Vision for my bedroom

I don't know about you but my bedroom seems to be an afterthought as far as decorating and keeping it clean. I hope to change this. We have lived in our new house for over a year now and I still haven't painted over the old dingy antique cream color in there. I have been pinning a few images of what I envision for the space. I am still thinking white or light gray blue walls just because I need the room I sleep in to be very calm and restful. Maybe by talking about it and recording some images here it will help me get on the ball and make some changes. Cheap changes too. Like paint and using art/frames that I already have. The biggest cost I see having would be investing in a beautiful rug and maybe a chair.

 I love the above photo because of the whimsical sticks framing the bed. It's very impractical though, and my husband would hate it. The pillows are fluffy and inviting and the antique mirror is so pretty. This bedroom appeals to my grandma side.

 I love the circular gold mirror in this photo. It is classy and adds a little shine to the space. The black chair keeps the space grounded. I have a corner in my room that a chair like this would work perfectly in. An upholstered chair would be better in my opinion though. Also the wall color is spot on. Love this.

 This rug is so fun! It looks fluffy and so soft to step onto. I would love a huge rug like this under my bed but I bet it would cost an arm and a leg. I have two of each so maybe I could sacrifice one limb...

 This room is elegant and restful but a little boring? It needs a pop of color in the form of an accent pillow or something. Maybe some artwork or a brighter rug like the one below? I like the overall feel of this room though. It is clean restful and has some cozy elements.

I love this rug. If anyone wants to buy me one. That is all.

All of these pins can be found on my pinterest page. Follow me here

Happy Friday!

My Blogging Hiatus is Over

I'm ready to pick blogging back up.  I'm at a place in my life where I think I can handle some consistent blogging. Just to catch you all up on a few things that have happened in the past few years:

I now have two little boys: Sammy who is 3 and James who is 1.

We moved from North Carolina back to Tennessee

I stay at home with my little guys and I wouldn't have it any other way

I've been painting a lot in between naps, meals, cleaning, cooking, and playing superheroes

I feel like I'm in such a good place right now as far as my role as a mother and wife and also an artist.

I am still just one person with lots of dreams, ups and downs,  and more laundry than I would like to admit.

Here are some recent pictures of my world.

James as a newborn Nov 2012

James and Sammy Summer 2013

My worlds

Frosting this past week

James turns 1 

Recent abstract

Still life floral

In the works

I would just like to say thank you to all my readers who have not unfollowed me due to no postings for the past year and a half! I would love to hear from any of you to see how you've been!

Thankful for

I am thankful for....

God's grace
My son
My husband
The new baby growing in my belly
Lazy weekends
Spontaneous trips to the pool
Watching my 2 year old ride his new bike
The sunshine
The green green trees
My health
My family's health
Morning coffee
Peanut butter toast
Ice cream
Summer
Watching Sammy chase butterflies
Quiet mornings
Hot showers
The cool evenings lately
Watching my little boy grow
Watching my belly grow
Walks and Exercise
Fresh strawberries, cherries, and melon
People who buy my paintings :)

Two years old

I love my 2 year old boy. He keeps me on my toes, makes me laugh, makes my heart melt when he says I love you mommy, and I just want to stop time sometimes so I can engrave these moments into my brain. Here are a few things I want to remember.

- Everything you want right now has to be blue....blue bicycle, blue sucker, blue shirt, blue flashlight, blue eyes.

- When we ask how old you are you say" I'm 2 old!"

- You have really smelly little boy feet

- You ran for a half mile without stopping at the cape fear trail on Saturday. People were cheering you on and smiling at you. I was out of breath and wanted to walk! I was also so impressed with my little athlete.

- Ever since I bought a bag of dum dum suckers you have asked me for one every 10 seconds. I am about to throw the rest out!

- You refuse to try the little potty.

- you love lemoniade, broccoli, ice cream, pickles, olives, apricots, apples with no skin, and chocolate milk

- You insist on doing everything yourself, including pouring your own milk, stirring your own chocolate milk, taking off your shoes, climbing into bed, getting in and out of your car seat, and so much more. Your desire to be independent is sometimes exhausting but it is also admirable and I am so proud.

