Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Technology!?!?!
Sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it. I especially hate it when I don't understand why it isn't working?
My camera card isn't working in my printer. Works in my camera, just gets error in my printer??? Been trying to get it to work all morning so I could share with you what I've been up to. Will have to pull out the docking station I purchased with this camera over 3 years ago that is still in the box (never opened) and see if that will help me get these photos off my camera card.

Bowling yesterday was just okay - 157,168 and 137. I'm neck and neck with a gal on high average and we seem to be going back and forth every week ~ this week I had high average ~ I'm sure next week she will. Plus, our team is in first place and have been for quite some time now. Now, don't get me wrong ~ I'm not that competitive about it! I do like to do my best and I do like the reward money at the end of the season but it doesn't rule my life. I don't practice during to week to make myself better. I don't yell at my teammates if we fall from first place. hehe. I ENJOY it. I've never been much of a practice type person anyway! I either do it full on or don't do it all.
My first lesson in learning that sometimes you have to practice came when I was much younger and both my older sister and I used to twirl the baton. She practiced her heart out and I never did. I hated to practice actually. We'd go to competitions and I usually beat her. She didn't like this too much and my dad finally told me - either you practice your baton or you don't get to compete anymore - so I chose to not practice and to not compete! My sister went on to be a fantastic baton twirler and twirled for Memphis State University and then she actually went back after graduating and trained the twirlers at MSU. Wasn't in the plan for me to do any of that! (hey sis)
Anyway, I've been in a bit of a creative slump lately! Thanks Christy for the suggestions and support! I'm gonna try a few different things this week and see what comes of it ~ will share with you if my camera card decides to work ~ if not, then I will be purchasing another one tomorrow.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Cock-a-doodle-do


BUSY FRIDAY!
Today has been way too busy and it's only 4p.m.

Have a casino event that I had to help decorate for this morning - missed my WW time slot so will either go weigh in in the a.m. or wait until next week.

Have 2 painting classes tomorrow ~ one on glass and the other on fabric painting. PLAID has come out with a new fabric paint that is really soft to the touch - not like the old 80's stuff. It dries well and washes in the washer well.

Not sure if it's out on the market yet - got mine through hsn.com.

Anyway, have a student coming to the fabric class that is going to a cooking school in Atlanta soon and she wanted to paint an apron for herself and her husband but knew he wouldn't like the flowers we are painting on his. SO...I told her I'd be happy to paint a rooster for him and here it is. A rooster this bold needs a name don't you think??? My kids have their votes in, what do you think?? Leave me some ideas ~ he needs a name.

Angie, it was great chatting with you today! Thanks for calling and I'm sorry your bill is gonna be huge! Over an hour from England to here - YIKES. The conversion rate there is horrendous right now - it's over 2 to 1 which means you pay double for everything. Don't miss that at all but I do miss living in England. Good luck with your scrapbooking!

Gotta get my clothes ironed and get ready to go and be a Texas Hold Em dealer at the Casino event - thank goodness our family plays poker weekly ~ I'll know pretty much what I'm doing (although I still can't remember the value of the chips ~ the kids have to remind me all the time and I still forget) Might take a sharpie and write it on my hand ~ hehehe.

Welcome home Oma and Opa ~ can't wait to hear about your awesome cruise!

Have an outstanding weekend.

Thursday, January 25, 2007


More Roses!

Taught another painting class last night and we painted the roses on a wooden plate just like in the a.m. class.

This is Alice - she won the plate that I painted during class.








Alice and her plate

Kim ~ she entered hers in a contest already - got home from the class and signed up! Way to go girl!

















Stephanie - Kim's daughter - you both did such an awesome job! I LOVE your big roses Steph!




















Pam her rose plate


















Tracy - This was her first painting class and didn't she do well? She is 15 and will actually get a Girl Scout badge for painting this! Way to go.



















Have a Southern Living at Home party this a.m. so gotta get off this computer and tidy up my house a bit! Have a great day!

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Everything's coming up ROSES!
Had a fabulous class this morning! We painted roses on a wooden plate and I was thrilled and amazed at how well everyone did!



Terry ~ She was able to jump ahead which is great cause she knows what she's doing! Isn't it lovely?












This is JO and this was her first time painting! Jo you did so well and I love the different border you added - leaves! Very pretty.








Margie

This was Margie's second class! She painted snowmen with me a couple of months ago and she went on to paint more! Her family thought she purchased the snowmen boxes cause they were too cute! Way to go Margie! Keep painting!








