Ruby and Coco

Here's My Story

2011-02-06T17:00:00.000-06:00

Those who know me know I have a testimony that accompanies my artwork. I've always loved being crafty and drawing but in 2003 God presented a turning point to me. I was sitting in a dorm room trying to draw and was getting pretty frustrated. I stopped and cried out inwardly, "God, why would you give me this desire to draw if I cannot create the things I see in my mind?!". And the Lord actually answered me- I almost audibly heard a quiet voice tell me, "I will guide your hand". I was shocked, I just sat there letting it sink in that I was pretty sure God had just spoken to me. As I processed it, I decided that was cool and all but crazy. Crazy that God would really guide my hand in artwork. I mean- that's just CRAZY. So about a month later I decided to submit some artwork to an artist's guild and when I finished the ink drawings....I cried and my hands shook. Because the hand that drew them was not my own. I had never been able to draw like that. God had not lied to me, of course not. I finished the drawings with color pencil- suddenly I understood shading & shadows. I'd always struggled with it before. I was and am overwhelmed with the amount of Grace God has for us; even in my imperfectness He still gave me a deep desire of my heart. When I took my artwork to the post office, the man helping me commented on the drawings. I excitedly told him my story. He smiled a polite smile but I walked away and realized I'd just become "One of Them", one of those Christian's that talks crazy talk about miracles and wants you to believe them.

My story is true, believe if you like- here are the before and afters.

Before-Drawn fall 2002 (it's okay to laugh)

After- Spring 2003 (if you want to laugh it's okay it may hurt my feelings now)

Spring 2005

They do a great job of convincing me on days when I think God has abandoned me or I have nothing to offer. Since that prayer, I've increased my grasp in areas of art I've attempted. I am not perfect but I get better with practice, just like all artist's.
As I've grown in this I've been so thankful. As I was folding clothes this morning I thanked God for showing me, finally, who He created me to be- a creative person, creating for others.
So that's why I started Ruby Coco, it's an outlet to create for others. We'll see what the Lord does from here...

Front Door Makeover

2010-11-17T21:03:00.008-06:00

My good friend Tara recently posted pictures of her front door makeover. Check it out, she did a phenominal job. Now this lady is a creative lady with a Can Do attitude, I love her. She attempts the things I talk about. The before and after is drastic! Thanks for asking me about my front door, I'm pretty pleased with our little rancher. No kidding- before we bought it I happened to drive past it and say to myslef " Wow, that's one ugly house"- who knew I'd own it one day??

Here's our home when we moved in:

Nasty lamp post, tired boxwoods, monkey grass (yawn), funky rust colored paint, brassy mailbox, patchy grass. Whew- needs help.

and after some paint and landscaping:

I smile when I pull into the driveway now! The rundown:

Door paint- Kingsport Gray by Benjamin Moore
Trim- Deserted Island by Benjamin Moore
Mail box- silver spray paint
Flowers on door from Tallulah Trading Co. (they are so nice and will spend a lot of time with you creating the perfect wreath, etc)
Flowerbox- White and pink Vinca's & asparagus ferns
Large Bush- Hydrangea from Lowe's
Plants in front of Hydrangea- Lamb's Ear (gift from the lady who did my centerpieces from our wedding) It grows anywhere you plant it! Go plant this!
Flower Bed- Pink and white impatiens with hostas from the nurseries in Alexandria

The Nursery

2010-10-12T16:56:00.000-05:00

Let me just say, I am so delighted with how this room turned out! Abby is 2 months old now and I still enjoy this room while I'm rocking her. To be honest I wondered if we'd ever use it for more than changing diapers at first. And the first couple weeks this was my bedroom, I'd wake up every morning and think "Wow, I decorated a room for my self". About 3 weeks ago we finally started putting Abby in her crib like a big girl and what a treat... she's been sleeping like a champ! She goes down at 10 and wakes at 8 am! What more could we hope for? We feel extremely lucky. Soooo.... here's her room. I've included some of the details but if you have a question just ask.

We were waiting for her rug to arrive when I took this pic, imagine a round, white shag rug. From overstock.com and it is wonderfully soft. The walls are Anew Gray by Sherwin Williams.

Baskets from Target, lamp from TJMaxx last year, picture frame from Ladies in Waiting, changing table I bought from my friend Stephanie. It was her husbands funky college dresser, they had it refinished when they had their first child.
The picture tucked into the corner of the frame is Dan when he was a week old. Little precious boy.
The rocker Dan was rocked in as a baby, the teddy was Abby's first baby gift.
The lovely curtains my Aunt Linda designed and made for us! Polka dot fabric is discontinued, I bought all that was left from Fabulous Fabric in Shreveport. I'm not sure who the maker was. The coverlet is Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic for Target and the bed skirt is Ralph Lauren from TJMaxx several years ago.
Crib is Munire from here (they are so sweet, and the shop is fun to browse). And...Ta- dah! Abby's painting, I'm so happy with it- had this idea to sew flowers to a canvas for over a year and now I've actually done it. The dots and trim around the square are metallic silver paint, shimmery when walk around the room and look at it.
Close up of the silver paint and my favorite little flower. These are the same flowers I made for Stephanie's journal from the Martha Stuart tutorial
This was my dresser growing up, back then it was a funky greenish gold color, I'm not sure why I never thought to paint it back then. When Dan and I got married we repainted it with flat black which was so sharp! It looks sweet and happy now tucked into Abby's closet. The mirror is from an antique store, I hung it as a back splash behind our stove and to help our tiny kitchen look a little bigger. When we bought our home their was no place for it so I was super happy I was able to dust it off and hang it again.
Little bitty shoes from a friend, thank you Julie!
A dress to bring little bit home form the hospital
Organized drawers, I was so proud. I enjoy seeing what other people do to get their lives in order, thought you'd like to see too. The hot pink liners have been in there since the 60's, good thing we had a girl!

Homemade bibs and burp clothes from my talented friends!
Love, love, love Belle & Boo- I've mentioned her before. Mandy was kind enough to offer this free download from her website

And here she is! Abby and I home from church, wearing our matching headbands. Abby's is from here, Emily is a lovely lady with an adorable family. I'm always encouraged after her reading her thoughts and creativity, check her out!

2010-07-31T16:56:00.004-05:00

And that about sums it up for this perfectionist...

Have created lots of beautiful things I'll be sharing soon...
And will be done with the nursery this weekend! Yahoo!

Just a smidge for now

2010-06-19T20:19:00.009-05:00

My Aunt Linda surprised me yesterday when she called and said she'd be here a week early to deliver Abigail's nursery! Wow, I am blown away by her beautiful work and what a difference curtains can make in a room. I'm not ready for the big reveal yet but thought I'd give you a little taste of this sweet room.

