Something Smells Fishy Around Here..

Hi Everyone! Happy Saturday! So, its another busy day for this innkeeper chick.. but I found time to do something that I love to do and ... it goes toward a GREAT cause. Every summer here locally there is a Fishing Contest. These salmon caught by those during the contest are all donated for this event. Today was the yearly Fish Boil at the local boat club here in Ludington. Can you say yummy?! If you have never experience a fish boil with salmon.. its a must. I call it "pour mans lobster". When you have it with hot melted butter.. its to die for! So, with all these fish caught during the tournament.. they are all donated to this fund raiser and thus.. the fish boil - where they boil the salmon in a HUGE pot with onions, potatoes and carrots. There was also fried fish, baked beans, fresh rolls, potato salad and coleslaw and homemade desserts.. yummy!! All of this for $9 (or more all going as donations to Hospice Of Michigan). I got to sneak away with my friends, Lucinda and her mom(pictured above). It was only an hour away from work but let me tell ya.. it was much needed. A little escape with friends and good food is better than therapy anyday!

Butterflies!

After a few days of procrastinating, I finally did what was asked of me to do. I was asked to make invites for a 6 yr old childrens surprise birthday party. The only guidance I had is that she likes butterflies. So, today I hurried to get them done. It isn't my usual kind of art work. Im not normally into such bright colors, BUT.. I have to admit it was fun. I used my Quickutz Silhouette to cut out the big butterfly on the fronts and added a rhinestone on the wings. It was definately outside my zone but it was fun! I think the girls will like them.. they are "girly" with a little bling.

Rain Rain Go Away...

It's days like today when I get a bit restless.. and thnk.. I should dodge the raindrops and get a bit creative.. or.. putz on my blog.. ! I shouldnt complain, around these parts, I've not seen much rain. In fact, it is much needed. So, here I am putzing on the computer and I thought Id show some cards a friend of mine and I made not too long ago. I attended a SU party and received some "freebies" thru a promotion, so we used a lot of that "stuff".. papers n ribbon n such. We also dug into some other paper we had.. and whipped up some cards. It was a lot of fun and now I have a bunch of new cards in my stash! Move over Hallmark! :-)

Updated Studio Picture.

I thought Id share an updated photo of my studio. It is starting to look more like home.. a few things on the wall and getting everything tucked away in its place. I think the organizing is the hardest part. The second hardest.. finding where ya put it! :-) Maybe somday Ill be a part of Studios magazine? A girl can dream!

She Makes Me Smile :-)

I have to share this picture. Isnt she just darn adorable? This is my newest addition. She will be joining the household in September. I dont have a name picked out yet.. so Id love to get some feedback for a name. If you'd like, drop me a comment and help me name her. She was born two weeks ago and her mom's name is Treasure. I still miss Bailey so much. Its hard not having her by my feet. I think she would give that "happy cocker spaniel tail wag" tho if she was able to meet this adorable little doggie. A few names I have picked out so far: Ruby, Sapphire, Gem, Jewel, Diamond and Ariel (since Jasmine who is still the queen of the house, was named after a Disney princess.. well you get the idea). Happy Thursday everyone!

A few of my favorite things...

Oh yeah.. nuttin like retail therapy! Have a down day? Nothing like a new blouse or a new pair of shoes.. that always makes me smile! OMG.. what does that say about me?? *gasp LOL. But hey, I'ma girl .. its what we are programmed to do! When I shop.. I plan a day for it. I live 90 miles from the malls.. so its an all day event. I just thought id window shop and say hi!! Have a great day! *wigglin her freshly pedicured pink toes*

THE Bet !!!

