Looking Back at 2011

I spent the greater portion of the year finding my niche (unexpectedly) in the wedding industry.  It started with a few brides and quickly snowballed into a full blown line of wedding paper-goods…most of which have yet to make it to my wedding section…(goal for 2012)

Speaking of weddings, I officiated one!  (Thank you Val & Pat for a once in a lifetime honor – love, Officiant-O!)

Love, there was just so much of it! Alan Jr., aka Brosef, proposed to sweet Elizabeth…finally, a sister for me!

Transitioning our sweet Lee Anne from life at home into a nursing facility was by far most challenging obstacle of 2011.  I have a long way to go accepting what HD has done to our family, but I can honestly say, that we have felt God’s Grace throughout the process.  To all of you who have taken the time to write letters, send family photos and care packages, and pay visits, you have no idea how much it means to all of us.  It warms my heart to walk into her room and see just how loved she is.

In other news, my baking skills have certainly improved since the first of the year.

I even learned to make Granny’s Famous Cherry Pie…

It took me 31 years to catch it, but I officially have Baby Fever.

I found time to hang family photos down the hallway, and it makes me smile every day when I walk by them.

Mom taught me how to Tie Dye, though I’m still pondering how I will find use for this technique in 2012.

We fed buffalo.  The herd of 30 arrived in McIntosh County in 2011, talk of the town!

Mom’s face here = priceless!

We capped off the year with trip to Chicago for Christmas.  Tonight, we’ll keep it low key.  Just the two of us, our pups and a fire in the backyard.  A little peace before the firestorm that is 2012 arrives with all it’s surprises.

Best wishes to you all for a warm and wonderful New Year!

it’s been a week for sure…

…one best summed up by a list:

1.  Prepped and dropped off notes and prints with various boutiques…(just in time for St. Pat’s)

2.  Enjoyed a long overdue lunch with my cousin Rebecca.

3.  Switched cars with Nick to save on gas mileage.

4.  Dined outside at Sol with Cima, another long overdue social.

5.  Got rear-ended by a Hummer (on the 2nd day driving Nick’s car…nice)

6.  Overindulged on  St. Pat’s with Aunt Pam, but still held onto my “Get of Jail Free Card” from Dad.

7.   Then “told off” the jerks at Citibank that handle my student loan.

8.  Completed my taxes.

9.  Continued work with 5 brides…details of which will be posted…one day

10.  Reshipped a print that got lost in the mail on the way to California…watch out postmaster, I might tell you off next…

I’m sure I’ve neglected something here, but suffice to say, I’m content to put this week behind me.

Gone Shrimpin’

Granny and I finally found some time to put the boat in the water.  Rather than venture out to our favorite haunt, Granny taught me to cast for shrimp.  (my kinda fishin’)

A few things about Saundra Kay…

Don’t let her 4’11” frame fool you, she could tackle Goliath.

She has, in fact, been known to wrestle alligators (to protect her grandkids and precious dogs of course)

Makes the best damn cherry pie you have EVER tasted.

30…

…it finally caught me.  Quite frankly, I don’t think it’s as dreadful as some make it out to be…I’ve been looking forward to it for some time.  The very fact that I survived my twenties, makes me feel like I’ve earned a badge of honor.  So here goes, 30 wishes for the next 30 years:

1.  Keep living the dream…art is my life, not just my livelihood.

2.  Travel more…Italy would be a nice start

3.  Patience (I may still be working on this when I’m 70 but it’s worth a shot)

4.  Take a road trip with Nick and Vayda and hit up every Diner, Drive-In, or Dive we’ve seen on the food network.

5.  Spend more time with my girlfriends…I’m truly blessed to have such good women in my life

6.  Try my hand at parenting a real human sibling for Miss Vayda (no real rush here)

7.  Open a studio space up outside of my house…an ocean view would be nice

8.  Learn to ice skate

9.  Take some photography classes

10.  and some jewelry making classes…

11.  while I’m at it, maybe a culinary class or two (who am I kidding? I hate to cook)

12.  but I would like to have a nice organic garden one day…with all the fixin’s

13.  Find more time to read…it’s better for the imagination than the tele

14.  Illustrate a book for kids (currently working on a little collaboration)

15.  Spend more time plein air painting…preferably on that giant canvas I’ve been meaning to construct

16.  Cut back on my Coca-Cola intake…this might just kill me..

17.  Construct a super cool tree-house for weekend get-a-ways

18.  Have a pet bunny…why does everyone else get to have a bunny but me?!

19.  Restore the antique card catalog that’s been taking up space in my studio for 5 or 6 years

20.  Go back to Jamaica with Nick – yea mon!

21.  Tahiti with Leslie

22.  Buy a boat…it’ll help with the plein air landscapes right?

23.  Work on being a little more spontaneous…(i’m a little too plan / list oriented)

24.  …and I’m all out of wishes…but considering I’ve only been 30 for 10 hours or so, I might just come back to it later….

