July 31, 2012

DIY Painted Eco-Friendly Cup

Supplies: Eco-friendly cup of your choice and paint pens in your favorite colors. I chose pink, green and yellow.

1.) Lay the cup down and paint broad dots miscellaneously in sections, don't worry about making it perfect. I drew circles randomly and colored them in. Continue turning cup to paint each side as the dots dry. 2.) To personalize it, write your name on the bottom of the cup. Add doodles if you like, I added a heart. 3.) Draw thick lines around top edge of cup, one for each color. 4.) On the lid, draw triangle shapes and fill in with spacious lines. Add small dots in-between triangles.

Fill your cup with a delicious drink and enjoy!

P.S. Happy Birthday, Mom!! :D


July 30, 2012

Loving Lately: Date Nights


Since the kids are gone to cousin camp, we've been out on dates all weekend. It started with our favorite barbecue place where the pepper poppers are drop-dead delicious. // Isn't my hubby adorable? Sorry the picture's fuzzy; I'm not sure why. // After dinner we went to watch one of our favorite bands play, Scales of Motion, at a festival downtown. // Later in the weekend, we went to see the movie, Moonrise Kingdom, which we both really liked.

Now the week is over and I'm off getting my kids back from cousin camp today. I'm ready to have them home and see their sweet faces again!! What are you loving lately?

July 27, 2012

Bits of Guitar

I'm still working on the guitar and hoping to be done by the weekend. It's been fun and challenging.

What projects are you working on?


{Be sure to check out the giveaway for $50 credit to my shop at Violet Bella!}


July 26, 2012

Sister Camp

My parents do this wonderful thing they call Cousin Camp. Every summer they invite all the grandchildren to come to their house for a week of fun-filled activities and the best food (my kids) see all year! Seriously, my parents go over-the-top with the things they plan and it's so sweet.

So, that means my sister and I have one kid-free week every year (aka Sister Camp). She and I usually schedule half of the week to hang out together and the other half with our hubbies. We anticipate all the things we'll do together each year and then spend most of our time just hanging out chatting. We never run out of things to talk about and always feel the time goes too fast. But we LOVE it! This time I actually talked her into doing some blogging projects with me (squeee!) that I can't wait to show you.

Are you doing anything fun today or for the weekend?

P.S. I forgot my camera cord so we're posting pics from the phone. :D


July 25, 2012

DIY Breakfast Pops


I've been wanting to try some make-ahead breakfast recipes and thought for the first one I'd go for something healthy and cold. This is incredibly easy and delicious (got the idea from my daughter).

Supplies: fresh blueberries and yogurt.

1.) Wash blueberries and set aside. 2.) Put a small dab of yogurt in the base of the cup. Then alternate layering blueberries and yogurt. 3.) Slide the lid on (it may sink through blueberries). 4.) Put finished pops in the freezer for an hour or more. They will come out firm but soft, not hard like ice cubes. Easy peasey breakfast squeezy. Note: if you don't have Popsicle cups, you can use freezer baggies.

See the smiley face in the pop? I swear that was unintentional, just like this one. I discovered it when I started taking pictures. Weird. Beginning to wonder if smiley faces are following me. Not a bad thing, I suppose. :D

What's your favorite make-ahead breakfast?


Shabby Apple Winner announced here!

July 24, 2012

5 Great Posts on Blogging


I love learning new stuff about my interests (research geek here). Blogging is at the top of the list. I enjoy reading how other bloggers manage their time, find ideas and identify their voice. Here are a few awesome posts about blogging:

1. How to Start Your Blog with a Bang @A Beautiful Mess

2. 5 Things I've Learned About Blogging by Paper Crowns @Maidae

3. Keeping Your Style Consistent @Sillygrrl

4. How Do I Get More Blog Followers vlog @Love Elycia

5. Five Rules for Blogging as a Business @Single Dad Laughing

What's your favorite blog tip?

P.S. Don't forget, today's the last day to sign up for the Shabby Apple Giveaway!


July 23, 2012

Loving Lately: Candy Corn Color

1. This adorable 50's Floral Dress from Rock and Roll Vintage.

2. This candy corn hairbow by Punkinhead Hairwear. Fall can't come fast enough!

3. These vintage spools of bakery twine from Barbie Girlie2's. I think they'd be awesome for tying packages.

4. This set of three crochet cotton washcloths in gorgeous colors by CraftsbyBeck.

5. This "Dear Coffee" print by Lisa Congdon.

What are you loving lately?



July 20, 2012

Pink and Lime


Some friends invited me to paint with them on Monday nights (Penni, Mandy and sometimes Adrienne) and it's been completely inspiring. I love seeing what they're working on as well as chatting while we paint. I made this background while we were together a few weeks ago. I adore the lime green color. In fact, Penni said I stay around later if she pulls out the lime green paint. Hee-hee. :)

What are you working on this weekend?

P.S. You might want to check out my Shabby Apple Giveaway.



July 19, 2012

Shabby Apple Giveaway!! {Closed}

Shabby Apple has generously offered to give one lucky reader a $50 gift card towards their shop. To enter the giveaway, "like" their Facebook page (must be signed in to Facebook to see the link) and leave a comment here to let me know.

For an additional entry, you may visit their shop and leave a comment below with your favorite dress or item.

Along with the giveaway, Shabby Apple is offering a 10% discount to all my readers for a month. Simply use the coupon code: catherinedenton10off.


Giveaway open through July 24th. I'll announce the winner on this post. Good luck!
{Giveaway open to U.S. residents only}

The Winner is . . . SMGajus!! I'll email you shortly.