Hi there! Well what can I say.. I HATE loosing a bet. But.. a bet is a bet and win or loose I will hold to my end of the bargain. A friend of mine from Alaska, Jim, is a BIG Pens Hockey Fan. I am a BIG Red Wings Hockey fan. We made a bet during the playoffs. IF the Wings would win the cup, Id send Jim my Red Wings Jersey to model and take pics in.. but if the Pens won.... well you get the picture. As you can see, I lost... but I have to say.. it was fun. I did do a slight no no.. (i cant help but giggle) but hey.. its what ANY Red Wings Fan would do.. honest !!! Go Red Wings!!! Just remember, Wings will always RULE and the Pens will always DROOL!

Friday Night Live Blu Moon Style - Yumm-O!

Hey Everyone.. its Dawn.. c'mon at cha liveeeeeeeeee, from Michigan! You know.. sometimes ya just need a lil something to get ya through "stuff"..tonight it was Sushi for me! Yep, I went to the Blu Moon (again!!!) Im soooooooo dang addicted. What can I say, I just love that lil bistro! They just started to make sushi - the only place in town and its YUMMY! So, I thought Id share my little sushi experience with ya. Sushi is an "art" after all, right?? Oh and the creme brule.. FAB!!! Speakin of art, I did take some indoor pics of Blu Moon to share - cute decor! I love the frames and how they "hang". After dinner I roamed the streets of downtown as Ludington has "Friday Night Live" 4 fridays in the summer. Its kinda cool! I found a 14 yr old gal playing and singing blues... who was out of this world! Way to go girl! Seriously.. i was VERY impressed. I found a local store that carries Trollbeads (watch out!). I got the cutest little troll - he rocks! I roamed further and found the LFD trucks.. so guess who had to be a ham?? Me!!! Ok, so I'm a big kid.. and proud of it! We are all a kid at heart at times.. arent we? C'mon baby.. light my fire!

July June Bugs!

Happy Tuesday Everyone. I did another monthly challenge with my local scrapbook store. I have to say, this challenge stuff gets me diving into my stuff and gets my mind into a creative zone, that I love. The July challenge was using the Basic Grey's "June Bug" line of papers. We also had a blue pen included where you had to journal somewhere on the layout (I don't like my handwriting so I put mine inside the "story" pocket to hide it), and 9 papers total. As usual, I looked at this challenge saying.. "hmmm" a lot. I decided to do yet another "Tim" idea, using foam board and making nitches in my layout for some dimension. I decided to use some pictures from Ranger U for my layout. Ive not "scrapbooked" in a while.. multi media stuff yes.. scrapbooking per se, no. So, since I had to use a "little of everything" (its why I punched out flowers, because I had NO clue what else to do with some of these shades of paper I had). So, I used a little of everything and .......... tada! Finished layout! The clock arms do spin freely. Its fun to have bulk, accessories and gadgets that you can physically mess with on a page or an altered book.

Once In A Blu Moon........

Once in a blu moon.. or ...... more! This is where i had lunch today. I met up with a few very good friends of mine. You know the kind of friends that even if you don't see each other often, when you do get together..its endless conversation and lots of laughs. I've always been a firm believer that friends are much cheaper than therapy! Blu Moon Cafe is right downtown. Its such a cool place & the owner, Marilyn is always so darn happy its addictive! She has this eclectic art hanging all over inside and heck, its just a fun, casual cool place to go. If you are ever in town, make sure to stop in! May I suggest a cocholate cherry iced coffee, eggs benedict, sushi or their yummy perrogies. Always make sure you take time to get a lil therapy.. once in a Blu Moon!

Being A Troll In More Ways Than One! Don't Worry, Bead Happy!

