I WON!! Yippee!!

I can hardly believe I have not posted since Christmas.  It has been a very busy month - my hubby had to have an emergency exploratory appendectomy just days after the new year.  He is still recuperating but is almost back to his usual routine.  As I told my family and friends, I am not cut out for this housewife stuff - it is too much work!  The cooking, cleaning, taking out garbage, grocery shopping - it's really too much work for one person - can't wait for him to resume his chores so I can get back to doing what I like doing best!!  Actually, you may think I am either a very selfish wife or I am exaggerating - I am neither - I am very lucky that my husband is the best cook and does the vacuuming and cleans the kitchen and does his own laundry.  I do have the bathrooms, dusting, my laundry and I cook on occasion but I can't say anyone in the family is crazy about that idea.  Sometimes it takes a little bump in the road to appreciate what others do for you - and I am very appreciative.

I am also not a person who wins a lot of things but I feel I am very lucky in so many ways.  So when I do win I get very excited.  And especially when it happens at the end of the year.  I had forgotten about entering Rita's (mammabellearte) giveaway so when she emailed me and said I won - I was over the moon happy!!  Such beautiful handmade items - I could hardly wait.  Some were being made just for me so I knew I had to wait a bit to get them but within a week or so I started receiving my items. 

My first package came in with this beautiful apron - don't you just love the green pocket

Then there is this perfect third hand - a vice which can hold a multitude of things while crafting or painting - love it!

This was exciting - a few days later a box arrived with all the following lovelies - the pink and black tissue paper was almost too pretty to unwrap - I will definitely be keeping that. 

Look at the pretty Marie burlap bag - and the Christi Repasy rose note cards -

and the "charming" (a little play on words) necklaces - I may have to fight my daughter and daughter in law to keep these - but wait there is more -

A Creative Pilgrimage book - and she had it signed by the author - how neat!!

Then I untie the burlap bag and inside I find the prettiest pink, ivory, and green seam binding ribbon - love that stuff!!  I will save it to wrap something wonderful.  And beautiful Italian lace - such eye candy!!

I love Christi Repasy roses - and I love writing notes but it will have to be someone pretty special for me to use these - I may just save them for a while - they are so pretty!

And that's not all - I received an email last weekend saying my handmade spoon necklace was on it's way - I just know it is going to be wonderful - I will post a pic as soon as it arrives. 

It's time to get back to the easel as I have a lot of things to paint this year and hopefully purge my painting studio.  Until next time....

Wouldn't you know it, just fifteen minutes after posting the above my spoon necklace came it - These were hand stamped by Suzie at VintageSusiesandWings@blogspot.com. 

I wish you could see what she has stamped onto the spoons.  I gave her my initials and said to surprise me with her design - little did she know that my nickname when I was younger was "Bee"  The smaller spoon says "Buzz" and is attached to the teaspoon that says "Bee Happy".  That is so totally sweet!!  And then just as a very nice gesture she included an extra fruit spoon necklace that says "Hope - Faith - Love".  I am just thrilled with all my winnings.  Thank you Rita and all the ladies who were so generous.  What a lucky girl I am!!

Christmas Spirit ...

It seems when the holidays come along, I find all kinds of reasons to clean and reminisce.  As I was going through my photo albums, I found a book stored along with the albums that I really love.  It's title is "Leaves of Gold".  I purchased it years ago while thrifting and since I love books, especially ones with poems or quotes, I pulled it out of its hiding place and started reading.  I found a sweet verse called "Christmas Spirit" by E.C. Baird.  Now, I do not know E.C. Baird but I love what he wrote and wanted to share it with you today.

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT - I am the Christmas spirit!
I enter the home of poverty, causing pale faced children to open their eyes wide, in pleased wonder.
I cause the miser's clutched hand to relax, and thus paint a bright spot on his soul.
I cause the aged to renew their youth and to laugh in the old, glad way.
I keep romance alive in the heart of childhood, and brighten sleep with dreams woven in magic.
I cause eager fee to climb dark stairways with filled baskets, leaving behind hearts amazed at the goodness of the world.
I cause the prodigal to pause a moment on his wild, wasteful way, and send to anxious love some little token that releases glad tears - tears which wash away the hard lines of sorrow.
I enter dark prison cells, reminding scarred manhood of what might have been, and pointing forward to good days yet to be.
I come softly into the still, white home of pain, and lips that are too weak to speak, just tremble in silent, eloquent gratitude.
In a thousand ways I cause the weary world to look up into the face of God, and for a little moment forget the things that are small and wretched.
I am the Christmas Spirit!!

Isn't that beautiful?  Christmas - probably the only word in the English language that can immediately bring a smile to the face no matter the age.  The excitement that stirs in every soul - not for anticipated gifts but for the presence of loved ones, the memories of those who have passed, and for the love that both have brought to our lives. 

I wish each of you peace in your heart this Christmas season.  And much love and happiness in the coming new year.

I wish you Peace, Joy, and Hope...

