Get 'em while their tots!

I have to say that I love creative people, that isn't to say that I don't love non-creative people because frankly I think everyone has their own "brand" of creativity - even those people who say their not creative have their own strength or skill to do something unique to them. That being said, I am very blessed to know some REALLY creative and talented people. One of those people is a girl, I guess woman now that I grew up with in the great Village of Dolton, Illinois. Angie or more appropriate Angela, and I were friends way back when, I was always so jealous of Angie because she could rearrange her room whenever she wanted, she had some of the coolest things ( like this swan barometer thing that I accidentally broke and still feel bad about) and she looked, acted and dressed like Punky Brewster. In the 80's you really couldn't get cooler than that. I was none of those things - tall and skinny with short hair because my mom refused to deal with my mogwa mop every day, so as you can imagine I studied Angie with enthusiasm. I'm not sure what year she moved to Indiana, it was a year or two before me and she went to a different Junior High and High School. Later she attended Purdue for Landscape Architecture. I remember going to the Children's Museum and seeing some of her work - apparently the school partnered up for a project or something of that nature, but I was floored by her talent. Long story short, too late, one of my best girls, Brooke, went to school with her. Small world, so I knew she grew up, and then moved to California.

Fast forward to now, I find her on facebook - where else of course! and she and I became online friends, once again. Okay - enough background I know - anyway. Ang has a DARLING little boy - I mean he is a DOLL - beautiful seriously, I can't imagine what a handsome boy he'll be - she and her husband are IN TROUBLE is all I am going to say. I can hear the phone ringing off the hook now. I digress, yet again - Ang decided to embrace some of those creative juices flowing in her system and create a beautiful keepsake for parents, grandparents and family alike.

Presenting: (okay so I am IN LOVE with the name)

Get ‘Em While They’re Tots - Petite Profiles

A timeless keepsake for your family and a unique holiday gift for

Grandma and Grandpa.

You can not keep your little one from growing, but you can freeze their little

profile in time and capture the essence of who they are. Add a quote of some-

thing cute they have said or a custom message on a gift. Five themes from

which to choose. Each profile comes matted and ready to frame.

Profile Price $50.00, add $30.00 for frame

Duplicate order $30.00, add $30.00 for frame

(If you want one order of “Jack” with “Classic” theme and one order of “Jack”

with “Sky’s the limit” theme, the initial profile would be $50.00, but the second

with them and/or quote change would be $30.00.)

Contact: angela@pravdesign.com 925-899-1232

I've encouraged Ang to set up an etsy store because I think these will sell like hot cakes personally, if you are interested send her an email or give her a call. Christmas is around the corner and I'm thinking grandma would be pleased as peas to get her hands on one of these! Best of luck Ang with your new endeavor - when she gets her site up and running, I'll be sure to post the link. Until then - Thanks!

My weekend and upcoming projects...

Well I certainly had a busy weekend - March has been a whirlwind type of month and I am so looking forward to the calmness that is April. Spring break will make for lazy mornings, Jon will be home so no homework, and planting season officially begins, and last, but definitely not least the blessing of Easter!  It also marks the beginning of baseball season and dusting off those bikes, which again are wonderful markers of Spring in the Page house.  

This busy weekend we started off on Thursday when Jon had a half day of school so we went to see old friends, the Stumpfs, that we hadn't seen in years.  I worked with Bryan and his wife, Lainie and I had the same doctor deliver a few of our kids.  I say a few because the Stumpf's have a wonderful, large family of eight children.  Lainie has a fantastic website and I just really don't know how she does it all! Anyway, they live on some beautiful property in Boone County, just about twenty minutes away from us and they have CHICKENS!  It was such fun, the kids played, they chased the chickens, Jon and Penny got quite good at catching them and gathering up a few eggs.  The only party-foul that occurred was Penny climbing into the coop and falling in while the chickens were partaking in their "scratch" snack, so she got pecked at a bit - but being the type of mom that I am, I wasn't going to leave without Penny making peace with the chickens (I was not going to have her declare that she wouldn't eat nuggets anymore because of her experience) so we went back to catching they chickens and then tossing them done saying, "here you go" (Penny not me) as though she was doing them a favor.  It was a wonderful visit, it was so nice to catch up and see how their children have grown and one of the best parts was I was able to come home with three dozen fresh eggs!

