Disney World 2014

Last week was our annual winter break.  I love that our county school system places this week off in the winter.  We may start school a week earlier than those around us, but I love the time off in the winter months to spend quality time with my family before the hustle and bustle of Spring hits.

We started going to Disney during Winter Break 3 years ago.  It's a great time to go because it's never too hot!  This year since William made the Northgate High School baseball team he and Billy weren't able to go with us.  We kinda knew this when we booked the trip but decided to book anyways with the thought that I'd take Mailey and a friend instead.  Luckily the Mom was able to go too!!  Maddie and Mailey met on the school bus this year.  Turns out she lives around the corner from us.  But since Mailey went to school with me, and not where she was districted to attend, we never knew this.  She is the sweetest child I am SO GLAD Mailey has become friends with.  As a parent you pray that your child will be drawn to children that have similar family stories.  And this one is a keeper!  Her Mom Lauren and I got to know each other pretty well over the trip too.  She's one of the most sincere and kind-spirited people I've met.  I'm pretty sure God had a plan to put her into my life as much as he put Maddie in Mailey's.

Pooh is Mailey's favorite....this photo proves that one is never too old to show this affection towards a childhood love.  He just kept hugging on her after she told him he was her favorite character. I was crying of course.  Because moments like these are priceless.  I am ever thankful that I have this child in my life to bring constant surprising joy to our family.  She really is a gift.

Mailey turned 12 while we were there.  We celebrated her special day at the Magic Kingdom.  Not a bad way to spend it right?  Riding roller coasters and of course Peter Pan.  And getting her photo made with Cinderella.

It was strangely a very easy trip without long waits or crowds.  It rained, but we never got wet because we were always on a ride or eating (lots of eating).   We were there Wednesday to Sunday....and were able to go to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot with ease.  Maybe we just planned it right and were always at the park opposite the crowds.  I'm not sure.  I just know that it was one of the best trips we've had to Disney yet!  I really wasn't ready to come home.  I am ever thankful for our "Disney Fairy" Rene who helps make these magical trips possible.

 

Yep...the balloon girl let me hold them.  And yep.  There is an art to holding these things!   Well.....we are back to school Monday am.  I'm ready to get back into the routine quite honestly.  I've got some fun stuff to teach.  And new adventures to get into.  These sweet memories of  5 days away with Mailey will forever be imprinted on my heart.  I look forward to our next magical trip already.

Studio Guests

I was painting last week during the night when a few guests came down to see me.  I don't often have guests while working.  It's like the family knows Momma needs some time.  But this night I didn't mind so much.  I mean look at this cuteness!

Allow me to introduce the newest Horne member.  This is Lawrence.  I'll post the story about how we came about getting him later.  I've got to get a few photos of things to complete the story.  I will say he is a little light for our family.  And yes, Lily loves him too.  Whew.  Because we were not giving him back!

Mailey brought Lawrence down to the studio and was sitting on the stool above.  I asked her, as I do anytime she pops in on me, if she wanted to paint.  This time she said yes.  I gave up my seat and let her explore the encaustics I had out while I worked in the other room on the computer.   I kept peeking in on her to be sure she was okay.  She just painted away!   You know, she is one lucky little girl to be exposed to so many art mediums.  How many 11 year olds know how to paint with wax?  Much less normal paints.  She has wicked good hand skills.  I can't wait to see how she grows under another teacher. 

The nest below is what she started.  Mailey is very disciplined about bed time.  In fact she kept asking me, "Mom, what time is it?"  As soon as the clock struck 9PM she was outta the studio.  I can't wait to see the nest finished with the carving tools and oil stick.  I told her we might have to open her an Etsy shop or give her a section in my show tents.  Her collection is growing!

Pumpkin Carving Time!

Carving pumpkins with my father has always been a fond memory of mine.  Years of orangy goo has tickled my fingers.  And a few weekends ago my children had the opportunity to follow in my footsteps. 

She is really beginning to favor me......like really.  William and Mailey both designed their own pumpkin face first on newspaper, then on the orange squash.  Mailey's was supposed to be a pig, William just a scary face.  But with Pawpaw in charge they soon took on more life including a banana pepper tongue and drilled hole freckles!

She loves goey messes and bugs much more than this pretty face below:

Look at all those yummy seeds!  Which of course I toasted up with some crazy salt and smart balance spray.  Have you ever tried toasted pumpkin seeds?  They are the best fall snack!

I was trying to get some shut eye in the hammock when these two monkeys climbed in for some Mommy love.

So here are those crazy pumpkin heads....my kids AND their pumpkins.  What a great day, and a memory that will last forever.

