Gift Packages...

I had so much fun making these yesterday. For some reason I have always thought that Love Boxes go with some of my other favorite things.. like candy! I also like to stuff these bags with pretty quotes, maybe a little game and a few other little fun things.
If you order a box from the shop and want this too..

On the main page, just look in the shop sections on the right for

Love Boxes Wrap Service

and a package like this can arrive at your door.. or the door of any friend you choose.

Someday My Prince Will Come...

I took the afternoon off yesterday and read this book cover to cover. No, I did not have time to do this and I will soon be paying the price for my irresponsible actions. Not to mention this book is so much debauchery and drunkeness... don't worry about my soul however, .. it's PG rated (but wouldn't be if there were details if you know what I mean)! But, it was just so fun!

I found this book about the silliest thing I've ever read. It's not really well written either, but at the same time I found it really inspiring in an insane sort of way and there are so many wonderful quotes..

Possibly because some of my own dreams are insane.. I related to Jerramy Fine and her quest (from the age of 6) to marry an English Prince. Raised by hippie parents on the outskirts of Denver (this book may be for you Janice).. she casts off her hemp wearing lifestyle at the age of 2 proclaiming as her mother comes to wake her, "You are NOT the woman who dresses me!"

It does seem that our dreams sometimes define us.. hopefully they define us better than we are...

"Nothing splendid was ever achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance." ~Bruce Barton

If you read this book.. I am dying to know what you think!

Paperweights...

You may have recognized this from the montage above (montage = artistic composite of juxtaposed more or less heterogeneous elements... and I think heterogeneous means related or my banner may not be a montage... which would stink.. but either way good words right?) Anyway, I can never get a good photo of it, but I love this paperweight! I inherited it from my adopted grandmother Lydia when she passed away (I'm the one in the photo with my eyes closed.. reason 1 why I'm the photog and not the photographed at family parties!)
Anyway, I loved her. She spoiled kids. This is me, my brother and sister and the girl in front is one of her actual grandchildren I believe.. which is probably why she looks so happy! Lydia had really long silver hair that she wore in a crown like this.. she was Danish. She traveled the world and saw very interesting places and things. She had a great library. She loved Shakespeare. She was a wonderful cook and her house smelled like heaven all the time. When I was little my favorite thing she made me though was peach or orange jello with tons of fruit especially mandarin oranges and little tiny rolled up balls of cream cheese. I still love that! She collected Christmas plates (me too).
Anyway, I have a collection of glass paperweights, but this one was the first. Don't you think it's magical?

Diets...

Can you believe that I got this picture from appealinggifts.com??? Ha! If someone gave me this scale as a present.. I would be pretty hurt I think, but there is no accounting for taste. I suppose someone could have a friend named Bob who is in great shape and proud of it and likes to get on a scale every morning and say to himself, "Bob you're in great shape! Look at those numbers! What a guy!!!"

Anywho, things have been more that crazy around here since about Christmas and I have found myself eating more and more sugar. Since I already have sugar for breakfast, lunch and dinner (with a sugar-free diet coke of course) that's a lot of sugar!

So I intend to reform. (Does anyone want to reform with me?) I wrote this diet.. (but you could do your own program).

1. Eat 5 servings of fruit/veggies per day

2. Get 30 minutes of exercise per day

3. Eat only 1 treat per day

4. Eat regular portions and no seconds

5. Eat nothing after 8 P.M.

So that's my diet. The whole thing. I was going to join WW, but I never really do that because I'm not good at points or counting calories or anything like that. I wanted to make it simple. I know this diet isn't good enough to turn me into Nicole Kidman, but I think that I would be a lot healthier. My plan is to get a little notebook and check these things off everyday. Should be simple.. we'll see. Who wants to try this with me? It's a one week challenge.. we'll meet back here on Monday.. if we feel truly happier/better/more successful then we'll keep on, but if we're miserable/hate it/and overly tired and grouchy we'll just quit... it's a one week challenge. We could try it for a week right?

Reflections of Christ...

My Friend Shawna sent me this and it's very beautiful. You must see it!

There was a 'Reflections of Christ' photography exhibit recently on display at the Mesa Temple Visitors Center in conjunction with the Easter Pageant produced by the LDS Church. The photographer was given permission to photograph Pageant cast members for the exhibit. The photographer worked with a few other individuals to put together a 5 minute slide show which includes every image from the exhibit set to the hymn 'Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.'

Rescue of the Lost Lamb by Minerva Teichert

Something I'm dreaming of..

Someday, I would love to have a peony patch somewhere in the garden.. aren't these lovely?

Nancy Drew's Blue Car...

People often ask if c likes to paint... well... painting isn't her main gig.. let's just put it that way. She's more into construction.. the bigger the better. This is one of her latest. It takes up a good third of the kitchen table. I can picture c getting into large installation projects much more than my tiny boxes.. she likes art that's big! I'm thrilled that Nancy still has her imagination captured.. As her teacher was walking out of class the other day with 3 large empty donut boxes .. c immediately thought of building a car.. would you think of building a car out of donut boxes? I wouldn't. It's one of the many things that is fun about c. :)

Hooray.. I own a Lolli Doll!

