Mad Tea Party

Somewhere in Katlandia an entire group of characters live in a mint green house. They have been waiting since last year for another mad tea party.

The painting is so large, in fact, that it hasn't been able to be seen until today. She's waited and waited and waited to be introduced into the world.


I made a tea pot especially for the occasion, because I don't have my own. (Out of gourd, of course!)


I do, however, own a tea cup, mug, and saucer.

Everyone can share! I have a lovely flower tea...
Would you like a cup?

Or two?

How do you take yours? With Cheshire or without?

Getting here is sort of difficult. There is an enchanted forest you have to travel through, just to get to the mint green house in Katlandia.

It is dense and humid, it will *wreck* your perfectly styled hair.


Dangerous creatures lurk around every branch.

Or maybe not so dangerous, just your friendly neighborhood floating Cheshire cat head. These guys give terrible directions, and don't care at all about the frizz situation. You wanted to get to the Mad Tea Party you say? Eat some of this mushroom.

Yeah, I wasn't born yesterday, buddy. Would you trust a cat with a grin like that? Oh well...


Well, what do you know. The crazy cat was right.

Tea party time!


I hope you enjoyed your little stay here in Katlandia! Be sure to watch out for crazy Cheshire cats as you are traveling to other bloglands, you never know if they are going to trick ya.

Thank you Miss V for hosting such a fun event. ^_^ I love being silly.

A vacation to Georgia stole my brain

The drive to Georgia from Florida is always enjoyable because of the beautiful landscape.

The clouds were white and fluffy floating in an impossibly blue sky. The trees and grass were miles of bright green set against this perfect backdrop, everything was like something out of a movie.
The sky just seemed to go on forever.


I took all these photographs from the window of a moving vehicle, they are all like captured landscape paintings, colors so gorgeously saturated that they seem fake.


I didn't alter the pictures at all, the grass and trees looked like they were glowing green in real life, too.


I spent almost an entire week preparing, for the trip... and then I needed a couple of days to unwind. Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, or so I've heard, but I was taking a two-month-old and a lot had to be coordinated.
I was in charge of photography, which worked out great because I like being behind the camera. I took over 600 pictures during the three and a half days we spent away from home.
I took a lot of photos at night, and the camera setting did fun things with the light.


Like this one that looks like a time-lapse light show.


The twilight setting on the camera I was using caused this effect, its magical, and looks like a cloud of glittering fairies.


The camera effect and lighting make the water look like it is on fire, a really nifty and unexpected find.

It was blistering hot outside so the water was warm enough to feel like bath water, but most of our vacation was spent in the pool. Because of the Solstice the sun didn't set until almost 9:00pm.

The sunlight literally sparkled off of the surface of the water.

Family, food, and fun, what better way to spend Father's day? Such a fitting start to summer.

Dear Keian, 2.5 months

Hey little-little. My sweet elf baby. Can you believe it? A little more than two weeks and you will be three months old. Everyone thinks you are older because you have so much hair!

I told myself that I would be one of those moms that would write everything in the baby book: every sneeze, hiccup, every milestone. I need to stop lying to myself, there isn't enough time to write everything down.


You've had so many new experiences now! You've driven out of state lines on our first vacation, you've started your first bit of baby babbling, you even rolled over. We went to Georgia for Father's Day with your Grandpa, Aunts, and Uncle Joey to visit your Great Grandma and Great great Grandma. There were a lot of family members squeezed into those three and a half days, and a lot of driving. You went swimming, briefly, in the very warm pool. You said what we all swear was "ouchie!" plus a lot of BA! and MA! loudly, and sporadically. Your Uncle Joey payed guitar for you, and you are utterly fascinated with all things music. You really enjoy classical music and classic rock. You smile at me more, and you eat a ton. You're a little chunka-chunk now, its so cute. You have chubby little tootsie roll legs. You are too big for some of your newborn outfits already. It all goes by so fast, you know? One minute you were a tiny tiny baby, now you can almost hold your head up by yourself. You love to stand up when we hold you, and you are always wide-eyed, looking at everything.

While we were visiting my uncle you were playing with your Aunt Kerri and started to roll over. This scared your aunt. Everything you do scares your aunt. But I told her to let you go, and you rolled completely over, I was so excited I yelled and it startled everyone.
You sleep easier now, in your crib no less. You still won't take a pacifier for more than a couple of seconds, you realize there won't be any milk coming out, and then you get angry. Your dad gives the pacifier to you now just to see the expressions you make. Isn't he nice?

Our favorite place to go during the day is the library. You are so quiet during car rides and well behaved in public places. I'm glad I can go out with you and not worry about you screaming like other kids. I'm aware this could change, I hope it doesn't. Your eyes are still blue, I hope that doesn't change too.
I just keeping taking pictures because I know you will never be this little ever again.

Love,
Mommy

New paintings!

Protecting
Acrylic on canvas
12"X16"
This piece is much larger than my scanner so the image area you see here is from the middle of the painting. I really enjoyed painting the mushrooms and her dress. Still trying to figure out my style.





Love Bird
Acrylic on Canvas
9"X12"
I tried a mixed media collage background but you can't see it in this scan. Being more free and loose with paint and trying new faces, I love the little fairy bird.

The baby has been keeping me busy this week, I wish I had more paintings finished. There are five sitting around my desk, all waiting to have some attention but I don't know when I'll get to them all. I'm a neglectful artist, babies are demanding!

Fairy cakes!

As if there wasn't a large enough cult following for cupcakes, I just found out that the British call cupcakes 'fairy cakes'. (I was also the last person to know about Ghostbusters 3) You can now add me to the obsessed list. I made this cute little illustration after learning about the name. I keep imagining magical fairy bakers making glittery, sparkling, delicious cakes. Like Keebler elves, but with more flair. Hopefully the magic part would make them calorie and fat free, not mind-altering. I imagine they would come in flavors like Rose, Hibiscus, and Gooseberry, but in a non-trendy way.

Now I really want to bake cupcakes...I mean... fairy cakes!