Rise of the Creative Mind

While cruising the children's book area at Barnes and Noble I came upon this end cap. Yep......here we come left brains. Under the title, A Whole New Mind, is "Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink". Hum. Maybe I'll read it. I already feel like I am at the top though. By the way, to the left was the Skinny Bitch display and the right was Eric Carle. Interesting combinations, don't you think?

I want to thank Jenny Doh, Editor-in-Chief of Somerset Magazines for including me in her personal blog this week which you can see here. I was tickled when she emailed and asked. I've been submitting some ideas to her publications over the past year and am very proud to say that my work will be featured in several of their publications over the next few months.

Just popped in to say "HI". I've been having terrible interent service this week. Urgh...About to switch service especially since I just lost this post and am now having to re-type it. Anyhoo, above is a new texture painting. One in a series I made for the Studio Gallery in Grayton Beach, Florida. I love the warm colors and the surprise pop of turquoise in the top corner.

I am headed to a Indie Craft Fair tomorrow with Valerie and some other "Flea Chicks" for a Flea Field Trip. I can't wait to be inspired by other crafters. Hope you have a super crafty weekend yourself!

Memorial Day Fun

Memorial Day. What do you think of when you hear these words? Super sales, banks close, a vacation day, cook-outs, heading to the lake, no school, swimming pools opening, etc. Yep, those are fairly synonymous with the Memorial Day Monday. For our family, especially since Billy has taken state office, this day is set aside for attending local ceremonies and local celebrations for our fallen soldier. We attended a dedication in downtown Newnan for an amazing Memorial Plaza in the morning. The speaker I could have listened to all day. His patriotism is something I can only aspire too. One fact he stated that really caught my attention was that there are over 300 million people in the USA. Less that 10% protect those 300 million. Wow. So next time you see a man or woman in a uniform you should give them a heartfelt thank you for serving and protecting you. Next we headed to Senoia for their annual Memorial Day Celebration. People come out in droves to line the streets as period costume soldiers, tractors, horses, etc. parade on by. It is one of our favorite events to participate. This year, we had the privilege of riding in this hot red car owned by Chad Caldwell. I had all this stuff to put on the car- new bunting and flags. But once we saw this, we had to leave it be!

Having my camera ready this year, I thought it'd be fun to get some pictures from the view of the car. Ahead of us were 3 jeep Willis' loaded down with period costume soldiers and the parade leader Honorable John Yates. Of course, we still find the time to be with family on this day. My belly was full of good old BBQ ribs, corn and apple pie by the time the sun went down. I hope you had a lovely day with your families as well.

Sending You Flowers

I LOVE this new product I found in Michael's! It's by K&Company...the designer is Carolyn Gavin. And get this, it is a pad chopped full of paper flowers, leaves and birds ready to just punch out, attach to wire a voila! Instant adorable bouquet that will never wilt. Of course in the rain we have been having it might, but I'll just plan to keep these on the interior of my home. hehe..

I found these great tin cones at Scott's last month. My plan was to make paper flowers to place in them and sell the finished products in my booth at the Flea. Finding these adorable paper flowers made the idea oh so much cuter! I also found in my trusty garage studio area this yellow paper fringe and pink flag picks. The only hard part to the entire project was drilling the holes for the ribbon. The rest was such fun to make.

The to/from flag pick was stamped using my vintage stamp set and brown ink. Crimpy filler and decorative ribbons complete the project. I am sure these will be purchased by someone who wants to give their friend the best "happy" ever!

I Guess They Nurture Too

After refreshing the bathroom, and then the garage (which I may show pictures of....it was quite the overhaul), I needed a break from the refreshing. So I decided to paint a little. Yes paint. I just can't stay away too long. It was Thursday, raining of course, and the cats and dog were all in. We have 4 cats, a dog, turtle and fish. And for some reason, they all converged on me while I was attempting to paint a little.

AJ curled up on my left leg. He kept pushing on Lily with his tiger paw trying to get her out of my lap. I was taking these pictures with the only lens within reach, so the pics are pretty close. I wish to goodness someone else had been home to truly capture this site.

Lily was on the right leg. Sad puppy eyes the entire time. She's got that look down!

And then there was Saily, the old lady of the house. I think she's about 15 now and holding. She's been mean as a snake her entire life....I think that's what has kept her going for so long. She was laying on the desk in front of me on scrap papers. I suppose they have nurturing instincts as well and thought they needed to keep an eye on my resting.

