Yesterday I got the kids (BOTH!) off to school on the bus. It was my son’s first day riding the school bus to go to all day school. The weather for an important picture day was sooo not cooperating. It was rainy and dark (gorg this morning… dang the luck!) but that didn’t dampen spirits at all! I was so totally excited about my first day since having kids that they would both be in school all day, he was excited to be going and so was she. 

But after the bus pulled up and I watched his little feets get on the bus, and they found a seat and didn’t wave goodbye… then I was sad. SO BIG  but I’m happy that they were both that comfortable heading to school. 

At least they were happy to see me when they got home 

and let me take a much better picture lol.

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This weekend DH and I took a little time away and went to our local monthly Antique Fair, it happens the last Sunday of the month April – September. I like going and seeing if I can find any treasures  I only ended up buying a funky yellow and white necklace this go but I did see some weird and funny things that I have to share. 

An old Rickshaw! I’ve never seen the like at the fair… or the 2 peddle bike ice cream wagons that were parked along with this. I can’t help kinda wanting it.

Rocking horse? No no no, if you want to be fashionable, buy your child a rocking goat! Complete with tin can for chewing and horns that might be in the perfect position to poke eyes.

Have to have the token attempt at commercialism with tin lawn decor. My son would go gaga if I brought home yellow bird, black bird or 1 of the pigs that was available.

These were all over the fair and I hadn’t seen them before! Click the pic to see it bigger and read the signs. They were funny! I have probably 4 more pics of some of those lol.

and the pièce de résistance…

a life size wood carving of an ostrich. Yes, an ostrich. I couldn’t get a full shot it was so big and indoors in a narrow aisle but I tried. It got me a weird look from the booth owner who I told “its really cool! Though I have no idea what I’d do with it” and she raised an eye brow and said “you don’t ‘do’ anything with it, just admire it.”

Touché booth owner, touché.

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heh

Not the greatest drawing ever but it took about 15 mintues so take it for the funny vs the artistic skillz. 

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Yesterday I was devastated with a fever… devastated as in brain was frying and I was in charge of the munchkin parade around here. Brain function was next to nothing yet to keep myself from falling asleep and then having the parade turn into a war zone I cleaned about everything. Weird, eh? Today all I want to do is to settle down like my Dude up there and take a nap, 2 hours of getting in trouble will tucker a person out lol. The fever is down but not gone though I can function thru that.

Don’t we miss the days when we could just plop down for a snooze when we needed to? Ah to be a 5 year old

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The storm held off yesterday until shots rang out in salute and the drops grew steady and forlorn as taps echoed. The rain reflected the feeling of the last week and though we were all wet nothing could have been more appropriate to hide the tears than the sky’s own. 

I’m glad the goodbyes and ceremonies are over but it doesn’t make me miss him less. His passing did bring unexpected gifts in closing old wounds best forgotten but hard to let go of. Hopefully its a long lasting gift and sets things to right in the long run. 

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Grandpa and me in 1982

Last week my grandpa passed away at 93 years old. He had always impressed me with how much one man can do in one life. But as we went thru his papers and pictures my opinion of him only grew as I learned more about him. Some people maybe more worried about what you can inherit when a family member passes away but I want to learn from him and take those lessons with me as they are the most valuable things, besides memories, you can have. 

You can be anything you want to be.

Grandpa was a WWII veteran, father of 4, member of many lodges and organizations, he owned with my grandmother a steel construction company and put up huge buildings, he was a teacher, and though he never attended he was accepted to law school at a point in his life that most people wouldn’t even consider applying. He worked hard for each and every one of these things and it paid off.

Live life to the fullest.

We found a lot of pictures of my grandpa with so many friends, family and doing things you wouldn’t expect (dancing in tights and tutus with fellow lodge members is my fav pic). Everyone can get mired down in the day to day that they don’t think of all the awesome opportunities out there. I want to have pictures that my kids won’t be able to explain (tutu?!) because we had fun and lived!

Keep your humor.

Grandpa did a lot and went thru a lot. He earned his purple heart; He had and beat cancer more than once; He had multiple heart attacks; He was the last member of his generation left in our family. But I always remember him with a smile, a hug, and he was always good for a smart ass quip. He told you like it was but from him you never minded it. I want to be like that.

Thursday we’ll be going to Fort Custer National Cemetery to bury him with full military honors as someone who was as great as him deserved. If everyone strove to be as great as my grandfather just think what the world could be. 

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Coming back from CHA I had a whirlwind and a half to do and deal with (which was fab btw) and while I’m good at making the To Do list I wasn’t actually taking my To Do list and “scheduling” it. There is a difference between knowing you have an empire state building tall list of things that need to be done and a plan for getting them done. Before I would work until really really late trying to knock as many things off that list as possible then get up the next day to add more and do it again. 

Was that the smartest course of action? At the time I thought so. Got to get it done, right?

