wedding in the park

this weekend we went to an event that felt like a high school reunion and family reunion but really it was a wedding.  there were friends i hadn't seen in many years and we spent a great deal of time with our group of family that was in attendance. 

*my mom and my older sister rita talking about who knows what but probably something naughty.

*you could tell a lot of time went in to making this such a nice night.

there were certain areas of the park like in this shot below that reminded me of some sort

of whimsical scene from alice in wonderland.

*brian and lennette.

*i love will and having my handsome husband as my date

that night made me appreciate him even more.

*with my mom who said she loves this picture because the dark hides her wrinkles.

whatever mom...you are the best looking 50 year old i know.  i hope i'm lucky

enough to look like that when i get to be as ancient as you :)

*this guy here is josh and that is one of his little ones...we were best buds in high school.

it's weird to think that we are adults now and that we went so many years without seeing each other when it was normal to not go a day without spending time together 11 years ago.

*my brother brandon on the left and his best bud nick.  those two have tormented me for a lot of years.

*brandon, john, will.

i'm actually loving the look of this photo along with the other low light/slightly blurry ones.

pretty exciting to see my friend brian get married.

a lovely evening with the people i love most.

crib parts

i am a collector of random little tidbits like movie tickets, pretty clothing tags,  vintage cards, quotes, magazine clippings, photos, paper scraps of all sorts that either have sentimental value or are aesthetically pleasing to me.

ten or so years ago i started taping these sorts of things on the pages of a hardcover journal until i filled it up.

recently i had decided i wanted some sort of antique/industrial way of displaying items like these in my art room.

one day while at my grandparents i noticed the springs from a crib in the backyard, this item was most likely on it's way to the trash.  i asked my grandpa if i could have the rusting pile of metal.  he seemed to think i was a little strange for wanting it but he obliged and dropped it by my house. 

i was explaining my vision for this item to my mom last week but all she could see was an old pile of metal.  she did say that she was sure i would turn it into something wonderful though.

maybe she and the rest of my family might understand now that they see the finished product.....or maybe not.

so glad will helped me with the task of painting the pieces and putting it back together then hanging it up.  he's quite handy.

i have really taken a fancy to my new/old random tidbit displayer.

flashback friday #18

circa 1984.  taken at disneyland on one of our many family vacations there.

my obsession with that place began very early in life.

can you guess which ride i am standing in front of?

making meals with tomatoes

want a fresh, yummy, simple, light, pasta recipe that i just made up?

alright.  here you go:

first cook up a box of this delicious healthier pasta that actually has a very nice flavor all on it's own.

then drain and add a good drizzle of olive oil.

salt and pepper.

a few dashes of poppyseeds.

the zest and juice of one lemon.

and last but not least a generous bunch of halved grape tomatoes.

i am typically not a major tomato fan but i bought some of the nature sweet brand cherub tomatoes the other night and i seriously can't get enough.  they are super yummy.

for lunch a made a salad that consisted of these tomatoes, same brand but larger yellow colored tomatoes, fresh basil, an entire cucumber, dill, salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. 

very yummy and just what my tastebuds seem to be craving since the weather is warming up.

what kind of yummy stuff did you eat today?

xo to disneyland

 i miss this place so much sometimes it hurts.  maybe i miss it extra this week because it's just been one of those weeks.  not only for me but za husband too.  i seem to let his bad days get me really worked up.  same if my mom has a bad day or anyone else i love.  sometimes it's a downer to be so sensitive.  anyway this isn't a sad post i promise....these are happy pictures and i can't be sad when looking at them, except for being sad that i'm not there right now.   

dear disneyland...i love you and november can't come soon enough.  we are crazies that want to spend our next anniversary at disneyland just like we did last year. 

p.s. thank you for your responses to this post.  knowing what you love has given me that extra boost of motivation and inspiration that i needed.

little crocodile, ideas, possible giveaway

i was inspired by the quote on the painting from lewis carroll's alice in wonderland.

that inspiration turned into this painting that i am now in love with. 

notice the golden scales.....talk about time consuming but so worth it because i love the look of this painting.  i'm 99% sure this baby won't make it to the shop but that it will go straight to the wall in my art room instead.

speaking of the shop.....i have been lacking motivation, time, inspiration to restock my magical online store.  i need your help.  any input on what you would like to see more of? 

think about the paintings of the past....any more of those redone?  new stuff? 

give me feedback please and i might have to repay you with a giveaway.....

how does that sound?

do we look guilty

these little ones are at the point that they can't be trusted alone.

we couldn't understand why the wii wasn't working,

                                        until we discovered that these little boogers had chewed through the receiver cord.

                    they have taken naughty to a whole different level these days.  it's a good thing they are so cute!

our tiny model

i know....kitty pictures again....but they are so cute and i can't resist taking millions of pictures of them.  i have lots of good ones so it's hard to figure out which to post but today it is all about houndstooth.

i have always considered myself a dog person but this little girl has made me a kitty person too.

she loves to take naps while i hold her.  she makes me laugh on a daily basis.  i've never known a little kitten to have such a personality.  she already likes her harness and will wear it around the house for hours at a time.  we are still working on the leash training, she kind of freezes up when i attach the leash.  we have caught her on several occasions grooming her siblings like a little mother.  oh and i swear she knows the word kisses because if you say it she follows through with a smooch.

last night i caught her eating food like this.  apparently little houndstooth thinks it's hard work to eat because she was partially in the dish while lying down and tipping it towards herself. 

if you were to say i'm obsessed with her that would most likely be a true statement. 

do you blame me?

flashback friday #17

circa april 2003

my cousin lisa, me, and our friend erica.

this was one of those lovely trips they made to kingman to visit us.  and our cool group of five made a trip to vegas for shopping and fun the next day.  we laughed about matching outfits and underwear plus maybe a little mishap involving el champion burritos and laughing with a mouth full of water.  aww the precious memories.

the great outdoors

there is nothing quite like....

 loading up the car and driving many miles to the mountains....

for a couple days of living in a tent with the one you love....

and enjoying the beauty of nature.....

with a group of friends (which i failed to get pictures of).....

that you can go bike riding with or fishing with

or rock skipping with.....

friends that you settle around the campfire with

to make smores.....

and tell hilarious stories....

under the big bright moon....

until you get too sleepy

and retire to your warm cozy sleeping bags with your most favorite person in the world

where you fall asleep to the sound of the wind blowing through the trees.