Friday, Jon had another half day, so it was a lazy day for the kids, but a cleaning frenzy for me, that evening we had an overnight with our cousins, and promptly had a scrambled eggs and bacon dinner - delightful!  

Saturday morning I was fortunate enough to host a "girls day" here at the house with my girlfriends that I've talked about here before.  We normally don't get together so soon, but Annemarie is delivering her second daughter in April, so this was our last chance for a while to get together as a group.  So we all met up, caught up and visited for the day - being entertained (or annoyed) by my children that decided that we needed a little excitement.  Penny would sing for us, and dance and talk and walk up to and hug and kiss everyone - Drew decided some of my guests needed to be put in their place with a light saber poke or two.  Poor Annemarie, must have done something to the dark side because she was the unfortunate recipient of most of Drew Vaders antics.  Later that day we decided to head to Broad Ripple, we hadn't been their in a while and well we actually had an agenda in mind. 

The girls (not in pajamas for a change)

Now before y'all think I'm nuts, I will say in my defense this is something I've wanted for a very, very long time. As I explained to Jon, this was the first time in my life I felt like this was totally appropriate, so I got my nose pierced.  It really wasn't bad at all - although they don't use the guns like at the piercing pagoda, they use a ginormous needle - which I didn't see much of, but felt and saw on the table.  We went to Metamorphosis in BR, and I was pierced by Paul - who isn't highlighted on their website, but is a really nice guy.  Based on the piercings he had, I figured I was in good hands.  So we went, and I did it and the best part is I saw women from my church their getting their belly buttons pierced.  I guess there is a boom of piercings occurring in the suburban mom sect.  I like it a lot, I am so glad I did it and I love the looks I am getting, like - people don't know what to say, did she have it before? am I rude if I didn't notice, but mention it now?  It's hilarious really, I am curious what my dad is going to say - he's coming down next week.  The kids didn't really mind and I explained that I did it because if I had done it in high school or college my parents would have killed me, and then I worked professionally and generally engineers aren't known for their piercings.  Up until now, I just didn't feel it was the right time.   So when their adults making their own money, they can decide what is right for them.  They seemed happy enough with that answer.  

We had a wonderful dinner and dessert and then said good bye. I hosted a couple girls overnight so I had the added treat of a bit of visit during breakfast on Sunday.  Sunday was a calmer day, but we did get the garage pulled together and the bikes ready to go - I am almost done with my first clothing project - I will be finishing that in the next two days and shipping it out later this week.  I am really excited about how these little jumpers are turning out.  I had a little extra fabric, so I decided to make a cover for my camera strap, it is adorable, but I am wondering how Ryan is going to feel if he dons the camera next.  It was super easy - I used a remnant of fabric and interfacing and it slid on like a dream and makes the strap a lot more comfortable, not to mention pretty.

Cute, no?

Sunday evening we hosted the Au's for dinner and fun - it was so great to catch up again -  I don't think I had seen Lisa's husband Jeff in over a year, and the kids enjoyed the hours of Wii and backyard play.  After our guests left and the house was picked up, we curled up on the couch and watched a movie, it was a nice end, to a busy, but fun weekend.  

Just loved this picture from our lazy morning

Next up - Jumpers!

Thanks!

these shoes aren't made for walking..

To keep with my "girl" series, I wanted share something I did for my friend Meg.  Meg's birthday was last Thursday, so it makes complete sense that I would posting her birthday gift and publicly celebrate her day a week late!  Right?  I actually was able to give her, her gift on her special day and enjoy a rare lunch out with no children - we're so naughty we even had wine at LUNCH!  I've been a bit backed up with sharing photos, but I am happy to share this one with you now!

