A place to share my experiences as an artist....my happy days, frustrating days, my life experiences, inspirations and more!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
A Royal Wedding
I set my alarm for 2:45 CST yesterday so that I would be awake for 3:00AM to catch every moment of the big wedding day. It was like a storybook come to life. I cried when I saw William. I could only think of his mother and how he must have missed her that day. I hope all of you mommies gave your little girl the opportunity to watch the prince marry his princess as I watched Diana marry Charles when I was just eleven years old. A little girl never forgets a real life fairy tale.
Weeks before the wedding I was commisioned to paint a child's rocker for my cousin Lee who is expecting her first baby. My mother and sister let me choose a theme. Knowing my cousin, i knew that a royal wedding rocker for her precious one would send her over the moon. She loves London and like I, has always been a sucker for anything fairy tale. My mother and sister gave it to her today. We all had tears. Lee doesn't know if it's a boy or a girl, so cousin ellie couldn't use the pink like she really, REALLY would have liked!!!
There's a birdie flying a banner over Buckingham Palace thanking the Royals for the "free day off". Lee was in London last month and had seen this everywhere on t-shirts and the like. On the back of the rocker there's the "get-away" car. Not the Aston that they actually drove off in...but, how could I have known! Catherine and Will (in navy blue uniform and not the red that he wore) are on the balcony waving to the crazy crowd below. There is a game of "London Bridge" and a guard taking advantage of his day off! There's a turtle serving tea and a goosey with a basket of goodies. There are beefeater monkeys and a a bear friend, too. There are frog princes wating for kisses and an old chap of a pig shocked at the misbehavior of the guard hanging from the gate.
I hope, I hope that one day, i will get to see another heir to the throne marry a princess.
Weeks before the wedding I was commisioned to paint a child's rocker for my cousin Lee who is expecting her first baby. My mother and sister let me choose a theme. Knowing my cousin, i knew that a royal wedding rocker for her precious one would send her over the moon. She loves London and like I, has always been a sucker for anything fairy tale. My mother and sister gave it to her today. We all had tears. Lee doesn't know if it's a boy or a girl, so cousin ellie couldn't use the pink like she really, REALLY would have liked!!!
There's a birdie flying a banner over Buckingham Palace thanking the Royals for the "free day off". Lee was in London last month and had seen this everywhere on t-shirts and the like. On the back of the rocker there's the "get-away" car. Not the Aston that they actually drove off in...but, how could I have known! Catherine and Will (in navy blue uniform and not the red that he wore) are on the balcony waving to the crazy crowd below. There is a game of "London Bridge" and a guard taking advantage of his day off! There's a turtle serving tea and a goosey with a basket of goodies. There are beefeater monkeys and a a bear friend, too. There are frog princes wating for kisses and an old chap of a pig shocked at the misbehavior of the guard hanging from the gate.
I hope, I hope that one day, i will get to see another heir to the throne marry a princess.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
https://www.facebook.com/elliesshop
Click on the link above and "like" my Facebook page! I do give-aways and special offers every month. This month, someone will win a $50 gift certificate to be used in my etsy shop
http://www.etsy.com/shop/elliesshop or towards a purchase from www.ellies.com!
I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday!
Have a great week!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Really....I'm not that girl!
I'm not that girl that needs the male of the species to do the things that most of our mothers would insist on calling a man for. I can hang a picture on my own, I can move a 100 year old armoire from one room to the other, I can paint a room, change a light bulb, put a piece of furniture together with zero instructions and I can even check all of the "levels" under the hood of my hooptie. I guess it comes from being a single girl for so long....I can figure out how to do anything on my own....or with good instructions, I really can do most anything. So, it is hard to admit that there is one thing that has me throwing in the towel and kicking my stubborn behind into complete surrender... I can't light my grill.
After a long day of painting polka dots and stripes and monkeys and clouds, all I wanted was a hamburger. I ran to the store, with my health kick in gear and threw some whole grain bread, some lean ground beef and some lettuce and a purple onion into my little basket.
I came home and put the tiny pyramid of charcoal on the grill (like my dad taught me). I tore some paper from the charcoal bag, soaked it all in lighter fluid. I then let it sit while I formed my patties. OK, time to throw in the matches. WHOOF!!! Big fire. Two minutes later... nothing. More lighter fluid, more matches, more lighter fluid, more matches, more lighter fluid, more matches....
Finally, I could feel warmth. I put the patties on and went back into the kitchen to cut the lettuce and onion. Thinking it is probably time to flip, I go back out. What do I find? No fire and *bleeping* raw meat. I went to culinary school for God's sake! So, in come the patties. I throw 'em in the oven and broil them. Two hours in, I have my hamburger. I huff into my living room and have my dinner. Like all good girls, when I am finished I take my plate into the kitchen, I look outside..... What do I see, you ask???? Why yes, of course! A serious fire that would make the devil proud is blazing on my little pit.
