Summer Entertainment— The Egg Chair.

I remember watching Sleepless in Seattle when it came out in 1993 and thinking Jonah had the coolest chair I'd ever seen. I've wanted one of those chairs ever since.  A couple of years ago, I found an imitation from IKEA. Only downer is that it's kid-size. Oh well, the boys love it. It's a source of hours of spinning entertainment... or at least until they get dizzy.

If you're interested in splurging on the real deal, it's made by inmod. A little pricey, but sooo cool. Who wouldn't want an egg chair?

Monday in my ewe-niverse.

It's Monday (night...actually approaching early Tuesday) and I've decided to start a weekly post this summer that gives my adoring fans (namely Mom and Mrs. Legg) a little peek inside my ewe-niverse (that's "universe"). My universe is quite small. I generally stay within a 5 mile perimeter of my home, at least during the week. Only visiting the usual haunts: Publix, Super Target (practically in my backyard), the YMCA and school, of course. I've finally discovered in my forties that I'm a home body and I'm ok with that. So I'll be sharing my favorite spaces here where I'm most comfortable. But to start the ball rolling, I thought I'd share with you my neighbor (Mr. Keith's) dreamy backyard pool. The kids love going next door to swim whenever they can. And so do I, but I try and curtail our visits, so as not to be too much of a pool mooch. I just adore this backyard escape. It's so private with its lush tropical landscape. I feel like I'm in another world completely. You'd never know our house is just over the fence. And I don't even get mad when bamboo shoots sprout up in our yard. They grow like weeds. Who cares! I've got a neighbor with an amazing pool! How lucky am I! Oh how I wish we had room for a pool in our teensy-tiny backyard. Jackson asks almost daily, "Mommy can we sell our tramporine and git a pool wike Mr. Keif's?" (He's not good with his "L's" yet.) No honey, but maybe one day we can cut a little door in our fence so we can sneak on over to Mr. Keith's pool more often.

Tune in next Monday for another look into my ewe-niverse!

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Universal Studios

Last Friday we spent the afternoon at Universal Studios. We usually go to Islands of Adventure because that's where Jurasic Park, Spiderman and Seuss Landing are—the boys' favorites. This time I dragged the family through the Back Lots so I could take some fun pictures. Their reward was going to the Curious George Splash Park. They had a blast. And the grand finale was sharing a plate of "Enormous" chicken nachos at the Ale House. Yes, the plate was HUGE, but we ate every last bite!

My New Apron.

I consider myself pretty crafty, but there's one thing I've never been able to do and that's learn how to sew. Lucky for me, I don't have to! I have an ace in my back pocket— a very talented mother-in-law. She's an amazing seamstress! She sews strictly for fun. Every year she makes Halloween costumes for all her grands. She's made hoodie towels, curtains for my living room and precious little doll clothes for the girls. Her latest endeavor was for me! Aprons are back and they are not only functional (notice the pocket for my iPhone), but stylish too! Love the big green ric-rac. Thank you Candy.  I love my new apron!

If you don't have a Mother-in-law that sews, no worries! Check out these great aprons on Etsy.

"myPANTONE" Cool iPhone App

If you are an interior designer, an artist, or graphic designer looking for some color inspiration, or you're just trying to figure out what color to paint your kitchen— this cool iPhone App is for you!

Let's say you just stumbled upon a picture of your dream kitchen online at cottage and vine  and you want to remodel your kitchen now! Nothing like immediate satisfaction with the myPantone App. Just save that "Dream Kitchen" image to your Photo Album and follow the prompts on the myPantone App. myPantone will extract the colors from the image and provide you with the perfect PMS color palette! You have the ability to change a color by simply scrolling your finger across the screen. So cool.

And if you want to take it a step further (Interior Designers and Fashion Gurus listen up), open a myPantone account (free) and share your palettes with your clients. Click here to see myPANTONE palettes. Color lovers rejoice!

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ewe hooo loves ya Kaylee Rae!

