Embraceable You…or rather Me

My little booth space at The Dove's Nest

Resolutions.  By now, most of mine have been tossed aside and kicked to the corner of the room, like Spanx at the end of a long day.  'Cept one.  The big one.

Happy Art

This year, I am striving to "embrace me".  All of me.  My authentic self.  My creative self.  

If, you know me personally, I'm sure that you think I already do that.  And I do, to a degree.  But not wholly.  

trying a new style

When I picked up my paint brushes (this time last year) and decided that I would give it another go, I had been moving forward one tiny, unsure step at a time.  

not me so much

And I've, happily, seen my skills change and grow.  And while I still feel like I have a LONG way to go, there is a small core of friends and family that are encouraging, embrace my art and actually buy my stuff!  :) 

I need to add more art to my space!  

God Bless Em!  I am so very grateful for their support and love.

Tiny, 3x3 canvases!

So where does the 100% come in?  By working more creativity into ALL aspects of my life, home, dress, and work. 

I want to "push the envelope" at work, with more creative displays of merchandise.  If I address an envelope, do it really pretty.  Set the table for dinner, yeah! (cause we usually eat in front of the TV).  Instead of going out in a tee, jeans and sneakers, add a scarf.  Or wear flats.  Stop worrying about what people will think if I decorate they way I REALLY want to.  Etc, etc, etc.  I want to be my best, most authentic self possible.  And that means embracing my artistic side, 100%.  No more tippy toes. I want to make my soul grow.  

So, with those words being basically thrown out into the universe, here we go! 







PS…."The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possible can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.” 

― Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

Fall is in the air, even in Texas

I've been painting pumpkins and making garlands

And painting more pumpkins!

Pumpkin overload.  And we are only a few days into Fall.  :)

Have you seen this?  I've had more fun with Jenn Rizzo's hot to paint a pumpkin tutorial.  Now I have assorted white pumpkin paintings all over the house.  As you can see by the above.

Even if you don't think you can paint, trust me, you can.  Super EASY tutorial that will have you churning out pumpkins in no time flat.  

Dallas Arboretum Pumpkin Village

Dallas Arboretum, but I wish my backyard looked like this.

Dallas Arboretum, he just made me smile!

Sweet Hub and I spent Saturday afternoon at the Dallas Arboretum.  With temps in the high 70's, it was a perfect day to walk and to be inspired by all things Fall that they had put out.  I could not help but smile at this guy.  

Yay for cooler temps, Fall, and of course, pumpkins!

Decorating Tip For Grouping Small Elements

BEFORE PICTURE

Here is a little trick that I love to do at work, when I am merchandising.  

As you can see above, the rooster and small artwork look cute on the kitchen table, but a little lost, on such a large space.

AFTER PICTURE

Adding a tray underneath them, groups them together and visually gives them a bigger bang for your buck.  And in this case, adds another pop of color.  

BEFORE

Wanna see it again?  Here these three pieces are cute on their on and look OK on my small dresser in my entryway...

AFTER

...but add the tray and they take on a little bit more "umph".  The eye sees them as a whole, not a grouping of three small pieces.  The tray gives them a little more importance.

And, while I love this particular tray, it does not have to be a tray.  A large platter or low box or low edged basket works well too.  

Great tray from The Dove's Nest in Waxahachie, Texas

We just got these trays in at work, and I adore the color and the shape.  I could see use this several places in my home and will be great for the holidays.  But for now, it will live in the kitchen.

Above is the finished look.

Plates:  Dollar Tree and Marshall's, Frame and Rooster Hobby Lobby, Pillows hand sewn from old tablecloths

I'm still in the process of tweaking and editing my little home.  Trying to only put out the things that I truly love.  Trying to add more color.  Above are two of my favorite pieces in the house, my pine hutch and my thrifted dining table and chairs.

I got the hutch wholesale years and years ago from a friend that had a shop here in town.  I still love it.  The table I found at an antique mall, a booth that was closing out.  Don't be a hater when I tell ya I practically stole it at $49.00.  The chairs....Estate Sale, a mere $15.00 each.

But this was not an overnight thing...the table sat in the garage for ages, until I found the chairs.  Patience is the key.  I love the pink and it adds a funky touch.  Or weirdness.  However you want to call it.  But I love those shabby pink shutters, another antique mall find.

Here is my disclaimer...I don't profess to be a great decorater, but I learned allot of things from my Mom and my Aunt (both of whom have had great eye for decor).  I can do some things easily (arranging books shelves and table top), but arranging furniture and layout I always find difficult.  But I'm always trying to learn.  

Thanks for taking a peep.

Freshening up My Home Decor

I ran across the above pic on Pinterest several weeks ago.  Since I seem to be returning to my "cottage roots" in my home decor, I loved the overall look of it.

AFTER

AFTER

BEFORE

BEFORE:  This was the corner of my room that I wanted to add a little "pop" to.

Based on the components that were in Back Porch's pic, I gathered the home decor goods that I had that were similiar to the ones she had.  I only wanted to use what I had on hand.

The shutters came from the guest bedroom and while I liked the dark green, the neutral side seemed a little "fresher" and lighter and went along with the brighter colors in the throw and picture.

So here is my finished look!  I'm happy with the transformation.  Now this cozy corner beckons for someone to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or to sit and read a bit.

Thanks Back Porch Musings for the "Pinspiration".

Happy Mail

 For almost forever, I've been fascinated with Mail Art.  Such a fun thing to make the "outside" of mail, as much fun as the inside.

I hosted a Rolodex Swap for some of the Paper Cowgirls, so when I mailed each gals cards back, I decided the make the envelopes equally fun.

 

When I took them to the Post Office each day, the mail worker was perplexed as to just where she should put all her stickers and such.

 She did not want to cover up anything.  LOL.

Here are just a few of my rolodex cards.

This is one of my favorites...I made the little clock face spin.

This was old artwork that I copied, glued on and then just added the hand-written text.

Happy Mail...makes me smile.

Happy Art!

Art Show at Polka Dots shop, a few weeks ago.  My friend Sherri shared a booth space with me.  

We had a fun mix of vintage, hand painted and hand made fabric goods.  I love Sherri's fabric hoops.

Aren't they cute?  I know have the two on the right.  

I took a fun mix of canvases.  Everyone loves the "Happy Camper" canvas.

My friend Sandra Feazel also brought her cuteness as well.  Love her artwork!

She had a fun mix of vintage, market and her fabulous artwork.  

LOVE that moss covered manni form.

It was a great day to just sit outside and hang out with other crafty gals.  Of course, we all bought from each other, that's always the best fun at an artful gathering.  I personalized some painted canvases and just enjoyed the down time.  Hopefully we can do another show together again soon.

Winged Heart

I wanted to try my hand at a different style of painting, this is more "serious" than my usual cute style.  I was very pleased with the outcome of this canvas.  And I guess...still in pink and turq mode from the carton swap.  :)