My Art and the Mom in Me

Whooopsie!!!

2012-02-12T10:21:00.001-05:00

I am sending my wonderful blog friends a virtual gift of this vase.. I went to publish the comments I received on my post yesterday and I accidentally deleted them... and I could not figure out if there was a way to recover them...

So thank you!! And I hope you like your virtual gift! :)

(To everyone else... this vase can be found for a real life purchase HERE)

This was a shameless promo, I know... lol... but the apology is real!

Happy Sunday, All!!!

PS: In case I do this again in the future, any way I can "un-do" the delete?

Paint Storage

2012-02-11T10:48:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!

It has been a crazy last couple of weeks here.. Although our upcoming move back across the country is not happening for 3 more months, there is a lot of planning that has been needing to take place and the time to start is now...

We are downsizing our home by moving back, our house in NC has almost 1000 square feet less than this rental house here in Austin. We will be having garage sale to help fund our move and rid us of some clutter in the process, so I have been consumed in the daunting task of deciding what goes and what stays.

One thing I know for sure is that I will not be parting with my paint. No way.

I have found what works best for me, is being able to see my paint, each shade in view.

There are some bigger tubes, that don't easily stand up, that are behind the small containers of paint.

There are also some of my smaller already-stuccoed-but-not-yet-painted vases stuck behind the paint, waiting ever-so-patiently for me to be inspired to paint them.

About once a month or so, I have the girls lay out all of the paint on the floor and sort them by color, and put them back on the shelves. They loooove to do this for me, and I looooove them to do this for me.

But, it doesn't take long for me to jumble them up again, and Allison and Emily will no doubt whine and say "Moooom! You messed it up!" and then they excitedly say, "Can we sort them for you? Please? Please?"

Happy Weekend, Everyone!

Busy Etsy and Taxes

2012-01-31T11:42:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone!
I have been having a very busy couple of weeks. You all know of our upcoming move back to North Carolina... and I want to thank you all for your sweet words of encouragement and support. It really means a lot.
I have been so busy with my Etsy Shop stuff that I have had a hard time to focus on much else, and my poor blog has been badly neglected. I will go into more detail in a later post about my shop plans and what has been taking so much of my time, exciting stuff!

In other news, it is about that time - tax time! We will wait another few weeks before we file, to make sure there isn't anything left in the mail that hasn't made its way to us yet. This will be the first year that I will be claiming my Etsy Shop. I don't think it will be too complicated as my expenses and my profit was relatively low, but I still am in need of some tax advice. Luckily I have been a very good record keeper throughout the year; you may know already that I am a nerd in that way. I actually enjoy lists and files and organization in general. And taxes are the necessary part of life that you know comes around every year, without fail, so you might as well get prepared for it!

And Tomorrow is February! Wow, already? Make it great!

10 months ago...

2012-01-21T15:52:00.001-05:00

We moved into this house 10 months ago.

We knew this house would be temporary. We are renters. You got to leave at some point.

This house was a bit out of a price range that we felt comfortable with, but.. given the choices we had of rental houses... there are not many in this area. We had to pay the price.

Everything happens for a reason.

I like to think so with this house.

I took this picture on day 3 of living here.

It wasn't until a few months later, when I was having trouble with taking my pictures on a white background, that I tried to use this stone and stucco area on a livingroom wall.

And I am so glad I did. This wall gave me inspiration, and it sort of... focused me. I know.. strange that I am talking about a wall.

Somehow it seems more than just a wall.

Thank you, House. I will miss living in you.

Home Decorating

2012-01-21T15:40:00.000-05:00

Home Decorating

I appreciate the guest post, Lindsay Valdez

I have a sickness. I am a compulsive mind-changer. This trait is never more evident than in my home décor. I am a real joy to be married to, what with my “Honey, can you please move the couch again?” and “Oh, you know what, I know you just hung that picture for the fourth time but I think I prefer it in the other room” business. My husband is a saint. I have a terminal case of indecisiveness as it relates to my home’s style. In my defense, it’s really not all my fault. Have you seen some of the home makeover shows on TV? I feel like every time I turn on the TV a designer is making some seemingly insignificant change to a room that I am somehow convinced will be exactly what my house is missing! This is a trap. It is never the insignificant change that really makes or breaks a room. It is the $500 the decorator spent on accessories to style the “insignificant change” that makes all the difference. In my head, I know this, and yet in my heart I remain convinced that if I just move that armchair over about fourteen inches we’ll have a whole different room. Listen, honey, I’m sorry. You probably shouldn’t have bought the package on direct tv that included HGTV. This is kind of your fault, too.

January on Etsy

2012-01-12T10:48:00.000-05:00

As hum drum and down in the dumps as my last few posts have been, I am pleased to share some good news with you!

January has been sort of a good month for my little shop on Etsy.

I have been working really hard on adding stock and even thinking outside the box a little bit. For example, I took this extra large glass jar and did my stucco and paint thing, and voila - I love the way it turned out!

Red Jar Vase

I have been busy with determining what my goals for my work are and trying to get a business plan together. They say that magic number is "100 items" to start selling on Etsy. I was shooting for that goal myself, and had reached it in December. Since then, I have been aiming to stay above that mark. However, I realize that in order for me to make the income that I would like to be pulling in.. well.. I need way more than 100 items. So..that is the plan. Off to get to it.

And thank you all for your kind words and support. It means the world.

Focus on the good..

2012-01-06T13:06:00.001-05:00

Folks, I am going through some things... I won't bore you to tears with the details.. but I believe in the power of positive thinking, even when I am having particular rough and difficult days, and I really am doing my best to keep a smile on my face.. I would be lying if I said it was easy.. Sorry I am being a bit cryptic..

It is regarding the upcoming move, what our year will look like, what it means for school.. and what not.. I think it is best that I take it day by day, focus on the little things and not the big picture, just yet.. the big picture has proven a bit overwhelming.

In news that makes me smile... Allison received an award at school today.. An Art award!! Art!!! Do you know how much my heart jumped? It was both a surprise to her and I...

Here she is walking up to accept it, looking back at me to see my expression..

I just love seeing her happy.

The Many Changes of 2012

2012-01-02T17:48:00.001-05:00

Getting ready for the new year.

Heart to Heart and Hand in Hand.

We will face many challenges this year.

We are moving back to North Carolina. It was roughly 3 years ago that we moved from North Carolina to Texas, with a goal of getting to Austin, which is where we thought we would settle. Well, as fate would have it.. that would not be.

It is with a heavy heart that we have to leave Austin. We have truly enjoyed living here.

I am also letting myself get excited about going back to North Carolina. We will be moving back into the first home we shared as a family. The home that we brought the girls home from the hospital to..many of our neighbors are still there, so, it will be literally like.. going home again.

But there is also a pit in my stomach.. I love the school that Allison goes to. I love it, she loves it. Emily would have joined here there next year. Now, I just am FULL of worry, that the school we are moving to will be just as loved..

Bobby will be having to go back and forth to North Carolina, various trips around the country, one even to England, between now and the time we move. So, there will be times that we miss him so much.

And I have been so inspired here. I listed my first vase on Etsy in December 2010. 3 months later, we would move into this rental house, with walls of stucco and stone, the perfect background for my Stucco vases... what are the chances..
I even changed my shop name to Carriage Oak Cottage, paying homage to this house, which lives on a street with "Carriage" in its name..

And I have so many goals and hopes for my shop for the future, but part of me wonders if this inspiration will follow me.. or if I will leave it behind as the moving truck pulls from the driveway....

And with that... I will say.. that even though I am worried and anxious... I do know that everything happens for a reason, and that gives me comfort, and hope.
But, it's also ok to say that sometimes I am sad too.

Christmas Vacation

2011-12-29T14:44:00.000-05:00

Things have been so busy here.. Lots of exciting things happening, of which I will share in the coming weeks, and NO I am not pregnant, in case your mind went there .. but for now, I will leave you with this:Emily on Christmas Morning. That face is just too cute.

Allison "enjoying some Christmas music" on the San Antonio Riverwalk, with my Mom.

Emily enjoying an ice cream cone, which is a must when it is 40 degrees outside.

Taking in a show at Sea World...

Walking around the zoo.. this particular trip lasted 25 minutes because the girls were too frozen to walk...

All in all.. it has been a wonderful vacation.. I will be sad for the girls to start school again next week! I hope you all are Great!!

Fun with Christmas

2011-12-23T19:32:00.001-05:00

The making of sugar cookies - It is a Christmas Must!

I hope everyone is well! I have had a terrible head cold, I am now on the mend..thankfully, now just hoping the girls don't get it! eeek!I wish you all Happy Holidays! Much Love!

The Christmas Angel

2011-12-18T09:47:00.000-05:00

Emily played a Christmas Angel in her school play. She even had a speaking part! I am such a proud Mommy.

