Monday, March 31, 2008

gravy boat, acutalized

Some scoffed at my plan to paint myself a gravy boat-- one I could call my very own.

But ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to, the most fabulous of all gravy boats:


Exquisite!


I painted it at one of those paint-a-pot places (we went as a group for a friend's birthday). And I'll be honest, I felt a little over qualified being there, but then I was secretly panicked about screwing up my project.

I'm happy with it.
Now I finally have a proper vessel (and saucer!) for my biscuit gravy, potato gravy and pancake syrup.
A condiment's never had it so good.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

chef cooking her own dinner




I finally made one for me.
I'm not totally in love with the quote on the back. But it's the best I could find before 1AM.
And the longer I stare at those color charts the more I question them, but I'll roll with 'em for the short term...

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

apparently I'm in a game of tag with Bennett

Bennett "tagged" me and since it doesn't involve sending a dishtowel in the mail to anyone, or dreadfully unlucky consequences if I don't oblige, I'll play along.
He said he tagged me because I'll do it. And he's right.

I am supposed to broadcast "6 non important things/habits/quirks about [my]self."


1. Although I am an artist, I have no art of mine on my wall. In fact, I have random out of place stuff on my walls. I know that I will never be happy with anything of mine and everything else I like costs alot of money.


2. I watched the movie Blue Vinyl and ever since then I have felt terrible about the existence of vinyl (aka recyclable symbol #3 or PVC) and my constant unwitting patronage of said toxic material.


3. I put flax in almost everything I bake. It drives Kevin crazy.


4. I only wear shoes if I have to.
Hence I have dirty hillbilly feet most of the time, and I'm embarrassed about it...but it doesn't stop me.
Right now I have a 35 dollar paintjob on my toenails and sooty soles.


5. Four pieces of furniture in my house were pulled straight out of someone else's trash.


6. I am filling out this blog post meme-y thing because I can't commit to a business card design for myself. See #1 for further insight into this.

Okay, I nominate Aurora, Jenn, and Trina.

Oh and Bennett, Huey's in my music closet too.

1. link to the person who tagged you.
2. post the rules.
3. share 6 non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. tag at least 3 people.
5. make sure the people you tagged know you tagged them by commenting to them.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

they looked something like this


These aren't exact photos of the paintings, but these were our "mock ups" beforehand. Close enough.

I just made this ad slide for our easter paintings to be auctioned.
Mine's on the right, Trina's is on the left.
Go big money!

(btw, the white space on both paintings wasn't "revealed" until the very end, when we peeled it away, it being the precut contact paper)

I totally forgot to bring any business cards with my info on it with me.
And then when all these people came up, I was like "umm, lemme write it on that random piece of paper you're holding." Lame! Next time, I'll have cards!
arg.

Baby Tuesday

Mucho mucho has happened in the past week.

Baby R said (and says) his first [hyphenated] word, "uh-oh." He kinda says mama and dada, but I'm not sure he's really sayin' them. He definately says uh oh, and there are plenty of oppotunities during the day to say it.

Baby C has two imaginary friends, Lotta and Lola. Mostly Lotta. She talks to them all day long, and especially when she's in her room for her nap or at bedtime. She then explains their adventures to me with lecture hand gestures that remind me of the animatronic Lincoln from the Hall of Presidents.

We had easter egg hunts, both Saturday at the park sponsored by our very own Beautiful Day, and also one at Grandma and Papa's which was a little more challenging and less stressful for the rest of us.

Then Sam and the 3 of us went down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium because the penguins are back! The whole "Splash Zone" was back, thank heavens, and every mommy on the central coast was there with her tots.

Sorry the photos are chronilogically backwards, I'll never learn to upload them in reverse order.





Moments later, his face and body were soaked.


This little girl was named Stella (very popular name wherever we go). She wanted to make sure Baby R wasn't gonna take her foam flippers.



Man to man coverage is key for babies in a public place.
While photographing them, I have Baby R strapped to me.



duuuuuude.


Everything was fine until I told her had to leave.
Mommy doesn't want to pay[a[nother] parking ticket.


Baby R's quality check.


Wouldn't it be neat if every day of the year there were jellybeans to be found in the daffodil beds?


Kelpy wonderment.


For once, I didn't have to force them into this shot. They went willingly. They did not however, look at me willingly.


"Look babies, there are penguins over there!"
"No, we'd rather play with the poles and floor tiles."





Like my dress?, I kinda made it. Kinda.


Baby R just wanted to sneak tootsie rolls and drink his bottle.


"Daddy threw me in the eggs again!"





I forgot to mention our fabulous play date with Baby R's best friend Baby CB. They're almost the same age and they just rolly polly all over each other.


Auntie Sandi brought Baby C this dress just in the nick of time! Thanks Sandi!


Hey look close Heidi and I are over on the right.


Nevermind the eggs, he gets excited over sticker balls.


...more to come later-- videos!....

Sunday, March 23, 2008

I did something significant...

...but I'm too sleepy to give it all the details it deserves.
But I will say that I (and Trina) painted 2 (4 total between us) paintings this morning during Easter services. It went great.
I hardly ever paint anymore, and even more rarely do I do it live, but it's fun in the same way that performing music live is fun. It took alot of work, but we were both really happy with the results.
They are supposed to be auctioning them to benefit our Hands of Hope girls home in Zimbabwe. There as a buzz about them going for 1000's of dollars. I don't really think that mine is worth that much, but hey, if someone wants to pay it, I'm happy to give it away.

I didn't bring my camera because I thought "surely someone will have a camera, or will be filming." And people were, but no one I knew. Whoops.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

like a beer ad, in reverse!



Did you have any idea that if you had the right typewriter, you would be irresistible to men, even when wearing a white rubber swimcap?

Photo courtesy of a blog I absolutely adore, by a stranger who might think I'm stalking her, I comment on her photos so much.

thank you 1942

Baby Tuesday

I decided that I wanted easter portraits of the babies.
But as usual, I don't want to pay for them, and I don't want them to be cheezy.
So I took matters into my own hands: staked out a flowery field near Daddy's work, fueled them up with cookies, dressed them springy (with props!), and tried my hand at photography.

They need some photoshopping, to get rid of my shadow, but otherwise I'm really happy how they turned out. There are more, but this BT was already gettin kinda full.
Can you tell how difficult it as to get them both to sit next to each other AND look at me AND smile? Nearly impossible.








It looks so rural, but was SO not rural.
And there were these horrible spiny weeds underneath the flowers so no one could get in.
There was another mom with the same idea as me that wouln't settle for the woodchip path, gave up and left.


Biggest baby party we have attended yet. Everyone stayed pretty cheerful and can you believe they kept those hats on?!

Babies babies babies. I think there were around 12 there.


They were actually kinda dancing, in a field day competition kind of way.


"hey I have this book, it's a great read."





When in doubt, overdress. A toddler might as well get as much use as possible out of a silky blue oriental dress.


Hey lady babies, check out my fashionable Cape Cod swim trunks.


Baby C opened the paint (without my blessing) and then Baby R crawled in it.
I decided to embrace the moment, and paint Baby C like Goldie Hawn from Laugh-In.

Baby R has some wet debris stuck to him, as usual.





It looks like she's on one of those giant boucy balls with the handle. Only, suddenly-- it disappeared.