the pumpkin patch

A few weeks ago, my mother-in-law treated Noah and 2 of his cousins to a trip to the pumpkin patch!  There was a little mini hay maze that Noah just loved!

Here he is with cousin Charlotte trying to find their way out.

And here he is getting a ride in the pumpkin cart from cousin Hank.

The kids searched and searched the vast pumpkin patch for just the right pumpkins..

...and finally

Noah found his perfect pumpkin!

We had so much fun!  The weather was so lovely and this particular patch was filled with so many beautiful pumpkins!  Some of them looked like they popped right out of a fairytale!  I LOVE this time of year!

my favorite time of year

Like so many of you, this is my favorite time of year!  The cool and crisp fall air, the colors, wearing sweaters, endless craft ideas, warm fireplaces, pumpkins, silly Halloween fun, wonderful togetherness of Thanksgiving, and the excitement and joy and peace and love of Christmas time! 
Such a beautiful season that holds so many fond memories, both recent and distant.  I love it so!

One of my favorite things to make any time of year, but is an especially yummy treat in the fall is my grandma's apple pie!  Pie making is truly an artform that needs practice and nurturing (thanks again for the lessons, Mom!).  Each time I make it, it gets a little easier and a little prettier.

A while ago I made two pies, both of which were gobbled up by family (and mostly me) before I even thought to get a picture.

So... I'm left with this photo, which is almost as satisfying as a beautiful pie picture, because at least I know it was delicious too!

As for our house, Noah helped me put up the Halloween decorations in September.  He loves the "scaries" as he calls anything Halloween related.  I truly love my ghoulish decor so hopefully I can get some pictures up soon.

Outside, I used my fall wreath I made from last year because I still love it so much!

Here is our house as of today.

And just so you all know, I planted the exact same flowers in the front flower bed as I did in the side bed on the left.

Just goes to show you what a little sunshine will do.  I guess I need some serious shade-loving plants next spring for the front bed since our house faces north.

I've said it before and I'll say it again... I love my beautiful home.  If you'd like, click HERE to see a small history of our 100 year old farmhouse.  The upstairs is still completely stripped to the studs as we haven't figured out the funding to finish it yet.  But not much makes me happier than pulling into our gravel driveway to this beautiful home and knowing that it's ours.  We love it so very much!

the P word

I suppose my short blogging hiatus will now be the cause of my blogging "catch-up" that will commence starting tonight. I have much to catch up on and THE season is upon us, so I'll try and add some fun holiday stuff in here too.

But first...

This little fella

(pictured here posing in Daddy's clean basketball undies on laundry day)

was in my room this morning while I got dressed.

Now... stop reading here if you are offended easily or simply don't want a mental picture.

While getting dressed, Noah said with a giggle in his voice,

"Wook!  Mommy's naked bum and naked weeny!"

(Yes, I've taught my toddler to say "weeny" instead of "penis" because I don't like the P word.  It's just ugly.)

To which comment I replied,

"No, mommies don't have weenies.  Only boys have weenies.  So Daddy has a weeny and Noah has a weeny, but Mommy doesn't."

Noah thought about this for a minute... then smiled and said,

"Silly Mommy and silly Mommy's weeny."

Then all day in the car running errands, he talked about how boys and daddies have weenies and mommies don't.  I suppose this counts as our first lesson in "the birds and the bees" subject???  I hope!

Noah is oh so fun to hang out with every day!

pregnancy update

While feeling much better in my 15th week of pregnancy than I did the first 3 months, I'm still dragging and napping too much.  I hope to have more energy soon as this season of holiday crazy fun is here and I have so much to do!

here comes halloween.... eek!

I wanted to share some of my newest Halloween paintings with you!

But FIRST, here are the ones from last year:

Witch's Night Out

Pleasantly Plump

Candy Corn

Last year we didn't have the capabilities to do prints for the Halloween/Fall stuff.  So this year's holiday season is very exciting!

And introducing...

The 2010 Halloween additions:

Buford Bat

Gary Ghost

and Silly Pumpkins

It's so fun to do holiday specific stuff!  Maybe that's just because I love the holidays so much!  Particularly Halloween!

All six of these new prints are available for purchase in the SHOP right now!

And I may or may not have more spooky goodness coming soon... depending on my energy level!  This bitty in my belly is sucking my will to paint!



cookoo-ness explained...

If you read THIS POST, you'll know I mentioned I had some wonderfully fabulous news that was making me go cookoo.

And if you read THIS POST, you'll know why this news is extra special!

Here is my excuse:

A baby!!  Yay!!

If you click on the image, it may (or may not) be a little more clear.  I labeled the parts I could make out as "leg", "face" and "head".

I am 12 weeks pregnant! 

My due date... Noah's birthday!  April 1, 2011. 

Hopefully it really won't land on the same day so they can each have their own special day.

It took 15 months to get pregnant this time, as opposed to the immediate conception of Noah.  At the year mark, we had a few very embarrassing tests done, took some prescribed antibiotics and 3 months later... this little bitty!

Who knew that's all would take??