22" x 28" Mixed Media Canvas

"ewe hooo loves you baby!"

Kaylee Rae, the only niece on my side of the family, has a newly decorated bedroom courtesy of her mother and her favorite Aunt, ewe know hooo! Kaylee had a traditional, pink, girly room before. Now, at age 7,  it's time for a change. She chose a fairytale forest theme. There is a life-size tree painted on her wall with mix-and-match fabric leaves. The owl painting will hang over her bed that has a cozy tree themed quilt from PBKids. And the neatest thing of all is that she was given my great grandmother's bedroom furniture—that would be her Great-Great Grandmother (Mamaw Reba 1892—1984). A lot of love went into that room!

Kaylee Rae, I just want you to know, "ewe know hooo loves you baby!" 

Our little Piano Man.

Please humor me for a moment while I gush about my son... The annual Blankner School Talent Show was last night and our little Piano Man did not disappoint, performing a medley of his favorite Super Hero movie themes. I think I was more nervous than he was getting up there on stage in front of 200 people. He did it though! We were so proud. It made all those piano lessons and nights of nagging him to practice worth it. (Oh the agony!)

Watch the Piano Man here. 

Dog Park

I guess you could say I'm a dog lover. I love my own the best though. That's Max in the middle (9yrs old) and Birdie top right (exact age unknown) smiling ear-to-ear. The rest are just some cool dogs I saw at the Dog Park last week. Gotta love 'em.

Atlas Adirondack

  Spent the day with my sister, Melissa, working with her 5th graders on this cool adirondack chair for their school auction next week. A collage of maps. The kids had fun and we all got a little geography lesson. Not bad for a half day's work!

The house of "ewe" know "hooo"

Just finished this mixed media piece of my house on Jasmine Avenue. I love our little gingerbread house. It's small but it's cozy. We live in the Downtown Historic District—which basically translates to, "we can't change anything on the outside of our house without going through a bunch of red tape". That hasn't stopped us from renovating the inside though.  I'll post some pictures of the inside later this week.

A little history on Tudor style: For those who didn’t have genuine British roots, the Tudor house became a symbol of cultural and economic aspirations. If you were newly arrived in the moneyed class, and wanted to proclaim your cultivation and good taste, an English Tudor house provided an instant veneer of respectability. Many of the new rich, who earned their wealth in the booming markets of the 1920s, built an English Tudor Revival house, hence the term “Stockbroker Tudor.” The style quickly faded from fashion in the late 1930s but had a somewhat modified second revival in the 1970s and 1980s.

Essential elements include:

  • Round arched entranceways

  • Tall, narrow windows

  • Steeply pitched roofs, usually side-gabled with decorative half-timbering

  • Exterior walls clad with brick, stone or stucco

  • Massive chimneys, commonly crowned with decorative chimney pots

We bought this English Tudor (circa 1925) seven years ago in the early stages of the real estate boom, when houses were selling like hotcakes Downtown. We had seen it earlier in our search, but there was a contract on it already, so we marked it off our list. Then, while I was away visiting my ailing grandfather (Papaw, God love him), the contract fell through. Chandler called me and said he looked at the house and promised I would love it. We had looked at lots of other houses but didn't act quickly enough and they sold out from under us. We needed to put a bid on the house a.s.a.p. or we would lose this one too. 

When I was on the phone with Chandler debating whether to buy the house or not, Papaw told me, in so many words, to go for it. The brain tumor had taken over so his speech was garbled, but he took my hand and gave me an approving nod. He just wanted us to be happy. So, I gave Chandler the go-ahead sight-unseen. And we got it!

To all those who knew my Papaw, he was a huge positive influence in my life. His motto was to have a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) always. He collected all kinds of PMA materials from Dale Carnegie and  Zig Zigler to Tony Robins and always shared them with me and the rest of the grands. So I thought it would be nice to include a little bit of Papaw in my painting. I found one of his old Dale Carnegie books ("How to Win Friends and Influence People") he had given me and used some pages from it for the house. 

It makes me smile.

