Postcards from Chickamaugie

So I had this idea to do a series of collaged postcards (for looking at, not for sending)... and here are 2 out of 12 I finished a last week or so.

It's kind of funny... I started with these little postcard sized pieces o paper, but then I found these great (and cheap) 5" x 7" frames. So, the postcards grew... and grew... and grew a little more... until they fit into their big boy frames.

I really like the buzzard in the yellow Q postcard.
I guess I should call them something other than postcards, eh. Hmmm.... Yostcards, toastercards, boastingcards, roastingcards... AAAGGGHH - no more Rhyming I mean it!!!

Me and my girl

Sweet Joshie took this pic of me & Lavender today. We had just gotten back from a super fun BBQ with lots of old friends. Today was one of those days where you just get so overcome with gratitude for your life and all its blessings.

I love this pic of me and Lavender... I look like her mommie and she looks like my girl. What a sweet expression on her little face!

My Jumpin Bean!

She gears up... She looks...
And she JUMPS!
LOTS & LOTS of Jumps!




Lavender on the Move!!! This is little one's favorite thing to do. It is so fun to watch her go go go... and to see the proud look she sports after you cheer her on! Love this jumpin bean!

Sweet peas

We were lucky enough to sqeeze a little slumber party with good friends into our weekend. Here are a few snippets of our times. I love these pics of the kiddos being so sweet... of course, what could be sweeter than hugs and napping??? he he
You will see that Lavender is clutching her favorite toy even while she sleeps!


so sweet

Project Runway Dismay

So my absolute favoritest show in the whole world is Project Runway. I know, I know - its a reality show and all, but I have to say I am just so obsessed with it... I just love watching the creative process in action!!! To me, art is art - creativity is creativity no matter if your working with clothing, bits of paper or garbage, stone, whatever.

All that to say, I am just soo bummed that one of favorite designers was booted off the show last night. The dress she made (out of recycled paper!!) is the pic to the right. I think its cool (despite the crazy bow atop the head)! I am just so bummed when reality show peeples eliminate candidates for silly miniscule reasons and keep others b/c they make good/dramatic tv watchin. ugh. Bon voiage, Allison! I will miss looking at your great styles!

Framing wonders

I meant to post these a while back... These pics are of a piece that I finished a couple of years ago and gave to Ginny (Josh's mom) for xmas. She had it framed so well that I just had to post it... I was amazed how the framing added that perfect finishing touch! Ginny liked the marbly matteboard in the framing so much it influenced the paint color of the wall. I think it all just looks great! so neat-o!! I am always very impressed by great framing... I guess that is b/c I am really not skilled at making things look clean and polished. All that attention to detail drives me bonkers if it isn't essentially tied to the composition of a piece.
Anyways, here it is.

The CNC experience

So, one of my new favorite things to do in our little Chattavegas town is exploring the Chattanooga Nature Center. So lovely!!! Here are a few pics of my outing with my pa and little Lavender girl.
We all fell in love with this wonderful treehouse they have that you can only get to via a stroll down a shady boardwalk. This is my dream home! Someday I will live in a house like this one... In the exterior shot it might look like it is built around 4 trees, but it is really just one big big big girl stretching out her lovely branches! NEATO - can't say that enough!!!!! The other shot is an interior (duh, jen) and you can see why I am so mesmerized... this thing is decked out with stained glass winders, intricately carved posts and even a swing to relax in! I have about a trillion more pics of all these things, but even I realize that not everyone wants to see every crevis of this thing... eh .

Now for the most important pic of all... my pa and my little one. I love the way my dad looks at my daughter... it's like you can see the love, pride and happiness that only a father knows. I love this picture!

I could say a lot of things about everything we saw today... the beautiful flowers, the bobcat, a bald eagle, some snakes, and friends from other seasons... but the day is fading and there is a cool swimming pool waiting for me & my sweet family. lata, kids!

'A Beginning'

I thought I would go ahead and post a piece I finished a couple o' weeks ago. It was the one I was referring to when I said I had hit a wall and nothing seemed to work quite right with it. I think it turned out ok... and I have to say I have it to thank for forcing me into a really productive season. I had started this piece 2 other times and those 2 others are now getting their own start. we'll see how they turn out!!

Ella, Cantelope and First Words

here is a pic I tried to post a few days ago. Lavender and I went a swimmin' with josh, lindy and the kiddos...so fun to play together before josh had to go back to school! This pic is ella checkin' out little Lavy's fine hair...obviously Lavender is really concerned with keeping up her do. smile
and yes, here is more Lavender! Shocking, I know. anyway, I was really excited that she was able to hold her own food for the first time. Cantelope - yum. She definately did not inherit her daddy's taste buds! She'll be like her mama... actually eating green things and such.

I also would like to ask for your opinions here...
Lavender has been saying 'DA DA' for the past few weeks... I think this counts as her first words. However, Josh here says that it doesn't count since she does not know what she is saying. First of all, all communication starts with mimic, so how do we really know when this tiny little person really knows what they are saying? there is no way to tell... so in my infallible book (eh eh ) DA DA is the first words. done... let me know what ya'll think.

