Snow Globes and Mantels

These fantastic home made snowglobes are from none other than... Anthropologie , of course.

found via inside the loop, via oh hello logan I don't actually have a mantel, though I'm pretty decided that no matter where Matt and I move next I'm going to get him to build me one. Here is a beautiful one with great decoration. found via oh hello logan

Apartment Decor

I'm starting to like decorating my tiny apartment.

Working on a clock that's kind of a starburst. Ready to have it finished and hang it above the tele.

Have a mini Christmas tree that I've been making decorations for.

About to do the second layer of primer on the den side table.

Want to do one giant painting and then collect several frames that are all black to hang as a grouping on the wall.

Also going to make a blanket for the den. Love this quilt by DaintyTime. Found it on aesthetic outburst. Looks like a quilt I could handle making. Not super precise or complicated. I'd probably have to buy scrap fabric from all the local art stores to be able to afford to make it.

Sunflowers, Wild Things, and Crumpling Homes

Here is one of the four wild things I painted for the art gallery I work at, for the Halloween decorations. We put them outside and had lots of kids take their picture beside them.

The finished wild thing.

This is a painting I did recently to hang in the Main ARTery, the gallery. Its an okay piece. I'd be more than happy to sell it though.

And this last one is an old house in Dorsey, MS...near Fulton. It looked really cool in person. Had a tree fall on the roof I'm guessing and then they're cutting up the remainder for fire wood.

Moral of this story: if life drops a tree on your house, make fire wood.

Amazingly Witty

UNITED STEAKS OF AMERICA

I saw these the other week on someone's blog, thought I'd share them. Pretty funny, and very creative. United Steaks of America. They're by Dominic Episcopo.

House Hunting

Matty and I have started looking at houses all around the Tupelo area. This one is in Guntown, which it's location is not great, and the house has kind of fallen into ruins. Rotting wood in places, and broken windows. But it is such a beautiful house. I'm sure 50 years ago it was AmaZing. Plus the backyard was like a scene from The Secret Garden. I desperately wanted to blink my eyes and make the house like new and move it to a better location. I guess I'll just have to build one exactly how I want it someday.

Furniture!!

I have discovered that a house, or apartment, is very hard to make cosy when there isn't any furniture. My husband and I had a loveseat, tv stand, bed and one side table up until a few weeks ago. My parents brought up this really cool dresser/desk that had been in a bedroom at there house. It immediately became my art cabinet. I have big plans for this piece of furniture. Eventually I will sand and paint it some lovely color. Probably going to add a few pretty hooks to one side of it so I can hang my art aprons. I'm also going to get a real chair for it. My parents have a few old wooden chairs with seats that could be easily revamped. I'll find some really funky fabric to recover the seat cushion. And may even paint the chair, but not decided. So our bedroom is looking a bit more like a real room from a house. Not just an unlived in apartment. I'm liking it

What can YOU buy for $40?

Today I spent my morning garage saling. I only took out $40 dollars cash so I wouldn't spend too much on junk. I think I did rather well. With my forty bucks I got:

1 18x18" pillow which i used to stuff the pillow case I made

1 silk robins egg blue/copper pillow

1 vintage handkerchief in bright green

1 dress pattern

17 spools of thread

12 zippers of assorted colors

3 Martha Stewart decoration books

1 Domino Magazine

3 ice trays

1 iron candlestick

1 wooden shelf

1 twin sheet in a groovy pattern

1 old skool metal first aid kit

5 wooden napkin rings

and the big purchase....... a kitchen table

I'll repaint it after I strip it, sand it, and pick the perfect color. Overall, it was a very successful day.

And these mirrors were also found at a garage sale but on another day. Only the gold ones though, the more brown ones are the exact same kind but I found them a few years ago in a burned down building I was helping tear down. I like the two color effect.

Projects from the Blog World

I've come across some really cool websites with some really amazing projects. One of the websites is Tumblingblocks and it has a really pretty pillow sewing technique. She calls it honeycomb smocking and I've decided one of the pillows I make for my future couch will look like this. The fabric doesn't have to be anything special since the pattern of sewing is so beautiful.