So for Meg, I wanted to do something quirky and fun, something she enjoys and would put a smile on her face when she sees it.  I came up with this little lady:

The slingback, peep toe heel - not much more on this planet that is pretty than this for a girls wardrobe!

Okay, so I really like shoes, but Meg LOVES shoes - I don't have an official head count - but I am guessing it is somewhere around being able to cover the feet of a small village in Africa.  So this little beauty seemed more than appropriate.  

With all seriousness though, Meg has become one of my best friends and our relationship is one of those that I believe has come at a time when I needed it most.  Meg fills a lot of the voids I have since losing mom - they have quite a few of the same qualities, so even though our friendship is only a few years old, there is a comfort there of a decades long relationship. So for you Meg, I wish you a very happy birthday and a wonderful year ahead!  I love you!

Thanks!!!

My Girls...part five - the finale

Last, but certainly not least is Heather, fondly referred to as Hea.  Hea is another one of my HNTB girls - she, like Brooke and Angie, worked in the GIS department of our company.  Hea is a quiet, reserved sort of gal with THE best Kentucky/Southern girl accent you'll ever hear.  Hea and I were pregnant at the same time twice, with her first (my Jon) and her second (my Penny).  Hea moved back to Kentucky several years back, and I have been fortunate, along with the other girls to have been able to go down, visit and share in her amazing southern hospitality.  Heather's two girls, Katie and Abby are spitting images of their mother and just as beautiful as can  be.  Her husband, Sean, is quite possibly the nicest man on the planet.  He's always grinning, happy and you feel like best friends on contact.  They are truly a wonderful family.  

Back to Hea though, since this post is suppose to be about her, I have to say that there is much that I have learned from Hea.  She has a passion for her family, extended and otherwise - if you are her friend, you ARE her friend and you know it.  She has this amazing connection with her husband - they are going to be the two that are 90 and still looking like they just met and are sooo in love.  I admire her for keeping that passion alive - it is so easy to take for granted your spouse, especially when you have kids.  You both get put on the back burner - by her example it helps me keep my passion in check with my husband, remembering what it was like when we first met and keeping that alive and well in our relationship.  I also have to say that Hea has an amazing talent as a writer. It was something she was pretty tentative about sharing with us girls, but she finally did and she is incredible. The genre of her writings is truly an area I hadn't read before, but believe me when I say it keeps your interest throughout.  I am truly proud of her and her accomplishments and look forward to what is to come in her career.  

For Hea, I chose to paint a lotus flower - the lotus, to me, is very sensual plant -something that I think Hea embodies - all the petals, layers - she is a quiet person, but once you get close to see and find all these layers to her, I also see her blooming, coming into her own with her writing career and her role as wife and mother - just so natural and perfectly fitting.  

I have to say that I forgot to have Hea's painting photographed, I was so damn excited I boxed it up without even thinking (this is not the first time I have done this!) so I had Heather snap a few for this post.  

Hea's Lotus

I love you Hea, miss you and can't wait to see you in March!!  Take care, enjoy this beautiful snow and thanks!!!

My Girls...part four

After a bit of break, I realized I am so behind.  I mean, Monday was Jill's birthday and I should have posted this then, but here I am today realizing that tomorrow is another friends birthday and I have a painting that I have to post for her, but won't be able to because this one is going up late.  I'll get it figured out one of these days.  Plus this is a nice problem to have, I have so many paintings to post and not enough time to post them.  Not to bad.