Bear Bryant would Approve

2010-06-19T19:41:00.008-05:00

Yes, I think Coach Bryant would love my homage to his houndstooth legacy that is Alabama football! Wow, I have a new appreciation for the inventor of houndstooth after studying and breaking it down for this cute painting....

Can you believe this Momma to Be sewed all of her bedding and curtains herself? I'm impressed and looove the houndstooth detail around the curtains. Great job Bethany! My other favorite part of Elliott's room is the elephant shelf to the left. Where else is an elephant shelf going to fit in like that?! Thank you so much for the picture girl, his room looks wonderful!

Here's the whole shebang up close so you can see the houndstooth better....

Now I'm not necessarily an Alabama fan, but this got me excited when I finished it, Roll Tide!!

Sneak Peek...

2010-06-10T17:54:00.003-05:00

Hello, thought you'd enjoy a sneak peek of a project I've been working on the past couple weeks. Just a corner for now...

I'll show ya the whole shebang after the beautiful Momma-to-be picks it up this weekend!

Creative New Endeavour

2010-05-31T08:41:00.012-05:00

It's exciting news, and you already know if we're friends... Dan and I are expecting our first child! A little girl. She'll be arriving sometime around August 11th and we are thrilled to meet this girl. The morning we found out it was a girl Dan told me he had been hoping it was a little girl for him to cuddle and spoil the rest of her life. Isn't that sweet? I surely thought he was looking forward to teaching his boy how to drum, kayak and be a dude. I'm elated to have a daughter, to teach her about the beauty God's placed inside of us, how to tame her hair, laugh with her and the clothes and decorating of course.

Right now I'm on the "clothes and decorating" part, and oh man is it fun! Here's a look at some of the inspiration for her room. It's going to be precious I tell you.

The starting point for her room, love that it's a little grown up but still sweet and girly.

The fabric for her room {sans the little green dot fabric}. My Aunt is a wonderful seamstress in Houston and she has graciously offered to sew her bedding and curtains. Can not wait to see them!

The light Dan just hung to replace the funky flourescent light the previous owners installed. {I don't get why someone would hang a nasty flourescent light just because it's their "home office".} From Overstock.com- be warned- their are almost no instructions for installation.

The current state of her room, before paint- haven't gotten a good picture yet.

Kelly-how do you like that comforter from our college dorm days? Pretty sweet huh? If only I still had the cornflower blue accessories to go with it. Don't worry it's not staying!

Will post some updates as we progress. The dresser in the closet was mine growing up back then it was an antique gold with hot pink liners inside. I kept the hot pink liners but painted the dresser and bed cream with the left over trim paint we used on the outside of our home! The crib is from Munire, we found it here in Shreveport at Ladies in Waiting. The dresser along the opposite wall is our changing table, bought it a year ago from a friends nursery. It was originally her husband's dresser from college, they had it repainted and added new pulls. Anyone have ideas for rugs or where to find a great deal?

So Pretty...

2010-05-10T20:11:00.011-05:00

...I want to eat it!

I made this journal a while back for my friend Stephanie, isn't it gorgeous? I love it. It's the first journal I've made that was exactly what I wanted to buy. In the past I've been quick to rush through my creative process to get the order completed. And when I say "rush through" I mean, "hmmm... what do I think they would want if they could make it themselves" instead of what did they want me to make. So this journal has been the start of my waking up to what's really inside my creative self, expressing it for others to enjoy. Thought it'd be a great place to start with the blog since I'm posting again.

Covered the book with a soft blue/gray japanese silk from Hollander's and then sewed the flowers on. Aren't they fun? You can learn to make them at this website. Martha always knows...

Wouldn't these flowers be cute pinned to tank tops, cardigans, tote bags or hair clips this summer. This Thursday night I'll be getting together with some girls from my church to make a ton of these for a women's brunch. Think it will be a very sweet time with the ladies.

Have a great week friend, it's good to be back :)

I'm alive

2010-05-04T17:59:00.004-05:00

Yes, it's true! I'm alive and still painting/drawing/making journals. I'll tell you this, I'm a perfectionistic procrastinator if anything. So, while I've been away I've been thinking about this blog and reasoning if my writing skills & content were worthy of posts or if it was time to just delete the experiment and move on. Well...I'm here! I do want to continue this project and I've determined that it will be more focused on my creativity and the inspiring people I come across. Be on the look out, more posts and artwork to follow. Thanks for checking in friends.

Jen

Five Favorites for Friday

2009-09-18T15:26:00.009-05:00

There are so many talented artists I'm amazed and inspired by. Thought it would be fun to share 5 great pieces I'm excited about and would love to have in my home:

Whenever it's our time for a family I want this in the nursery. Find Rae Dunn here

Wish I had an event important enough to need her gorgeous writing. But she also sells custom address stamps, how lovely bill paying will become with her handwriting gracing the envelope.

Abagail Halpin, this woman inspires me to keep drawing, I love her images!

Will be tracking the days in 2010 with this beauty. It gets better, they provide templates to turn the pages into gift boxes and file folders once the month is ended.
Belle and Boo artist, Mandy Sutcliffe, beautifully sweet and simple

2009-09-17T12:15:00.000-05:00

Yes, we're officially ready for the commencement of Fall at the Anderson's. After Dan and I both had a bummer of a day {I swear a week of rain must be contributing to the glum} We decided to cleeeeann the house and put out the fall decor. Well, I decided the decor was in order, Dan needed the clean to feel whole again. You know how you get that crampy, crabby feeling when things start to pile up around you? So do we! So here is our fabulously clean and freshly bedecked home. The stoic Mr. Hooters {my granny made him back in the 70's} making his annual appearance

The mirror is a recent IKEA purchase, I'm trying phase out my "flea market" stage to more clean lines and modern. It may take a while people.

Now all that's needed is the return of Sea Salt Caramel Hot Cocoa at Starbucks, The Office {starts tonight!} and a slight dip below 80 degrees so I can sport my new scarf.

can you see the little threads of silver woven into the scarf, mmmm....nice

And to get you pumped about the return of my favorite tv couple...

What I did this summer...

2009-09-10T12:07:00.022-05:00

It was a summer of memorable moments for sure. Of course, it passed too quickly like everyone else. This past spring I took a gardening class through our church, we were lucky to have two happy master gardeners in our congregation sharing their knowledge. Inspired by our new mentors and the high price of bell peppers this summer, my friend Julie and I shared two boxed plots of veggies!

My backyard is mostly shade except for the very middle, Julie kindly offered a corner of her yard for our first experiment with gardening, I think we did well for a first go.

Check out our cukes
and this ginormous Zucchini {however, it was our one and only for the summer} I picked it on my way out of town the 4th of July and gave it to my friend, Tara, in Birmingham. Hope it was good girl!
We enjoyed fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, squash and jalapenos through the first part of July. An accidental lack of watering when Julie and I left town at the same time did us in. Oh well, there's always next year! And I've heard Fall gardens are fun.

