
3) nerves of steel
4) flying would be pretty cool
5) blink and poof a clean house!

What about you.... superpowers?

Right now I am.....

1) Listening to my new favorite old record of Gershwin music

2) taking a picture of my new favorite piece of art (see above) that I scored at the thrift store!

3) being the dinner police to get Kenson to eat his dinner (he is becoming more and more headstrong!- see below)

4) comforting Valen who got his first bloody nose today (thanks to gravity and a door frame oh and shaky way too fast moving baby legs)and is overly crabby thanks to a nap that got cut short. (hello early bedtime?!?!)

5) watching Leila make the most hilarious/odd movies that girl really cracks herself up!


On a complete side note.... Kenson is going through a transition I think his sleep habits are all over the board for days he wasn't going to bed until well past 11 and waking up at 8 and not taking naps (eek!) and now the last two days he hasn't taken his normal afternoon nap. Needless to say this momma is tired both physically and mentally. Who knew that a three year old could wear me out so much! (I had blocked my memory about how tough 3 was with Leila until Kenson started becoming very independent right before his third birthday. If he is anything like his sister this is going to be a long next year and a half!)

Today was awesome because

1) the weather! Open every...single...window kind of beautiful weather!!

2) getting one step closer to being debt free

3) happy good news on the house front

4) a half hour phone call with my dad. This is huge because we are both not big phone talkers.

5) tons of housework done but unlike most days it didn't feel like a chore. Bonus!!

Honestly a super awesome day :D

My Happy Place

Hey guys first off sorry for falling off the face of the earth first we got over a nasty cold and then well it got nice out and life just went on without me be attached to the computer! So lets pick up back where we left off shall we?

1) that above photo, its my make-shift art table that has allowed me to paint in the wee hours of the night while baby boy Valen is sound asleep
2) flea market, thirft stores, garage sales, estate sales, antique stores. Man I LOVE junking!!!
3) my childhood home, there is something about going up there for a weekend and doing absolutely nothing but hanging out with my parents, helping with yard work and watching WAY too many movies!
4) anywhere with my kiddos and hubby, but there is a stipulation, it is way happier if everyone is in a good mood.
5) a beautiful spring day laying out on a blanket looking up at the clouds and trying to find images in them.

What about you? I would love to hear about your happy place(s)!

I need to say no to...

1) coffee....oh but I love it so
2) my not so nice inner critic
3) buying anything until after we move
4) anything that makes the deep of my tummy feel bad
5) time suckers

(no reason for the photo besides its pretty rare those two are in the same room not driving each other batty!)

Things to collect

1) memories
2) vintage cameras
3) pretty dishes
4) big eyed paintings
5) pretty illustrated books

Words to live by

1) your best is good enough
2) do onto others as you would have others do onto you
3) this too shall pass
4) karma's only a b*tch if you are
5) “If you work really hard, and you're kind, amazing things will happen.” ― Conan O'Brien (one of my favorite quotes from Conan on his last night on the tonight show)

Things I'll put off until tomorrow

So since we are super sick this weekend (every last one of us ugh!) this is an easy one!

1) vacuuming
2) picking up the toys that are strewn EVERYWHERE (seriously its like a mini toy bomb went off in our living room!)
3) getting out of my pjs (kinda have to, we have a no pj rule at work *smile*)
4) packing
5) ending the poor me I'm sick pitty party. In my defense I really havent gotten to have a big pitty party as most moms can tell you even if you are sick as can be it doesnt really matter even if one other person has the sniffles and in my case the kids are battling the same painful cold/flu as I am!

Recipe for a perfect weekend

1) everyone is in good health
(can't say that will be this weekend we all are at some level of a cold, and Ken has bronchitis!)
2) warm spring like weather
3) good old movie on tv
4) good food
5) a few hours to wonder around an antique or thrift store with coffee in hand

I know for a fact that at least 3 of these 5 things won't happen so we will just have to make the most of it!!

Day two of lists

This Month's Goals:

1) Get everything done that is required to get our home loan (hello 1st time home buyers classes!)
2) Get everything that we dont use on a regular basis packed
3) Get some new paintings up on the studio site
4) Research about creating my art dreams into a LLC
5) Dance parties in the living room minimum once a night!

Happy March 1st!

So this March I have taken a challenge. The 30 Days of Lists challenge. I havent really looked at the prompts so each day I will just go with the flow and write 5 (or more) things to each of these prompts. Hope you will join me!

Challenges to Accept
1) Less TV time (since I have stopped facebook for a few weeks TV has taken up that spare time, need that to stop!)
2) Get myself out there more by teaching my art style
3) Vlogs or tutorial videos
4) Read a book (I used to be SUCH a book worm, sad to say I havent cracked open a book probably in a year besides Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. Maybe the time I am spending off of facebook and watching less tv should be spent getting lost in a good book)
5) More home cooked "multi" stepped meals. Right now the most complicated thing I seem to make is Mac & Cheese. Needless to say I have been blessed with a husband who is an amazing cook and I have been taking full advantage of it to the point that my kids now point it out (eek!)

I hope that is what that prompted meant, now I am second guessing myself!