Self Portrait #7

if I were a material girl…a few of my favorite things.

1.  Gap jeans – my favorite pair.

2.  Great-Grandmother’s wedding band.  Oh how we miss her!

3.  Scarves.  This one, hand-painted in Belgium, a gift from some old friends.

4.  Flip-flops (my feet hate socks!)

5.  My Blushing Mona Lisa, a canvas print by dear friend Dana Jo.

6.  Paint brushes.  I don’t think I’ve ever thrown one out.  Too much story in them.

7.  Painting by Lee Anne. She offers the best kind of inspiration.

8.  Our wedding rings. (photo by Jade McCully)

9.  Hand-written recipe cards.

honestly…

…I admit it…I got back from all the holiday travel, and slacked off.  I had some time to play with,  to paint things that have been on the list for a while…but I just couldn’t turn on the “self-motivate” switch…It wasn’t for a lack of ideas either…I’d pick up the pencil, and it just wouldn’t connect.  Perhaps it was a bad list to work with?  Whatever the cause, it was a  terrible little box to be in.  (Any of you other artists out there get what I’m sayin’ ?)

Thankfully, I’ve emerged from that box with more ideas than I can possibly get down on paper in the next year…I’m feverishly making lists of things not to forget, and eagerly waiting for the art supply store to open this morning…It’s such a vast contrast to the unmotivated me, and it’s like I can switch over night.  Nick says I’m either “all art” or “not.”  I’m not sure which “me” he fancies most, but he’s certainly living with the both of us whether he likes it or not.

I’d write more, but I currently have 4 lists in front of me, and this blog barely made the cut….gotta roll with this vibe while I’ve got it!

still raining…

…and  here  I was hoping to show you a photo of the lovely garden we’ve Nick’s been working on.   A good list will have to suffice.

1. Red Bell Pepper

2. Green Bell Pepper

3. Banana Pepper

4. Avocado (this may take years to produce)

5. Mexican Oregano

6. Basil

So far that’s it…but I’ve put in an inquiry for Large and Cherry tomatoes.  Why  not?

adventures with Flat Heather

Packing for Flat Heather proved equally as challenging as packing for myself.  Better to be over prepared than under.  Right?

Clockwise from left:

1.  Comfy PJ’s with sleeper mask

2.  Everyday wear for shopping excursions

3.  Outback gear and hiking boots

4.  Fancy Dress for a night out (with matching gloves should it happen to by chilly)

5.  and per Nick’s request…Bear’s Gear.

At first the Bears Gear seemed a bit absurd considering Flat Heather was on her way to AUSTRALIA of all places…but go figure, she incurred a 6 hour lay over in Chicago.

Needless to say, I’m glad she was prepared.

More adventures from Flat Heather’s Australian vacation will be posted in the coming days…be sure to come back!

*Flat Heather’s couture wardrobe is truly one-of-a-kind.  All clothes were custom fitted, hand-cut,  and watercolored with care.

*photos courtesy of Rebekah Stewart

whew! am i done yet?

I spent an entire day yesterday updating this, updating that, and totally  missing out on one of the most glorious days of the year.  Ugh!  What’s sad is that I haven’t even made it to the stack of filing on my desk.  I’m such a procrastinator when it comes to updating my own website, I’ve taken to only doing a major update once a year, and I know the filing would be so much easier if I just kept up with it…but could there be a worse chore?  All I want to do is paint…I suppose I’ll have to hire an intern one day, or get a pet monkey, or make babies for the sole purpose of running my little one woman factory….anywho…am I rambling?  I think I am…here’s the list (the only blessing that comes from a day of laborious chores, is a list to make me feel somewhat accomplished)

A Mural for Lab Lovers

6 New Pet Portraits

11 Homes (the tip of the iceberg)

1 Commercial Property

A few tweaks to this and that…and well…you might as well just go explore, as I’ve only got 2 hours to update my mural book before I meet with  a client.  Yikes!

Happy New Year and then some…

Nick and I are finally back in Savannah after spending some 10 days on the road.  It was great to end one of the best years of my life with a little down time.  I must say, I’m ready to hit the ground running for 2009…so many ideas floating around my brain, so many plans to execute, so many lists already in the works, and time just flies!  I’m so grateful to all of you who helped to make 2008 a blessed year for me.  It’s been a whirlwind, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!  Now in the spirit of New Years…(and this may be a mistake)…here’s a few  resolutions…

1.  Work towards finding a healthy balance between work and family…(I’m a total work-a-holic, but I get it honest)

2.  Cut back on the consumption of my dear friend Cherry-Coke…(your sugary sweetness will be missed)

3.  I’ve got two series of paintings in the works, and it would really be swell if one series turned into a gallery show…

4.  Eat less for the wedding dress…

I’m sure I’ll come up with another 15 in the coming days, but how often do we stick to those things anyway?  Well, off to the races!  Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!