back to basics

Anyone writing a blog for business purposes would never post another person’s work for publicity, but
A. I am doing this as a fun hobby 
and
B. this is not just any person.
my one and only “sissy” painted this. a-m-a-z-i-n-g. we have never been the type to fight (well, maybe when we were like 10 and under). i have always accepted her beauty, her outstanding athletic ability, and her over-my-head geniusness. and, she has always appreciated the older, ditzy, outgoing sister in me. i believe our opposite personalities is what keeps us so close and interested! one of the qualities i think we have in common is our motherly instinct. we are both very nurturing and both multi-task with the best of them. enough of the boring stuff, let’s get down to this piece of art (she did for her boyfriend, or “lumber-jack”….love you, jack!). he is from NOLA, so her goal was to capture the Louisiana wetlands.  as I recall, she questioned me back before Christmas about how to grid off a canvas….what??....grid?? i had not done that since like 4th grade (even forgot about it, for that matter). obviously, it worked.

instant gratification

we recently transformed part of the guest room into a play area.  the idea seems simple, however, i seriously contimplated taking the king size bed out and moving a small day bed in, therefore having ample space for miss mollie and i to play; moving in new flooring, moving out side tables, etc.  then, i was then reminded of how often "tini" comes to visit us (well, baby girl) and sleeps there.  when there are too many "if's" it is never a good sign...IF we could find storage for our mattress(could give the bed away easily), IF we could find a replacement bed, IF IF IF.  so, i decided to keep the large bed (my desk area too!!) and simply move furniture around to make a play area for us, while "baby-proofing" the dangerous areas and adding a baby gate to the door.  the only thing i actually moved out of the room was an old leather chair.  down the road when mollie grows out of her crib, i will be more mentally prepared to make the guest room into a "big girl" room for her, complete with her toys or whatever else she's accumulated by then. 

the room will be complete when her new art table, from bebe and pops, is added (still unassembled in the garage).  i can honestly say i have never been more excited about anything than to have an art table for mollie and i to share our creativity:-)  gosh, i hope not to be that aggressive mom but i pray she will love art too.  the blank wall above the chairs (where the art table will sit) will have this soon to feature friends and fun playdates.  the vintage children's chairs you see will accompany the art table, and eventually we will have to improve the toy storage.  just for the record (grandparents), if she is so generously given too many toys, they will kindly go to charity.  the rug is old...like college years old, so i don't mind when it gets messy.  the baby gate and oh so exciting garden house was a christmas gift from aunt kiki & uncle E via babies r us.  the large toy chest was my grandfather's, but i covered it with fabric, so the kiddos would be splinter-free.  it's also a nice reading nook.

nothing glamorous, but it's the little things lately i have noticed make a huge difference in "mollie life."  i am trying to appreciate every day, every moment with her.  this small change makes a big difference.  when i thought i needed a whole new room, what i really needed was a makeover(hince the post title).  after careful review of the space, and not going with my initial reaction to a whole new room transformation, i was able to save money, time, and energy...and maybe gained a few extra visits from tini:-)

side note: i was reminded of a verse this morning in my bible study lesson that i thought applied to myself as a blogger.  in a nut shell, i feel blessed to have friends and family that keep up with us here and i want to humbly say thank you for following along...

Romans 12:15-16  "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  Be of the same mind toward one another.  Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.  Do not be wise in your

own opinion."

never in a million years thought i would own one of these

garden house in front of toy bin and art area

guest bed and my desk stay!  Can you see the cute foam protectors on the sharp edge?

         vintage chairs & reading nook, complete with cheerios for snack time:-)

the knitty gritty

get nothing more from this pic but a good hard laugh:

my sweet sister started knitting and she decided i would love it too. not so. i guess you could say i "like" it but i would rather be painting or playing with baby girl. plus, this is how part of my first scarf turned out, so maybe now you understand my frustration with knitting...for those of you that are more detailed than yours truly, more power to you.

ugh, now anne tells me she's learned to cableknit. going back to a previous post...some of us have more intention to do what we feel called to do. all i know is i can't wait for my new cable knit sweater from her:-)

now, this blanket was a gift for mollie when she was born from a dear friend's mother. the time that she put into this creation baffles me. please inform me of how she knitted these small textured squares?...is this blanket "knitted" at all or is it some other technique?

yeah, so my sister amazes me once again with her creative talent.   just learning to knit a couple of months ago, she made the very generous size blanket for mollie for christmas.  thank you sissy...miss mollie loves to snuggle with it.

once again, my imaginary new camera would show detail much better.

abstract art sos

amidst the unused exercise equipment, beer bucket, and yes, a bowling ball (not mine) is my easel. paints, canvases, and brushes are also there somewhere. anyway, just thought you might want to know what i’m working with here. on a walk the other day, i built my dream art studio in my head. it was basically the complete opposite of what i have now (since it is currently in a dark garage!). i am certainly not complaining, after the news from Haiti this week. all i am saying is that one day, if i am so blessed, i will have a small-medium size room with abundant light from large windows—the French kind that open. also, gracing my art studio are very organized storage spaces. little nooks and crannies where i can store my treasures too. a sturdy easel is a must. a comfortable lounge sofa for brainstorming (and napping) would be nice, but i guess not necessary. ok, ok enough.

you will also find a random abstract (as far away from traditional as i am capable) painting above--once again the photo is horrible. i literally did in 20 minutes just for the coloring. i struggle with understanding contemporary art. every so often i will see pieces that i like and try to imbed them in my mind, but very rarely do i follow through with what I set out to paint a few weeks later. i would love to take a class one day on modern art to learn more about the importance of it, and then maybe i will appreciate it more, furthering my own ability to paint how i feel.  i tried the MoMA when i lived in nyc one summer several times and just got frustrated!

please help me understand ...

reflections

37 weeks

4:35 AM  4-2-09

Mia and Mollie meet!

Crested Butte

Returning for MV, first time sitting

Fitler, MS

Cold Christmas in Dallas

happy 2010!  i am only 12 days into the new year and already realizing what a stress case i am and how difficult life can be if you let it.  2009 was an amazing year.  God is good!  our families were blessed with the love of our lives and over the 9 months she has been with us, we have all been amazed by her more each day.  i cannot imagine a better year as long as i live!  my mission as a mother has definitely had it's ups and downs.  beginning in april with the sleep deprivation, the adjustment to nursing, the overwhelming amount of time and energy it requires to take care of this helpless child, and last but not least the shock that the company my husband worked for was shutting down.  looking back on the year: the lack of sleep was worth it, the process of nursing was empowering, and my husband WILL succeed as he determines to start his own real estate company.  the Lord only knows what this year will hold. i resolve not to make a new year's resolution because my failure will only cause more anxiety, but to look above each day and be thankful for whatever comes my way. 

third in sequence

i guess i can post my most recent painting now.  hopefully she liked it enough to give to her husband for christmas!  this is house isn't too far from ours, so i had the opportunity to drive by it a few times and take some pictures.  i also like to paint from reality but didn't want to look like a stalker.  it was a fun project.  thanks for the opportunity!

doesn't make any sense to have third before second but i am working on getting a photo of the second structure painting.  thanks for your patience and again, still waiting on that coveted canon rebel camera...