Cyrille Gulassa.........

While reading Bloesom's blog, I stumbled upon Cyrille Gulassa and clicked on through to her site. I believe she is in Austria. You must take a look. Her philosophy revolves around exhuberant living!!! Such a visual feast...beautiful things. I'm going to be in trouble this month!!!

Painting at Lake George

Have you ever heard of the artist Valery Tsarikovsky? Well my friend saw him painting on the streets of Lake George. She stopped to chat with him and even went to get her camera to snap some shots because she knew I would love it and I DO! He said he could let us know when he was painting in Central park and we could come out! How cool is that!
I was just there last weekend, one week too early.

testing

Monday...lunch and magazines

My laptop is not my friend today, or maybe its just Blogger. It won't let me upload photos at the moment. Not that it's a terrible thing to have a post without one. But I'm very visual. I'd rather have a post with a picture and no verbiage than the opposite.

Anyway.... I just returned from lunch where I read some magazines and had the most delicious Italian strata from Barnes and Noble. It was sooo tasty!

Do you ever feel like life is way too busy lately. I know we all are. But I'm just craving a simpler life at the moment. Just to scale down a bit and enjoy the simple things.

well I'll post the photos later when I can.

Love this map!

Isn't this a cute Puzzle map! I saw this on HouseandGarden.com. They were really just talking about the climate and the plant hardiness zone, etc etc. I just want this puzzle map. Don't see any reference to where we could buy it. But I just skimmed through.

Reglazed silhouette plates

I totally want to do this!!!!!! Whenever I get that 25th hour in the day. No really, this I have to find time to do. Looks like so much fun!

From HGTV (I saw it on Black, White, Bliss)

'Green design expert Danny Seo shows how to turn old dishes into a decorative wall display with this fun and easy project. No kiln or any special tools are required, just a stack of old plates from the thrift store (or your cupboards), and a few supplies from a craft store. This project is an excellent example of resourcefulness and turning something ordinary into a thing of beauty.'

Go read the details.........you'll want to do it too.

kidsfactory.nl

Look what I scored just now!!!!!!!!!!!

This darling pink haired Sophie doll from the Black Apple's latest shoppe update!!!! I was ready and waiting, I kept refreshing, I kept waiting to see that pink hair and snatched her up! I had a moment of panic as I forgot to login. But I got her, she's all mine!!!

I'm sure my little girl will wonder how it could possibly not be for her. But this one is for MAMA!!!!!

My work is done for the day.... just kidding.

Yayyy......I'm a happy chicky!!1

Owls in the night

Mini book pages--Huckleberry Finn

These are a couple of pieces I drew on Mini pages of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

When I say mini, the book pages are 3" x5". Well, I'll get a ruler for sure, but by eyeing it that's my guess. They will be in my shop early next week. They will most likely be a set.

Weekend plans

This is what I hope to be staring at this weekend......OK not exactly this spot, but somewhere along the Jersey shore!

Mijnes.com

Gosh...this is such a cute diaper bag. Not that I need one these days. But I just love it.

I found this note....

today while cleaning out my desk at work. It is in my handwriting but I wish I wrote down where I found this quote, BECAUSE I LOVE IT SO.

'The world around you is whatever you sincerely ask of it. Your life is precisely what you ask of it, with your thoughts, your actions, and your attitude....
The value you look for, and the value you expect, is the value you will find. What you decide to make of anything will ultimately define for you what it is. What you truly expect to see you will most certainly see. The way you genuinely expect to live is the way your life will surely proceed. When you know without the slightest doubt that it will happen, IT WILL HAPPEN!'

Chock full of ETSY.......

Have you seen this months (online) edition of Small Magazine? It is just full of wonderful ESTY artists, including Camilla Engman. They did a little piece on her. But they include many products by other artists too. So very nice to see!!!

Are you going

to the Renegade Craft fair??? I want to go soooo very badly.

Old skool

This image is from Real Simple's June magazine as well. I would love to have a pair of these again. Although, I can't help but think I'm going to break something! Still, the pink wheels are great!!! And I know that RollerBLADES are what's 'IN' now, I don't care.....I want the classics!!

Centerpieces: Boxes of wheatgrass

How completely amazing are these!!!! I saw this in Real Simple's magazine this weekend. And I think these are perfect for a garden party! They mention the 5x3 acrylic clear mini stack boxes are from the container store $7. each, Butterflies from Michaels, $2 each....No mention of how to grow the wheat grass etc. I guess its obvious to some...but I don't have a green thumb so I'll have to google that one.

The weekend is HERE.........yayyy!!!!!

Is it sad that we love weekends so darn much...shouldn't we love the rest of the week nearly as much... NAHHHH!

So let's see......... we will be having a Bday celebration. Well we did some celebrating last week but my husbands actual bday is tomorrow. So we will be going out to a hopefully very nice and delicious dinner by ourselves! My sis will be taking the little one to do whatever!!! She loves her aunty so she's very happy to stay with her!!! I'll definitely be doing some painting and just enjoying the good weather!!!!

Totally unrelated image..... this is a Porsche once owned by Janis Joplin that was recently unveiled at the Whitney museum. I saw it on the Domino blog.

Domino June/July

Have you grabbed your copy of Domino this month!!! I'm loving the color.....the green is just lovely and the pattered chairs in the back are perfect.... and that skirt, where's the fiesta!!
I'll share more later......