The Power of the Prefix RE...

I found this great page in Martha Stewart the other day and thought how appropriate for my nesting habit. As stated a couple of posts ago, "nesting" as I call it, is something I enjoy doing regularly. It occasionally begins as a simple cleaning. However, sometimes the nesting is quite deliberate and much needed. I'm supposed to be on hand/arm rest for two weeks. Hmmmmm...what to do during this time? Well, it all started with a garbage bag in my bathroom. You see, my make-up needed cleaning out. And then this happened........

Billy, would it be okay if I re-did the bathroom? Sure Jenni. I then set out to renew, refresh, revitalize my bathroom, in one day. I really wish I'd remembered to take pictures of the before. I can give you a bit of a run down though. The walls are chartreuse green, and have been for awhile. The shape of this bath meant I still liked the green and absolutely was not going to repaint it. The Radiant grate was found at a local flea market several years ago, the vintage glass towel bar at The Vintage-Fea today!

The cabinet.....this was the trigger for the painting. It was a wonderful pumpkin color I'd painted a few years ago. But it was definitely time for an upgrade. And I love it, the cool gray makes the whole room feel much richer! The other element I painted gray was the wall that divides the shower and toilet area. It was pumpkin as well. The creamy linoleum will be torn out as soon as I have the energy. My plan is to stain the concrete like I did in William's room.

On my side of the vanity I hung a vintage tool sales stand I found at a flea market years ago to hold all my necklaces. I LOVE to wear necklaces, and this way I can see them all, and they are no longer tangled. The window towel bar has been up for about 10 years. I believe that it is now permanently attached to the wall.

One of the other big changes was the potty area. I added the two shelves over the toilet for more linen storage. I also added a Valerie original. Yep, Valerie it is now in the bath. But I am in there quite often, and it really gives my new bath a Domino appeal. The other accessories were either in my house already or in the storage unit. The only expenses in this upgrade were the new switch plates, new light fixture, new towels, shelving, and a gallon of paint. I think the bills total under $200. What a great upgrade! I plan to share more parts of our home over the summer as my painting slows down. Our house is such a fun family home, but there is always a need to revitalize. Let's see what's next........

Getting Away to Savannah

This weekend my husband and I were able to sneak away to Savannah....without children. They were tucked away with Pawpaw and Gammy and friends. They never even missed us. We arrived early afternoon Friday and immediately hit the pavement. Billy likes to shop, so he's always a fun partner to have along for this sort of adventure. After cruising Boughton Street we decided to wet our whistles in a very swanky Tapas bar. Which now I understand means little foods. A little more walking and then it was time for dinner at the Pink House. OMG I ate such yummy fish, grits and greens (where else but in the south would they serve grits with a dinner that cost over $100). After filling our bellies we took the ferry across the river to the Westin for some hand shaking and back slapping. You see, we were actually in Savannah not just for the shopping, but for the Georgia Republican Party State Convention. And Friday night was super fun meeting candidates, seeing old friends from Leadership Georgia, and seeing constituents who work so hard at the grassroots level. Great time was had until the weeeeeee hours.

On Saturday since I was not a delegate this year, I had the opportunity to explore Savannah on my own. Camera in hand and a little bit of spending money I was off and running. First stop was back to @home vintage general. My favorite store of the city! I was in there at least an hour collecting wonderful trinkets for new collages in the works and some cake toppers for Amy. After this stop I walked and walked and walked. Stopping for a hotdog in the park next to a multi-talented musician and a man making flowers from palm leaves. My other major stop was in the shopscad store. What a fabulous mix of artists in that store.

I found myself taking pictures of odds and ends around the city. Not really the buildings, although the architecture is enough to make a historic preservationist melt. I love the way some of the rough textures created background for the delicate flowers. I also loved all the sounds this city made. It was busy with trolley tours, horse carriage rides, renovation machinery, boat whistles, street musicians and even a man hollering on the street corner about Satan. The infusion of sounds and scenery was enough to inspire me for days to come.

I really liked the way this iron gate created a pattern on top of this amazing church steeple. After 4 hours of exploring on my own it was time for another yummy meal and a long trip home. I love this city though, and can't wait to come back and explore some more!

I'll Be Nesting Awhile

"Green Apple"
"Bubble Gum"

I've not shared any pictures of my newest little babies I realized! Here are the two nesters. Bubble Gum found a home to an adorable teenager during the Wesleyan Show, Green Apple is currently residing in my fabulous new giant bird cage. This cage is slated for upcoming holiday shows, but of course Mailey has found a use for it right now. In the future I can see it filled with white birds at Christmas time. So lovely.

