tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40339179664464114602024-03-05T10:52:13.495-08:00Watercolor Works and MoreThis is a blog that is mostly about the More with tidbits of watercolors sprinkled throughout and other great finds on Etsy and other sites.palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-62973547375528822512010-07-17T17:02:00.000-07:002010-07-17T17:05:32.104-07:00Single White PeonyIt has been really difficult painting and I think I was having painter's block problems. I have recently started doing freelance writing and that has kept me really busy. But what has been amazing is that it got me motivated to paint more and work on all my other projects! I thought that I would have less time because of the writing and instead it seems I have more. This new painting, I finished in record time and it's called, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/51737367/original-watercolor-painting-a-single">"A Single White Peony"</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLs974IQZ-4onKn5xi2uH1thyphenhyphenp75NYTxweZujxS0ioLIiS0wizytB4i4upl5d8JnOzNvcBaX7eWTAAftawUvBbqcFLLBUDKz71Uzzi3wbZfyasRu1qJ9ZwhCeQSUbBSRT04kYFEmCjxGy6/s1600/peony+2010110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLs974IQZ-4onKn5xi2uH1thyphenhyphenp75NYTxweZujxS0ioLIiS0wizytB4i4upl5d8JnOzNvcBaX7eWTAAftawUvBbqcFLLBUDKz71Uzzi3wbZfyasRu1qJ9ZwhCeQSUbBSRT04kYFEmCjxGy6/s320/peony+2010110.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Took me about 3 days off and on to complete it. I really need to invest in some new paints but I am trying to use up my old supplies before I do that. Anyway, I was happy with how it turned out. I love to do white flowers in watercolor. It's strange because I have a lot of trouble doing white dogs, must be the fur. My next project, I'm thinking grapes!palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-60267983702535806762010-06-02T13:04:00.000-07:002010-06-02T13:11:38.992-07:00Soulful Eyes, A New Cat Painting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I finally finished my new cat painting, an original watercolor called, "Soulful Eyes". It's a painting of my cat and it took quite awhile to finish it. Between my son and my dietary problems, plus I am also writing articles online, learning to play the guitar and just trying to keep up with the usual household duties, it's a wonder I have any time to paint at all. I just took some great shots of a white clematis growing on my arbor outside and I hope I can start a painting on that soon. <br />
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Here are the various stages of "Soulful Eyes".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHpSJLVNnDW_eHVI_d5B1vmlFdCJsUZzN0lgrbYpUqxtSD66TfsDIthbl_m1h08kN9SFYgziPKcv4JQ0JFIYw6MRrNZr8gP1cuyKZiyRdXg9diqYEi7UUv6jw0UohDNX8Dud1KmwiKc3t/s1600/soulfuleyessmall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHpSJLVNnDW_eHVI_d5B1vmlFdCJsUZzN0lgrbYpUqxtSD66TfsDIthbl_m1h08kN9SFYgziPKcv4JQ0JFIYw6MRrNZr8gP1cuyKZiyRdXg9diqYEi7UUv6jw0UohDNX8Dud1KmwiKc3t/s320/soulfuleyessmall.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEY6j4t2wkUFQohkUIikxr8u8eJOpl-Vh_SYah1zqlmwgCLi8kDL5Y7Ln2KTQ21vMVyUGtRAffO-Lmv4lsrT2r-3ZWzFBshn-pXtkuOpu6akRn7PNhZ1JWadxlxYJ0zI8WGp0E1TFkdWE/s1600/soulfuleyes3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEY6j4t2wkUFQohkUIikxr8u8eJOpl-Vh_SYah1zqlmwgCLi8kDL5Y7Ln2KTQ21vMVyUGtRAffO-Lmv4lsrT2r-3ZWzFBshn-pXtkuOpu6akRn7PNhZ1JWadxlxYJ0zI8WGp0E1TFkdWE/s320/soulfuleyes3.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3nvabPmxT0AiXz5OT6lM_uumJ7zz94eKCwt4AaQLGJ_qW87RyfrK66802mkZT6vJyBwZexNUX752OQ49TE2QWSwJpS7cS85Kcq2YsOxjkJnK_oVZFsMdfKqknDnxh8YhE7nxGLjCjIaK/s1600/reflectiveeyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3nvabPmxT0AiXz5OT6lM_uumJ7zz94eKCwt4AaQLGJ_qW87RyfrK66802mkZT6vJyBwZexNUX752OQ49TE2QWSwJpS7cS85Kcq2YsOxjkJnK_oVZFsMdfKqknDnxh8YhE7nxGLjCjIaK/s320/reflectiveeyes.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just listed this on my<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/48586849/original-watercolor-cat-painting-soulful"> etsy </a>site.