Uncommon Goods...and cuff love

I'm not sure how long ago I fell upon this awesome goods site, but since I can remember I've been peeking at their shop. I know several artists they feature and sell, perhaps that's where I first found them. I love watching my art friends grow wings and get to be a part of something so unique. This site offers artists an amazing opportunity to seen by a global audience. Amazing.

If you aren't familiar with this site I highly recommend you visit it here. Their story is truly one of those American businesses you want to succeed.  Here's a little background: "Uncommon Goods was founded in 1999 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, UncommonGoods is an privately-owned retailer that endeavors to feature unique designs and handcrafted gifts created in harmony with the environment and without harm to animals or people. We run all our operations out of the historic Brooklyn Army Terminal, including our warehouse where the lowest-paid seasonal worker starts at 50% above the minimum wage. We make it our mission to support and provide a platform for artists and designers; in fact, half of what we sell is made by hand. Most of the products we carry are created right here in the USA, and about one-third of our entire collection incorporates recycled and/or upcycled materials. At the core of our company is a great respect for the integrity of the creative individual and the belief that it is our responsibility to use our business to impact the world in a positive way."

I really love cruising their site for unique gifts. You can literally find everything from personalized cutting boards to jewelry like my birch cuff above. There is literally something for all ages of the family from anniversary gifts here to personalized gifts here you can make your next gift giving truly unique. And help support a thriving artist in the process. So....the cuff. Is that dreamy or what?  Reminds me so much of my favorite book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. The sweet artist that crafts the cuffs can personalize for you as well. My friend Valerie received one from her Hubby for Christmas. It says on it V + A right by the heart. Swoooooon right? Wouldn't this be a great gift to give while proposing? Or as an anniversary gift? Best idea ever.

So if you'd be interested in purchasing one of these beautiful cuffs head on over to their site. It comes packaged so lovely with the tiny branch bow. The details...something I am always looking at as an artist and appreciate. So thank you Uncommon Goods for gathering such a lovely collection of wares for us to purchase. Your site inspires me to look at buying different.

Around Here Lately

My Paint Something e-course is now in week 3. It is going better than I ever imagined. The student work is blowing me away! It is very time consuming teaching this way because I keep thinking of things to add, say and video. Thus why I've been very quiet here. Sorry. But I have been painting. Not much. But enough to keep me excited about the medium.

Look at this sweet bike above! Why haven't I thought to do rainbow spokes before? right??

I hope your summer is going smoothly. We are having the best summer in the Horne house. This is our last week at home with next at the beach and the next SCHOOL STARTS. What? I know. It's gone way too quickly.  But I have rested, taught, and played the perfect amount. So I feel ready to go back and embrace the new year. With one entering High School more than ever I am learning to slow down and enjoy these kids of ours. They are pretty cool to be around.

See ya hopefully later in the week with a few more paintings I have in the works!

Summer Time

Oh summer. Summer. Summer. This summer, unlike last year I feel good. In fact thinking about last summer makes me sad. I spent a majority of it feeling so bad I don't remember much about being a mother, a friend, a wife and even less about an ARTIST. It's a bit of a blur. All I remember is feeling out of control from my health to our finances. Out.of.control. This summer we are exploring life around town, our first trip to the lake with teen friends, (whole blog post worth of that experience!!) and my first art e-course. 

Oh geesh look at this photo above. Lawrence is feeling quite left out of porch life. Where I am spending as much time as possible. Lily has completely embraced porch life. Must be a girl thing.

I've spent most of my summer free time writing the e-course material on the porch. It feels SO right and SO good to write this. Like something really big is going to emerge from all this. I feel it to my core. In fact after editing today's video I totally cried. It's that freeing to give myself over to teaching creatively like this.

So...if you did'nt get in on the first e-course, I am already scheming the calendar for the fall course. Yep......be on the look out. For now I've get to back to the video that's uploading. Multi-tasking at its best right? Blogging and e-courseing at the same time!

Well...this has been an interesting night

You never realize how much you use your hands until well, one of them is injured. True story. Wanna hear how my night went? Grab a drink...this is a long one. So we were going to the movies with friends. I was to drive since Kelly's daughter needed her car to get to softball practice. No problem. We pull into the drive and Mailey reminds me that the back seat needed to be pulled up so they could sit there. No problem. So I push the seat up, then pull the cords 1, 2, 3 and jerk with all my 130pd body weight. But instead of popping up like it's supposed to, it came crashing down, on my right hand. Holy cheesecracker with a side of tequila. I screamed. Then looked at William in the van and said, "I think I broke my hand". Then my world started to spin and what they say about you feel like vomitting, is a true story. So I sat on the end of the van while Kelly came running out (the other Mom) with Mailey and Julie. I told her I thought my hand was broken and could I have some ice and sit for a minute inside? Inside while she got the ice I had to sit because the world was spinning. I've never felt so outer body in my entire life. Kelly's daughter was inside with her boyfriend Ryan who looked at the hand and my actions and kept saying, I think we need to call 911. I was like, "no I'm okay. I don't think it's really broken but I don't feel right. Something's not right. Get the kids out of the van." So the kids came in most irritated that the movie plans were obviously void....and then I did a  "scary eye roll, shaking exorcist move" the kids said and passed out. No lie. It was just a minute but I had an elaborate dream during that short time and was beginning to enjoy being in that world. Upon waking Ryan was like she needs to get to the hospital now. So up I went into his arms no less and into the van. No really he carried me to the van. Serious superhero move right? I was completely out of it. And then it's was like the fog lifted and I was back in real time... fast forward I got to Urgent Care which had NO one in it but me, and within 30 minutes was back out with no broken hand, just severe bruise. Why the seizure type experience? Evidently it was my body's way of handling the stress. Whatever it was it scared my kids to death. And Ryan. What a cool kid. Olivia is very lucky to have him as a boyfriend. All I could think about while riding in the van to Urgent care was....my right hand....my right hand....how would I teach my e-course with no hand? How would I paint? I was reeling with what it's.

We ended up going to a later movie. Haha...things I do for my kids. But the pain pill is wearing off so I am headed to bed. Still feeling weird. Evidently I kept saying weird stuff to everyone without even knowing it. William kept saying Mom...what? Did you mean.... I guess I need a good night's sleep. And a good shot of whiskey. I'll say this, I sure am glad to still have those creative hands above in tact and not broken. I can't imagine being without them. Nighty night.