   

A "ewe"nique Etsy find from Black Eyed Sheep

Happy Sunday! Love these "ewe"nique MacBook Covers from Black Eyed Sheep. They come in other colors too, but I favor the Black Sheep motif, of course. I want the grey one real baaaaaad.

NYC Marathon (by 2012) or Bust!

I'm in! I mean, really. How lucky am I? Getting in to the New York Marathon on the first try! Woohoo!

But there's one tiny little catch... my three running buddies and I made a deal back in January that we would all register for the NYC Marathon (entries chosen by lottery) in 2010 with the idea that by 2012, we would all get in and run it together. So I'm the lucky one who actually was "accepted" in to the 2010 NYC Marathon as of April 7th. My three running buddies, however, were not so lucky. They will have to try again in 2011. If they get denied again, then they'll try again in 2012. The NYC Marathon rule is that you automatically get in on the third try. Hence, the goal of us all running the NYC Marathon together by 2012. Sadly, I will have to defer this year. Oh, the agony. I'm disappointed and relieved at the same time. Don't get me wrong. I want to run the race. I just don't feel like training for it. Well, at least I'm guaranteed for next year, and the next, if it comes down to that. I can't wait to explain the $185 dollar registration fee—for the race that I'm not even running in this year—to my Quicken-fanatical husband who, with a click of a button, can chart the financials of our lives in over 100 different flavors and colors. His pie charts and negative asset bar graphs are so pretty too. I, on the other hand, tend to use the "I Love Lucy" method of paying the bills. He doesn't like that so much.

I know what you non-runners out there are thinking. "She's freakin crazy. Who would PAY to run 26 miles? Who would want to RUN a marathon?" Point taken. Actually, only 1% of the population run at least one marathon in their lifetime. I have to say, I'm not in the camp that actually lives to run. I mean, I'm not that person who runs every day to get her "me" time. I don't enjoy running, necessarily. I run strictly because I know how to do it. I've been running on and off since high school and it's the only thing I can do for exercise consistently and not feel like a complete idiot. I was that chick in the back row of aerobics class that was always going right, when everyone else went left. I do not participate in the chicken dance or the electric slide at weddings. And I was never a cheerleader. Running doesn't involve much more than putting one foot in front of the other at a descent clip. When I feel like eating a bowl of ice cream, I eat it.When I don't feel like running anymore, I stop. Nobody wins really (except the crazies... the "athletes, I should say). You're basically competing against yourself... and the people in front of you. No big D! Marathons are good goals to set to keep yourself in shape. And it's a fun get-a-way vacation too! You nay-sayers should try it some time. You might find out that it's not that crazy after all! Well, maybe just a little crazy:)

The art of selling.

Wesley is always asking us how he can make some money. So I finally caved over Spring Break last week and let the boys sell bottled water. No more sugary lemonade these days! A sign of the times, I guess. I opted to help them set up shop at the entrance to the Downtown YMCA. Figured people coming and going from their workouts would have a higher propensity to buy. Besides, we live on a one way street that gets next to no traffic. The boys agreed to give .25¢ from every bottle to help Haiti. I told them it's like going fishing. You have to be patient and wait for your customers and then be ready to make the sale when they (finally) come along. They lasted about an hour and a half. A grand total of  $7.50 was raised for the Red Cross.

Reliving my March Madness (2009)

Couldn't let the month of March pass me by without sharing last year's birthday festivities. You know, kids' birthdays these days have gotten a little out of hand, if you ask me. Parents (myself included) tend to go overboard for their kids on their "special day". I don't know, maybe it's because we didn't get all the hoopla when we were kids so we want to lavish it on our own now. I have to tell you, the only birthday I remember as a kid was when I shared a party with Karen Foster at Dapper Dan's and I cried when they placed the clown ice cream cake in front of us and sang happy birthday. Why did I cry? I don't know. I cried a lot as a kid. Still do, but I digress.

