Mini Prints = Mega Cuteness

I've been working on some very tiny prints lately and I am completely in love with them.

I wanted to add some small and inexpensive items to my shop, just perfect for those who like my artwork but don't quite have the need or the pocket money for a larger print. These mini prints are just the ticket, I think. They measure 3 x 3 inches and comes attached to a background paper, which measures 4 x 6 and fits into a 4 x 6 frame.

I'm a scrapbook paper nut, so I was quite happy to pull out my card stock and patterned paper stash and offer a variety of paper mats that the prints come attached to.

And I think that Cowboy Jimmy the sock monkey, and his trusty steed, Henry are so cute that a large cowboy sock monkey print just might make it into my shop soon! I love him!

Here are my mini prints so far. I have some candies and cupcakes in the works... and other ideas are still floating around, just waiting for me to sketch. I think they are pretty challenging, since I tend to work in a larger scale. The originals are only 3 x 3 inches, when I usually work in the 11 x 14 size. But I love them. Small things are always the cutest things, aren't they?

Ice Cream for Jolie
3 x 3 inch mini print

Jessie and her Teddy

3 x 3 inch mini print

Ice Cream for Jeffrey
3 x 3 inch mini print

Love Monkeys
3 x 3 inch mini print

These mini prints are now in shop. I hope you think they are as cute as I do!

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Cheating at Dinner

Sometimes I have to cheat at dinner and make something extra fabulous, yet super quick because, instead of using my time wisely when the girls are happily playing on our back patio (aka happily eating dry dog food on the back patio - what is it with kids and dog food? Or is it just my kids? I don't know) I wander into the Etsy forums, and needless to say, glance at the clock 45 minutes later only to realize the Will is going to be coming home from work in only 15 minutes and I haven't even started dinner. Nothing quite like the Etsy forums to make an at-home-mom forget to cook and clean.

So, I have to get crafty and cover my tracks. My cheat dinner of all times is pizza. A garlicy gourmet-tasting pizza that makes my husband drool and spend no less than 35 minutes praising my culinary genius.

Ladies, here's what I do:

Grab a frozen, ready-to-bake pizza and preheat the oven. I use Tony's pizza because it is only $2.00 a pizza and I'm cheap like that. It actually tastes really good, but feel free to eat whatever fancy frozen pizza you like. If you are of the pizza crust-making variety, props to ya. I'm not, unless it is the just-add-water kind of crust. Yeast frightens me. But like I said, this is a quick pizza, and frozen is just the ticket.

Prep time is only about 5 minutes. Slice some tomato, chop some fresh basil leaves, and mince a clove of garlic.

Grate some mozzarella cheese because, of course, cheese is the best part of a pizza and the more the better. This pizza is not diet in any way, shape, or form, in case you were wondering.

Spread the minced garlic all over the pizza. Then spread out the tomatoes, basil, a layer of cheese and sprinkle with dried basil leaves before popping it into the oven for about 7-8 minutes.

The end result... the most delicious gourmet pizza on the planet, fresh from the oven just as hubby's key is turning in the door.

I'm telling ya, this pizza is fantastic. Will always assumes that I've been slaving over a hot stove for ages (this guy knows nothing about cooking anything other than beans on toast, and I'm more than happy to keep him in the dark, especially since he thinks I'm the most wonderful cook in the world).
And if you really feel like getting worshipful praises, pass him an ice cold beer along with his pizza. He'll love you forever.

If you have pizza sharing issues like I do, you'll want to make a couple of these.

Enjoy!

xoxo,

And the Winner is... Drum Roll, Please

Remember when I posted my giveaway last week and said that I'd be drawing my winner on Wednesday, October 8th?

Good for you, because I didn't. Ooops. So without further ado, let me announce my winner, one day late.

Dum dum da dum... Maria of Retro Rugrats, step on up and receive your prize (or sit back and I'll just mail it to you, which makes more sense as we live in different states)

Anyway, enjoy and thanks to all of you who entered and left me very nice comments!!!

Stay tuned for next month. I have another great giveaway planned. A really great giveaway. I love giveaways.

Happiness Is....

