California at its Best

Beverly Hills is so beautiful, lush and green

Their outdoor malls are massive. The Spectrum has a Ferris Wheel.

This was for sale at Anthropology for $$$$$$
Today is the day for our Sugarland Concert!! yippee

Just a sample

Ohhhh there is nothing quite like Calif. cuisine!

The ocean...nothing quite like the Calif. ocean. Do you see Stacey?? No?? thats because shes under the wave that is breaking. After she came out she said it was scary and she didn't understand why it was so rough out there. When we got back to the motel we turned on the news and they said a huge storm in Tahiti was bringing in huge waves...to not go out in the ocean, one person was killed and they shut some of the beaches...nice to know...after the fact!
Nothing like Calif. beaches.lol. This is beautiful Huntington Beach after half of them left. We got in to town and discovered there was a HUGE surfing shindig going on...Those are people alllll the way, as far as the eye can see, on both sides of the pier that we are standing on.

Stacey lost her phone...poof, it just was gone, we have no idea where it went. We drove to Laguna Beach and went to a Radio Shack and she picked up a new phone for $29...$400 phone, she was happy...except ALL of her work contacts were in the old phone and her calendar of things to do when she got home...all gone.

We went to the LA Zoo...last time we were there...she was in the 2nd grade.

I'll share more tomorrow.

It's HOT!!

Stacey and I had a wonderful 7 days of fun in the sun!! When we got off the airplane we were hit with 106 temp. Today...108...its HOT!!! This is the mild Pacific Northwest...it doesn't get this hot!

I'll be putting my photos on my computer this weekend. I have a lot of work to do to get caught up.

I'm offfffff

I couldn't leave you with an unhappy post. I was in a really bad mood last night. I wanted to leave you with something uplifting!! This will be one of my giveways when I return. TaTa for now...I'll be back in a week!

I am soooo ready for a vacation

My day didn't go as planned. It started off with my boss emailing me a letter from a friend of a tenants saying she contacted "Fair Housing" because she felt my husband singled out her sons because the were black. They were unauthorized guests and they were in the pool a half an hour after closing...Thats why we asked them to leave...So we had to write a rebuttal saying we weren't being discriminating. That we have tenants of every race living here. This was sooo stressful. A few other job related issues came up...WHY, right when I am going on vacation!! I looked over some paperwork and realized I had missed a deadline for a submission to a magazine, that bummed me out. I had plans to offer a giveaway while I was away, but I just cant do it.

I will look for something special while I'm away and have a really nice giveaway when I return.

I need to go de-stress now. Stacey and I are leaving tomorrow...I'll be back next week. I will probably have withdrawals not having a computer.lol.

TICKETS!!

Whoo hoo!! I got tickets!!! I just heard about a Sugarland Concert up at Troutdale...its about 1 1/2 hours away...thats doable!! Its out doors at McMinnimums, they said we could bring "short chairs" that sure beats sitting on the ground. It starts at 5:00 pm...a little early?? I'm glad, but boy, it could be REALLY hot.

Then Stacey and I got tickets for American Idol winner David Cook. Hes coming to our State Fair, which is right down the road. The only guy on our "have to go see" list is Chris Daughtry.

Pink Saturday...

Beverly from How Sweet the Sound does such a wonderful job hosting Pink Saturday.
The top photo is a watercolor postcard that is a "work in progress"

I will be removing this little birdie from Etsy on Tue and putting it on Ebay.
Just to give you a little notice....While I am away on vacation, I will be having a giveaway, so please check back.

Beach Painting

This is a painting I did quite a few years ago in acrylics. I found the lovely vintage frame which I added the seashells.
I had quite a few comments on my last post about what I used to attach the watercolor paper to the glass, this is the first time I use gloss gel med. It worked great. I did spray the watercolor painting with a fixative otherwise it can bleed. If you ever have any questions about anything I share, please feel free to ask me.

Taking time out

This is the fun kind of "time out" I found these huge glass discs...This will become a magnet

Its a little bit hard to sit at my desk and get work done!! lol

A little of this and that

One week and counting down!!! Got the suitcase brought in..Do you think someone wants to go.
California is REALLY HOT right now!! Guess we'll have to spend time at the beach!! yahoo

Anybody know how to use one of the Daisy Knitters??

A little project that I started. I painted the front section with chalkboard paint...(which scratched!!) Then I added copper tape and soldered it. I will then wrap it with lace and add wax to it. I found out that it holds up really well to use as a vase.