Anyhoo.....went to the doc today about the hand issue. Here's the lo-down. I may have some tendon........long winded word thingy. And? This means drugs (the legal kind of course), wrist contraption and resting the hand about two weeks. Hahahaha. Like that will happen. To me "nesting" means to re-do something. I am the crazy nester who starts one clean out and ends up doing the entire house! I have realized since feeling this intense pain shooting down my thumb to elbow that I am SO right handed. Maybe the contraption thingy will help this. Who knows. For now, I'm just going to enjoy my cold beer and some family game time. I think Littlest Pet Shop go fish is next on the agenda. Hope you had a terrific Tuesday! Tomorrow though, I do intend to mess up this super clean art studio, left handed. I'll let you in on on the results. They'll probably be pretty primitive!

Leaping into Grayton Beach!

That's right....I'm jumping state lines into the great state of Florida! You can now find my original paintings, felted bird sculptures, pendants, and framed tiles at this adorable gallery:

The Studio is located on 30A in Grayton Beach. So if you are vacationing somewhere near this fun place, stop on in and say, "I know this artist!" And pick up an original or two!

Today I'm giving my aching hand a break. Not sure what's up with it, but man is it hurting. I re-organized the studio and caught up on other artsy housekeeping items. Hopefully the doc will give my hand a happy pill tomorrow and we'll get back to work (actually it will probably be a very painful shot of that white stuff)! I've got ideas swimming in my head right now that this hand of mine has to get to work on! Have a happy Monday!

Mother's Day Love

"Coconut Nurturing Her Young" As another Mother's Day comes to an end, I wanted to share a few thoughts and one of my favorite images of nurturing I painted awhile back. Being a mother was something I always new I wanted. After Billy and I were married 4 years we finally were blessed with sweet William. He was such a cutie with a head full of red hair. We were blissfully happy with our one precious child. Right after celebrating his first birthday we found out with a bit of surprise that we were expecting Mailey. Now Mailey came out with more of a BANG! And has been fulfilling this role ever since. Not that I'd trade her over the top personality for a more boring one by any means. Their little personalities amaze me everyday. It is a wonderful thing to watch....children growing into themselves.

About 3 weeks ago we learned some very excited news in our family. My little sister Molly and her husband Mike are expecting their first child. It came as quite a surprise to all of us, especially her. You see, she LOVES children. And man is she the best aunt EVER! But having her own was something she never wanted like I did. So this news took some time to sink in, but now is being embraced as a little blessing. It's definitely bringing back many memories of my own pregnancies and all the love I immediately had for Mailey and William before they were even born. And I am most excited that this time next year we will all be able to celebrate this special day together...our Mom, Molly and I. I hope you had a lovely day as well. Creatively, J

"Mommy can we make.....?"

So yes, I am one of those Moms. When my children want to make cookies, we make cookies. When they want to swing, we swing. When they want to make art, we make art. Of course I do say no as well on occasion. But honestly, these requests are what build their childhood memories. Memories that I treasure as well. So yesterday Mailey asked if we could make a bunny. Hummmm....The first attempt was without a pattern using vintage chenille. Major disaster and frustration. She was like, "Mommy we can just try again tomorrow." And I was hoping she'd forget. Fat chance. So today, after we had a filling re-filled in her little toothy we hit Wal-mart and picked friendly fabric, a bunny pattern and very important buttons. Of course I had to adapt the pattern. It calls for use of one fabric and simply four cut pieces (easy peasy if I'd followed the pattern). We wanted different fabrics for the ears, arms, legs and body. So I manuvered this request pretty well.

My little blue bird monitored the progress. Mailey decided she needed a "break" and took off to snap every odd corner of the house with my camera. Seriously, I may have to share the unique angle at which she photographed our home at some point.

Here's the end result after 3 hours that seemed to fly by. I had to say no to a game of horse with William only about 100 times. I am sure that will be tomorrow's activity. Anyhoo, super cute bunny I think, and Mailey is in love. His name is "Snuggie".

Close-up of the funny details. Since she's not at risk for swallowing we added button eyes, nose, whiskers and a funny tail. I know you are asking yourself, will Jenni be making more of these to sell? That answer is simply and most definately, "no." But thanks for asking. Have a creative night!