A few of my favorite things....

I am often asked random questions. Sometimes I actually have the answer. I got an email the other day asking me about "favorite things". Here are a few:

Redbox Movie rentals I can pull up to the curb at McDonald's, pick out a movie, and my kids, who are 4 feet away, never get out of their seatbelts. Hallelujah!!!

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers Sometimes painting projects can get a little marked up in transit, or just by being in my house. I once had a stepstool sitting in my living room, waiting for the owner to arrive and pick it up. I had completely re-done this thing. It was beautiful.

Walking down the hall, I found the cap to a marker. A sharpie marker. You know, those permanent black ones that scare the heck out of anyone who has ever tried to remove the stains they leave behind. One of my lovely children had decided to draw all over the customers receipt, which was taped to the stool.Some of the marker bled through. Knowing the customer was on her way to my house, I freaked out. I tried 409, goo gone, OOPS, I even spit on a paper towel and rubbed it. NOTHING worked. Until..... I pulled out the magic eraser!!! She never knew....

La Croix water When it's 2am, and I am painting plate number 45 of 60, it makes me think I am drinking a coke. It's full of bubbles, but no sugar or caffeine. Yum.

Etsy So much creativity in one place! A great way to get inspired. (Or make yourself feel like a total, talentless loser)

Reprodepot I love the fabrics on this site. Lots of things you cannot find anywhere else.

Hydrogen PeroxideYeah, you read that right. A fresh bottle will get almost any stain out of carpet or car upholstry. Try it - you'll like it - and I can say I- told -you- so.

Friday Night Lights I'm a Fox News, Discovery channel girl. I don't normally follow many shows. But, I am hooked on this one. It's on channel 101 on Directv, or on DVD. Finally, a show where the southern accents don't sound completely ridiculous.

Random pictures of my kids doing strange things that make me laugh
Who doesn't love stuff like that. The posed portraits are great (is this an appropriate time to plug my photographer sister??)but I think some of the real memories are made in moments of laughter. I am treating you to one of my recent additions to this category. My liitle lady in her princess dress, chasing her brother with a rubber mallet.


Green highlighters 'cause that's what I use to mark things off my to-do list.

No before, just an after

This is supposed to be a before and after - but I can't find the before picture - you'll just have to use your imagination. This light fixture came to me off the shelf brown/bronze. The designer that brought it to me wanted it to have a french country look. She also said to keep it kind of fun, a little bit whimsical. I painted it a creamy ivory, and after some handpainting, I added a glaze. I distressed it in some random spots to show the detail. I was hoping that it was what she envisioned, sometimes it is just a guessing game.
On the way to my house yesterday, she had a minor car accident. She picked it up this morning and was very pleased with it. I love happy endings.
My other project yesterday was "family" plates. Lots of them. More than you see. One thing about these plates, no matter how big you are, you always look good as a stick person. If you are bald, well, that's another story.

Top 5 ridiculous names

I realize that with this post I am taking a risk. A risk of making somebody's momma mad at me. It's been a long, stressful week so I wanted to post something fun. I like an unusual name as much as anyone, I have a kid named Baker after all, but I am going to list some of the weirdest names I have come across in the past 10 years of personalizing. I can't remember them all, the world is full of poor decision makers.
I decided to skip the crazy spellings - "Alicesynn" or "Jaxsyn" and the funny monograms "aSs" (as in horse's a**)
and go straight to the names.


#5 Hoke - Really, what were they thinking??

#4 Hutt - Rhymes with mutt, slut, not good...

#3 Sapp and Crady - I realize these are 2 names, but they were brothers. A pair. Two eastern Kentucky boys doomed to a life of "Huh? How do you spell that?"

#2 Tupper - as in Tupperware? I'm sure there is a family meaning somewhere behind this, but didn't they have a Mary or Katherine somewhere in the family tree too?

#1 Cosmo - Yep. As in Kramer. Were they big Seinfeld fans? Is his older brother named "Seven"? If it was a nickname, they didn't tell me. My sister couldn't quit marveling over that one. She just kept shaking her head saying, "Cosmo? Really?"..

Hope you got a giggle out of them, and if you know any of these children, please don't forward this to their parents :)

Paper Snob

I'm a bit of a wrapping paper snob. I don't do thin, flimsy paper. I don't do Elmo in a Santa hat. I don't do ice skating snowmen. I also don't do expensive. That's why I want to share my favorite wrapping paper destination.

Hobby Lobby!!

Their paper is heavy, the designs are really tasteful, there is 100 sq. feet per roll, and it is very well priced!
Right now it is 1/2 off, making it $4 a roll.

I bought this funky green paper, I think it will look great with red and chocolate bows. I was leaning toward a great black and white print, but Todd protested. Evidently, if it's not red or green, it's not Christmas-y enough. After 15 years of marriage, I never knew he had such solid opinions on Christmas wrapping. So, I smiled, and picked a green print, just thankful he didn't prefer Elmo.
(and, yes, that is my finger in the picture. I'm a painter, not a photographer)