Tweet Tweet

I just finished a charming little minty green birdie. I added wonderful vintage flowers around the pincushion. I hand dyed the silk ribbon at the same time I dyed the wool for the birdie. I added my glittered pins. I've been asked to list this on Etsy instead of Ebay...so for those of you who asked...check out my Etsy. TattingChic...take a look at this beautiful tatted doily that I purchased this past week for a whole $1!!

A little painting

I just added this tiny little paint to my Etsy...It has this watercolor nest on one side and the birdie on other. This was featured in Somerset Life. (SOLD)

Happy Pink Saturday

Heres a wooden bowl that I had primed....for a very long time. I pulled it out last night and painted some pink lushishness.
All things dont go well. lol. This is what happens when you get in a hurry and you have way to many spray cans within reach....It was soo cheery...then instead of varnish....yep, grey primer. Its going to get a re-do. lol

Oregon's finest

My DH and I drove out to the country last Saturday...it was a beautiful day.
Its amazing what a $50 digital camera can do.

Another project

Day in my life...

Tuesday...my day off, should be a good day! I had an appointment to get my hair cut...I HATE getting my hair cut. They NEVER cut my hair the way I ask. I always think...they should know what would look best on me...but nooooo. I took in 3 photos of hair that was just touching the shoulders...something simple...she said, oh yes, that is nice...I'm feeling good...I like confidence. Snip Snip, wack wack!!! WHAT 6 inches laying on my chest...(I had had my eyes closed) I should have never looked!! she kept having to straighten one side, then the other...It ended up just under my ears. I have NEVER had my hair cut that short. Yikes. Stacey said she did a nice job....and that it would grow. LOL!!! The lady gave me her card when I left...and I thought...GOOD, I'll know who to NOT ask for next time. I had better luck going to the $12 quickie places. lol
Then....I had to go sit at the bank for 1 1/2 hours...I got a notice that said I was overdrawn...5 times!!! What??!!! Well, come to find out Paypal was double dipping...there must be a glitch in their system. Whenever I used my paypal card...they also took the money out of my bank account...I had suffencient funds in paypal....major mess up. They weren't very helpful on the phone so I decieded to let my bank do the work on my behalf...but she had to enter each deduction one at a time....it took foreeeeever. So, that was my day...hope yours went better!
Oh yes...good news. Sally Jean of Sally Jean soldering, opened up two classes so I signed Stacey and I up for one of her classes. I can solder...not so great...but there is nothing quite like getting away and spending the whole day having fun...besides, it will give us things to look for while we are in So. Calif. we leave in 2 weeks whoohoo!!

Decorated Toaster

Here is a little project that Stacey did over the weekend

She took a cheepie little white toaster, the little polka dots are from a package of foamies

She chose lavender paint this time!

After the dots were pulled off....

How cute did this turn out!!

Happy 4th ~ Happy Pink Saturday

I took this picture Fri. The weather was perfect and there was a gentle breeze

My dear blogging friend Tatting Chic is the most wonderful Tatterer. She surprised me by sending me this beautiful heart. Look at the workmanship...exquisite!! Thank you!!!
For Pink Saturday I painted 3 chipboards. I used my crackle medium on them. I really like how they turned out
On the back it was painted with black chalkboard paint. Wouldn't these be fun to put on a package and write their name on the chalk board.

I wish you all a Happy 4th of July and Pink Saturday!!

Newborn Birthday Cupcake

Here's what happens when a baby want to come into the world early. A friend of our family went into labor a few days early...I didn't have my gift painted yet. aaaach!. last night Stacey called me to say she was heading to the hospital to be with her friend...I had an extra one of the 12x12 boards. I ran outside and spray painted it in a flat white. Came in, dried it with the hair dryer. Did a quick sketch and started painting. the babies colors are soft pink and brown. I had 3 hours from start to finish to get this finished...I did it. LOL
I am going to put the wire hanger on it...and I"m off to the hospital!! (on the back I sprayed it with black chalkboard paint!)

Texture Crackle

I read about this Crackle and had to get some. Micheals carries it.

I purchase primed canvas by the yard at my art store. I slathered the crackke med. on with a palette knife. I let it dry over night...Look at those cracks!! Big cracks where it was thicker.

I then sketched on a little nest.

I was wondering what watercolors would do, I wanted it to sink into the cracks.

This is a close up after I used permanent pins in black and brown
I sprayed it with a "fixative"
It is now ready to stitch to a fabric background
This was so much fun, give it a try!