TaMs

Air Plants.. I love.

2011-11-19T07:21:00.001-08:00

I took some photos this a.m. of my new favorite thing.. air plants!

Am I the only one that is just now learning about these things?? Finally, a plant that doesn't need any dirt and doesn't need soil because water and nutrients are absorbed through the leaves. The roots are used as anchors only. This is genius to me. I picked these little plants up at city floral last weekend with my friend jess who turned me onto these things. I am in love.

you can tie these things to the wall... put them in a cup.. hang them from the ceiling.. amazing! They are super hardy (this is good for me) and so cute!

We'll see if I can keep them alive. Hope you're having a great weekend. xo

I'm illustrating a children's book..

2011-11-16T10:03:00.001-08:00

I was asked to illustrate a children's book and I thought I'd share a couple pages. I'm hoping to have it done soon.. the story is really cute, it's called 'This House Needs A Mouse'.

I blocked out the words on these two finished pages... but you get the idea.

I was doing so so good for a few weeks, cranking out pages like crazy and then I just hit a wall. I have a few days off of work next week so hopefully I'll get a lot done. Now that Odell is crawling all over it's hard to get anything done in the evenings. But so far... I like it. What do you think?????

oh hi... remember me..??

2011-11-15T08:28:00.001-08:00

I've had a few people in the last month ask me if I was every going to blog again and I wasn't really sure. I guess I could say I've been busy... but really I just haven't been that interested in blogging. I hadn't actually looked at my blog in months but then spent the better part of an evening this weekend looking back over old posts and found myself wanting to give another go at it.

I think blogging is good for me... helps me to slow down a bit and document little moments in my life. And it's easier to blog when I'm blogging frequently. So starting up again feels a bit difficult because "...so much has happened..where do I start..."

So I guess I'll just start with today.

I organized the shelves by the back door! :) Our house doesn't really have a pantry and so when we moved into this house earlier this year I found some great 'California Closets' shelves on craigslist for cheap and installed them by our back door.

However, they were great shelves but full of a bunch of junk.... so I bought some new bins and spent an hour this weekend making them look presentable. They're even labeled!

Other new developments around the house... I finally found a couch! I spent the better part of 6 months trying to find a vintage crushed velvet sectional that I loved and finally found one. It's in MINT condition. Seriously.. not a tear, stain, or speck of dirt. It did however smell like an old lady for a good 2 weeks.

I also managed to finally spray paint a vintage lamp I brought back from Idaho back in July. This lamp was a lovely gold/brass color for a good 3 months and sat without a shade on the table forever. I found a decent shade and ta-da! Finally.. the corner is complete. It only took 10 months.

We're having Thanksgiving at our house this year and I'm looking forward to spending time with V's family. It's also good motivation to finally clean some things that need a good scrub...
I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love the cool Fall weather and colors. I love not having to worry about all the gift giving. It's also really great that Vito does all the cooking so it's really the easiest holiday ever...
Eat good food, enjoy time with family
...be thankful.
Thanks for reading. Hopefully I'll be back soon. xo

New Prints!

2011-08-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

I put some new prints in my ETSY shop this afternoon. Experimented with putting a little texture behind one of these prints. fun. Go take a looksie. Happy Tuesday!

Ahhh.. summer.

2011-08-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

Well this has pretty much been the best summer ever... I spent 6 weeks in Idaho visiting my fam. Our friends Heather and Ali came up for a couple weeks of relaxation and after they left Vito's parents came up for a long weekend. It was really great being able to show them around and for them to see where I grew up.

The weather was really nice. Not too hot... not too cool. A few rainy days but overall just perfect.Odell totally loved it. Loved going for long walks, boating around, getting held every second...When I came back I still had a couple weeks off before I went back to school. Odell played his first of many games of rummy with Curtis and Emily (V's bro and sis-n-law). And we took our first ride in their RIDICULOUSLY cool newly restored VW bus. They've spent the last 2 years getting this dream up and running. Let me tell you... it's amazing!They did so much work to this thing and it is really beautiful. Odell even loved it. I think he was mostly excited about not being in his car seat... but excited nonetheless.I started back to work last week.. it's been quite the adjustment. It's been nice though to finally have some structure and routine to my days. Odell's done a great job with the adjustment... seems happy as usual. How is your summer?? xo

Look at me... blogging twice in a week.

2011-06-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

I went to visit my family for a week over Memorial Day and created some new art! It had been ages since I'd worked on anything new and since I had a lot of babysitters while I was up there I got a lot done. It was so nice. I did these gouache paintings and stitched over them with the sewing machine and it really created a great texture. Go over to my SHOP and see them! I'm finally getting them listed. I had such a fun time creating them. I can't even tell you how good it felt to be creating again.Being home for Memorial Day brought back so many memories from when I was a child. Every year my parents would fill foil wrapped coffee cans with wildflowers and take them to the cemetery.

In that small town, all of my family is buried. Great Grandparents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, old family friends...

My parents told the same stories they always tell about each person and it was really special to experience it with them again.

And afterwards... Dad came home..changed his clothes, and went back to work. It was a lovely trip home. First time home with baby... that was fun and new.

I'm heading back next week and will be there for almost a MONTH! I'm SO looking forward to it.. we also have our BEST friend coming to visit us while we're there.
xo

Life lately...

2011-06-08T11:09:00.000-07:00

Life lately has been quiet. I feel like we've spent the last 3.5 months getting used to the new normal. Getting used to each other and getting used to family.

Odell has changed my life. Things have slowed down and it's good. It's seems like 75% of the time life with baby is really great and 25% of the time it's really hard. But the good totally outweighs the bad.

I shouldn't say bad... just hard.

Just different.

I spent 29 years of my life living a certain way and now that's all changed. But the change has changed me... and it's really sweet.

Being able to spend time at home with him right now is lovely. Most of our days are the same.. lots of walks, lots of looking, watching, sitting, napping, growing.

It's interesting how much he entertains me... I can just watch him smile, laugh, coo and it makes me feel good inside.

Vito asks me, "what are you doing today??...."

and i say, "...not much.."

It's a good "not much"

My new familiar.

Odell's first day

2011-03-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

Untitled from tamara brink on Vimeo.

Vito made this great video of Odell's birth. watch!

Welcome Odell Hawkins Brink!

2011-02-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the crazy long delay... we're home!

Meet Odell Hawkins Brink

born 2/22/11 10:41 am 7lbs 13oz and 21 inches long. 11 days overdue! The last 5 days have been such a blur.. but it's been really great. Odell has been so sweet and I spend most the day just starring at him.

I went in to get induced but ended up having him natural. Wow.. what an amazing experience.

I labored for 10 hours, pushed for 2 and he came out sunny side up. It took 3 Dr.'s an hour to stitch me up from tearing from front to back. ouchie. I also pushed so hard I gave myself two bloodshot black eyes and have broken capillaries all over my face. I didn't know you could give yourself black eyes from pushing. But make no mistake, the moment he came out and was placed on my chest it made it all worth it. All of it... every single bit of it. The infertility, the tears, the In-Vitro,the overdue pregnancy and the hard natural labor, all of it. I'd do it again tomorrow and it was the hardest thing I've ever done. WAY harder than my first marathon but oh so much more rewarding.

My parents are here helping and they have been a life saver. Doing laundry, cleaning, cooking, shopping.. really great. They leave on Monday and just thinking of them not being here makes me teary. I think things are going to feel a lot harder.We've had a couple of fussy nights but overall he's a reallyl happy baby. His first night home was rough for me... he cried for a couple of hours late at night and I couldn't do anything to make it stop. Vito came into the nusery to find me holding Odell crying just as hard as he was. It was such a helpless feeling. Vito eventually got him to fall asleep and once I fell asleep I felt much better after a nap the next day.

I'm learning so much. Learning so much about myself... about babies, about my husband, my family and little Odell. It's quite the instant lifestyle change, but it feels good.

Still nothing...

2011-02-15T09:16:00.000-08:00

Due date came and went... now 4 days overdue and so ready! It's hard to believe that it could still be another week before it happens. We're just trying to savor these last few days alone... soon it will all be so different!

JusT WaiTiNG....

2011-02-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

We're just waiting here...

I've been doing everything I can to pass the time...

the official due date is tomorrow.

I'm still working which has helped pass the time during the day but when I get home in the afternoon...