Dan and I traveled through 10 states to visit his family in PA.

We got a pic of each Welcome Sign except PA, it was too dark when we rolled into town. The Sheetz pic is our homage to PA. {Next time you find yourself in Pennsylvania please enjoy the best gas station in the world, Sheetz.} Wow, it was heaven eating our meals outdoors, surrounded by Pennsylvania farm land. Dan's mom has an amazing talent for making a home welcoming.

Her flowerbeds overflow with color and joy, the cooking and clean up are not the least bit boring with everyone talking in the kitchen. We spent an afternoon riding bikes along the Ohio river under a verdant canopy watching rafters paddle by. {I know I'm laying it on thick, seriously it was the best 2 days of my summer}

My college roommate, Kelly drove up from DC with her husband Michael and my Godson, Luke. Every little boy needs to spend a day at the farm.

Have you ever ran up and down the hill to touch the apple tree 30 times with a 2 year old?! It's the best! The reason summers, hills, tall grass, bird houses, wild daisies and apple trees were invented.

Was wonderful spending the afternoon with ya'll Kelly. Love ya'll so much.

A few projects I've been working on...

Does the bird look familiar? He was inspired from this sketch.

For my sweet, chubby cheeked nephew. Currently, it's lost in the mail, a complete bummer after all the time and love put into this painting. Won't forget the tracking number next time!

I've come up with a couple ideas I'd like to introduce to my paintings and journals, think it'll be a big hit. Can't wait to make the first sample. I've been struggling with time management lately, so I'm trying hard to set aside time just for being crafty. Often it gets pushed to the side and I'm scrambling to finish projects. No fun.

Good luck everyone getting back into their school time schedules. Cheers to the return of football, sweaters and cocoa around the fire! Am more than a little pumped about Fall this year.

A Little Sketchy

2009-08-07T17:50:00.005-05:00

Two projects I've started today. The first sketch is bits and pieces of an idea I'm hatching for Caroline's hot pink + pink +green + brown nursery. We'll see what comes of it. And the cowboy theme is for my first nephew, Luca! Am headed to Houston tomorrow to visit my Aunts and cousins, have a great weekend!

Sunday Afternoon

2009-08-02T16:56:00.004-05:00

A break from the rain finally! Enjoying a peaceful Sunday afternoon. A few things found on my to do list today:

* bake plum-berry whole wheat tarts

* plant lucky clovers for the kitchen window

* peruse the Sunday ads

* start a new painting...and maybe finish it

*pray for my husband as he attempts to hang new sheetrock in our linen closet. (we enjoyed a lovely week of mold demolition after a leaky pipe last weekend)

Photoshop drives me nuts

2009-07-25T17:44:00.008-05:00

I've been making new buttons and banners for the website and blog and have learned all kinds of new tricks today about photoshop. One tip: save your files as .png (pronounced ping) instead of .jpeg if you'd like your lettering to stay crisp with no pixeling around the edges. I thought the note to myself was funny and wanted to share, originally I was going to use my handwriting for the new banner, but my hand had other ideas.

mind + body + soul

2009-06-09T20:35:00.010-05:00

First, let's start with Body- I'm eating chocolate covered pretzels right now and definitely feel like my inner aspect has been nourished. seriously- they are so goooood. Anyway, have a few things that are fun to share.

::mind::Was listening to talk radio today as I ran a couple errands for work. Mark R. Levin was being interviewed, if you're interested in thoughts and observations regarding our founding philosophers and how we've arrived in our current political frame of mind check out his book. I haven't read it yet, but am curious and excited. Politics were easy peesy back in 1984- I thought Ronald Reagan was king of the world and Walter Mondale was some creepy guy from Russia trying to take over the White House. nice.

::body:: I grew up as a tomboy and never really learned the womanly arts of hair and makeup. I can fake it pretty good, but I'm clueless. So I felt like I'd stumbled across the big sister I always wished for in high school when I found this girl on YouTube, sweet! I feel like I've hit the jackpot, she offers tutorials and reviews on makeup and hair. Coincidentally, Marta at martawrites is doing a panel study on beauty if you'd like the insight she's uncovered.

::soul:: Just finished reading an amazing story this week. Couldn't put it down- heart beating fast and wrenching in the end. It's so beautifully written I keep thinking of the characters as real people, wondering what they're doing and how life is turning out for them. At the end I felt my soul calling out for something more. A need to understand/be a part of more than the little story I see unfolding around me in Shreveport.

Le Tour de Jardin

2009-05-27T18:06:00.025-05:00

A few weeks ago I got to view some of the prettiest gardens in Shreveport with my gardening friends. I looove the garden tour, this was my second one- the creativity and beauty are so inspiring! Here a few of my favorite pics.

If you're looking for gardening ideas Better Homes and Gardens website has easy to follow garden plans for every style, soil and time. Found lots of inspiration for our backyard, we started from scratch after ripping out 33 (!) boxwoods and all kinds of aimless debris.

Here was the front of our home, pictures we took with the realtor the first time we visited. Good thing we didn't mind boxwoods...

the sad little patio- "boxed" in

we thought the boxwoods out in the middle of the yard used to surround an old tool shed, but our neighbors told us the previous owner had two chairs in the middle of them, it's where she enjoyed the backyard. You can't see it too well... but there's an old gas lamppost keeping the hedges company... and that's poison ivy growing up the chain link fence..

Ta Dah!! We've painted the house, pulled up the rickety gas lamp and now our new plants are filling in pretty good this spring. The lamb's ear in front was a small gift a sweet friend gave me right before our wedding, look how much it's grown!

the patio is just starting to flower, I had a nice surprise when zinnia's started popping up everywhere. i dug them up and replanted them together in the bottom right corner of the pic (they'll bloom in a couple weeks)
our lovely backyard... free from poison ivy, shrubs and fire ant mounds!

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-26T21:22:00.004-05:00

It's been a busy month, wow! Mother's Day, graduations, and 6 birthdays in our family made for lots of projects. Hope you're summer has kicked off to a great start this Memorial Day weekend. Found myself repainting our kitchen {Ozark Shadows by Benjamin Moore- pictures coming soon!}, organizing our church's attic, feeling the burn in Pilates class, fellowshipping with the ladies in the toddler room Sunday morning, tubing on Cross Lake, cervesa + salsa + grilling in our backyard with friends, starbucks, starbucks, starbucks!

This is Drake's finished painting, around the edges are stripes to match the big fish. Matches the MiGi Splash nursery set, was great helping you KiAnne, thank you!

Drawing it out

2009-05-03T16:00:00.006-05:00

Finished a painting this week and thought you might enjoy peeking into my sketch book. It's funny, I never noticed how messy or how many times I sketched over other patterns until I was finished and reopened the book.

and just starting the painting for baby Drake...
will post the finished project next week!