Happiness is being tucked up in a soft, comfy bed with one large bag of Tostitos scoops, one entirely full jar of neon-orange queso, and one romance novel, all enjoyed while the girls are soundly sleeping and while Will is happily watching a political documentary in a different room.

Ahhhhh, bliss...

Illustration Friday: Sugary

Lollishops will be opening up... someday soon, I hope, and one of the projects I've been working on, which will be perfect for the frou-frou friendly market place, is a series of super cutsie little girls with awesome hats, darling retro dresses, and wholesome Campbell's soup-cute faces. They will definitely be frou-froulicious.

But with the Illustration Friday topic being "Sugary" this week, I thought I'd create a super cute sugary girl and give you a sneak peek at this little series I've been working on. Normally my delicious dessert illustrations are of the cupcake variety, but I decided to go a different route this time, and focus on candy.

Mmmmm... I love candy.

So meet Carrie Candy Hat. Her hat is entirely edible (if you are an illustrated hat girl in an illustrated land, of course) and is absolutely delish. Lollipops, truffles and all sorts of round chocolates and suckers adorn her pretty little strawberry-blonde head.

While I'm at it, here are sneaks of some of my sketches....

Just some. I forgot to photograph my favorite.

And here is the finished Betsy Bee Hive Hat

And Lucie Lemon Hat.

These girls will be added to my Etsy shop, but I think they will probably do better in Lollishops, as Etsy seems more edgy than frou-frou... and these girls are far from edgy and full of frou-frou. I can't wait for Lollishops to open!

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Weekend at the Lake

In the few years, since my family made the move from California to Texas, we have celebrated the last weekend of September at the lake.

My Grampa's birthday, Mom's birthday, Aunt and Uncle's wedding anniversary and the end of the hot hot hot Texas summer all come around at the same time, and our family likes to celebrate them all with a bang.


Gracie and Annelie were in seventh heaven, surrounded by grandparents and cousins galore, all who think they are the two cutest kids on the planet and more than happy to cater to their every whim. Mix that with non-stop swimming at the lake, family fun on a pontoon boat, jet skis, and indulgent grandmas, and my girls pretty much had the best weekend of their lives.


My brother (he's the one in the blue vest), also known as Uncle Dan to his two most devoted and adoring neices, spent the whole weekend listening to Annelie shout, "Dan! Dan! Blaaah" with her tongue sticking out. Uncles just love that stuff.


And jet skis... oooooh, how I love jet skis! Funny how driving a car gives me serious panic attacks, but I'm always game to drive a jet ski. Love those things!

Now, our end-of-summer weekend is over and I'm a little tanner, a little fatter (mmmm... brunch at the yacht club never disappoints), and waaaaay tired from all the sun and commotion. Back to the daily grind in West Texas, nowhere near as awesome as the lake. But at least we have next year to look forward to!

Enjoy!

xoxo,

The Lemon Drop

I've been itching to get into jewelry making for ages, but it has always seemed too intimidating. I browse Etsy for jewelry all the time, and have even bought some lovely, I repeat LOVELY jewelry from several shops, including Oh Mandie! and The Brass Hussy, two of my favorites.

I've always wanted to make my own, too. Lovely little pieces just for me. Finally, last month I bit the figurative bullet, bought lots of charms, chain, beads and all the necessary findings... and voila! My first necklace: The Lemon Drop.

I'm loving this necklace, which I was so proud of I promptly made nine more... only to realize that I now have nine of the same necklace. Hmmm...

So without further ado, I announce my new giveaway. Yup, you heard it here folks, an Elegant Snobbery GIVEAWAY! Summer may be over, but the summery sweetness of this necklace, made with a large lemony-yellow pearly glass bead (16 mm), antique silver bead caps, leaf charm and a nice chain with lobster clasp, is only just beginning.

Now I have one for me, a few to give to my friends and family as gifts, one reserved just for my giveaway winner... and a whole bunch more to stick in my shop. Jewelry makers, don't be alarmed. By no means am I going to encroach on your territory and begin taking over the Etsy jewelry scene. But I think an elegant lemony necklace in my shop will be cute and sweet.

Want to win? Just leave a comment (a nice one) and make sure I have a way to contact you! I'll announce my winner in one week, on October 8th.

Enjoy!

xoxo,