Hi Everyone. Happy Saturday! Another beautiful day in NW Michigan. I love it! Today was an Artisan show in Pentwater. I love this tiny port town. It's located just south of my hometown. I found some goodies on my adventure out today. Im always lookin for unique things. First of all, lets talk trolls! When a Michigander is a "troll" that means you are "under the bridge" (Mackinaw Bridge that is) and thus.. a troll! Ok, so along with us using our hand as a map.. we have some goofy terminology.. (kinda like the term.. fudgie for a tourist who purchases fudge). Anyway.. I found some trolls that I absolutely adore.. Trollbeads that is! I'm totally addicted!!! These are on the same basis as Pandora beads but, they are a bit more whimisical and what I'd call more on the "artsy" side. Each bead represents something.. I purchase my beads becasue of a meaning to me personally. I got a little carried away and I started my second bracelet. (Robin, if you are reading this, dont laugh!). Art Gallery in Pentwater carries a large variety of Trollbeads. http://trollbeads.com/site/trollbeads/

While walking the art show I found a lot of pretty things, but there is one lady in particular who I love to visit with. She owns Molten Obsession. Her and her son make their own lampwork beads and she does all the assembly of these beautiful pieces.. earings, bracelets and necklaces. It's heaven in a booth! I usually buy a piece of her art every year.. and this year was no exception. Here is my newest addition, a bracelet with cream, light pink and mint green lampwork beads. I love the chunky and the dangles of this piece. You can find more of her beautiful bead art here: http://www.mo-beads.com/ . Check it out if you are the slightest bead lover.. you wont be sorry. Have a great rest of your weekend!

Happy 4th Of July!! Small Town Stuff - Clowning Around

Hi There.. Happy 4th Of July!!! So, what do I do on the holiday? Most of it I spend working, but, I do have a few traditions that I truely enjoy and try to do every 4th of July here in my hometown of Ludington.. (http://www.ludingtoncvb.com/cvb.com/ ). The first is the Fine Arts Show. All I can say is WOW!!! Even tho the economy is bad this year, there were still quite a few artisians and a LOT of people looking. One of the first booths I stopped at, I fell in love with this mirror. She had some fabulous work! This will definately be going into my studio. It was a bit pricey but the work is fabulous and it was love at first sight. She used old scrap metal, old ceiling tiles and beads and more! The other tradition I do enjoy is the local parade. It is about 1 hour long and full of the cheesey local stuff we have every year but its tradition and hey, isnt that what hometown Independence Day stuff is suppose to be about? I save a spot or two on Ludington Avenue hours before.. the parade is serious business for us small town people.. can ya tell? The Scottville Clown Band is pretty cool. They end the line of the parade every year and they end it with a BANG! The are a VERY talented group of local guys who dress up in drag, clown outfits and more.. but their music they do take very seriously! Google them or check them out on Youtube.. they are truely a hoot! Everyone loves them. So, this is how I spent my 4th of July.. I hope you are having a fun and safe holiday and sharing a smile with family and friends!

Did My June Challenge For Scrapbook Nook

Hi Everyone! As much as I have been fighthing this paper, I got my challenge done. Vanessa who owns the local scrapbook store here in town, does challenges monthly. You purchase a kit for $5 and get about $10 worth of stuff. You have to use everything in the kit.. in some way or another. I didnt actually buy this months kit but was sharing it with a good friend of mine, Denise (who by the way is super creative herself!). I honestly didnt like this paper. It isnt "me" at ALL! We had to use the "vintage yummy" by Sassafras Lass. I just kept looking at this wondering what the heck I was going to do with it. Definately not my style.. was very "cutesy". So, I got one of my mirrors and did something that I learned in a class with Tim Holtz. I think it turned out ok considering it was something I was dragging my feet over. The mirror is one of those cheap $2 mirrors from Ikea. I used misc stuff from Tim's Fragements, Idea-Ology line, some Ranger products and some misc stuff Ive found in my "stash". Ill be handing this over to Vanessa on Monday. Wish me luck!

A Very Special Gift From A Very Special Friend..

This morning after getting ready I had the mail carrier deliver something very special to my door. It was a good sized brown box. I love boxes.. !! I mean, who doesn't? Inside was a lot of bubble wrap (the big bubbled kind that makes the good "popping" sound) and as I unwraped it I discovered something very special.. this plaquie in memory of my baby...Bailey. Robin, thank you so much. I had to re do my makeup after reading the beautiful card and what it said on the back of the artwork. It's awesome!! Thank you so much. Love you lots! Ok, now I need a kleenex.

