Happy Halloween!

Its funny...I LOVE Halloween. I love black and orange. Black and purple. Green and purple. Green and orange...I love witches and pumpkins, and candycorn...and I adore Glitterville's Halloween goodies. Love it all!

A few days before Halloween though, I am done. My son Brendan has a birthday on Oct.25th, and we usually have a Halloween party of some sort to commemorate it. This year we had about 15 kids, ages 12-14, for pizza, movies, waaaaaaayy to much sugar, and about 5 of them slept over. I'm so ready to move on to Christmas!

In the spirit of Halloween though, here are some pics from the party and my LIam and Annalise is their costumes :)













Ooooh, yeah...this is my brother Terry's girlfriend MaryAnn. SHe went as an 80's girl, I just love her costume!

The one where I'm SO glad to be back!

It is so nice to be sitting at the computer with a cup of coffee! My little monkeys have been taking turns being sick (and staying home from school...boo...) They were then off Friday for Teacher Institute, so I haven't had any computer time. Its great to be back, and have a couple of hours to myself again!

I've been just dying to blog about this...A friend told me about this new shop that opened in our neighborhood. She said that I would love it, and to check it out, that the stuff that they carry reminded her of my art. I walked in, and WOW, I wanted to live there. It is called The Hawk and the Butterfly and it is on west 111th street and Fairfield (if anyone out there is from Chicago/Mt Greenwood/Beverly.) They carry lots of gorgeous folk art, tables and tables of Bethany Lowe designs, lots of handmade goodies, and fantastic jewelry. I must have stayed for an hour, carefully going over every piece.

I first found this little crow, just so cute and wonderful (Joanna Parker...of course it's wonderful!) I greedily snatched it up to purchase, and then was struck by this adorable bunny. It was just the cutest, I had to have it, and when I turned the tag over, I was DELIGHTED to see the words...HipHopJingleBoo!! Of course I bought it, and I just luuuuuuuurve it!!



I did manage to get a little work done as well, and mailed out a few packages, here are my ladies Arden, Heloise, and Mathilde. They will make their debut at the Holiday ArtShow in Bucktown. Can't wait!

The one with the pictures of my new stuff :)

This was a thrift store find of a teddy bear house, that needed to be transformed


These are the cupcakes that are on the top of the Cupcakery piece


This is the cupcakery piece


These are some vintage glass ornaments that I found while thrifting, and it finally occured to me what I would do with them. I really love how they turned out!

The one where I exhibit ADHD

LOL I think many artists have just a touch of ADHD, I know that when I get overwhelmed, creating and being Mommy and Wife and Daughter, my poor little brain goes into overdrive. I always feel like no matter what I'm doing, I'm putting off doing something else that's more pressing.

Working on my art? Isn't there a Science Project due?

Making a nice dinner (with real potatoes instead of instant, LOL) Shouldn't I be washing uniforms?

Hosting the 9000th birthday party of the year in my kitchen? The kids all need to have a bath and be in bed in 45 minutes

I wonder what I'd do with myself if I didn't have 30 things to focus on...I'd probably sit and worry about what the heck I should do, and then end up doing nothing *giggle*

Anyhoo, I haven't been here in a week, I have missed out on so much goodness, yummy pictures, gorgeous artwork, I can't wait to visit everyone's blogs! I've been so busy creating for my show, and trying to get everything ready, butI've got my orders shipped out, my auction item is gone, and now I'm here :)

TAGGED TWICE!

Lovely Lucy from Sweet Repeats has given me the Nice Matters Award (sniffle) That was just lovely, Lucy has a gorgeous blog, her mixed media pieces are so spectacular, and she is a darling as well. Thanks hunny!!

In return, I tag LIZ, whose enchanting tutus, twirl skirts (OMG her twirl skirts) and DROP DEAD GORGEOUS purses make me so happy, and who is also having sweet baby #4! Brave girl!
I also tag SHANNON who is my darling friend, love her goodies, her cakes, her shabby chic style, she is just a love! Next we have TOOTIE She was the first person that I commented to in blogland, and the first to comment to me. She does just beautiful work, and is a great girl!


I was also tagged by Monica to do the Seven Random Things about me Here goes nothing!

1. I started dating my husband when I was 16
2. I love to sing, and act and dance!! I even keep karaoke CD's in my car
so that when I'm alone, I can sing!
3. I took improv at Second City (where all of my childhood idols started out) with
my Aunt Edie and cousin Lisa a couple of years ago. I have never had so much
fun in my life!
4. I have had Gastric Bypass surgery
5. I have HUGE feet, I wear a size 10, sometimes an 11!
6. I would rather make art than go out on the town!
7. My husband warns my kids not to stand still too long, "Or Mom will end up
painting you." LOL

OK, I tag my buds Michelle Legler, Mary Timme, Shelley , Laura and Aleta I always love reading what these awesome ladies have to say, and I look up to all of them.

