My Little Artist

I have reached my limit, and I am worn out. As a little pick me up, MC drew me a picture. She even added a little portrait of Flake in the middle of the tree. She used some of the neatest crayons to draw it; they are some kind of all in one Colorific crayon. They are like crayons, oil pastels, and watercolors all in one. I had to make her hold Flake for the pic; she is still worried about ruining his magic!

Flake

If you don't have Elf on the Shelf yet, you need to rush out and buy one. I don't know why I waited so long, but I have just been putting it off. MC was so nervous about Tuesday's doctor's appointment that I promised to get her one, then I couldn't find one. Thank goodness Jason found one yesterday while out delivering plates. Our Elf's name is Flake. He is a bad elf! Last night, he ate a rice krispy treat, leaving his wrapper on the mantel. Then, he took a bunch of ornaments off my tree and climbed it. I woke up to MC crying, because Molly touched him. Didn't she understand that could cause him to lose his magic??!! She told me this afternoon that if he was still on the tree in the morning, then Molly had killed him:( Well, he is not dead; I see him hiding behind the curtains with a couple of early Christmas gifts.

If you have noticed, I have been a little MIA lately. I am busy painting plates and finishing up orders. I stayed up until 4:30 this morning; I am trying really hard to stay on track and not ruin anyone's Christmas.

Help?!

I need a 2 or 3 Shrimp and Grits blue smocked pumpkin dress. I have one for Mattie Claire, but I need the matching one for Molly. Thought someone might have an outgrown one in their closet they might like to sell! I cannot find a good pic of it. It has pea pods between each pumpkin and is a TINY gingham like print.

House Bed

The last Christmas before Molly, we kind of went overboard. It was Mattie Claire's last Christmas as an only child, and we bought her lots! Jason and his dad built her this house bed to match one in Pottery Barn. I had big plans for a flower box and to paint it really cute. However, there just never seems to be time to paint for myself. She slept in it probably twice, now it takes up lots of space! I will never trust Molly to sleep that high up. I am sure she would end up playing Super Molly and trying to fly down! I have put it on facebook; cross your fingers that I sell it.

Yesterday, we went shopping--girls day. We shopped with friends and went to a Matilda Jane party. Both girls had a blast, and poor Molly crashed as soon as we got home!

Monday's with M & M

I am going to start sharing all the stuff that my children share throughout the week. Here is my first Monday with Molly--2 years old.

Cough, cough--"Mama, me allergic to this food." The mac and cheese was cleaned off her plate (guess she's not allergic to that); she must be allergic to the mashed potatoes, gravy, and meat.

Sneak Peak for Blogger Friends

Like I don't have enough plates to do, I decided to do an extra one. I painted this Cookies for Santa plate on a large charger plate. I will be posting on facebook this weekend and offering as a giveaway. Thought I would post here first, so you loyal followers would have first dibs. Sorry--no idea why it is sideways!!

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

A few weeks ago, I got upset with MC when she made a C on a spelling test. She spelled the two words correctly, but she wrote two letters backwards. I called it a careless error and really fussed at her. Later that night, I was talking to MC's teacher's mother, and we were laughing about 1st grade.... She gave me some advice that I filed away for another day:) She said that she wished she could tell us young mothers to not sweat these little things. When our kids were all grown up, we would see that these little things didn't matter or amount to much.
Our community was hit with a tragedy last week, and her words came back to me. I hope that I can carry these lessons with me for a long time. I know that my girls will try me, but I hope I remember to ask myself if it is really that bad??!! When she is all grown up, will it really matter that she made a C on a test in the first grade? I think not! Will it matter that she poured half a can of parmesan cheese on her spaghetti (of which 1/3 went on the couch)--I think not! I can only pray that I remember to laugh at these things and remember--DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!

This Weekend

I broke my camera, so I don't have any pictures to share right now. We have been super, duper busy. I don't look for it to slow down until after Christmas. Friday, I made the one hour drive to pick up some plates from the ceramic shop. Saturday, I drove back down there to pick up some supplies I needed from Michaels to finish up these Halloween orders. Last night, Jason and the girls carved the pumpkin. He did a great job, and I am headed to the kitchen to roast those seeds. We spent the afternoon at the nursing home. Jason's grandmother celebrated her 80th birthday yesterday, and there was a big turnout for her party today. It was great getting to see everyone!

