Slacker

I know I have been the worst about keeping up this blog, but lately things are getting busier and busier!!!  All in a good way but my blog has become last on my list.  I imagine things will not slow down until after Christmas, am I right?  Do all of you feel this way?  

One exciting thing for us at Novel. is that this time of year means lots of Holiday Shows!!!!  We have many fun events ahead and one happens to be today at Fleur in Raleigh, NC!!  So if any of you live there or have friends or family in Raleigh, then head on over to the trunk show going on today!!!!  Lots of new goodies from Blue Chickadee, Library, Balboa and Bon Vivant!!!  

In case you are wondering here is a list of our upcoming events so you can mark your calendars!

Thursday, November 8-Fleur-Raleigh, NC

Wednesday, November 14-Mom's house-Columbia, SC

Thursday, December 6-Balboa Showroom-Spatanburg, SC

Friday, December 7-NOVEL. Showroom King Street Walk-Charleston, SC

Thursday, December 13-Van Jean-Columbia, SC

Friday, December 14-NOVEL. Showroom-Charleston, SC

Now on to what I have been up too these past couple of weeks.  Basically I have been eating and drinking my way through!  Ridiculous how many pictures I had on my phone of food!!!  

Lets start with this ridic side of beets adapted from Jamie Oliver.

Smoked Beets...yes please

Step One

Last Step

Roasted Potatoes

Grilled Romaine

Roasted Tomatoes

Finally got to try out  Butcher & Bee here in Charleston on Upper King Street.  Man was it worth the wait!!!  I had the Pulled Squash sandwich, sounds odd, and it was, but it was mouth watering good!  The squash had been pickled as well as BBQ'd if I remember correctly.  Anyway, yum!  You should go!  Things for vegetarians and meat lovers!!!

Pulled Squash Sandwich

Now I was also painting in between my binge eating.

Finally finished and shipped off this beauty to NYC this week.  It's going in a baby girl's nursery.  I cannot wait to see it hanging!

Working on a few little side projects for a friend.  

I can't disclose just yet but it will be worth the wait!!!

And to end it all, I got to meet up with some old college buddies!!!  How fun is it to laugh so hard your stomach muscles hurt?  Can't wait til the next time!

Hoping to get better at this blogging thing, but making no promises:)  Have a great weekend!!

Sleep Tight

"Good night, sleep tight.  Don't let the bedbugs bite."  Do y'all say this?  I have shortened it to "sleep tight" when I tell my boys goodnight but what exactly does that mean?  Sleep well?  Sleep tight under your covers?

 Cut to the chase already. This post is about beds.  What kind of bed do you sleep in?  Does everyone have a king?  We just got a new king bed (delivered while we were out of town the other week. We got home from the airport at 11 PM to find our mattress and box springs leaning against the wall of our bedroom in plastic wrap..I'm not kidding.  And no bed frame.  Soooo not what I wanted to deal with after 8 hours of air travel with 2 uncooperative children-another story:) ) Any who, back to the important matter.  We need a headboard.  I need help with this.  Trying to figure out shape and fabric to cover it.  There are so many options out there thanks to Pinterest but I just can't narrow it down.  I'll show you what I've been loving lately...

1.via

This is a cool shape.  I think you could go bold or go with a subtle patterned fabric with this shape. It's definitely in the running!  

2.via

This is a nice classic, tailored look.  I may want a little more oomph though?!

3.via

This I love, love, love!  The fabric and the unique shape of the headboard.  Such a cool look too against that textured grasscloth wall!

4. via

This comes across very soothing and subtle.  Maybe it's due to the fact that the room itself is decorated in kind of neutral tones.  I like things a little more bright and vibrant but the shape of the headboard could look cool with a patterned fabric.

5. via

Love this one too.  That fabric is a favorite of mine in every color!  I'm liking the idea of a patterned headboard with all white bedding.

6. via

Love this one although I do believe it is twin headboards pushed together, but still loving the wavy design!  That fabric is pretty rockin' too!

7.  via

An all time favorite!!!!  Love the shape, the fabric, color and the whole vibe of the bedroom!

So tell me which is YOUR favorite???

Also sheets.  Where do you buy your sheets?  What thread count should I get??  We have used sheets that were given to us for our wedding or either "old timey" hand me down sheets that I swear were my grandparents for our queen bed ( that we swear was really a double.)  I know plenty of people sleep in doubles and queens and some say it makes a marriage stronger but in this case, I'm dealing with a 92 on a scale of 1 to 10 for snoring-sorry babe- so in our case a king needed to happen:)  In fact the other night I woke up to a freight train or was it snoring, and I did my typical move of reaching over with a forceful arm/fist/hit and I completely whiffed.  I hit mattress.  For once out bed is so big that I can't even hit reach him from my side:)  I will admit it made me smile.  You know I love my hubby but I also love my space.  Wow I am Chatty Cathy today.  Now you know way more than you ever needed too about our sleeping situation.  I think I should end this post now before I write a novel, but do tell me your favorite headboard and sheet recs if you get the chance!!! 