I have been soooo super sick!  I've officially decided this pregnancy is way worse than my first.  I've been battling ALL DAY nausea, serious fatigue and tailbone pain!  What the???  My doc says the tailbone pain is due to where bitty baby is resting and will probably get better.  Let's hope!

And this nausea!!  When all my favorite foods and treats are sitting untouched in the fridge for weeks until they go bad, then you know I really am sick.  I mean, we're talking homemade chocolate fudge sauce, mint chocolate chip icecream, cheese (some of you may know of my love affair with cheese) chips and salsa, watermelon, brownies, popsicles, you name it!  And so when I'm shopping, if it sounds good I buy it in hopes of eating something.  And as soon as I get home, my stomach churns at the thought of it. 

And with all this aversion to food, you'd think I'd lose a few LBs.  No such luck.  My weight has stayed the same, and now my silly chub covered belly is already sticking out!

BUT...

even with all the sick and tired and complaining, I'm one of the happiest gals around!  We are so excited to add this little bitty to our family.  He/she (won't know the sex for another month or so) was moving around and kicking so much it looked like he/she was running in place! 

And when we got home, Noah told me, "Mommy, Noah have a baby in my belly too!" 

I said, "You do!  That's wonderful!"

He said, "And baby comes out outside and play outside."

I thought that sounded like a good plan. 

Later he said, "Momma, Noah a baby!"

I said, "Really?  Are you sure?"

He said, "Noooooo!  Silly Noah!"

He's such a funny kid.  He keeps looking under my shirt for this baby that we talk about.  I wonder what he'll think when my belly really starts to grow!

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Well, I have much to catch up on!  A camping trip from August, a trip to the state fair with Chocolate and Vanilla, new paintings and silly Noah-isms.  AND.. I will do my best to add a little creative inspiration here and there for you with all these holidays coming up!

Hope you're all well and happy too!



happy birthday to me (31!) and a camping trip

Abe's family has had a long tradition of camping at a little place called Lyman Lake hidden in the Uintas.  They do this every year over Labor Day weekend.  Well, being as my birthday is the 5th of September, it always lands on or around Labor Day weekend.  So...  I get to have a new birthday tradition!  I get to be surrounded by Abe's family, extended family and family friends in a beautiful mountain hideaway all the while being serenaded with "Happy Birthday" and feasting upon lovely cake experimentations.  (last year was a twinkie cake, this year a half smashed lemon cake... both delicious!). 

And while I don't particularly enjoy freezing my tooties off (it's cold up there this time of year) in a tent on my birthday, I wouldn't trade the experience!  It has truly made my last few birthdays very memorable and it always brings a smile to my face when I think of them.

I'm very lucky to have such wonderful in-laws.  And I don't say this just because they might read this.  I truly mean it.  They are sweet, kind, loving, supportive, fun, silly and I really feel so lucky to have them in my life!

With that said, here are some pictures:

(click to enlarge)

Dirty faces are a must while camping

Abe, Noah and cousin Charlotte out on the lake

Fun with cousins

Some of the group

More cousin fun

Noah and I getting warm by the fire

Jumping on the air mattress in the tent in hopes of warming up!

A fun and very short little camping trip!  We ended up leaving the next day, cutting our trip short, due to plummeting temperatures.  So I spent the night of my birthday in my warm, comfy bed at home!

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In shop news, get ready for a super fun Halloween series of prints coming very soon!

new items and set sale deadline

Hello!  Yes, I'm blogging again and 3 weeks haven't even passed by!

I'm starting to get back into the swing of things and it feels really great!

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So... I finally have my little birthday cards listed for sale in the shop!

My sweet sister who lives far, far away on the east coast has been asking to buy some for so long and I am just now getting around to posting them.  So thank you, Jensina, for the motivational "push"!  I needed it!

They come in a set of 6 (3 blondes and 3 brunettes) or in singles.  And they all come with coordinating Kraft brown envelopes!  I don't know what it is about Kraft paper, but I LOVE it!  So cute!

You can find the cards for sale HERE.

I also have more paper products coming soon, but those will probably not make they're debut for another few weeks.  But they are DARLING, if I do say so myself!  I guess that's a good thing, right?  You'd better love what you sell or you probably won't be able to sell it!

And as far as the current Set Sale, it will be ending VERY soon so you'd better hurry!

It will be ending this week! 
Wednesday, Sept 1st is the last day
 and you'll have until 9pm MST
that night to make your final purchases with the sale prices!
That's the latest I can go because a gal needs her beauty rest!
So click HERE for the Set Sale!

It has been a very successful sale (excited squeal!) and we are most grateful to all of you for your wonderful support, encouragement and kind words!  Thank you, thank you!  I love being a "working artist" and that's only possible when you actually sell your artwork and are motivated to keep creating!  So thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts!

noah's room and a feature in TIME magazine

So I know in my last post I said I'd have my next post up in a week, but....  I didn't.  What a crazy month!  My brother has moved in with us temporarily, school has started so I'm watching my niece, Della, again, and... I have some wonderfully fabulous news that's making me go cookoo that I will share with you in the next few weeks!