On a side note--If you are planning to get your little one a Fisher Price ixl, I would go ahead and pick that up. I went to Target--none, WalMart--none, KMart--none, and finally found one at the WalMart in our tiny town. WalMart.com is also sold out of the pink ones. I was starting to panic and think I had missed out on another Christmas must!! I was having flash backs of the zsu zsu pets!

Trashy TV

Does cleaning out your DVR count as cleaning?? No one was feeling well, so we are all home today. I have shared before that I like some trashy, reality tv. While the girls were napping, I watched the last episode of Teen Mom. There are a couple of girls on there that need a reality check/old fashioned spanking!! However, I love Tyler and Catelynn. This young couple chose to break the cycle and give their daughter up for adoption. They come from broken/unstable homes and wanted more for their daughter. I was so impressed watching this 16 year old couple show more maturity than their parents and most adults. Now that I have said that, what will I "clean" next?:)

Puppy

God knew I couldn't handle boys, and he blessed me with two little girls. What was I thinking keeping this boy puppy?? I cannot handle boys! Would anyone like to offer this puppy a good home? He was born in February to a long-haired dachshund mother and (mostly likely) a cocker spaniel dad. He is very good-natured and good with kids. I think he weighs close to 9 or 10 pounds.

Monkey Day

Laura made the cutest monkey cupcakes a few weeks ago, and I filed it away for future reference. Last week was a short week at school, and MC's teacher wanted to have some fun. I jumped on it and offered to help with a monkey day. I made the monkey cupcakes (thanks Laura) for snacks. I taught the kids how to draw a cute monkey, and we used brown wicky sticks for tails. The teacher read them a Curious George book after all the artsy fun.

I love working in MC's school. I am able to spend time with her and do art projects with her class. As a fundraiser for the Fall Festival, I created a fall platter to be raffled. Each child and teacher added a thumbprint that I turned into pumpkins, turkeys, and scarecrows.

Vexcon

Do you remember the big Vexcon birthday party? We had a great time and were so happy that the cast was willing ot come to our house. To thank them, I painted a personalized plate. Mrs. Donnie was so happy and said she would put it on the shelf behind here desk, where they film her. Jason saw it on last week's show. I could not believe it! I looked around on their facebook, and I saw a picture of some behind the scenes that they are filming. My plate was there! How exciting!

I Love Fall Break!

Friday was Fall Festival at school. Saturday was a plate party, and Sunday was another plate party. Monday and Tuesday--FALL BREAK!! I thought I would get a lot of painting done, but no. Molly isn't feeling well, and we are all exhausted. I have accomplished working on my Thirty One order. I am having a catalog party to help out a friend who just signed up with the company. I have chosen to do tons of Christmas shopping from the catalog. She has started a facebook page for her Thirty One business. I thought the square tote was really cute, then she posted a picture of how she uses it. I thought it was a great idea in my quest to be more organized:)

I hope Santa will bring Molly this cute floral bag; she loves carrying her toys around;) Speaking of Molly, she is a talker. Several people last week commented on how well she speaks for her age. I always say that she gets lots of practice, because she never stops. Just a few minutes ago I told her that she was going to have to hush. Her reply was, "I not know how to hush." And no, she has talked non-stop since she rolled out of bed.

Meme's Little Moovers

I will be painting and firing until Christmas Eve, but I am so thanksful for the parties! Here is one that I can share; it was a birthday present, so I am not ruining the surprise. The baby is only two months old--what a precious foot! Don't miss my "newphew's" print in a spot on the neck:)

Welcome to Hunting Season

Jason just killed his first deer of the season. No pictures, because she was not big enough to brag about:) The girls went outside to inspect the first casualty of the season. Molly said, "Daddy, why you kill her? Her mama is at her house." I guess she knows at two that a mother will always be home worrying.