Grocery Shopping with Artist Hands

Earlier this week Mailey and I headed to the store to "pick up a few things".  I have routines for this sort of errand (Mondays for instance are my errand running day). So night time grocery runs are not part of the routine, and usually end up costing me more than planned.  BUT, Billy needed something or another so I asked Mailey if she wanted to join me.  She eagerly said "YES!"  and scurried away.  I found her in the art studio cutting this paper and writing in big sharpie the following items.  Her grocery list that is. 

So to translate my lefty, left brained, creative child's handwriting for you she needs the following in her buggy:  white cheese means provolone, gum is just gum, pufs are actually toddler sweet potato puff snacks, yogert is yogurt, gumyes are fruit snacks, and eney froot is any fruit.  So we arrive at Publix and she wants her own buggy for her food selections.  We cruise up and down the aisles together gathering our items on our lists.  For some reason she pulls up next to me at some point, looks down and exclaims quite loudly, "MOM, you need to paint your toenails!"  What?  I look down to find clean, unpolished toes just as I like them these days.  It's weird I know, but I am not into polish right now.  Mailey I say, my toes are just fine, have you seen my fingernails?

Yep, I think they may need a little help.  And Mailey definitely agreed. 

Paging Dr. MG......Paging Dr. MG

FIRST, tomorrow you must come to my blog!  Cool things revealed and a give away!!  Well, cool to me anyways and I am thinking you'll like them too :). 

But today, since my internet has been most unkind to me for a week, I finally have a cute Mailey story to share.  Oh how I love being her Mother.  So Friday night Mailey and I had the house to ourselves.  I was pooped for some reason so mostly I laid on the couch in and out of sleep.  She kept coming in and asking for things like, "Mom, where's the white string?  Mom, where's the tape?  Mom, where are the band aids again? Mom, where are the safety goggles?"  etc.  Finally she came in and said, "I'm all ready now."  OK.  For what?  "Surgery Mom.  Pinkie has a hole in her heart and I'm about to fix it.  Want to watch?"  Um yeah, can I bring my camera?  "Sure"  So here are just a few of the pictures I took of Pinkie's heart surgery:

As you can see her heart did indeed have a  large black hole in it.  This is Dr. MG putting Pinkie to sleep.  (with the cap to my water bottle)

And here she is performing miracle open heart surgery with the hottest new tools in medicine, patterned pencils.

Here's a view of the surgical center (my bathroom).  I tried to point out some things on the photo. Seriously guys, I don't know where she gets some of her ideas from.  The wrapping paper box IV stand, heart monitor, and wii remote?  Man, she is totally going to be inventing something one day HUGE.  There were many more steps in the surgery including using my GAP artist perfume for cleansing, cleaning of the wound with q-tips, listening over and over with her scope, etc.  It was really fun to watch.  In hindsight I should have videoed it.  Could have been a Utube sensation!

And here is Pinkie all bandages up and ready for the recovery room.  As you can see, she is still hooked up to the IV for careful monitoring over night.

The next patient was Africa, a wild elephant who had a broken nose.  Here once again we are putting the animal to sleep.  She was not just a doctor for animals Friday night either.  American Girl Doll Kit had glass removed from her foot which required 6 stitches and birdie had paper removed from her eye from the owners who were carelessly shredding paper too close to her cage.   Yep, they all had a story.  So that night they all slept in the recovery room off the surgery center.  Unfortunately, the center had to be moved to her room the next day.....we did need to use the potty at some point.  :)  Today she made the den a GIANT kitchen.  Haven't gotten photos of it yet, but I really wish my stove was as big as the one she made out of a box.  Yep, always an adventure in this house!

Hope to see you back here tomorrow!!  Enjoy your Monday.

What is Calling You?

I've been thinking about this post since Wednesday night, debating whether I should share these thoughts.  But since I tend to share the most authentic side of myself here....in other words I tend to spill my heart out right here on this little Dell, I decided to.  So this is about motherhood and what is calling you.  Wednesday night we had the opportunity to have dinner out at camp with the girls.  I rode with two girlfriends whom I've know for I guess 4 years.  We are from totally different walks of life, have totally different careers, and yet because of the bond our children share, we've built a bond.  I really love these women.  Really.  There's something about this friendship that always leaves me feeling fuzzy inside. 

On the way to camp they were both saying how much they missed the girls, hated they couldn't call them, etc... I was sitting in the back seat cutting out a million butterflies for my booth at the flea thinking, man....I don't miss Mailey the way they are missing their girls.  Is something wrong with me???? 