Savings Game

2011-12-18T09:41:00.001-05:00

Savings Game

Post contributed by Hilton Miranda

We’ve turned saving at our house into a game, if you can believe it. The kids are supposed to bring home their spare change at the end of the day and I’ve been looking at all our utilities to try and find some ways to shave off costs. My daughter helped me crown a texas electricity champion last week after week looked at rates and even my son suggested he get a paper route to try and save more money. I don’t want the kids to think about money too much and they’re both so young to have jobs, I’m not sure if it’s what I want for them. But I do think it’s really good they’re learning these lessons at such a young age and that they’ll never wonder what it takes to save a dollar. That’s the position I was in after college and I think that’s why I’m still working to pay off student loans at 30 years old. Not exactly ideal in financial terms!

Her Ears are Pierced.

2011-12-16T09:15:00.001-05:00

Before:

After:

She Did it! And she did awesome!

Gift of Scrubs.

2011-12-16T09:12:00.001-05:00

There are a few important people in my life that are nurses; my mother, my mother-in-law, and a best friend. I have wondered if they would ever appreciate a gift of new scrubs from blue sky scrubs, here, http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/Original-Scrubs/. When I was working outside of the home, I always appreciated a new shirt or skirt for work, so, I would imagine that this is not too different. What are your thoughts? Does that seem strange to give as a gift?

I wonder if nurses feel that all cotton scrub uniforms are created equal, or if there is a preferred brand in terms of comfy-ness and general longevity. I would think so.. but seeing as I really have no idea, if there is a nurse on board reading this, I would appreciate your 2 cents.

Then there is also the matter of choosing a color. From what I understand, some hospitals like to in essence "color code" the various departments, so if I did choose to go this route as a gift, I would probably need to find out about the color my mother-in-law and best friend wear. I already know my mom wears Navy blue.

2011-12-16T09:05:00.000-05:00

There are a few important people in my life that are nurses; my mother, my mother-in-law, and a best friend. I have wondered if they would ever appreciate a gift of new scrubs from blue sky scrubs, here,
http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/Original-Scrubs/. When I was working outside of the home, I always appreciated a new shirt or skirt for work, so, I would imagine that this is not too different. What are your thoughts? Does that seem strange to give as a gift?

I wonder if nurses feel that all nursing scrubs are created equal, or if there is a preferred brand in terms of comfy-ness and general longevity. I would think so.. but seeing as I really have no idea, if there is a nurse on board reading this, I would appreciate your 2 cents.

Then there is also the matter of choosing a color. From what I understand, some hospitals like to in essence "color code" the various departments, so if I did choose to go this route as a gift, I would probably need to find out about the color my mother-in-law and best friend wear. I already know my mom wears Navy blue.

Team Tuesday

2011-12-13T18:36:00.002-05:00

I forgot to do my Team Tuesday post last week.. I forgot it because I failed to write it on my to-do list. I have really come to heavily rely on my to-do list.. so much so that I even write on it "Make Bed" or the bed would not get made! Or "empty dishwasher" or that wouldn't happen! Luckily there are still a few things I do without having to look at the list.. like, "pick up kids at school" and "eat" so maybe I don't rely on it as much as I think... Anyway.. have a look at this from a teammate of mine:

I am such a fan of these fingerless gloves by Etsy Shop, JustColor

I also LOVE the style of that picture.. it makes me want to be her!

Oh OH and Allison got her EARS pierced this weekend! My big little girl! It was her decision and she did amazing... pictures to come!

Customer Feedback

2011-12-12T09:05:00.002-05:00

"I love this little vase - it's so Seussical!"

I could have cried tears of joy when I read that feedback on this little vase.

Dr. Suess has always been a huge inspiration to me. And without even saying that in this listing.. the customer got that vibe from my work, and I am so thrilled.

Happy Monday, everyone!!

Zaarly It

2011-12-12T08:52:00.002-05:00

I have never heard of this website until today.. It is called Zaarly. To me, it seems like an upscale Craiglist. I say "upscale" because the site looks cleaner and I don't know.. more high-tech I guess? Craiglist looks more like the classified section of the newspaper, and this site looks more searcher-friendly, to me anyway..

It is a buy and sell website.. anything you want to buy, anything you want to sell, you can post or search for. You can even name the price of what you want to buy something for. For examply, say you live in New York City and you want an Ipad 2, well, here ya go - new ipad2 new york city.

And it seems that zaarly has become quite a succesful venue for some. Have a peek and see what you think...

Handmade for the Holidays

2011-12-07T16:54:00.002-05:00

Allison and Emily painting birdhouses for grandparents!

My hope is that they will never stop giving their art as presents...
They really do put love into everything they do.

Hope you all are well!

Family Picture Redone and A Little Etsy Love

2011-12-01T17:26:00.002-05:00

We re-took our family picture this weekend.. and I snapped a bunch more of the girls and Jack too... I put a few of those pictures on our Christmas photo card this year!

AND, if you have not entered yet.. please run right over to a little etsy love blog and enter their holiday give-away!

My purple glitter vase and ornament set is one of the prizes! Check it out.. the winner will get LOTS of really cute stuff!

Bye for now!

Team Tuesday Bunny Love

2011-11-29T14:47:00.002-05:00

Bunny Love Charm Bracelet

I had to put this bracelet up on my blog in honor of Emily. My little 4 year who is asking for a Bunny for Christmas. She is not getting one. I told her that elves do not make Bunnies and her response was, "Elves can make anything, Mommy!" and well, I can't argue with that. I will just risk her disappointment on Christmas morning, but I am sure she will be plently distracted.

Anyway, so this bracelet spoke to me, on this day being Team Tuesday, Etsy teamie, Jennifer of grey girl designs made this bracelet. She is a lovely person and I am glad to know her and her shop. Please go visit it today!

Have a good one, everyone! I am off to take the girls to their dentist appointment, fun fun! :)

Shopping for gifts

2011-11-29T13:49:00.004-05:00

If you are looking for some inexpensive gift ideas then canvas craft bags may be just the thing. There are many choices available to you. Some that already have their own design, or some that you can add your own design to by painting, stenciling, or stamping. There are so many ways to make it your own.

If you are in the market for making a gift to give then craft rings are also a good purchase to make. There are many things you can make with them and they come in a variety of sizes. I even saw a ring-making kit that I know, would be right up Allie's alley. Ba bum bump, lol, that is funny - Allie's Alley. Anyway, a gift any 6 year old would love.

My nephew would not enjoy a craft ring kit, but he might enjoy something made out of some captain america fabric. Now.. if only I could learn to sew. Actually, that link will take you to many options available for the little boy on your list - costumes, accessory kits, superhero clothes. I actually find my nephews the hardest people on my list to buy for. I have been a notoriously bad gift giver for all of my life. You would think I would get better as the years pass. I don't. My husband is not any better with his gift-giving skills. One year, he got me a hair toolbox. Yes, he did. But, that story is for another time.

Maybe I don't give myself enough credit. I do give my girls good presents,and they don't have to be expensive or one of the "hot" toys of the season either. Anything and everything is a good present to them. I wonder how long that will last?

The Gray, White, and Yellow Striped Variety

2011-11-28T14:19:00.009-05:00

Hi Everyone!
I was asked whether I was able to do more of the gray, white, and yellow striped design in various sized-vases. And I, in fact, already had them made. This design and color scheme are an obvious favorite of mine. They were at the Brick and Mortar store that I sell at, so I picked them up this morning.

The 2 on the right are the most similar in color and shape, the gray I used is called "dolphin gray", the vase on the left was painted in a slightly darker gray, called "Country gray".

These are the 2 same-gray vases. The vase on the left has an interesting octagonal shape and is a little larger than 8.5 inches tall. The slender vase on the right also has a unique shape, fluted and round, and it measures about 9 inches tall.

View from above.

Slender on its own:

Octagonal on its own:

Octagonal from above.

"Country Gray" on its own.

In other news, I found my Fluted Blue Vase in the Etsy Blog Get the Look Post, you can click HERE to be taken to the article. It was so very exciting!

And ---- I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful weekend! We put our tree up yesterday... more on that later!

Have a great day!

Give Thanks

2011-11-23T19:35:00.004-05:00

I am thankful for my silly little daughters. (Vase available here)(Shameless promotion!) I couldn't help myself!

This is Allison, she took a picture of herself.

And Emily..I'm holding her pigtails up and Bobby snapped the picture.

I am wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Much Love,
Kristin

Team Tuesday

2011-11-22T07:44:00.004-05:00

Snowflake Sequin Hair Pins

What a beautiful way to add some sparkle to your hair. These pins
were made by Kimberly from Etsy Shop, Embellishing You. She has quite an extensive selection with nearly 100 items in her shop. Her pins are popular with brides and bridesmaids, but they are also great for dressing up everyday outfits.

And cute presents for the girls in your life!
Check these pins out!