I've been taking lots of naps (notice Cassius still sleeping)

Some knitting, drawing, painting, cleaning... hanging things on the walls here and there...

wondering if these vintage blocks I purchased at an antique store were painted with lead paint... I did put a couple of new prints in my etsy shop! Go take a looksie!

Hope you're staying warm... it's been so cold here in Denver the last couple of weeks.

Someone's been PaiNtinG--

2011-02-02T11:55:00.000-08:00

One week until my due date! I've been painting to help pass the time and just listed these 8 tiny little paintings in my etsy shop today. It had been months and months since I'd picked up a paintbrush and it's felt so great! Ali and Heather gave me a really cool little original painting on wood as a Christmas gift and I really loved the concept of painting on a small hard surface. It inspired these...It's been crazy cold here in Denver the last few days and school has been cancelled, it's been amazing! Drinking warm drinks, knitting, wearing sweatpants all day and veturing out here and there to meet girlfriends for lunch or coffee. It's a great way to spend my last week before this baby comes.

Hope you're staying warm!

WeeKeNd BaBy ShOweR**

2011-01-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

My friends Anne Marie and Katie had a baby shower for me at Vito's office this weekend. It was super sweet and just what I wanted. It was small, no lame games, plenty of alcohol (that I couldn't drink) and no public present opening. I really enjoyed it and felt so loved. We laughed a lot! It just felt like a fun party..
It was great being surrounded by fun family and friends.
I can't believe I only have 4 1/2 weeks to go! It's really going by so fast.

New YeArS.. rustic StYle.

2011-01-05T09:24:00.000-08:00

We spent New Years up at my friend Brian's little cabin for a couple of nights with Heather and Ali. It was cold and quiet... really cold. It was 18 below zero the morning we packed up the car to come home. We spent our days playing cards, eating Vito's yummy food and laughing a lot. We did spend one afternoon at the dive bar in Hartsel, CO which is a few miles from the cabin. We asked the lady who owned the bar if the bar had anything going on for new years.. her response, "no.. hope not. we're closing at 4." It was a relaxing couple of days. And now this week back to work!

ChriStMaS* 2010

2010-12-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

We had a really nice holiday. All of V's family came over to our house.. lots of presents, food, games and fun. Vito cooked an amazing dinner, it was nice spending a lot of time with his family.

I baked a lot on Christmas eve.. cookies, breads and two cheesecakes. I probably won't be doing any baking for awhile. I got my fix.

V went out of town on a "man trip" with his brother and Ali for a few days so things have been quiet around the house. While he's off hiking miles in the snow I've been snuggled up on the couch getting in some serious down time. I'm really going to enjoy this last week off work.
Aside from having a girlfriend over for dinner, today I have absolutely nothing planned... I can't remember the last time I've had a day like this. Super nice.

Hope you had a great holiday. xo

MovinG.. and other adventures..

2010-12-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

We've moved! .A few weeks ago actually, to a great home Northeast Parkhill.. super close to Stapleton. We are really excited! It's been fun getting settled and unpacking boxes. I only have a couple more to unpack and then I'll post some more pics. Unpacking Christmas decorations at the same time has been a bit time consuming but really fun. We've been spending our week nights and weekends exploring our fun new neighborhood restaurants. We had a delish B-fast this weekend and a fun dinner with friends on Saturday night.And... the baby's a comin'... only 8 weeks to go! The ladies at work threw me a baby shower last week. It was actually for 3 of us! Lots of pregnant ladies in my school this year. 5 of us! I was obviously super excited about the cake.Jenn, Rachel and I are all due within days of each other. I got soooo many super great gifts from people, it was really really nice.

This is normally such a busy time of year but this year seems to be super CRAZY! But this is my last week of school and then I've got two weeks off for the holiday break. I'm really looking forward to some down time with friends and family. Hope you're having a lovely December. xo

QuiEt AfteRnOOn with friends...

2010-11-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday the weather was amazing (considering it's almost mid November,) it was in the 70's! We met some friends for some early evening apps and it was such a strange feeling to sit in front of open patio doors and not be freezing cold! I'm thinking it was probably the last warm evening we're going to be experiencing for quite some time. It snowed two inches last night. Goodbye Fall...

Time for a new season!

IdaHo in the FaLL

2010-11-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

We took a trip up to Idaho to see my family over my Fall break a couple of weeks ago and it was super restful. The landscape was so pretty and it was really nice to get out of Denver for a week.

My parents just finished building a guest cabin that is actually just a super mini version of the cabin that they live in. We were their first "guests" and we fell in LOVE. It was really cozy, perfect for the two of us... and Cassius of course.Every morning we would wake up, build a fire, sip our coffee and stare out the windows at the cool Fall fog.. just typing this makes me wish I was still there. In the past we've stayed in my parents cabin, which is nice, but really cramped. It was so great having our own tiny space to hang out in.We built tons of fires, drank plenty of warm beverages, went for LONG walks and got TONS of sleep.Cassius was in heaven. We also celebrated Thanksgiving with my family while we were up there so it was a lovely week full of turkey and pie. I spent some fun time with my mom and her friends... listening to my mom and her friends is so funny. They all get together a few times a week for lunch or coffee and "cluck away..." as I like to call it, chattering up a storm. It's really funny and cute and makes me wish I lived closer to join them more often.We also went to the ONLY really great restaurant in town with my fam the night before we left... super yummy.We did manage to peel ourselves away from the fire a few times to do a little EXPLORING! One of our favorite things to do while we are up there is find old abandoned properties waaaaaay up in the middle of nowhere and poke around. We found some dandies this time...
This place was so freaking creepy.
Whoever lived here with their family should be on the show 'Hoarders.' Piles and piles of stuff everywhere. We always leave asking ourselves so many questions... "who were these people?" "where are they now?" "Why is their stuff EVERYWHERE!?" "Why would someone live up here??" No running water, no electricity, no neighbors.. just really really long winters. Creepy.

Spoooooky to visit this place a few days before Halloween. Eeek!

It was a really great visit especially knowing that I won't be up again until summer... wish I could visit every season.

It was a great break. xo

SmeLLs like FaLL*

2010-09-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

Fall is my favorite season. I love the changing leaves, cool mornings and the mess that the leaves make all over the streets. However, we've been having crazy hot weather the last couple of weeks so it doesn't feel like fall at all! It just starting to look like it. We spent the weekend at a Wine festival in Palisade with some friends and it was a really great way to wrap up the summer.

At the beginning of summer Vito bought a boat and we've been taking it out almost weekly.. it's the coolest boat ever! Super vintage and retro and we love it. V has had a fun time working on it and I've really enjoyed having little picnics on the water. We've probably only got a few more weeks of warm weather to enjoy until we wrap it up for the winter.

My parents came into town for a week at the beginning of the month and we had a really nice time with them. Dinners outside, a fun Rockies game and their help with some projects around the house. It was nice. They also came with us to our ultrasound while they were here... we're having a BOY! We're excited. I'm 20 weeks pregnant this week and can't believe I'm already half way through this... it's going really fast. My belly feels like it's growing by the day, it's such a strange feeling. This picture was from a couple of weeks ago.. This week my book says that the baby is 6 inches long (from head to rump) and weighs 10 oz.
Thanks for reading!
xo

MaUry

2010-09-03T12:57:00.001-07:00

This is how a conversation went yesterday with a 5th grade student in my class.

girl: "who's your baby's daddy?"
me: "my husband."
girl: "are you sure?"
me: "pretty sure."
girl: "If I were you...I'd go on Maury to be sure... you never know if he could be cheating on you..."

I was dying... so funny.

I'm AliVe.

2010-08-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hi hi!
It' s been awhile! Geez...
School is back in full swing and it's been nice being back to a routine.
We went to a super cool wedding last weekend for one of V's interns. It was so amazing. It was just one big party! They even had TWO after parties after the reception. Two! You had to choose which one you wanted to attend. The decor was amazing... made me want to plan a wedding all over again. The table centerpieces were really cool, all so quirky and unique.

I went to Casa Bonita for the first time! Heather and Ali were in town for Ali and Roma's birthday so we did it up right. I got to spend TWO weeks with this face. Ahh... it was such a treat.and Roma... such a doll...who got her first taste of sugar on her first birthday. Summer seems to be flying by... I'm really enjoying the cooler evenings. We've been sleeping with the windows open all night and waking up to a chilly house. It's really the best.