I'm thinking about Jill this morning as I am eating my organic vanilla yogurt and my homemade granola from my yoga studio.  Jill.  Where do I begin?  Like my other girls I met Jill at HNTB.  She was an intern and she was doing her grad work at IUPUI.  We all immediately took to Jill because she is fantastic.  One of the most genuine people you will ever meet.  She was interesting too, she was my first vegan I ever encountered.  Now we all have run into "vegetarians" or even some of those people who think they are but still eat fish and chicken.  Not Jill, she was vegan.  She didn't eat meat, use any products with animal by products and doesn't wear leather, or anything that may have originated in some way to an animal.  I found it fascinating.  I also realized that all she ate was tortilla chips and salsa for lunch, so it was intimidating to figure out what we should fix when we started our monthly girls night.  We started out with at least two vegan things - something Jill would bring and one of us would brave the world of TVP or tofu or carob.  At first it might as well have been called spaghetti or stir fry night - we didn't have much imagination.  Jill will admit that if she hadn't been with Dan her wonderful, handsome, vegan husband, she'd be living on chips and salsa. She's a simple girl.  Our food choices expanded to all things vegan and our meals became quite extensive, chocolate cakes, chili's, dips, breads, sides, casseroles - there is SO much you can do vegan.  I love Jill for opening my eyes to a whole world of options out there.  Now she hasn't turned me vegan, but I really do like to cook vegan.  I also always tell her that if I had to kill it and prepare it myself I would be vegan, plain and simple.  In my world meat comes from a Styrofoam container or on a platter at the meat dept.  It doesn't resemble its former self so- in this case ignorance is truly bliss.  

Beyond being vegan Jill is as active as they come (I can hear her laughing), but seriously she is always spinning, walking, running, taking classes, kickboxing - I get tired of thinking about it.  She is a creative soul that has the most amazing heart and if anything that is one of the best things I have learned from her.  To love, love all and love it well.  She is a wonderful friend, rarely forgetting to send a card or surprise just when you need it.  I admire her passion for her beliefs, her love of her family, the relationship she has with her sister and her carefree attitude. I tease her because she can be a bit helter skelter about things (a la 22 containers of armour-all wipes in the backseat of her car) but I truly love her for it and it gives me the boost to let go a bit and relax.  

When I was thinking about doing a painting for Jill it immediately came to mind that I have gained so much wisdom from our friendship and that I find Jill to be that perfectly quirky friend that I love dearly.  So I thought lets do another Owl.  I decided to match her Owl to her very cool, black, white and red kitchen.  It is such a wonderful hub of her house - so many spices and goodies to make the most basic of tofu taste delectable.  So I present to you Ruby, created by me with love for Jill - love you!!!!

Thanks again Jill for your friendship and love!

Last up, but definitely not least: Heather!

My Girls...part three

Where to begin with Brooke.  Brooke and I became fast friends at first job at HNTB.  I know that we were every bosses nightmare - two twentysomethings, planning to get married, chatty and worse than that we were squished into one big "bull pen" which is the equivalent to two cubicals with out the separating wall.  The best part was we weren't the only ones in there either.  Needless to say, there was lots of chatting and not nearly as much work was done.  We were young and they got smart and separated us later on.  Brooke is a person you feel very comfortable with, right from the get go.  She's evolved since I've known her from a fun loving partying girl to a fun loving super athlete.  We all walked and ran the mini-marathon here in Indy together the first couple of years into our relationship, but Brooke got bit by the running bug HARD.  Since those early days she's run marathons, trail runs, she wins her age group pretty much every time, does mountain biking and has a pretty strong stance on high fructose corn syrup.  She is truly an amazing person and one that motivates me to make myself a healthier and better person, taking better care of my own body and my family's as well.  Her determination is so strong - I strive to attain half of that determination for myself.

I am also so very blessed to have Brooke as part of the small bible study that I do, it has taken our relationship to an entirely different level and has brought so much depth to an already pretty fantastic friendship.  Like anyone else Brooke has her ups and downs in life - sometimes the downs seem to be running the show, but her optimism and strength are no match.  Our little group has provided so much healing and learning in the short time that we have met.  I, we all agree that it is no coincidence that we formed this group and began this study.

When deciding what to paint for Brooke I was immediately moved by the Warriors in Pink dove.  It is representative of peace in a time of struggle, freedom and gentle joy.  These are all things that I wish for my friend and see within her.  So for Brooke I have the Warrior Dove:

You learn things about your friends - first off if you know Brooke she loves green and purple, hell they were her wedding colors and second, which I did not know, she has an affinity for birds.  Sometimes things just work out perfectly.