Now.. I am off to clean. We are hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year!!
eeeeek!

Have a Great Day, friends!

Perfect Gift Under 20 Dollars

2011-11-19T18:16:00.003-05:00

I love these coasters.

Made by Michele from the Etsy Shop, OneDecember.

In case you are looking to buy me something, this would work!

:)

Happy Saturday, everyone!!

And She was a Turkey

2011-11-18T17:29:00.004-05:00

Now.. you didn't think I would leave out Emily, now, did you?

Gobble Gobble.

My head looks HUGE!

Have a happy weekend.

Oh Oh: And P.S. This was also yesterday... in case you were wondering if that sweater looked familiar...

:)

She was corn.

2011-11-17T14:57:00.006-05:00

Today was Allie's school Thanksgiving play. There's my little peanut, all the way on the end.. she's tiny, can you see her?

I'm such the proud mommy.

And Emily is clearly - a proud little sister.

Pop Pop Pop! (That's what the corns said..)

:)

Team Tuesday

2011-11-15T10:59:00.003-05:00

Welcome to my first installment of Team Tuesday!

Team Tuesday is where I will be featuring a shop from some of my favorite shops within my teams on Etsy.

My first Feature is Lily, from MyHobbyShop! She is a leader on the Beautiful Home Team, a team that I just adore.

I am already filled with the Holiday Spirit, so these beautiful coasters are singing to me! Priced less than 10 dollars, they would make for the perfect One-of-a-Kind gift for a co-worker or someone you love.

And I am so in love with this Yellow Cowl. It looks so cozy and snugly.. and the color is bound to cheer you up on those cold dark winter days...

I invite you all to stop into MyHobbyShop! It is a shop you don't want to miss!

Happy Tuesday!

November Family Picture

2011-11-14T09:10:00.002-05:00

Every year, I replace our family picture on the wall, that we take every November. It has been a nice way to document all of our growing and changing, as the picture is replaced with the previous years behind it. It is one of my most favorite traditions that we started.

We took this on Saturday on our front steps. I think we might try it again this Saturday. I think my smile looks a little fake.. honestly, I think I was saying.. "Allison, Put your arm down!" right before the picture flashed..
lol...

So, if at first you don't succeed - try, try again!

Happy Monday to you all!

Just Listed

2011-11-08T17:56:00.002-05:00

Another set of Ornaments! They are so much fun for me to make. This one is listed in my Etsy shop, but I also want to make a few sets for my display in the store. It just seems I am running out of time!

Are you all ready for Christmas? It will be here before we know it! YIKES. (Yikes is code for I am NOT ready.)

:)

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T10:29:00.000-04:00

From the Witch and Rapunzel!

:)

New listing

2011-10-28T10:04:00.003-04:00

I made ornaments! In my stucco-ey style. Yes, I realize that is not a word.

This is my first Holiday season on Etsy, so I have no idea how they will do. I have no idea how my vases will do. If I had to guess, based on my experience thus far? I would say not well. Even saying that, I am still hopeful.

There is just this invisible wall up. I can not translate hearts into sales. I love my vases. Obviously, I am a bit biased... but I just need to get other people to love them too. And that is proving to be a hard nut to crack.

Stamp It.

2011-10-26T08:42:00.003-04:00

I hope this post finds you all well! It has not been the greatest week here. Emily was sick with a stomach bug for the last 2 days. Then, last night, she seemed to be feeling even worse, so we all hopped in the car to head to the urgent care. In an effort to be sensitive to what does or does not gross you out. Let me just say, that Emily got sick WHILE we were driving there. All over herself, in her hands, hair, lap... She sat there stunned, and Allie sat there screaming. I have never heard Allie scream like that before. Well, Emily feels a whole lot better. And I am sure that smell in my car will eventually go away....eventually....

Anyway, so, I found a site where I can purchase self ink stamps. I was originally thinking about purchasing stickers with my shop name on it. However, I have not found any within my budget. Then someone had suggested using stamps, and I found that this is much more economical. There are also date stamps available. Date stamps excite me (Yes, I am a nerd at heart.. well, probably a nerd in plain sight as well..) But I can think of a thousand uses for date stamps. One use, is when I get a bill, I write the date that it is due and then file it in the date-due folder. Well, if I had date stamps, I could just stamp them!

And in the future, when my vase line takes off, I can use inspection stamps on the boxes ready to be shipped.

Ok, well, maybe I am getting ahead of myself. But, one can dream.

Carriage Oak Cottage

2011-10-21T10:55:00.004-04:00

(Fluted Blue Vase)

My new shop name is Carriage Oak Cottage.
I have been thinking about this for a while. I really wanted to sound more shop-like. And I wanted a name that had meaning to me.

We currently live on a street with Carriage in its name.. And I love this house.. just renting, yes, but I love it.. and I love the street name. Oak because the street that I lived on while I was just dating Bobby, was called Oak Forrest.. and now, the subdivsion we live in, is called Heritage Oaks.

And cottage, because, it holds memories from when I was a child.
My Nana and Pops had a cottage on a beach in Connecticut. We spent many days and nights there. That cottage now, only exists in my memory. The cottage, along with all of the other cottages on that beach, have since been demolished. It is really a sad story, but you can read about it here, The beach was called, Pleasure Beach. I can cry when I think about it for too long.

Californication

2011-10-21T10:45:00.001-04:00

Californication

Thanks for the article from Robin Woodard

I love cable since it supports my tv watching addiction. There seems to be a proliferation of men-children these days, but in tv and movies, and in real life. It's like a new male archetype. But there is one man child who I love. It's the character of Hank Moody on Californication. The show recently had its series finale (which was pretty well done, by the way). That character is someone who I would love to meet in real life. Totally flawed, but has so much heart and is so funny. A lot of the characters on that show are hilarious, actually. I'm sad the show is over, but I'm looking forward to seeing what David Duchovny does next!

Etsy on Facebook

2011-10-13T18:35:00.002-04:00

I could not have been more surprised if I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet...Christmas Vacation, anyone anyone?....

....when lo and behold this vase was on Etsy's Facebook Page!
The views and hearts it brought me were insane..I got a few inquiries for custom orders, and I am hopeful that those that have found me on Sunday, will remember me in the future!

In other news - Allison goes on her first field trip tomorrow! My Big Little Kindergartner! She is so excited!

Lone Star Gifts.

2011-10-08T17:25:00.001-04:00

Not the best picture - but that is the store where I moved some of my vases into this week! I am not setting any expectations for what I hope to sell. But, I am excited that I am stepping into the world of retail sale with my creations. I will keep you posted on this new venture!

She is 6.

2011-09-30T08:22:00.002-04:00

I could say a million things sappy right now.

But instead I will just say three.

My life changed 6 years ago today.
It would never be the same.
It could never be better.

We love you, Allison. Happy Birthday, my sweet girl.

Pumpkin Muffins!

2011-09-24T14:42:00.007-04:00

I did it, I finally tried Pumpkin! Yay!
Thanks to a comment on my last post left by Rose, of the Blog - The Beadings and Buttons of Randomcreative, I actually went to the store this morning, determined to have the ingredients I needed to make these delicious muffins she posted earlier this month. To get this recipe, click on THIS, it will take you to her blog post for this muffin recipe. I even did what she did, left out the nutmeg, I am not a nutmeg fan anyway.
Here is the photo of the batter. YUM. yum.

The easy bake oven was in use as the muffins were baking. The girls and I also made a peanut butter fudge. They turned out sort of edible. That is what the chocolate remnants on the small plate to the left of the bowl was. The girls seemed to enjoy it well enough. But back to the muffins - we loved them!
Allie loved it!

Emily loved it!

Thanks, Rose! You made our Saturday full of pumpkin-ey goodness!
Happy Saturday, everyone!

5 Fall Goals.

2011-09-22T16:34:00.002-04:00

Alright, my dear sweet Abby friend.. Here goes..

You see, Abby tagged me. Good Old Fashioned Tag- You're It! bloggy style -
so, now, she made me turn inward and think about some fall goals that I need to be setting for myself. so.. what are they?

1.) Remember to set the coffee pot every night. This is a real treat for Bobby. You see, I am not a huge coffee drinker. But, he is. And he sure does love to wake up to a freshly brewed pot of coffee. I have one cup and I am done. I still like it. But, all I need is one. And he appreciates it more because he is always the first one up. So, I would like to do this for him.

2.) Try to look kinda pretty at least once a week. Usually I am in sweats with my hair pulled back and hardly a hint of make-up. I must look atrocious. I would like my kids to remember about their mother when they were growing up... just how beautiful and put together I was... ha ha ha.. ha ha ha... ha ... oh.. ok, that had me laughing.. ha ha.. ... ok.. well, realistically that will not happen. once a month. look kinda pretty once a month. :)

3.) Make something with pumpkin in it. Is that weird? that I have never made anything with pumpkin in it? Pumkin Pie.. pumpkin bars? is that something..pumpkin bars? Pumpkin muffins.. ? I don't think I like pumpkin. Yes, I said, "think"... how can I expect my kids to try something new.. when I don't. I was recently given a yummy sounding recipe - WITH pumpkin in it - and I really will try it!