</div>palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-57139134402595158432010-04-22T18:38:00.000-07:002010-04-22T18:38:48.186-07:00Finally A New Pembroke Welsh Corgi Painting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjapEM41c5n1pLaIsX-W0hlUmGt05GasuPDkTCdLKuoudXtSVCIhhCa3izlHarZ8y3lxsTcmD_GzqBRABDJ2UKduGejgmHABkUf3WmuPz6DiZE59AScN-f5HGG9Owb4httUnUKk76PvK-/s1600/naptime+corgi108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjapEM41c5n1pLaIsX-W0hlUmGt05GasuPDkTCdLKuoudXtSVCIhhCa3izlHarZ8y3lxsTcmD_GzqBRABDJ2UKduGejgmHABkUf3WmuPz6DiZE59AScN-f5HGG9Owb4httUnUKk76PvK-/s320/naptime+corgi108.jpg" /></a></div>I have neglected this blog way too long. My painting has been off the last several months and I thought I would try again to see what happens. Unlike other people, painting does not come easy for me. In fact, it can be a real struggle to have anything come out. I recently tried my hand at abstract with miserable results. I use to think abstract was easy. All you had to do with throw paint down on paper and that was it. Now I realize you have to know something about design and placement of things. I'm a very detailed oriented person and I think that could be a hinderance. All I know is how to paint what is in front of me and to visualize in abstract is completely foreign to my way thinking. Still, I want to keep trying. For now, I went back and painted the familiar so here is <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/45356787/original-watercolor-pembroke-welsh-corgi">"Nap Time"</a>, portrait of a corgi.palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-13743672134040660822008-11-05T11:57:00.000-08:002008-11-05T12:12:24.169-08:00Maple LeavesThings have been a little crazy around here. Just sat through watching all the elections yesterday and I'm happy that many of my candidates won. Whether they can improve the state of our economy and other issues remains to be seen but I am praying that they will provide the leadership to do what it takes to get us out of this mess. We really need some hope that tomorrow will be a better day.<br /><br />I am getting ready to paint my oldest son's bedroom. My youngest son wants to make it into a movie room so I am going to paint some movie cameras and other equipment on the walls. Right now I am just imagining what it will look like, now if I can just turn that into reality.<br /><br /><br />Did a little painting for my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16926769">etsy store</a> and it's called,"Maple Leaves".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-SaHrWuZNlWpTWK0MRKRJfjba0TFZTgiSRDjfxJQzSe1V5UEmXfQCRcmUHY2KGZ5Dhp8V5TedBfYsXlpO8jSgn7PReRTju3jRlAwsDkiq8O2WYc55FHa3jTwpd1kNDB3Q2SiF1LdY4mN1/s1600-h/mapleleaves016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-SaHrWuZNlWpTWK0MRKRJfjba0TFZTgiSRDjfxJQzSe1V5UEmXfQCRcmUHY2KGZ5Dhp8V5TedBfYsXlpO8jSgn7PReRTju3jRlAwsDkiq8O2WYc55FHa3jTwpd1kNDB3Q2SiF1LdY4mN1/s200/mapleleaves016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265268464243937170" /></a>palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-87232264053844912382008-10-21T16:14:00.000-07:002008-10-21T16:21:27.994-07:00The Economy Christmas Gift BagI decided to downsize to a gift bag which has only one set of cards, pen and chocolate candy. I also have snowman and santa bags with matching gift tags to go with it. In this economy, people are looking for better deals and less expensive gift ideas . I can print the person's name on the cards so that it will be a more personalized gift.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6j31LxYCAcFYXu5TYnowBDcUl5xJ4uTTMonus_9oJekqlZuWHk9wLameiMNITdxkpUdZGfaE-q7rZ51VdeQfM-RwlwJ25m1fDBwFzp-G0SYUqjCx6rFdbnBLnuYvPtMrjbxaXahyphenhyphenBF5v/s1600-h/snowmanbag.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6j31LxYCAcFYXu5TYnowBDcUl5xJ4uTTMonus_9oJekqlZuWHk9wLameiMNITdxkpUdZGfaE-q7rZ51VdeQfM-RwlwJ25m1fDBwFzp-G0SYUqjCx6rFdbnBLnuYvPtMrjbxaXahyphenhyphenBF5v/s200/snowmanbag.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259750657247803346" /></a><br /><br />Ready to go gift bags in my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16455703">Etsy Store</a> and I can customize them too!palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-21586405108175101812008-10-13T19:53:00.000-07:002008-10-13T20:05:08.433-07:00Christmas Gift Art BagsI decided to offer some of my cards and magnets in a gift bag as I have been getting orders from customers that buy my cards and then want them shipped to someone else. I looked at the cost effectiveness of doing gift baskets but the price of shipping these was going to be very expensive. The gift bags are a lot lighter and easier to handle. I also added a pen and some candy as some extra amenities.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixv6oChKEeH5gnAwJfa9VZ7xHGFKqlZGMEyhGg1oXvgtc_uztx3WF_qgOKqFX4wim6mj7W6BwnmRgkbf8xjm8iyWRzkr-c8lZiIaIbp3cBTQbJv1pEcdtHsIJC02GTMHz3wCyz9IzmGqUx/s1600-h/giftcellophane.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixv6oChKEeH5gnAwJfa9VZ7xHGFKqlZGMEyhGg1oXvgtc_uztx3WF_qgOKqFX4wim6mj7W6BwnmRgkbf8xjm8iyWRzkr-c8lZiIaIbp3cBTQbJv1pEcdtHsIJC02GTMHz3wCyz9IzmGqUx/s200/giftcellophane.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256839400585791730" /></a><br /><br />Check out my gift art bags in my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16189041">Etsy Store.</a>palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-1226440641838108942008-09-21T18:52:00.000-07:002008-09-21T19:14:25.789-07:00Bleak WeekThe financial crisis has been dominating the airways and it has been a pretty depressing picture. Several months back, my husband was told by different reliable sources that it would be a good idea to get his retirement money out of stocks. He went ahead and took the advice and switched most of his 401K into bonds. I don't know if that was a safe move or not. This is one heck of a mess and I am hopping mad over it. How could this problem have gotten this big and this bad without anyone sounding the alarm or doing something about it? It just boggles my mind and I am afraid that we will be mortgaging our kids future because this is a problem that is going to have years and years of negative consequences. My husband and I are 10 years out from retirement and this really has impacted us as it has every other person in this country. I have no idea what the future will hold but right now it just doesn't look good. <br /><br />I decided I needed to paint to get my mind off of this bleak week that we have had so this is my new painting called, "<a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15464885">Reflective Eyes</a>." I have a feeling I'm going to be painting a lot more than usual this fall.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAADT5CtW3JFKMvcPaJdd_YNi7JT57wzlOhxz6U5vgsMlsJoW2Vo-jSlfK0hxMpvV3DpJnkJ7kdG7zgeokJec2Vdu5izYkeJSFzf05VSOQqUGuQ9MjvEA3kS_qKa0x7oiTDSBh2T9ZDbV/s1600-h/reflective+eyes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAADT5CtW3JFKMvcPaJdd_YNi7JT57wzlOhxz6U5vgsMlsJoW2Vo-jSlfK0hxMpvV3DpJnkJ7kdG7zgeokJec2Vdu5izYkeJSFzf05VSOQqUGuQ9MjvEA3kS_qKa0x7oiTDSBh2T9ZDbV/s200/reflective+eyes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248662770669919378" /></a>palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-10461467718069873322008-09-14T13:55:00.001-07:002008-09-14T14:17:36.169-07:00What To Do Next?Now that the remodel is for the most part done, I am trying to get back into gear with spending more time on my blogging and artwork. My in-laws are due to arrive in a couple of weeks so I am organizing things in preparation for their visit. <br /><br />Friday, we went and saw the musical, "Chicago". They were doing only one show in our area so friends of ours asked us if we would like to go and of course we said yes. It was a very good show and a lot of fun. I am hoping to see more of these types of productions in the future.<br /><br />I am looking into taking guitar lessons although I am having quite a time trying to find someone locally to teach me. I even advertised on <a href="http://craigslist.org">craigslist.org</a> with no luck so far. I may have to bite the bullet and drive 40 miles to take lessons.<br /><br /> I was able to sell some of my new boutique girls clothes on craigslist.<br /><br />Another thing that I would like to learn is to speak Spanish. Through craigslist, I found someone that was willing to trade Spanish for English lessons. I contacted them but it wasn't going to work out which was disappointing.<br /><br />We have a lot of old doors and a window that were leftover from the remodel so I will be advertising them on craigslist for nothing.<br /><br />I highly recommend using this free online service. There are a ton of things on there and easy to find them locally too.palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-50204010527454576472008-09-03T11:46:00.000-07:002008-09-03T11:59:43.361-07:00Bathroom Model CompleteI just took these pictures before my bathroom became a disaster area. Since my small bathroom is being remodeled, everyone has moved into the master bath and there are towels everywhere. With clear glass shower doors, we had to treat the glass with Rain-X to keep the water deposits from building up on it. It takes about 5 minutes to squeegee the glass and the tile, then wipe everything down. My family has been beating me into the shower first so they won't have to be the last person to wipe the shower down. <br /><br />The shower looks nice but it will be more work to keep it looking that way.