I'm pretty sure that Brooke was happy with her dove - I think I saw a tear, which is pretty awesome because Brooke is a very composed person.  I love you Brooke, thanks so much for your friendship and support.  I am eternally grateful!

Thanks!

Next up: Jill

My Girls...part two

Okay so I lied I didn't do it everyday.  Each day seems to escape me - it is unreal.  But my next girl is Angie.  Angie is another one of my HNTB girls, she now works for Ball State. She lives on this fantastic little farm, she has horses, and chickens and cats and dogs and is even thinking about goats. Oh how I love goats, I would love to have enough property to have some goats, I wanted to buy one at the State Fair a few years back - they only run about 30-50 dollars, but Ryan talked me out of it.  I wasn't properly zoned to have one anyway... So I allow my inner farmer to live vicariously through Angie and her family.  

Angie has two little girls nearly the same age as Jon and Drew and they are ADORABLE!!!!  Angie and her husband Aaron are a hoot and they are all around a wonderful family to spend time with.  So as our girls weekend was approaching I wanted to think of something that seemed "Angie" to me.  She has this great collection of what I call "Kitchen Chickens," I am sure they is some better name for it - but that's what I call it.  Seeing that she enjoyed those, not to mention the farm that she has and the abundance of roosters she has in her chicken population at the moment I thought a rooster would be a perfect fit.  Beyond the obvious, I can not tell you how much I admire Angie, she works all day, gets her girls to and from school, manages to keep up her house, get food on the table AND take care of her farm.  I know that her husband helps, but I know that Angie is the glue.  I admire her desire for living more simiply - working on her farm as a more full time thing and expanding into organic farming.  I liken Angie to a rooster on a farm, in charge, overseeing and makings sure all is safe and sound.  She is just a very, very cool person.  So my painting today is my rooster for Angie - I love you and hope you enjoy it!

I will admit that I painted this THE day we left for girls weekend, I had another one done, and I decided I didn't like it as I was wrapping them up.  So I decided to start over and I am MUCH happier with this Mr. Chicken.  Ah amen to last minute decisions.

Thanks again and have a great day!

Next up: Brooke

My Girls....

It has been awhile, but not without good excuse.  Last week seemed to blow by and then I was gone for the weekend for a much needed and anticipated girls weekend. I've mentioned my girls before: Annemarie, Angie, Brooke, Hea, and Jill.  They are my girls from my HNTB days and I have known them for nearly 10 years now. There is no price for what they are worth to me.  We try to get together every 6 months or so - Jill living up in Chicago and Hea down in Lexington.  To commemorate our 10th anniversary and just to say I love you, I painted and framed a canvas for each of the girls.  Each day I will highlight one of those paintings.  Today will be Annemarie.

Now it is weird how things work out, but I thought long and hard about each of my girls, where they were in their life and how I see them. Along with my blessings and prayers for them and what I see for their future.  So when I thought about it I saw the Tree of Life being the perfect muse for my painting for Annemarie.  The beautiful thing about art is that you don't have to recreate the wheel - you can take things that exist and make them unique because they are YOUR interpretation.  Here is Annemarie's Tree of Life:

There are few reasons why I chose the Tree of Life, the first being that Annemarie is adorably pregnant and expecting her second daughter at the end of April.  The second is that she is evolving as a working woman, part time working woman/stay at home mom to full fledge stay at home mom.  If you have ever made this transition, it is much, much harder than it seems.  Lastly, I am blessed enough to have a bible study with Annemarie and my other girlfriend Brooke, which is not only taking our friendship to a whole different level, but helping us, Annemarie flourish and set deep roots as a Christian. Thank you Annemarie for your friendship and your love - I am truly blessed!

Next up: Angie!

Thanks!