  I wish you Peace, Joy and Hope this Christmas season. Painting ornaments has been my major task these past few months. But as Christmas draws nearer I slow down my painting so I can do my holiday shopping for my children and grandchildren. Mind you, I shop throughout the year but for the high ticket items I wait until I know for sure they really want it. Here are three of my favorite, Peace, Joy, and Hope- wish I could have found one that said Love but I was lucky to be able to purchase these when I did. Many of the stores are completely out by now. Each one is painted in a soft sage green with pink roses - one of these days I will start to add holly leaves to my roses - I just never liked painting them!!

I hope you will join us at How Sweet the Sound Pink Saturday.       

How Did It Get So Late ....

“How did it get so late so soon?

It's night before it's afternoon.

December is here before it's June.

My goodness how the time has flewn.

How did it get so late so soon?”

I love Dr. Seuss and this is one of my favorite quotes from him - doesn't it just fit for this time of the year.  I am hosting our annual Christmas party for my painting friends tomorrow and it seems like it was just a few months ago that we were together for the same thing!! 

Now for the little fellow under the tree - no he is not for real but it has confused some of my visitors who think one of the grandchildren feel asleep peeking through the gifts. 

Happy shopping, y'all. 

Decorating the Christmas Tree is finished and I am POOPED!!

Like so many of you I am in the process of decorating the house for Christmas.  There is still so much to do but I was fortunate enough to have my grand daughter, Megan, over yesterday to help out.  She had a perfect place for every ornament - most being on the bottom branch.  But that is the joy of Christmas when you can see it through the eyes of little ones.  I am only moving a few of the "glassables", as she calls them, to the top of the tree.  But the tree will stay the way she decorated it - and we will love the way it looks knowing she did it with love.  Wish I had half that energy!  Off to do a little more decorating - am looking forward to seeing everyones decorations over the next few weeks.  By the way, I love my little Charlie Brown tree which was a present from my sister, Debbie.  The family thinks I have WAY too much Christmas decoration and thought this would simplify it a bit.  Too funny!!

Congratulations - Diane at LavenderDreamsToo

I have been super busy this past week with preparations for a show but I did take time to draw a winner for the three little snowmen ornaments.  It was:

November 8, 2011 12:20 PM



~Lavender Dreamer~ said...


How precious! I love pink, too! I'm a new follower now...#100! Congrats on lots of happy followers! ♥

Congratulations, Diane.  I will start painting your ornaments today and have them out to you by the end of the week.  And there will be a little something extra since you were my 100th follower. 

For Thanksgiving this year I am sharing with you one of my favorite artist's, Frances Brundage, Thanksgiving Greeting Post Card.  I am not sure who is more scared on that post card - the turkey or the little boy!!  I hope y'all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, full of family, friends, love, and laughter - and a little turkey always completes the day!!

Exercise is a "dirty" word....

Just thought this would make you feel better.

Don't let Granny make the pies!!

I couldn't resist - this is so cute!! 

I am 39 and holding - that's my story...

Ok, I am not really thirty-nine but that is what I have been telling my grandchildren for 10 years!!  They are not sure of my real age and I think we will keep it a secret as long as possible.  I know that they will find out one day but by then maybe they will just pretend that I am still 39 for this old lady's sake.  When they ask why I am younger than their parents I simply tell them the good lord said I didn't have to get any older once I became a grandmother (that was almost twelve years ago and I was 50 at the time!!).  I even told them I had a certificate that said the same thing - but they are all computer savvy and said I could have printed it up myself!  When did kids get so smart at such a young age??  I am glad I still have sweet little Megan (five years old) who still believes everything I say. 

Christmas - it get's earlier every year.

The other night I told my husband as I laid in bed watching TV that I saw my first Christmas commercial from the big hardware store - and it was only the first of November!!  (He didn't answer since it only takes him two minutes to fall asleep when he hits the bed - takes me an hour!!)  Actually, I don't mind the Christmas commercials and advertising in the stores being out so early.  I love the excitement and the feelings you get when it is time to start preparing.  We have always felt that Thanksgiving is the beginning of a month long Christmas celebration by first giving thanks for the many blessings that have been bestowed upon us.  Then by making home made gifts for our family and friends, shopping a little, and planning Santas visit to our home at our family only Christmas Eve dinner.  I am so glad that there is a lot of time in between to enjoy the anticipation - especially when there are little ones around.

Now, as you know I love to teach painting every chance I get.  This week I taught this sweet Santa to a group of my painting club friends.  You never know what they will show up with to paint on - small round wood salad bowls, a triangle shaped wood purse - as for me I painted mine on a 13" silver tray.  I love silver but I do not like cleaning it so once it has reached a point of no return - on with the paint.  Haven't decided what I will do with it yet - perhaps I will display it on a small tripod or maybe I will list it in my shop.  I really do not need another Christmas platter or decoration - my husband had a storage building built just to hold the decorations!!  But you can never have too many when there are grandchildren around - they have always wanted to "take this home with me" every year so I must have more!!  So, I am off to Old Tyme Pottery this morning even though it is freezing outside (it was suppose to get down to 38 degrees last night but thank goodness it will be back up to 78 degrees by Tuesday).  Just can't stand the cold!
                      
