How to be a mom and an artist and a business owner.

Have you ever tried Googling that phrase? I have. I know. A little embarrassing. But the truth is, you can't really find an answer to that question. Experience is the only teacher.

Well, I guess if you googledd that phrase now, you would find this.

I was invited to be a guest blogger at Le Papier Studios, (A DARLING shop by the way...get your christmas goodies here!) and I spilled the beans about balance, and life and priorities and trying to live all three roles.

Something I hope to learn more about everyday. Life is meant to be lived...and when life is busy, there is no reason you still can't enjoy it all. So...here is my two cents on the subject. (Ok...more like 10 bucks...it is a bit long, but then, couldn't we all write novels on this subject?)

Enjoy!

What to do when your daughter is wearing a an extremely famous dress for Halloween?

Take lots of pictures!

The dress came in the mail at 3 pm Halloween afternoon, and that was the end of being a Witch for the night! I actually video taped her opening the box...and Oh! The dramatic response when she saw what it was. What an amazing dress!

As we were putting the dress on, Ian ran back to his room, grabbed his "prince" crown and his blanket for me to tie up as a cape. He immediately bowed to Addie and asked for the next dance. He is such a romantic...and well, it doesn't help that he has an Anne of Green Gables for a sister. And...well, I am not much better. I wonder where he gets it from!

This dress is a dream, and Addie is in heaven wearing it. We wore it trick or treating and let me tell you the comments we got! She was quite the featured trick-or-treater. (We only went to maybe 8 doors and took our time going door to door. They will get older one day and figure out faster walking = more candy) We ended up carrying her up each door step making sure she wouldn't step on this masterpiece. And that is what it is. A masterpiece.

I still feel a little guilty for having such an amazing dress..and so popular at that! I am just tickled to see how regal Addie becomes when she wears it. Her manners are perfect, and she becomes royalty. And in response, Ian becomes royalty too. We are already planning a party around this dress! And oh, what a ball it will be.

My Children's Corner

Since we are getting our place ready to sell, I realized I don't really have any decent pictures of my Addie and Ian's room. It is quite a tight space: all of their toys, clothes and beds fit into this little space that I can't even take a full picture of because I can't stand back far enough! But Small Spaces require creativity, which is my favorite kind of problem to handle.

Details:

- "Manners can be Fun": Anthropologie. Published in 1936. My mother used to read this to me, and I am sure her mother read it to my mother. Fantastic illustrations. We bring this down when the kids need a little more reenforcement besides mom and dad.

- "The LIttle House" is on my top 5 children's books of all time. If you haven't read this, you need to.

- Letter A: from Anthropologie. On sale for $6

- Toad likes to hang out up here, but he often comes down to play.

- Wooden display cabinet I hand painted a while back

- Babaar print: We purchased a print while in France at a flea market. I am sure you can get them in the states though. I just liked the size...and that it was from Provence.

- IKEA shelves are a lifesaver. Not only do they fit everything, but they are square. I like squares. And White.

-The felt Crowns are from Cakies. We love these!

-Vintage alphabet poster $4 at a book arts paper store

There are more details I didn't catch here...but all the more reason for me to take pictures when we move into our new space!

Holiday Gift Guide

In all the hustle and bustle of cleaning out closets and getting our place ready to sell, I forgot to mention this incredible Handmade Holiday Gift Guide over at Bloesom Kids (my FAVORITE blog by the way). She has included my Calendar...Thank you Irene! But all the other items she has included are so darling! So unique and great for you and the kids. Click here to get connected to list of items and their online locations! Oh, and check out her most recent post today...an OPEN house with the makers of LMNOP magazine. I love peeking into people's homes! So much life and creativity here! But thank you Irene for the mention!

Color me, Dress me up, and take me trick or treating.

Remember the fun Addie and I have been having with Paper Dolls? Well, time to do some paper-dolling together. This is Mazie, named after my great-grandmother. Though I don't remember her, I bet she was as cute. I may just get some paper dolls in the shop...all colored and ready to play with. But I thought I would test the waters first and also let you have fun coloring in all the details! Get some ideas on how they look colored here.

So have some spooky fun! This Mazie is a lot like my daughter...you never really know what she is going to wear...Especially for halloween. A vintage-y witch, a french Dutchess or Little Red Riding Hood. Have fun choosing! Download the Free HIgh-Res PDF file here.

Feel free to spread the word and tell your friends with a link here.

Happy Halloween!

What you dream is what you get. SO DREAM!

(Addie in my espadrilles)

Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last you create what you will.

George Bernard Shaw

My motto of the week. For years we have been dreaming of a house. I personally, have been dreaming of a cottage cozied up in a deep green forest with only birds and deer for neighbors. And for the upteenth time, we are on the search to find it again. And I truly believe that what you want most will in fact become a reality as you turn that wish into action.

So, this week, is get the condo ready to sell week. I have high hopes to get some more wonderful treats out for you this week in the shop, and I will keep this motto close to me as I go for it.

This week I imagine:

A clean sparse apartment to show

New art and goodies in the shop

And maybe that cottage in the woods.

Or at least...A house with room enough to be a mom AND an artist. We have been feeling a little crammed lately, but oh so grateful to have a roof over our heads.

Here's to dreaming! Make a wish, Make it happen!

I won!

Holy Cow. I really can't believe it. But I have to tell you.

I actually WON the marie-antoinette inspired dress from Grosgrain. I am still a bit in shock! With 1,003 entries, the odds were as slim as they come! I never win ANYTHING, so actually, about 6 months ago, I just stopped entering my name in giveaways since it just seemed like such a waste of time. Well, this dress obviously caught my attention, and since I have a daughter who literally says things like "Oh mother, you truly look lovely today", would sleep in necklaces and lace if I let her and can be found singing to her "true love" when ever she enters a grove of trees, I had to enter. Oh I am glad I did! I can't wait to show you pictures after it comes in the mail. This woman is AMAZING and I think that she is pretty much a genius when it come to children's design. Check out her other designs here. Oh...and the best part. She is opening a shop in two weeks! Oh the world is a sweet place.

The red cardinal and other things.

I am really excited about this print. I remember as a girl sitting at my kitchen window at the snowy forest behind our house so calmed by the misty gray that winter brings. I really love the magic in the winter forest...so delicate and quiet. But then the Cardinal would come and draw my complete attention. He was like a sign of hope. My heart would race, and I would beg him to say a while. It amazes me the God would be so creative to think of making a RED bird that loves to come out in the white winter. He is such an artist:)

And so, this new friend of mine gets to meet this little fellow and share a moment. or two. or three. Just a stare. nothing more is needed to be filled with warmth of the red bird.

So...A new print for the shop! And this same image is going to be used for my GIFT CARDS coming up!! I am so excited! I think these are so precious, and I would love to get one of these in the mail, or as a present!

The way these will work is simple:

When you order the gift card, you will specify whether you want this emailed to you or snail-mailed to you. I will then write, or email you, the CODE that the recipient will use when purchasing. To redeem the gift card, all your recipient needs to do is to email me at the email listed on the card, and I will fill the order!

Simple, eh? Hope so! (there are more details in the actual listing in my shop)

Ahhhh....though it is still fall, this print is making me long for the quiet snow!