Then on our last day in Chicago we stopped by the Dick Blick store. I swear I heard angels sing as we pulled up and walked in. All the actual art stores in my area have closed. We just have big box Michael’s, Hobby Lobby and JoAnns. While I like them they aren’t Art Stores. There’s a difference. *sniffsniffartsnobsniff*

I found this 5 Days a Week pad of paper in some of the tables with fun odds and ends up front and almost didn’t get it but I’m seriously glad I did. After I got it home it was like a light bulb moment! I took my giant To Do list and broke it down across the days of the week. Do you know how mentally freeing it is to know that by the end of the week it will all be done? AND if I get today’s stuff done I’m done for the day?! What?! 

OMG we have a winner! I might take days off now, have more time to craft, read more books… I don’t know, just do other stuff!

The pad is funny and perfect. I don’t usually keep my lists on paper (whiteboard and phone/tablet) but while I still have those master lists going this pad is my new bestie. The side of the pad says its from Knock Knock Stuff.com so if you want one of other stuff there ya go. No paid plug or anything (though if they want to ship me more pads who am I to argue) I just love this thing and what it means for my sanity

So spill! How do you keep yourself organized and sane?

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Last July I did a post showing the Before and After of my new Office/Studio space. Its gotten a ton of views and someone suggested that since a year has passed that I have a little update and talk about what has changed. 

Above is the current set up in my space. It doesn’t look a whole lot different than it did last year over all but there is a few noticeable changes. First is my stamp wall on the right. I’m short a few there and its grown past its boundries lol. 

Also I’ve rearranged a few little things like added the holder for my stamps and another stamp pad holder as I got a few of the Memento dew Drops that needed a home  

I’ve added this little silver basket for things that need to be put away but just need to be off my desk. Not too big so when it fills I can’t keep going and have to empty it. The condiment carousel on the left I got a clearance from Target. Not sure what i want to do with it yet though. I’m thinking a washi tape/twine holder but still need to figure it out. 

These hold all of my 6×6 pads and papers that I cut down to 6×6 sorted by color. I like being able to grab one flip thru and put it back. They came from the Target $1 section. On the left is my Prisma Color Pencils. I haven’t gotten a lot of play time with these yet but I’m sure we can fix that ;)

This is probably the biggest change. The top drawer here used to be all my 12×12 sticker and embellie sheets and my paper pads along with extra paper pads and books with all the photo stuff in the bottom drawer. I moved the 12×12 stuff to the storage cubes under the desk and put my paper pads with the photo stuff below. Then I moved all my “need at hand” tools to the top drawer so they are right there. I like them there vs on the caddy on my desk where they used to be. 

The Office side of my space has gotten the biggest amount of change. If I had done this post in early July there wouldn’t be alot to show but after CHA I had those lovely shoe cabinets that just NEEDED to be in my office. NEEDED. 

The just went in a few days ago so I don’t have them organized completely but they hold my paper work, files and all that good stuff. It gave me room to put my sketch books within easy reach as well as just a better spot for the odds and ends. My momiji dolls and Nick Fury have a new home too Not to mention I did a make over on my office chair, much more comfy!

Lastly my monitor got an upgrade to a touchscreen big ol 23 incher and its on a swivel arm so I can easily push it out of the way for packing orders or general mess making. It will also swivel all the way around so I can watch Hulu on it from the other side of my desk. My old monitor is still here though! It was mounted on the wall to my right and is where I put my internet tunes/podcasts/shows while I work. I also ditched my regular mouse for a Wacom Bamboo.

Most everything else is still the same The stamps have almost filled up the first unit I had for storing them and we have another, both bought at the antique fair for a dirt cheap price, that now sits just under the edge of my desk. I also switched out my old Copic holder for my Copic Bag that i still adore to pieces even though its almost a year old as well The Pear that I keep my refills in IS full so I’m looking for a friend for him. So far no luck but I still have a couple trips to the antique fair this year to try

I think that’s it! Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions about the system I use. I heart my space though, as I’m sure we all do, I wish it was a smidge bigger lol. 

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Testify! 

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Now that its not 110 degrees and my brain is more than a slop of mush in my skull things are starting to get finished up around here. Yesterday was the first day it wasn’t hot enough to cook yourself by stepping outside and we don’t have full on AC just one window unit that struggled so I was finally able to apply the vinyl for the booth!

Above is our logo.

I started with that one as it was smaller and let me practice before attempting giant Kaylee.

The kids decided they had to come out and watch giant Kaylee be put up, also it was only in the mid 80s which felt like 60 after the heat, so they were happy not to be cooped up.

That’s my little artist She writes her own songs and her own books that she then illustrates and she does dance class. LOVE HER! She stole my pencil though lol.

Giant Kaylee was a smidge bigger than the wall so we thought her face was more important than both feet. Whose going to be checking out her feet anyways?  These went on a lot easier than I thought and it makes for a big impact! I’m really happy with the money spent though DH needs to quit checkin out Kaylee so hard core… I might get jealous lol. This week is going to be NUTS so I hope everyone is ready for the ride!

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