Sweet one!!!

Here's little lavender eatin' up some rice cereal the other morning! I love how she starts with just a little cereal around her mouth and then ends up covered from hair to toe in a glorious mess! She is such a good eater even if it ends up everywhere. smile
And yet another pic of my sweet girl playin' tummy style on her boppie. what a bold look on her sweet face!!! love this girlllll!

dancing fruits

Here is a wee video clip that joshie and i made while lavy was a nappin'. we had so much fun making this little thing! and yes, it is very silly.

Fruits of my labor

here is a piece o' art i just finished. i'm very happy with the colors and the look of it... we'll see how long this happy feeling sticks around, considering that most of the time i like a finished work for a total of 1 week tops. smile.
not really sure what to title this guy... i find the task of titling artwork such a drag. there seems to be only a few pieces in my world that really need (deserve?) a title. perhaps some of you other arty cats know what i'm sayin'.

and this here cute little grape tomato is the first fruit of my vegetable garden! it now lives in my tummy and i hate to admit that it didn't even taste super good... hmmm. i think i should stick to growing herbs and ornamental plants seeing that all my veggies have gone south or been eaten by june bugsies or woolie marmots. somehow growing a baby girl seems easier to me than keeping my tomato plant alive!

Cards for my peeps

the art block has broken... I got projects everywhere now. Here are just a few cards i made for some of yous... perhaps you will find one in your mailbox tomorrow! (excuse my poor photos... er)

Giant Girl Doll

found this today... it is kinda wonderful... kinda creepy, but i can't seem to look away. hmmm

Me & my girls... and kids

Here is some snips from our weekend with Kate a Kate, Cat, Jos and Eden. So fun to have the kiddo posse out and about in our little city. As you can see the girls are having a grrreat time exploring each other's digits...(it takes sooo much to please them ya know! Sometimes i wonder why in the heck my house is covered in giant plastic primary colored kid entertainment devices???!!!)


I love this pic of Jos roaring like his lion at coolidge parky! He is such a little adventurer...exploring his surroundings, learning, playing and telling me allll about it!!! Love him so!

Here is Aunty Cat (a.k.a Miss Cathy, according to Jos--- love to hear him say that!) with my girl. She wasn't so sure about the water shooting up from the ground at the park...errr....not quite like great grandma's pool! So thankful to have Cat and Kate to make everything so much fun and so much easier too!
Here is little Eden... looking so bold and strong (even though she was pretty unsure of all this water business!)! I love this pic... looks so much like Kate... a little red haired Kate!

Jello & stickers!

Here's a little series of me and little bit inspecting stickers and jello stuck on the winder of Uncle Mal's cabin. I thought these are so sweet... I love watching my girl explore new things! As far as creating actual jello thick enough to stick to the window... errr... very interesting. perhaps these have something to do with the massive amount of ant colonies that we lived with that weekend!!! gotta go - more lata.

Cotton candy Shoes

My favorite shoes here... oooooh, so girly! I have to admit I love the jeans with funky shoes bit... makes me feel girly and complex, which i'm not. he he
I also included a snippet of our weekend adventures. Lavender seems to be giving Ella's nose a little taste! a bunch of us "grown-ups" did a kiddo trade-off from the girls to the boys, so everyone could get a little break. So fun to be out and about with the girls without yanking the kids and alll the gear around. I forgot who was for a bit.
Been working on some art that hasn't been working out the way I wanted... go figure. i will post some when the esthetic war has been won.

My dream house

Uncle Mal's cabin on the lake... ahhh!! So, we escaped to the restful waters of Lake Martin for a weekend getaway. Oh, how nice to break loose of the confines of technology for a bit. This cabin belongs to Josh's Uncle Mal and family. The place is a bit of heaven on earth... no working tv, a phone that never rings, and all the sun, lounging and card playing you could ask for. It seems as if this little cabin has been lost in time... all the furniture is from '62ish and there are notes tacked to the wall that haven't been removed since its purchase... these notes post "the rules" of lake living, which pretty much revolve around being thankful and going to bed when the sun does. These things are ok by me... I found myself reluctant to leave. smile

My Mojo Show

I am happy to report that my artwork is gracing the walls of our little Mojo Burrito! This is the first showing I have done in Chatty town since we moved from Florida. I am really pleased with how my work interacts with the wall color there... It seems to just pop! It makes me enjoy seeing all this work that has been packed away since we left Floridy. The interior shots aren't as comprehensive as they should be... it was so packed out when me and Jess were there (with little Lavender and LuLu girls)... hard to get good images. You can't see all the works here so you will just have to stop in next time you find yourself over in the St. Elmo land. Hope you enjoy!!!

Debut

Here i am... finally entering the blogging world! It took long enough...eh. Anyways, i though this pic was just perrrfect for our debut. This is my sweet girl enjoying a warp speed tour of the downstairs of our house! We chased our poor doggie round and round.... WOOPIEEEE!!! (adel - the dog, was not quite as geeful as little Lavender here) This is what happens when Jen gets ahold of Lavender's pimped out stroller... cruisin in her 5.0... yo!