Summer Fun List

2009-04-23T18:33:00.009-05:00

click here to enjoy the super talented and inspiring Kelly Moore of Kelly Moore Photography in good ol' Ruston, LA. She's so dang awesome.

A list of things I want to do before this summer passes by:

01. pick blueberries

02. swim in the Little Missouri in Arkansas

03. dig my toes in the sand at Gulf Shores

04. enjoy cervesa + chips + salsa outside with good friends

05. eat veggies from our garden!

06. watch fireflies in the backyard

07. have friends over for dessert and chatting around our fire pit

08. pedicure and gladiator sandals

09. saturday morning farmers market run with Dan

10. playing outside with all my little "nieces and nephews"

How to Cultivate Amazing Character

2009-04-18T13:40:00.004-05:00

I received this e-mail from a dear friend and thought the video was the best teaching I've listened to in a long time. If you have time it's worth it! The teaching part begins about 5 minutes into the video.

"If you have an hour, you should really watch this video... great teaching on 1 Peter 3 ... wives and submission. The sermon was great and ended with Q&A from Grace Driscoll. The next week is the followup to this section on how husbands are expected to treat their wives."

http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/trial/marriage-and-women

Happy Easter

2009-04-14T20:02:00.011-05:00

Hope your Easter was
relaxing and joyful.

I had great intentions of taking pictures
of our family
laughing and talking,
but
the camera just sat on
the side table.

Oh well, good indication of a nice afternoon.

I did get a chance to snap shots of our home fresh & ready for spring! There's nothing I love better than flinging back all the curtains on a pretty day!

{saturday morning breakfast was a slow treat in the backyard- nice}

Easter felt so special this year,
driving to church so early
it was quiet.
I imagined the women
making their way to the
tomb.

It was probably still -
expectant, slightly overcast
like our morning.

I felt the same excitment,
like I was making my
way to the tomb,
but no head bowed
with sadness like Mary.
In my minds eye
we were jumping
up and down
to see the Lord Risen!

wow... can you imagine being there for that?

Inspiration

2009-03-16T19:54:00.006-05:00

Looking for inspiration to spruce up your home? I've stumbled across two great sites and can't stop referring back to them They've become a part of my lunchtime online lineup. Both affordable, clever and smart. Have fun here and here good friends! Check out they're sweet wedding, have always wanted to attend a reception this personal and fun. I'm looking to redecorate on a budget, if you know any great links please share!

pink + pink + pink

2009-03-06T17:11:00.006-06:00

Ahh...what a blissful mess....
Am currently repainting all of the painted furniture in my studio- from flat black to clean, glossy white. Can't wait to create in the finished room. Was feeling cramped and cluttered in there lately and very uninspired, ugh. Am also thinking about painting the platform rocker tucked into the mess above. Maybe white with bright pink fabric? Will post pictures after the rooms completed.

Just a couple sweet bits of pink perfection I've been whipping up. I love pink + hot pink together. My heart sings when I pull the Acra Crimson out of the paint box, it goes on so smoothly- the perfect shade of hot pink

Thank you so much Leah for asking me to make your growth chart, can't wait to see pictures from the party. Am so glad we've met!

Happy Birthday Dan!

2009-03-03T18:00:00.005-06:00

integrity
unfailing
loving
kind hearted
dance moves that can stop a dance floor
just a few of the reasons I love you more every year!
You're awesome!

I know- he's cute huh?

oh yes

2009-02-19T19:44:00.005-06:00

Check out this creative promotional tool designed by Swink and letterpressed here. This is so fun, wouldn't you love receiving this in the mail? I love anything to do with camping, mini's and letterpress.

I {heart} you

2009-02-14T17:20:00.005-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day friends! Get out there and love on your friends and family. Heart shaped waffles to greet my Valentine last year. He also appreciated the beef jerky I lovingly cut into heart shapes for him! Have a fabulous day!

One great project

2009-02-06T11:21:00.022-06:00

Here they are, the sweet dolls I've been working on for the past month. Below are the bound beauties waiting to be cut out and adored. The set with blue ribbon are the color copies and the original artwork is handbound in the books. I did learn a great lesson after taking my pictures- don't procrastinate uploading them to your computer. My close up shots haven't turned out so great and I just found that out this morning. Hopefully, I can retake those before I add them to my website. Procrastination- my downfall everytime!
I really enjoyed making these, it's been a while since I've sat down and drawn a complete set and never fails to make me happy. The little details are my favorite and I thinkI feel most comfortable with a pencil in my hand. Enjoy!

In the works

2009-01-23T17:46:00.004-06:00

I am wrapped up in a wonderful project today. Actually it's been a few weeks in the making but today was a dessert day, I finished my final ink drawings and am ready for the printer. Below is a sneak peek...
Just a little snippet of a new paperdoll for someone's very special granddaughters! Will be posting the whole sha-bang after January 31st. It's a joy to feel energized by your projects, I love it! Have been listening to this great song, hope it calms your soul like it does mine. Have a great weekend friends.

And so we begin...

2009-01-09T11:31:00.013-06:00

Happy New Year!

Hope you've gotten off to a great start this 2009! I gotta say the New Year was fabulous but the ensuing week after was like the let down after church camp. I've had my pity party and now I'm ready to tackle my 2009 resolution list. It's just one resolution: DO.I'm a Thinker, Dreamer, Planner. It's seems like I rarely get to the DOING. SO! With my husbands help and anyone else who'd like to encourage and spur me on I'm getting things done this year.First order: Clean out and organize our filing cabinet!

And hallelujah, it's done!

And how about this to excite your organizing dreams- I found a $100 Savings Bond tucked away in those jumbled files last night! Yahoo!

Our Christmas was spent eating really great food with all my cousins, aunts and uncles down in Houston. The big surprise came from my PawPaw, who announced that he is engaged! I'm so excited for him, Mary is such a sweet lady! What a hoot, with four cousins in their twenties we'd have expected the engagements from that corner of the family! I enjoyed the week after Christmas in Albany visiting one of my dearest and oldest friends. There's nothing like being with your worn in friends, having that same shared background and easy understanding. We had some good times cooking and lounging about while the snow piled down! Winter Wonderland! But I'm very glad to be back in the South, 7 may be great as a pair of jeans but not on the thermometer! Also read this book while traveling in the airport. Oh man! ... if you haven't read it... wow... it blew me away. When my friend gave it to me I wasn't too excited about a romance novel, just haven't read those. But my life has been so impacted from this story. I came home from Albany feeling like a new and profoundly different woman. Don't think I can do the book justice by trying to explain it or what I felt. I hope you get a chance to read it, would love to hear what you think about it.