The poor baby had a rough day. It's never good when the babysitter meets you at the door saying, "I want to tell you before you see her...." She was doing a "flip" on the concrete, and fell forward face first onto the concrete patio. It's not really a flip; it's more like an all fours with one leg in the air. Her little nose took a beating; I'm am sure it looked pretty bad at first! I won't document this accident, because remember this accident. She may be a soul-mate to the Bo Semi-Slacker:) I think he has a boo boo in every picture.

New Friends

I am a little shy; not super shy, just a little leary in new situations. Yesterday was my first plate party where I didn't really know anyone. I was pretty nervous going into it, but I had the BEST time. I fell in love with the hostesses kids and the neighbor's kids. I hope to stay in touch with them, because I had a really good time! What kind of plates did I make? I made my first alligator, a family plate, a house, .... Can't wait to see them finished!

After the plate party, I headed to a nearby town where I teach, about 30 minutes from where I live. One of my students invited me to see her in a youth drama program at her church. I went to what I thought would be a 30 minute drama program that actually lasted about 2 1/2 hours:) The music was loud/Christian rock type, but the youth were amazing. I was truly blessed to see young people so passionate about Christ! The student that invited me doesn't have the highest self-esteem. When I got there, I asked her to tell me about the church. The first thing she said was, "No one judges you here; it is okay if your hair isn't just so. Everyone loves you no matter what." I would guess there were about 75 young people there; these young people made the decision to serve the Lord on a Saturday night, instead of .... I am already praying that my daughters make that decision when they are teenagers. I pray that they can find a group just as willing to make a stand for Christianity and what is right! Back to my shyness--guess who won the door prize in the middle of all the youth that she did not know!!!

Laura: Check out this site for more info on the Fisher Price ixl.

Christmas Shopping

I am working on my Christmas shopping. I usually have a lot more done by this time, but I have a really good idea of what I want. Hoping it won't take too long!

I think we are going to get the little one a Fisher Price ixl. She would love having her own "ibod" touch, and I thought the price was great for everything it does. Would love to hear from anyone who has one!

Thirty One

Someone recently asked me to host a Thirty One party. I am very excited about it; they have the cutest bags!! I made my fall Vera Bradley wish list yesterday, and I will start my Thirty One wish list tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I am doing something I NEVER do. I have a plate party tomorrow afternoon in a nearby town (WM); I am going to do some shopping all ALONE before the party. I will not know what to do--no mid-store potty breaks; no Dora purchases; no whining.... Can you tell I am a little excited? I do plan on stopping in at ToysRUs; some of my students want "trick" yo-yos, and I hope to get some Christmas shopping done. Facebook is keeping me extremely busy; etsy is still closed. I will try to do better about posting!

My New Studio

I got a building!! I had honestly given up, then this building fell in my lap:) It was a truly blessed day last Monday. I bought a building for a great price AND accidentally drove through a highway intersection without stopping/without having a wreck. Yes, the Lord was looking out for me last Monday. I thought it would be fun to post some progress pictures, so here are some before. The pictures show the building in its old home and one of the interior. I can't wait to get started. I have some big ideas for painting my new studio! I am ready to get moved into the space; with 6 scheduled plate parties, I will need somewhere quiet to work.

Here I Am!

I know I have been MIA again, but I am snowed under with no end in sight. I was looking forward to the long weekend and thought I would catch up, but no. I hurt my back yesterday, and it was downhill from there. I have been able to paint today, so I hope to get at least one order in the mail tomorrow. I thought I would share a few pics of what has been going on!
I got an order for some bass party favors. I painted a bass and some cattails on water bottles. Each bottled was wrapped with a bows and tag. I hope he had a great party!

Below are some pics of my back to school girls. We wear uniforms, so we have to accessorize with cute belts and bows. We wore braids the first day with polka dots. My mom found some Dora ribbon and made Molly her own belt and bows. She has had to dress up too. She loves being back at the babysitter; I am so blessed to have someone she loves keeping her. She runs the show in that house. She walks in placing her breakfast order and telling them what to turn on the TV. A couple of days ago, she walked in saying, "I like sausage; turn on Dora." The sad part was; everyone started running around to fill her orders. We have created a monster!!