I'm now blazing through my second trimester so I've got all my energy back... feel like myself again. :)

EnjoY your FriDAy. xo

virus..boo.

2010-07-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

my computer seems to have gotten a virus so I won't be back here until I get it taken care of. boo. We're enjoying our last couple of days here in Idaho but I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed within a few days. xo

IvY.

2010-07-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

My cousin Ivy was up for the reunion so we got to spend a lot of time together this weekend. The weather here has been nice and hot! Perfect swimming weather. It's been great for my white body to see the sun! The newest addition to the dock... a 9 ft diving board! Apparently the small one (above) just wasn't cutting it. :) I still haven't gone off the big one but everyone else seems to have broken it in. Jumps, dives, flips, twirls, accidental belly flops... it's gotten a lot of use.

I had a great time the last few days at my class reunion, so fun seeing people I haven't seen in years. Hope you're having a restful weekend. :)

2010-07-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we drove out to the middle of nowhere to an antique store. This place is so far out that you have to call the day before you go so that they can make sure someone is there to unlock it for you. There are about 5 cute little cabins all full of really unusual things. It was quite the experience. The road getting into this place is so narrow that when they have events people have to all arrive at a specific time and leave at a specific time because the drive in is only a one lane road. It's too narrow for cars to meet each other on the road. Derrick used his money to buy a cowboy hat and then asked me to take a picture of him. I asked him why he wasn't smiling and he said, "because it's my serious cowboy face..."

I bought this huge metal letter "O." Not quite sure yet how I'm getting it back to Denver.

It was really fun.. and sort of bizarre.

My nephew Austin had his 13th birthday party at the cabin on Wednesday.

The little kids weren't too excited about swimming so they just spent the afternoon collecting pollywogs.

I stopped by my brothers house and found the kids up in their own little cabin building a fire making lunch in the woods. This little fort provided us some serious entertainment when I was a kid and now my niece and nephews practically live in it.

It's really small and has just a little wood stove, couple of chairs and a tiny loft.
They were making Top Ramen for lunch. Jamie looks like Laura Ingalls Wilder...

It was so funny..

Well I'm leaving in a couple hours to go and pick Vito up at the airport! yay! Super excited to spend the next week here with him.

xo Have a great weekend.

2010-07-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

When I was in high school we didn't have malls and movie theatres to entertain us. We went outside for our entertainment, but once we got our drivers license driving became the entertainment. We would drive around the county for hours. I realized on Saturday when we took "the long way" to the farmer's market why we drove.
This place really is beautiful. Every direction you look, beauty.

We bought some lettuce at the market and then drove the long way home to enjoy the scenery. Stopping along the way to hit a few garage sales and admire a few gardens.

Yesterday about 20 of us went floating down the river. It was a really mellow three hour ride. I wanted so badly to take my camera but everyone discouraged me afraid it would get wet. We're going to go again next week when Vito comes into town and I'm totally going to bring it. I can't wait!

Last night my brother Josh and I drove and hour and a half to go see a comedy show at a little youth center in Clark Fork (population 530.) It's a really quaint little town and the show was cute.

At intermission... they served coffee and strawberry shortcake. We were the youngest audience members by at least 25 years. It was perfect date.

But the drive was even more magical.. we drove along lake Pend O'reille most the way home. This lake is 148 square miles and 65 miles long... huge!

I told my mom tonight.. this is the last time I will ever come up here alone. Next year at this time I'll be towing a baby with me. I'm excited for that... but really trying to savor this time alone. Enjoying the stillness.

Today... more of the same.

2010-07-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

Went for another really long ride with dad today, we went up to check on a couple of lakes. Everything was so quiet and beautiful. I've wanted to blog more while I'm up here to try and capture the stillness and peacefulness of this place. Time tends to stop here and it really fills me with so much inspiration. I bought a new sketchbook today and I'm planning on filling it!

My dad has 4 game cameras he checks on every week. He has them stashed all at different locations way out in the middle of nowhere. He makes a trek once a week to change all of the memory cards. I went with him today and it really is a serious trek. He then comes home and turns on the computer (gasp..) to watch the slide show of animal photos. Deer, elk, turkeys, cougars, coyote, geese and bear.. it's so fun for him. He averages more than 75 photos per camera, it's a serious hobby!Hope you have a lovely weekend. xo

HomE!

2010-07-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today was the best day. It was super warm and I spent most of the afternoon watching the kids jump off the dock into the water.... a bazillion times. My dad and I went for a couple rides on the 4-wheelers so he could show me around. There are quite a few ponds and little lakes on their property so we had fun checking on all of them. We rode over to check on my Uncle's cabin about a mile up the road. ...and we went for one more ride tonight after the sunset. But I think the highlight of my day was watching my cute niece Jamie stand out on the road all day in town trying to sell her 6 week old puppies. She stood out there for hours and it was over 90 degrees out there. I went to visit her in the a.m. but forgot my camera so I came back a couple hours later so I could take her pic with the pups.

She sold 2! ... and called it a day.

It is so nice to be here, so quiet and slow. I'll be back tomorrow with more pics. Hope you're having a lovely week.

HappY 4th of JuLy (a little late)

2010-07-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

We went to the horse track for the second year in a row for the 4th of July. Vito decided to dress up this year... it was extra funny because he was the only one dressed up. :) Ladies kept coming up to him wanting to take pictures with him. I won 35 bucks hitting a trifecta on the first race, it pretty much made my day. Ali came into town all last week to shoot a commercial for Vito, it was awesome having him in town. We spent an afternoon in the mountains, it was nice to get out of the city.

And now... I'm in the Salt Lake City airport on my way to IDAHO for two and a half weeks! So excited to see my family and attend my High School Reunion! Looking forward to having plenty of blogging time up there. Can't wait to take some fun pics. Hope you're having a great week. xo

PiCs and a giVeaWAY!

2010-06-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law Emily is doing a really great giveaway on her blog for you or anyone that you know of that is struggling with infertility. This giveaway is for anyone currently going through infertility. so if you are struggling to conceive OR if you have a friend that is fertility challenged who could use the package, just leave a comment. It's a really sweet care package so go and enter! Scroll down a bit to find it... www.emilybrink.tumblr.com

Well I've really been enjoying my time off. I'm getting a lot of little things done around the house and it feels good. I picked up this cute little shelf at a yard sale last week for $2 and painted it for the guest room. The oval bird print was $1 at the thrift store and the framed birdies I found on etsy.

I also scored this mirror for $3.99 and it just needed a little paint.

We went to the Westword Music Showcase last weekend and enjoyed listening to dozens of indie bands play fantastic music all day. The weather was nice... not too hot!

I've been doing a little screen printing here and there. Vito is obsessed with this teenage fugitive from Orcas Island and had me make fan club shirts for him and all of his friends.
I also found a great filing cabinet on craigslist for our office. I painted it a couple of times before I found the right color. Peach didn't go over so well....
Blue is much better.

Hope you're enjoying the first "official" couple days of summer. I'm going out on the lake this afternoon with some friends. It should be interesting letting my pasty white body see the sun for a couple of hours. Fingers crossed I get my sunblock evenly distributed.

go enter emily's giveaway!

ThaNK YoU!

2010-06-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for the kind encouragement. I've been keeping quiet and laying low the last few days. It's fun to be able to open up my planner and have nothing written down. I've been outside a lot in the early mornings and late afternoons. Following the shade when it's over 90 degrees outside.I started a new knitting project for mid day when it's a little too hot for me. Cassius here with his awkward sit. He sits like this while I work in the yard and watches people walk by... for hours!

We've enjoyed a few dinners on the patio with friends.Hope you had a lovely weekend.
Enjoy your week. thanks for stopping by. xo

Success!

2010-06-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

It worked.
I got the call on Thursday that I'm pregnant. Super exciting.
It just happened to be our anniversary too so it made for an extra special dinner out. It's such a relief... feels like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I'm only 4 weeks along so I'll definitely be taking it easy the next couple of months. Hopefully everything goes well. I have an ultrasound in two weeks to check for a heartbeat(s). They put two embryos in so we'll see if both of them made it or if we've got one hanging on. Thanks so much for all of your support. It's still really early so keep your fingers crossed.
xoxoxoxoxo

WaiTinG

2010-06-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a long 9 days. Tomorrow I go in for a blood test to find out if I'm prego. Fingers crossed.

