Ice Day!

So have you seen the news?  Atlanta, actually most of the south, is covered in a blanket of not snow but this:

We Southerners are not equipped for 1" of snow, much less several thick inches of ICE!  Looks like an amazing blanket of snow, but upon closer look and the crunching under your boots, you realize the next few days are going to be very long..........

Although I'll admit the day didn't turn out so bad.  The kids and I kept ourselves quite busy.  We made snowman art like above (the ice was too compact to build a 3-D version), did plenty of sledding on the vintage clipper, drank cocoa, made jewelry, napped, ate...and ate....and ate!  As you can see below, I really liked the sledding!  William and his buddy were complaining that the Rubbermaid top wasn't working too good as a sled.  I said, "You guys want a REAL sled?"  William was like, Mom we don't have a sled.  Oh yes we do!!  It was your Grandmother's too!

Lily cracked us up running and sliding into home....literally.  Thank goodness we bought the pink wool sweater recently.  Else wise she'd be lost in the ice.

Isn't this sled awesome!  And to think it's like 60 years old and still running.  William and Noah rode for about 2 hours trying out every driveway in the cul-de-sac.  I can't wait to get out there again today and try from the top of our street.  Because we still have ice on the roads.  And no school for probably tomorrow either.  The ice is pretty thick.  The thought of a school bus on this stuff freaks me out a twinge.

Mailey ran off to the neighbors house and went sledding down the "BIG" hill.  She said it was the funnest thing she's ever done! 

So today the agenda is to roast marshmallows in the kettle outside, eat cookie dough we are about to make, and of course more sledding!  So what are you doing on this ice day fellow Southerners? 

I'm Dreaming...Scratch that I'm Living the WHITE CHRISTMAS!!

HOLY TAMOLY!  Seriously folks.  Living above the Mason Dixon line you get snow.  I know.  But those of us living below it, like moi, snow is like magic.  It shuts down schools, major and minor roads, and even churches!  And look what came today!!!!  On Christmas Day!!!!   A white Christmas!!!!!  I am freakin' 38 years old and have NEVER HAD A WHITE CHRISTMAS!  I am like freakin' out, can you tell????

Ok, so it's not like snowboarding level, yet.  We've got some cool ripsticks and skateboards that can easily have their wheels removed though and don't think I'm not already scheming.....for tomorrow that is.  Tonight I think we'll keep the fire roaring (real wood one that is....yes not all Southerners have remote control fireplaces) and continue to roast marshmallows till our bellies explode!  Man, can this holiday get any more brimming with joy?  geeeeeeshhhhhh.  We are like a  bowl full of strawberry jello topped with a heavy layer of real whipped cream in the Horne house this holiday!!  Eeeekkkkkkkkkk!  It's snowing!   Ok.  I think I may need to get back outside now.  See ya later!! I simply can not stand it.  Bye ya'll!!

The American Dream

I wanted to pop in and show a new camper off to you! This is called the American Dream......wonder why?

Atlanta is being hit with snow again today. Such a strange year for us. We've seen it all now....hail, floods, tornadoes, and snow 3 times. It definitely inspires me in different ways. Does that make sense? I hope you are having a lovely Tuesday! And check back with me on Friday. I have a special surprise for my sweet readers!!

Snow Day!

At exactly 5:41am our house phone rang. It was the county calling to say that all Coweta County schools have been closed due to inclement weather. See the inclement that canceled school: I love my zebra rain boots. This snow is like sand really. Cold, sparkly sand. No snow balls or snowmen with this powder. We all bundled up, spent about 20 minutes outside, and now are in our various rooms playing. William playing wii in the den, Mailey playing Barbie in her room and me.....well I'm playing on the computer in my bed under the covers (Lily nestled up too in bed!).

This is Mailey's playhouse. I'd love to have a giant house just like this. Super cute. It'll be a long lazy day here. I plan to work on the studio. I've got a PILE of organizing to do. And as you know if you've read my blog in the past, I absolutely can not create unless all is in order. It's a really bad creative blocker for me to see piles.

I love this eagle statue. And in the snow, he looks extra important. Mailey let me snap one fun pic before heading in to warm her little fingers. The rabbit vest was mine as a child BTW. She loves it as much as I did. Well, hope you have a cozy creative day where you are!!

SNOW DAY

The past few weeks have been full of natural wows here in Georgia. We've had rain, tornadoes, hail storms, flooding rain and topped it all off with an amazing blanket of sparkling white snow yesterday. We see snow about once a year here, but never this spectacular. Just look at my yellow bells in full bloom softly covered in snow. The flakes were huge. Just look from my art studio window here:

It snowed a good 5 hours straight. What an amazing site! My red boots liked it a lot.

This is my backyard, complete with zip line blanketed in snow. I spent most of the day prepping new panels with texture and lines. I can't wait to start painting today. We are out of school of course, so perhaps it will be tomorrow before I get the paint brushes working. Today we are playing games and staying by the fire. Have a good one too!

Okay, I just have to brag a little.....

Of course being an artist is a super job to have. But even better, is being a proud Mommy. This weekend was full of firsts and wows. If you are a regular reader of my blog, and not just a picture looker, then you understand that these days with my family continuously inspire my work. So here goes my weekend with little Mailey: This was Mailey's first horse show to participate. We arrived at the facility around 8am in the POURING down rain. This made for fun muddy shoes (and pants). She was such a trooper because it was not until 1ish that she finally rode "Lady Penelope", or as we call her "Penny". She is Morgan from Sernebe Stables amazing pony that she has graciously told Mailey she can ride. Yeah! She did amazing, earning ribbons in the three classes she participated. We were proud of those ribbons of course, but for Billy and I, the biggest win was that she did it! And wore the outfit for all those hours without complaining. Never asked to be held, never really complained that I can remember. And those of you that know Mailey, KNOW that deserved a huge blue ribbon. Seriously.

Gosh, I can hardly look at this without getting tears. She was so excited. As a parent, that joy you feel through your children is without words.

On Sunday we woke to another raining day. But we got dressed and drove out to the facility ready to ride, in the rain. Once again we waited, which I have since learned is a normal part of the horse show weekend. And then around 10ish it started to snow. Like Colorado flakes. So they canceled the outdoor arena, we kissed Penny goodbye and headed home to play in the SNOW!!

After the snow fun wore off, Mailey and I settled into do some artwork. She painted an amazing flower landscape, very similar to the ones I like to paint. I'll show it off once we get it framed. She spent the rest of the day playing alone since brother took off for the ultimate snow ball fight down the street. She has lots of fun toys, dolls, and barbies in her room. But her imagination is too big for those things I've decided. Because she plays with, well unusual stuff really. And talks and plays and it's so neat to watch. Inspiring really. So, there you have it. I'm done with the bragging now, thanks for reading and continuing to support me!