Trying to Slow Down

I am working hard to catch up on my painting and take a little break. The only problem--there is no end in sight:) I have closed etsy to catch up on orders, but the orders keep coming. I am excited about the plate parties I have coming up; I have four already scheduled and a couple more in the works. I am sketching away, coming up with new designs.

Thought I would share a pic of some more Halloween designs. I sold a bunch to a children's store up north; she plans to use them as gift bags for items purchased in her store. She should get them this week; hope she likes them.

Yesterday, we attended a petting zoo party, and I had painted the favors. We have been to a couple with these people and their animals, and Mattie Claire was looking forward to the donkey (who knows!) I had been hearing about riding that donkey for days. Well, the party is going great. I am talking with some moms and keeping my eye on Molly. MC walks up looking a little funny, then bursts into tears. One of the horses has stepped on her foot, and she is wearing sandals. She is fine; only a small bump and bruise to show for the drama. I think the hostesses were more upset than MC and I combined. We got two phone calls checking on her, but no broken bones--not even a limp:) Oh and no, she didn't feel up to riding the donkey. It is fine, though; I have already booked them for her 7 year old birthday.

Crayon Princess Too?

Well, my baby has started her own business. She created a paper pillow at my mom's the other day and wanted to start selling them. (She has seen me working etsy waaaaay too much.) I told her she couldn't sell paper pillows, buuuuut...... She is using fabric markers to design pillow tops, and her sweet Nano is sewing them into beautiful pillows. I am documenting each sale to create a pillow scrapbook for her. I told her we could put her pillow money up for college, and she agreed to save it AFTER she buys a new American Girl doll!

One of her first creations was for her uncle with a picture of her cousin on it--Rook. She created one for her friend too. She is taking orders, so let me know if you "need" a pillow. We are still thinking of a name for her business: Palomino Pillows, Picasso Pillows, Crayon Princess Too....

Gotta Love Mondays

Teacher is paitently waiting on her class to enter. She is dressed in khaki linen cropped pants and a pink shirt.
Students begin to enter:
Student #1: Don't you just look like a big piece of bubblegum.
Student #2: I think she looks like piglet.
Class begins...5 minutes later:
Student #2: I think she looks like piglet.
....5 minutes later:
Student #2: I said she looks like piglet.
Student #2: I said she looks like piglet.
(Yes, this was repeated about 6 times.)
Teacher: What planet are you from? I just have to wonder what planet you live on that says it is acceptable for a student to call a teacher a pig.
Student #2: (no response)

Please Say This is Normal!

My last post included construction paper cucumbers; I know--how creative. Well, the list goes on and on. First, she has started her own business. Wild Stallions (the new business) deserves its own post, so more on that later. Twice today, she has played Subway. She puts her apron on and puts ziplocs on her hands. She makes sandwiches for the family, wraps them in a papertowel, and puts in a plastic bag. Molly has been calling her "mam" and telling her things she needs: drinks, napkins,.... Subway lasted long enough to mess up my kitchen, then she moved on. She is now playing "sheriff." She has a walkie talkie, and I have to call 911. She is currently investigating a burglary in my home:) She has been yelling "get down" to poor Molly--I would say she has seen one too many episodes of Cops. I hope all these roles are normal! I am sure my family would say she is just like me; they have several stories they love to share...

Pickles for Eye Puffiness

MC: Mom, do people really put pickles on their eyes?
Me: No, I think they put cucumbers on their eyes.
MC: Do we have any cucumbers?
Me: No, sorry.

She decided to make her own spa day. She lubed her face up with some body butter, then made her own cucumbers from construction paper--yes, isn't she just a little Crayon Princess in the making??!!




Her sweet daddy picked her up a cucumber while he was in town. She laid out her own towel, put on her robe, and added cucumbers.

Back to School

I may short circuit my computer with all of my tears as I type this. Tomorrow is back to school! I have enjoyed my summer. I loved spending my days with my girls and painting. Of course, I didn't do everything I had planned, but I never do.
I am loving Facebook. I decided to do a back to school giveaway for my Facebook followers. I painted totes and filled with back to school goodies for their new teachers. I thought people would just enter; I didn't know I would get tons of orders. I am so excited about my new customers and business! I think they turned out cute, and I have them all finished.