I've been spending most of my time outdoors. I hired a high school kid to help with the yard... best idea of the year! He's amazing, and should be here any second to stain the deck.

We've got herbs, flowers (and plenty of weeds) popping up everywhere. I'm getting a nice farmers tan.

Hope you're having a lovely week. I'll be back soon with news... xo

We're doing In-Vitro Fertilization.

2010-05-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

I usually don't write very personal things on this blog. I guess I just don't like the thought of someone being able to google my name and read my entire life story. But on the scale of monumental things that happen in a persons life... this is pretty up there on the list. I probably won't leave this post up forever but I have a few sweet friends in blogland that have been checking in and asking. After actively trying to conceive for over 2 years we've learned that IVF is our only option to have children of our own. The last 6 months have been pretty brutal.
Today (5/15/10)…
I feel like an alien in my own skin.
This picture is from our first shipment of meds. I've received two more packages since I photographed this one. I’m injecting myself with shots (up to 4 a day), pills (handfuls), suppositories (3 times a day) and patches (currently wearing 4)
I’m crying all of the time for no reason

In the last 2 months I have started crying:
-When I’ve gotten out of bed
-In the shower
-Putting on clothes
-After a nice breakfast out
-When I couldn’t find anything to eat in the fridge for lunch
-Pulling weeds in the yard
-After a glass of wine with a friend
-When I bought the wrong color of stain for the fence
-Pretty much every afternoon and evening
-And always when I start talking about how frequently I’m crying…

4 weeks ago I literally had ovaries the size of softballs. Even though I’ve had all of those eggs sucked out, my stomach is still bulging from the daily hormone injections. Four people in the last six weeks have asked me if I was pregnant. It made me feel super annoyed. Surprisingly… it didn’t make me cry. Just annoyed.

Monday is the big day. Monday (5/24/10) is the day they thaw a couple of our embryos (that have been frozen for 4 weeks) and implant them into my uterus. I will be on bed rest for a couple of days. Nine days later.. I take a pregnancy test. I’m excited and really really nervous.

I went to yoga almost every day last week and it really helped calm my nerves.

But I’m scared and hopeful.

I'm looking forward to a quiet summer break. I'm spending most of the month of July in Idaho with my family so it should be really restful.

Thanks friends for being so kind. xo Hope you enjoy your weekend. :)

LaST daY of ScHooL)) oh glory.

2010-05-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

Every Monday night this entire school year we've been a part of this really great dinner club at my friend Brian's. It started out with about 5 of us teachers and started growing! Each week we have around 15-20 people show up. Each week is a different themed course and each person gets assigned something to bring (Appetizers/Desserts/Drinks/Main Course.) We served up every kind of ethnic food you can imagine and to prevent repeats the themes started getting crazier. We've had food made with beer, fruit and wine.. so many fun nights. Two weeks ago the theme was just "bacon." We had chocolate covered bacon for dessert, spam-tini's for drinks... it was awesome. Well the end of the school year is here so we decided to quit for the summer. :( We went to a sweet wedding last weekend and got to hang out with these two. Whitney is V's business partner, she is so awesome.
We went out to a fun Japanese restaurant for MattyP's birthday last weekend.I've spent so much time laughing with friends the last couple of weeks and it's felt really good. I think the anticipation of school coming to an end is so relieving.I watched a beautiful sunset.And... watched Vito slice into some Fontina cheese that he had been aging in the basement for over 8 months!

We were very nervous. It looked good...smelled good.... so we tried it...
it was delish!
It's a really big block. We'll be munching on it and cooking with it for a couple weeks.

HOpe you have a great weekend!

I'll be sleeping in and enjoying my first week off!

It's FriDaY!

2010-05-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited for the weekend. I'm looking forward to sleeping in, going out for breakfast and spending time with V's fam for Mother's Day. I'm in need of some serious r&r. I haven't been able to drink coffee for awhile now because of some 'medical' stuff I'm going through and when I'm sleepy on a Friday morning it's all I can think about. I absolutely LOVE drinking coffee. I love the smell, taste, buzz and the warmth on my lips.... mmm.... Oh caffeine.. I miss you..

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HapPY FriDaY!

NiCkS!

2010-05-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

I went to Nick's Nursery last night and wandered up and down all the isles for over an hour. It took me forever to find the perfect plants. Their stuff is so great. They have two huge sections just for shade plants (which is what I needed.) I left with some goodies and got planting right away. I'm moving through the yard in sections this year. Taking on one little area at a time so that it's not too overwhelming. Hopefully the weather is nice this weekend so I can work outside. HapPY WedNesdAY.

PhOtOs!

2010-05-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

I took some maternity photos of this nice lady a couple of months ago, and she had her baby! I hadn't ever photographed a pregnant woman before but it was actually really fun.

She had me back last week to photograph her three week old little girl, it was fun.

I think babies are difficult to photograph. They make such strange faces and are so squirmy! But it all worked out, the photos turned out cute. HapPY TuesDAY. .. I'm stopping by the nursery on the way home after work to get some goodies for the garden. I've been researching shade perennials and am ready to buy some fun plants! Hopefully tomorrow I'll have pics of my progress..

SpRiNg is HeRe--

2010-05-03T12:18:00.000-07:00

We had 10 youth group students from Salt Lake City stay with us over the weekend while they attended a conference during the day. I spent most of my weekend watching Vito cook LOTS of food while I washed more dishes than ever before in my life. By the time they left on Sunday all I wanted to do was get outside and get my hands in the dirt, the weather was cool but really enjoyable. I stained the fence and planted some perennials. I'm too nervous to plant any annuals yet but I almost bought some yesterday... I'm glad I didn't because it got really cold last night.

I think I've got this perennial thing figured out. The first year we moved into this house I filled these beds with colorful annuals. It was colorful all summer but then I almost cried the when I saw the beds completely empty again the next Spring and I had to start all over.

After many conversations with friends and fam I quickly realized I needed perennials and to just accent with annuals! Now these beds are filling up faster than ever and they already look so great. I'm so anxious to start getting things cleaned up and planted. I'm really looking forward to having the summer off, I'm really ready for a break. Only three weeks!

Hop you have a lovely week**

GiNgeR

2010-04-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

I finished editing photos from the bridal party I photographed a few weeks ago and had some cute pics of this sweet girl. I've taken more photos of this girl than any other person. I think she was a month old the first time I snapped a pic of her. It's crazy how big she's gotten...
Our friend Mike is in town from Florida! We've got a busy weekend planned... I'll be snapping lots of photos. Enjoy your weekend!

BiRthDay and GooDbyE.

2010-04-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

Vito was in Vegas for the weekend so I had a total girl blowout of a weekend. Breakfast dates, Lunch dates, dinner dates, coffee dates.. really great. I had a really sweet lunch with this fav friend on Saturday. Duce is leaving next week to spend 4 months traveling for fun in Africa. She's amazing. I'm already missing her and she hasn't even left yet. We had a fun much needed couple of hours together. Sunday evening V flew home in time to make it to a friends 60th birthday party. It was by far the best birthday celebration I've ever been to. Live music, great food, and hour and a half long show dedicated to the birthday girl. Hundreds of people. It was super sweet. I've really been enjoying this nice weather! It's so great to wake up hearing the birds chirping. HOpe you're having a great week. xo

***

Oh EtSy.. I love yOu.

2010-04-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

I am constantly finding so many amazing artists on etsy. Berkley Illustrations are the best. I think I might order a couple. I just think they are so strange and quirky. Hope you're having a great week.

FiNiSheD GuesT Room! now come visit!

2010-04-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

I'm almost almost finished with the guest room. I have a few more things to add but thought I'd snap a few pics to show you!I'm really loving these side tables. I sanded,whitewashed and put a few coats of polyurethane them and they are pretty smooth.This wood window frame I scored from an old Ghost Town (Gilman, CO) we've visited quite a few times. I initially thought about painting it but now that I've hung it up I really like it as is. I got this iron bed off of craigslist a couple weeks ago and painted it. And the light! love it. This room had popcorn ceilings (like the rest of our house) but I scraped them down and re textured the ceiling. It looks so much better. I took a trip to the thrift store and picked up some dandies and added a couple to this room. Man I love that place... so many goodies for such great prices! This is my mom's old sewing machine table, she taught herself how to sew using this machine. The sewing machine is folded up inside. And I organized the closet! Such a great feeling. I have a couple more things to add and then it will really be done. phew. Hope you're having a great week. xo

BriDaL ShOweR and PeeP WArs!

