the wit and "wisdom" of whirleygirl

You're a superstar!

I painted this little ditty in the dress-up area of a playroom - including rhinestones on the wall and glitter paint for that extra touch of bling! The parents have turned their entire finished basement into the most creative and inviting play area - there is an art area, little playhouse, and reading area as well -and now this "Hollywood wall" is the final piece for the little superstars!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. We traveled to Wisconsin for the first of five weddings we have been invited to this summer. This one was in Lake Geneva - it was a great location and we had a blast. Congratulations Leeana and Rob!!

On the way home we stopped at Taliesin which is located in Spring Green, WI - if you enjoy touring Frank Lloyd Wright spots, this is the place for you.

On the way home, we of course, had to stop for cheese curds! What's a trip to Wisconsin without getting some cheese??!!??  Yum,yum,yum...

Hello city life..

Just returned home from working on a mural at The Pumpkin Works in Paris,IL for the majority of last week. It is about 3 hours away so i stayed there and must say,it was fun to be working on just one project that was my only focus - on a normal day I have multiple projects going on at once which can often lead to slight delirium at times... Anywho, the muraling is in a black light room that is part of a maze - people will actually be sliding into this room - how cool is that??!!??. It was interesting to work with the black light paint and a true lesson was learned because as much as i fiddled with it, black light paint only does what it wants to!! One is limited with color options and because the space was so large, all the fun detail i love just got lost.  I kept reminding myself to just "go with it" and you know what?.. a super cool space was created and is almost complete! (When all is done and i get over my fear of climbing super high scaffolding, I'll show you a little peak.) This project was just another reminder to me that all does work out with a little patience and perseverance.

The Pumpkin Works is located on a farm and it made me smile to be greeted each morning by a horse, a few goats, super lovey dog, and numerous cats as i walked up to the work site each morning. A big thank you to the Staley's for their great hospitality!!

Now I am back home (i guess with two cats and a dog one could say we have a mini-farm of our own...mmm - not really) and jumping back into the swing of things - purple and orange magic wands will be added to the etsy shop early this week!

P.S. - the cute birdie canvas above is available here :)

I've been tagged!

Melissa, over at Fischtale Designs has tagged me and now I must tell the world six unspectacular quirks of mine. Okee Dokkee here goes.......

1 - I find toast to be the best excuse for eating butter.

2 - I have a strange fascination of all things having to do with Japanese pop culture. Seriously..the cuteness factor mixed with the slightly absurd is unbelievable.

3 - I spent well over 6 months trying to teach my dog to say  "I love you." ....and i seriously thought it would work.

4 - I have to eat chicken wings with a fork and knife because it freaks me out to have stuff under my nails. This is also the reason i hate scratching someones back - the thought of their skin cells under my nails gives me the willies!

5 - I like to talk to random strangers everywhere i go. I love to hear everybody's story.

6 -   I go to psychics regularly.... not sure why because i never really believe them 100% but i  love to hear what they'll tell me anyways.

Isn't funny how the oddities of our lives become so normal to us?? :)

Thanks Melissa, this was fun!

It's time for the MAY GIVEAWAY...

It's time for the May giveaway! This month's giveaway will be ....(drumroll please)...a whirleygirl designs picture frame of your choice, hand painted by me just for the lucky duck whose name is chosen!!

    

This is how it works: Simply leave a comment on any post from the month of May and each name will be placed in a magic hat - at the end of the month, i'll pick a name out of the hat and voila - our lucky winner will be chosen!

You may choose from any of the zodiac picture frames or any animal face picture frame - your choice!

Good Luck!

Random Monday thoughts.......

Am i the only one in the world that feels the need for alliteration??? i fought with myself not to title this post "Monday Musings" just because it sounds so darn cute! Anywho...my random thoughts on this particular Monday include...

* Made cookies this past weekend and they seem to still be such a mystery to me. Imagine a sugar cookie that has a cake texture - a little odd, right? Yet tasty...bewildering...Here's the recipe. I frosted them using this recipe. I might suggest adding almond extract vs. vanilla so the frosting has  a bit more kick...and, need i say, top these babies with some sprinkles for the cute factor.

*Fell in love with these shoes but resisted. Probably a good thing...but they are fabbbuulouusss!

* Had an overly lengthly debate with my husband about how to prepare an ear of corn for dinner. Actually found one of the most bizarre websites that explained everything we needed to know, with pictures! Amaze yourself here. Yes, the little things in life amuse me!

* Am obsessed with "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsh". Our DVR is full because of this show.  You know, if you have a dream you CAN acheive it. You know why? Beacause ANYTHIING IS POSSIBLE!!!

* Finishing up this book. I find that i procrastinate reading books about procrastination. hmmm......

Fascinating,huh? :)

ALL this and still finding time to work on new designs for my website , the new shop, and filling orders. Now, that's the power of a good cup of coffee! 

Have a great week! Check back for a fun contest I'll be announcing later this week! (ooohhh - i'm such a tease!)

May I interrupt this program for an important message...

I've opened a shop on Etsy! Etsy.com is a great marketplace for all things handmade. There are so many fantastic things on Etsy.... a person could literally lose hours of their lives perusing all the handmade items. Now besides my hand painted creations being available on the main website for whirleygirl designs (www.whirleygirl.com), you can also check out http://www.whirleygirl.etsy.com to see fun pieces that I have created that aren't available on the main website.

I'm excited about the etsy shop - this allows me a place to make some pieces that had just been ideas floating around my crazy head... each item is still hand painted with the love and the superior craftsmanship that i obsess over. Let me know what you think!

I will be adding new pieces on a regular basis - let me know of any ideas you may have!

As always - thanks so much for your support!!!!