Lots of pictures soming up, I've made 12 ATC's, a few dozen altered vintage ornaments, a few new cupcake pieces... Lots of random thoughts in this post!

The one with the Custom Order and other things

I was asked to create a couple of cakes out of paper boxes. Hmmm...yep, it took about three seconds to decide that that sounded like a great time! My poor neglected(and not half finished) tea set sits on the corner of my table waiting to be completed, but the cakes were calling, and what's a girl to do?

I love doing custom orders, because it's certain that you are creating something that someone else really wants. It brings a certain joy to creating that...well, a different kind of joy I guess. There's joy in creating anything, or most of us wouldn't put the time, effort, and love into our work.

I know of many artists out there, online and in real life that are such perfectionists. We just can't leave a piece alone, they day after something is completed, I know that I will critique it with my beady little eye, and just have to add one more thing...and that thing leads to another, and maybe just one more touch here... If we really charged by the hour for the work that we put into our pieces, most of them would be astronomical. I think many of us are famous for undercharging as well. But when you are doing something that you love, it just doesn't seem like work. I love my art, love creating so deeply, that I would pay someone else to just let me work for hours and hours.

Anyway, here are some photos, my custom cakes, and a couple of pieces for my upcoming show. If anyone out in Blogland is going to be in the Chicago area DECEMBER 8th and 9th, come to Bucktown's Holiday Art and Craft Faire, its guaranteed to please everyone, and there are some really terrific artists exhibiting.

Post #64...The one Where I Smooch the Mailman

Well, not literally (I doubt she'd appreciate it, LOL) but what a superdooper hyper-fantastic package she delivered to me, from my new friend Laura over at the Little Orange Kitchen. This was courtesy of Jenny Hernandez's (Miss Polka Dot Pixie herself)Storybook Swap. Liam and I were just giddy opening up all of the goodies, especially the to die for CHOCOLATE!! Laura sent some Malted Milk Balls, and some Chocolate covered Oreo's that were drenched in the thickest, richest, most melt in your mouth milk chocolate that I have ever had. Had Liam not been home, I'm not sure that I would have shared ;)

Check out all of this great stuff!! I had to borrow a few pictures from Laura, because we dug in so fast!! The wrapping was exquisite, and she even decoupaged the package with pictures from storybooks!! This is one talented chickie!!












Laura, I absolutely loved everything, the gorgeous magnetic bookmarks, with Bedtime for Frances, and Amelia Bedelia, OMG, so much goodness in one beautifully decoated box...LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

Swappin' again! and Saltwater Taffy explained LOL

One of the things that I love about swaps is that you get to meet new people. My partner Laura (Polka Dot Pixie's Vintage Storybook Swap) of Little Orange Kitchen is such a complete darling!! She and I are from the same city, but she has moved away, so no Vince Vaughn sitings for her :( But she is just such a dear, her blog is fantastic, and her writing really just draws you right in. Her blog is the kind of blog that you want to have a nice cup of tea with, to really just sit back and enjoy. She is just as cute as a button, and if you've not had the pleasure of visiting the Little Orange Kitchen blog, you really must!





I had a great time making the bookmarks, truly such fun!! HUGE thanks to the amazingly talented Jenny Hernandez for hosting such a wonderful swap!!

I just uploaded some pictures of my sweet ones, so I'll share :)

Aidan is 14, Brendan is 11, Liam is 7, and Annalise is 5 :D :D







and this one is my Hubby, Pat, having some fun in the water


This last part is for my lovely friend Shannon from Paint Mine Pink. The Cotton and Candy swap was hosted by Shann, who is an Aussie, and they do not have Saltwater Taffy over there (and we don't have Fairy Bread over here, but I'm so glad to have learned about it!) Anyway, I've copied and pasted this from anycandy,usa.

Salt Water Taffy
How the beach-side favorite got its start
The exact history of how taffy came to be is still a mystery. Taffy has been part of American life since the late 1800s, and has been a beach-side tradition since it appeared in Atlantic City more than 100 years ago. Some say taffy appeared in the Midwest at county fairs even earlier. However, Atlantic City is known as the home of salt water taffy.

Many manufacturers claim a shopkeeper by the name of David Bradley was one of the first sellers of the candy. In 1883, a huge storm hit Atlantic City and flooded the boardwalk. Bradley’s store was flooded and the ocean water soaked his entire stock of taffy. In one account, a young girl asked if the store still had taffy for sale. Bradley jokingly told the girl to grab some ‘salt water taffy’. This is believed to be the first reference to salt water taffy. Today some recipes for salt water taffy call for a teaspoon of salt.

