CA to AZ and a sneak peek

Here is a sneak peek at a painting my mom commissioned from me... I can't show the whole thing or say who it's for, because some of you know the receiver! You'll just have to wait a while to see the whole finished product! Enjoy the small peek though.

I'm packing up my things here in beautiful sunny Ventura and heading to Arizona for a weekend girls trip! I hear it's becoming cold and fallish, so that will be fun. I'm excited to spend some time with two lovely ladies - movies, lattes, hanging in our pjs, maybe a mani and pedi? The options are endless! It's always tough to leave my fam here though... seriously, I cry everytime (but I always wait until they've left so that I don't make them cry too)! 

Have a great weekend everybody! Happy Halloween!

Party Project

My sister is having a Halloween party on Saturday night for the kiddos! While I am in town she asked if I could make a big pumpkin for a "Pin the tail" type game - Halloween style:

 

I just cut out some poster board, painted on a "face" and then cut out little foam noses. Each kid will get a nose with their name on it - they'll be blindfolded and sent to the pumpkin that will be hanging on the wall. 

I'm guessing the one that gets the nose the closest to the right spot will get a prize. Cute, right? Since I can't be here for the party I'm glad I can participate even just a little!

Exciting things to come list.

I am finally feeling just a little bit better, and I have lots of new things to share with you 

[including but not limited to]:

*commissioned work

*free vintage fabric

*the cutest kids ever

*sneak peeks 

*before and afters

*pinning the nose on the jack'o latern

Coming soon - Stay tuned!

A little vaca update

The wedding yesterday was so great! I'm so happy for Kevin and Holly, who really have the cutest story. Holly was a beautiful bride and I was so impressed at all the little details she created to make their day unique. The best part: a photo booth! Loved it. I made this for them last week - wasn't too sure about what their plan is for home decorating, so I didn't do anything too daring or out of my painting comfort zone (but I always love personalized wedding gifts), so I hope they like it!

I'm having a great time in California, besides the fact that the cold I was trying so hard to fight came on full force after our plane ride. With a lack of sleep Thursday night (we got up at 4:30am to catch our flight) and all the travel, I think my body just couldn't take it! At the wedding yesterday everyone thought I was crying through the whole thing... nope, that was just my eyes watering from my silly cold! We had to leave early because I just needed to lay down! I couldn't believe how terrible I felt. I took a long nap and slept well last night. Kinda laying low today, working on paintings commissioned by mi madre, coffee with my cute grandparents in a bit and then BBQ with the whole fam a little later. My youngest bro was here for Friday night so it was great that we were ALL here together. And those babies... I can't get enough of my two nephews and one niece! I could just eat them up. All in all, it's been a great trip so far... and I love that I can wear tanks and sandals any time of day! Enjoying the sun while I can.

Leave it.

I'm having too much fun with fall paintings - this one is kinda silly, isn't it?

We leave eaaaarly tomorrow morning for California! Yeay! A friend I've known forever is getting married on Saturday, and I wouldn't miss it[I'm so excited for you Holly!!]! Daniel is going for the weekend as well, and then he'll come back to Seattle while I hang out with the fam a couple more days. So looking forward to a little bit of sun, hugs and loves from my 3 favorite kiddos,  and chats with my sis, bros and parents. Oh, and wedding planning with my cousin! Wahoo, Tay and Matt!

From California, I'm going to Arizona to hang out with a couple of my besties next weekend... I cannot wait to hang out with some of my favorite girls ever! As you can imagine, posting might be scarce, but I will have a few things to share along the way for sure. My mom always reels me in for little painting projects when I'm at her house so, maybe being in Cali will calm my obsession with painting fall trees... then I'll have something new and different for you all. :)

Thanks again for tuning in, commenting and supporting me! I really do appreciate you "followers." And once again, if you are a mysterious red dot on my map over there [East coasters?? Midwesterners? And Switzerland too??), who are you? Click here to follow me!

Whatever Befall

A little combo of falls trees and hymns for ya. ;)

Falling

Boy, I am into the fall season! 

I went to work on some hymns yesterday 

and just couldn't resist working on some fall trees. 

This one is a cute little 6x8 canvas! I love it. 

Sketchbook Leaves and Recovery Cafe

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? We had a fabulous weekend in the lovely Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Daniel did a great job planning. We relaxed by the fire, ate yummy Northwest food, drank wine, walked around town to look through cute little shops, looked through our wedding photos and talked about the future. What a great way to spend our first anniversary! We both are feeling a little sick, though, so we're now drinking lots of tea and trying to rest. 


This morning I was going through old sketchbooks to get ideas for the art class at Recovery Cafe, and I found this! I thought I should share since it's "fall-y." It was an exercise in one of my college classes for oil pastels - it reminded me that I love working with pastels too! I just forget sometimes that I like all art and not just painting. 

