Paint in My Hair

Maybe I Should Get Out More...

I finally figured out how to use my camera phone.  I can tell that this new found technology is going to get me into all sorts of trouble.  Take Saturday, for instance:

I went to the Nordstrom Bistro with some girl friends.  No kids.  It's a good thing we don't drink because the freedom was intoxicating enough.  We stumbled upon this dress shop, and it was like driving by a car wreck.  You don't want to look, but you can't help yourself.  We were shocked, horrified, and dying to know how we would look in them.  The signs in the shop reminded us, "These dresses are not for play".  Oh, this wasn't play.  It was serious business.

Each of us found our perfect match.  Even Maddi found something for the pregnant prom queen.  We twirled.  We pouted.  (But not at all playfully)  Then we carefully hung them up and discretely left.

Hiding Spilled Milk

Maybe it's the weather, but I felt like painting something completely different---something, dare I say, dark. I don't mean dark like ominous, just dark like slate tile. 

Speaking of slate tile, I want some.  Every place we live has white tile or linoleum in the kitchen.  I want something that hides dribbled milk or even chocolate milk. Same goes for carpet.  Give it to me dark.  In the meantime, here are some spilled-chocolate-milk -inspired-slate-like-paintings.  I call them Slate Tile and Indigo Tile.

Braggy-Brag

So I was browsing through the New Era HD website.  I've mentioned before that they publish limited edition prints of my paintings.  I'm very excited about working with them because they distribute to Crate and Barrel, Ethan Allen, etc.  Not bad, eh?  (I totally heart Crate and Barrel.) 

But I diverge.  I was looking around their site and saw a link for the new catalog.  Oooooh, thought I, I must take a look at that. I clicked on the link and ...what the hay...that's my painting on the cover!  I like her in her headless pose.

A few weeks before that, I had happily discovered that when I refresh their main web page my Calla Lily on Gold shows up. She is slyly peeking at us. 

Well, I can't help it--gotta brag a little bit. What a pleasant surprise.

Lantern Flowers and Fast Food Trays

I've had so much fun working on my fabric designs.  It really forced me to approach my work a little differently and experiment with some different techniques and materials. I knew as soon as I completed the artwork for my fabric line I wanted to paint these.  So I finished them today. They are glazed, signed, and now, even posted!  Ahhhhh, what a great feeling.

On a totally unrelated topic....We went on a little outing last weekend for a beloved family activity.  On said outing, we saw the following objects being used by others for this activity.  Hmmmmmm.  Any guesses what we were up to?  If you can guess correctly, you will win...............recognition and admiration!!

Trouble Makers

This only confirms what I already knew.  Kids are trouble makers.  Here's Lily moments before Zoo Security came and yelled at us.  How nice to learn I'm not the only one.  We have laughed so much over the past week, reading your stories.  Your children, nephews, nieces, mother's, etc have been quoted many times in the Gunn house.  Here are some of our most beloved quotes:

"That lady [The "round" one at the check out counter] ate ALL her dinner!"

[Upon seeing a photo of mom pregnant with sister]: "Momma? Did you eat Maisey?"

"Mommy, when our baby comes can she be all black and shiny like that?”

“It [her new baby cousin] might be alright when they fix it. Your baby has an ugly squished face and a flat nose”

[In response to sounds in the next stall]: "OH!"...."Yeahhhh!!!!" …"Uh, she pooped!" …. "Good girl!"

I could go on and on.  Thanks you for sending some laughs our way.  It's been a hard choice, but the line that has been quoted most in our house is.........(suspense building)...........(suspense becoming unbearable).......... "Did you know you only have one leg?"  Oh bless those children.  I'm still giggling over this one.  Here's Haley's complete story:

While babysitting my cousin I took him to a water park. He was 6 at the time and loved to swim, we are waiting in line to go down a big slide when a man walks up who is missing a leg. My cousin noticing this, asks the man, "Did you know you only have one leg?" The man being very kind looks down and says jokingly, "maybe I lost it on the last ride." Cousin- "No I think you are hiding it" proceeds to get on the ground and look up INTO the mans swimming shorts and loudly proclaims, " See I found it, it's just a lot smaller than you're other leg, but I think it might be broken!"

I wish I had something to reward each of you for your moments of humiliation.  (Though I must confess I have always secretly loved such moments.  They make such great stories later.)