However, Joseph Fralinger is credited with popularizing salt water taffy. Fralinger observed sunbathers and boardwalk visitors and came up with the idea to sell salt water taffy. He figured tourists would want a reminder or souvenir of their vacation to Atlantic City. As an experiment, Fralinger boxed the candy and sold it one weekend. It was a huge success and the demand became too much for him to handle.

Competition was not far behind Fralinger’s success. Enoch James became Fralinger’s biggest competition around 1900. The James family moved from the Midwest to Atlantic City after hearing about the salt water taffy craze. James located his store near Fralinger’s shop on the boardwalk. Each shop had different recipes to advertise to visitors. When James came to town, Atlantic City’s first ‘taffy war’ started.

By the 1920s, salt water taffy was at the height of its popularity. More than 450 manufacturers were making and/or selling the candy at that time. In the early 1920s, John R. Edmiston obtained a trademark number for the term ‘original’ salt water taffy. After obtaining the trademark, Edmiston then asked the larger taffy companies for a share of their profits because they were using his trademarked name. The James brothers sued Edmiston over the use of the term ‘original’ salt water taffy. In 1923, the Supreme Court ruled the confection had been around too long and used by too many people to claim royalties off of the ‘original’ title.

Today salt water taffy is found mostly on the Eastern seaboard and is a popular treat for people to bring home after visiting one of those beaches. Taffy is also found in other parts of the country at some theme parks.

How is Salt Water Taffy Made?
The original process of making salt water taffy dates back more than 100 years. Skilled pullers would hang 10 to 25 pounds of taffy over hooks. When the taffy reached 5 to 6 feet in length, it would start to fall off the hooks. The puller would then pick the taffy up and put it back over the hook. The pullers listened for swish, smack, and slap noises to keep the taffy soft and less sticky. The process was typically done in plain sight on the boardwalk. A similar process is still used today when making homemade taffy, a great activity for children.

Most taffy recipes contain corn syrup, butter, sugar and some varying ingredients. The ingredients are melted down in kettles at a temperature between 250 to 270 degrees. The lower the temperature the chewier the candy, and the higher the heat the more brittle the candy. The ingredients are then put on a marble slab or pan and cooled. Once cool, the pulling process will start. The process of pulling the taffy over and over incorporates air into the mixture. The air gives taffy its unforgettable texture.

Eventually, the taffy will become harder to pull. When this happens, it is put on a marble slab or pan to hold its shape and then it is cut into pieces with greased scissors. Taffy should be stored in airtight containers to keep out the moisture. If any moisture gets into the candy, it will become very sticky.

The modern manufacturing methods have changed the way salt water taffy is made. Today’s taffy is cooked in large stainless steel or copper kettles and then vacuum cooked a second time. The pulling and packaging is now done with machines. This produces more quantities of taffy at greater speeds.

Thursday already!

I can't believe how much the time flies when my kiddos are at school. I have all of these fantastic ideas floating around in my head, and I should have so much time to turn them into reality...but the real reality is, that it just zooms by!

Sometimes when I sit down to create, and I have many ideas in mind, I spend so much time deciding where to begin, that I do everything but begin :)

Today for instance,while pondering which project to start, I ended up washing the kitchen floor, cleaning my countertops, washing the tabletop...straightening up the living room (all good projects of course, but not very artistic) I did finally get down to business, but not with as much time as I would have liked. Tomorrow will be better ;) I've made a list of the things that need to be created, and I'm sticking to it this time (hopefully!)

Now in my Etsy:


I made this cute little banner yesterday, I'm so deeply into Christmas that poor Halloween is getting sidetracked.

I recieved a lovely package today from Shannon's (Paint mine Pink) Cotton N Candy swap, my partner was Sonya (from Love of Yellow Roses) and she spoiled me so! She sent me such an assortment of goodies, from Cotton Candy body wash (YUM!) to my favorite mouthwatering Swedish Fish, and everything in between. The cutest tissues that you ever saw, yummy fruity candy sticks, and jawbreakers of fantastic colors. The best was the adorable hanky tussie, full of pastel colored saltwater taffy. My kids were THRILLED with this swap, as was I! Thanks so much, Sonya!!

Now in my Etsy

Getting into the Cupcake spirit! I had so much fun making this. This is old school papier mache, strips of newspaper and glue, layers and layers, but man was it a blast to make. I love papier mache. I'm in the process of making a papier mache tea set, not sure if it will turn out, but I'm having such fun doing it.

I have a couple dozen faux cupcakes to make today, I'm doing an art fair in December and I want to get a head start on Christmas. Have a great day everyone!

Ava Grace Angels Auction

I found out about this little sweetie through Mica's blog (Garboodles Soup) and had to be a part of it. Poor little sweetie... If you haen't checked it out yet, there is a link on the side of my blog. I've said it before, and I'll say it again...the art community is the best community in the world :) :)

Here is my offering for the auction: