New collage- Where Ever We Wander...

"Where ever we wander....Together, we are home"

(click to see larger)

In anticipation of a fruitful Etsy update on Friday, here is my latest collage! I decided to try a little different subject....still a 'love of your life' but this time that special guy who brings you flowers, holds your hand, and has your baby's smile.
Father's day is coming up, you know!

A big hug and thank you to all of you who have raided the Etsy shop this week, you are sweet and wonderful! I hope you love your art as much as I loved making it! And I'm definitely making more!!!

Have a great friday everyone! And thank you so much for your visit. I enjoy each one so much!~
Heather

New Collage and basket love

"A Mother's Summer Garden"

Well, here she is! My latest painting! Nestled in the wild rose bush (I have a habit of sticking my painings in the flowerbed, don't I?) This collage has many layers, including vintage photos of babies and a faintly painted saying that says: "a mother's love is a garden where children bloom."

This painting will be part of my friday Etsy update, so stay tuned!

Here's an upclose look at her face:

Also wanted to show you some little stoneware baskets I've been collecting for a few years; I got my latest one this weekend at Mayfest in Tulsa. I love the grapevine handle and want to fill them with some herbs. I've stashed them with my little folk art house collection and by a funny little angel doll my mom made.

If you like these beautiful little baskets (they're made of clay with imprinted flowers and foliage on them) they are made by a couple of very talented southern ladies who travel the craft curcuit in themidwest/south. More info can be found on their website:

Stoneware Baskets

Random Monday!

The lovely and talented Stacy at My Artful Life has tagged me! And I thought I would oblige. Who doesnt love unimportant facts????

The rules of the game are as follows:
1. Link back to the person that tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your entry.

Beaucoup randomness:

1. In my teens/early twenties (especially in college) I was madly in love with figure skating. I would have loved to have been a pair skater especially. I did learn a few throw jumps, pair spins, things like that. My favorite jump is the toe loop, favorite spin is the scratch spin. I need to go skate again soon!

2. My fridge is usually stocked in Mexican coca-cola. Its made with real cane sugar instead of high fructose corn sugar. Delicious! And it comes in the fancy glass bottles which are so much fun and fancy!

3. Every so often the first day of Autumn falls on my birthday.

4. I wrote a pre-natal health collumn for the newspaper I worked at when I was pregnant with Audrey. It was called "Baby on the Brain".

5) Im learning to knit, I am determined to make adorable baby hats for winter! (and maybe mama sized ones)

6) I would love to travel the Oregon trail one summer. But, you know...like, in a car with AC and roadside diners ;) no cholera, thank you!

******************************************************************

Alrighty....these are the lovely bloggers I tag with randomness. Pass it on ;)

* Sarah at Vintage Lily

* Dana at Calico Cat Press

* Suzanne at the Blue Berry Cottage

* Kristina at Crow Hill

* Merle at Le Fresne's Castle

* Nancy at Attic Babys

Take joy

Not too long ago, I worked at a small town newspaper. This meant that not only was I a writer-- I was photographer, copy editor, layout editor, phone girl, crazy public mediator and oh yeah, sometimes obituary writer.

While scanning on an eldery woman's obituary, I had a life changing moment.

Reading through, I read the bare bones of her life story, the list of grieving family members she was leaving behind, and the list of those long passed family members she had gone to meet.

At the end of this obit, however, when listing this woman's "impact" in this world and those around her, the most dazzling comment her family could think of was that she was a "wonderful house keeper."

I remember raising my eyebrow and thinking "that's IT? That's all you can think of that made Granny special?!?!"

At that moment I decided that I was going to live my life in a way so that when my family sits down to write their fond farewells, they can have a heck of a lot more to say than I cleaned the kitchen with the best of 'em.

Sure, the kitchen needs cleaning, especially when I've got stacks of collages mid-progress on the kitchen table and a scattering of cheerios on the floor. But there are more important things out there, and sometimes finishing the dishes can wait 45 minutes if its a beautiful day to go for a walk with your little one, or go follow that itch to paint even though there's laundry to be done. Life is too short. And it's not measured in laundry loads or quantity of Pinesol used. It's measured in the living!

So next time you get a wild hair to do something-- like take a class, start a painting, go on a trip, or explore somewhere new, don't let the small daily things stop you. Because they will always be there waiting for you. Your baby's childhood, your artistic passion, your creativity...those things have to be enjoyed while they're here. So enjoy it!~

As Tasha Tudor says:

"The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet within reach, is joy. Take joy."

-- Fra Giovanni

Etsy Update!~

It's time again for another Etsy update! Today I added the painting "A Mother's Prayer" as well as these three little ones, which are only $25 a piece! Come visit my Audrey Eclectic shop!

Mother and Daughter Angels

Mother and Child with Roses

A Mother's Faith

A big thank you as for those of you who have bought my paintings and given them such great homes. I am so grateful for your interest and support, I love sending these girls out into the world!

New girls and baby book love

New Girls

I just finished three small collage paintings and they are now sunning themselves on the back porch to dry. The sun is finally out now-- things have been cloudy and odd here the last few days. Normal weather on the plains though. The sky will get all cloudy and intense-- "Wizard of Oz" color, a deep sepia that looks like you're driving through an old photograph. It did that Tuesday evening and then now a drop of water. It's fickle , spring time.


Anyway, I'm planning on doing an Etsy update very soon and listing these new collages as well as "A Mother's Prayer." So if you're wanting one, you can have them very soon!


Also-- got an awesome treat in the mail today! Rebecca from the hysterical and awesome Mama Blog "Girls Gone Child" sent me a copy of her new book, Rockabye. If you havent read her stuff, I highly suggest it, especially the young Mamas out there.
I stumbled upon her blog a couple of years back when I was first pregnant with Audrey.
Being one of the few of my friends that was even married and the only one that was pregnant, it really made me feel good to read her funny and precious posts about her pregnancy and raising of her little one.
It's hard to believe so much time has gone by since then-- Audrey is now toddling around the living room wrestling a stuffed singing dinosaur while also dancing to Rebecca's GGC mix CD :)

Where does the time go? They grow up so fast...


Left: Cover of Book "Rockabye" by Rebecca Woolf

Llama Llovin' and other critter tales

What a pretty new baby....

Mamas love llamas

Oh, just had to share some pictures of our visit to a friend's farm! Their llamas just had their first baby, little Proud Mary. Her name makes more sense when you realize that her parents are named Ike and Tina.

I fell in love with this baby! She's only two weeks old and was so light. I could just pick her up and cuddle her, she seriously weighed no more than Audrey. She's a beautiful speckled color that reminds me of a deer-- eveidently its the 'latest fashion' in the llama world to be this color combo. America's Next Top Llama, here she comes...

Not only is the farm home to adorable llamas, but cattle and horses too. Our friends have recently added to their miniature pony collection and now have a tiny little herd. These horses are so sweet and beautiful! Here they are waiting to come up to the barn...

Here we are with Pinky Pie, the patriarch of the mini pony posse. Audrey wasn't really sure about him. He was like some strange shaggy dog trying to give her kisses. She wasnt too into it. Of course I was all over these ponies-- I'm a critter kind of girl.

Ok, just ONE more hug from the baby...she was so sweet and gentle! Oh, I totally want one...too bad the Little House also comes with a Little Yard. My neighbors totally wouldnt go for it...but I bet I'd be the star of the neighborhood to the kiddos around here ;)

What a fun day!~