2010-04-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hope you had a great Easter weekend! Thanks everyone for coming by and saying hello from freckled nest.. so sweet! I photographed a bridal shower on Saturday and have been editing photos like crazy. Aren't weddings the best... we have a couple we're going to this summer and I'm already looking forward to them.Look at this CRaZy wallpaper that was in the bathroom! Could this room get any wilder??.. yes.. it had white carpet! We enjoyed a lovely Easter dinner at V's parents and then had some seriously entertaining backyard fun afterwards. Peep wars! V's mom bought a bazillion peeps and we perched them up in the backyard and shot at them with a bb gun. It's a lot harder than it might look.

After a fun round of shooting peeps off the fence we migrated to the front yard where we made bombs with baking soda and vinegar. It was like the perfect white trash Easter. Seriously, it was so fun. I had such a great Spring Break and almost almost finished the guest room. It looks sooo much better. I'm going to try and finish it this week and get some photos posted.

Hope you have a lovely Monday!

SpRiNg BrEaK!

2010-03-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

I just put some notecards in my etsy shop! They turned out really cute. I've been wanting to do this for quite some time but never got around to ordering them. I'm on Spring break this week and have been trying to use this time to get some things done around the house. I'm focusing my energy on our guest room. Our guest room is more like a dumping ground and i'm sick of it looking so terrible. So... I've been collecting things for awhile now and am ready to put it all together!

When my parents came to visit a few months ago I had my dad bring two wood blocks with him that I could clean up and use as bed side tables. I've been sanding them down and will eventually paint and lacquor them. I almost have one finished. I'll show pics when it's done. Also found this ugly brass lamp on craigslist for 10 bucks that I spraypainted for the guest room light.

And these came in the mail today! New curtains!
Hopefully by the end of the week I'll receive everything in the mail that I ordered. New lamps, bedding and I even scored a super cool bed off of craigslist I'll be painting later in the week.

And.. look what I found while finally cleaning out the closet.. great tape! Cleaning is already paying off.

Hope you're enjoying your week. It's nice and warm here today.

PhOtOs and VeGaS!

2010-03-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Jess had me come over to her practice last week and take some new head shots of her staff for her website. They all turned out nice.

After I finished I took these two aside and snapped a few cute ones. And.. we went to Vegas last weekend! We went out with my family to watch some college basketball and had a great time.
mom, dad, bro, uncle, cousin, me, cousin. This was a late night. Vito wore his blue suede shoes almost every night... that's a sure recipe for a good time.The drive home was beautiful.

We had perfect weather here in Denver on Saturday, it was in the 60's. I spent the weekend catching up on sleep and relaxing. I got pedicures with girlfriends on Saturday morning, had friends over for dinner Saturday night, breakfast in bed on Sunday, took the dog for a nice loooooong walk and last night went to an impromptu comedy show that was hilarious!

HOpe you're having a lovely Monday.

ParTy and PaiNt!

2010-03-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

Michael's was having a sale on spray paint! What exactly will I be using this on...hmm.. not quite sure. But when spray paint is $1.99 in the clearance bin I must purchase! This last weekend was Vito's staff Christmas party (yes I know it's not December.) This is their 5th year and each year it gets bigger and better! We had a great dinner at Breckenridge Brewery and then EVERYONE went out afterwards to sing karaoke.

Him and Whitney have done such an amazing job at bringing on really great people, it's such a fun group.

It was a late night but oh so fun!

I spent the rest of the weekend editing some photos from a little photo shoot on Saturday. I'll post them soon! HappY TuesDAY!

NeW PriNts!

2010-02-28T14:19:00.000-08:00

I put a few new prints in my ETSY shop today! I really love these colors. Go take a look! We had a really busy Saturday and am enjoying some down time today. Watching the Olympics and staying warm by the fire. I haven't moved from this couch in hours... ahh ... it's great. Hope you're having a restful weekend. **

DaZZLe.

2010-02-26T09:27:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week I went with Vito's family to Dazzle to watch his brother Curtis play his trombone. His brother is really really talented, it's fun listening to him play.

It was really nice.

I'm doing an etsy update this weekend with some fun new stuff! I'll be sure to post the new goodies here on my blog too. I've been drawing more, which feels really good. I'm ready for the weekend! Sooo looking forward to sleeping in! HOpe you're having a great Friday.

OrGaNiziNG..

2010-02-23T08:19:00.000-08:00

I had a super productive weekend and boy did it feel good! Organized closets, cleaned the fridge, moped the floors, cleaned the oven, gave the dog a bath... it was really great.I'm getting the itch for Spring but realize we'll be having many more weeks of cold weather and snow. boo. I'm ready to plant flowers!

Happy Tuesday!

CoLd WaLk--

2010-02-19T08:32:00.000-08:00

It snowed last night, which made for a chilly walk to work today.Sidewalks were untouchedEverything was quiet

I walked fast.Sweet MarY JaNe
featured one of my prints on her blog. Go read her post.. it's very inspiring.

Hope you all have a restful weekend. I'm looking forward to relaxing weekend indoors.

EtSy UpDaTE!

2010-02-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

Some new work! I just put a few new prints in ThE ShOP! Go check out my new goodies.. I really like this color palette. These drawings are from a little sketchbook my sister-in-law Emily gave me a few months ago. Thanks for looking!
HOpe you're having a lovely Tuesday.
xo

HaYLeN*

2010-02-16T07:13:00.000-08:00

Ali's sister Mina had me over last week to take some pics of their little boy Haylen. He had just woke up from a nap and wasn't really in a smiling mood but I managed to get a few cute ones.

We had a really nice restful long weekend. Had some friends in town for the weekend and spent Valentines day with Vito's grandma. It was cute.

Hope you had a Happy Valentines day. :)

WeeKeND in VaiL**

2010-02-10T08:37:00.000-08:00

We spent last weekend snowboarding up in Vail and it was soooo beautiful. We stayed in this amazing house with some really great friends. Spent all day Saturday on the slopes and came home to a crackling fire. I used a disposable camera when we were up boarding and can't wait to get those developed (the ole' fashioned way!) It was wild using a film camera.

Favorite place in this house... the wallpapered bathroom. I could have spent all day in this room. Okay maybe not all day...

Hope your day is going well. HaPPy WeDnEsDAy!

FeaTUreD HeRE!

2010-02-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

Bonnie from 'Going Home To Roost' featured one of my EtSy prints on her cute blog. So SwEET! Her blog is really lovely, go check it out.HappY MoNDAy**

AnoTHeR RecEPTIon**

2010-02-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

Daryl and Rebecca had a super fun Denver wedding reception at an art gallery downtown. They had so many great friends and family come to celebrate with them. It was a really fun night.

It was a really great night.**

WeDDinG ReCePTIon*

2010-01-31T09:07:00.000-08:00

I met this cute couple two weeks ago photographing their wedding reception. Joanna and Andy got married in California last month and had a reception here in Denver to celebrate with friends and fam. They rented this really great loft downtown and had so many great people come to celebrate with them. It was really fun, I spent yesterday editing over 130 images from the fun event. Today... laundry, draw, edit photos, dinner with v... perfect way to end a productive weekend. :)

Hope you're having a lovely weekend.

PapeRCuTs!

2010-01-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

I love these... and totally want to learn how to do it. I started collecting papercut silhouettes over a year ago and now have quite the collection. I'm in love with these.... source

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I love elsita's papercuts. Vito bought me one last year for Christmas and it's really beautiful.
Hope your week is going well.

HapPY TueSDay!

I LOvE...>>

2010-01-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

this book. I got sooooo much inspiration from it last year. This book has so many fun patterns and designs I LOVED doing studies from it in 09. But now i need something new! I've been kicking off 2010 by doing some fun drawings but I'm needing inspiration. What's been inspiring you!? I'm working on putting some original drawings in my etsy shop, hopefully i'll be finished with them next week. I'll let you know!

We watched a good basketball game last night and enjoyed some yummy take-out. It was -2 degrees this morning when I woke up so I'm looking forward to spending a weekend by the fire.Enjoy your weekend. Stay warm!

LasT NiGHt i....