Anyway, last year I joined the ranks of parents who over-do-it for their kids on their birthdays and threw a homemade "Mad Science Lab" party for Wesley. Many hours went into the planning and preparation for this scientific extravaganza. And I know I was more excited about it than anybody!

Like my invite?

CHECK OUT MY ENTIRE MAD SCIENCE PARTY COLLECTION HERE!

INVITE FRONT

INVITE BACK

 

Family Fun Magazine was a huge inspiration for this party! I made lab coats from men's t-shirts. Each kid got to wear a pair of goggles, an oversized bow-tie and could get their hair moosed-up like Einstein. Their name tags were fun too. Adapted from the "Captain Underpants" books,  each "Professor got to follow the silly instructions to figure out their official names. I laughed out loud thinking up the names. Here are a few samples:

YOU CAN BUY MY "DR. WHO?"GAME HERE!

Needless to say, every experiment I meticulously planned and demonstrated for the kids failed miserably to the point where one neighbor kid asked, "Are there going to be any experiments that actually work?".  But it was fun! Boy-oh-boy, was it fun! Luckily, my hubby, arrived home early from his swim meet and saved the day recreating all the experiments correctly. The Beaker cake was a hit and the grand finale lift-off of the U.S.S. Wesley rocket entertained the entire neighborhood in all it's carbonated glory. My all-time favorite though, was the "Build-a-bot" activity. I collected cans and miscellaneous hardware for months leading up to this moment. All the parts fit together with magnets (hand-glued on by yours truly) Each kid got to make their own robot. They loved it! Success! Check out more pics on my Flickr page.

So I'm done with the boys' birthdays this year. I was going to do a big Indiana Jones blow-out for Jackson, but I thought better of it and we just did the family thing instead. To tell  you the truth, they didn't know the difference. Whewh! And there's always next year!

10 things I really should do, but can never seem to find the time:

1. Fix the plug on the light above the piano so Wesley can read his music better (bad mom).

2. Ride the stationary bike we bought in 2006.

3. Go through my magazine collection (dating back to 1999) and pull ideas and inspiration. Then throw the rest out.

4. Sort through my clothes and give away the 80% I don't wear anymore.

5. Update the family tree for my dad.

6. Walk Max and Birdie three times a day (like our neighbor, Will, does with his dog Cody.

7. Clean out the closet in the guest room.

8. Vacuum my car out.

9. Fill the two frames in my bedroom (that I got as wedding gifts almost 11 years ago) with pictures.

10. Change my extended-wear contact lenses every 30 days as directed.

Reason for doing #2 on my list above.

Funny how I found the time to devour all these snack-size sensations.

Week-at-a-Glance as of March 25th

WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE:  What a crazy week it's been, and it's not even over yet! I started my Mixed Media class Monday. Very fun. Painted the poppy-ish kind of flower (see below). Wood burned a sign for my neighbor's husband's outdoor kitchen. Then worked on some promo materials for Fund Education Now and the "Rally in Tally", going on as I blog. And today is Wesley's 8th birthday! He asked if I could bring Dunkin Donuts to school for his class and he wants to eat his birthday dinner of choice at the Mall in the Food Court. We're in the big time now!

"Blossom"

Used miscellaneous papers in my stash to make the flower petals.

 Lined the flower with dyed organza, then beaded each petal. 9x12 canvas board.

Try something new...

Thought I'd try something new this week to celebrate the launch of my new ewe hooo! blog design. And surprise, surprise— this is my first piece for sale on Etsy.com! Just click here on "Try something new" to get to my Etsy page. Yikes! I'm so nervous! Hope you like it. I sure do. Maybe I'll by it back for myself:)

The Baldwin Park Art Festival

It was a perfect day for an art festival. We dropped by the Baldwin Park Art Festival before heading to my niece's birthday party. Actually, Chandler dropped me off and took the boys to get hamburgers while I fast-tracked it down the lone isle of booths. I could have spent all afternoon there, but I had to take what I could get.

