piece of art today

Conch-queored

I have a need. It has been there for as long as I can remember. A need to create and make something...a do-it-yourself kinda need.

Well, we just moved and have settled in and I was looking at the bare wall in front of me one night and I wanted to "fill" it up with something....something discreet, yet tasteful. Beachy, yet not tacky- you know?



I checked the mail and found a magazine with a $400 print inside of a conch shell. It was pretty, and tasteful, discreet and not tacky. This was it! Yet, $400 bucks- you have to be kidding me.




At Michael's (craft store, not my husbands house) I got the cheap little acrylic paints and some fancy brushes ($2.99) and my powder brush (yes, for makeup), and off I went into a new tangent.







I will paint that shell.


Not without help of course...from this little cutie.










First, I drew it on with pencil. (I had to darken the picture so you could see the sketch lines).












Then, I started shadowing. Personally, I find the first stages of paintings the hardest.

And I start to think...can I really pull this off? My confidence is taking a huge dive here.

But after days and hours and hours of stroking...and good little children napping....

and stroking some more...


and some more.....

just to get it right (right meaning, better than the last stroke).....

a few more.....

This is what I came up with. I am my own worst critic and at some point, you have to decide, I am done. So, for now. Here is the conch.

I have conch-queored.

Dedicated to my sister...Shelley. Hee Hee.

Crayons and Quilts

Kate tried to inhale crayons today...unbeknownst to us, which resulted with a pea-sized piece of red crayola crayon in her nostril- pretty far up there (past the free range picking area). We had to pull over (she was coloring the back seat- which okay, give me a break, I'm a first timer=)

Anyhoo, Michael saved the day with my bobby pin...we did the dirty work in some random person's yard...and I'm pretty sure that they didn't want to get involved even if they did see us out their front window. Two adults hovering over a concerned, sneezing toddler laying mid-air with a bobby pin sticking out her nose. Yep, that's skill folks. Fishing crayons with a hair pin. Nice work husband.

And, some pics to let you know what is going on in our household...
just a little inspiration that I'm finding for my redecorating project. Thanks to my friend, Lindsay- who is great with colors and fabrics.

Let your eyes dance with the colors...(these are not my handiwork...just pics I've found for ideas I am considering with new fabrics I am finding online)...possibly taking up a new hobby??









Quilting...but not your standard every square looks the same quilt. In fact, I don't want any one to have the same dimension, or at least not having a pattern. I HATE PATTERNS. I don't use them on my clothes, bags, or any other sewing projects...I want to make my own design- it's a creative outlet.

So, we'll see what kind of things we can come up with. Stay tuned.

PS Can you tell I've been home with a sick husband and 2 children all week?? Hee hee!

HAPPY 35TH BIRTHDAY!!!

Today is my sweet husband's 35th birthday.... so today will be marked with Starbucks, Reese cups, and Mexican food and lots of kisses!

It has been great to reflect on all he means to me and now to Kate and soon to Savannah as well.

Happy Birthday Honey! You are a wonderful husband, daddy, and friend.

I love you so much! Let's celebrate!!!!!!!

This is the verse the Lord gave me for you today:

Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways.

You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your sons will be like olive shoots
around your table.

Thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.

Psalm 128:1-4

MORE PICS HAVE BEEN UPLOADED TO OUR PIC ARCHIVE WEBPAGE

7 year Anniversary

Today I have the wonderful priveledge of celebrating 7 years of sweet marriage to my darling hubby! Praise the Lord...and now off to a nice dinner.

Please see our Christmas pics at

http://www.sweetbabykate.spaces.live.com/

KATE IS HERE!!!

Kate came a little earlier than we expected, but just in God's perfect timing.

She was born at 32 weeks and was 3 lbs and 11 oz but she is very healthy!! Praise God! The miracle story will be blogged in the near future.

I hope this news is sufficient to explain my tardiness in the upkeep of my blog, I have much more important things to do now *tee hee*- like grow a human being...well, God is doing that, but I do have to feed. Speaking of, it's about that time again...

Tried video upload- I waited 15 minutes and it said there was an error- grr...will try again later.. sorry Shells.

for more pics go to : sweetbabykate.spaces.live.com

Our 2nd birthing class was insane! I loved it, but gees…it was torture… we had to hold ice in our hands for prolonged periods and focus on our breathing while our husbands put clothespins on our ears…self inflicted pain to learn how to breathe. I couldn’t believe it! As if I need one more thing to make me uncomfortable… =)

BUT all that to say…it really does work. I was able to sort of block out the achy hand and pinched ear lobe and think about my breathing. I just don’t want to go back next week because the lady seemed excited about another “breathing exercise” that I’m not sure I want to be a part of.

My back has continued to do well, and my swimming is amazing! I am walking 2 mornings a week and swimming 3 mornings and it is wonderful! I am so thankful for that. Saturday will be 2 days exactly since my spine surgery…who would’ve know that 2 years later I would be months away from expecting my first child? Such a blessing, God is faithful.

Kate hasn’t really been moving quite as much these past few days. I guess she is running out of room in there- but I’m calling the doc just in case. It’s weird how she’s gone from total 24/7 kick boxer to almost no movement over night. I have also been having some braxton hicks contractions, and those are quite fun. I'll keep you updated.

I have no new pics for this post, so I think I’ll add a funny…

We're Havin' Ribs Tonight!!

Kate has found her mommy's rib cage and she loves to kick and play with those strong little bones she feels underneath her feet. It is a fun game....for one person alone =) ha ha!

Well, I have a new video...and not for the faint of heart. It is a tummy roll unlike any other that I have caught via video so far (yet I see them every day!)...watch carefully to the lower right of the screen where a little foot is kicking and then as my entire stomach changes shape as Kate swims around in her little home.

Secret Sweetie Gift Exchange

I am so very new at this. I feel like I am not the most interesting person to read about...but you have to start writing somewhere...

Today at work, we had a little luncheon with some of the ladies for Valentines day. It's a secret gift exchange that lasts all week and at the end of the week (today) you have a reveal luncheon. We all found out out our "secret sweetie" was and it was a blast- always is. Here's a pic of some of the decor that my friend, Megan, and I put together...

Gift giving is fun, I really enjoy it...
Jesus Christ is the ultimate gift giver. We love because He first loved us. We don't have the cheap love that the world gives, but a life of rich abundant love from Him that we can freely give to others.


I love that hymn, "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God, I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by his blood, Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod, I'm so glad I'm part of the family of God." Once a southerner, always a southerner. I love hymns....they come out of the core of my being...