2010-01-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

put my apron on and made a delish dinner! I made a new gnocchi nicoise dish that was delightful. Lots of fresh veggies, tomatoes, olives, bacon, beef and gnocchi...Such a fun night. Listening to good music, drinking good wine and hanging with my favorite boy. I can't believe it's already Wednesday! This week back to work is flying by... xo

DreSSER ReDO**

2010-01-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

My friend Ella refinished my old dresser a few months ago and I've finally gotten around to snap a couple pics of it. In the late afternoon it looks almost brown... but in the mornings it's a really pretty red.I got this dresser from my sister-in-law over 10 years ago. It was in desperate need to be refinished and I really love how it turned out.
Happy MoNDaY!

FiniShed!

2010-01-03T12:07:00.000-08:00

I finished my little quilt I started while we were in Idaho for Christmas. I wanted to get it done to give to Roma at New Years.. it turned out really cute.Also, sewed Roma this super cute little dress. She won't be able to wear it for quite some time but at least she can grow into it. She did finally grow into this! I sent Heather some screenprinted onesies after she was born and she's just now fitting into them. So cute! We ALL had such a relaxing time at the cabin. Vito cooked great meals, we played fun games and I got to spend time with this pretty mama.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. Back to work for me tomorrow... I'm looking forward to it.

WaLk in tHe WOOds*

2010-01-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

Our New Years trip to the mountains was so peaceful. I woke up earlier than the others our first morning and decided to wrap up and go for a long hike. It was so cold and wonderful.

I found a game trail and started following it enjoying all of the light and reflections. It was so peaceful to only hear the crunching of the snow and my heavy breath. I saw a (very large) friend.
Three days with really great friends was just what I needed. It was such a great way to start the New Year. We talked about our dreams and goals for the New Year and how grateful we were to have each other. It was really beautiful.

The HiGhLiGhtS**

2009-12-30T09:03:00.000-08:00

We had a really great trip to Idaho.. here's the highlights (in photos) Christmas lights out on the dock

Ice Skating

The chaos of Christmas day with 16 people in a 1200 sq. ft cabin.
Playing in my Dad's enormous tree fort that looks like something out of the Amazon
Eating Vito's really yummy cookingA day teaching my sis-in-law and niece how to screen print.Loved all of it. Hope your holiday was merry.

We're headed up to the mountains today to spend a New Years in a cabin with Heather and ALi. 3 days of games, playing in the snow, good wine and yummy food by a warm fire.
Happy New Year!

2009-12-24T18:24:00.000-08:00

HappY ChRIstMAs Eve!
Bought my parents a web cam for Christmas and spent today playing with it. THis is my brother JosH. Don't we look alike??!
Hope you have a Merry Christmas! I'm excited to spend tomorrow with the fam. I've had a great couple of days, some fun late nights with my brothers. xo

With clouds like this....

2009-12-22T17:15:00.000-08:00

I could stay forever, the sunset was so beautiful tonight. Today we took a really great 4-wheeler ride up to Smith Lake.
It was completely iced over but too slushy to do any ice skating. We used to ride snowmobiles up to this lake and drag sleds around on the ice.
I did a little crocheting by the fire (mom's teaching me.)
I've also been enjoying gazing out the window at the dock. Dad drained all the water out of the lake to fix a leak so there won't be any ice skating here either. This summer at it's fullest it was about 20 ft. deep in the center... right now it's about 2 ft. deep. :( The dock is sitting on the ground! When we come up in the summer it should be completely full. hopefully.
This is V and I's little nook. The loft upstairs has just enough room for a little bed, love it. I still haven't figured out how 16 of us are going to fit in this cabin for Christmas. Should be fun.
HOpe you're staying warm.

We're off to a yummy dinner in town tonight. V's favorite restaurant.

IdAHO

2009-12-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

I'm home for Christmas!

We arrived Saturday afternoon and I feel like I'm in a dream. Everything is so foggy here and really really quiet. I'm hoping to post every day this week to hopefully get myself back into the groove of blogging, even if I'm just posting pics. I left my laptop at home so I don't have anyway to Photoshop my images. I can't remember the last time I posted a photo that I didn't tweak so this might be a challenge. It will be good for me!
I went for a really great run in the rain this morning and came home to a crackling fire. My parents heat the cabin with a wood stove and I absolutely love it. I love the smell, the intense heat, the colors bouncing on the walls and the way it makes everyone gather together.
I think it's going to be a great week.
I've had plenty of time to finish Christmas cards but I don't think anyone will receive them until after new years... oopsie.

HOpe you're all staying warm and enjoying the season. xo tam.

FinaLLY! An UpDaTE!

2009-12-03T10:36:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in weeks! Things have slowed down since the show but picked up again once Thanksgiving rolled around. We had V's family over for dinner and it was really delish.I baked a few pies and a couple loaves of bread. V cooked everything else and the house smelled amazing.Cassius relaxed as well. Heather and Ali were in town for the holiday so we got to meet this sweet girl.She really is the perfect baby. We took her everywhere and she hung with us late into the night. She was fantastic and sooo sweet.Speaking of sweet girls... I found this pic when I was uploading photos off my camera this morning. I snapped this pic a couple weeks ago, this is Ginger. I also did a little holiday photo shoot with Herb and Cara a couple weeks ago. They are such a fun couple, I love how these turned out. There were over 100 good ones, it's hard to find a fav.Hope you're having a lovely week.. hopefully I'll be back blogging again soon!
xo

"You know it's a good show when you don't have time to take pics.."

2009-11-17T08:10:00.000-08:00

The show was fantastic. I didn't take any pictures until everyone started leaving. Almost everything sold... 15 paintings and almost 25 prints sold! I only have 3 paintings to take home at the end of the month. I started to get nervous at about 6.15pm, is was storming bad and no one had shown up yet. But then... people started rolling in. They kept coming and coming. We figured over 120 people came, it was really fantastic. It felt like my wedding reception, and I was exhausted by the end of the night. Duce was my life saver, she helped with so many details. She's such an amazing friend. These two played some really great music, everyone loved them. (As you can see pics didn't get taken until they were packed up and ready to get home.) Everything went by like a blur..

It was such a success! I met some really great new friends, had such a nice time.I'm really looking forward to taking some good pics at the end of them month before I tear everything down. Thanks so much for all of your sweet calls and e-mails. It was a fantastic night. :) xo

It's HeRE!

2009-11-13T07:33:00.001-08:00

Today's the day! I hung the show earlier this week and have a nervous feeling in my belly. I can't believe how much work I've put into this, so many details. My parents are flying into town for the weekend and should be here within an hour.. I'm really excited they are coming to this.
I've hung 16 paintings and 4 drawings, that's a lot of canvases! I'm super excited to take LOTS of pictures and post them up on here. Thanks for your support!

ThE ShOw.. ThE ShOW!

2009-11-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

If you live in Denver, please come to my art show! Friday, November 13th, 6pm. It's going to be such a great time, yummy food and wine! I'll have 13 new paintings at Bonacquisti Wine Company for the entire month of November. yip yip! I painted ALL week and am really close to being done. I hang on Sunday...eek! It's getting so close! Hope yoU can make iT! HapPY MonDay.

I'm aLiVE! ..and on fall break..

2009-10-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

I have the whole week off of work! I've emerged from the basement (from painting) only a few times. I'm getting so much done, wish I could just spend everyday painting and not have to go to work. :)

I've realized that I really love getting things in the mail. It seems like every few weeks I'm ordering something online so that for a few seconds it feels like Christmas when I open the mailbox. example... new curtains! We woke up this morning to 6 inches of fresh snow. Cassius doesn't know what to think. So he's just been sitting and watching. He will stick his head out the doggy door and just look around, won't even go out. Just starring.

I had a great evening with Duce on Monday night... she cooked an amazing dinner and we drank great wine.
After dinner I found myself having a hard time concentrating on our conversations because I was too busy taking photos. Looks like I was trying to document some sort of house tour. I couldn't help it! Her place is so stinking cute. She really is amazing with color, and she put chalkboard paint on the bathroom wall! genius. She reupholstered her vintage furniture. Look, my painting.
And I'm totally stealing this frame idea in her room. She is so great and has been such a help with this show coming up.

Vito is taking me out for a little suprise date tonight! Should be fun. hope you have a lovely Wednesday!