<br /><br />This is the old bathroom:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4viA7x3SFVQp_39CKm4hmN_F0_-Xab1Ev-WcWrSw5wYAotVks2pZjcDDE2Gt-ECr10vfpZr3L7Z-W-W1NVX1Yustrn4vqN5skmmYygq-OZ4TCsA2-CAB2fiCS8Ex4L0G6jQFzd7hqXR9V/s1600-h/oldbathroom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4viA7x3SFVQp_39CKm4hmN_F0_-Xab1Ev-WcWrSw5wYAotVks2pZjcDDE2Gt-ECr10vfpZr3L7Z-W-W1NVX1Yustrn4vqN5skmmYygq-OZ4TCsA2-CAB2fiCS8Ex4L0G6jQFzd7hqXR9V/s200/oldbathroom.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241870410302403330" /></a><br /><br />The remodeled bathroom:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh940gvVV24To58eEnWkjv5VJQbTb3KzXA-JNIcOA90XqDfjZcuABp1vazbQr3m8gF2iguDJB9IUnRrdE98Lz0N12mundQoEkw-9wmlNdX88t4TQPGgpQs_KuiHSnSqWLDg850k1OLY-2y9/s1600-h/bathroom1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh940gvVV24To58eEnWkjv5VJQbTb3KzXA-JNIcOA90XqDfjZcuABp1vazbQr3m8gF2iguDJB9IUnRrdE98Lz0N12mundQoEkw-9wmlNdX88t4TQPGgpQs_KuiHSnSqWLDg850k1OLY-2y9/s200/bathroom1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241870658263183602" /></a><br /><br />My studio is also complete. I still have to get more drawer space for it and for my walk-in closet but I am glad we are done!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakqvRW0TEYyUqhhcqi5utfJmatA06CjxZBIf7kRYA-Nk3NpTuBDDQ6IamjQVyjr4_YiohHhJ-Z7b9S0m_SiK7qWytV6rcRZK48CK08C2AFLyss7XXy-HUPAgmDkmXUh67WYnnl4YzFCn8/s1600-h/studio.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakqvRW0TEYyUqhhcqi5utfJmatA06CjxZBIf7kRYA-Nk3NpTuBDDQ6IamjQVyjr4_YiohHhJ-Z7b9S0m_SiK7qWytV6rcRZK48CK08C2AFLyss7XXy-HUPAgmDkmXUh67WYnnl4YzFCn8/s200/studio.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241870795041606562" /></a>palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-39987668189602493382008-08-26T11:27:00.000-07:002008-08-26T11:41:38.120-07:00Bedroom Remodel Almost CompleteIt has been a looong 5 months and all I can say is that the bedroom remodel is almost complete. I really like it. It came out better than I thought despite all the headaches. One of the major problems amongst many that occurred during the process was that my cabinet maker did not use the right stain on my doors and the bathroom vanity. The bedroom door sits very close to one of the kitchen cabinets. Since the cabinet was a couple of feet from the door, it was really obvious that the stain did not match. One of the reasons I went with this cabinet maker was because he had done my kitchen cabinets and he said he would use the same stain.<br /><br />My husband said, well there's nothing we can do about it now so just get over it. I guess never assume anything is what it has taught me.<br /><br />Here's a picture of my room after installing the French doors:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOF8sUXQWY1Xalh_ImeX7PtyG9RZrDiUV02DzLN51We963i8cRQfFy0CeFrRoiLsuQpi9oxN8N74ckUSZv9O8fdJKijnQamSlaG_v9ZxkeJsPiYNHThMFUMW31mpjCPUqhAqNg-Z35253/s1600-h/oldremodel10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOF8sUXQWY1Xalh_ImeX7PtyG9RZrDiUV02DzLN51We963i8cRQfFy0CeFrRoiLsuQpi9oxN8N74ckUSZv9O8fdJKijnQamSlaG_v9ZxkeJsPiYNHThMFUMW31mpjCPUqhAqNg-Z35253/s200/oldremodel10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238897615071315202" /></a><br /><br />And the new room:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYHqe-vzyeqUti_LTtkVJP5FqmJiL0yZ2Fpq-MKes5DWtJKFm3GjFIDQadEIAXFN0c4wihCBgxSgakan6HDXnGqtdOdZVarMf6IkK2joKQYLZagcU5iZAJ3MaMUnHoiWxsYGsU9eUFYLs/s1600-h/remodel1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYHqe-vzyeqUti_LTtkVJP5FqmJiL0yZ2Fpq-MKes5DWtJKFm3GjFIDQadEIAXFN0c4wihCBgxSgakan6HDXnGqtdOdZVarMf6IkK2joKQYLZagcU5iZAJ3MaMUnHoiWxsYGsU9eUFYLs/s200/remodel1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238897875289063218" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdD5RhkCGGnzp1g3xQIgyRkkMJrRXQy3eWkVvRdYcdKRNkTaV4Hi0pcNM_k86-wEdAz6eABYvJQ0Ix2J_-5EoS_bWBA3adqOWbLAaRm_ijdjSbq6l5_9nCYtQjoAiwZFeeY80BBLBFlZD/s1600-h/remodel2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdD5RhkCGGnzp1g3xQIgyRkkMJrRXQy3eWkVvRdYcdKRNkTaV4Hi0pcNM_k86-wEdAz6eABYvJQ0Ix2J_-5EoS_bWBA3adqOWbLAaRm_ijdjSbq6l5_9nCYtQjoAiwZFeeY80BBLBFlZD/s200/remodel2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238898052940262162" /></a><br /><br />My furniture that I repainted looks like all new furniture. Saved a lot of money by keeping the old set.