I got to visit my acrylics instructor, Sally Evans. She's been painting since she could hold a brush. I love her colorful style. That Lab looks just like my Max! And I had just enough time to pop in to see my wonderfully talented friend, Jennifer McCully.  I worked with Jennifer years ago and now she's doing exactly what I want to do! Creating for a living. Someday Melanie. Someday. She actually introduced me to the blogging art world last year when we ran into each other at our kids' swim practice at the Y. Thanks Jennifer! You need to update your blog girly!

Couldn't resist the nuns. I love 'em!

No More Left-Turns

One time in college, I was driving across campus in a big hurry to get somewhere when I remembered I forgot something back at my apartment. Not thinking, I attempted to make a left turn from the far right lane. As you might have guessed, I didn't make it and slammed right into an air-conditioning truck. So typical of my life. I'm always in a hurry to get somewhere and something gets me side-tracked.

Fast-forward XX years and I'm really making a concerted effort to focus on my art in 2010. Nothing's holding me back now. Chandler (hubby) has set me up with all the electronic bells and whistles. "No more excuses!" he says. I've cleaned up my studio. I'm taking a couple of art classes at Crealde in Winter Park to freshen up my skills. I'm joining some fellow artists online with Marisa Haedike and Creative Thursday for an e-course, "In the Fish Bowl—Life as an Artist. Online."  And I've started this blog. Woohoo! I'm on my way. Finally! Hoping I can stay on track with this. No more left-turns! 


Here are a couple of questions us "fishies" have been asked to answer in our e-course this week...

Q: Why do you love what you create?

A: I feel so blessed that I have an artistic talent. When I am creating whatever it is, a painting, a craft project, a Ben Franklin costume for my son's 2nd grade book report—time flies. It's what I truly love to do!  I feel like when I'm done with a piece, I know I'm done. It's the best it can be. And therein lies my problem. I'm a perfectionist, when it comes to creativity (not cleaning house, mind you) so I spend way too long on a project. Or worse, I stop what I'm doing in the middle of it because I know I can't put in the time needed to make it the absolute best it can be so I don't finish it. That's what I do with a lot of things in my life and that's why I'm taking this e-course to help me focus on being an artist with something to show for it.

Q: What are you working on when you lose all sense of time?

A: Oh, give me a few minutes of free time and I can get lost for ya! I can be out in my studio painting or making something crafty. I look up at the clock and it's 9pm, then I look again and it's 1am. How does that happen? I can also spend an entire evening just surfing the web at different blogs and web sites. My friend, Kelley and I call it ADH-GOOGLE-D. I'll start with a goal in mind to just check out my usual sites, then suddenly it's four hours later I've gotten nothing accomplished, but I've discovered 14 new projects I want to start. I love it and I hate it! Then there's deadline creative. Being in advertising for 15 years, deadlines are a way of life for me. I usually leave projects until the last minute waiting for my ah-ha creative moment. And when it finally comes (it always does, even though I stress that it won't) I go full-force and drop everything for the sake of the project. The kids might get chicken nuggets three nights in a row. If we run out of milk, we'll just have to do without until my deadline is met.  I'll search every morning through the unfolded basket of laundry for underwear and socks (for all of us). The dogs wait patiently while their morning walks are put on hold. I go through the usual routine with the kids: school, homework, swimming, piano, baths, books, bed, bla, bla, bla. But the entire time, my head is in the project, burning the midnight oil trying to make it better and better. Then, anywhere from 8 to 72 hours later, my project is done. I've met my deadline. And I walk out of my studio and back in to reality...and a very messy house. But that creative high carries me for days!

Q: What is success to you? (in terms of your art)

A: Success to me is a finished piece of artwork, or creative idea that I'm proud to say I did. That's short term success anyway. I also let that get in my way. I tend to  feel like I can't do it again (as in create another work of art). Long term success is something I haven't achieved yet, but am hoping to in the coming year. It's becoming an artist online; selling my pieces on etsy; being in art shows; getting to know other artists online and learning from them; sharing what I've learned... and making money while I'm at it.