Eating for Two! Featured with Jillian Harris

I couldn't be more excited to announce that my little etsy shop was noticed by a stylist and my cute little forks ended up on the table of Jillian Harris's baby shower. I'm still blushing and gushing!

This is such a lovely party to have been a part of. I actually feel a little more confident to get my flatware out in the media and out to some shops since this experience. Sometimes I guess it does help getting someone to notice you in a small way, that it becomes significant.

Thanks again Jillian! I hope that little fork will be a keepsake for many years to come.

A New Venture with Style. Polka Dots Make Me Smile.

I've taken on yet another passion... pattern design. I've been working in architectural and urban patterns for years. I've collected as many fabric patterns as I have fonts. It is yet another one of those "you should be doing in your work life, what you do while you're "procrastinating".

If you've never heard of Spoonflower you're in for a treat. If you already know it, then you're way ahead in your crafy career. On Spoonflower you can design fabric, decals, gift wrap... it's AMAZING!

So here is my first shot at using my watercolors and some simple pattern basics to throw myself into the fabric and pattern making ring. I'm always inspired by images that make me smile... polka dots make me smile. Which is why I worship Kate Spade. Yeah. If you know me... then no secret there!

It is a lot of fun... and John asked me yesterday, "What are you going to do when Kate Spade comes knocking at the door?" I responded, "Well, I will faint. So, put some pillows by the door; in about 20 years." What a wonderful supporting dreamy husband I have. I don't dare to dream as far as he does. I am just enjoying myself. But, I won't deny I'm so glad he will do it for me!!

I'm excited to receive my first roll of gift wrap that will be made from these patterns. If you order from Spoonflower you can get this in fabric too!! I will have the gift wrap available in my Etsy shop too!! It's kind of a branding thing that I'm using the same art and ideas on several different design "fronts". I will also make these designs available on Vectorstock for seamless background downloads.

Here is my Spoonflower shop if you'd like to check out my progress.

I promise the shop will fill up, but it will be slow... this has been months in the making!! xoxo Thank you again and again for all of your love and support as I use every creative bone in my body to be employed!! I am blessed to have survived on my wits for so long (4 years now...) I am haunted by the words of my father when I enrolled in "art" school... "What, are you going to sell your paintings in the park??"... To me that was derogatory and mean. Somehow meaning that I'd never be successful with a fine arts degree. Yeah, well I should have stayed in art school... AND now I sell those paintings in an online "park". So, lesson learned. I hope to pass on to my son that life has a way of showing you that you should have stayed on the path you were on. If it made you happy then follow it. I'm happy to be on the path again!!

Be My Valentine

Here it is... tomorrow I mean. Valentine's Day. The day that started it all. The day I still kind of fall apart on... I can't help it. Being cursed for so long... John and I started to have a disagreement yesterday that turned into a standoff for a few hours and I crumbled. I let the "curse" take hold and I cried a little.

I thought this is ridiculous... it's just Wednesday. NOT the week of Valentine's Wednesday. 

So, I worked to make it better. And because he's my John... so did he. That is why we work. That is why we make it. Because together we have the same end result in our mind every time. Not once in while. EVERY time we want a solution that makes us both happy and we are willing to throw everything we've got at it. We talk openly and honestly like I wish I could have with so many other relationships, but didn't. I guess I had to grow up. I had to realize that someday, you have to spill some guts to get it all. Risk vs. reward.

I was afraid to let them see me. I would fall apart... not attractive. No one likes a girl that crumbles. Well, I crumble. And John knows that. He accepts that as part of me. He doesn't hold it against me and he doesn't prey on it. He also has a quick defense when I'm clearly not attacking. I work with it. I do not attack him either. I rework my words until I get the right ones. We have lived through all of the selfish, crazy, and "this is how it should be" scenarios that we've both made in our lives and have let them go. Yes, selfishness can rear it's head here and there... and sometimes it needs a cuddle and a pat on the head... yes, you can have your way... But, most of those little fits are just silly and we move on. We move on together.

I read an article yesterday about putting aside all the adjectives that we like to throw at our kids, our spouse, partner, colleagues etc... It started by asking what did parents say to Olympic athletes that made them so successful. Here is the link: 6 Words You Should Say. 

To sum up -  we can really sum up our feelings toward them very quickly with a simple and powerful statement. I've been trying it out... and damn if it doesn't work on me as much as the person I'm saying it to. You can feel the lovely energy and it makes you smile so much!! It feels like a lovely incantation that does so much good. Try it out today. Start with something simple like:
"I love watching you ________."

I love watching you play.

{doesn't matter if you're perfect to anyone else; you're always perfect to me}

I love watching you smile.

{and I will do everything in my power to make you smile}

I love watching you teach Xan.

{seeing John with Xan makes me miss my father, 

but I can see that Xan has a wonderful life ahead of him}

I love watching you make every detail on your uniform perfect.

{the pride and passion that goes into your work fills my heart with happiness for you}

I've put together a little montage of quotes that, to me, say something about how we love. 

You can print and share the ones that resonate most with you if you'd like. 

YUM: Making a Cake with a Can of Soda

Yes. You've seen it on Pinterest and other blogs... I am here to tell you... IT'S AWESOME! And that easy. Box of cake mix. Can of soda. No icky fats. Just a chemical dump. LOL... who knows which is worse! All I know, it is cake and cake is lovely. I ate it for breakfast :)

I used a sugar-free devils food cake and a diet dr. pepper. I had hoped it would 'spice' up the chocolate a little. I couldn't taste it. But the chocolate was really really yummy! The cake is SO moist you will get it stuck all over your fork. I made cupcakes :)

Yeah... that's my messy desk in the background and my new Valentine card project.

Enjoy the cake!! here is the whole recipe:

One box of cake mix
One can of soda

Bake as directed on the box based on what you're using - cake pan/ cupcake pan... etc.

Some yummy combinations might be:

Yellow Cake - Cream Soda
Rainbow Chip - Cherry 7up
Chocolate - Dr. Pepper/ Cherry Pepsi/ Coke
White Cake - Orange Soda/ Strawberry Faygo?? Hmmm... Could be fun to try?

I don't know if I'd go the Mountain Dew route... but a Red Bull super caffeinated cake might be just what I need today... :) Possibly a Red Bull/ Carrot Cake??