Projects around the house

I definitely had some fun this holiday with homemade gifts. I made white chocolate covered spoons with crushed peppermint on top. The snowflakes you see in there are edible - they are from where I work. They are vanilla and blueberry flavored. My family and friends loved these for gifts! It's perfect for melting in your hot cocoa.



I also made seasonal greeting cards as gifts too. I drew birds of the season, non Holiday specific so that they could be used year round basically. I put 2 of each design in a pack and wrapped it with ribbon.



This night stand used to be my grandmas. It was kelly green - as you can see in the 'before' photo. So I got a hold of some Design*Sponge inspiration and went hog wild with it! Love the look of this way better!



This bulletin board used to have yellow and blue stars and moons painted all over it, with a blue trim. Back in the day when I lived at home and stars and moons were the theme of my room, it was cool! But it was time for a change. So I painted it black and made those parenthesis signs with green paint. Simple. You can still see some of the stars and moons through the paint, but I think that adds character to it.

With the holiday season, I needed a way to hang my Christmas cards up. Nothing that a few thumbtacks and a piece of satin ribbon can't fix! I just tacked it up and used little clothespins to hang the cards. Since it's now after Christmas, I've taken the cards down and put up photos of my friends and Todd and me. One day I'll move it though - whenever I get curtains :)

An Alternate Life

Do you ever think about what you would do if you had a 'do-over'? A second chance or just a different point of view for a while?

I do.

Trust me, I would never NOT want to be an artist - I love it. But I often think about what other things I could have done, have I been given a 'do-over'.

For example, I would love to be a writer. Or an Egyptologist. I think I would find great joy doing those things. I get to carry out my would-be dream of being a writer through this blog, which, hey - It's better than nothing!

Take some time and slow down to think about what you would do with your life if you were given another chance. Hell, then maybe you can act on it too!

But onto reality... :)

Lots of artwork to post! The thing about doing portraits for Christmas presents, is that I can't put them up until after Christmas, just in case someone stumbles across this blog and sees a portrait of themselves. So here are a few I've done.. ENJOY!

This is Jasper, my newest nephew.

A friend of mines mother.

My good friend Stephanies' boyfriend and his family.

And a very loyal customer; Jaimee's parents float. This, like last year's was turned into their Christmas cards.

I still have 2 more to finish up and post on here. So stay tuned!

Faster Kill Pussycat

Merry Christmas all! I'm sure all of you have heard about the untimely death of Hollywood's Sweetheart, Brittany Murphy. As I was reading an article about her, I came across a video of her, singing in a Paul Oakenfold song. I had no idea she was a singer and wow - can she sing. So this week's Song of the Week, is Faster Kill Pussycat by Paul Oakenfold, featuring Brittany Murphy.

RIP Brittany Murphy
Hollywood's Sweetheart and Ray of Sunshine
1977-2009


We'll miss you.

Restaurant of the Month

I've decided to start another new little section on my blog called Restaurant of the Month. In an effort to help local businesses and friends alike, I figured it's the least I can do.

This months' restaurant of the month is Vitor's Bistro on Harrison Avenue, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The chef's name is Vitor and he's so very pleasant to be around. Always coming out of the kitchen to check on his customers, he makes sure that everything is top notch. His food is nothing less. I've eaten there a few times, and every time I've been exceptionally satisfied. His lasagna is my favorite dish - he mixes in sausage, pork, beef and deep fries the pasta. Just recently I experienced his famous French Toast and I have to say it was absolutely delectable. The breakfast eggrolls are also fantastic.

His restaurant is a quaint little place, with a few rooms and an outdoor terrace. It's got an Italian cafe feel to it and you immediately feel welcome when you walk in. The staff is pleasant and the general crowd of people that come there are very amiable.

I highly recommend dining there for either breakfast or dinner soon. I know with the holiday season, Vitor has some specials running. Check out his website for more details. And stop in for some good fulfilling food!

www.vitorsbistro.net
Also check them out on Facebook and become a fan!

Vitor's Bistro
3232 Harrison Ave
Cincinnati, OH 45211

1-866-455-1020

Hours:

Wed - Sun:

8:30 am - 2:30 pm

5:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Enjoy!

The Last Supper.. Yes, God has a sense of humor :)

Oh my goodness.... it's done!!! This was a commission piece for a friend of mine, Dave, who in this picture portrays 'Jesus' lol! His 'disciples' are 11 of his closest and best friends. This is done on 11 x 17 cardstock and took me over 20 hours to do. Their faces are about as big as my thumbnails, so you can imagine... hard to get much detail! But I did my best, and I'm happy to share it with you!


Also, there's a new song of the week.. we're changing it up completely.. from the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, we're going to Ester Dean's Drop it Low. It's got a good beat and makes me want to dance! Check it out and enjoy!