Nicole ~
LOVE the softness of your roses Nicole. Thanks for bringing your friend! Hope Mauri and your mom get over the flu soon!
Loved the banter between you and Vaunna at class. Too funny comparing how much paint was all over your palettes - healthy, fun competition!




Vaunna ~ This was Vaunna's 3rd class I think and I have to say my favorite of all that you've painted so far. You can tell that you are practicing those strokes!
Hi Vaunna's mom! She told me you check in to see her class picture. Isn't she doing an awesome job!










This is "J's" plate. She was unable to be on camera (confidentiality reasons) but isn't her plate awesome for her first ever painting class?

Teaching the same class tonight - 6 other ladies - 3 that have never painted before. I'll share those pictures tomorrow.

BOWLING SCORES from yesterday - aren't worth sharing but... I bowled a 173, 126, and 136. Should have stayed home!

HAVE A GREAT Wednesday! :)

Sunday, January 21, 2007

BUNCO
We had our spouses function Thursday evening and we played BUNCO ~ I love to play BUNCO. The door prizes were these great dishes and glasses that had fun BUNCO BABES and dice, etc. painted on them and they were just too cute. I was flattered that many people thought I had painted them but I didn't ~ BUT ~ I did paint these! They were too cute to not make a set of my own.

small platter















Large dinner Plate




















Pasta bowl


















two dessert plates












Large platter















There is a big event going on next month in Macon BUNCO FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS ~ I just saw it on TV yesterday and thought about making something to donate for their silent auction? Who knows they may not want it but I thought it was a cute idea.



















My Austin is doing much better and is able to walk on his foot now. He is not using the crutches but still feels more comfortable in the surgical shoes. I'm sure the pain medicine has helped too!
Hopefully he'll be back at school tomorrow but no sports or PE for 2 weeks the doc says ~ which I know he won't mind at all.

Just got back from a crash course in CASINO games with my friend Terry! Our spouses club is co-sponsoring a Casino event this coming friday at the base and we had training for game dealers. WOW! I'm glad it isn't real money we're using. CRAPS was extremely difficult - not the game - got the concept of that but having to pay out all the odds with all the bets was completely confusing! A math major I was not! Think I'll hang out at the poker table since we play that weekly at the house and I know what I'm doing.

Have I mentioned how glad I am that Amercian Idol is back on TV? I love AI and have watched every season. I will admit though that I usually turn the channel when someone is one there making a complete fool of themselves - I feel too bad for them and can't watch them be humiliated!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Weekend ART
Woke up this morning ready to CREATE! I went to bed last night at 7:30p.m.
exhaused from a very full day! Here is a run down of my yesterday ~

My Austin woke up and was unable to walk. WHY? The night before he was playing in a basketball game and was tripped up and fell on the side of his foot. It was quit yellow, black and blue and he couldn't wiggle his toes - NOT GOOD. We took him in for xrays and while the X-ray technician told me it was broken the doctor said that she thinks it's severely sprained and there was some soft tissue damage. They wrapped it up and put a nice looking shoe on his foot and recommended that he use crutches (we had some from Steven's knee surgery last year) and my baby is tall enough to use them (my husband is 6ft.2 and my son is now 5ft.71/2 and he is only 12 years old). They sent the xrays to the Ortho clinic to make sure and we've not heard anything different so hoping all is right and well. Then it was off to the car place (I had it serviced earlier in the week) and ever since I drove off the lot my airbag light was blinking at me. Lose wire. All fixed. Then it was off to the base to turn in my sons pain medicine prescription (45 minutes wait ~ so I left) went to Weight Watchers and was thrilled to have weighed in at 5.8 lbs. lighter. My sister lost 10.4 lbs. which is just awesome! Then it was back to the base to pick up the medicine and hit the grocery store (commissary) and then home just in time to unload the groceries, get the boys out a snack and get ready for them to walk in the door. Got my son set up on the couch with his foot elevated with snacks and all so he didn't have to get up. Finished washing sheets, making beds and cleaning up before finally sitting down to watch a re-run of Oprah. I usually don't have time to sit down and watch Oprah cause it comes on around the time the kids are knee deep in homework and needing help and dinner preparation and all is getting started. BUT on fridays we have PIZZA NIGHT so hubby brought home pizza and I ate my veggie soup that I threw together just before sitting down for Oprah.

Painted this plate this morning for my class on Wednesday (24th) ~ Roses.
Hoping it's not too ambitious but most of the students coming have been before ( for those students reading this) feel free to copy this picture and practice your wiggle stroke!





















LOVE these HUGE clothes pins. I got this one at Michaels (it was all white) and of course it had to be altered!















Hubby just got home with some goodies that I'm gonna get painting on right now ~ I'll share them with you later.
ENJOY your weekend!

Thursday, January 18, 2007


Butterflies ~
worked on some Butterfly worksheets last night for my friend Renee. I emailed them to you Renee and hopefully they'll come out okay but if not you can copy them from here.
I'm ready to start teaching to paint these in some of my classes! Think some of my students are READY for it!
Feel free to copy and use any of these worksheets or butterflies.

It's FINALLY cold here! Rainy and cold this morning and a day that would be best spent in my jammies on the couch with an afghan! Brings back great childhood memories of chilling out on the couch with an afghan that my grandma Adkins knitted.
Anyway, no time for that though. Have to take my youngest to the doctors for a complete physical. My oldest is sick with this dreadfull cough going around - no fever just an annoying cough.






















Have a great day.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

TRIED
Tried all day yesterday to load my original for the class I taught yesterday. After about 20 times I gave up ~ but a New day and another try and here it is.


















My son had his last indoor soccer game last night and I was so excited on the way home when he told me he really wanted to stay with soccer. He is an awesome goalie and plays other positions really well too! He had to have a talk with his daddy though to see if all was okay with the change of heart ~ of course it was!
Had bowling league this morning - here are my scores ~

150, 123 and 207! Came back in the end!

Monday, January 15, 2007

Violets
Had a great painting class today ~

Mom and daughters -
Lexie, Katie (SP?) and Nicole (mom ~ can you believe it? The girls are 15 and 19)
Hope I look that great when my kids are that age.



The girls added a lot of FUN to the class. They were hilarious and had so many of the same expressions and comments. When each of them walked in separately they sat down and said "we're painting that?"
Didn't they do an awesome job?!!
Katie's boyfriend sat to the side and was so sweet and encouraging!



Lexie


















Nicole
FUNNY Nicole - jumps ahead of me and just does it!
She's taken several classes from me and just finished a mural in her home! Will share pics when she sends them to me!
Missed Nicoles mom today - she is home with the FLU - hope you are feeling better soon !













Vaunna
When I have a full class (6 students) I do a drawing for my painted canvas at the end of the class and Vaunna has won both times now! This was only her second class and didn't she do well?!














Pam
This was her first class and she did so well !
Pam ~ I have your water bottle and will bring it to your next class :)















Alice

Those leaves are awesome! She is going to fill them in more in the middle (we ran out of time) This was her 3rd class and aren't those violets pretty?!






Bought this bunny at HL the other day on sale and wanted to brighten his life just a bit ! hehehe
I purchased some Fitz and Floyd rabbits when I lived in Japan 16 years ago and I painted this one to match. I used Enamels so it could go outside if I wanted to put him in the garden (after 21 days the paint will be permanent).

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Friday night painting class
Had a great painting class last night - 2 ladies (Ruth and Alice) have been to other OS classes of mine and I had 3 newcomers ~ Kacy, Barbara and Kitty.
Didn't they do an awesome job no the wisteria. This is the second time I've taught this class and I love to see them amazed with what they've created at the end of the class.

Kacy ~ a 7th grade teacher
It was so refreshing to hear the passion she shared about her job!




















Barbara

















Alice

















Ruth
Kitty


















Had indoor soccer and basketball today - Kendalls indoor soccer team lost 3-4 and Austins basketball team won 20-18. Holland tagged along with me to IDS and listened to his IPOD and watched the TV shows I downloaded for him. 74 degrees outside today - is it January?
Took a long walk with my husband which was nice and enjoyed the beautiful weather.
Have quite a few classes coming up this week that I have to prepare for ~ will share those pics later in the week.

Friday, January 12, 2007


WELCOME TO AMERICA!!!!

YAHOO!!! David Beckham is coming to AMERICA to play SOCCER!

Soccer MOMS and kids all over the world are probably very excited!

I know my friend Sarah Ashford in Bury St. Edmunds, England will be SAD ~ I'm sure you'll still get your David Beckham calendar from your husband at Christmas time but now they might be pictures of him in front of the HOLLYWOOD sign ~ hehehe

My boys are all skeptical though ~ "oh, he's only coming for the money" ~ well it is 250 million ~ but pennies compared to the obscene amounts of money that basketball, football and baseball stars get in this country. If only as much money was spent on bettering our school systems!