4.) Get outside and walk more. When we do this, I think.. we need to do this more! And, we don't. We are outside a lot.. But I am talking about, walking in the neighborhood, exploring our surroundings.. we need to get out and walk more.

5.) Stick with my schedule! I love writing them - love the notebooks that I have for list keeping. And when I stick to them.. I feel accomplished at the end of the day. I love crossing out what has been done! It feels rewarding. SO, why don't I do it?

Well, I will. Starting this fall. (which officially starts TOMORROW!) yay!

Call in the Experts.

2011-09-22T16:15:00.003-04:00

By Now, You probably heard about the devestateing wildfires in and around Austin over these past few months. In the recent Bastrop Fire, there were more than 1400 homes destroyed or damaged. If your home has ever suffered fire damage there are services available to restore your home to pre-fire conditions such as
http://www.thesteamteam.com/austin-restoration-services/smoke-fire.shtml. The smoke from even a small fire permeates surfaces in rooms that didn't even suffer from the flames directly. You really do need to bring in professionals to help with cleaning up the damage.

I also might be needing to schedule some home carpet cleaning service austin because our lease for our rental house ends in March. We will need to get the carpets professionally cleaned as per our lease agreement. I can't believe we potentially only have 6 more months to live in this beautiful house. We will have to assess our situation when the time nears. Is this still a good location to live? Will I want to live a little closer to the school? Oh, but we love this house. Jack loves this yard. I love the deer. I don't want to move again, so soon. A lot to think about.

What's been going on and a Happy Anniversary!

2011-09-19T09:30:00.005-04:00

We visited Bobby's grandparents who live in Arkansas a couple of weekends ago. We love going to see them, we always have such a nice visit. They love the girls so much and the girls adore them. We took a special trip to the top of the mountain, near their home, which was neat because they used to take Bobby there, when Bobby was a little boy. There is a little train to ride and here is Bobby and Allison before the train took off.

And Emily, during the train ride.

And back home in Austin....
The owner of the house we are renting gave us permission to use the tractor that was left at the house. After some needed repairs, Bobby got it running. We bought a trailer and we have been enjoying tractor rides all around the property. I don't know who has the most fun - me or the girls - I think it might be me! ;)

Bobby and I celebrated 11 years married this past Friday. 11 years. Wow, does time fly. We went out for a nice anniversary dinner, on the lake in Austin. Then, we watched the bats. Austin is home of the largest urban bat population in America.

What a sight to see. If you ever make it here, it is a must-do.
The picture does not do it justice!

Share your Zenni Story

2011-09-19T09:10:00.003-04:00

Did you know that I wear glasses? My current pair looks most like these, which I found off of a website that has quite the fashionable and attractive glasses for your choosing.

I only wear my glasses for about 2-3 hours at night, after I take my contacts out. It is shameful that I do this. I know that my contacts are not ideal for my eyes and I do need to take them out more to let my eyes breathe. Well, this just so happens to be the time of year that I think about getting new glasses. My yearly eye exam happens around this time and every year, I vow to take better care of my eyes. First, I need to find an eye Doctor and make an appointment. Since moving here 6 months ago, I have yet to do that. Every year, I cringe that my eyes have worsened, but for the past couple of years, they seem to be holding steady.

Glasses can be very expensive and who knew that you can actually get $6.95 prescription eyeglasses. Sounds too good to be true. It is true and there are some cute glasses that you can find within this price range! This website even has a try-on feature, where you can choose a face from a box on the right hand side of the webpage, and click on the frames and voila - how neat! Choose a face with a similar shape to yours and you are good to go!

If you choose to go this route with your next purchase of eyeglasses, you can even Share your Zenni story on their blog.

New Used Car

2011-09-14T19:11:00.001-04:00

Another angle!

I couldn't resist.
I love you, dear sweet car.
xoxo
Kristin

:)

A New Car

2011-09-14T18:54:00.004-04:00

We got a new car and she is my baby!
Okay..well.. new used.. It is a 2008 Honda CRV, all decked out with all the top options, sunroof (gasp - I LOVE the sunroof), and it is a beautiful blue, and the best thing of all? It only has 15,000 miles on it. A 2008, still has the "new car" smell, don't you just love the "new car" smelll?

Many factors went into deciding if we were going to get a new car. But, the trade-in price was right, and we just found this one, and in order not to bore you with the details, let me just say it was pure love at first sight.

Our last car was silver, and while, it was ok. But, for me.. I have always missed the beautiful blue color of my last most favorite car, which was a Honda Accord. This car is more like the family version of that car. I had toyed with the idea of getting some san francisco car painting but that option never made complete sense to me, because there was still some options I wished I had inside of the car.

I could have always gone to Spectrum Auto Body and figured out what added options would cost me. I googled a bit about this auto-body shop and from what I read, they have good reviews and are reliable. But, San Francisco is a bit of a drive for me. Although.. I do love California... daydreaming now...
Good night!

Dance and Gymnastics

2011-09-12T13:04:00.003-04:00

Allison started Dance last week!

And Emily started gymnastics this morning!

And I just love watching them do their thing!

Love.

2011-09-11T16:42:00.000-04:00

Tomato Battle

2011-09-10T11:56:00.003-04:00

Have you heard about the Tomato Fight?
My Thoughts? The Mom in me is terrified. Do people get severely hurt? Because I am horribly uncoordinated when it comes to walking on wet ground. Do people throw the tomatos hard at you? Do they aim for your face, your chest, your stomach, your rear-end? I am a bit flabbergasted - not gonna lie.

The semi-cool person that I think I once was - maybe 10 years ago, or so - was possibly a bit more daring, more willing to take chances. My former self would, perhaps, even want to go. The person I am now, would literally run in the other direction - as long as the ground was not slippery. We have already established that I am uncoordinated.

Oh, and also, I am not a huge fan of tomatos. Sometimes the smell is even off-putting. So, I am probably not personally a good candidate to attend something like this. However, having said that, if you are more adventurous than me, then tomatobattle.com is something you will want to check out.

And if you go, wear goggles. You will need them.

A Nurse Mom

2011-09-10T11:44:00.002-04:00

My Mom's birthday is fast approaching. I have talked about this subject before, in case you are currently experiencing some deja vu. Every year I struggle with what to get her. I think this year I will go with something practical. So, I found this site:
http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/
And voila, problem solved.
I will also get her the requisite gift from the kids, a framed picture or a mold of their hands. Those are always the most favorite gifts of all.

I would think that if you have to wear a uniform for work anyway, that getting them as a gift is appreciated. You can save your money on them, since you have to buy them anyway. I always appreciate practical gifts myself, things that I can use. One less thing for me to buy, you know?

I will give it some more thought, I still have a couple of weeks to figure it all out. Oh - and Allie turns 6 just days after my Mom's birthday. She wants a new bike and her ears pierced! We shall see...

I hope you all are great!!

Playing Catch up!

2011-09-07T12:44:00.002-04:00

I feel as though I have been neglecting my Blog friends.. and my blog. I had hoped that things would have slowed down by now to a point where I can stick to a schedule..be able to visit you all more regularly.. and become comfortable with life again.. But things here are still so hectic. I think I need to get used to this pace.. I need to prioritize my commitments. Obviously, my girls and their schedules come first with school and extra-curricular activities... Not to mention taking time for myself. Between my own exercise classes.. and keeping up with the house.. and my Etsy Shop, and the teams I belong to.. and..well, geesh. It is a lot.

I had decided to put my twitter account to rest for the time being. I felt like it was taking time away from things I NEEDED to be doing.. Twitter works great for some people and their business.. but I was more using it to chit-chat.. and well.. I just don't have the time to do that right now.

In other news.. the girls are doing great in their schools. I could cry when I think about how worried I was and now, how relieved I feel. Daddy made a special surprise visit to Allison today, during lunch.. Parents can come eat lunch with their child, how cool is that? Anyway.. Daddy brought her McDonald's and let's just say.. she was thrilled.. It is not often that she eats McDonald's.. and having Daddy surprise her at lunch.. well.. It just does not get any better than that!

I will see you soon, folks! Do't give up on me! I am sure I will get a grip on my situation soon!

Meet my Logo!

2011-09-02T12:29:00.002-04:00

My Logo was designed by Etsy Shop Color Fiesta Graphics and I am thrilled with the result. The watermark is not on the actual logo, of course, but here it is! I would love to know your thoughts!

Flowers for Your Vases.

