Vintage Photos

I found this link to a site that makes pictures look vintage. It is really quite cool. Just make sure if you are using digital files that you save a copy of the original to fool around with!

Enjoy!

Here is the site.

You just browse to your copied picture and press convert and this is what it will do, it is fun for framed images etc, it would be especially cool of your childhood home or favorite pet or something...

Quick change

I told you about the mother load of free junk I found, well this beauty was one of them. I still haven't figured out what she is holding in her hands- frog, turtle?... Your guess is as good as mine. But the frame is large, if not gold, but I'll get to fixing that later.

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Anyway, lately I have been craving color. In fact, about everything in my living room was "green" with envy for color (meaning everything was just plain green, olive, lime you name it- green)

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It was driving my nuts. So, I found one of my old paintings from a watercolor class Justin and I took at the local community college in Asheville.

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Can I just say I LOVE continuing education classes! I know I'm a geek! Proud of it.

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I had to get some black paper left over from college as a sort of matte and we still need some glass, but for now this is now hanging on my living room wall and helping the much needed color problems. (Someday, when I grow up, I will be a painter...)

For Etta

I went tot the temple with my friend Donelle yesterday. It was such a nice trip. We went to lunch afterward and had a fabulous chicken Caesar salad at La Madelines. We stopped by the LDS bookstore too. I wasn't really looking for anything, but thought maybe I would just look around.

Then I found this:

"Under His Wing" by J. Bryant Ward

I LOVE this picture! I think it will be a good thing to have on her walls, to help her remember the Savior. The image is just so touching, and reminds me of the Savior asking to see the children. I think the little blond girl in the painting must look a little like Etta. So she can recognize herself in the picture.

I just taped it to the back of a frame, that we have to see what it will look like. I am pretty sure I will paint the frame, put it in properly and hang it up a.s.a.p.!

I think this will be a nice tradition for our future children, that they each get a special image of a child that is with the Savior that they can grow up looking at.

Sneak Peek

I am not nearly done with Etta's room. I don't think I will be able to really post it until I get a crib for the room, but for now a have a little peek at what I've been collecting. Which is far too much for one room, but when it all gets "installed" I am sure it will be very exciting.

First, one of my most favorite things, is this hand made rag-rug. I LOVE it because my mother's mommy made it. The colors are ideal and I love that it has meaning, and adds a TON of color to the room!

This shows the basic wall color. I opted for neutral, because there is a heck of a lot of color everywhere else. I painted the ceiling blue-BUT, NOT because that is the color of the sky!!! I had my ceilings blue in Asheville and it is just a fun surprise to have a color on the ceiling. The Robin Egg blue is also a major part of the color scheme.

You may have also noticed from the previous picture, a paper lantern. There are more where that came from, but I am not showing you them in place, (I guess 'til they get there!)

I think this "hope" sign is just cute. I got it in the dollar bins at Target at Christmas, but it is sparkly blue, so perfect. And also states perfectly what we have been feeling for the last few, or eight years!

I have WAY too many art options. I have three more that aren't even photographed. I think I am actually going to hang two in her walk in closet, just because I can. But here are some of the options, that will not all be used but may be. Who knows.

Remember, I love modern art. I was at the Dallas museum a few weeks ago and someone walked by and scoffed at a simple modern art piece. They said " I can do that". But guess what- you're too late, it's already been done.

That is what is interesting about modern art. Sure, you can paint an orange square and call it art, but it wouldn't be original unless you think of it first. A majority of the history of art has been trying to create more impressive works. Only in the last just over 100 years has that idea been put to the test. AS artist began to step back and simplify. It is a whole different thought process, and makes it interesting. Besides try recreating a modern art piece sometimes, it is not as easy as you may think. There are subtleties that you miss, with out understanding the work behind it. (that said I like respectly modern art, there are definitely peices that are NOT good)

I cross stitched this a few years ago. It is just a little kit you can buy at Joann's but it is cute. I may put it on a shelf or something.

Here is Etta's first baby blanket, made by me, exclusively for her. It is so cute and soft. I can't wait to cuddle her in it.

