Happy Birthday Kiyon!!!

My oldest turned 12 today. I can't believe he's this old already and in 7th grade. High school is looming-OMG! He is the most amazing, creative, wonderful guy and I love him from the tips of my toes to the top of my head and deep into my heart. Happy Birthday Kiyon!

He doesn't like cake or cupcakes, so I usually get Brownie Bites for his "cake". This year I got him a Texas Size Cookie from our favorite restaurant, Armadillo Willy's. He always asks for it when we go there, and I always say no. He was so happy!

If you follow me on Twitter, you know he wanted a Nerf dart battle in the park, but it was going to rain. We finally decided that they wouldn't mind the rain, so the battle was on. They all had a great time. It was the perfect birthday. Very simple and loads of fun!

I just can't hold it in!

I'm apparently incapable of being prudent with news this big. We're buying a house. Now I've jinxed it! We (ok I) have wanted to move into a family friendly neighborhood and into a bigger house with a bigger back yard for a long time. I finally convinced (badgered, cajoled, whined, cried to) my husband that this was a wise idea. We finally found one in our choice neighborhood where we have lots of friends. The house is the same size as our current one, but 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Did I mention that it's a fixer upper? Oh, and that my husband has no interest whatsoever in fixing up anything? He does cut the grass once a month whether it needs it or not;-) I'm not complaining. I knew this before I married him and expect nothing more from him in this arena. He's great in so many other ways!

So I will be doing all of the painting, cleaning, packing, unpacking, and hiring of contractors all by myself. Shoot me now. I'm serious. I obviously have several more screws loose than the garage door does. Did I mention that while all of the above is happening, I had my wisdom teeth taken out, Dad had hip surgery, I'm having Thanksgiving (and you all know how much I love to cook and entertain :o), am throwing a bday party for my oldest outside, in the rain, and let's not forget Christmas. Not even sure which house we'll be in then. I also need to prep the current house for rent.

Fun times. If my future blog posts sound like gibberish, please call 911 and have them find my brain and reinstall it. I've lost it for sure!

P.S. The pics above are of a "Secret Room" accessed via the closet in my new studio. The "hole" is the emergency exit. Hoping to finish it off and add a ladder to the dining room below. Crazy? Yes! but this IS a boy house, you know. You've got to have a secret room with a ladder!

Still Recovering

Sorry for being MIA lately. I'm still recovering from my wisdom tooth extraction. I still have pain, but the meds are making me sick. I am a bit better each day which is good because I am sick of this!!!!

I can't wait to share some news, but I'm so afraid to jinx it. Some of you have already guessed. Sorry to be such a tease, but you never know what'll happen. I hope to be back creating soon. Meanwhile, here's a Penguin Christmas Carol for your viewing pleasure. Take care everyone.

Checking In

Sorry I've been MIA lately. Both kids and my husband have been sick. Little Guy started it with a sore throat, then an ear infection, then pink eye, and just as we thought he was getting better, we found out he's allergic to Penicillin. I feel so bad for him. He is definitely feeling better now. I'm hoping he'll be back at school tomorrow, because I'm having 3 wisdom teeth removed. Oh joy!! I'm hoping for a quick recovery, but it may stay quiet around here this week. Oh yeah, did I mention my dad's getting a new hip on Friday the 13th? Yup. Prayers appreciated.

Teaser: Since I don't want to post without a picture, here's a little sneak peak at some big news which I sincerely hope I'm not jinxing.

Idea Savings Bank

Twice this week on Twitter, I heard the frustration of creative moms yearning to create, but can't because they have young children and no time. I so remember those days. With my first, it wasn't a big issue, but by the time the Little Guy arrived with his own agenda, I had no time to create. If you're creative, you know that it's as necessary as bathing. You can get by without it, but you and everyone around you suffers.

I nursed both of my kids and they would hang out forever if I let them. I'm probably one of the few moms who got a LOT of reading time;-) This was also a time of amazing idea generation for me. I was planning what I would focus on with my illustration career when I got back to it.

To keep from losing all of these ideas and going crazy, I started pasting pics from illustration magazines, color swatches, sketches (thumbnails, really), color studies, quotes from O magazine, and catalog pics. If I had an idea for an illo, I'd write it down in the journal. I wrote things about the kids, too, like when Little Guy started walking at 9 1/2 months on vacation. My kids don't have baby books, but they do have these memories written down in my journal.

If you are going through early Mommyhood or an illness that keeps you from creating, give this a try. It sure saved me.

Happy November

I just wanted to pop in and say hi. This is an old watercolor I painted. It hangs in my kitchen where I seem to have a slight Halloween theme going on. You can purchase a print of it here.

I can't believe it's November already. I'm taking it easy today in anticipation of all the business to come over the next two months. Hope you all enjoyed your Halloween!

Pre Halloween Goodness

The kids wanted the dog to wear a costume for Halloween. Little Guy really wanted him to be Batman because of his ears. I wanted to make him a poncho. I didn't want to spend any money, so I hit my fabric stash. I used an old t-shirt for the body of the costume and some leftover scrap of satin and felt for the cape. It's not my finest craftsmanship, but it'll do. By the way, I don't think the dog appreciates my creativity.

The principal and vice principal had the most creative costume. They're dressed as the old man and Boy Scout from the movie Up. Too clever!!!