A feature in TIME

So... first things first, I have to share some very exciting news I woke up to today.  I got a message from a fellow Etsy seller that Etsy was featured in TIME Magazine and my shop was mentioned specifically!!!  Click HERE to see for yourselves!

What happy news and I'm so flattered to be mentioned!  Especially when there are sooooooo many darling shops that fit into the Family & Kids category!  Yay for great publicity!!

A tour of Noah's room

So the other thing I was planning on showing you is a few pictures of how my artwork has been displayed.  Hopefully this will give you ideas and some courage to decorate with fun and happy artwork.

Noah's room is FULL of artwork!  I have the originals hanging all over and he loves it!  He talks and points and names and sings songs about all of the artwork in his room.  Not only is it cute and fun, but it's a real learning tool for kids.

Here are the photos (click on photos to enlarge):

Here I have displayed the construction set.

I used frames made of "reclaimed" looking wood.  Super cute!

Here is the rescue set.

I used matching black frames for these, though I have a friend who framed them in white and that looked fabulous too!

Here are six of the animals.

I LOVE how this grouping turned out!  These originals are 11x14 so they are a little bigger than my usual 8x10 size.  I used unfinished wood frames and stained them with a dark walnut color.

Here's a photo from a lovely customer who was so kind to send me pictures of how the prints she purchased look in her baby nursery.

This is my very favorite way to frame the prints!  With bright white matting and black frames, I think they really pop!

Thank you, Jennifer, for the darling photos!

The sale on sets is still going on at the shop, but not for too much longer!

Only a few more days!!

So head on over to the shop and get a head start on Christmas this year!

new print sets and a SALE!

Yay for print sets!
We are celebrating our new print sets by having an

End of Summer
Print Set Sale!

Here are the sets we have available now:

This first set is comprised of the newest print additions to the PP family:

Each print is also available seperately.

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Safari Set

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All prints in each set are available seperately as well.

The sale is featuring drastically reduced prices on just the print sets.  It's a great deal because you already get a price break for buying the prints in a set!

We've been working on getting this together for quite a while, so we're super excited to finally be able to offer it!

So come on over to the shop and enjoy the

End of Summer Sale on Sets!

Next week I'll be giving a tour of Noah's room where he has several of these sets so you can see how they look together framed. 

where has my summer gone?

Wow!  Life has been SUPER busy!  Why is summer always so darn busy??  Isn't it the time to relax on a hammock with a glass of pink lemonade and a bowl of fresh strawberries?  Where are the lazy days of summer that I so long for?

I had made plans with my dearest friend, Annie, to ride the train down with Noah and meet her at The Gateway in downtown SLC periodically so that our kids could run through the fountain and we could have much needed friend time. 

 Well, much needed friend time opportunities have whizzed right past me and now it seems that our "much needed" time has turned into "desperately needed" time. 
I miss my tall, skinny friend.  I love her so.
She always loves me no matter how bad I screw up.  She is silly and funny and the sweetest person I know.

Here is my dearest friend pictured with me on my wedding day in 2007:

I miss you, Lez!

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At least with all the busy days, I've had a bit of productive time.

We are introducing some of our newest Print Sets to be available in the shop in the upcoming days!

I've had SO MANY requests for these prints at print-set prices, so we just had to oblige!

I will be introducing the sets as soon as we can make them available to purchase.

another boutique!

So I mentioned in my previous post that I'd give you more info about the

And it's not just "Pickled" stuff, there's LOTS of amazing vendors selling there!

You can go to Sassy's blog HERE to see a small sampling.

Here are the details:

click HERE for directions

(house is actually about 1,000 feet west of the point on the map)

So come by and do some shopping! 

(Only 4 1/2 months until Christmas!  Eeek!)

Should be super fun, I can't wait to do some shopping myself!

And some cupcake eating...  that's reason enough!

Hope to see you there!

{ yard sale and boutique(s) }

We are having a

yard sale and a mini boutique
at our home
tomorrow!

I'm super excited to pass on a lot of fun stuff!  We have a bunch of great stuff that's difficult to part with, but if it's been in storage for a year (or more), then it is time.

We just hope it can all go to happy new homes!

AND

The boutique part will, of course, have my art prints and various handmade paper goods along with some so fun shelves and such from Abe's woodshop!

We will also have a

lemonade

& sweets stand

(source)

So come on over if you're in the area! 

It will be held tomorrow

Saturday, July 17th

8am and go until 1pm
(or later if things are still moving)

We're in Layton
on Antelope Drive a mile or so east of Hill Field Road.

And speaking of boutiques...

We are now featuring my prints, some paper goods and shelves in a brand new permenant boutique up in Logan, UT called

Violet Hill
755 North Main
Logan, UT 84321
1pm-8pm Tues-Fri
10am-7pm Saturday

Darling Alex and Courtney have put together such an amazing assortment of consigners, you just have to see it!

Grand opening is also tomorrow July 17th

And yet another boutique
The Sassy Cupcake
 will be featuring the same affore mentioned goods of ours in South Weber next week!

Here is their blog.

(more details to come)

So lot's of exciting stuff happening!

Please swing by our yard sale / boutique!
Even if it's just to say hello!
We'd love to see you!