I'm a Cucumber.

Today marks the official 90-day countdown to my wedding. Or, as Amy refers to it, a quarter-of-a-year until my wedding day. It makes it seem less daunting.

No matter how you slice it though, it's big. It's huge and exciting and terrifying and radical and coming right for me and officially, today, it's real. Before it was kind of just this party that Jer and I were putting together slowly and really taking our time but now, it's business time. Now there are seating charts and port-a-pottys and hotel reservations and music selections and QUESTIONS to answer...so many questions!! And I have a feeling it's going to get a lot worse in the coming months. That's why, for Jeremy's safety, I've already switched to Decaf. It was the right thing to do.

But, I'm not going to let the pressure get to me. I'm going to stay cool, calm and collected. I am, in Hilary's words, a cucumber. I am going to enjoy the planning, embrace the decision making and snuggle right up to the constant tick-tocking in my head because this is supposed to be fun.

And come hell or high water I am going to make this fun, dag nabit!!

Pray for me.

Cat Cake!

I'm not a crazy cat lady.

That being said, here is the tabby faced birthday cake I made

for my cat-crazed Father-in-Law for his birthday last week.

I used betty crocker's Silver White Cake recipe...it is muy muy so delicious!

The icing is a basic white- Martha Stewart has a great recipe here.

I made the ears out of some cardstock and warned folks not to eat them.

I did need a little help with the whisker candles-

Thank goodness Pete was there to help me out!

Cabin Fever

This weekend is the 2nd Annual Cabin Fever Indie Gift Show.

If you live in Boston and need a really good excuse to even consider leaving the

house and going out into the frozen tundra that is our city right now, this is it!

Stop by to find that last minute Valentine's gift you've been putting off and putting off and putting off. They have some really talented vendors this year...including some friends of mine:

AntiDesigns who are an awesome local t-shirt company and my good

friend Amy, the CEO and head artist/designer for ABCowls.

Stop by and check out her new Spring line up!

Amy's cowls have saved my life this winter!

Not to mention they look really cute on Tabitha.

i'm leavin' this town...

...and I'm never comin' back!

Dita Von Peach is on her way to Colorful Colorado for an art show at, where else, The Screamin' Peach!

Go check her out! The show open on Saturday, Feb. 5th, 5pm-7pm. There's an entire peach themed extravaganza!! Don't miss it!

My First Solo Show!!

If you're sensitive to the overuse of exclamation points, you're going to want to stop reading this cause I'm wicked excited and I just can't hide it! As I previously mentioned my "other" Etsy store, The Compliment Shop, was invited to hang our goods at the Red Table Cafe & Gallery in Old Town Fort Collins last month.

I shipped off the last of 'em about a week ago and I was just sent pictures of them in their new home!!

I'm basically freaking out.

In other news, I've decided I'm counting this as my first solo art show.
Even though there are other artist's wares all over Red Table and even though it's really more of a craft show than an art show and even though there is no free wine or cheese...it's my party and I'll call it what I want to.

Now go to the Red Table, buy a Compliment & order something that has Corn Relish on it cause it's SOOOOO good!!!!!!!

Taleya's Rock Star Room

Just the beginning of Taleya's "Mylie Cyrus/Rock Star" themed room...

Taleya got a wonderful report card. To celebrate, her Dad let her design her own room!

She even got to help! (aka I put her to work.)

Project still in progress. More pictures to come!

those 3 little words...

...

No!! Not those 3 little words!

These 3 little words:

"You were right", it's probably the most romantic thing you can say to a girl.

Followed closely by, "I was wrong" and if you really want to make it a magical

evening, I hear following up with "I'm sorry" actually counts as foreplay.

These brand new bubbles make wonderful Valentine's gifts and are all on their

way to the Red Table Cafe in Fort Collins, CO for your viewing pleasure!

If you'd like a custom bubble for Valentine's Day email me or send me a message on my Etsy page!

This one's for Sweetie. Shhhhh.

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

This year's Valentine themed window features one of the great love stories of all time:

Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread. ~Mother Teresa

the noop

Look! Liz (aka the noop) did a craft show!

Some of her adorable handmade earrings:

A chunky owl:

She made these awesome magnets too!

What a talented Lady!

Magneato

I did a second Magnetic Mario painting this time starring everybody's favorite little brother plumber, Luigi!

Same basic idea, same design, just a little cleaner and this one, like myself, is rootin' for the underdog.

Another interesting thing about this painting is that it shipped off to Australia when it was done! Woah. First Oprah goes to the Land Down Under and now my painting? Oprah! We have so much in common!

Beet It!

Sorry, I couldn't help it.

I was also toying with the idea of, "I kick it root down", "makin' beets" and "beet junky."

This is my first painting of 2011! Done for my roommate and friend, Julie, who enjoys, amongst other things: gardening, beets and cooking. Seemed like an appropriate gift and I hope she/you love it!

Happy Birthday Julie Tabouli!

Now beet it!

The Newest Year!

Happy New Year!! I hope the new year brings you all that you need topped with whipped cream and smothered in chocolate sauce!

In Massachusetts we've enjoyed 2 Nor'easters this year.

The look like this, only less glitter.

Thanks for helping with the snowflakes Liz!

The Ornament Factory

I have been a veritable ornament factory this year! I started receiving orders for them in mid-November and started painting them at the same time. I'm happy to report that as of midnight last night I finished my final ornament of the season and it was picked up this morning!

Here are a few of them:

Now all there's left to do is put out cookies and wait for Santa!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Bella the Bully

These paintings are both of Little Miss Bella the English Bulldog and were painted for Linda's kids as Christmas presents:

Normally I wouldn't post about something that someone ordered for Christmas but I found out today that after I gave the paintings to Linda, who commissioned these paintings, she was too excited to wait for Christmas and already delivered the goods!! Ha ha!

Personally I feel there's no bigger compliment than spoiling Christmas morning cause you just couldn't wait! :) Awww shucks.

Here's Buddy:

He's pretty excited about it too, as you can see.

Merry Christmas!!!

Tayla's First Christmas (Ornament)

It's Tayla Bear's first Christmas so to celebrate I made her an ornament.

I have a couple blank ornaments left so if you want one I would act now!!

Local orders only please as there's just no time to ship.

Kind of a Big Deal

Oh man!

Liz and I got asked to paint the windows in the Shapiro

Building (big deal) on the Souper Salad windows (huge deal) in the

main lobby where thousands of people pass through daily!!

(HUGEST DEAL!!)

Here are some close-ups:

I'm off to buy a "Snow Shredder" now and wait for snow!!!

If you'd like a closer look this window mural should be up through January 2011 here. More pictures here. Enjoy!