My sister Tiffany gave my this bassinet a few years ago. I am excited to finally be able to use it. I am planning on making a skirt and cover etc for it. Meanwhile, it is holding toys and the crib bedding that Tiff also gave me. I have two sets, both adorable, So, we will see which one we use at least this time around!

I don't know how or when I am going to get all this together. Let's hope it just sorta happens, like it has been collecting stuff it will magically finish itself! (somehow)

That's Tweet Dude!

I have been really wanting to make some art lately.

So, I painted a board black.

And, I'll let you in on a little secret of mine- "mis-mixed paint"- it is the greatest mistake ever. At the paint desk of most paint stores they have a shelf or two of their mistakes, that they sell for cheap. I am addicted to buying this stuff. Two of my very favorite home colors have come from here. I use them all the time, and sometimes mix my own color from them. By the way this quart of paint was one dollar, count it- 1! I have used this one on about 10 projects, from art to redecorating.

After I painted the board black I was a little stumped by the possibilities and it took me a few days to decide what to make. My friend's sister was fooling with texture on her art blog, I thought that sounded fun. Especially since the board I used already has a great texture. A few paintings ago I played around with mixing joint compound (drywall plaster) with acrylic paint and spreading it on with a palette knife, so I thought I'd do it again.

I collected the necessary objects for the project.

Such as chalk, joint compound, palette knives, paint brushes, acrylic paint, decorative paper, scissors, treats and a few silhouettes from online....

Then I drew the branches on the boards with chalk. after i filled them in with the joint compound, leaving it semi-thick and really rough.

It was hard to keep everything in the lines, so some where fuzzy, or not exactly following the chalk lines, as you can see below. To clean this up, I just outlined the branches with my black paint again.

Then I drew out the outline to size on white card stock. I didn't want to ruin the nice paper on my first attempts at hand drawing birds. Drawing is not my strong suit. After they were cut out, I arranged them on the board.

Then I figured out where I wanted the paper to go.

Finally, I came out with this. I just brushed on a layer of polyurethane to seal it all. Hopefully it works out well. I am planning on hanging it in Etta's room, which I have been working on the last few days, but no pictures til I am done.

Deep in the Heart

of TEXAS! (clap, clap)

Justin and I had the pleasure of hanging out with my sister Tiffany and her family in San Antonio this weekend. It was a much needed break! And it was so fun to chase after my baby nieces (and a little bit scary- in an "am I really ready for this?!?*@! kind of way) and hang with my very grown up nephews.

Here is our million photo journal/blog!

We saw four of the local historic missions. Of the four, we (almost) crashed 2 weddings, it was Valentines! The missions were very interesting and beautiful. Justin did quick 5-10 minute sketches of each too.

San Jose Mission,

San Antonio, Texas

Justin's first sketch

Hanging on for dear life, to my ever squirmy niece Alicia!

My GQ husband!

Smiley Sophia!

Did I mention how cute my nieces and nephews are?

Mission Espada

San Antonio, Texas

Albert, my brother in law, showing off a very fetching headdress!

Mission Conception

San Antonio, Texas

He is just so great!

4 months and starting to show, or just look fatter... Yea!

Leave it to the pregnant lady to bring snacks along.

This is such a good way to make friends with lovable chubby babies!

The boys just hangin' out Jarret, Chandler and Braxton!

The Alamo,

San Antonio, Texas

The River Walk

San Antonio, Texas
I would highly recommend the river walk to anyone who can make it to Texas! It was so beautiful. I could have been there all day and well into the night.

We also took one of the river tour, although we didn't do it til it was dark, which just made it all more romantic! Too bad, Justin wasn't feeling very well, he got food poisoning at the mall food court! It was a long sad night for my sweetheart! Cool glass sculpture.

A small series of stars, for all my friends,

You're a STAR!

Love from, Texas

Fredericksburg, Texas
We heard of a small German town, about an hour away in the hill country and headed over for the last day. It was such a fun street shopping experience. We had a great sausage, corned beef and sauerkraut lunch!

Did I mention that it was freezing? We checked the forecast and were told it would be in the 70's, well it was raining and only 50 degrees. Sophia had a crazy blowout! Tiff had to make a quick run to Walmart for replacements (it happened, twice.....) But you can't help but love those Baby Buddha Bellies!

The crazy hat isle was a hit!

Come visit us anytime!