Couldn't ReSiST**

2009-10-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

Just bought these. I was supposed to be doing a little holiday shopping on Etsy but got sucked into buying a few holiday treats for myself. Isn't etsy the best.

I have fall break coming up and I'm so looking forward to getting some serious painting done. All next week off to paint, draw, sew and create.
..and perhaps blog again! I just haven't had the itch.. hopefully I'll get it back soon!
HaPpy TuesdAY*

YesTerDaY**

2009-10-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

The funeral was yesterday morning and it was good, but really sad. I've spent so much time with V's family the last 6 days and it's been really nice.

Last night, V's brother Curtis had a show at Dazzle and we all went to watch. He did a really great job.
Don't they look alike? It was a sweet way to end a sad day. I'm back to work today.. hopefully I'll be feeling a bit more 'normal' soon. Really ready for the weekend. :)

It's QuiEt arouND HeRe..**

2009-10-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

Vito's grandfather passed away last week so things have been a bit quiet around here. Time seems to have stopped while we've been spending every free minute with his family. I feel really out of sorts.
It's been really really nice spending so much one on one time with his family but also a bit draining.
My parents were in town last weekend and we had a really lovely time with them.Drank lots of coffee, listened to funny stories, ate yummy food and took them to see a really great show at Curious Theatre. They had a really nice time and I was really sad to see them leave on Monday. Duce made it over for a little much needed dinner and art critique. I felt quite inspired after she left and am now motivated to finish some paintings.I'm not sure if I'll be posting again this week.. I'm spending a lot of time with this boy. Hope you have a great week.

EtsY LoVe

2009-09-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

Pretties I love... fall leaves.

Birdie art.
Pretty girls..
And these trees.

I might do this in our guest room instead of a headboard.

My parents are coming into town today! They will be here for the rest of the week. I'm really excited to see them. Hope your week is going well.

PaiNtinG and PiE*

2009-09-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

For the last 6 weeks, we've been having Monday night themed dinner parties with friends from work. Asian, Mexican, Italian, it's been so fun. I look forward to it all weekend. I made a super yummy peach pie Monday night with my fresh peaches from our trip to the winefest. Warm peach pie and homemade ice cream. so delish.

Monday's are great because it means I get to spend the evening with this girl. Jess. so cute.And every other night this week I've been spending my free time here... I am officially the messiest painter ever. I make a disaster of the basement every time I'm down there and rarely clean up after I'm done. But so many beautiful things are emerging from this dark and messy space. Duce is coming over for a critique on Tuesday evening. I have so many paintings almost done but am having trouble with my color combos. She is a master with colors so hopefully I'll have a bit more direction after we meet. Hope your having a great week. Tomorrow's Friday! yay!

Awesome WeeKenD**

2009-09-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

The Winefest was amazing, it was everything I imagined! Fun friends, great wine, fabulous food... just perfect. We spent all day Saturday in this big amazing park listening to great music and enjoying the fab weather.There was lots of grape stomping fun..

And nice evenings with my favorite boy. I love how blurry this picture is... he was making me laugh and I couldn't hold the camera still. The drive home yesterday was cool and cloudy. Vito snapped this photo while I was driving, the fall colors were beautiful through the mountains.I definitely want to go back next year. HapPy MoNdAY!

We're OFf--

2009-09-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

Vito gave this camera to me for my birthday last year and we figured last night I've probably taken thousands of photos. Most get deleted, some get saved onto the computer and a very few get printed up. It's amazing how digital has changed things. I remember my first trip to Europe (with my film camera) I came home and spent almost $400 getting pictures developed. Most of them were terrible.
We started our own Winefest last night. Ate yummy cheese and spent some fun time together. We're packing our bags this morning (I'm actually playing on the computer) and we'll be back Sunday. Hope you have a great weekend!

2009-09-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

My camera is dead and I've misplaced my battery charger. I haven't taken a picture in 3 days...

I'll have to swing by best buy on the way home.

Tomorrow we're headed out of town for the weekend! Winefest in Grand Junction. A fun little weekend getaway drinking good wine and enjoying this Fall weather. Hope you enjoy the rest of your week. Hope I come back with some fun pictures. :)

BiRthDay WeeKenD*

2009-09-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

I had a fantastic birthday weekend. We had four friends come into town, we played our co-ed flag football tournament, ate good food and hung out all weekend. It was one big weekend slumber party!

Apparently I only take pics of Matty when he's eating.. or.. he only makes the blog with food in his mouth. hee hee. We were all super sore when we woke up Sunday morning from getting knocked around playing ball. I think we ALL woke up hearing Charles announce, "ohhh... my legs!.."

Vito cooked a great breakfast and we all spent the rest of the day watching football and relaxing.

And yesterday... Vito sent me flowers, they are beautiful!

Hope your enjoying your week.

Oh and.. my sister in law is giving away two of my prints on her blog! Go enter by leaving a comment.

Two of my fav prints!

HapPY TueSdAY!

Forever Darling Fashion ShOW*

2009-09-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

Last night was the Forever Darling 3 annual fashion show. This year it was an Avant Garde competition with 8 featured runway designers paired up in teams of 2 to create a cocktail outfit inspired by flower arrangements that Marguax Brauker from A Design Resource created.A few months ago I was asked by the creator (Fallene Wells) to sell some of my prints and onesies at her show! The event promotes artists, local businesses and this year raised money for Autism Speaks. They had an incredible turnout and I met so many really cool local designers. It was hard for me to stay at my little booth, I kept wanting to try on all of their fun clothes! It was a really cool event to be a part of and I really hope I can do it again next year.

I'm so happy today if FriDaY! Big birthday flag football tournament tomorrow. wooo hooo!

Have a good weekend. :)

HOme SiCk

2009-09-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

I stayed home from work today, sick again. I'm not off to the best start this school year. Must be the change of season. My neighbors tree is already changing. These are all old photos from last Fall I found when I was playing on the computer last night. I look like I'm sick in this picture... sort of.. sick with makeup on.
Hope your having a good week. I have an exciting next few days and Saturday is my Birthday! yeah!

DiNner* and now the WeeKenD!

2009-09-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

I had dinner with Duc and Duce the other night.. Duc emailed me these pics today. They are helping me with my show in November so we talked shop and then enjoyed a yummy dinner together. This top photo was taken with Duc's homemade lens using cardboard and electrical tape. (not sure if that's really what he used but it looked like it.)

I'm looking forward to a relaxing over this 3 day weekend! yeah! Hoping to get lots and lots of painting done. I started a few drawings this week on vintage wallpaper I might incorporate into the show.

Hope you enjoy your Labor Day.

happy weekend.

InspiRaTiOn**

2009-09-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

This beautiful painting (done by a kindergartner) has been my inspiration for quite a few things this week...
I LOVE these colors and I'm stealing this palette for one of my paintings for my show. It's so Fallish and warm. It even inspired me to dye my hair. yay! Black and Mustard, does it get much better.?
If I was just wearing some blue earrings I would match perfectly.

I started a file on my computer of interesting color palettes created by kids. I've got quite a few goodies..

Hope your having a good week.

I'm excited for a dinner tonight with Duc and Duce. Two very inspiring friends...

Enjoy your wednesday.

GiLMan, CO

2009-08-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

We had a great time digging around Gilman this weekend. This mining town was evacuated in the early 80's because the mine was contaminating the water. Residents had 24 hours to evacuate. The town was pretty big.. bank, bowling alley, hotel, large gymnasium.. we rummaged through it all.We figured out that these windows and doors were store merchandise in storage. Next door was full of roofing materials. This pic of Bri is a perfect depiction of the creepy vibe we felt the entire time we were there. The wind would start blowing and start slamming doors in the houses. I get scared at home when that happens, let alone walking down the main street in a ghost town.This is the bank. and next to it an insurance office. We rummaged through interesting insurance papers. I found a man's certificate of baptism and then his certificate of death. Thousands and thousands of papers in filing cabinets. so spooky.This photo is in the hallway of the hotel. I have no idea who that person is... they just appeared in the viewfinder. Just kidding, it's whitney. We didn't camp in the town this time, thank god. We hiked back to our campsite and ate yummy steaks, potatoes and corn by the fire.
We had a great time.