-You threw a tantrum in the post office the other day where instead of holding my hand your body went completely limp and you started screaming " I want to hit mommy with a bat!" over and over.....um thats not cool. I know we've been playing a lot of T-ball lately, but wanting to hit me?  I was sort of embarrassed I mean what two year old wants to do that to his mommy. I was also trying not to laugh. I took you out to the car until you stopped crying and then we went back in.

-You are more strong-willed than anyone I've ever met. You will be a leader someday.

-When daddy's truck pulls up you run to the door screaming "daddy daddy daddy!!!!!" Then you hug him and say I wuv you daddy.

- You like daddy's tools, his drill, his hammers, his phone, pretty much everything in the garage. The garage is also a dangerous and off limits place for you since you have no fear.

- You love robots, elmo, balls, running, the pool, and giant spoons from the kitchen.

Sammy you are the best little boy we could have asked for. You are such a gift and you made me a mother. I love you so so so much!

Life Happens

Taken a few weeks before we were sick, my kitchen is also my art studio so things are always messy in there!

I keep meaning to write a blog post and my mind is always so jumbled with a million other things that I can't seem to narrow down exactly what I want to write about.

We've been sick here for the past two weeks from sinus infections to tonsilitis and pink eye, my goodness it's been rough. The weather has been absolutely amazing too which makes it even harder to be sick. Now that we are muddling out of the sickness and the loads of laundry and the mess (since no one loves to clean when they are under the weather) I am hopeful that it is going to be a glorious weekend full of outdoor activities and maybe some painting.

Even though I haven't felt the greatest and I've had to spend many hours holding my almost 2 year old son (since that's all he wants when he is feeling ill) I have found the time to paint. Sometimes I feel guilty but then I remember that I'm not just a mom, I am a human being with passions and hobbies. The dishes can wait, the laundry can pile up a little more and I can escape into the canvas for an hour here and there.

Here are some of my latest paintings. All available for purchase too!

Punchy

Sherbet

Wild Flowers

Ruth's Roses

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I so appreciate your company :)

I entered a Juried Art Show

So I worked up the courage to enter into a local art show in my town. I entered two paintings. And the one above got selected for the show! There were 38 paintings selected out of 133 so I felt pretty good about it. It is at the downtown Fayetteville Arts Council until the 17th I believe if you are interested in seeing it or purchasing it. 

It is called Ruth's Roses (named after my grandma Ruth of course).

I think sometimes you have to be brave even if you are unsure of yourself. 

So I don't go crazy!

( this picture has nothing to do with this post, but I thought it was pretty)

Most women, mothers and non-mothers alike, rarely take the time out of their day to pamper themselves. I have been guilty of going an absurd amount of months without getting my hair trimmed or getting a pedicure. I have found the best pampering moments can be easily achieved in the privacy of my own home! Here are a few tips I have for you busy women and moms. Things I personally do to unwind and turn off the mommy brain.

1. Make myself a nice cup of green tea or Vanilla Chai tea with honey. There is something so comforting about a nice warm cup of tea in a pretty mug. I sometimes give sammy a little hot chocolate in his mug so he feels like he is participating in the festivities. 

2. Make a homemade face mask with things in my cupboard. My favorite right now is a few teaspoons of oatmeal mixed with a teaspoon of baking soda. It doesn't get any easier. I let it sit for about 10-15 minutes( as I read a book chase Sammy around the room because he stole the box of baking soda) then I rinse with warm water, exfoliating the dead skin cells off. The baking soda is perfect for sloughing off those dead cells and your skin will be glowing afterwards! I have acne prone skin so I wouldn't recommend unless I had tried it myself. 

3. Get Moving. Working out prevents me from being crazy. When I don't work out I am more irritable and discontent with my lot in life. I have a great life too! There are tons of workouts out there online, on tv, in magazines. My favorite thing to do though is walk or run out in nature and you can do it while pushing little ones in the handy dandy stroller. Even if I only have 10 -20 minutes I try to get my heart pumping and some fresh air. 

4.  A warm bath at the end of the day! Nothing is better for my soul than a warm bath. Add some bath salts or some bubbles (sometimes I even use the lavender nighttime baby soap from my son's stash!). Bath time is completely my time. My husband is in charge of the little one. I don't have to share the bathroom with anyone and I am a better mother because I get this special time to myself :)