Muchas Gracias! 

Recent Works

As promised (for those interested) here are a few recent works I have completed.     Finally I have had a few spare moments to paint just to paint!  Hope you like what you see!  All of these shown are available for purchase.

(1) 12"x12" (each)

acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

(2) 16"x20"

acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

(3) 36"x36"

acrylic on canvas

SOLD

(4) 36"x36"

acrylic on canvas

(5) 16"x20"

acrylic on watercolor paper

(6) 30"x30"

acrylic on student grade canvas

Anyone catching onto my color of the moment???

Hint: It's been used in all but one painting...

*Should you have any interest in purchasing one, please message me under the "contact me" tab on the top of the page!

(prices generally range between $100-$325)

Shopping Cart

What an absolutely gorgeous weekend it was!!  Agreed?  The weather was, in my book, the most perfect weather...football day kind of weather!!!  We spent a lot of time outside riding bikes, watching football on the back porch, little ones soccer game and ended it all with an oyster roast.  I also did some rifling through my "old" Fall clothes to see what was missing and what needs to go.  In so doing, I of course started perusing all of my favorite online shopping sites.  Here's what's in my cart....Wish that money tree we planted out back would start dropping it's leaves:)

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

So tell me some of your stylish Fall finds!  What am I missing???  What are some musts for this year???  

 And promise to put some more recent pics of some paintings I have been working on this week.  Happy Monday!!!

Just Playin

You haven't heard from me in a while...again.  I apologize.  Family trip to celebrate my father in law's heart surgery recovery happened over the boys Fall Break so I decided to take a break too.  The fam (the WHOLE fam including grandparents/ children/grandchildren-10 of us in all) ventured down to the Turks + Caicos for "a little fun in the sun" or should I rephrase that and say "a little vomit in a la commode." (Not me of course because I will do anything not to throw up.  I have that phobia for real.   I held a shirt over my face to resist the urge.)  It was horrible.  Horrible Horrible... six in all went down.

Its true....The Griswolds live on!   At least we had a stunning view to look at after lifting our heads up off the bathroom floor?  Could have been worse is what we kept telling each other.  Could it have been?  Yes.  It could have but it definitely felt like we were dying and to me that is up there with the worst.  So now that you know that our trip wasn't all smooth sailing , you can move past any jealous thoughts and now I can show you some fun pics from our time down there....

I'll start with this gorgeous view



and then these three precious badgers

now lets move on to the real stuff
my zany father in law

I think there may be some under water pinching going on????

This little guy learned to swim... 

up to something...

Euro baby:)

My adorable nephew with his momma

Lots of this happening - I cannot stand to get wet before I'm ready to get wet you know.  Well, gone are those days.  Cannonball city.

And I'll end with this sweet picture from our last night-haha!

This is  a "please don't put your hand on my hair while we take this picture!!!!!!!!!#%$^%$^$^#"  and he's saying without saying "Oh My **&^((& lets get this over with!&^&%&"

Fun Family Times!!!

I'll check back in tomorrow with a few new pieces I have been working on that are for SALE!!!!

Keeping Up

I have been really bad about keeping up in general but mainly keeping up with documenting my work as I go.  I am such a immediate gratification type of girl, so once I finish something I package it, ship it  and take no pictures.  I'm trying to be better.  So I thought I would share with you a few things I have completed over the last two weeks. 

 Also, I feel the need to acknowledge that  my art may seem random since it ranges from children's pieces to more abstract work, but it's one of those things that has come full circle for me.  Abstract painting was my focus all along in college, but once I had Little R, I needed some paintings for his nursery so I started what is now Blue Chickadee.   I guess within the last year I got my hand back into abstract pieces and I'm SOOO  happy I did!!!  It is so much fun to feel so free!!  

I'll start with a few pieces I did for some nurseries...

14"X18"

9"x12"

Painting for children's rooms led to painting totes to use as diaper bags (then onto bubbles, bloomers and bibs).  These here are more for the momma but I also paint them for the kiddos with animal silhouettes like the paintings.

This is my favorite

and up close

And here are a few abstract pieces that have no been shipped-woohooo!!!!

 36"X36"

 

36"X36"

a few up close shots

Earlier this week my boys were dying to paint so we broke out the watercolors and went to town..

with no clothes on of course.

I peeked over Little R's shoulder and could not believe his piece!!!  Loving how free he was with his paint instead of trying to "make something" like he usually does.  This one is going to need a frame!

Both the boys work.  

I love that they like to paint as much as their momma!!!

BTW, Little R said this bottom piece is of the planets...I spy Saturn.