Site launch date set for December 1!

I am so excited!

I can't believe it's here already.

Check out the blog, they are doing interviews of the artists and site hosts and picked me to go first.

The Red Porch Blog

So many folks have signed up already and it just grows every day.

The buzz is getting louder!

Handmade Digital Art - I can finally spill the beans!

As some of you know, for months I’ve been working hard on kits for a digital scrapbooking site.
They will be launching the store with my products in the next few weeks! I am very excited about this. It’s very unique, felt and fabric art. I’ve only seen a fraction of the work and it’s outstanding. (Seriously, I feel like I’ll be riding on their coat tails!)

Please check out their blog post for more information:
Red Porch Blog

They are offering an early-bird promotion right now where anyone who creates a profile, and uploads at least one layout before Nov 29th gets a free kit before they launch the store. You can sign up and get updates as well so please tell anyone you know that’s into digital scrapbooking.

You can get a sneak peek at www.theredporch.com with the awesome lettering in the header.

They are also looking for a creative team to build layouts, here is that info: Red Porch CT

I’m sorry if this sounds jumbled! I am just so excited and there are some things I can share and some I can’t just yet. I can’t show you any of the art but here are the titles of the kits I’ve made:

Maggie’s Garden Collection
Big Top Alphabet
Retro Revival – 50’s and 60’s

Thanks and stay tuned.....more to come!
:-)

So where's the punch line?

Wow.

I really don't know what to think about anything anymore.

We have been through a lot since making the decision to move almost 2 years ago. I'd like to say most of it was good but I can't. It's been an uphill battle and the only thing that actually went according to plan was Scott's "new career". "Thank God we have THAT going for us" we said.

We struggled with the decision to move for this, did the research, talked to sources. I know no one could have foreseen the wall street crash that in turn caused a downward spiral in the oil and gas industry around here.

Now we are stuck in a place where we really aren't happy, in a house we won't be able to afford soon and we can't sell.

An acquaintance said it best, "You leave your beloved Austin and this is the kick in the teeth thanks you get".

Yep!

Joke's on us!

Busy, busy, busy....

So much going on!

We signed Maggie up for gymnastics today, I'm so excited! (Okay, it's tumbling....she's 23 months!) But still, I think she'll really like it. Girl is made for this. Olympic hopeful. No pressure.

I will be opening a second Etsy shop soon. www.twokazoos.etsy.com. I'll move all my kid related things over to it and keep Brannock Arts for more art, scrapbook, etc. items. I will also be making everything in Two Kazoos out of wool/wool blend felt so they will be of better quality and more durable.

Scott and I celebrated our 6th anniverary this past weekend. We were able to go out to eat sans kids and it was a really nice evening.

Oh and last but surely not least HOCKEY SEASON HAS BEGUN!!
I have been jonsin' for months (um.....since the cup was awarded??
Ha ha!)
So here's to a successful PENS year!!

My poor neglected blog...

It seems weeks fly by and I realize I have a blog. I wish I had more time to devote to it and would love to start featuring artists twice a month.

Max got into his old school at the nick of time....they called me the week before it started and I was so surprised that we actually got in AND before it started! Here he is on the first day.

Scott is with a different broker now and started this week. I've been busy with freelance design work and the occassional custom order from Etsy. I've been neglecting that as well.

We had a scare with my Mom this past week when it was thought she had a mini stroke (almost a month ago). They did a scan and found a lot of blockage in her neck. Once they got in there they realized it was 95% blocked! She had a procedure done to remove the blockage and she is doing well. She dodged a bullet on that one.

Still working on kits for the new venture which was supposed to launch Sept. 1 but had a few bugs that needed to be worked out which is to be expected with new things. I'm very excited about it and can't wait to be able to announce when it's ready.

Maggie is talking like crazy. She is amazing. She can count to 10 and knows some letters. She'll be 2 in 2 months and Max will be 4 in 4 months. I can't believe how fast time is flying.

Old and new, pee and poo

I don't know what's gotten into me lately. I've been searching for vintage toddler patterns THINKING I might make some simple jumpers and pinafores for Maggie. These styles are still popular. My Mom bought one a-line jumper pattern when I was small and made a ton of jumpers. My grandmother made this cute worm pinafore and I actually found the same pattern on Etsy and bought it. When I told my Mom about it, she dug through my baby clothes and found the pinafore. So here is a picture of me wearing it at 25 months and Maggie wearing it at 21 months.
I have found several cool patterns so maybe I'll get the nerve up to actually make something one of these days.

I am still working hard at getting my items uploaded for that new venture.....the site re-launch is in a week and I really can't wait to finally be able to tell everyone about it!

Max is still resisting the potty. So I had to give up our preschool spot, for which we were on a waiting list a year, because he isn't even showing the slightest bit of interest. We also had to turn down another spot that came open. I have him on two waiting lists now, one at the place he was last season. I should have just re-enrolled him there.
Ugh.
Oh well.
Hopefully they will have an opening soon and he'll get back in.

Bubbles and big boy underpants

What an easy bribe. "Max, if you wear your big boy underpants we can go outside and blow bubbles." "OKAY!" he says. But as the potty training gods would have it, now is not the time. So we are back in diapers. I need help with this! I am pressured to get him trained for his preschool that starts in a month. He is resisting and I don't want issues later. UGH. So frustrating.
So in the meantime we will just blow bubbles and see where the wind takes them.