Postcards.

I ordered some postcards a few weeks ago and they arrived today! The colors are vibrant and the front has a nice shiny varnish on it. Me likey!

I like to get surprises in the mail! How about you?

Random Musings:
Tomorrow, we are going camping for the 4th of July weekend. Mr Man has been out of town so it was up to me and The Kid to get all our camping gear in order. A few weeks ago, camping sounded like a really good idea, however as it is here upon us, I am re-thinking my idea of fun as I imagine hungry bears pawing their way through thin fabric tents foraging for a midnight snack. Sigh. Wish me luck.

Oh, our super granola friends who dream up these camping adventures have UPGRADED to the campsites with FLUSH toilets! Woo-hoo! No stinky pit toilets!


Thursday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for beautiful San Diego weather and hot showers!

Treats for your Eyes.

Upon finding the www.fodiggity.com website and drooling over food inspired art, I visited some of the linkies that were posted... well you'll know why when you take a look!

Fried Chicken COOKIES by Bake at 350

Smore's Stuffed Strawberries by Jasmin at 1 Fine Cookie

Eggo My Lego by Keith Greenstein

I am SO in love the cuteness of the chicken legs, would possibly make the Smore's Strawberries if I wasn't so lazy overwhelmed with packing for camping, and we are serious Lego enthusiasts around here!

Did these make you smile today?

Love leaves a memory.

There was a memorial service today for my mother-in-law who passed on to another life a few months ago. The service was in Hawaii and sadly, I couldn't be there at this time. So, to celebrate her life in my own small little way, I created this to tribute her lovely spirit. She is greatly missed.

So much heartache lately. Are you missing someone today?

Wednesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for funny little boys who are very good at Scrabble!

Food and Art!

I stumbled upon this blog, www.foodiggity.com, and was mesmerized! It's fascinating... you might find it too as this a blog about food AND art... two things that go well together! Here's a sampling...

Creams by Joel Penkman

Coffee art by Susan Jane Belton

And who couldn't love Beer and Bacon Cupcakes by Jasmin of 1 Fine Cookie?

Foodiggity.com. Go!

Arty smarty.

My agent returned some canvases that I made a while back and I sort of forgot about these. So, now I've got some new art prints in the Etsy shop with canvases to come soon. This art will make sense to some people as there are some people who realize: Life is short, make it interesting/ and it's important to... Breathe as you already are the person you wish to be/ and also... Wishes really do come true!

 

How about you? Do you think wishes do come true?

Tuesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful to be finished with some tough deadlines because now I get to submit invoices! Hooray!

Your heart is where you treasure is.

I've been blessed with faithful friends and my heart is warm with all the treasure. You know, sometimes it's funny how the ones you least expect turn out to be the faithful ones!

How about you? Are you rich in friendship?

Monday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a puppy that I like... A LOT, a short haired boy, and some finished art to hand over to my agent.

Treasure of the heart.

Sundays are the best days. You've relaxed into your weekend long enough to where you actually feel relaxed, it's the day before Monday which is usually a good day, aaaannnnnddd I get to spend another full day with my favorite person and the treasure of my heart... the kid.

Tomorrow, which is Monday, I am cutting the long locks of this such person. The locks (that can sometimes take the shape of a mullet) I've ignored for almost an entire year because this kid just needed to have long hair. Tonight he showed me photos from a year ago and said he wanted THAT hair. The short around the ears and neck but long enough to flip your head and get some movement. Yes, THAT hair! Yes, Mondays are good days!

How about you? Do you like Mondays?

Sunday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for fresh paint and old paint brushes.

Dear 16 year old ME.

Life is short.

What makes you smile?

Saturdays' Gratitude:
I am so grateful for lots to smile about.

Best Summer, EVER!

With the Kid not even a full week out of school, it's been a very busy summer so far. Three days in Palm Springs (without a camera, doh!) and a full afternoon at the San Diego Fair is a great way to kick off the BEST SUMMER EVER! 