...a few of the projects I made during the Christmas hustle and bustle. I lost my camera at the beginning of December, sadly I lost photos of some very cute paintings and journals. These pics are straight from my camera phone- sorry for the fuzziness. From top left to right- Itty bitty journal for my sister Nichole, finished table for the Googe family, the beginnings of Dana's journal, growth charts waiting to dry, Baby Sabrina's first Christmas, matching chair for the Googe family.

happy new year!

2009-01-05T12:59:00.002-06:00

Hope you had a wonderful New Year's celebration! It was one fantastic break for me! I'll be updating soon as soon as I'm settled in from my travels...

Frolick and Play

2008-12-24T11:32:00.008-06:00

Thank you everyone for all of your encouragement, excitement and ideas this year. 2008 has been a wonderful year and it's because of my fantastic friends and family. I love you dearly! It's very exciting stepping into 2009 with a bundle of new ideas under my arm waiting to be explored. My first steps with Ruby Coco have been my dream come true. Thank you!
Our hot pink, turquoise, lime green, orange and purple Christmas tree. My one rule for the tree ornaments is- it must be shiny! I've lost my camera (such great timing) you can spot me in the pink bulb snapping a picture with my camera phone.

Mr. Peacock keeping a royal watch from the top of our tree...

Mmmm... can you smell the chocolate chip goodness yet?

We're headed to Houston to hang out with my family this Christmas Eve and Day. Aunt Linda has promised we'll be baking cookies and singing Christmas carols. Will be celebrating the New Year in Albany with Tara and her family, I haven't visited since her little man was a month old. Can not wait to spend time with them and meet some of the ladies I've made paintings for.

Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year!

Almost there...

2008-12-19T17:31:00.002-06:00

Hope you're enjoying the dashing, running and busyness of the season. Phew! I'm tired! Have been painting, gluing and varnishing like a crazy lady since December 1st! What a relief, I've come to a resting a spot. If you're feeling over loaded or that it just doesn't feel like Christmas -get yourself to the store, buy a little eggnog and snuggle down in front of your favorite Christmas movie. Our favorite's are Home Alone and White Christmas. The picture is from Christmas 2006, I made an advent calendar for Dan out of little gifts some for real, but mostly funny.

Head + Shouders + Knees + Toes

2008-12-19T16:47:00.006-06:00

This is the precious show we

received Thanksgiving

evening.

Our sweet Olivia showing off

her new dance moves on

the tramp.

The baby who was quite

and shy

this summer is gone! Olivia is

rough and tumble now and

very vocal.

I love it!

She's not

afraid to growl like a

liger either.

Was wonderful having so much

family together in our

part of the woods.

Dan's mother from

Pennsylvania, Dana and family

from Wisconsin,

Aunt Linda and cousins,

home from college,

traveled from Houston.

And we all squeezed into

Paw Paw's home for one of

the best Thanksgiving

meals we've ever had!

Little holiday cheer...

2008-11-21T16:45:00.004-06:00

The holidays rush one upon the other don't they? No kidding! This has been the best fall weather I can remember in Shreveport. I love the colorful trees and the cold, foggy mornings. The girls I work with think it's funny I love driving to work in the fog- maybe it's the quietness, a little bit moody - a little bit magic. Some of the fields I drive past look like moments from a M. Night Shyamalan movie, I love it! Now that Halloween's over we're turning the page to Thanksgiving and hints of eggnog. This year I decided to make my own Christmas tags {the little pink ones with red writing will grace our thoughtful packages} The other scalloped cuties were Goody Bag Bootie for our women's retreat last weekend. Was fun making a practical and fun gift for all the ladies, Julie added handmade ribbon bookmarks and Stephanie got her craft on making sweet "from the Kitchen of" labels for everyone. So proud of my creative friends! Everyone enjoyed useful gifts and it was fun relaxing with the ladies out at Camp Harris. Have had a couple new ideas for my paper dolls and the blog. Will post new bit and pieces soon...

Gouls Night

2008-11-01T13:24:00.003-05:00

Our finished handiwork- mine is the one with the "scary" polka dots

Hope you enjoyed your Halloween dressing up your little bits. LOVED seeing all the little guys strutting their stuff down the sidewalks as their favorite hero. Thursday night we had a girls night of pumpkin carving and wine sipping while watching The Office. I took these with me to add to the treats, one crazy red-headed Puggle named Molly kept us rolling with her tricks.

My love

2008-10-18T10:47:00.005-05:00

Today we woke up and said hello to five years and dreamed about the year 2013 and what life might look like then. I can't wait, marriage has been better than I'd ever hoped, each year more fulfilling and real than the last. I love ya Dan!

image from here

sweet tooth

2008-10-15T21:36:00.006-05:00

Are we getting ready for Halloween yet?
This makes me smile because a) I love me some sweets b) tone on tone pinks are my favorite right now c) the lettering makes me want to dance d) I work for a dentist! Saw this oh so cute illustration at Theo Design. I've never met Abigail Halpin but I feel like we could be cut from the same cloth. A while back she drew an illustration of herself circa 1994 or '95, {oh yea- spirit, spirit, we aim high! we're the class that really strives! we can jam, we can jive we're the class of '95!} the curly hair, the flute, the not- sure-what's-goin'-on-with-the-jeans momement... oh girl, I've been there! Thankfully, I've accepted my curly hair and we've all moved on with fashion. I love her beautifully innocent, sweet drawings, they inspire me to keep sketching daily. She also has an etsy shop if you're interested in taking some of her goodies home or giving gifts {I'm totally not hinting}. Hope you're enjoying this amazing Fall weather like we've been, I don't even feel like I live in Louisiana it's been so pleasant outside! Noticed the first leaves turning brilliant yellow on my way home this afternoon.

this weekend

2008-10-07T21:32:00.006-05:00

He did it!
Dan finally bought his kayak!
Here it is loaded up on the Jeep ready for it's first of many adventures...

I'm so happy for my husband, he loves the outdoors and has missed his canoe every beautiful weekend since he sold it. After a friend lamented he had just bought a kayak and had no one to boat with, Dan gleefully and unselfishly decided to help him out.

Sunday afternoon was perfect- 75 degrees, a slight wind, blue skies. I took the inaugural pics and hullabalooed from the grass until he paddled far out into the lake. Then I sat in the shade and read with my ice cold vanilla coke from Sonic. {Oh yea! Sonic!}

Louisiana is beautiful in a sloppy, flat kind of way... it's our home, and I love the people and the wild spaces that make it who it is.

My turn in the kayak, I liked it. Thought I might feel trapped but it was fun gliding through the water, not as much work as the canoe was!

Eye Candy

2008-10-03T11:03:00.006-05:00

Oh my, oh my! I'm in love with these images and the very talented Amy Atlas. I love how graphic and colorful this woman is. What an inspiration! I sent the top photo to our pastors wife, she's decorating our new church. Don't you think those banners would be sweet in the children's area?

