Friday Five: Creative websites to visit...better late than never

Happy Fall Friday! Soaking up the beautiful colors of fall and this amazing Iowa weather.  I know you're been waiting with bated breath for the Friday Five, so here they are in no particular order........

....but first I must show you this Happy Friday dance party video, because no matter what kind of mood you're in, you shall laugh.


HAPPY FRIDAY DANCE PARTY #3 from blaine hogan on Vimeo.

1.  http://is-theblog.blogspot.com/

2. http://www.leblahg.com/

3. http://www.etsy.com/shop/spreadthelove

4. http://maemaepaperie.blogspot.com/

5. http://www.book-by-its-cover.com/

Painting what I want

 This is for a new little baby boy's room.  His bedding was similar and they asked me to match it, so I did.  I had to sneak in a baseball because the dad is a huge baseball fan, so I'm told.

I have gotten in to the habit of painting for other people (which I LOVE) and painting what I think will sell (which I also love, and so does my grocery bill) I had almost forgotten what it felt like to make something that I wanted to, just because.  It doesn't happen very often, but I just sat down last night at the table with my paints, some hot tea and good music and just painted.  I had no rhyme or reason, no one else to paint it for but I think it turned out great. I love color and movement in a painting and even though my husband thinks it looks weird, I painted it because I like the style and the colors.  It is for sale but I have peace knowing that it wasn't painted to sell.  I think I need to do that more often.......

Fall Inspired

 Can you guess what pumpkin my son picked out? Yup, the enormous one. 

The trees here in Iowa are just starting to change.  It looks like someone took a paint brush and just touched the tips of the trees with red and gold.  I snapped these photos right outside my front door.  I love fall!

Friday Five...only it's Sunday....oops!

Busy weekend! Had the husband home on a Saturday which doesn't happen very often during season so I took full advantage!

Here are the Friday Five: Top (six because I owe you one) Creative Websites to visit.....but on Sunday evening.  Happy browsing.

1. http://www.etsy.com/shop/dolangeiman

2.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/honeytree

3. http://www.lovelyclusters.com/

4. http://lisacongdon.com/

5.  http://sebastianfoster.com/originalpaintingsbyDianaSudyka.aspx

6. http://www.etsy.com/shop/urbandesign

I shall not be moved

 This is a baby gift for baby Carmela. 

 I went to the hardware store and came home with this 2x2 piece of smooth wood in which I promptly fell in love with. It's thin, it's cheap and it's awesome to paint on....looks like I found a new medium! This is for Mallory for her kitchen. Cheers!!

 Cup of pure joy (there are musical notes in the coffee cups) $25

Wedding gift!!

What's for dinner?

 Small poppies ($60) 

I like to plan ahead for my meals by the week, this eliminates grocery trips and well as last minute headachces and the ever so popular question, "what's for dinner?!" This is a menu board with seven days (each birdie has a day of the week) and you write your meal across from it using a dry erase marker.  Couldn't be easier and couldn't be cuter. This one is a tad on the smudged side because it was out at the art show in the monsoon. $50

Lincoln Highway soggy fest

 This festival has always brought me luck....okay, so it's only my second year, but last year I did awesome. This year was a little COLD and RAINY.....and when I say COLD and RAINY....I mean COLD and RAINY. There was a river running down through my tent.  This photo is before the rain came.

 Let me tell you about this lady.  She rocks.  She let me borrow her van AND she sat with me to help AND she brought me hot coffee and cookies AND she helped me load back in the van in the cold rain.  She's working on sainthood for sure.

 Here is a shot of my ghetto tent.  Yup, it's ghetto alright. See the size and shape of the other vendor tents? HUGE and WHITE (kind of like my rear end) and my tent was small and navy.  I do have to say, there were a lot of people outside of my ghetto tent...because I'm cool like that.

I did make a few sales in the morning (Thank the Lord) and can't complain, but I would have loved an entire day devoted to dwindling my window collection.  It was great to see local people as well as people who came just to buy a window from me! Very honored.  The next event will be at Ed and Betty LaPointe's open house on December 4th in Mt.Vernon.  I highly recommend you mark your calendars for this.....they will have their amazingly awesome jewelry, a handmade purse lady, ceramic artist and myself.  A great place to buy Christmas presents for sure.