Unfortunately, all this activity doesn't leave me much time for drawing and painting so a few photos will have to do. Until tomorrow that is.

Thursday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for good friends, bad fair food and long summer afternoons!

Treasure.

Where is your treasure?

Wednesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for 3 fun-filled days in Palm Springs with dear friends.

Walk on.

Tuesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful to be walkin' with hope.

Monday Blues.

Miss you more than words can say.

Happy Day.

Wishing all the dads out there a very happy day!

Sunday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for yummy breakfasts!

Balboa Park at it's finest....

Went to a wedding this afternoon at Balboa Park. Truly haven't been to a wedding in a long while and this one was pretty special. My very favorite place in San Diego is Balboa Park and the ceremony was at the butterfly garden (where butterflies happened to dance throughout the service) and the reception was on top of the Natural History Museum. Way cool. Here are a few highlights...

Saturday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a nice, sun-shiny day!

Hand drawn goodness...

I've been working on a Wifi space layout for a client and have really been loving the hand drawn lettering look... (you can click on it to view larger)

So much so that I made this...

Happy Friday!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

According to random.org, we have a winner for June's Give Away...

Brooke Evans

It also happens to be Brooke's birthday today too! Happy birthday, wishing you lotsa love!

Off and running.

Today was the last day of 4th grade for The Kid. Here he is posing with his teacher, Kim, truly happy that school is over. My very favorite part in the photo is his hand sticking straight out while showing his certificate. Well, maybe that little dimple too.

Happy Graduation little man!

Friday's Gratitude:
I am SO grateful it's Friday and off to see The Hangover 2 in an hour or so. Woo-hoo!

Beastly.

Dear Beast,

You can stop chewing on brand new clothing, Mac cords, and random things you can get your paws on. Really. You've got our attention, you've always had it so you can stop. We are glad you are here but really now... stop the chewing.

Thanks,

The management.

Thursday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful to find a hair stylist who can work magic!

Carving art.

Here are the results from art class with fourth graders. I think it was a success, especially when the kid says to me, "Mom, this is so much fun, I want to do this again!" He even said it in FRONT of his peers... that says success to me.

Tuesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a break from work today.

Making art.

What can one do with these simple tools? A pen, a piece of foam & an ink pad...

Well, one could carve into the foam with the pen...

Then one could press the foam into the ink and make a print!

Then, one must humbly go before 19 4th graders and show them how to do this very same thing. Tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Monday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for so much work my hair is turning grey. Must find really good hairdresser!

All in a day's work.

New logo for a friend. Which do you like best?

Sunday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for an early, very early bed time tonight! Too much work, not enough weekend!

Riding a bike.

I love me some quotes. I think you do too... so I thought I'd share this one as it's quite brilliant. My dear friend told me the other day that she prints out my quotes and shares them with her family every night at dinner. It opens up the table for interesting discussions. I like that. In fact I LOVE that. Her kids are learning life lessons & learning to TALK about them every single day. THAT is keeping the balance. Oh, my heart is warm right now!

 

Thank you my friends, you keep me moving every single day!

Leave a comment to be entered into my June Give Away!

Saturday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful to be able to spend quality time with my niece all day long!

I could make that... & I DID!

This is my one thousandth six hundred and sixty sixth post. That is 1,666. I don't really believe in superstition but this number makes me a tad uncomfortable. So I thought I'd post a silly little take away that will delight young and old kids (that means you too!) These are SUPER easy to make and here is a fantastic tutorial... if you feel so inclined!

Happy Fried Egg! (Friday)

Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into my June Give Away! You can also scroll down a few posts to see it.

The best dinner EVER!

If you want to impress your friends and family... make this for dinner. Really. Oh, and it's SUPER easy.

I made this recipe card for a couple who are getting hitched and asked for delicious recipes... I couldn't resist. These are the best! You are welcome to copy to your computer and print for yourself.

Don't forget to scroll down one post to read about my June Give Away. It's a print and it'll warm your heart. Easy to enter... just leave a comment!

