Hello, Sunshine!

Be someone's sunshine today.

"Hello, Sunshine!"

Mixed Media

Original available here for $10

5.5"x3.5" on cardboard

Prints available on request.

(Printed image may be slightly cropped for printing purposes.)

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

Be Kind

In a world where you can be anything, be kind.

"Be Kind"

Acrylic

Original available here for $10

8"x8" on scrap cardboard

Prints available on request.

(Printed image may be slightly cropped for printing purposes.)

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

Blooming with Joy

My second upcycled refrigerator magnet! 

Bye bye advertising, hello art!

Tiny original art...what fun!

"Blooming with Joy"

To purchase this magnet, click here.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

Disco Fever

Continuing my Phyllis, the wonder chicken, theme...

Each evening after sunset we close the chickens in their coop for the night. They always appear to tuck themselves into their nesting boxes and prepare to snuggle into sleepyland. But the more I think about it, I'm starting to suspect that my girl, Phyllis, has quite the night life. I'm thinking that girl of mine waits till she hears us close the back door, sneaks out of the coop, and dances under the stars.

Girl's got disco fever!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Butterfly Kisses

Continuing my Phyllis, the wonder chicken, theme...

I imagine while I'm not home that butterflies by the gazillions stop by for the privilege and bliss of hanging out on my girl's head plume and giving her some love. It's fabulous up there. Soft, comfy, gets ya where you're going...but Phyllis, while quite kind to her peeps (get it?) and us, has her share of barbaric traits as well. It's simply part of being a chicken. If you're little and wander by you're fair game for good eatin'. So while these lovely butterflies think they're completing Phyllis' fabulous look, my girl is likely licking her chops in sweet anticipation.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

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Out on the Town

Continuing my Phyllis, the wonder chicken, theme...

Certainly Phyllis does not stay in the chicken yard all day long. No way. She's way too sophisticated for such things. No, I'm quite sure that my wonder girl puts a bow in her hair, grabs her purse, and heads out to do some shopping. Now Phyllis is a practical girl, of course, so that amazing chicken of mine is surely hitting all the best thrift stores South Austin has to offer.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Secret Admirer

Continuing my Phyllis, the wonder chicken, theme...

I often see pigeons and small doves in the chicken yard. Now while they're likely there to take advantage of the plentiful feed, I have a suspicion that my girl, Phyllis, has a number of secret admirers. I mean, what's not to love? The girl is awesome!

I get it, wee little birds, I get it.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

My Phyllis

I hang out with my best girl, Phyllis, a lot. She's a fabulous Polish chicken for those of you who don't know. And while I hang out with her I can't help but imaging all of the adventures she has while I'm not at home. So...I decided to spend some time coming up with little things she might be up to and how she goofily spends her day.

And just to be difficult, I'm starting with a non-example. What I'm I quite sure that she's not doing while I'm at work?

Well, I'm quite sure she's not just sitting around watching flowers grow. Nope, that girl of mine is busy, busy, busy, of that there is no doubt.

Tune in for more!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Making the Super Bowl even Better

Thinking back on the Super Bowl...it was on in my house but it didn't capture my interest in the least. I'll admit to walking over a couple of times to see a few of the commercials and of course the half time show. But what would have captured my interest in the actual game just a tad?

I've decided flowers. Yup, flowers. Seriously, wouldn't that have been a nice touch?

Here's a little lefty floral football for your viewing pleasure.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Going Nuts

Dave loves mixed nuts. They go in his cereal. He'll pop one or two in his mouth as he waits for his coffee to be ready. He'll even grab a handful after a workout. Yum!

Know who else loves mixed nuts? Our dogs, that's who. While our dogs are totally clearly hard of hearing when we want them to stop barking or to come inside when they aren't quite ready, when Dave takes the jar of nuts out of the cupboard and just begins to unscrew the lid, our dogs dash to the kitchen faster than you can say "cashew".

And there they wait, willing to sit, shake, down, play dead, or speak in anticipation of a Brazil nut (Nothing against Brazil, but do humans even like those nuts? I'm convinced they're designed to be dog snacks.).

Yup, our dogs go nuts for nuts.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

For the Love of Oatmeal

Little known fact, at least a little known fact to me, chickens love oatmeal.

It's been hovering around freezing here lately and being the uber concerned chicken mom that I am, I did a wee bit of googling. I read that oatmeal is the perfect winter snack for chickens.