A day at work..............

I'm here, really I am.
Here's what I want.......................
to wake up in the early morning, put on a brand new pair of soft flip flops, old well worn tattered jeans, simple white tee, head out into the back yard with canvas and brush in hand and be able to paint all day!
See now that would be a great day at work! In my dreams right now.
But dreams are the fuel for LIFE!!! Right?

My new tote!!!

I just ordered this Giallo tote bag and cannot wait to get it.It is made by DrikaB on etsy, of course. (photo from ETSY)

My new favorite blog

Anna Maria Horner is one seriously talented designer, mama, artist and so much more.

I am totally inspired by her work and creativity. And she has 5 kids...how does she do it?

I think I just read every post on her blog...I'm exhausted.

If you want to be inspired, just head on over......

Keep calm and Carry on!

(this pic is from PensiveVolcano:flickr)

I just ordered this poster from Victoria SFGIRLBYBAY! I know its been all over flickr and everywhere...but I had to get it!!!

Take a peek

If you want to take a peek at my Anthropologie painting, go here. Take it easy on me, I haven't picked up a brush in umpteen years. But I love the process so I'm ok with sharing as I go.

Wardrobe refashion

So remember how just two weeks ago I posted about 'using what you have' and trying to curb the shopping bug for mass produced items. Well this weekend I was reading my copy of Adorn mag and there was a little blurb in there about 'Wardrobe refashion' where you go to this site and pledge to abstain from purchasing 'new' manufactored items for a period of 2/4 /or 6 months. And you post photos to share with everyone! See more here..... at Nikkishell.typepad

The great thing is that you're not banned from buying handmade things..for example from ETSY. So you can still get your fix. : )
I haven't pledged yet...because June is a killer month with my sisters Bday, husbands Bday, Nephew's Bday, 1 anniversary, 1 graduation, Father's Day, it's totally overwhelming.

Pledge:

'I __________________ pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 / 4 / 6 months. I pledge that i shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoated, recylcled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftyness brings! Signed__________________.'

New Kendra Binney pieces

Kendra Binney has some new pieces out and I'm totally wanting them. I feel a purchase coming real soon. And see her redesigned web site here too.

Peek into the lovely home........

of Domino Editor Deborah Needleman. (photos nymag.com)

the children's rooms below......so nice...

Kate

Completely lovely...Kate Spade.

What I'm listening to........

at this very moment...........MIKA 'Grace Kelly'!!!


Love it!

ETSY love

Some of my latest etsy purchases... I just ordered last night so I haven't seen them in person yet. But I can't wait, they are so beautiful!!! I saw them and had to buy them instantly. Which I normally don't do. How could I resist!!!

These beauties are from Green Thumb Designs

New Hamlet pages

'Ambiguous'
'Laertes'

Use what you have....

I want to make a promise to myself that I will get creative with my wardrobe and make something I love out of the things that I don't love as much. Meaning that I would take a shirt, skirt, pants and embellish it or modify it somehow to make it into a one of a kind piece that I love. I'm rambling here, I do realize. It's late. But maybe you know what I'm getting at. I was just thinking about this today and wanted to promise myself I would do this first before I bought another mass produced piece of clothing. I didn't make the promise because I'm not determined to keep it yet, at this moment. But I love the thought and I'm going to ponder it some more until I just really have to do it.
Have you ever done anything like that?

Here's a new one...

Here's a page I worked on after dinner. I love old skeleton keys and that's what inspired this one. It was done in ink and 2 of the strings holding the keys were sewn with thread.
And then I watched Grey's Anatomy. I'm so hooked, yes I love that show.

Geez where does the time go?

I can't believe it's been so long already. So much to do. I made this little number last night. It's very similar to the other Shakespeare page, except this is Hamlet. Someone was inquiring about Hamlet pages so I thought I would make a few.
I love doing them. You would really not believe how time consuming sewing on paper is. I didn't. And it's obviously not as forgiving as cloth, because once you poke a hole, that's it. I just really love having the words as a background. Funny thing is when I am choosing pages, I always start reading them and get totally distracted from creating!!!

I still need to show you guys my Anthropologie painting.....it's not quite finished yet. But I'll show ya anyway.......... I stopped by Anthro today to browse around. It's sooo difficult to browse, but I kept telling myself to try to get ideas or inspiration and not buy anything. So I was good and didn't buy one tiny thing!

beautiful Greta..

I want a Greta..don't you? She's one of The Black Apple's girl's, of course. I hope she will be a print too.... I just love the brown's in this painting.

French Vanilla light and sweet

That is my drink of choice in the morning and now in the afternoons too. From Dunkin donuts, of course. In the spring and summer I drink iced and in the winter or fall, I switch back to hot.
My day isn't the same without it. I Love my Dunkin donuts coffee. We even buy it on the weekends too. It's crazy, if you think about how much you are spending. So I don't think about it. I just enjoy it ever so much!!! What's you're addiction?

2jane.com

Check out these 'Paint-by-numbers wall strips' by 2jane. I think they are kind of cool.
'The bold graphics look great on their own and the bright, pre-colored backgrounds ensure the prints appear finished even before coloring begins! Suggested color palettes are included on the hanging instructions but creativity should be your guide! ' 6" x 15 feet. $20.