Pretty Little Paige

In December we had our sweet little friend Paige's birthday.  Along with some High School Musical accessories, I painted her a canvas of her very own.  She is the last of the Hazelrigg birthdays, we celebrated Anna's and Charlie's earlier this year.  I matched her painting to her adorable PBKids valances and used a lower case "P", cuz I think it's short and spunky - just like Paige.  We love Paige and so does our little Drew - the two of them have gone to school together since the were about 20 months old.  They are like Mutt and Jeff - Paige, tiny and Drew, not so tiny, they are of the same mold though and Drew is fiercely protective of Paige.  Our secret hope is that they get married one day just so I can say that I have a daughter in law named Paige Page.  Here they are doing what they do best - being silly:

Here is Miss Paige's painting:

Happy Day to Paige!  Stay tuned for more art!

Thanks!

Four!!!!!

I am excited to show you another one of my Christmas gifts.  One I am pretty proud of, since I know nothing about what I painted.  I have a wonderful friend name Jen.  Jen and I have known each other for since we were about 11 or 12 - so a little over 20 years, which makes me feel a tad mature if you know what I mean, to have known someone other than my family for that long.  Needless to say, Jen is one of my very best friends.  She is known as Auntie Griff to my kids and she is officially Cyd's girlfriend and home away from home. (With all honestly he tolerates us, I believe, because she comes over and he goes to her house, but I digress)  Jen was an essential person for me and my family during the time my mom lived with us and ultimately died. She would come over and have dinner, visit with mom, mom felt very comfortable with Jen, so the turban would come off and mom would be "big mare" once again.  My mom would always sing that stupid girl scout song - "make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold..." when I would talk about Jen.  She was so happy that we had remained in touch and such good friends.  When we were in the days prior to losing mom Jen would show up and do what "good polish girls do, we cook!" and made several dinners, breakfast and miscellaneous snacks for me, my family, and my brother, Anna and dad.  She took the kids with her for a slumber party and Wii fest the night before mom died and kept them all day, the day of her passing.  She took time off work to watch the kids for me when we had mom's wake and funeral. 

She has been instrumental in my healing and I quite honestly don't know what I would do with out her.  I love her and she is the sister I was never given by blood.  All that being said, I wanted to do something special for her for Christmas.  She had mentioned eons ago about doing a golf painting.  So I thought, eureka!  So I did a golf scene with her nickname - Jen is quite the golfer and I could go on about her handicap and scores and such, but I have no idea what the hell it all means so I won't waste your time - but she's good and she loves it.  You would think that since I live on a golf course that I would be able to paint one up in a jiffy, but I didn't like the tee box I am on so I went online and found a beautiful course in Connecticut to model my scene. Without further ado....

I had to give my golfer a "pouf" of hair, because if you know Jen, you know that she has a pony tailed "pouf" at all times, it is adorable!

Four!

The dreaded sand trap!

I am pretty sure that Jen loved her gift and I am so very happy that it turned out, especially since I am, ahem "handicapped" when it comes to understanding golf.  Pun intended!  I believe it has found its spot above her desk in her office at home.  A perfect spot for a hobby/sport tribute!  There is more where this came from, so stay tuned and thanks!

 

Merry Squirrels.

Are you done with your Christmas gifts?

Sorry - I was screwing around on YouTube with my girlfriend Jen and we were watching those fainting goats -anyway, knowing that YouTube is a treasure trove of video delights, I stumbled on this fellow -I thought it was hilarious and had to share it - it never ceases to make me laugh. It also seemed appropriate since there are just a few shopping days left until Christmas!

One of the nice things about this Christmas and creating this new little company this year, I had instant presents for my nearest and dearest.  One those happens to be my photographer Leslie.  She has become a wonderful friend who I enjoy tremendously.  I truly believe that God sends people your way for a reason -  I have been blessed to gain some new friends in the last few years and oddly enough some of them embody different qualities that are so similar to my mom's it is almost like having her around.  Leslie is one of those individuals.  I felt instantly comfortable with her and we have similar parenting styles, not to mention politically we see eye to eye and she is one of those people who appreciates a random phone call just to brag about my latest bargain.  She also could handle discussions on random things, like Sicilian cooking, Abraham Lincoln and best of all Squirrels!!!!