So I cooked up a batch. No salt, no brown sugar, no butter, no raisins...and cooled to room temp...bleck. But for those chickens it was the best breakfast ever!

Tomorrow, waffles!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Asleep

You know how when your kids were little you could just stare at them for hours on end...as they played, as they ate, as they sang and danced. But once they become teenagers if you attempt to stare at them, you're greeted with, "What are you looking at?!?!"

So while I'm not always a huge fan of teenage hormones, I have to say that I've found a perk that I particularly love...the "sleeping in" perk. When I go into their rooms at noon on the weekends to wake them up so they can finally start their day, I'm afforded uninterrupted staring time. I can leisurely take in the serenity of their sleeping faces, the way they sleep as though they know they're safe, the shadow of a mustache appearing, and the small twitches of their dreaming eyes. Occasionally they'll wake up and catch me, admonishing me with a "You're creepy, mom!" But most of the time I'm able to lean in and kiss their cheek to wake them up.

Pure mommy bliss.

 Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Movin' on Up and Out

So the big kid's a tease.

Sometime before last summer he was all, "I'm moving out this summer."

I was all, "Woo hoo!  I get to have my own space to do art!!!  Oh, and I'll miss you, kiddo."

...and then he never moved out.

Well, a couple of days ago he was all, "I'm moving out this summer."

I was all, "Are you really?  I mean, that's great and all.  Do you think you'll really do it?"

And he was all, "Well, maybe."

...we'll see.

...and yes, I'd definitely miss him.

Click here to purchase this painting.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

It's OK to be Selfish Every Once in a While...Right?

Oh, those plans of mine.  I had it all worked out.  Perfect, according to Kali.

• We'd drop my car off to have it worked on.
• The next morning I'd ride my bike to work.
• Then after work Dave would pick me and my bike up, and drop me off at the mechanic's to pick up my car.

Turns out life doesn't always go "according to Kali."  Rats!

• We dropped off my car to have it worked on.
• I rode my bike to work.
• Dave wanted to work out at the same time I was hoping to be picked up.
• My big guy was leaving town at the same time I was hoping to be picked up.
• I rode my bike home in 37º windy temps, with just a thin sweater and no gloves, whilst sleet pelted my helmet.

Sigh...selfishly speaking I must say I prefer "according to Kali."

Click here to purchase this painting.

Ice Cream Emergency!

I went shopping first thing this morning.  I love shopping early when hardly anyone else is in the store.  I got my stuff in nothing flat and went to a cashier's lane.  I put all my stuff on the conveyer, my bags were ready, and I had my coupon in hand.  There was only one customer in front of me...and that guy went an had himself an emergency.  An ice cream emergency.


Guy:  "I got the wrong flavor!  I'll be right back!!!"


He rushed past me, bumping my cart as he passed on his way to the freezer aisle.

And we waited, and waited, and waited, and waited....

...and waited.

Several minutes later he finally appeared, his coveted ice cream in hand.


Guy:  "Thank you, thank you...that took longer than I thought."


I just gave him an understanding smile, feeling quite sure that if I'd gotten the wrong container of, say, yogurt, I'd have been tempted to do the same thing.

Click here to purchase this painting.

The First Time I got Busted by the Cops

For some reason, lately every time I see the color green, this old memory comes flooding back.


I must've been nine or ten.  It was a perfect summer day, with perfect weather, in perfect Palo Alto, California, in my grandparents' perfect neighborhood.  I was riding my beyond amazing green banana seat bike with tall handlebars.  Proudly printed on the frame were the words "Dill Pickle," and the playing card I had clipped near my spokes was making the most satisfying purr.  My brother was seated behind me.  No helmets.  No worries.  Wind in our hair.  Bliss!

And then a police officer pulled up beside us and demanded that we stop immediately.  Which we most certainly did.


Police Officer:  "Only one passenger per seat."


I looked at my banana seat that clearly provided ample room for my bottom, my brother's bottom, and at least one more friend's bottom, and looked back at the cop.

I think it was at that moment that I realized that not all laws made make sense...or at least the bad ones shouldn't apply to me.

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The Big Switch-a-Roo

I absolutely love my children's art work.  I have tons and tons of it.  Now I was picky about the art work I kept from school to avoid having to rent storage space to hold it all.  My basic rule was that if any part of it was created by a copy machine, I allowed myself to toss it in the recycling bin.