I'm super excited to brainstorm and come up with a great line up for the class! And honestly, I'm just excited to do art in a new community, and to learn something along the way. I'm heading to the Cafe this afternoon to look through supplies with Seth and see what we'll need. I'm hoping to go hang out this week too, to just get a feel for what the Cafe is like. 

One Year Anniversary!

Tomorrow is our one year anniversary - I can't believe it! It has been the fastest and slowest year all in one. Our wedding was the best day of our lives and we had too much fun! Our first year of marriage has only reflected that. Sure, we have difficult situations and conversations; days when we just need some space... but seriously, marriage is wonderful. Daniel and I both feel so overwhelmed and amazed at how blessed we are... I can't believe this is the first anniversary and that we get to celebrate anniversaries together for the rest of our lives! How cool is that?! 

{Above photos by AVG}

Daniel has planned a little anniversary weekend getaway, so we'll be away somewhere wonderful starting very shortly. We are leaving sometime this morning, so I am packing and prepping! 

Enjoy your weekends my friends - it's been a crazy week for us, so I'll be back next week hopefully with some new paintings and not just reports of crazy remodels and how fabulous marriage is! 

I ALSO love fall because...

THESE are the trees near my house...

LOVE. 

P.S. I don't have any idea how I got those little boxy things that want your reaction... "funny" "cool" and "interesting." I'm not looking for any of you to check those silly boxes, and I will remove them as soon as I figure out how to! In the meantime, just pretend they aren't there... how embarrassing!

I love fall because...

I can have 3 Pumpkin Spice Lattes in 2 days, 

and it's not indulgent, it's "festive".

Dracula Pooh and Dracula Tigger show up in my neighbors front lawn 

(as they do every year, and I love it!)

Sometimes, a real harvest moon shows up in the evening.

I get to see "warty things" (note: actual name posted on the sign) 

at the pumpkin patch

Um. I get to GO to the pumpkin patch, go through a corn maze with friends,

 and pick out my very own pumpkin to carve!

I can decorate my house with candles and corn stalks and pumpkins.

Fall days in Seattle are beautifully sunny, clear and crisp 

(until they just are not anymore).

A little Monday update.

So sorry I was a little MIA last week! We got super busy with the remodel, and I was a part of "take your wife to work" week. Too much fun! We're at a phase where we need to crank some stuff out, so I've been helping with whatever I can, which means less time for painting... but, I will be back!


And, maybe you can help me with that! What's your favorite hymn? Or, your favorite line from a hymn (or two? or three)? I'd love to get some ideas from you all. 


Since blog posts are so much more fun to look at with pictures... here we are at the pumpkin patch! So fun and festive, and Daniel was sweet to humor me and "enjoy" it.

Lastly, if you are a little red dot on the map to the left, who are you? Sign up for a google name and follow me so we can be friends! Have a great Monday, everyone. 

Recovery Cafe

As I've mentioned in recent posts, I've been feeling a bit aimless, meaningless, etc. etc. My dear friend Holly mentioned a few volunteer ideas she thought I'd like and I was immediately taken with the idea of teaching an art class at the Recovery Cafe here in Seattle. I check out their website, e-mailed their volunteer coordinator, and got an e-mail back all in a matter of one hour last Tuesday. The volunteer coordinator, Liz, invited me to the annual fundraiser and education event that happened this morning. I went, not knowing at all what to expect, and WOW am I excited! I spoke with Jamie, who had an internship there a year ago. She beamed as she talked about her experiences, the people, what to expect... I couldn't stop smiling because she couldn't stop smiling! It was amazing to hear stories of people who have gone through the Cafe classes and program, and to see how it is affecting the lives of people in Seattle and beyond. 

"The Recovery Café is a loving, supportive community serving men and women traumatized by homelessness, addiction and mental health challenges."

I talked to Seth, who led a glass project art glass at the Cafe. The work was displayed this morning and it was all beautiful! I loved getting to hear about how people just want the chance to create, express, and be heard. Many of these people feel like "outcasts" in society, so to have staff and volunteers at the Cafe become their family who loves them, accepts them, and holds them accountable all while helping them process and cope with really difficult issues is so huge. 

[photo from the Glass House Project]

In light of all this, I'm not sure where it takes me. I am super excited about what they are doing there, and I am super excited at the idea of teaching a class... learning in a class with others... but it will be a bit of a process to get everything together. I for sure want to learn more about it, and I am going to visit next week to get some ideas rolling... what do you think? Ideas for classes? What to teach? What to present as an idea to the coordinator? I'll keep you posted as to how it all goes.


(Oh, and thanks, Holly!!)