MeLLow NiGhT**

2009-08-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

Vito and I had a mellow night last night at home. We took Cassius to the park and did a little park workout together. We came home and he cooked me a delish dinner. He's been on a fresh pasta kick for awhile and I love it. It so easy, eggs and flour.. and so yummy. We used some onions and peppers from the garden. It's starting to feel like the end of summer... the nights are getting so cool. I really love it. I think Fall is my favorite season. I noticed our neighbors trees are starting to turn.
I hope you enjoy your weekend. Camping tomorrow should be adventurous, I'll take plenty of pics to document.
xo

MusTeRinG up....

2009-08-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

some courage to go back to this ghost town this weekend. Five of us are planning a trip to stay here for the night on Saturday. The last time we went here Vito had a rat the size of a small child hop over his sleeping bag. It's so unbelievably creepy.I'm excited to take some fun pics.

I am covered in goosebumps just looking at these photos.
eeek!

ThuRsDAY*

2009-08-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

I like.

A few things I'm LoViNG**

2009-08-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

Photos JOshua has taken of Heather and Ali's new baby. I can't wait to meet this babe at Christmas.Art by Elizabeth Bauman

Her paintings are inspired by vintage portraits.This wall in my house.This shirt. It reminds me of the artwork I've been drawing for my show.And this dog I had in my hoodie all last night at my friend Brian's house. HaPpy TuesdAY*

WeeKeNdInG**

2009-08-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday we had Vito's annual company BBQ at our house. I always look forward to seeing everyone. He works with so many really really cool people. We only ALL get together twice a year, once in the summer and once in February for his "Christmas" party. We really tried this year to get everything ready early so that we could just relax on the day of the party. We did a pretty good job. These are the only two pics I took before people started showing up.

I got a new coffee table! I bought it for 10 bucks off of craigslist and spent last week painting it. I really love it.

We played bocce ball, corn hole and pig (shorter version of horse). Winners won fun gift certificates. I think everyone had a really fun time.

We spent Sunday relaxing and went to see Tarantino's 'Inglorious Bastards.' I loved it.

The last few weekends we've gone to watch matinees in the middle of the day. I love coming out of the theatre when it's still light out.

Hope you had a nice weekend.

GiVeAwaY***

2009-08-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

Leigh-Ann from The Freckled Nest is doing a super cute sponsor giveaway. One of her sponsors Lune Vintage (who sells my prints in Winnipeg) is giving away one of my prints and other yummy goodies. Go to Leigh-Ann's blog and enter!! YeAh!

I seem to have caught a nasty cold so I'm spending my day dreaming of chicken soup and tea.
Hope you're having a good week.
happy Wednesday!

phoTOShoOt.*

2009-08-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

I went out with my friend Anne Marie last night and before we left the house we did a little photo shoot with her cute kids playing in the yard. I took over 50 good ones.. here are a few goodies.

look at that cute profile.And those lips!

I'm taking engagement photos this weekend for a couple and I can't wait.

know of any fun locations??

hapPy TuesdAY**

I LoVe WeeKenDS**

2009-08-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

We stayed home all weekend hanging out, it was nice. We worked in the yard Saturday and noticed that most of the flowers are looking a bit wilty. I tried to freshen up vases but the selection is running low.Vito's parents came over for dinner, it was yummy. V made homemade pasta.... mmmm...

And Sunday... we spent most of the day in the garage. We used this beautiful pine...to make beautiful frames. I'm having a solo art show!! It's so exciting. 13 new paintings, all fun sizes... oh I can't wait. Mark your calendars Denver friends.. Friday the 13th of November.
It's going to be so fun! I'll give more details as things unfold. I'll be stretching canvas all week. I already know what I'm painting so I'm super anxious to get started. HaPpy MoNDaY!**

What we've been up to....

2009-08-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying the last few days of the hot summer. Our garden is finally starting to produce some goodies. I've been giving mint and onions away by the bag full.Vito has been cooking some amazing fresh pasta and seasoning it with goodies from the garden. And... fresh summer desserts! mmm.. On Saturday vito turned the big 33! yay! We went to the rockies game with some of our fav friends and had a really great time.
This is my second week back to school so things have been a bit crazy but I'm starting to get into the routine. Kindergarten comes today for the first day. I love going out and watching all the parents cry as they say goodbye.

I have some exciting news to share this weekend. Something I've started planning for....

Hope your week is going well..
oh! and Heather & Ali had their baby girl! sweet Roma!
I sewed a super cute baby blanket for her while I was in Idaho. I'll snap a few pics before i take it to the post office this afternoon. I'm tempted to keep it for myself.
Happy WedneSDaY!
xo

I few things I'm loving...

2009-08-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

I started back to school last week so things have been a bit busy (and early!)
But aside from having to wake up early, I really like going back to a structured schedule. I tried to take care of a few things around the house before school started (clean the house, get the carpets cleaned, play in the yard..) so I wouldn't feel to overwhelmed when I came home from work. I'm glad I did it. Hands down my favorite thing in our yard right now are these daisy's! It's nearing the end of season for them. :( So.. I took one last pic and filled a few more vases with fresh ones so I can remember how much I enjoyed them this summer.Speaking of enjoying.. how can you not enjoy this face. Vito is off on another backpacking trip this week so Cassius follows me around everywhere. And our garden is doing great! We have more lettuce and onions this year than we need so we'll be able to give away goodies to the neighbors, yay! We did have one casualty.. last week Vito wanted some basil for his dinner so he walked out (at night) and cut off a few stems. Once he walked inside he realized he cut off the tops of our bell peppers. There were six tiny little green peppers hanging from the stems. :( oopsie.
Hope your having a nice week.
xo::

weDDinG!

2009-07-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

Our friends Ted and Lisa got married yesterday and they asked me to be their photographer. It was a blast. I've been editing photos ALL day and decided to take a break and post a few on here.

It was a wild reception. I have so many super funny dancing pics..

Vito took this pic of us dancing, it's so cute. happy sunday!

hOme*

2009-07-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

I spent 5 days backpacking with one of vito's groups, it was amazing. We hiked all day and set up camp at a different location each afternoon. We saw so many beautiful mountain lakes, heard the kids tell so many funny stories, ate yummy meals, laughed really hard and slept really well.

We were late to bed and late to rise and french pressed coffee in a nalgene bottle each morning.Lindsay is one of Vito's guides and she's awesome. It was super cool having another girl to hang out with.

The adults slept in tents but we had the kids build their own shelters using tarps and rope.We came out of the mountains the last night and camped at green mtn reservoir. The weather was perfect the entire trip. Sunny and warm.

I had such a nice time. And.. had such a nice shower when I got home. :)

I go back to work Thursday, can you believe it, summer vacation is almost over!

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, we're having a really lazy Sunday.

Oh! I photographed a wedding last night and have some super fun photos to edit and post tomorrow.

bye bye bye

2009-07-20T05:14:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving this morning with Vito on one of his WesT StAr trips. I'll be back Friday with lots of pics. I'm excited to be spending some time in the woods with these three (and 10 kids I've never met)Have a good week!

YaRd SaLe sCoRE!**

2009-07-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

I picked up these really cute super old glass bottles earlier this week. 25 cents each! yeah! And.. bought that vintage doily tea towel for 7 bucks!I also finished this painting for my mom's bedroom. She has a lot of rich warm colors in there and it fits the room just right. Hope you're having a lovely day. Everyone is coming over tonight for dinner. With my brothers and their kids.. we'll have a cabin full of 17 people. Fortunately most of them are under the age of 11 so it doesn't feel as cramped as it sounds. Should be fun. :)

IdaHo..recap in photos...

2009-07-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

We only have a few days left here and we're really trying to enjoy each minute. Here's a weeks recap in photos..

I spent a morning collecting flowers, branches and grasses to put in vases around the cabin.
We spent a morning at the farmers market. I finished sewing a set of cloth napkins to bring home with me.Watched my cute mom make doughnuts.Spent an afternoon starting a few paintings on the deck.I watched my nephew Kale STARE hard at Vito making dinner.. we figured it was the first time he'd ever see a man cook.He was mesmerized. He must have sat there for at least 40 minutes, just watching... at one point he grabbed a rag and started wiping the counter around him. Such a helper :)

We've been doing lots of swimming. (some of my nephews here)We tortured the kids, throwing and dragging them into the water..And each night the cabin has been full and bright... even a few late late night dips in the cold water.

I'm sad the trip will be ending soon. I'm trying not to think about it too much and just enjoy each moment. HaPpy WedNesdAY. :)