I know this is really not pink but I was running out of things to write about.  It does have a pink rose, hope that counts.  Check out Pink Saturday at Ms. Beverly's.

I am having a Christmas giveaway...3 little snowmen

If you have been following me you know I love pink - but I also love blue, lavender, browns, reds - almost any color - but my least favorite is orange - I only like it in the fall.  At any rate, I am having a Pink Christmas giveaway - but wait - if pink isn't your color I will custom paint the ornament in your choice of colors.  You have several chances to win and are not complicated at all. 

Rules are:

1.  If you are not already a follower become one and you have one chance of winning.

2.  If you post this on your blog you get another chance of winning.

3.  And for my followers, I so appreciate you that I am giving you two chances of winning.

That's it - easy-peasy!!  I will host another giveaway in a few weeks so stay tuned.  I will be busy painting and sewing up until the week before Christmas - I do need a few days to shop! 

I forgot to tell you the date of the drawing will be 15 November.  OOPS, I forgot to tell you that the giveaway is for a set of three ornaments as you see on the left.!!

 

Snow??? Not!

I spoke with my sister in Pennsylvania and she told me it was snowing on her mountain!!  I can't even imagine snow anytime of the year - but it seems to be a bit early for the good folks in Pennsylvania.  I am sure it is a beauty to look at especially when it is covering the ground.  So, for her, I am sending pictures of her home state - Florida.  I want her to remember what it is like here - this isn't snow even though it is the same color - it is the beautiful sands of Pensacola Beach after the storm washed ashore and covered the roads.  When we drove down Fort Pickens Road the mounds of sand made me wonder if this is what it looks like when the snow is shoveled to the side of the road.  So, for you Barbara, Florida beckons - if it gets too bad up there in the mountains - head for home.  We might be able to give you the look without the cold and wet!! 

Happy Pink "Christmas Ornament" Saturday

 I simply love painting ornaments!  But I find it much more interesting to paint on items you would not normally think of as an ornament.  As most decorative painters do, I have painted many spoon ornaments and lightbulbs.  Items you can find in most any home - and it is a great way to recycle.  These are a few of the spoons I painted this year.  They are painted in the soft blues and pinks that are so popular but I do have some painted in the traditional colors.  Santas, snowmen, beach scenes, country scenes and of course, the popular roses and daisies.  By the end of the holidays I rarely have any left between my ETSY shop and the art show I do each year - and the special orders I still receive from my customers who frequented my brick and mortar store many years ago.  I feel honored that they look forward to their special ornaments each year.  I am joining Ms. Beverly at How Sweet the Sound later today for this week's Pink Saturday.  Come on over and check out what all the other participants are posting.   

I have never been much of a fall person - and I never knew there were white pumpkins.  But last year I had a request to paint roses on a pumpkin.  At first I thought - pink roses on an orange pumpkin??  No, not on the orange ones, but on the white ones.  So I went shopping for a white pumpkin and they actually had them in the stores!!  Since I will paint on most anything, this was not a new challenge.  I picked up several white pumpkins - you never know when you will need more, right?  Well, I have finished painting the last of my stash of pumpkins and this is the only one left.  She turned out nice, I think.  I topped her in a gathered pink lace with pink ribbon, a couple of white feathers, and a few strands of pearls - then topped that with several white paper roses.  I have added her to my ETSY shop but I won't be too disappointed if she doesn't sell.  She will be pretty on my table until time to decorate for Christmas - heck, I might even include her in the Christmas decorations as well. 

Did you see the notice at the top of my page?  Only 62 days left til Christmas!!  That isn't enough time for me to get everything done - but I am ahead of the game in some ways.  I shop throughout the year for presents for my children, the trick is trying to keep them from finding them - and for me to find them when it is time to put them under the tree.  I have been known to hide them so well we don't find them until the next year. 

My daughter loves to shop in my house - she will go from room to room and look for things to decorate her home.  I don't mind since I have too much stuff anyway.  She has deleted everything from my guest bath - including the soap (she liked the color), she found a small table, curtains, and paintings for her place.  Last night as she was shopping she found a drawer of stocking stuffers I had purchased in New York this past summer.  With some really fast maneuvering, I managed to get the drawer shut before she emptied it - she managed only to get a book mark out.  Now I am off to find a new hiding place for everything in that drawer.  I suppose I should just place everything in one of those Rubbermaid containers but that would make it too easy so I am thinking under the bed - no one ever looks under there!!

Save the tatas---

Happy Pink Saturday, yall.  My older sister was diagnosed with breast cancer about ten years ago.  After months of chemo and radiation she is now cancer free.  In honor of her and the struggles she went through with this disease - and because she is a very funny person and can appreciate my humor, this ornament is for her.  Stop by How Sweet the Sound and see what other lovelies the ladies have come up with. 

(Sorry about the second post, I had to come back and add the photo)