<br /><br />Bathroom remodel will be next. Stay tuned.palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-54606975524888624302008-08-20T08:22:00.000-07:002008-08-20T08:36:03.904-07:00Summer is Almost OverSchool starts again next week. Both of my boys will be starting on the same day. My college son is back on campus. We moved him in a week ago, Saturday. He started a university job this past Monday. He is going to have his hands full with classes and work. Good thing though as he is paying his last 2 years of school so he needs the income.<br /><br />My other son starts high school this year. With all the challenges he has been through, I hope he has a smooth 4 years.<br /><br />We went up to the mountains on Saturday and spent time together as a family. We hiked a really high ridge that had great views of all the mountains, then we drove to a small lake and rafted and fish. Didn't catch a lot of fish but it was fun to be together. I know these days are numbered. My oldest son may stay in his apartment and not come back next summer so this may be the last year that we will all be living under the same roof.palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-2616160158278782002008-08-12T14:54:00.000-07:002008-08-14T08:56:53.503-07:00Flourish BoutiqueBack in April, I was contacted by Vanessa Cooreman Smith to sell some of my artwork in her store. She sells on Etsy too and was going to open a boutique in South Bend, Indiana. The store is now open, their grand opening is slated for August 30th. The website looks fabulous and has quite a few things for sale including fine art, clothing,shoes, accessories, jewelry, maternity, home decor and even custom house portraits. I usually don't like to sell on consignment but in this situation I am really glad that I agreed to it. I just received my first check from <a href="http://www.flourishboutique.com">Flourish Boutique</a>. Vanessa's store is a very classy establishment and I am happy to be selling there.palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-52343890617884678092008-08-05T08:45:00.000-07:002008-08-05T09:19:17.028-07:00The Sun is ShiningI made it back from the doctor's and everything is OK. What I had was harmless and of no consequence. What a relief! I also liked the doctor and he was very kind and put my mind at ease immediately. <br /><br />I have to say that I learned a lot from this experience. It taught me that you cannot take your health for granted, ever. <br /><br />Also it taught me that I should make an effort to be kinder to everyone, including those that try my patience or that are rude. They are the ones that need it the most and perhaps they are going through some difficult times, you just never know.<br /><br />One of the books I was reading talked about how everything little thing that we do can make a difference in someone else's life. We may not think it is of any significance but to someone else, it could be their saving grace.<br /><br />I am so thankful for my friends.I had friends that were going to drop everything to take me to my appointment. I had cyber friends who were thinking of me and all of that just meant so much. It showed me that the world is a beautiful place no matter how dire the circumstances.palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-90698959584081866962008-08-03T15:03:00.000-07:002008-08-04T12:31:48.584-07:00Bathroom VanityFinally, the cabinet makers are going to be here tomorrow at 7am to put in my bathroom vanity. I ordered it over 3 months ago and have been calling them every week for the past month wondering when they were going to install it. <br /><br />My doctor's appointment is also tomorrow and I am hoping they will be done before I have to go. My husband said that he would stay at home if need be, however, I would prefer that he come with me.<br /><br />We will see how it all works out. I had a sneaking suspicion that the guys would show up on the same day as my appointment and sure enough that is what happened. Still I am just grateful that my bathroom is getting closer to completion. This waiting is for the birds!palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-18239254998666598942008-07-31T18:02:00.000-07:002008-07-31T18:17:42.114-07:00Property ManagerWe have friends that own some rental property near us but they live about 2 hours away. I had told them that I could show their house for them when they lost their last tenant. It saved them the hassle of having to drive down to show the place everytime. I showed it 2 or 3 times and we were able to get another renter in there relatively quickly. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.onsitepropertymanager.com">Onsite Property Manager</a> offers rental property management software for landlords. The 60 day free trial allows you to print lease agreements, notices to renters,and bank deposit slips for rental payments. Also automatically posts late fees and rental fees on the days you choose. The software makes managing rental property a lot easier and my friends might benefit from using a service like this.<br /><br />This was sponsored by Bloggerwave.palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-75014174680692904172008-07-21T05:21:00.000-07:002008-07-21T05:33:56.375-07:00Work is Never DoneIt's been about 6 days since I had been to the doctor's and still have heard nothing back on the referral. Now I have to call them to find out what the hold up is. In the meantime, I have been keeping busy. I finished painting my closet doors, painted ivy over the French doors. Put up some pictures in the remodeled bedroom and I am prepping the family room for painting. <br /><br />I will call the cabinet makers again this week to see where they are and if they will ever install my vanity. Had some frustrations at Lowes. I spent a considerable amount of time looking at blinds. Made another trip back to order them and they couldn't bring them up on the computer so I couldn't price them. They found all the other blinds just not the ones that I wanted. After I went back home, I did get a call back and it turns out that the people helping me did not know how to use the system. My blinds were found but now I have to go back in to order them. After the Lowe's paint and tile debacles, I am tired of making the 60 mile round trip to fix the errors. It is getting a little old.<br /><br />Right now, I am eyeing my bookcase that will go back in the remodeled bedroom. I had painted all the bedroom furniture a thyme green and now I am thinking that the book case will not match. I am going to have to paint that too. <br /><br />My husband thinks that I am making too much work for myself but at this point, I need the distraction so I welcome it.palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-38274336748782969872008-07-14T12:18:00.000-07:002008-07-14T12:29:11.722-07:00Another DelayJust got off the phone with the cabinet makers and they said another delay, possibly 2 weeks before they can come and install my double sink vanity. I had called them 3 weeks ago and they said it was going to be another 2 and 1/2 weeks. I had put a rush on my sinks so that they would be here for installation and now I find out that I didn't have to do that.<br /><br />My patience is really running thin. I just priced airfare to fly out my in-laws, however, we need to get the remodel done so they can stay in that room and now it looks like the month of August is going to be shot. <br /><br />Can't put the flooring in until the sink vanity goes in as I don't want the workman to scratch up the wood floors and also can't put the tile in until the sinks are in. Can't finish the walk-in closet until the wood flooring is in. <br /><br />First it was the contractor not showing up 9 to 10 times likes he said he would and now I have to deal with the cabinet makers. I ordered the vanity over 3 months ago and they said it would be done in 3 months or faster. I wish people would not make promises they can't keep.<br /><br />This was supposed to be a small remodel job. Now we are into the 4th month and may be <br />only 1/2 way finished. It's going to be a long hot summer!palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-61455104661158740712008-07-09T14:20:00.000-07:002008-07-09T14:29:51.778-07:00Teeny Weeny StudioStill doing remodeling although things should rev up here when my bathroom vanity is put in. I have been waiting for them to get this done before we put in the floors and tile. I just cleaned the French doors and grilles and will stain them as soon as they are dried. It will be tricky as I am using a stain for fiber glass and my test stain right now is too light. I am supposed to leave it on so many minutes and then brush it. The longer the period between brushing, the darker the stain. I can always wipe the stain off but at $50.00 a stain kit, I don't really want to waste too much.