Because...GIRAFFES!!!

Several weeks ago I saw a dress hanging in my mom's house. It was totally not my size and absolutely not my style, but it had the most magnificent giraffes on it. I told her how much I loved it. Skip forward to the next time I saw her and she gave me the giraffe dress!!! It sat at my house for a couple of weeks and then tonight I decided I needed to alter it into something I'd love AND wear.

This is the before photo.

I'm literally swimming in this dress!

And this is the after!

I LOVE it!!!!!

Start to finish it took fewer than 30 minutes. I'm feeling inspired to get my seamstress on! Thanks, mom!

Springtime Dream - Part 4

Late last night I realized that my family was looking at me pretty funny. As I said in yesterday's post, it was quite a busy day...and apparently my outfit reflected that busyness.

It all started out pretty normally, outfit wise. I had sneakers, gray capri leggings, and a coral tank top. Then I decided I was a tad chilly so I added a purple hoodie. A while later I put on a brown winter hat. Then I received a call from Dave that a customer was going to stop by so I switched to a black baseball cap. I wanted to look presentable, you know. A while later I cut up an old skirt and made two scarves, one purple, and the other a tie dye/batik looking thing. I put them on, of course.

When Dave got home from exhibiting his photography he just looked at me. Up and down and then away. I think it was simply too much to take in.

P.S. I never made it out of the house except to take some recycling to the bin and to feed the chickens, so no other humans were harmed by my outfit.


I finished this painting. She definitely turned into a bride. I love when the painting takes over and tells me what to do.

"Springtime Dream"

I added color to her hair and a second
coat to the top of her dress.

I decided where her arms would go and
gave her face some features.

I gave her pink highlights and started
working on her bouquet.

I decided I didn't like the colors I'd chosen
so I painted over it with green. I'd decided
that I wanted greenery to show behind
the flowers I painted.

I created a bouquet of white flowers
and baby's breath.

I decided that the painting needed more
flowers. I also created a neckline
on her dress.

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Springtime Dream - Part 3

It's 6:30 at night and I'm just now realizing that I haven't sat down at all today. Well, except for visits to the little girl's room and when I put on my shoes, of course. It's just been one of those super amazingly productive days! I've been kind of obsessed with winter wear lately what with the cold weather finally starting to show up. After many, many years without new (or new-to-me) sweaters, I've been busily replacing them. One new-to-me sweater didn't make the cut, however...or, rather, I should say that it did because out my scissors came. I went all winter crazy and cut the sleeves off to make leg warmers (my first...I never gave into the craze before) and an infinity scarf. I feel cozier just knowing that they're there.


And I continued working on this decidedly non-winter painting.

I added more flowers and increased
the size of the bigger flowers.

I added stripes to the bigger flowers.

I painted leaves on the flower stems and
began working on the figure.

I did the first layer of flesh tone, painted
her shirt, and added details to her skirt.
This lovely girl is starting to look a lot like
 a bride. I think I will go in that direction.

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Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

A Fabulous Day

What a fabulous day! Let me tell you all about it....

The little guy and I went to a new gym today just to check it out. After our brief tour he went one way and I went another. I hit the treadmill and then when I was just sitting down to do my regular routine with the weight machines my little guy appeared.


Little guy: "Come work out with me. I need a spotter."

Me: "Me? I'm too little to be your spotter."

Little guy: "Let's just try. Come on, let's go."


So with great reluctance, trepidation, and a considerable mumbling of protests, I followed.

And we did it. And it worked pretty well. I continued my undercurrent of negative commentary as he pushed and pushed and PUSHED me harder than I've been pushed in many years. And I was actually able to spot him effectively though he likely wasn't pushing himself as hard as he was pushing me...you know, for his safety and all.

So while he's promised me that my upper body will be really really sore in the morning, I'm super excited to go back tomorrow for the leg workout he's got in store for me.


Me: "I promise I won't gripe so much tomorrow."

Little guy: "Oh, you'll gripe. You'll have a lot to say about how sore you are." (Pretty darn sure he looked more than a little happy about this.)


I cannot wait!!! Really!

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Backyard Bliss

I was out in the backyard. The sun was shining. There was a slight breeze. I'd just hung laundry to dry. Phyllis, my wonder chicken, was being adorable. The universe was clearly sending me a message.

What was that message? Well, to chill out, put on a podcast, and paint, of course!

Backyard bliss....

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Thrift Store Dress

I went thrifting over the weekend and found the most adorable little spring/summer dress. It is fabulous and will go great with my cowboy boots!

But....

Due to my laziness I was unwilling to shave (as I thought I oughta) so the perfect weather Sunday went on its merry way leaving only cold and raininess in its wake.

So I wait. And I reconsider the concept of laziness as I gear up for a lovely and sunny spring weekend ahead.


Another lefty challenge painting!

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Animaters

So this happened at my house.


We were talking about some animated cartoon or whatnot and the amazing work of animators, and all of a sudden my husband hops up, runs out in the yard to his garden, runs back in, and...

"I like animaters on my sandwich!!" as he proudly held up two lovely ripe 'maters (as we call 'em).

Insert collective groan here.

This is part of my Hallway Project.

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Officially "Vintage"

Spent a lovely day celebrating birthdays with my mom today.  We ate good grub and then we went shopping at a vintage store.  I went through rack after rack finding tons of amazing things that were way too high maintenance for little old me (i.e. required dry cleaning and/or ironing), but happily, I did find a few must-haves.  At one point we were chatting it up with one of the owners and she mentioned that they're getting stuff from the 80s and earlier because they are a "vintage" store, after all.

Um...80s, eh?  So the clothes I wore in high school are now considered "vintage"?  What?  And then I looked at my mom and thought, "No, clothes from when she was in high school are 'vintage'.  That's how it's always been."  But I kept my pursed "vintage" mouth shut and figured that, hey, I've got some stuff in my closet that's officially worth something.

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The Forgiveness of Curls

I get a little twitchy about my hair every six months or so.  Boredom, disgust, disappointment, you name it.  But I'm too cheap and admittedly lazy to actually make an appointment and take care of it.  This time I decided to take matters in to my own hands.  Literally.  On pure impulse I grabbed a chunk of hair and "did it just like the professionals"... -ish.  Then I grabbed another chunk, and another, and another, until I'd made it all the way around.  And, by golly, it worked!  Mind you, I have very wavy hair and it is, by nature, forgiving of haircut mistakes, but it worked!

And every time I go into the hallway bathroom at our house I swear the shears on the shelf wink and beckon me to use them again.  And sometimes I do!

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When the Cat's got my Mouse

Some days I'm just clicking along, rockin' it on my computer.  And some days are like this.


"Clickety, click, click!"

"Clickety, click!"

"Click, click, click!"

And then I'm moving stuff.  I'm swiping stuff.  And ------------------------------------- nothin'.


My mind goes straight to panic.  My computer's broken!  Liquid must have somehow ended up in my keyboard!  Waaaaaaaaaaah!


Then I see my sweet, big ol' cat's paw.  It's just barely touching my track pad.  And "barely" is enough to render my swiping useless.

By the way he smirked at me I'm thinking he knew exactly what he was doing.

And since I gave him big snuggles for doing it, I'm absolutely positive this scene will be repeated again and again.

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