2011-09-02T12:01:00.005-04:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about marketing my vases. I don't really know how to do this at all. I don't know how to reach my target market. I don't know who my target market is. I realize I need to do a lot of research. I was reading a forum on Etsy last night and it was talking about how you should write your descriptions in your listings. It said to talk less about the features of the product and more about the benefits. For example, in regards to my vases, I should talk less about what makes them different and more about why the buyer would like them, as in they are useful and cute. My head was spinning from the information. I can only handle little bits at a time.

I would love to partner up with a flower shop or a gift shop. I know I shop online when I send flowers to somebody. If I knew a single thing about flowers, maybe I can one day offer this. A one-stop shop for flowers and a vase. I would not know a single thing about running a successful flower shop. Although, nor would I want to. These online flower shops are laid out so well that you can choose the occasion and you really don't need to know a thing about flowers to successfully choose a gift.

And, I just like making my vases anyway. That's it. To be a success in also selling flowers, you would have to know a thing or two about flowers. Obviously. My knowledge of flowers runs as far as I can tell the difference between a Rose and a Daffodil and I *might* even get the daffodil wrong. Seriously.

Sure, I can educate myself about flowers, but that would take a whole lot more time than I am willing to give. I just would like to think that any customer who would find me would think on their own that this vase would be perfect for giving a gift of flowers. Although, maybe they just would think that it would be easier to go to the store and pick up a ready made flower bunch, already in a vase. The difference with my vase lies in the fact that after the flowers have died, and they all will die, that the recipient is left with a piece of art and not just a non-nondescript glass vase. But, I also would not want to limit my marketing to a gift-giver. I would want to market them to somebody just looking to add some decor to their home. So, you can see why I am so confused about who my target market is.
This is the tough part about selling online.

Arts and Crafts

2011-08-31T17:19:00.003-04:00

I am slowly starting to find my school groove again. I officially have 2 mornings a week all to myself. I would be lying if I said that I am already completely at ease and at peace with the quietness of the house. Even though I fill that time by taking care of some of the things I find challenging to do with 2 kids under my feet, I can feel their absence and it pains me a little. I don't like missing so much of their day, but it is fun hearing them talk about what they did at school. They are growing up, learning on their own, and I am just so proud.

I have a handful of arts and crafts projects waiting for me. Some of it has to do with crafty things that I have been wanting to do around the house. The girls have a toybox that has turned into an eye sore with all of the wear and tear on it, so it is just begging for a new coat of paint. I also have a bookshelf that needs a makeover.

I also have so many plans for my Etsy Shop and I can't wait to jump in with two feet. This vase, the first of a new line I created, by etching a word into the stucco, sold this morning.

I am so grateful for the sale, but to further that, my day was really made because of the nice words that the customer told me, complimenting my work. It really means a lot. I tell you. I love making these vases. LOVE it. And to think that other people are appreciating it. It is beyond words.

School for Emily!

2011-08-30T10:28:00.002-04:00

I made it through Allison's first week of kindergarten last week unscathed! By Thursday, it felt like old hat. We were able to get in a groove and Allison just LOVES it! It was far less emotional for me than I thought it would be - thankfully, oh, thankfully! And now, this week, is Emily's turn.
Emily and I visited the zoo yesterday, albeit briefly, Emily was melting in the heat - she is so sweet.

And today she went off to preschool. Here she is standing by her cubby.

There were no tears, just a great big hug and a Bye, Mom! Turn around, and she was off! I see a trip to the toy store this afternoon - I am so proud of her, I can just burst.. she can have anything she wants... within reason. :)

A tale of Kindergarten

2011-08-25T09:10:00.004-04:00

Well, folks. Allison is officially a kindergartner!
This has been an...interesting week.
Allie was thrilled about her first day - excited and looking forward to it.

Day one, I walked her into school.. Daddy and Emily wanted to as well, but the parking lot was so crowded, that me and Allie had to jump out of the car. When we walked into school, I felt Allie's hand tighten around mine. I could tell she was overwhelmed with how crowded it was - filled shoulder to shoulder with parents and kids, also walking their child into the classroom on this first day.

When we got to her class, and to her seat, she opened her pencil box that was already laid out for her, and she found her crayons, and only the cap to her scissors - without the scissors themselves. Allie looked up at me, with tears welling in her eyes, saying, somebody stole my scissors. I asked the teacher and the teacher explained that she has all of the scissors, just left the caps in the box. So, Allie was ok with that. I hugged her goodbye... and walked out.

It felt empty in the house that day. Allie's absence was truly felt. I missed her and so did Emily. At pick-up, Emily and I walked up to Allie where she was sitting with her class, and I stood in front of her for a full 5-10 seconds before she even registered that it was me. When she did, she grabbed onto me, hugged me hard, and just burst into tears. It was all I could do to not break down myself.

As the day went on, I understood that the tears were just tears of being overwhelmed and relieved to see me. Later on that night, as Allie was helping me with chores, she told me all about her day. The rules of the classroom, fun things they did, songs they sang, kids she met, etc...

She said to me, "Mom, I have the best kindergarten in the history of kindergartens." and she added, "but I just cried cause I missed you all day."

Oh honey, I missed you too.

Last Day of Summer and the Backpack's Packed.

2011-08-21T10:17:00.004-04:00

We went to the pool yesterday. A bittersweet event knowing that summer is coming to a close with the start of Kindergarten tomorrow.

I have her bag packed, stuffed with some pictures of our family that she requested, a surprise note from me, a change of clothes, hand wipes, lunch, and snacks.

I have been thinking about this day since Allie was born. It seemed so far away at the time, but now the time is here. I haven't let myself cry about it until recently. And I am not crying because I am worried about her. I know she will do great. She is truly excited about it and she is so eager to learn new things and I know she is ready to take on new challenges.

Rather, I am crying because I know that it is time for me to let go a little bit. She will be standing on her own without me by her side. But, I know she will feel me there. And I will be ready and waiting every day after school. To hear about her day, what she learned, the friends she made.
With my arm stretched out, ready to take her hand in mine.

Mary Poppins!

2011-08-20T15:11:00.001-04:00

SHE was our FAVORITE!

Some of the Characters...

2011-08-18T16:13:00.009-04:00

....that we met on Vacation to Disneyland and Knot's Berry Farm!

Minnie was a little sweetie!

Ariel's voice was so sweet and she was so talkative and the girls were in awe and wonder.

Jasmine was Emily's favorite. She is insisting that we buy that outfit for her. I am insisting that we do not! lol!

Belle was Allie's Favorite!

Mickey was a Rock Star. I was just as excited as the girls to meet him.. you would think that I didn't even understand that there was a person underneath that costume. I was so giddy like I was meeting a real-life non-fictional Mickey Mouse! Oh, I was a kid again!

Snoopy at Knot's Berry Farm!

Disneyland!

2011-08-15T22:06:00.006-04:00

Disneyland was amazing, even the tram ride from the parking garage area to the park was fun - look at me - I could have rode that tram all day!

The first character we met was the Queen of Hearts. She is really a nice lady.. she just looks like she is in a bad mood!

But Emily - Emily wasn't buying it. I think she might have thought that the mean Queen was going to hurt Allie - after all, the Queen did hold Allie's hands and dance with her around in a circle -

Emily cried for 5 minutes straight!
And we weren't even in Disneyland for 5 minutes!
Don't worry - it got better - more to come!
: )

I hate Bed Rest!

2011-08-15T22:02:00.001-04:00

I hate Bed Rest!

Guest written by our friend Katie Callahan

Being on bed rest is not the easiest thing in the world and it’s even tougher when it’s because you’ve got two broken legs. That puts a whole new meaning to it! I couldn’t do anything for myself and I sure couldn’t get up even to pace around the room so the healing I went through over those six months was really tough. I spent a lot of time thinking but when that made me feel like I was in jail I started reading a good bit. When I got sick of that I started watching movies on my www.TVbyDIRECT.com satellite and thankfully that tided me over until it was time for me to get back out and about in the real world. I was really athletic before (did I mention that I broke my legs in a skiing accident?) and though I’ll never be the same when it comes to moving my body I can’t wait to get back out there and start moving around again. I gained about 20 pounds just lying in that bed!

Austin to California

2011-08-14T18:32:00.004-04:00

I have never been west of Lubbock, Texas. I have been east of Texas, having lived in North Carolina and Connecticut, and I have been up and down the east coast. I have always wanted to go to California. I also really want to go to Washington State and Oregon. But we had an opportunity to go to California, so we took it and I was so excited to begin our trip 2 weeks ago. We drove. I love driving. I love seeing the country from the comfort of our car, and my kids are great car travelers, luckily, and knock on wood that they continue to be! Anyway... I had some pre-conceived notions of what New Mexico and Arizona would be like. I pictured flat desert sand as far as the eye can see. And while, yes, there was that - But there was also this:

The mountains, which are pretty far from Allie and Em in this picture, are enormous. They are beautiful. I really found it hard not to look at them, and there are many. and they are beautiful. Have I mentioned how beautiful?

