First Birthday, First Painting

This seems like a great post for firsts. It is my little baby's first birthday. To know I will not experience this again, I took photo after photo so I could capture it all on camera. It's funny when you go through all of the photos, you can slowly see the destruction of the cake like you're viewing it through a flip book. I won't share all of the photo; just the first and last.

Also, I have started painting again after a couple years. Very shaky and not confident. I have found I am finding everything else to do but paint; dishes, laundry, errands. Anything to not make me sit down and paint. Something I used to love to do has me nervous feeling like a beginner again. I just have to get over myself and paint. This is the beginning with my designed patterns.

Birthday invitation Art

We went shopping at Target the other day in hopes of finding some cute party decor for Hayden's birthday party. I decided I was going to make things easier on myself by purchasing already made invitations instead of making them. It didn't take much coaxing for Hayden either; she made herself happy with a set of the three Disney princesses invitations. After going home, I kept thinking I took the easy way out; I should have made the invitations myself. I am sharing this to show the procrastinater in me. I waited until yesterday, a little over a week and a half before the party to decide I was going to make them. And then... my computer crashes. Even now it seems to be working in slow motion. Something that should have taken 20 minutes ended up taking over 6 hours to create. But I love the end result and I wanted to share it here.

P.S. some of the info. is photoshopped out.

So, now while I wait for more memory to be shipped to me, I am going to take a break from drawing in Illustrator for a little awhile and get the paints out I promised myself the other night. Kids are asleep and it's before 11 p.m.! WOO HOO! Time to break out a bottle of red wine and get some Michael Bubble playing for some fun paint time. Hopefully I haven't forgotten how to paint, it's been a long while. I will post my results soon, no matter what.

What Would You do with 1-2 more hours?

I catch myself saying all of the time, "there are not enough hours in a day." I am sure I am not alone on this. Think about it for a minute. How many times do you think or say the same thing? My answer would be atleast 10. But you know, the funny thing is that we all have the same 24 hours in a day. I bet Martha Stewart doesn't chill on the couch and watch the 3-5 shows of hers that come on television throughout the day or that Oprah feels bad at the end of the day because it was unproductive. Granted, these are the extreme cases where they each have personal chefs, maids, landscapers, multiple assistants, etc. but these two women with their ENORMOUS empires had to start somewhere, right?

Somedays I feel productive just getting a shower and changed out of bed clothes in between taking care of the kids, cooking, cleaning, yard work, running errands, and whatever else seems to jump into my lap. It's hard to be creative, let alone get to do art. Well, I am making a change for myself and I started about a week ago today, no more television for a month. I want to see what I can do with 1-2 more hours a day. Tomorrow, the paints come out from hibernation!

Funny, I went into the e-course I've been taking after creating this post, and tonight's post was on time management.

Truly a new beginning

I am finally starting to create boy's art. I love working with visual texture and pattern. I want to start doing more.

I have swayed with the notion of selling my art for a long time now. I tried Etsy for a little bit but was never committed wholeheartedly. I wasn't very successful and hardly had any people seeing my items. I took my first big step and signed up the other day for an E-class with Kelly Rae Roberts and let me tell you I'm amazed, confused, excited, nervous, and yes fearful all at the same time. I am two weeks behind in the class and feel I may catch up by the time the class is over. After viewing comments of the first post, I see that many people know each other from other classes, have beautiful blogs, have established shops, and yes seem very successful already. I am a mother of two who has said for the past 4 years I am going to do my art, but without finishing what I begin. I am tired of all my excuses to wait until... Signing up for the e-class is my biggest step to date with the commitment to my art.

Last night was my first night of the class and I was up reading, exhilirated until 3 in the morning. I have not felt like this in forever. I didn't want to go to sleep because I didn't want that feeling to go away. However, I knew in a few short hours I would have two screaming kids calling my name. Tonight I find myself overwhelmed and lost. I am starting from the beginning again and filling up my notebook with to-do lists so I can make headway for myself. I will not quit. I will not quit my art. This is what I am meant to do. I know it.

Busy weekend

We had a busy weekend filled with blueberry picking, painting, shopping, and I know there was more, although, I can't seem to remember right now. While at the Blueberry Farm, we decided to kill to birds with one stone: I've got blueberries in my freezer and we took some cool photos in the country for some new dresses Mom is putting on Etsy. Hayden is modeling this dress Mom made just for her. Following are a couple more photos of new dresses Mom has made. If you like these dresses, please take a look at our Etsy site for more clothes and children's art.

I tried to find some clothes for myself this weekend without any luck. I don't know why it works this way but when you go with the intention of shopping, you can never find anything that looks good on you. But the moment you are just window shopping, everything beckons to you; the fit is amazing, the color is just right, and " Wow it must of been tailor made just for you."

Meanwhile, I am looking for a new camera, a professional SLR so I can work with my photography skills for the business and for fun. I want pictures that show more depth of focus ( if that's correct) instead of the camera I have now.

Introduction

I wrote a new post the other night, but after much rambling, I think I forgot the most important thing to introduce myself and talk about my new venture. My Mom and I have justed started an online Children's Boutique called Bubbles Under the Moon. Well, we actually started it awhile back, but after a difficult pregnancy, I took more time away than intended and now we are basically starting over from the beginning. My Mom has always sewed ever since I was a young girl for my sisters, brother and I. We always matched or coordinated with each other. Cute, adorable, yes but not when you are a stubborn, independent kid wanting to dress her own way! With over 30 years of sewing experience, she brings boutique, one of a kind, designer clothing for young children.

I get my creativity from my mother, but have barely turned on the sewing machine I wanted for my birthday one year. I don't think I can even do a straight stitch. I love art and I love to draw. As a kindergartener, the teacher had a conference with my parents because I colored EVERYTHING black. I loved the graphic quality of the black against the smooth white paper. But how can/do you explain that as a young child? I couldn't. Later, I got a degree in Graphic Design from Auburn University. From there, I worked at a newspaper and later was a High School Art teacher until my first daughter was born. Since then I have stayed home with two amazing little girls but I desperately want to fill my life with art again. The art I am doing now focuses on Children's Art and I am also currently working with creating patterns in the aspiration of designing textiles. I think it would be a dream to see my daughters wear something their grandmother made with the fabric designed by their mother.

Sorry, no pics tonight. It is an early morning tomorrow and I am not a morning person at all.

My Inspiration

Where to begin? This is my first post in about 2 years. For the last week, I have worked on creating the background pattern of my blog, redesigning my banner, trying to figure out all of the html code, and sitting here every night thinking of how to start this post. Nothing comes to me. I am lost. I stare once again at a blank screen and a blinking cursor. I go to bed defeated.

This is a very important post to me, a fresh start, a new beginning. May be I am making this too important. Who knows if anyone will read it? This blog is to be about my journey as an artist. So, I begin to think how my art has evolved since my last post. What's different? Well, now I have two girly girls. Two girls to dress up, to care for, to listen to. I try to be a good influence on my daughters and yet somewhere along the way they have been great influences on me.

I guess it began when I was trying to find art for their bedroom. It is hard to find unique cute children's art without the price tag of certain big box stores, like those that begin with a P and end with a Barn. I wanted something fresh, engaging, visually textural. Mix this together with two girly girls who love pink, princesses, dress up, tea parties, and VOILA!!!! This is where we end up. Please take a look at some of my prints in my Etsy mini. Thank you for your time.