It was obvious to me that I needed to do a Squirrel painting for Leslie for Christmas.  She is from a small town called Olney in Illinois.  I think I have mentioned it before, but it bares repeating.  Olney is known for their Albino Squirrels.  In honor of her heritage I painted this for her:

(I hope you don't mind I grabbed it!!)

I have a few more paintings to share this week - but for now, enjoy this one - I'll be back after this weekend away.  Thanks!

friendly blessings

I really should get to bed, but it struck me as I was walking in the door tonight how blessed I am to have the friends that I do.  This week has made this abundantly clear to me.  I know I posted this painting before, but it seemed appropriate to whip it out tonight.  I did it for my girlfriend Lisa for her birthday, it is my spin on the Claddaugh symbol for friendship. Which is appropriate for my post this evening or morning depending on how you spin it!

It began on Friday when Ryan and I went out with our friends the Hazelriggs, I've mentioned them before, but we went for a belated birthday dinner for me (Annakah continues!).  But before I get away from my point, I am so blessed to have our cousins Mike and Kim Wert so close to us - in both proximity and relationally.  They watched our kids so we could go out to dinner and have a bit of time with our other friends.  See they are our cousins, but we enjoy them so much that they are our friends as well.  I mean just because you are related doesn't mean you are going to like someone.  We are blessed because we do like them, dare I say love. Our evening out was wonderful - laughing and reminiscing.  So fun to be with people we enjoy and in turn enjoy each other.  At the risk of being repetitive it is so nice to have another couple that we love to spend time with.  I couldn't have chosen two more fun people to spend the evening with.

Sunday I got a rare chance to spend time with my brother and hang out and watch football and eat snacks.  It was so nice to just be Annie with Steve.  While I LOVE when our families get together - there is something so comforting to just hang out with my brother, almost like we're kids back at our house in Schererville - I half expect my mom to come out of the kitchen with a Totino's pizza or treat for El Amigo, its just comforting is all.  

Monday I was able to have Brooke over for dinner and then on to yoga.  Brooke and I have been friends since I worked at HNTB back in 2000.  Although over the years we don't see each other as much as we once used to, in the last six months we've gotten this yoga thing going on and it is WONDERFUL!  First off, I enjoy having her over for dinner to catch up and visit, but then to share this fantastic, peaceful workout and meditation.  It is truly a great experience.  I think we both enjoy it so much, which is so fun to have something like that to share.  Monday was an impromptu visit by Leslie and her daughter to drop off my images from the previous week.  She dropped by and I insisted on them staying for lunch.  Growing up, I always admired my Yia yia.  She was one of those people that you would come to her home and weren't sure if you wanted to leave.  It just was so comfortable, she could feed an army at a moments notice and the house was never short on love, coffee and great conversation.  This is the home I strive to have.  So it was nice to convince Leslie to stay and visit and eat and let the kids play.  

On Tuesday I met up with Leslie again, but this time we met at Cafe' Patachou and had breakfast with Sally.  A fantastically hilarious and animated lady I knew from MOPS a few years ago - we clicked, and like a lot things lost touch.  Well this small world of ours brought Sally back into my life because Leslie and her are friends.  One of the things I love about Sally is her volume - she's like me, its loud or your asleep, not much middle ground.  We had a great breakfast and some fun catching up.  