This fun and funky bowl is apparently really easy to make. Matty said he did it as a toddler. I however have never made one before but now really want to. Trying to figure out a cool twist to it or something. I do have some silver yarn that would look real fancy. I'll find some way to use it. Maybe i'll cover my lampshade with clingwrap then drape silver string over it. Could be cool if it worked out how I envision it.

Baby Boy and Bundle of Joy

My nephew Kaleb was born on August 20, 2009 at 4:37pm. Weighing in at 7lbs 12 oz and 20 inches long. Most adorable baby I've ever seen. He makes some of the funniest faces. Here are a few samples we shot last weekend. And some just plain precious ones of him sleeping.

DIY Towel Hook

The kitchen in my apartment is incredibly small, and I've been trying to find different ways to make the most of the space I have. Realized that having my dish rag on the counter was taking up space and probaby not the most sanitary place for it to stay. Did a little artistic research and then came up with this project. Used the left over glass from my stained glass workshop and a little old spoon we had sitting on our fridge. Now I have a lovely place to hang my dish towel.

So Much to Do

Seeing as I still am without a job, it gives me lots of time to think about all the projects I would like to someday do when I have the finances to do them. Seems a bit ironic that I can't be as productive with my unemployed time as I would like to be, because I need the money that comes with employment. I need to do a post so I can keep track of the things I need to get around to so I won't keep feeling too overwhelmed to do any of it. 1. Work on a portrait of a little boy I've been commissioned to do but have been too chicken to tackle. 2. Make at least one successful piece of art to go in my portfolio that I will buy once employed. 2a. First must pick a theme for said portfolio. Considering the ocean. Plenty of landscape, still life, and buildings that could make for really nice artwork. 2b. Possibly start with a contour drawing since they are fast and relatively easy. 3. Start taking a photo of Matt and me together, 1 or 2 a week so as to not forget these happy simpler times. 4. Find a fantastic shirt/dress pattern and start sewing some of my own clothes. Could even like it so much that I sell some on etsy. Who knows. 5. Build an art cabinet. More truthfully, design and then make husband build my art cabinet. Apparently lumber is expensive when it's nice, so this definately requires me having a job. (update) parents brought an old desk/dresser that will be serving as my art cabinet for now, and maybe for always. It's growing on me quite a bit.

6. Furnish house. Maybe this should be higher up on the list, but really I'd rather get art accomplished than have my house looking great at this point. 6a. Leather couch and recliners 6b. Book case 6c. Sweet rug 6d. Pot rack and towel hooks 6e. Metal headboard and footboard 7. Pull together an art book with all ideas for teaching an after school program and talk to schools about doing it next year. Could be really cool and if I love it, may become my full time job. 8. Buy masonite board and make big whimsical paintings of mermaids, pirates, giraffes and such with the faces cut out. Would make people who come visit have their picture taken in them and make an album for them to sign. 9. Design and make a long large stained glass that would some day go in my bathroom or house somewhere. I'll probably continue to add to this post as I think of other things i've been meaning to do. p.s. the stained glass is from One of a Kind McKinney

Stained Glass Workshop

This past Saturday I took a Beginner's Stained Glass workshop. It was really fun, and I rather like making stained glass. I think Matt would love doing it too. Maybe he and I can go glass shopping next pay check.

First thing I had to do was pick one out of four patterns. I chose the most geometric cause I had a hunch that cutting glass would be harder than it seems.

Then I got to pick the colors I wanted to use. There were plenty of choices.

This machine is the grinder. Its used to take off the sharp edges and to help shape the pieces if they need little touch ups.

This is my final stained glass. The colors look really different when in a window and not. Kind of prefer the way it looks not in a window.

Miniature Art

Last trip home I found a few mini canvases under my bed and brought them back to paint on. These are the two I've done so far. They're 4x5" and quite cute. Aren't really practical since they're so small, but I still like them a lot.

Considering putting them on my etsy shop, but not quite ready to part with them.