Happy Fall!

2008-09-22T17:57:00.000-05:00

Just browsed through the new Martha Stewart Living magazine and am excited for fall! It's my favorite season. Although it's the end of the year I always feel like it's the ramping up to the coming year, of something new just waiting to be experienced.

image from martha stewart

How about this

2008-09-15T17:59:00.003-05:00

Saw this logo on Kelly Moore's blog and had to check it out. This idea is so right there with the way I've been thinking lately. {And apparently lots of others} Every year I'm resentful that my Christmas is overtaken with the stress of gift buying, it's not that I don't love giving gifts -it's my favorite way to tell people I love them, it's my love language. Just ask my husband! It's that these gifts aren't often meaningful and that's sad and wasteful. I e-mailed this link to my pastor and was excited Sunday when he told me he's very interested and going to look into it more. Would love to see this happen!

click here to view

Shake it!

2008-09-11T22:32:00.003-05:00

I thought for a long time I didn't enjoy music, but it turned out I just wasn't listening to what I liked. Last fall I sat down and made a file of all my favorite music from iTunes

Turns out I'm a big fan of the "Guitar Rock 1978-1979" Album, the 80's, alternative and folk music. Who knew?

Current Workout Playlist...

Just What I Needed- The Cars
Heat of the Moment- Asia
I Don't Wanna Be In Love- Good Charlotte
Top Gun Anthem- don't knock it, you can fly on the treadmill with this!
Heartbreaker- Pat Benatar
Wake me Up Before you Go-Go- Wham!
One Way Or Another- Blondie
Mickey- Toni Basil
Crazy- Gnarls Barkley
Extreme Ways- Moby
Shake It- Metro Station
Fields of Gold- Sting
Can't Take It In- Imogen Heap

Here's to finding your muse! What's inspiring you to run/create/go!?

The right kind of wisdom

2008-09-08T20:00:00.000-05:00

Saturday afternoon I spent some time in our back yard enjoying the *amazing* fall weather {we hang out in short sleeves here until late October or November, this was a treat} I pulled out my Bible and journal and let the Lord talk and I just listened. That's a hard thing to do. Over the past two months I have asked the Lord to shake out the yuck and replace it with his glory. Because when we ask, we receive. It's hard facing your downfalls and pride, like- really confess it to yourself. But as I have, it's weight has been lifted from me and God has replaced it with his fruit. His good fruit. The verse above really stuck with me because it's the opposite of what we often see around us. Our "wise" government officials, business leaders, even professors- not usually described as impartial, sincere or submissive. What a great gift that we can receive wisdom that makes you and the people near you happy and peaceful!

You stay classy San Diego

2008-09-07T09:30:00.000-05:00

So the "Anchorman" was not classy but I think she is. Love this sweet picture of Jackie Kennedy with Caroline. I just learned she was a dedicated painter in the style of Grandma Moses, I admire her even more.

Little bit o sunshine

2008-09-06T14:47:00.002-05:00

Now, there are no babies on the horizon for Dan and I but if we have a little girl one day- I want this wardrobe. Oh it's so beautiful, like confection. Martha Stewart always knows how to set a happy stage. From what I've learned, the wardrobe will only look like this before the sweet one arrives. But it's nice to have an ideal. Have been looking into the price of clothing and baby necessities lately and was surprised how expensive little things cost! I know, I know this shouldn't be a shocker but what the heck? So I'm determined to have a cute, fashionable family at a great price. $8 for a bow? Or $30 to take a hair bow class? Or... search the internet and find a free step by step lesson! I made two bows out of white organza ribbon and attached them to Riley's pink growth chart in my shop. Check out the link, hope your bows are super fabulous!

My favorite reason to protect the environment

2008-09-05T16:16:00.005-05:00

Saw this commercial at the gym this morning and had the best laugh, completely forgot about the horrible treadmill for a moment!

Gustav

2008-09-02T10:52:00.008-05:00

Just hanging out at the house and watching Gustav drop by. We've only had rain up here in Shreveport and thankful it didn't flood. So here I am at home on the 5th day of my Labor Day weekend! Hope everyone is well and enjoyed their Labor Day. Dan and I planted a new Crepe Myrtle in the backyard and rearranged a bit of our landscaping. We went out on the Red River Sunday afternoon with some friends from church and it was beautiful {the weather- not so much the river, it still kind of grosses me out with all the slimy mud on the bottom!}

Think I will take care of a couple decorating projects around the house today or maybe just have a bit more laziness this weekend!

The Story of Stuff

2008-08-30T10:50:00.004-05:00

" Our enormously productive economy...demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption...we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever accelerating rate"

My friend Anna posted this link on her blog and she wasn't kidding, it will change your perspective! Please try to watch the whole video, it's worth it. (About 20 min.)

Dan and I have have started to experience some of the benefits of "unplugging" over the past two years. At first it was from neccessity as he went back to school, but I think we'll keep it up after he has a "real job" again. It's a great feeling having more money and less stuff hanging around that I didn't need anyway. And now I see a bigger picture after watching the video.

Have always wondered about the people who make our stuff, where are they and do they like what they're doing? How huge is the system? Because there's a LOT of stuff everywhere. Let me know your thoughts after you watch it.

a little sketching

2008-08-26T19:31:00.005-05:00

keeping careful watch of the squirrels behind our neighbors magnolia

Lucy is our neighbors cat who has also claimed our yard as part of her territory. When we first moved in I think we were both a little leery of each other but now we have an understanding. She hunts and keeps watch of the yard and we get to be entertained by her. She's a sweet little cat and knows the best neighbors keep a little space. Her and I had a moment this past spring... I was in my studio painting with the windows open and pounce she landed on my window sill outside! Scared the heck out of me, but we shared a mutual respect for each other that afternoon. She likes to sit in my window while I'm creating and I enjoy the company.

pencil sketch from a picture, practicing my expressions. This is my Conde sketchbook Kelly, thank you! I use it all the time!

Dreaming...

2008-08-22T13:34:00.006-05:00

Oh beautiful, glorious weekend!

Looking forward to resting and wish it could be in this dreamy place.
I tore this page from the spring Anthropologie catalog and tucked it into my home binder. Doesn't this duvet make you want to curl into bed and sleep forever? I love it, alas not a part of our budget right now. I've thought about sewing one myself but I'm a bit intimidated by all those kissing pleats. It would be worth it though....

Have a wonderfully relaxing weekend!