And when we were almost in California, we came upon this. It was frightening and we were close to it, and I could not help but be scared that there would be an explosion and we would be caught up in it, but there was literally nowhere to turn. there were guardrails up to our left and a car to our right, and there was no way to turn around. The worst case scenario kept playing out in my head. A truck carrying bales of hay caught fire, from an accident that occurred moments before we arrived. It kept us stopped in our tracks for more than an hour before the police force created a path off road, that lead us back to the highway, going in the opposite direction, which ultimately lead us to a 3 hour detour. But, we were all safe. And that is all that mattered in the end.

and the beautiful mountains continued to California. This picture of this mountain was taken probably an hour or so from the coast.
It was a memorable trip before we even got there!
More to come with the next post!
I hope I don't bore anybody!
Hope you are all well and thanks for reading!

We're Baaaack!

2011-08-08T11:19:00.002-04:00

Allison in Disneyland. I love this picture, taken with my phone...

So.. If it isn't already obvious, we just got back from a wonderful trip to California - last night, in fact! I will be sure to post some pictures from our trip.. I will need a few days to get settled - the amount of laundry we have is insane. But, I miss my blog friends, and I will be catching up with you after I catch my breath!

Vacation Time

2011-07-27T17:54:00.002-04:00

A picture taken with my phone while laying in our hammock. I thought it was rather a vacation-ey picture suited well to telling you all that.. we are...

Off on vacation! California, here we come! We will be back on Monday, August 8th. We leave bright and early in the morning.

I tried really hard to visit my blog friends and give a personal visit to each of you.. but I just did not get around it. I just can not seem to schedule my time well.

I will make it up to you all when I get back, can't wait to catch up with everyone!

Maybe I will even be able to make a couple of posts while I am away! I sure will try!

Take care, everyone! Miss you!

Blog Feature, Etsy, and MIni Golf

2011-07-25T17:22:00.005-04:00

I was so excited to be contacted by a very nice lady named, Pamela, last week...
Pamela has a southern design blog, called Sweet Peach, and she was interested in doing a feature on my Shop. I was so thrilled. It is up on her blog today. Please see my feature HERE. I would love for you to visit her blog.. it is very beautiful, featuring lots of great artists.

In other news, I was thrilled to have this little guy make it to the Etsy Front Page on Saturday.

My Green Horizon Pencil Holder .... It was the third time an item of mine was featured on the front page within the same week. You could have knocked me over with a feather.

In other news still - we were able to take a fantastic family picture at Mini Golf this past weekend. My husband and his camera self-timer skills....

God Love him.

Feeling Loved

2011-07-18T13:37:00.003-04:00

I was thrilled!!... to say the least.. that this vase made it to the front page on Etsy on Friday night. from about 8:30-9:30, central time. I was out watching a friends band play, and I kept refreshing the page on my phone, just wanting to look at it.. until it went away. ha ha!

And yesterday I found this vase in the Etsy blog.. You can go here to have a look.

I always appreciate views and hearts.. so I am going to try for that to keep me happy until the sales start rolling in... fingers crossed that they start rolling in, lol!
:)

Welcome, Baby.

2011-07-17T15:41:00.001-04:00

My beautiful new niece, born July 14, 2011.

Welcome to the world.

We have been waiting for you.

On the topic of money.

2011-07-17T15:28:00.004-04:00

Do you wake up in the morning thinking about how to make wealth? Do you often think about how you can better your own situation? I do this, but a lot of this revolves around how can we keep what we have and still save money. For example, can we make our cable bill cheaper or our grocery bugdet less? The less money we spend on what we pay for now, means the more money we can put in our savings, which is, in turn, how we will build our wealth.

I use coupons, although sporadically. I only use them on the items I typically buy anyway. We keep our house at a warmer temperature in the summer time and a cooler temperature in the winter time, as to avoid the high cost of heating and cooling. I prepare a lot of meals completely from scratch, as to avoid the high cost of processed foods, and it is the healthier option, knowing what you are putting in the food to make it - from start to finish.

I am not yet thinking about how I will become a millionaire, rather I am more thinking about how I can save 100 dollars next month. ha ha.. Well, you have to start somewhere.

Go Fly a Kite

2011-07-11T17:51:00.003-04:00

OK! We Did! That is Barbie up there....

And Allie and Em getting in some rest and relaxation on the couch..

...I hope you are all having a Happy Summer!!

Swimming

2011-07-09T10:33:00.001-04:00

This is the summer that Allison is really taking off with her swimming.

And I am so proud, my little girl. Love.

About Taxes

2011-07-09T10:18:00.002-04:00

So, I am already thinking about tax time for next year. We filed early this year, so we did not need a federal tax extension form thankfully, but it is there if you need it.

We have used TurboTax in the past, and I am wondering which tax software will be the best option for us. We sold a house and moved. This is the first year that I am filing for my business. I am filing at a loss, of course, but I am still filing. Although, it will not be a great loss, as my costs are so low, and the year is still early. Hmm.. or is the year still early? I don't know, maybe my shop will experience a boom nearing the end of the year. One can only hope.

Tax time always makes me nervous. I think we do everything right and the forms seem pretty strait-forward. Each year I think, "This will be the year that we bring our taxes in for a professional to do." But, every year, we do it online. We tried 2 tax software this year and each one seemed to calculate things a bit differently. One of them seemed to ask a lot of questions regarding our rental property in North Carolina, whereas the other one didn't seem to want to know much. We went with the one that asked more questions. It is like the other one didn't seem to want to get to know us, and was only talking about themself, so that date ended. : )

Etsy Pictures Redone

2011-07-06T18:10:00.004-04:00

Hi Folks.. I hope this blog post finds you well! We are doing great here.. Allison started swimming lessons today. (Emily was not having lessons, maybe next year.) But, Allison - she is turning into a little fish, doing very well. When I was watching her today, I felt like I could cry. I am just one proud mama. After swimming lessons, I came home to work on my Etsy Shop pictures. I listed a new vase today with the following picture. This is my Neutral Pop Vase.
And I am seeking your opinions. What do you think of this picture?

Or.. do you prefer the picture with the plain white background, as in my Beach and Sea vase?

Thank you for your opinions in advance! I don't have strong feeling either way, so I am hoping that you do!
Thanks, friends.

Busy Weekend.

2011-06-27T17:51:00.007-04:00

We went to our house for the last time on Saturday. We officially close, signing the papers, this Friday! We had to go there to get a few remaining things, and to fix some things per the buyers request. This is the girls posing in front of the house, sort of looks like they are saying, "We did it!" doesn't it?

While we were in town, I went to a couple favorite thrift stores, and stocked up on some vases. I get deals. That is the only way I feel good about what I charge in my shop.
So, I would say that I am good for now.

This should last me for a while, don't you think?

Then yesterday, we spent literally hours on the back patio. The girls painted dozens of paintings.. among other things.

Bobby is the best Daddy.

Good Morning, Deer.

2011-06-22T12:03:00.002-04:00

I have talked about the abundance of deer in our yard, and my love for them. We see them daily in our front and back yards. Well, the front of our rental house has this courtyard area.. It is rare that the deer walk into this area. I have only seen them do this about 3 times. Surely, they must be curious and have to check it out.
Like this one.

This one was even curious as to what is inside of this house..Allison, Emily and I were standing as still as we could, as not to scare it away..

And then it slowly meandered back into the yard..
It was pretty awesome.

Finished Vase and a Busy Summer!

2011-06-21T16:14:00.003-04:00

And it is officially summer now! Yay!! Although, it has felt like summer for a couple months already here in Texas.. anyway...

This is that finished vase from a couple posts back.. I am calling this the first vase in my Inside Outside Series! I would love to know your thoughts.
You can visit the listing HERE.
I am really excited about the vases currently in progress as well..
Although things tend to be slow moving with me as we have been keeping very busy.

I joined a gym, and it has a pool and I am starting to swim again. I was on the swim team in High School and I have always had a love of swimming, stemming from the swimming pool we had in our backyard growing up. The people my parents bought that house from, had literally let the pool look more like a pond. It even had FISH in it, I am NOT kidding... but, after much work, we had a great pool to spend our Connecticut summers in... Ah... memories...

I hope to visit you all real soon!!
xoxo

About Nursing Scrubs

2011-06-21T16:00:00.003-04:00

There are a few important people in my life that are nurses; my mother, my mother-in-law, and a best friend. I have wondered if they would ever appreciate a gift of new scrubs from blue sky scrubs, here,
http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/. When I was working outside of the home, I always appreciated a new shirt or skirt for work, so, I would imagine that this is not too different. What are your thoughts? Does that seem strange to give as a gift?