Anyway, I've got several of their awesome ceramic works around the house.  Some decorative, some useful.  The other day I was admiring one that must have been from around first or second grade.  I turned it in my hands, the texture familiar to my mommy fingers.  I tipped it over so I could read the bottom to remember which of my kids had created it...and, clearly on the bottom it said, "Antonio".  Now this would have been fine and dandy had it been one of my kids' names, but that is not the case.

So am I going to pursue finding "Antonio"?  Likely not.  Do I wonder if Antonio's mom has my kid's work?  I kind of do.  Am I going to keep it?  You bet...I've grown to love the darn thing. 

Antonio, wherever you are, this mama loves your work!

Click here to purchase this painting.

Booting the Ball

Sometimes things come right back and get ya.

That's what happened to me this morning.  About a week or so ago Dave and I had to keep telling, and telling, and telling our little guy to "STOP BOUNCING THAT BOUNCY BALL IN THE HOUSE!!!" about a thousand times.  The kid is solidly unable to stop once he starts.  And this has put bouncy balls in the "Most Annoying Toy Ever" category at our house.

Anyway, Dave and the kid were wrestling on our bed over who would keep the ball.  Dave got it, subtly passed it to me, and lacking anywhere else to put it, I casually dropped it into one of the cowgirl boots that reside by my bed.  And then I forgot all about it.

Until this morning...when I grabbed those boots, took them to the living room, reached in each of them to make sure my supports were in the right spot (Hey, I have old lady feet and those feet want their creature comforts!), and my finger hit something entirely unexpected.  I yanked my hand outa there lickety split, clearly avoiding retouching the biggest cockroach that ever lived, and tipped my boot, thus sending the ball bouncing once again.

And then I hid it in a better spot.


P.S. The picture below is not a reflection of how I felt...it's how the ball felt!  I'm just playing with some different emotions in my art.  Me?  I'm happy, happy.  That ball is hidden great!

Click here to purchase this painting.

Eating my Words

OK, so weirdly enough, I'm writing two blog posts in a row that involve gray hair.  Perhaps it's because I recently had photos taken of myself and my delightfully sweet husband zoomed one up super close and pointed out that I do, in fact, now have a few gray hairs (I say they're just a lighter shade of blond than the rest of my hairs, not that going gray is a big problem for me or anything).  Perhaps I've just been lucky to run into some slightly older-than-I peers of late.

Anyway, as Hazel and I were running up a hill tonight I caught up with a woman.  I didn't see her face as I only saw her from the back, but she had salt and pepper hair.  I had the silly thought to myself, "Hey, I'm still faster than someone."  And then Hazel had to pee, so I stopped.  I heard the pitter patter of feet approaching us...and than that lovely salt and peppered woman ran right by us, full tilt.  Hazel and I started running again, at our regular pace, and that woman totally left us in her dust.

I love surprises.

I love eating my words (or thoughts).

I love running.

I love.

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I'm all Ears

I have an otoscope of my very own.  Seriously, second only to a thermometor, it's the most awesome parent medical supply ever!  Anyway, the little guy felt like his ears were funny, so he asked me to take a gander.  Right ear was a bit funky, but I could see that healthy little eardrum bright and clear.  Left ear, well, nothin' but funky wax.  No sign of the eardrum at all.  Ew.  So I called the doctor's office and made an appointment. 

Now, a little side note.  My little guy is famous around here for not hearing me...so he says.  I always suspected, and then accused, him of well, basically lying.  So maybe, just maybe, he was right and I owe him a big 'ol apology.

Well, we went to the doctor.  The nurse flushed, and flushed, and flushed, and flushed, and flushed....  That right ear was stubborn!  After flushing even more she got what looked like a teeny tiny lighted spoon.  She dug right in and....

Skip to our ride home - this is a courtesy skip, you don't want to know why.


Me:  "Do you think you can hear better now?"

Little guy:  "I think I just hear weirder."

Me:  "Yeah, I bet your ear is feeling pretty wacky about all that."

Little guy:  "I guess."

Me:  "So do you have any homework?"

Little guy:  ignore

Me:  "DO YOU HAVE ANY HOMEWORK?"

Little guy:  "I don't know what you're saying."


Yup, thinking an apology is not in order after all.  Goofy lovable kid!

Click here to purchase this painting.