Focus

2008-08-19T19:37:00.005-05:00

I'm a list maker. It's my way of staying focused because there are a million different directions I'll let my day bounce if I don't remember my goal. Marta over at m.writes always shares her very inspiring lists. A couple days ago she found a list of things she wanted to remember when she becomes a mom, fitting since she'll be one very soon. Congratulations Marta and good luck! I love her idea of making the reminders way before life gets hectic and you get in the middle of it and forget you had these great intentions to be more creative/ loving/ thoughtful/fun. Instead of my To Do list for today what is my To Do list as a mother? Wife? Adventuress? I'll be jotting down my lists and sharing sometime. I hope you will too. Let's take all that clutter, shake it out and decide what's worth keeping and doing.

The picture above is from the paper adventure project Elise is hosting. Each week she presents a thought and you create a page based on it. This page was "balance". Like you, I struggle with balancing my time, it just slips out of my hand! This little note was pasted to the page because I had {proudly} just completed everything on the list. Only took two months....

Happy Birthday Luke

2008-08-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

This adorable little man is my Godson Luke and I love the heck out of him! In this picture he has just finished wiping all the smurf blue icing from his cookie cake onto his shirt (front and back). Like all good children he was having more fun playing with his food than eating it!

Posing behind Luke for a quick shot! He's fast and not interested in sitting around all afternoon taking pictures!

Me trying to lure Luke close enough for a picture, the old Dumptruck-Over-The-Shoulder trick should catch him! And it did :)

Happy 2nd Birthday Luke, Auntie Jen loves ya!

Good times...

2008-08-15T11:50:00.005-05:00

God has blessed us with a great, no, fantastic group of people at our church. I love these people.

We have become what the Bible wants the church to be- honest, uplifting, supportive, learning, praying for each other and sharing the joy that Jesus announced was ours! We are celebrating Jenna and Aaron in this pic- they're headed to Dallas and we'll miss them like crazy!

Finished Projects

2008-08-03T18:23:00.004-05:00

I looove this journal...

My friend Casie asked me to make this for her to write down all the funny things her daughter says. Her little girl is three and is turning out to be just as funny as her mom and dad. It turned out as spunky, bright and fun as the ladies I made it for!

This painting is for Kara's nursery and it was stunning last night when we hung it on her LIME green walls! So fun!

Found

2008-08-03T18:16:00.003-05:00

Found this beautiful image via Black Eiffel, isn't it gorgeous? I feel like this all the time!

In the middle

2008-08-01T16:00:00.002-05:00

Cookin up some really fun stuff...

...will show the finished projects soon...

"Camping"

2008-07-29T19:09:00.009-05:00

Over the fourth of July weekend, Dan and I decided to go camping in Ouachita State Park in Arkansas. We haven't been in two years so it was time. I love watching Dan prepare for something he's really excited about. He's making mental lists of all the "gear" we need, browsing the aisles of Academy sports, smiling non stop, he's in his element. I love it. It's great being the one along for the ride, when he preps for something it's going to be fun and NOTHING will be forgotten. He's prepared. When we arrived the parking lot was completely full, thank goodness we had the jeep because we parked in a side of the dirt road, in a ditch between two trees! We HAULED it up the hiking trail, and as we hiked in we kept a lookout for open campsites. Afterall, the parking lot was full. Anxiety disappeared when we found our favorite site overlooking the river was open! Did I mention they were all open, except one?

Me, hauling it up the trail- you may be wondering where my head is.Dude- I'm five foot!
We threw up our tent and did a quick change into our swimsuits. Well, it would have been quick except it was so hot in our tent we looked like a shower head was turned on us! Sticky wet clothes... yuck. Who the heck cared- we were swimming in the Little Missouri River and it was worth it! The best afternoon of the summer! The river is so clean you can see your toes and the fish swimming by. Natural slides down the falls, rope swings, huge rocks to lay out on- pure heaven. About five thirty a gianormous black cloud rolled in. And, yep, it brought thunder.

Dan- Little Missouri River, Ouachita State Park

My sweet husband decided to pack it up and get out of Dodge. I love him. Thank goodness his idea of fun camping doesn't include sweltering in a tent while it rains all night! I thought I was a goner, I was prepared to stick it out and put on a brave face. So we threw our gear in our packs and hauled our booties back down the mountain. I guess everyone else knew about the rain but us so we weren't prepared for everything, oh well. By the time we got back to the parking lot it was empty, except for our lone jeep in the ditch. So we tell everyone we went "camping" but I guess it was a daytrip to go swimming with a bunch of gear! We laughed all the way home and couldn't wait to sleep in our comfy bed in the AC. Oh yea!

One last pic before we left

Deer beside the road on the way home

Yucko to Fabulous

2008-07-25T18:06:00.000-05:00

Hey friends! Sorry I've been absent from blogging- Dan and I have been enjoying our summer, hope you have too! I'll post a few of our projects we've been working on + fun adventures we've had. Since graduating from college and joining the office world, sometimes I feel like summer passes me by in the air conditioned busyness of the day. I'm guessing a lot of us feel like that! So this year I tucked some things in the back my mind, a little list of "Things To Do To Really Experience Summer". So far-

picking blueberries
EATING blueberries (I found an super simple recipe we dived into on the fourth)
sonic runs at 10:30pm
reading- I finally finished Harry Potter- it was so good!
swimming
dinner under the pecan tree in our backyard
farmer's market downtown
"camping" in Arkansas
enjoying camp days out at Camp Bethany

What's been the best moments of your summer? It's not over yet (yahoo!) Would love to share the highlights!

Okay, so this was our first project this summer and wow was it worth it! The first time Dan and I toured our house we both agreed- "If we buy it, the bathroom sink is the first to go". So month after month went by and the horrible thing stayed. We kept thinking "oh it's the next thing on the list" until something else came up- you know it works. Ta Dah!! We finally pulled the nasty thing out and replaced it with a fabulously white, clean, space saving, fully functioning, cost efficient, we-now-love-our-bathroom, sink!

Before- love how the Mardi Gras cup gives it the "used" look

stinky drawers that never worked...

After!

Why the heck did we wait so long? Our morning routine is so much easier! I can stand at the sink and Dan can walk behind me now without turning sideways and stepping into the tub. He was so excited the first night that he busted out of the shower, kicking his legs and singing "New York, New York"! Look at all that floor space!

Paperdolls

2008-06-25T18:44:00.007-05:00

I love paperdolls.

I know, but I can't help myself! Ever since my Granny bought me my first book {"The Godey's Lady's Book 1840-1854"} I've been hooked. Maybe it's the possibility of endless wardrobe changes without the messy hair or just the romance of slipping into another identity free of charge. Whatever it is, I like it. I also love the section of Instyle that lays the clothes out for you, mmm...pure goodness. Well, great joy(!) I've stumbled upon the online version of paperdolls + Instyle- Polyvore. Now this could become a serious procrastination tool but it's so darn fun.

A little outfit I put together just moments ago with Polyvore.