So, now I smell like lighter fluid and I have nothing to show for it. I guess next time, I will have to be that girl and call my father.
After a long day of painting polka dots and stripes and monkeys and clouds, all I wanted was a hamburger. I ran to the store, with my health kick in gear and threw some whole grain bread, some lean ground beef and some lettuce and a purple onion into my little basket.
I came home and put the tiny pyramid of charcoal on the grill (like my dad taught me). I tore some paper from the charcoal bag, soaked it all in lighter fluid. I then let it sit while I formed my patties. OK, time to throw in the matches. WHOOF!!! Big fire. Two minutes later... nothing. More lighter fluid, more matches, more lighter fluid, more matches, more lighter fluid, more matches....
Finally, I could feel warmth. I put the patties on and went back into the kitchen to cut the lettuce and onion. Thinking it is probably time to flip, I go back out. What do I find? No fire and *bleeping* raw meat. I went to culinary school for God's sake! So, in come the patties. I throw 'em in the oven and broil them. Two hours in, I have my hamburger. I huff into my living room and have my dinner. Like all good girls, when I am finished I take my plate into the kitchen, I look outside..... What do I see, you ask???? Why yes, of course! A serious fire that would make the devil proud is blazing on my little pit.
So, now I smell like lighter fluid and I have nothing to show for it. I guess next time, I will have to be that girl and call my father.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
My First Etsy Treasury!
This sure was fun to do! Take a look at all of the lemony goodness!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4da3a940334e8eefa81cc3df/extra-lemon-please?ref=pr_treasury
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4da3a940334e8eefa81cc3df/extra-lemon-please?ref=pr_treasury
Monday, April 11, 2011
I’ve read and been told that starting a blog will help with my business…one more way to bring exposure to my craft. I’ve been reluctant to do it. I just wonder what in the world I might have to say that would be of interest to anyone. I’m just a single girl in her 40’s. I don’t have kids and precious pictures to share. I’m not the best business person to offer money making tips. I’m still learning every day. Still trying to figure out who I am and which way is up. I think I have decided what I want to be when I grow up, so I’m doing everything I can to succeed.
I’ve been painting furniture for about 15 years. It started as something fun to do for my first apartment. Then it turned into painting for my sister’s first baby, then for other people’s kids. I did a couple of other projects for family. I’ve had a couple of shops where I sold my things. I loved my shops. I miss them. Now, I paint on the bottom floor of my raised house on an island on the gulf coast. The house was put on stilts after the 1900 Storm . My grandmother grew up here and her sisters lived here into their 90’s. Lots of history here and I’m convinced some of their ghosts flutter about while I sleep. I just hope Great Aunt Phoebe Mae in her pink slippers, doesn’t EVER decide to do the moon walk in the attic in the wee hours of the morning. I think they know me well enough though, and know I would freak if they ever decided to get their groove on in the middle of the night.
I’m not even sure I can write. My mother tells me that I am a good writer. I think this is because I’ve written a couple of good obituaries. (Seems I am now the “official obituary writer” of the family.) So, we will see if I can find some things that you might find interesting. I plan on using this blog to write about my experiences as an artist and small business owner. I will share my frustrations. I’ll share my happy days and my inspirations. I’ll also post pictures of my work.
So, here goes nothin’!
I’ve been painting furniture for about 15 years. It started as something fun to do for my first apartment. Then it turned into painting for my sister’s first baby, then for other people’s kids. I did a couple of other projects for family. I’ve had a couple of shops where I sold my things. I loved my shops. I miss them. Now, I paint on the bottom floor of my raised house on an island on the gulf coast. The house was put on stilts after the 1900 Storm . My grandmother grew up here and her sisters lived here into their 90’s. Lots of history here and I’m convinced some of their ghosts flutter about while I sleep. I just hope Great Aunt Phoebe Mae in her pink slippers, doesn’t EVER decide to do the moon walk in the attic in the wee hours of the morning. I think they know me well enough though, and know I would freak if they ever decided to get their groove on in the middle of the night.
I’m not even sure I can write. My mother tells me that I am a good writer. I think this is because I’ve written a couple of good obituaries. (Seems I am now the “official obituary writer” of the family.) So, we will see if I can find some things that you might find interesting. I plan on using this blog to write about my experiences as an artist and small business owner. I will share my frustrations. I’ll share my happy days and my inspirations. I’ll also post pictures of my work.
So, here goes nothin’!
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