jumbled mess of things

here are some pictures, stories, and ideas i wanted to share but nothing really goes together hence the title.  i don't usually like to post unless it all matches and or can be wrapped up together in a nice way but then a lot of times i end up not posting pictures or stories i wanted to because they didn't fit in and then they are forgotten so here we go....probably the first of many other jumbled posts.

last week i finished this painting.  i have noticed i tend to be fascinated by things when they have a story (like antiques that you are lucky enough to know the history on) so here is the story behind this painting.  not all my paintings have a story but most of them do.  over a week ago as i was doing ordinary things around the house i suddenly had a vision of a seahorse looking fancy with a purse, pillbox hat, and pearls.  this picture literally popped in my head without even thinking about seahorses or seeing a seahorse.  it was the strangest but most wonderful thing and i wish it could happen all the time.  this vision of mine even included the colors used in the painting.  when i told will about it i told him i was doubtful i could replicate it the way i pictured it because very often that is the case when i paint something.  i went to work on it anyway and not very long after i started the painting i was almost done and so satisfied with the outcome.  the next day i finished detail work on it and i fell completely in love with this seahorse....so much so that i made up a little story about her when i posted the item to sell on society6 .  before i posted it i text will and told him i wanted him to tell me what name he thought suited her.  i had already thought of a name but i wanted to see what he could come up with.  i was so shocked when he wrote back.....i think she looks like a vivienne.  that was the exact name and spelling i had thought of.  we tend to very often be on the exact same wavelength and i think it is fun.  i'm thinking vivienne will be my next phone case.   

thanksgiving night when we got home i took these pictures of ever.  she was showing off her sticker wall then after she changed into pajamas she decided to add upside down glasses, her "purse" the jenga box she refused to let go of all night even when it was full and heavy, and she furiously ran around the house pushing her toy making car noises.  her car noise sounds more like "meeeoooooowwww".  she pushes that toy around often and makes that noise....we always crack up.  it seems like usually little boys are famous for their sound effects while playing with toys but then again ever has the ultimate sound effect/voices specialist for a dad.  an endearing trait that i fell in love with when will and i were dating because he'd leave me voice messages all the time as different characters.  maybe his dream of voicing of an animated character in a pixar film is going to come true someday.  he's got skills.

one night we spontaneously drove to lake havasu over the long weekend because i needed to search for a few items in particular.  boy was that a mistake.  ever was in rare form....even for her.  thank goodness for the sugar packets at dinner...they kept her somewhat entertained so will and i could quickly eat our food.  she didn't care about the crayons the restaurant gave....usually crayons are her thing at home as is evident by the coloring on the walls and various other surfaces in our house.  she also didn't care about the chocolate milkshake i tried to bribe her with.  luckily she kept her tantrums mostly under wraps while we were out to dinner.  once we went to drive home she threw the biggest fit because she wasn't in the mood to be in her carseat.  we had to pull over to unbuckle her and calm her down before she vomited from crying so hard.  there was no reasoning with her.  after sitting on the side of the road for a bit she calmed down and i rode in the back with her in hopes that she wouldn't have another outburst.  after getting really creative about keeping her entertained for half the ride home she finally slept the rest of the way and we vowed to never go anywhere with her again.  it was rough.  one of those moments that makes you question your sanity about wanting have more children.    

 i posted this picture on instagram and my brother's simple comment of carl fredricksen had me laughing so hard.  i might have even laughed more than i did when i found ever like this.  the things she does completely on her own are so entertaining to me.  

these were supposed to be ever's new christmas pajamas but i let her have them early because i couldn't resist her "oooohhh cuuuute" when she saw them....seeing her in footie jamas reminds me of when she was younger and i love it.  i also love how ever loves clothes.  forget toys, when she saw the new clothing i got her for christmas she insisted on taking a couple pair of tights with her to the crib when she took a nap.  she cuddled with them.

this morning ever put on one of her hats and stood on the chair of her antique school desk while flipping through a journal.  she looked so cute and studious.  i was glad i managed to capture her serious expression as she looked up at me.  she has been extra funny today.  i know i always say how funny she is but i swear every day she gets funnier.  here's one last cute/naughty story about ever.  i guess ever listens more than i realize and i guess she's heard me or will say kiss my butt because yesterday as i was trying to get her to stay still while i put clothes on her she yells out "kissa butt!" while wiggling away from me.  what gets me is that she used that in the right context.  in fact she used it again later in the day when i tried to keep her out of the street on our walk.   

also i wanted to share the idea i had for christmas gifting.  we are going to keep things simple this year like we have previous years but i wanted to still be able to exchange gifts with will without spending too much.  i also wanted it to be creative.  i saw somewhere online a gift giving guide for kids that used the rules something you want/something you need/something to wear/something to read.  i tried to stick with that guideline when it came to ever's gifts.  then after brainstorming with will we decided rather than forgo gift giving completely between us (original plan) we would make a fun little game of it.  eventually we narrowed it down to this made up guideline...

stocking stuffers (i've mentioned before i always loved the things in my stocking growing up....sometimes more than the bigger gifts) in the following categories:

taste- favorite snacks

touch- a small antique 

see- a movie

hear- we have to make something creative for each other that is full of compliments...sweet words you love to hear but in written creative form.

smell- this item we decided could be a small fragrance or any other type of toiletry/beauty product.  

the other fun part of this is we are going to try our absolute hardest to pick/make these items for each other without the other one knowing about them at all.  i think it takes the fun out of it when you make a list for someone of things to buy for you.  besides i'm pretty sure we know each other well enough to pick items that the other will love.

i'm excited for this fun little challenge.