They collect images of clothing and stash them in their database, access is free and you get to become a fashion editor at home! If you also like paperdolls/not sure what they are Donald Hendricks has a beautiful site, his illustrations are clever and inspire me. I love that he chooses classic books and brings them to life.

A sample of the paperdoll I made for my friend Julie (sorry poor picture quality). I make custom paperdolls for friends to kind of capture the fun times we've shared and showcase each ladies fantastic personality. Little details are tucked away on each page for her to find. The stack of fabric in front of Julie were the fabrics she used to decorate her first apartment as a newlywed.

The outfit on the right was from the mother of all flea market trips to Canton, TX. Our slogan that morning was "Hard Core" with a giant laugh, we were too determined to let the rain slow us down! It turns out, that's the best time to shop, we got the best deals and the greatest stuff. I'll be posting samples of my paperdolls this weekend at my shop. I'm very excited to get them out there finally, they're my most personal & favorite creative outlet. Hence my procrastination to put them "out there".

Olivia Grace

2008-06-22T17:25:00.004-05:00

Uncle Dan and Olivia
Our sweet little niece Olivia came for a visit this weekend! Dan and I were pleased as punch to spend the day with her and Dana, Dan's sister. She'll be One next month and I think she's the happiest little girl in the world! Always smiling, laughing and showing off her tricks- blowing kisses, flirting with boys and dribbling her finger across her mouth. Aren't family days the best? We started the afternoon with lunch at Counter Culture, {Dana is the newest fan of the Humphrey Yogart (yum!)}, galloped with a zebra on the Boardwalk's carosel, swam til Livie's heart was content and full and ended the evening with a cookout. The backyard was a happy place- fireflies danced around ball players, popsicles melted down tiny fists, contentment was is in the air. Dana declared Uncle Dan Olivia's favorite person so far, he is LOVING it. We miss them so much- the house feels empty without them. Looking forward to our next visit! Love you!

Bluettes

2008-06-21T14:32:00.009-05:00

Julie , Arielle and I had a fabulous time picking blueberries out in Oil City yesterday. If you're ready for blueberry season, this is the least expensive place around. I came home with 5 pounds of the beautiful berries and paid ... $2.00!!! yahoo! Can you believe it?! I'll post the phone number and directions later if anyone would like them. Great morning full of friendly chatter and chirping birds, very peacful.

Julie (with Olivia Ann-due July 1st!) + Arielle (due in October!) + Jen (not due anytime soon!)

Packing the blueberries away for winter. Filled freezer bags full 2 cups each and laid flat in the freezer. Mmmm, these will be so good over my pancakes in December!

The World's Best Cookbook!

2008-06-16T18:45:00.010-05:00

This is it- The World's Best Cookbook! My dear friend Tara gave this to me last Christmas and what a gift. I used to feel overwhelmed and inadequate in the kitchen, but now there's no stopping me! I even like planning meals and look expanding my culinary vocab. Test Kitchen tips are every page, it's like having an expert coach you through meal prep. Each recipe has been perfect and they even share which products worked best during testing

p.54- Test Kitchen Favorite- DaVinici Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - best overall flavor and only $8 liter

p.563- The Perfect Pie Plate- Pyrex Ovensafe glass pie plate
Can't wait to try out my new frosting skills-mine usually look the one on the right!

Ta Dah!

2008-06-13T09:09:00.007-05:00

I finally have a desk! yahoo! I've been searching since October for the perfect desk at the perfect price and last Saturday the Lord blessed me. Here it is measuring 60" x 34" x 31.25". The doors to our home are exactly 31.50" inches across once you take the doors off. It was a perfect fit! The little desk I was using before was the size of the green mat in this picture- just a little bit more elbow room now.

A little bonus compartment on the left-a spring loaded shelf pulls out and gives you more space! Dan told me it was originally for a typewriter, I'm using it for my sewing machine. It's tucked in there with my batting, patterns and paint box.

The estate sale was selling it for $200 (yikes), I put a bid for $50 in case no one bought it. Went home and started cleaning out my studio to make room and at 3:30 they called! No one else wanted it, thank goodness. The Lord is amazing- I woke up that morning and knew it was the day I'd get my desk! Thanks Drew for helping me bring it home!

Little Cards

2008-06-10T20:30:00.010-05:00

A sample of some cards I've been making and giving away. Everyone who loves polka dots raise your hand! Took some card stock and rounded the corners , then used a hole punch on all my favorite scrap pieces. Little glue stick {okay- a lot of glue stick on my fingers} and it's done! Easy + quick are my favorite projects!

A little messiness in the middle of busyness. Love all the tools involved in creativity.

Happy Birthday

2008-06-09T06:57:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday dear Kelly! Hope you receive the royal treatment today from your sweet men. Three cheers for a terrific wife and fabulous mother! Have fun celebrating you and put your tootsies up for a bit. This Boston Cream Pie is just for you!

What a Man!

2008-06-08T17:10:00.000-05:00

Who can resist this man?

My Pawpaw- dressed to the nines with my sweet Aunt Linda for his monthly men's club. I am so wowed by him. He's always been my favorite man in the world, but lately my heart's filled to the brim. He's really gotten out there and kept going, Granny would be proud. At eighty years he's making us look like homebodies- Dances, Dinner Trolley's, Musicals, Letterpressing, Dance lessons and Senior Olympics. Lunch with him is a hoot, he knows everyone dining and working there. And I'm so proud because they all respect him, love him and are so very kind to him.

Plump and Full

2008-06-06T16:30:00.007-05:00

I'd like to take a moment and introduce my beautiful blueberry bushes to you. I am the proud owner of three gorgeous and happy bushes, planted firmly by the fence, in a sunny patch of our backyard. They keep company with our sunflower and the little sunflower babies that are currently sprouting. Dan thinks it's funny that I'm so proud and keep introducing them to everyone who ventures into our backyard, but I can't help it. I'm excited about growing my own little berries and the endless dessert possibilities this summer. The only thing standing in our way are the plump and full little birds who've have discovered them. Any tips on shooing birds?!

If you're planting in your garden soon, this is where I bought my berries. They are so friendly and helpful!

Blooming

2008-06-05T02:17:00.005-05:00

Isn't this a beautiful bunch of peonies? This picture always makes me feel most happy, doesn't it make you square your shoulders and sit up a little taller too? I'm on vacation this week, but have decided this little beauty will be at my desk, cheering me up this summer. Thought this was the perfect time to start a journal of all the inspiring and fun things I'd like to share with my favorite friends who are so far away. I'll be posting every few days- ideas, pictures, randomness and projects I'm working on. So thankful for every ones encouragement, interest and shared joy of all things Ruby Coco! My favorite part of this whole blog world is getting a glimpse into the creative world of other artists, it's so fun and there's always a connection that zaps me. Hope to hear from you!
Image from Domino