I wonder if nurses feel that all nursing scrubs are created equal, or if there is a preferred brand in terms of comfy-ness and general longevity. I would think so.. but seeing as I really have no idea, if there is a nurse on board reading this, I would appreciate your 2 cents.

Then there is also the matter of choosing a color. From what I understand, some hospitals like to in essence "color code" the various departments, so if I did choose to go this route as a gift, I would probably need to find out about the color my mother-in-law and best friend wear. I already know my mom wears Navy blue.

My New Work.

2011-06-15T13:29:00.004-04:00

I am so happy to tell you about my new idea for my vases! Mind you, I have numerous ideas regarding them.. But most of them fall drastically short in the execution. I tend not to take pictures of those.. I would rather just move on.. lol..

Anyway, this idea sort of came in an a-ha moment. Last week, when I was picking through my inventory of vases, deciding which ones I will work on next. I realized some of them won't work, because I need the top of the vase to curve in, so you don't really see the inside of the vase too well, if that makes sense..It looks more finished without seeing the stucco, in my opinion. Anyway, so, I thought, well why don't I paint the outside of the vase. The stucco would then protect the paint, and voila - it worked. I was worried that the actually applying the stucco to the vase, would scratch the paint, but it did not. It held.

And I am so excited about these results. Now I can't WAIT to go vase shopping again. My options will be limitless.

Oh, and Yes.. I can not get enough of the stripes. I am kind of in love with painting them!

SeaWorld

2011-06-12T13:44:00.006-04:00

It officially feels like summer here with our first visit to SeaWorld San Antonio last week. We have not been since 2 summers ago, but you can expect to find us spending lots of time there with our recent acquisition of season passes. They have a new area filled with water features for the kids to splash around in, and the girls loved it, they were soaking wet almost as soon as we got there!

Emily is so cute in her sunglasses!

And Allison officially graduated to big girl status, because she rode the huge water flume with me! I half expected her to change her mind in the line. But, Nope, she stuck it out..

..and loved it. She wanted to ride it again, again, and again.

I can still hear her happy squeals of delight.
May they forever ring clearly in my ears.

:)

Etsy Finds Vase

2011-06-08T08:46:00.002-04:00

I sorta have a best seller! Well.. okay, that might be stretching it... About a month ago, I was in the Etsy Finds email. It generated a bunch of hearts and views, and one sale. The Vase that was featured in the email, was the one that sold. After it sold, I recieved 3 convo's from 3 different buyers asking if I would make the vase again. I did not have the same vase size that was the Etsy Finds Vase.. and I could never duplicate it exactly.. the color might be off, the lines might be a tad different, etc... But, I did my best, and one of them bought it. I now made another one, just to be ready, in case those other buyers come back. I listed it 2 days ago. HERE it is, in a treasury here.. can you find it?

'Yellow & Green' by TildaChic

A nice combination

Simple Obi-Wrapped ... ccdoodle $25.00	Lemonade Storm - 16... michellechrist... $36.00	Yellow and Gray Bri... SprinkledDesig... $8.00	10 Large and Medium... SweetandSavvyD... $38.00
sunshine when the s... bchildrenswear $30.00	Custom Shabby Chic ... sassycreations... $36.00	Make It Happen. Hom... bubblewrappd $5.00	Joel Dewberry - Avi... lilybellafabri... $4.50
Mostly Sunny Fabric... paperraincoat $26.00	NzLbags New - Summe... NzLbags $80.00	Sunny Bee, updated ... TRWpainted $65.00	Silk lavender sache... laurldesigns $8.00
Sunshine Horizon, g... ArtByKristin $15.00	Grey/Yellow Complet... MissJenniferRa... $360.00	Freestyle Bowtie fo... MeandMatilda $24.99	textile typewriter ... lettershop $25.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Have a great day, All! I still can't believe it - my house is SOLD! Pinch me, I am dreaming!

A Week at the Zoo.

2011-06-04T08:42:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone! I hope you all are doing great! What a week it has been! Let's see.. Emily turned 4. She had her yearly Doctor appointment on Friday and she and Allison are the exact same weight. 33 1/2 pounds. Mind you, they are 21 months apart. Funny. We also purchased season passes to the Austin Zoo, which we live near.. and we went 3 times this week. I have talked about the zoo before in Who Screams at the Zoo? and why I love this particular zoo so much. So, I am excited that we can go whenever we want.

In Fantastic news - We got an offer on the house and accepted it! It was the most and still is the most nerve-wracking experience. The buyer has until Tuesday to say, Eh, forget it...but fingers crossed that she won't. I. Am. Petrified. We are so close to stop the hemorrhaging of money that we are experiencing with carrying this extra mortgage, that this wait is almost unbearable! But.. You know what has been helping? The fact that I have been keeping myself so incredibly busy. I had been working on a Pinata for my dear friend, Abby. Her birthday is right around the corner, and what started out as sort of a joke, quickly turned into a very real project. I am making her a Donnie Whalberg Pinata. (Donnie of New Kids on the Block fame, now NKOTBSB fame, he has also been in movies, etc..) And I will mail it to her tomorrow. Oh, folks, I can not wait until she gets it. I will be sure to do another blog post that goes into how this started and the end result. Let's just say that Donnie Whalberg is now following Abby on twitter. And that was an exciting day for Abby and I!

So I hope you all are well.. and I will be making my blog visits soon!

Fuzzy But Cute

2011-05-30T17:44:00.002-04:00

Disregard the fuzziness. Darn Camera... ahem.. could have been the operator (me).. but, ah well.. moving on..

We got Emily a guitar for her birthday! Allison and Emily love to watch Daddy play his, and Emily has long since expressed that she wants one too, in purple. Her wish came true. Doesn't she even hold it well? She will be 4 on Wednesday. 4. 4. Wow. Seriously, the older you get, the faster time flies. I can remember when I was a kid, time seemed to move sooo slowly.. but now, literally, blink and you will miss it. I don't know about you. But I don't ever want to blink again.

Facebook!!

2011-05-27T08:32:00.002-04:00

Kristin (me) went ahead and did something CRAZY! I created a Facebook page for ArtByKristin!

I also put a link to it in my sidebar to the right. It is telling me that I need 25 people to like it before I can change my username? I am not really sure what that is all about...I mean, isn't my username my username?

Please like me, and if by some chance, I have not "liked" you on Facebook, please leave your link and I will. Thank you.. and Happy, Happy Friday!!

Tinkerbell Pinata

2011-05-26T17:40:00.003-04:00

It's Emily's 4th birthday next week! She requested Mommy to make a Tinkerbell Pinata. So, I searched the web for something I could re-create.

Pinatas can be really pricey, but if you can make your own, then they can be really cheap. The total cost for this one was 2 dollars. A dollar for tissue paper and a dollar for the streamers. I already had party hats (used to make the cones) and I already had balloons.

The fun we had making it was priceless. The girls got a kick out of tearing up the newspaper and dipping it into the flour and water mixture - and I took it from there!

I will post better pictures on the day it gets destroyed!

:)

Question: Where does a 60 pound dog sleep?

2011-05-25T12:02:00.003-04:00

Answer: Anywhere he wants to.

Oh, Jacky-boy (his nickname), you crack us up!

A New Listing and Tinkerbell.

2011-05-23T13:51:00.003-04:00

My newest listing. I am trying to paint one new vase a day, sometimes that goal is even a stretch, depending on what is going on at the house, what activities we have on our agenda, etc. My goal is to reach 100 items in my shop. I would then like to create a pamphlet to which I could bring to local flower shops and see if anyone would like to carry my vases. It is a goal, maybe one day!

Emily is turning 4 next week, and she wants a Tinkerbell pinata. You might remember I made Allison a big flower pinata HERE, and now it is time for me to make Emily's. A Tinkerbell pinata! Can it get any harder? At first, I thought it would be easy. I can make a big round pinata, print out a picture of Tinkerbell, add a little bit of paint and boom, done. BUT, no. Emily wants a Tinkerbell with legs, arms, wings.. the whole body. I must tell you, it looks pretty awful right now. It might turn out to be something that kids might not mind putting out of its misery, ha ha!

Have a Great Day!

Creepy Crawlie

2011-05-21T13:55:00.002-04:00

Tarantula

THIS is what my husband found outside near our patio in the backyard. He so graciously called to show me this, shortly before I went to bed. Which made for some terrific dreams that night. Not.

My Little Graduate

2011-05-19T12:04:00.002-04:00

My little Allison, a Pre-K graduate!

Kindergarten, here we come!

Happy Birthday.

2011-05-17T10:48:00.002-04:00

To Me. Tomorrow, May 18th.

And I am putting up yet another picture from the beach.
This is me sans make-up, first thing in the morning, waking up to the waves.