Friday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful I have so much to be grateful for.

June Give-Away!

To celebrate the month of June, I am giving away this print of one of my new paintings. It is 8.5 X 11 in size and although looks lovely shown in this frame, the frame is not included. (Also, the copyright plastered across the front will not be on your print!)

If you want it, please leave a comment from now until June 17th, the last day of freedom school and the official marking of summer for me. Any comment will do, just tell me something...

(You can click on the image to see it larger.) Happy June!

Accomplishments.

My first attempt at using CS5... it is much the same but at the same time so VERY different. I feel like I know Illustrator like the back of my hand so the new upgrade is a welcome change. I think some tutorials are in order today sometime!

Today, I am hoping to accomplish smalls tasks as if they were great and noble!

Pay attention.

Another way to say, "Stop and smell the roses!" You, extraordinary YOU!

Game on.

Yeah, Blogger, seems to me that you're just trying to give me something to do! Maybe my game needs to get bigger! I'm having the "cookie" issue again. Anyone else having the same?

I'll be having a give away soon so check back... hopefully tomorrow!

Tuesdays' Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a really nice dermatologist who makes pretty stitches on the human canvas.

Wednesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a warm family of friends.

Mondays are for marketing.

Mondays are great days. Usually, I reserve the day for marketing projects but mostly I just like the sound of "Marketing Monday" and pretend I'm doing something of that sort. Even if it's something very small in the direction of marketing, like getting organized or some sort of research for promotion... I still call it a great day. Here is a bit of a project I'm working on at the moment...

But today, my "Marketing Monday" is going to high light another site. The They Draw and Travel blog is having a contest. A $2,000 contest! Nate and Salli, the super duper bother and sister duo, created the original site theydrawandcook which snow balled into a published book and a relationship with the Food Network! H E L L O! Their new site theydrawandtravel site is a place where illustrators draw maps of cities and submit them to the site. Check it out... it's awesome!

Here's some more details about the contest:
"Nate and Salli, the creators of They Draw & Cook have created a fun new venture called They Draw & Travel - Illustrated Maps by Artists from Around the World. There are a few dozen maps on view already and they look great! To celebrate the launch of this new site they are sponsoring a $2,000 Marvelous Map Contest. Deadline is July 18, 2011."


Monday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for an exciting Little League Championship game to watch tonight!

Thank you.

Seems a little silly that such a small phrase can produce such large results.

However, this small phrase has such power behind it. Saying thank you for anything seems to alter the mind. It prepares space in your mind for good things to enter as the words thank you replace the space for negative thoughts. Little by little, saying thank you for all the things in your life will move mountains, whatever your mountains might be! Truly.

Thank you for showing up at my blog. You mean more to me than I am equipped to verbalize.

Sunday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for new software to teach to my son (of course after my own learning curve) because one day he will be MUCH more techie than I am. Might already be so!

Critters and software can coexist!

My representation of nature in a cute critter... he-he.

This is turning out to be a very busy weekend. Wish it weren't so, but there's nothing I can do about it but try to enjoy it somewhere in the midst of chaos. My favorite thing in the line up is this box that is sitting on my desk... staring at me... demanding I give it attention right now... I've got to look away, look away!

Tomorrow my friend, we'll meet tomorrow.

Friday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for fun work, fabulous friends and hopefully a margarita very soon. : )

Try, try again.

Ha-ha, not sure I completely agree with Mr. Fields but this sure made me laugh! How about you?

Here is another side tickler... The Kid's class had a field trip today and when I walked into the classroom to collect my plethora of hoodlums classmates, The Kid came up to me with a red ink line across his neck. Then he blurted out, "I drew this so I could be a red neck!" Ha-ha, blow me down, that kid cracks me up! (Still giggling over that one.)

Thursday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a field trip to the Zoo with The Kid's 4th grade class... yet again, another slice of humble pie. Isn't it funny how the smallest of persons can continually dish out the pie?