OK, now let me rephrase this.  I miss her in a sense that she's not here to fill my room with her roller coaster emotions.  She's not here to be cuddled and held at night.  She's not here to tell her stories.  She's not here for me to see her adorable freckles and giant new front teeth. 

So later that night after a wonderful visit with Mailey, who by the way was having the time of her life, I began to feel even more sure that my not missing her was a very, very good thing.  We have a very loving home life, don't get me wrong.  I'm not ready for them to head out the door to college anytime soon.  We are all hugs, kisses, I love you's, you're awesome saying type of family unit.  Billy takes William to play golf, I take Mailey to art things.  We do things together and we do things apart.  But we are also independent of our children and are trying to raise them to be the same.  Does this make sense?  Billy and I have well-rounded lives which include both family, friends and children.  They do not only revolve around our children and their lives.  Now Mailey and her apron strings was definitely in question for this trip.  But I knew in my heart that she was ready and that the "don't leave me" pulls would not be present.  And they weren't.  Because I know her, and she knows me.  And she knows that Mommy was going to be working this week towards her dream (which we talk about ALL the time) and that Daddy would be doing his usual working as well.  

So what is calling me?  I know I was called to be Mother.  I wanted a little one so bad I couldn't stand it.  We waited 6 years before we had William.  And Motherhood has been very fulfilling.  But I have other needs in my heart as well.  Now the trick is trying to balance all those needs.  Knowing when to put some needs aside while others are meet.  I often look at the success of other artists and notice a huge trend....many of the ones with bigger careers, bigger sales, etc have waited on family.  I know family takes a large chunk of my day and energy.  But I wouldn't have it ANY OTHER WAY.  Because without them, my art would not be as meaningful and this career would not be fulfilling.  Sharing it with them is what makes me complete. 

So this morning I am quickly finishing loose ends so that the afternoon can be devoted to hearing all about camp life.  Also, I can't wait to show Mailey my new paintings, I love to see her reactions and she's very honest.  And possibly help her finish the telephone painting she started before leaving.  Yep.  It's all good here in the Horne house.  And as much as all being apart this week was good for us, getting back together will be even better.

Another Note from the 4th

Yesterday was such a great day. We started in Moreland eating yummy Southern BBQ, then hit the Newnan Square for Homeade Ice Cream and Market Day, took an afternoon nap and then went to be a part of the Newnan Annual 4th of July Parade. It was really a great day. See here my adorable family- Billy, Mailey and William waiting for our float to arrive. We've been a part of this particular small town parade since well before being in office, I think at least 12 years. I can remember William being a wee 6 months old for his first debut on a Republican float. He was of course wearing his wee-publican shirt I'd had made. This year I realized that my children are getting so big and can finally be a bit of an asset for my husband as seen here:

Mailey insisted on walking and handing out candy this year. Awwww.....I had a serious she's getting so big moment that of course I had to snap away (I probably looked ridiculous sitting on this huge float taking her pics, but I just had to!). Isn't she so cute handing out that candy? Those of you who really know Mailey really understand the enourmousness of this moment for me. (She's not on my hip guys......)

Anyhoo, I had to share. I was trying to keep it to myself, but could not help myself, really. Hope you had a great weekend!

Easter Love

I wanted to pop in and say Happy Easter to all my readers. And I just had to show off a few of my favorite pics. Below is an all time fave of the kiddos. Mailey in those white gloves...and notice each basket has a blanket nestled in it or rather a "bannie" as William called it, and "Kitty" as Mailey calls hers. I think this is the year they both cried the entire egg hunt. Thus, why the baskets are empty. Fast forward to ages 7 and 9 (they where 1 and 3 above) and this is my new favorite. The prima ballerina and the Joe Cool pose? There was no cheesy grin in this photo session, rather all ham.

Well, maybe one cheesy grin. And as always, Mailey has a lovely black tatoo on her face and William's hair is well, another story. But I have definitely captured who they are below. And I love that I can look back and remember their Easter this way.

Speaking of Easter and being a bit sentimental, this is the day that as a Christian I feel SO loved. Seriously, stop and think about what Christ did for us and tell me you don't get tears in your eyes, and feel so very humbled. I sure do.

I Love My CAMERA!!

So I bought a mack daddy camera about this time last year. It's the Canon Rebel Xsi with I think 12megapix. I had no idea how to even turn it on, but I HAD to have it. You see, I've been taking pictures since I was a teenager. I have about 20 scrapbooks just from childhood to college. I've about that many of just my kids. I want you to imagine my bins stacked full of photos anxiously awaiting placement in their albums. I also have about 1000 pics on this computer. So pictures are my hobby for sure. Even with this fancy camera though, I was still not getting the quality photo I desired. So here's what I did. I took a workshop with this FABULOUS photographer. And now look at what I can do now.... Yeah me!