... and this is how it came packaged!
Isn't she adorable! There is a link to this shop a few posts below. I believe Jenn is currently out, but you can check her shop periodically for shop updates.

I'm sorry if I haven't been around to visit recently. I'm here in fact I'm sitting right here. I had been taking a lot of pictures for people which requires mega hours editing... almost finished.. see you tomorrow!

Daffodils and other business...

Kelly did a lovely post about the story in this book with a link the the actual garden.. You might want to visit her if you haven't. Also, this book is a keeper if you can get a copy. The illustrations by Anne Marie Oborn are luminous and amazing.

Also, are you reading? Book report day is coming.. April 26th.. just a reminder.

Photo Shoot...

Yesterday afternoon we had a fun photo shoot with the Beehives in our neighborhood (translation Beehives equal 12 year old girls in Mormon speak). They had all dressed up in their Sunday best and they looked darling posing in front of the daffodils. I did the photos all in black and white because they are going to paint the photos in that old-fashioned technique (think of your grandmother's wedding photo). Anyway it was touch and go there for few minutes.. the clouds were large and it did snow on most of the girls pictures.. so it either looks like snow in their hair or large dandruff. But, what a great group of girls. They were really cute.

Even More Brown...

Now people, you can't ever say that I don't have any brown in the shop.. because I dooooo!

ThE LOve BoXes SHoP

More Brown & Pink...

love is a gift...

now in the

LoVE BoxeS SHoP

Chicks & Angels...

I just can't seem to take the Easter down. Easter colors are my colors. I just love them.

Horton Hears A Who...

We went to see this last night. It was really darling I thought. The the kids all loved it. I was impressed; I wasn't sure they could make a movie out of that little book, but they did. I've always loved this book too and so I was hoping it would succeed. What a great message it has. I hope the other really great Horton book will be a movie sometime.

Then we went to Noodles for our last Hoorah.. my brother and his darling Jenni and their 4 kids leave this afternoon for home. I'm afraid that all the kids are going to melt into a puddle of tears (especially my little c) when they wake up this morning. It's been a great week, they just adore each other. Cousins, COusins, COUSINS!! has been the rousing shout around here.

Here we are at mid-week. I hope you've been having a good one too!

WII Bowl Off...

What a fun night we had last night and I have not one single photo to prove it... but, we did. There was a caterpillar and a dragon on the swings in my sister's yard having a great time together. Thomas the train made a lot of appearances along with Percy and Big City Engine. The caterpillar had a WII bowl off with all of his cousins and won every game but the last... (the caterpillar was getting a little tired). But, his bowling was amazing all night.. spare.. strike.. spare. The big cousins (and C began studying his technique). The big cousins had formed a super-hero group and were fighting off the evil Zadak with Karate Chops which was really a good thing. I should have been out there with them because I couldn't help but snag an extra slice of Extreme Veggie Pizza from The Pie (mmmmmmmmmm.. it's my favorite). In addition to the lovely yellow room that I've shown you before.. my sisters house has a few other things I love.. an amazing view of the sunset and a fridge that dispenses crushed ice. I do wish that I had just one shot of the caterpillar and the dragon. It was an Alice In Wonderland evening for sure. :)

Roger Muhl 2...

beautiful...

Roger Muhl...

Sadly, the prolific French painter Roger Muhl passed away earlier this month. He leaves behind a large body of beautiful work. It is tragic there won't be more.

Morning Light Bouquet...

Several requests have been made for Mother's Day appropriate items.

Of course I will be painting some Mother's Day Love Boxes.. but I thought some new photographic note cards would be nice as well. There are a couple of sets available in the shop now (there are also a few sets of the Temple Square series still available). Also, an 8X10 art print similar to this one is in the shop and ready to be framed for Mother's Day. No watermarks will show on purchased photos. Also, a note on the art print.. the image had to be shrunk to fit Etsy.. but every pixel will be there in all it's undistorted glory in your mailbox.

ThE LoVe BOxeS SHoP

Lollipopworkshop...

Oh how I adore these little

Lollipop Workshop

dolls... aren't they cute!?!

Jenny is a former pastry chef and her little dollies are complete confection!

I thought I'd let you know.. she's having a shop update today! Hooray!

The Wedding...

I didn't get a very good photo.. so I hope the real photog did better than I did... but this is the lovely bride and handsome groom at their wedding luncheon.. which was lovely and delish!
Cake.. I hope I get to try some today..
Flowers everywhere.. They were so pretty. I loved the Sweet Peas and the Baby Hyacinth and the Hydrangea and all the big pink roses.. It smelled heavenly..
I didn't get a great shot of this either.. but you get the idea. This was the center piece for the dessert table which was really fun. I tried the Sting of the Bee Cake and was it ever fabulous. Yum!
More pretty flowers.. So this gives you an idea anyway. We had a great day and are all so happy for Alicia. She's a wonderful girl.. now married to a fabulous guy! Congratulations!