<br /><br />There is a section of my bedroom that I am thinking of putting a tiny studio to store all my art supplies and sewing items. I still don't know how I am going to fit so much stuff into a little space. My husband is concerned that it will look messy so I am going to have to buy a lot of organizers to do the job right. Right now my drawing table is out in the kitchen taking up a lot of space. It will be nice to move everything back to the master bedroom. <br /><br />I took some before pictures of the room and bathroom but I am waiting until I am totally finished so that I can show the before and after shots.<br /><br /><br />Anyway, that's it for now.palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-58115999432676231862008-07-02T20:44:00.000-07:002008-07-02T21:35:19.594-07:00Destination Based TaxMy state just started doing destination based sales tax for those that ship goods here. I thought the idea was to make the tax system less complicated! Sales tax will be based on where the item is shipped, not where the seller is located. This is just crazy! <br /><br />The shopping cart on Etsy was not set up to accommodate this type of change so I am going to have to manually look up the tax rates and charge customers accordingly. Fortunately, most of my sales are out-of-state so for now it should not have a huge impact on my business. <br /><br />After some reading, I have found that my state is the 22nd in the country to switch to this kind of tax. This is supposed to level the playing field between internet companies and the brick and mortar businesses but all I can say is , there has got to be a better way.<br /><br />I found an article, <a href="http://www.heritage.org/Research/Taxes/EM778.cfm">Why Congress Should Not Authorize a State Sales Cartel</a>, which gives good arguments against having a destination based sales tax and I totally agree with it.palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-47206549267579810502008-06-26T14:52:00.001-07:002008-06-26T15:03:49.489-07:00Still WaitingMade it back from San Antonio in one piece. It was fun but very hot and a very short trip. My contractor finished his job and so I started painting the bedroom closet. I ran out of paint because I wanted to test the color before I bought more. My husband made the mistake of calling the contractor and setting up a time for the heating and air conditioning guys to come out and move our heating vents. I was told they would be here this morning. I have been waiting all day and they did not show up. I wanted to go<br />to town to buy more paint and to look at shower doors, mirrors and flooring. I will have to go tonight now because I need the paint but all the stores will be closed except Lowes and that just gets me mad! I am trying to consolidate my trips because of the gas and now I will have to make another trip when the stores are open. I know I will have to be home all day tomorrow because the heating guys wanted to come then too. I wish people would show up when they said they would. My time is valuable to me and it irks me that I have wasted another day again!palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-19135306275448350522008-06-14T12:26:00.000-07:002008-06-14T12:42:16.490-07:00Trip to San AntonioOur trip to San Antonio is coming up this week and I am going to have to start getting things together for it. Thankfully we did a lot of shopping last week and got the boys set on clothes for the trip. I am not looking forward to flying with all the flight cancellations lately. Last year, when we went to Hawaii, it was a bear dealing with all the security measures and even though we had e tickets and did our check-in online, we still had to wait 45 minutes because passengers that were late for their flights were allowed to go ahead of us. Traveling has become such a hassle.<br /><br />The good thing is that I will get to see my parents and the rest of my relatives. I hadn't seen the group since our trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico and that was a few years back.<br /><br />My mom's side of the family has had a reunion every year in a different location for the last 12 years. <br /><br />This year, my son's girlfriend is coming on the trip so I had to book a two room suite at the Marriott. That should be really interesting. My brother and his family will be there too and we hadn't seen them since my parent's fiftieth in 2006.