Mailey, my "I want to be a fashion model when I grow up" just let me shoot away yesterday.

And then these daisy's let me shoot them awhile too.....

Oh, the places my camera and I will now go. It's amazing what a little knowledge can do. Next I am taking a photoshop class to learn how to take those above and take them even farther. Right now they are all natural. Well, it's such a pretty day here in Newnan and I'm itching to take some more photos...now where's William?.....

Like Mother, Like Daughter

They say we look alike, Mailey and I. I don't mind so much because I think she's quite a pretty little thing. And lately she's getting more and more like me in more ways than just looks.....She's becoming quite the little artist! I've been working on a new collage series for the kiddo book. This afternoon Mailey asked if she could make something. And about 45 minutes later, with a floor full of cut paper scraps, she'd made this fabulous composition and had my Golden gel medium in hand ready to attach it to the wood. I quickly volunteered to help put it all together. She wants me to sell it in my next art show, but I don't think I can part with it! Maybe I'll make some framed tiles of it. I told her whatever money she made, 1/2 had to go into a savings account we've started for her and her little hobby- horseback riding and horse shows.

So here's one of the 4 I have started. It's been a very exciting process adding the paper with the paintings. This is #3 of course. So far I have 1 Mommy bird, 2 red cardinals, 3 silly blue birds, and 4 fancy feathered pink ladies. I've 6 left to go in the series....maybe I should hire Mailey to be my apprentice to help me finish!

"Make a Wish Mommy...."

So today is a big day around my house. It's my BIRTHDAY! Yeah! I kind of like this day. It means lots of phone calls, facebook messages and best of all CAKE! I love cake, especially the icing. I've been grinning from ear to ear all day. I know many people look at birthdays as a day of growing yet another year older. But I see it as another door to open. I believe this is #37. I kind of count by 5's now and the in-between years are just floaters. Ask me tomorrow and I'll say I'm 36, next week it'll be 38. Anyhoo......here's little Mailey telling me to make a wish with the dandelion. So sweet.

Here's me at day one of the 37th year. I thought it'd be fun to document it, and be able to look back at it next year to see how much I've grown. hehehe...Hopefully at this point I'll be doing less growing and more toning. That's a goal anyways. So what have I done on this special day? Let's see....started the day off with coffee and sweet cards from the family, taught an art lesson in Mailey's class, went to the Georgia Aquarium for a legislative spouse event (which included a yummy lunch and chocolate volcano dessert), hit Anthropologie(where I bought the above adorable yellow frock), and am now at home debating dinner. Billy will be at the Capitol until the wee hours tonight because it's crossover day. I think I'm going to take myself in this adorable new yellow frock out for pizza and beer with my dates Mailey and William. See you guys later!

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!

Another Sneak at Texture Paintings

Mailey and Mattie on the go in this painting. This one really shows the texture off. The peacock feather is prettier in person because you can see the gold edges better.

She stills needs a face I just realized. Well, best be off to do just that!

Mailey's Creative Side

My 6 year old Mailey is always under foot when I'm at my art table. On occasion it makes me crazy. Other times, well let's just say she makes the coolest things! She is so darn creative. And really thinks outside the box. The other day she asked for the bubble wrap I had under my table....few minutes later with a piece of pink paper, scissors and double sticky tape she'd made the cutest astronaut! Another example of her creative mind at work is below: She made this collar for Lily from a sweater cuff, cut the red heart out, hot glued it and the stem to the band and voila! Adorable pet collar!

Is this the cutest dog collar ever? As I write this blog she is busy hot gluing (yes she uses a hot glue gun like a pro!) another one. This one is gray and has more of a flare. Hm mm....Maybe she should join me at Serenbe this year with her one of a kind creations.

Good-Bye to Junior

Mailey and Junior our pet frog.

William and Junior. Look at those jumping legs!

Let me introduce you to Junior. A frog. Yep. A frog. We raised this little guy from tadpole hood until now. He had a little goldfish bowl he swam around in and grew out of his icky tail into a full-fledged frog. It was quite a treat. I can't help but giggle a little thinking about the morning Billy woke up and found our cat Jack playing with jumping Junior in the hallway. This was our last day with dear junior. He was jumping out of the bowl too much. So we took him across the street to the pond. The cool thing was, he didn't seem to mind my children loving on him like a real family pet. I say all this because tomorrow is reptile and amphibian day at art camp. Oh the fun we are going to have painting crocks, turtles, snakes, and frogs! I wish Junior was still around to model for us!