McCartney's Watchful Princess

I am really excited to show you my latest painting.  It is for a little girl, McCartney, who is 2 1/2 years old.  I was contacted by Mike, whom I went to high school with and reconnected on Facebook.  I seriously love Facebook.  He said that he and his wife wanted to do something unique and special for McCartney since they don't get to see her as often as they would like. I am all about unique and special! He checked out my Completely Art page and mentioned he liked this painting (now that I am looking at it I am horrified at the photograph and may need Ryan to bring it home from the office so I can have Leslie take a crack at it with her new lens). After thinking about it for a bit, I thought that while replicating that painting wouldn't be difficult, it was a bit mature for a two year old.  Since I am a fan of trying to make something that will last, I thought why not add a bit of something to make it more age appropriate and beyond.  So I decided it would be neat to have a tower and princess leaning on her balcony looking out into the waters and at the moon.  Maybe she is a night owl, maybe she has insomnia, maybe she's waiting for her prince to return, whichever the interpretation - I am very happy with the result.  What I am happiest about is the reaction I received when I delivered the painting to Mike's house this afternoon.  I have to say I am always nervous to ship out my paintings, I just don't know what the recipient will think.  Art is so subjective and you never know what people envision in their minds vs. what they actually receive. So when I delivered the painting today, I am please to say that they were really happy with the finished work.  What I think I love the best is the look on their faces, like, "you really did that?" Perhaps I don't look like a "typical" artist, whatever the case, I am pleased as peas that they liked it and I can't wait to hear what McCartney thinks. 

Thanks again Mike and Lee Ann for letting me create this fun piece. I really had fun with it and I am so glad that you like it.  Thanks again for letting Penny and I crash your house - your family is wonderful!  So much fun!  I look forward to seeing you again soon and maybe even working on something for you!  Thanks!

there are changes a comin....

So I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and decided to make some changes, or some expansions if you will based on the comments of some friends and clients.  I've got a LOT of stuff going on at the moment, two jumpers, a painting and then my special secret stuff.  So you'll just have to wait and see so stay tuned!

Thanks!

Miss Pickles is 2!!!

It is so cliche to say that I can not believe that my baby girl is two, but it is totally the case.  On one hand it seems like she's always been here and then on the other she is still so clearly my baby when I look at her with her two brothers.  Miss Penny has had a long week - she started feeling puny on Tuesday evening, promptly screwing up everything I had planned for the rest of the week to get ready for her party and Jon's school party. Wednesday she just laid in my arms all day and ran fevers for most of the day.  I am not a big fan of suppressing fevers, I feel like we need to let the body do what it was built to do, but even this was too much for me.  She was getting wheezy and it continued through to Thursday. I missed Jon's science fair (he placed first in his grade) and at about 10:30pm made the decision to take her to the ER.  Fortunately it was dead and we were the stars - Penny was a huge hit with the nurses - and jumped into the arms of the x-ray tech without a second thought.  It was determined by the end of our stay that Penny had pneumonia. Awesome.  So we had a couple of breathing treatments, an oral steroid, which she promptly threw- up because of her empty stomach and we were home by 1.  Needless to say two albuterol treatments and a steroid make for an energy filled two year old - so we stayed up until 3 watching Dora.  

My knight in shining armor, Ryan, took the day off on Friday to take Drew to the dentist, drop off all the party goods at Jon's school, run errands, pick up Penny's cake and get the house picked up while I laid around with my goiter, otherwise known as Penny.  Although by Friday she was in that fantastic state where she wanted me to hold her, but not really so we played the I pick you up, you squirm and cry and get out of my arms and then scream  UP UP UP! until I pick you up again game for most of the day.  Mommy needed a drink by about 2, but held out until dinner.  We cancelled our V-day plans and hunkered down at home.  

Saturday, Penny was at about 85%, so we decided to indeed have her gathering on Sunday.  Dad came down in the afternoon on Saturday baring more candy than any three, let along one child should consume and we had a relaxing evening.

Sunday, Penny was ready for her party, she donned her new jumper I made for her and we had the usual suspects of my my dad, brother and sister in law and our local cousins, the Werts.  We ate, opened gifts and it was a great day!  Penny was HILARIOUS when we sang to her, she just kept looking around the room like, what in the hell are you people doing.  Too funny!  It was a Melissa and Doug and Dora party.  She received a kitchen and a bunch of wooden food and then the rest were Dora videos, shirts, a dress up dress, coloring book, book, did I mention she loves Dora?  We had a Dora cake prepared by my very talented friend Melanie (if you live locally, you NEED her to make your children's cakes, she's amazing!).

this is precisely why you should never teach your children to say "cheese"

It was a great day, we all had fun and best of all Penny is feeling loads better.  Today is her actual birthday and she is spending it, playing in her new kitchen, with her new toy food, wearing her new Dora shirt, while a Dora sing along is going on in the background.  It is so good to be 2!

Ooh - more Dora?

mmm, another Dora video

Happy Birthday baby girl - I LOVE YOU!

my favorite!

Thanks!*

*(for the record this was our first time taking pictures of something important with our new camera - some worked, some didn't and others I've just been farting around at a cool sight called picnik, until I can afford to buy photoshop - so bare with me as we learn to use our new toy!)

catching up with the pages

The phrase "we've been busy" is an understatement.  Where to begin - the weekend after our 10 day visit with the Pages of Tennessee, we had my Cousin Caity and her husband Jim and their adorable children Peter and Sophia.  Then the kids and I went up to my dear friend Darcy's, to camp in their camper with her beautiful girls, Katie and Karlie.  Whew!  All this and I still managed to finish a custom canvas that I will be shipping out in the next couple of days, along with another cause ribbon that I have yet to photograph - nevermind the heaps of laundry that I WAS caught up on, but have miraculously reproduced like rodents in a small cage.  

Who's excited about a vacation?

I am happy to say though that I am thrilled with that fact that this time on Saturday I will be in North Carolina on my way to holding my best girlfriend Traci's new baby boy Beckett!!!!  This is my longest overnight away from the kids (I won't be home until Tuesday- no email, oh the horrors!).  I am confident that they will be fine and what a great chance to hang with dad (let the pizza roll dinners begin!) But for now, I have shopping for said pizza rolls, laundry and cleaning to do to prepare for my time away - next week I will be posting pictures of my newest paintings - so check back and until then - thanks!

Dad and his biker gang!

Penny's got flair!

Just a side note, so my mom was notorious for buying the kids cowboy boots in all sizes, "just in case" they grow out of them and need the next size.  Well, Miss Penny was no exception, I believe my mom bought these little gems when I was 7 months pregnant.  They are white with pink stitching and glitter in the accent areas - totally all girl.  Well they fit Penny now and she belongs to the "Drew: House of Fashion" and likes to pick out her own shoes - the girl has flair!  Anyway - here she is modeling her latest creation! (and yes we do have an "AIM" sign above the toliet - now if I could just get a "Flush" sign we'd be all set) - ah, I digress...

Miles Tiles

Here is where it all began, I little idea I had, that developed into a birthday present, that turned out so nice I decided to make a company out of it.  The birth of Penny Pickles.

So my dear friend Betsy, has an adorable little fella, named Miles. Miles is two weeks older than my Penny.  Betsy had painted a canvas for Miles' room that has the happiest little bee you've ever seen. So taking that idea a step further I created my great outdoors theme.  I added the orange chip board letters to give it a three dimensional quality and mounted it on a double canvas of white and chocolate brown.  The result speaks for itself.  

Fortunately Betsy is also a fabulous photographer, so she generously took a few pictures of the finished product for us to enjoy!