<br /><br />We plan to hit Sea World, the Alamo and the River Walk. We have one day open and will play that by ear. Should be a fun time.palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-87845344809655546342008-06-14T12:00:00.000-07:002008-06-14T12:26:33.673-07:00Restless NightsSince my friend's mother has passed, I have been having a difficult time sleeping at nights. What has been on my mind is that it has really been hitting home that my parents and my husband's parents are failing and it is just a matter of time before something happens. Obviously, I have known this all along but lately it is becoming more of a reality. <br /><br />I just had a conversation with my mom and she told me that she had to go to an internist because she was having major bowel issues. She also has dropped a lot of weight and she told me that she is just skin and bones. My father has been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis which is a progressive lung disease that usually results in death within a few years. He is on heavy duty drugs and is feeling great but the doctors are telling him that the x-rays are not showing the progress he is feeling.<br /><br />I know that this is just life and this is what happens to everyone. However, getting married and having kids was really a joyful time, the rest of it, getting older and watching your parents go downhill has been a difficult journey and I don't know how people deal with that. <br /><br />I guess one has to hope for the best, prepare for the worst and have a lot of faith that no matter what happens, things will work out somehow in the end.palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-48232428749714820012008-06-14T11:53:00.000-07:002008-06-14T12:00:25.437-07:00Father's DayFather's Day is coming up tomorrow and we have a retirement dinner to go to so I had wanted to do a celebration today. Unfortunately, my friend's mom died and she needed some comforting so our women's group is getting together tonight to be with her. Yesterday, I had my youngest grill up some hamburgers and we did our Father's Day dinner on Friday. I have been trying to get the boys to hone their cooking skills so I am having each of them cook a meal every week. It has been working out great so far. <br /><br />For tomorrow, I am having the boys whip up a special breakfast for their dad and they are supposed to be available to help him out with chores this entire weekend. Happy Father's Day!palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-56870729425747495002008-06-14T11:42:00.000-07:002008-06-14T11:50:07.931-07:00Progress!The contractor has been showing up everyday for an hour to an hour and 1/2. So far he has put in about 20 hours. I guess his crew quit on him so he has been a one man show. Also his wife has been pressuring him to stay home at night and he has a day job which doesn't leave a whole lot of time left. My drywall is up and it has been taped,mudded and sanded. Hopefully next week he can texture and then I can paint.<br /><br />The bad news is the $100/hour plumber that did our work in the bathroom, my husband put in the shower base and it did not line up with the drain. We only had the drain realigned and two faucet lines put in at a cost of $580.00! I told my husband to demand that the plumber come out and redo it but he won't listen to me so he is going to crawl under the house and do the work himself!palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033917966446411460.post-5871267252855386102008-06-13T15:53:00.000-07:002008-06-13T16:17:40.966-07:00Do You Have the Look of the Year?I have watched some reality shows and America's Top Model is one that I have tuned into once in awhile. It must be nice to look that good and have people clamoring to pay you to model their clothing or ads. Online there is another site called <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bloggerwave.com/blog_ClickTrack.php?OpportunityId=56&BlogId=11995&LinkId=0">http://www.lookoftheyear.com</a>. It's a beauty contest where anyone can participate and the judges are the public.Males and females have to be at least 14 to participate and 4 winners are chosen. Looks like there is a $10,000.00 prize too. <br /><br /><img src="http://78.136.62.9:8080/Bloggerwave/uploadImages/Look_of_the_year_pic2.jpg" style="border-style:none; " alt="" /><br />It's amazing what you can find on the internet these days.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bloggerwave.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://bloggerwave.com/blogviewcount.php?pic=sponsorlogo.gif&OpportunityId=56&BlogId=11995" /></a>palette48http://www.blogger.com/profile/09909145550255349974noreply@blogger.com2