Taking Time Out...

Today is Fathers Day and I took the time out to go visit my parents. They have a summer home on a lake. My dad has a pontoon boat and offered to take my mom, brother Jasmine and I for a ride. How could I refuse? I rarely get to enjoy the summer sun with my job as an Innkeeper so this was a real treat for me. It was an awesome 81F day and I was loving it.. I think Jas was too! Just dodge the drooooooling dog! LOL. Happy Fathers Day!

A Motorcycle Custom Painted With Perfect Pearls? You Betcha!

It has been a week of up's n down's. I guess that is to be expected. So, I thought Id share something pretty special to me. I am a harley chick! I own a 2004 sportster. I decided to have some custom painting on it. I didnt want anything "loud" on it.. but something that make it a "stamper/scrapbookers" kinda bike. I had a local paint artist, Roger Manley paint it for me and we used Perfect Pearls in the paint to create some very cool "ghost flames". Look closely and you can see them. It just depends on how the light hits the bike at different angles. Here is just another way you can use Ranger's Perfect Pearls. Pretty cool, eh? :-)

Goodbye My Bailey Girl....

I wasnt sure if I should post this but maybe sharing this will help heal my pain. When I got home from Ranger U, I came home to a very sick doggie. We rushed her to the Vet 10 min after I walked in the door.. unforunately what poor little Bailey had was uncurable. On June 9 2009 at about 330pm.. Bailey left us to go to doggie heaven. We discovered she had what is called Autoimmune Disease. It is something that apparently is hereditary. It came on so sudden, so fast. I had so many unanswered questions. If interrsted, here is a link to educate you on it.. as it is most common in Cocker Spaniels http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/autoimmune-disease-in-dogs.html . I'm slowly healing. I also have an older doggie, Jasmine, who is 10. I think she is feeling a little loss too. I know time heals.. Bailey, I love you and you will always be in my heart.

Ranger U June 5 - 7, 2009

Hi All! Finally posting a picture from Ranger U in Tinton Falls, NJ. It was an awesome weekend.. I made a lot of new friends, and seen some familiar faces.. and got down and dirty and creative.. learning 70 techniques total.. Oh yeah.. it was a busy weekend. Ill post a few pictures of my adventure. So, thank you to Tim, Claudine, Suze, and everyone at Ranger for a great weekend of creativity! I was definately in "my zone".

Samples Of My Crazy Artwork

Ooooh here is some of the artwork I've done...a twist of creative with vintage and different mediums.. and tada!

OMG.. She Is Alive!!!

Ok.. so it has taken me forever to post anything! Well, life got pretty hectic for me. I had a flood in my basement in June.. Friday the 13th of all times. Ugh! My art studio has been in the basement for a while now. The water did a lot of damage. Id say about 6 inches of wonderful clear water. Its been a finished basement for a while. Of course, being this happened in June, the only thing I could do was try to dry things up and run the inn which is very seasonal. Along with some other things in my life.. all of that took a bigger priority than my basement. So, after Labor Day, the disctruction/construction began. It is something I'm glad I've gotten done (and you will see why with the pictures I'll show you) but remind me to never want to build my own home. The drywall, the mudding, the sanding.. the carrying up and down the stairs of so much garbage and big sheets of drywall. There were a few days I wanted to just say... "forget it!" but.. the best things in life are worth the sweat n tears. My art studio is now 3 times the size it was before. Its not the yucky brown carpet and paneling it once was. Its green.. its very pear green and tequila lime green and it has a LOT of bright light! My fixutures are all IKEA (the cabinets n lights n such) along w/ repainting my wood cabinets and book shelf white to match.. (yes Im a VERY matching kinda gal). I should also post a few of "before" pictures. Its quite a change from before! So, a newly remodeled 1100 square feet later.. here is my NEW art studio!!!