I am brave to put this picture up. But this is me. As I grow older, I am working on fully accepting me for what I am. I want to age gracefully. I don't want to put myself down for a wrinkle here, or a pudgy thigh there. Or the fact that I will only grow shorter over time, when I am already a shorty standing 5'1".
I just want to live a life where I love me. I think we all get down on ourselves. And when I have those days, I want to be able to lift myself up.
.... steps of the soap box....

Anyway, Emily is in my arms in this picture. She still clings to me, at times, like her life depends on it. And this picture captures one of those moments. I cherish them because all too soon, these times will be just a memory.

Tonight we go see Allison graduate from pre-k. She will be wearing a yellow cap and gown. And I will be in the front row with a camera, video camera, and tissue. Because I will be balling.

My 3 Kids

2011-05-13T18:51:00.004-04:00

I never did talk about how much fun Jack had camping at the beach now, did I?

Let me tell you. SO MUCH FUN!

This was the first time Jack ever played at the ocean. They have a leash law at the beach, but we knew we wanted to let Jack fetch in the water, and we didn't want his heavy leash weighing him down, or worse yet - getting snagged on something. So, Bobby put a lightweight rope on him. and it was long, long, probably a good 20 feet of this rope.

Jack LOVED the water. He would walk straight out until he couldn't touch the bottom anymore, then he would swim a few more feet, turn around, and ride the waves in. It was so so very fun to watch. Me and the girls were cheering for him - rooting him on. I could tell that Jack felt like a Rockstar. He is my third baby.

We are so lucky to have him. Sandy mess and all.

Go Promos!

2011-05-13T18:40:00.003-04:00

I sure do love promotional pens! I have talked previously about how some of my favorite pens are promotional. Some are from the hospital where my Mom works, or my husband's company. My husband has yet to get any from his new job, but I am ready for them!

I don't know, maybe I need to get me some customized mugs, now that my Etsy shop is officially registered as a business. Yup! You read that right! Even though I have been registered with Texas to collect Sales Tax since 2009, I haven't officially registered my name as a business until now. That was finally made official last week! Yay! Maybe I need to order some mugs, with my face plastered across it. oooh, what a lovely way to drink your coffee!

The GMAT and my husband.

2011-05-11T12:41:00.002-04:00

My husband has a Bachelors degree and now he has started his search into MBA programs. He will need to take his GMAT first. Luckily there is gmat preparation available that will give him the edge he needs so that his score is high enough the first time around.

My husband does naturally well in school, without any studying. I never understood that about him. I always needed a quiet place with a highlighter in one hand and my head in the book. I needed to study right before sleep, so I could dream the material. I was a good student in college, getting A's and B's. I had to work hard for those grades. My husband barely cracked a book open.

I guess he is just smarter than me. There, I said it.

But, I'm still always right.

:)

After the Artfest....

2011-05-09T16:07:00.002-04:00

...Ghost Story telling in the backyard.....

What a perfect shot. I could not have timed it better.. (ok, well, it was more an accidental shot, but it really captured the moment!)

My Mom stayed with the girls while my husband and I were at the Artfest. It was a great day. I met some really nice people, of whom I will tell you about in the near future. I received a lot of positive feedback on my work and even a few sales towards the end of the day!

Anyway, I have a LOT of blog visiting to do, so let me get to it!

Happy Monday.. and Tuesday.. and Wed... and the rest of your week!

blogging from the art show!

2011-05-07T12:30:00.001-04:00

I hope this works! I have never ever tried to blog from my phone, but here is my set up! How does it look?

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

Camping at the Beach

2011-05-06T16:09:00.002-04:00

We did bring a tent, but that was more to hold our stuff. I just knew that the girls and me would feel a bit better laying in the bed of the SUV, seats down, foam mattress pads and comforters kept it nice and soft. The wind is soo strong at the beach too, so, being shielded from the wind in the car, instead of listening to the flip flap of the tent all night, proved a much nicer sleep. In fact, we all slept so good, all through the night, until 7am!

Then, we played some more and left after lunch. There is really nothing like waking up at the beach. I felt really lucky, but I also felt really sandy and gross. But, the lucky feeling outweighed all of that. And I am telling you, it doesn't get much cheaper. A State Park pass and some food. And we were set. Ready to start planning the next trip!

In other news... My Art show is tomorrow! I am all ready, minus a few last minute preps, and I can't wait to tell you all about it! Wish me luck!!

: )

Etsy Finds!

2011-05-02T09:43:00.002-04:00

We went to the Beach this weekend, where we spent one night camping. More about that later!

Seeing as how we were in the middle of nowhere, my phone remained off, and my access to the internet was nonexistent. So, imagine my surprise when I check my Etsy Stats last night and I find a bunch of new hearts and my views skyrocketed!

I was featured in Etsy Finds! My twitter buddy who has THIS SHOP on Etsy did some digging and found this out for me. I never would have known otherwise.

This feature has not amounted to a sale, obviously that would be wonderful. But, the fact that people like me even a little to go through the trouble of making me a favorite, is actually enough for me. It really makes me a happy little camper. (Get it? We just came back from camping!)

I will post again on Friday with pictures of our beach experience! We are leaving this afternoon to go stay at our house (that is not selling), so the girls can go to preschool! We will be sort of camping there too.. sleeping on an air mattress. Fun fun!

Got My License.

2011-05-02T09:25:00.002-04:00

I was so relieved when we moved to Austin, that all I needed to do to get a new Drivers License was to submit a change of address and pay a small fee. I did that all online and I did not even need to take a DMV test. Something about the DMV test makes you question all that you know about the rules of the road. You are sure you are a good driver, but will the folks at the DMV deem you so?

There are practice exams available to those that think they need a little extra help. I would think that taking these tests would also be a confidence booster, so you can walk into the DMV and know that you know you stuff, instead of just think you do.

Going to the Beach

2011-04-29T18:39:00.002-04:00

We leave tomorrow morning! To the Beach, here we come! I made this vase yesterday inspired by my longing to put my toes in the sand and stare at the water, listen to the waves, and watch the dolphins jump and play.. It is called Driftwood and Ocean.

We will be spending the night on the Padre Island National Seashore. The girls and my first beach camping trip. My husband grew up doing this, so we are in good hands. Jack is coming too, and I can't wait to watch him run at full speed into the water. We will come back home with Jack stinky and exhausted. Heck, we will probably ALL be stinky and exhausted.

: )

Where I Work

2011-04-22T16:55:00.004-04:00

I work in the dining room. If you can see where Jack is looking, well, that is our kitchen. There is also a table in there, so, I have not yet totally taken over the house. ; )

I was inspired by Nancy's Studio Tour post. She inspired me enough to clean up some of my mess and show you my space.

I can't for the life of me figure out how to move photos in blogger anymore.. I used to be able to write between pictures, and now I can't figure it out. What am I missing...I am really not up to all of this computer hijinx.

Anyway.. so, my completed vases are all over the house.. in cabinets here, on shelves here..I have a cabinet where I keep my completed canvasses and wood boards, but, that space is quickly being outgrown. I will have to come up with a plan B very soon.

What you don't see in this picture is the girls massive playdoh empire. It is actually located to the left back of the bottom picture. Most days this table is not filled with my projects in the works, rather, it is filled with their playdoh creations.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

That's it. And next week, I promise I will tell you about the upcoming art show. I hope to have a game plan as to how on earth I can set up my table. The last show I did, I strictly was selling wall art. So, this will be a totally different set up.

Oh.. and Happy Easter!

New Painting and Busy.

2011-04-21T15:29:00.003-04:00

3 Growing Flowers My newest painting, well.. newest listed in the shop anyway. I am having trouble photographing these... I know I should picture them on a wall, or somewhere to help show their scale. eh.. it's a learning process...I will get there! I am loving painting on wooden boards now, instead of canvas. I love the look and feel of them so much more.

Let's see what else... I went to the dentist this morning, so, that was fun! (NO) Then, the girls, Jack, and I went to the park. Then, we had lunch, and then we walked around the neighborhood trying to find any litter, you know, do our part for earth day...That was fun until Allie picked up something that looked like a piece of a dead mouse.. ok, helping the earth is over - inside to wash hands!

We had a busy week of Easter crafts, dying eggs, and running errands. I got a badly needed haircut and I have been working 'round the clock on building my inventory for my Art show coming up! More on that later!

Wishing you all well!

A Parade, a Carnival and an Art Show.

2011-04-18T12:35:00.003-04:00

What a fun weekend! I love this shot because Allison's smiley face was unexpected. I was actually going to get a picture of the Tiger Mascot hugging the girls, but just as I snapped, Allison turned around and had this expression on her face. Pure Joy.

The rest of the week will be rather low key.. hopefully. We are all tired from a busy weekend. I have a Dentist appointment on Thursday, so that is exciting. (I dread the dentist)

And I have an upcoming Art Show to prepare for! It is on May 7th. It will only be me and 9 other artists attending. I am nervous and excited. And I have lots to do to prepare.

Wish me Luck!!

: )