Today is Wednesday, I've gotten some great catch up emails from one of my busiest friends Betsy.  You've seen her work here, you know who I am talking about.  We go back years, I was blessed to have met her through her late husband Drew, one of my good friends from college. After he passed, it was hard, but I have been lucky enough to be able to see her marry a phenominal man and have a darling boy.  Although we don't talk as often, I know she's just an email away and we can cover something saucey to something silly in a moments notice. I have been grateful for her little snippets that keep me updated with her and her life.    Today I also had some fun with "Thelma" of my "Thelma and Louise" friendship with Meg.  As Ryan says we're not driving over the cliff, we're driving our husbands over the cliff with our shopping.  Eh, its just money, right?  But I digress, we needed to do some emergency Christmas shopping that involved the dreaded TOYS R' US.  This is someplace you should never go alone with children. We both had our agenda, so we divided and conquered as necessary and was quite successful at pulling the wool over our children's eyes, all the while getting what we needed done.  There are not many I could do this with and it is one of the reasons I love her so.  I then got the opportunity to go to dinner with my girlfriend Jen, who I haven't seen in a while and catch up. It has been months.  I enjoy Jen so much, there is never silence, but no competition - I love talking with her about everything from diapers to discipline to relatives and children - there are no boundaries and it has been so comfortable from day one.  I am so grateful for having met her and being able to foster this great relationship. 

Tomorrow, I help in Jon's class, I am hoping the afternoon will provide me with some time to call both Lisa and Griff.  They are two of my oldest and best friends and I cherish them so!  I missed Lisa's call today and it has been WAY too long.  Griff has been a hardworking machine and I just know there is much for us to catch up on. I miss these girls more than I can explain.  I look forward to our lunches and dinners as they come.

Finally I look forward to Friday, spending it with my very best friend Ryan.  Sure he's my husband, and everyone says their significant other is their best friend, but he truly is.  If you don't know our story, here is the cliff notes version - we were best friends for 4.5 years before we dated.  It really wasn't an option to date or an opportunity to date until that last semester of our last year at school.  I am so blessed to have him as my husband and my friend.  There is little in this world that I cherish more than time with him.  Friday will be good.

So you see, I am so very blessed and this is all in ONE week.  I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on all that has happened in such a short time and how utterly humbled and grateful I am for the people in my life.  Thank you to all of you, I love you!

a machine

Hello!

Well, I have been very busy - I finished a quick piece for a friend, waiting to hear back from a client, finished all my frames and will get them attached and ready to go tonight and am progressing on my work-in-progress projects.  It is really going well.  

Tomorrow Jon starts school, we got up at our appointed time, got ready, fed and cleaned in record time.  As Ryan asked, is this for Jon or you?  Actually it is for me, I am LAZY in the morning and while I had full faith in Jon, not so much in me. Can I tell you what I am not looking forward too?  Packing lunch each night, ugh - it is so not part of my routine and it isn't like he'll take leftovers.  Can I tell you what I am excited about?  Jon and Drew not fighting every morning, I mean its like a ritual, we get up, we get along for about an hour and then we fight, about everything.  Oh yes, peace will be restored in the Page house, thank goodness.  That is until Penny starts to steal Drew's toys - then it will get ugly again.  Ah the cycle of life- like a friend once said - there are reasons why some animals eat their young.  

Well I have a visit on Thursday from Lady Leslie and her lovely littlen' Meredith and we will be photographing all of my finished pieces! Yeah!  I just can't wait to see how they turn out - and then in turn show them to you!

Okay, signing off - Ryan has another interview this morning, keep the good vibes going!  Oh and if you have any ideas for my September contest, send 'em in.  I have had one submission, and its a good one, but I'd like to see what else you've got!  

Thanks!

i am so freaking excited!!!!

So, I am geeked, I mean really geeked!!!!  I picked up my CD today from Leslie, photographer extraordinaire.  I can not tell you how much better my paintings look when someone has a great camera and mad skills to use it!!  Thank you Leslie for your help, you are going to get tired of me I am sure, because I am already so excited for you to photograph my piece I finished last night!

Thanks to Leslie- here is my latest cause ribbon:

 

For the Heart

Now normally I don't share any tidbits of my paintings before the buyer sees them, but this is just too great not to share -however, so I don't totally send my core beliefs down the river, I'm only going to share a snippet, once my lovely friend Heather receives it then I can post away, until then here is a sneak peak:

Isn't he cute?  Meet Mr. Spider Monkey!

Thats all for now, I have an invoice to pull together and some wooden edging to get painted.  Have a great day - its a beauty out there!

Thanks!