The Beginning of The Insperation Line

Today I took these cute little clips from Ikea and turned them into a display for inspirational items. I seem to always have these little inspirational bits around with no where to put them but not now, oh no! The best part is that I used only two $.99 cent kits how cool is that?






I also bound the pages from my last chunky book swap today. The theme was a few of my favorite things. Chunky books are so cool once you get them put together that they make you want to do another and another.

Journal Pages, Gift Cards, & Ikea Revealed

First, here are three more black and white pages. At the rate I'm going my Black & White Journal will be done before break is over. While I love this journal I am excited to start working in color. (Probably as excited as I was to work only in black and white. Go figure.)

Santa brought me a $10 gift card to Walmart just in case he forgot anything. While he did not forget anything I did remembered a few things. I am attaching the photo because I am sure Santa will be checking in. He sees you when your sleeping, he knows when you're awake. To the untrained eye this may look like first aid and office supplies but oh no my friends these are all art supplies (and one water bottle).

So, you may still be waiting breathlessly to find out about my Ikea shopping trip just before Christmas. Well, the biggie was a new bed spread cover that I just got on my bed today. It's funny, I had to trade the bed pillows and the couch pillows. I guess the funny thing is that trading them worked. I also bought small spoons and drink glasses for a surprise appetizer drink for our Christmas of appetizers. Wrapping paper for next year at only $.25 a roll and a cute little clothes line that I will use for an inspiration line. I promise to show it off when it goes up. And the best part besides the bed cover is a garbage can with a lid so that Bentley, my dog, will quit eating everything I throw away. Jim says that she loves paper just like me. I say she likes to be annoying but she's cute so I forgive her.

Also, today I went to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. This is always fun but today I found these cool stencils on the 40% off table! They are 8 1/2" x 11" I can't wait to put them to use!


I also found Khaki pants that I love at GAP in Scottsdale Fashion Square. I had been looking everywhere with no luck. They were also on clearance for 50% off. It was a good shopping day! (Ayesha, I checked out J. Crew they had 0 pairs of khakis for women can you believe it?)

Secrets Revealed! (As Promised)

Secret #1
I made this little planner for Buffy for Christmas. It was my favorite gift that I gave this year. I started with a little calendar from the dollar section at Target and embellished the cover to make it worth much more than $1. Actually, I loved it so much that I made one for myself with Jim and I on the cover.
Secret #2
I have been reading Journal Revolution for the past few weeks, I also gave a copy to my mom for Christmas, oh my gosh! I love it as much as Visual Chronicles, which is the first book written by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino. If you are artsy or want to be artsy you should run not walk to get your hands on a copy of this book.

More Goodies

Today was another great day. I received more goodies, visited with both Jim's mom and sister and my mom and sister, ate loads of appetizers, and enjoyed Kake's first Christmas. When I was all over I also enjoyed a nap on Jim while he watched basketball and now I am off to play.

Kakes and her mountain of presents.

Buffy and I with our appetizer dessert.

Today Was Perfect!

Here's the play by play...
Jim has asked me every day for two weeks to open our Christmas presents. Every day I have said not until Christmas Eve. We have always opened on the 24th so we have to enjoy our gifts and each other before racing off to see family and friends. With this information it should come as no surprise that at about 6:30 this morning, I slept in, we were opening our gifts. (My loot is pictured above-I am so spoiled!) The dogs even received their Christmas treats and spent most of the day enjoying them. The dogs actually received a second round of bones when their grandpa stopped by later in the afternoon with bones for them as well. (How cute is that?)
After opening gifts Jim went with me to Walmart to purchase all of the food to take to our families houses. It was just as exciting for Jim to accompany me on this mission as it was opening gifts.
Next, I spent some time trying to figure out how to play Dance Dance Revolution on the Wii. Jim was offering support and trying to help figure out what was going on. Although the game is frustrating, it is fun none the less and I will figure it out.
After a trip to pet sit for three of my favorite felines I ran to Recollections to pick up some envelopes for my Christmas cards. Recollections is going out of business next month but kept swearing they weren't going to have a sale. Their plan was to sell their inventory to a liquidator, anyway the whole store was 20% off. I didn't go crazy, after all why buy anything you can get somewhere else with at 40% off coupon. I did but a couple of bottles of distress ink reinkers, a stamp pad rack similar to the paint rack form Ayesha and some white rubons in addition to the envelopes I went for.
Back at home it was more Dance Dance Revolution practice until my legs could not take it any more. I hung out more with Jim, received my owl stamps by Sassafrass Lass in the mail, reorganized a little in the studio, and then we went to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I had a grilled cheese and White Chocolate Carmel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake. Yes, you heard me right-you should run right down and get yourself a piece too it's heavenly.
To end our adventure out we went to the Arizona Celebration of Lights which is this really cool light display that you drive through at a local church. This is not a rinky dinky display either it is huge. We love the display so much that we do it every Christmas Eve. (Normally we get a hot chocolate at Quick Trip first but didn't have room this year due to the delicious Cheesecake.)
When we finally got home I got a chance to play with some of my new art supplies and organize a little too. My day couldn't have been more perfect.

Kakes First Christmas

We celebrated Christmas with my Dad today. It was so fun to see Baby Kakes opening her present from her Poppy today. First she was tearing off the wrapping paper and trying to eat it. Then, when she finally got the gift opened she got so excited. She actually recognized her new toy as one she plays with at her Fairy Godmother's house. It was amazing to see how happy she was. You could just tell she couldn't wait to get it out of the package!

Okay, Seriously...

How could you not love a paint rack like this? All of your colors hanging right at your finger tips? I love this rack even more that I imagined, and imagined that I would really, really love it. It clipped right on to the wire rack I had next to my workspace and now I won't need to go digging for paint as often. I love it and it's beautiful too!
It is funny though. This one little shelf makes me want to rearrange some of my other art supplies too! It could get crazy fun. (Here's another view.)