My next giveaway will be some totes filled with Halloween goodies. I can't believe that I am already thinking about fall holidays and going back to school--UGH! Have a great school year, everyone!:)

Back to School

Mattie Claire is working on her back to school wardrobe. There is not much you can do with uniforms! However, today we bought our "1st Grade Rocks" snap cap and bow. A young girl designed these magnetic caps, and they are a huge hit. Monday's Child ordered the caps and had the special bows made to mix and match. How cute will we be on the first day of school??!!

Sweetest Things by Alice

My mom bakes for people. She enjoys baking and makes yummy cakes and desserts that people drive from pretty far to get. That gift skipped my generation, so I hope my girls pick it up:) There is a fabric store about an hour from here that loves her goodies. They buy lots of her cakes for friends, church functions,.... A while back, they had purchased one of her cakes, and a television show was in town filming an episode. The show visited her shop during the episode, and the shop owner offered them cake. The episode airs tonight at 9:30 on Lifetime: On the Road with Austin & Santino! We're from a small town in the middle of nowhere, Podunk USA, so yes, this is a big deal:)

Say Hello to My Little Friend

I have been eyeing these sharks for a little while; the reviews are good... I found one at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. I grabbed it up that day, and Jason and I have been fighting over it ever since. His first project was the kitchen floor. Jason cleaned the grout; it hasn't been that clean since it was installed--looks brand new! Next, he did the kitchen counters. The grout cleaner made it worth the $100. We have moved on to the bathroom floors. I have been using the big pocket to clean EVERYTHING else. The toilets are sparkly, and the furniture is next... I say you can't go wrong with this purchase, and I plan to go back to school with a sparkling clean house!

Tawanda!

Once when Jason was going to work a fire, I dropped him off at the airport, then Mattie Claire and I went to Logan's to eat. I was waiting on a parking place as someone backed out. As soon as they pulled from the spot, a truck PULLED AROUND me and parked in the spot. What did I do, I drove away crying; yes, that's how I roll!

Today, I walked into the living room, and Judge Judy was on TV. She cracks me up when she yells at people:) Today's case was a man suing a woman for punitive damages. She also was waiting on a parking space; after the previous people pulled out, the man suing her pulled in ahead of her. She got out of her car and said, "I was waiting on that space." He said, "So" and walked off!! To get even with him, she let the air out of one of his tires:) Isn't that great? She got the satisfaction of getting even, but it cost her $200. Before making her ruling, Judge Judy told the story from Fried Green Tomatoes. The cute girls drove past Kathy Bates' character into a parking space, because they were younger and prettier/skinnier. That is when she repeatly rammed their car with her car, because she was older and had more insurance! Tawanda--that is one of my all time favorite movies.

The Visitor

My house is a wreck, and I am not talking the normal wreck. We are talking wreck, wreck. Mega-yard sale stuff is stacked about 7 feet high in the dining room. Munchkin Market stuff covers my coffee table. Then there are my painting orders scattered all over the living room. Weeeell, I heard a horn blow this afternoon (Thursday.) I looked outside to see a very large and expensive SUV in my driveway. I stepped outside, and she hollered about the furniture that was listed in the paper for my mega-yard sale on SATURDAY! She ended up coming in my house. Yes, you read that right, and no, I do not know her. She shopped for about an hour, filled her backseat, and spent a whopping $35. She plans to return tomorrow night or early Saturday to look through the stuff she couldn't get to today. I really didn't mind; I guess I was just a little surprised by the whole thing:) I hope she loves all of her new treasures!

Check out This Blog

A sweet blogger/etsy customer put my totes on her blog. I have her blog marked, because she has the cutest cupcake liner wreath. I didn't realize she was my wonderful customer until she posted some totes. THANKS, Heather!!

Facebook

I am not into facebook as much as the rest of the world. I get on there from time to time and see what's going on, but that is about it. Two nights ago, I gave in and started a local business page, still gonna skip the personal part. I have been doing my blog for about a year, and I have 39 followers. I started by facebook business about 48 hours ago, and I have 90 fans and several orders. WOW!! Everyone told me that facebook rocks; I guess I should have jumped on that wagon a long time ago:) Funny thing, it suggested Mrs. Semi-Slacker as a friend on my personal page??!! How does it know that I know her:)??