ON to more exciting news ~ my middle and oldest sons participated in their schools National Geography BEE. Both of them made the top 20 out of all the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students (over 800 students I believe) and my oldest son made the top 11 and then it was down to the wire with Austin (my oldest in 7th grade) and another boy in the 8th grade and MY AUSTIN WON!! He has to take a test today and then the top 100 scores from the state (GA) will be selected to participate in the State Geography BEE!! How awesome is that. I'm sure it helped that Austin has always had maps up and around his room ~ he loves to look at atlas books and has a photographic memory that I wish I had. My middle son Kendall was only one of 3 6th graders that made it to the finals! I was a proud MOMMA yesterday! I'm a proud momma everyday - I have 3 fabulous boys!

Off to WEIGHT WATCHERS today. Two weeks into the NEW YEAR and I thought I'd get on a program myself and well, that just hasn't happened. I thought I'd have the same discipline that I've had with not drinking diet coke anymore ~ but I haven't found that discipline yet when it comes to eating better. I'm going with my baby sister so hopefully together we can get it in gear!

Have another painting class tonight and then I'm hoping to get some of my own stuff painted this weekend. BOUGHT quite a few things yesterday on CLEARANCE at Hobby Lobby that I'm hoping to spruce up with some gorgeous flowers! Things that were $40.00 originally and I paid $6.50 - can't beat that. A piece of furniture for $15.00. I'll take befores and afters and share those when I get them done.

On a sad note - my middle son has made the decision that he doesn't want to play soccer anymore. He started playing when we lived in Nebraska, went on to play for his school team at Rougham Primary in England and all together has played for 11 seasons with various teams. He has turned into an awesome GOALIE ~ a position he wasn't too thrilled with but has always been one of the tallest kids on his team so that is where he was best utilized. I think I am taking it harder than he is. He is fine with his decision - has prayed about it for many weeks now he has told me and is ready to move on to something else -basketball, football and maybe even soccer at his school.

Have an outstanding weekend.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Daisies Class
Thank you for all the emails and comments with well wishes! I am feeling much better today - but have to admit that I felt great Monday not so good yesterday and great today. Think I'm might be trying to do too much on the days that I feel well causing me not to feel so good the next day. ?!

Had a fabulous painting class today - we did daisies on canvas -
Did I have my camera? YES
Did I take pictures? - NO
So silly
Everyone did such an amazing job though! Here's a picture of mine and then since HL is having a 50% off sale on their open backed frames and matts I decided to get it framed for a change.
Here are the pics:





















Got back to bowling yesterday - didn't do too well - 179, 114, and 139. Should have stopped after my first game.
ENJOY the rest of your week!

Sunday, January 07, 2007

SICK TODAY!

No ART being created today ~ my sinus headache came back yesterday and I haven't gotten rid of it yet. Everything on the left side of my body is not feeling so good right now. My left ear is just a throbbing and the pressure on the left side of my face is making me very grumpy and tired. Meds aren't helping but I'm hoping some really good spicy chinese take-out does tonight!
Here is a pic of the painting I did for my niece Gabrielle for Christmas. It's acrylics on a 24x48 stretched canvas which is actually light weight so she can hang it above the headboard of her bed. I also painted the pomegranates that my father-in-law picked for me a couple of months ago but forgot to take a picture ~ so will do that next time I'm up at the farm and share that with you later. Have a great week.

Friday, January 05, 2007


Here are some pics of more birdhouses that I painted for the Habitat for Humanity to auction off this spring.

Wisteria and Hummingbird























Poppies



Magnolias

















Fuschia






I painted magnolias on this for my friend Terry ~ it was part of a Christmas gift that her dad made for her mom. I'm told she loved it!

Trying to get back in the grove! Don't know about you but I'm dragging and finding it very hard to get back into the groove of everything since the Holidays. My kids don't go back to school until Monday so maybe after that I'll feel more like getting something done.
The weather here in middle GA has been strange ~ 70's one day 50's the next - I have been fighting a headache for two days now - these weather fronts coming in are to blame I think.
The boys and I are spending a rainy day inside today watching movies and hanging out - we're all still in our jammies and probably will be all day. LOVE days like this (minus the headache of course).
HAVE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MY YOUNGER SISTER - and say how proud I am of you for stopping your Diet Coke addiction!
She called me to let me know she had a wicked headache last week cause I convinced her to stop drinking it. I saw her yesterday and she seemed to be doing fine without it. Keep it up! Your body and brain will thank you in the long run! I've asked her to keep me posted on the changes she feels cause I'm sure they are similar to mine.