Working on some cowgirl samples for an upcoming party. I am also working on some galvanized pails for a farm party, loving them so much that I may do that for the girls party in winter.

This Week

This week, I will.....

1. Clean out the last cabinet for our HUGE yard sale. UPDATE: Jason will!

2. Finish painting all footprint plates from the party from oh so long ago.

3. Deliver plates to be fired and deliver farm pails to an awesome Pineville customer.

4. Consult with the Footstool about the new colors. The Footstool is now carrying Puddle Jumpers, and they have more exciting changes on the way!! I can't wait.

5. Have the biggest yard sale ever. Let me know if you are looking for something special; odds are that we have at least one in this ever growing mound of stuff. At this point, the pile on the couch to be sold is at least 6 feet tall!

I know it doesn't sound like too much, but add that to chasing two little girls and my regular stuff--and whew! Everyone should head right out and see Ramona and Beezus. It was wonderful! We cried more than once. I came out thinking, "I am raising those two children." My mom walked out right behind me and said, "Those were your kids." I think I am in trouble. Later that night, Molly was cuddling in my lap. I said, "You sure were ugly at the store today." She pulled the thumb from her mouth, smiled the sweetest smile and said, "You're welcome."

A Little of This a Little of That

With a broken card reader and uncooperating blogger, I have not posted many pictures lately. I thought I would do a little catch up and post a variety today.
I did these whales when I first opened my shop last summer. Even though I loved them, they were not one of my biggest sellers, so I stopped posting them in my shop. I had a customer order them last week; I loved getting to work on something a little different.

A local lady makes the cutest cookies. She is sooo cheap, so I ordered cookies for the beach.

The sharks even had little teeth.

This order goes on my top ten coolest orders list! She is a party planner in New Jersey. She emailed me earlier in the summer asking if she could show my stuff to clients. The answer was-YES! These were the first buckets she ordered.

These are the Nemo buckets I did for one of Laura's friends.

She bought each child a fish and put the bag in the bucket with tissue paper.

Girl's Day Out

Growing up, I loved to read. Beverly Cleary was my favorite--Ramona! I read everyone of those books. Remember the one where she cracks the egg on her head:) Well, we are taking the girls to see the new movie tomorrow. Mattie Claire is going for "Alex;" she loves Wizards of Waverly Place. Molly tags along for the popcorn. My BFF all through school and I had daughters within a few months of each other, so they are joining us. My mom and neice are coming too; looking forward to this big girls day out!

There is nothing like little girls. When I was struggling to get pregnant, I didn't care if I had a boy or girl. Now I know that God built me to raise little girls, and I love them both so much. I just read on Semi-Slacker Mom's blog about a wonderful family looking to adopt a baby girl. You never know who my stumble across this, so I thought I would share. Click here to read the profile and get their contact info.

Storytime Live

We took the girls to see Storytime Live this afternoon. I killed myself watching for those tickets!! I stalked the ticket office until they went on sale, and I bought from the pre-sale months ago. What did I get--seats on the second row!! What was my thanks--one child that begged/whined to not go, because she is too cool for Noggin. One child who only cared about Dora; she showed no interest in the first 3 stories. I still think they enjoyed it, whining and all.

I thought I had found a building to have my classes in, but it fell through. UGH! I know it will work out for the best, but patience is not one of my strong suits. We have set a date. The mother of all garage sales will be next weekend. We will have holiday decorations, toys, kids clothes, furniture, craft supplies,.... If you are local, you are welcome to a sneak peak:) We are ready to see this stuff gone. Nothing comes back into this house!! Everything not sold will be donated to a local thrift store. I would love to show you a picture of all the stuff, but I am ashamed that we had that much excess/junk in our house:)

Ribbon Belts

My friend is making ribbon belts to match school uniforms. She is charging $7 and can make any color or design. You can email me if you would like to order, and I will put you in contact. The LSU is precious. I got Mattie Claire the red and zebra--too cute. She is getting ready for back to school. I am proud to say that I have all my school uniforms purchased and hanging in her closet--yay me!