July 18, 2012

About the House


I thought it'd be fun to show a few of my treasures about the house. The first one is a figurine given to me when I was pregnant with my first child. The tenderness between this mother and child has always pulled my heartstrings. The second is a butterfly given to me by Jema. I attached it to my studio blinds and daily it reminds me to fly.

What are some treasures about your house?


July 17, 2012

Wherever Life Takes Me


A while ago my eldest daughter went to grocery store with me. She had a list of things she wanted, and I had mine. She had the cart. Just about the time I would pile my arms high with things to drop in, I'd see her wandering off in the opposite direction and she didn't seem to hear me calling her name. Left stranded three times, I decided on another course of action.

"I'm taking the cart," I informed her, dumping my last pile.

"But I need it for the last thing on my list," she said.

"What is it?"

"Cinnamon," she answered sheepishly.

I gave her the look and showed her my ginormous list.

"Okaaay." She spun on her heels and walked out of the aisle.

"Where are you going?" I asked. She kept walking, still apparently not hearing me. I gathered a few more supplies and followed her. About that time, several feet in front of me, she turned with a dramatic flourish of arms to answer my question. 

In a loud sing-song voice, she said, "Wherever life takes me!" 

The lady behind her looked alarmed and scurried away. My daughter's cheeks turned red with a look of surprise in my direction. She'd wrongly assumed I was the one behind her. I pulled her into the nearest aisle where we laughed quite hard.

"Mom, you're turning blue," she said, with a wane smile. I tried to contain myself.

From that day on, I use her answer whenever she isn't listening. "Going wherever life takes you?" I'll ask.

And she gives me that same wane smile.


July 16, 2012

Loving Lately: Guitar Project

Loving Lately: Mini sharpies. I use them for writing notes or doodling.**Working on the guitar project. I've been painting on it all weekend.**Seeing a precious friend in Seussical the musical; an hilarious walk through childhood.

July 13, 2012

Wombmates


I showed you the beginning of this painting in my vlog a few weeks ago and I wanted you to see the finished product. I'm excited to be starting this new twin series; I'll share more of them as they're completed. It's a of bit tongue-in-cheek silliness. My corny side's come out to play.

Speaking of play, I may be going to see the musical, Seussical tonight. What are your plans this weekend? I hope they involve some sort of silliness.

July 12, 2012

Letting Go


This year appears to be my year of letting go.

I'm not organized but I do like to know the plan. Where are we going? When will we get there? What'll happen next? Yeah, I'm that person. But this year has stripped "the plan" away from me. It's taken twists and turns I didn't expect or want. Moments that weren't on my agenda.

My daughter going to Africa was one of them.

I had envisioned us going together. Maybe as a family. Maybe just the two of us. But things didn't work out that way and I was sitting here wondering how the heck I would handle her going. A family friend of ours went too, so it wasn't as though she was totally alone. Yes, she was with a group but--

My baby, worlds away. Too far away to get to if something happened. Too remote to talk to often. Out of my eyes and arms reach. Before she left there were times I freaked. Not outwardly, but inwardly. I felt myself coming unglued and terrified. Fear took over and I knew it. I knew it as it happened. I tried to step out of the fear and find the source of it. It was difficult but I sifted down to one tiny piece:

I wasn't in control.

A shiver crawled through me. It was then I heard a small voice whisper, "You were never in control." It wasn't exactly reassuring and yet, in a weird way, it was completely reassuring.

It was like jumping off the high dive for the first time. You're terrified knowing danger could happen. You look down at what seems like thousands of feet. You think about climbing back down the ladder and maybe you do the first couple of times. But then, there's the one time you step off. You free fall for what feels like eternity until you begin to wonder if there's water there to catch you and that's when it wraps itself around you in a liquid embrace. You come up for air trembling with the victory of your feat. You climb out of the water changed. The fear no longer holds you captive.

And so with my daughter, I jumped. I let her go to Africa. I said goodbye at the airport without falling apart. I only spoke to her twice the entire trip. I knew I wasn't in control.

I let go.

And it was good.


P.S. She got home two days ago, happy and full of stories. :D


July 11, 2012

She's Baaaaack!


So happy to have my daughter home again! Last night she told stories until she fell asleep mid-sentence. She hadn't slept for three days on the trip back so she hit the wall of weariness pretty hard. I'll be spending today by her side spoiling her rotten.


July 10, 2012

Curvy Girl Outfit: Empire Waist

Dress and Shoes: Thrifted
Necklace: c/o The Lady Waits

I love wearing empire waist dresses. And no, it has nothing to do with my Pride and Prejudice fascination. *ahem* I simply like how they give shape without having to define a waistline and that's good if you're a bit curvy in the middle. I especially love the sleeves of this dress and the flowing skirt. Not to mention blue's my favorite (for today)!


July 9, 2012

Loving Lately: Daring Adventures in Paint


Lately I'm loving:
Mati Rose McDonough's new book, Daring Adventures in Paint. She feels like a kindred spirit who I'd love painting with. * My daughter's coming home tomorrow from her trip to Uganda!! Yes, I've survived and actually have done much better than I thought. We've only spoken twice and she was beaming from the phone both times. * Found a new restaurant that's as yummy as it is economical. They brought my bill out on this cute clipboard. * My hair is finally long enough to play with. I actually managed to get it in a side braid this weekend. Yay!

What are you loving lately?


July 6, 2012

My Sunshine


Remember this painting? It began as doodles. I wanted to continue with the playfulness of it so I added the girl. And when I think of playfulness, there was no one more playful in childhood than Dad. He was the best finder of great hide-and-seek places and the sneakiest prankster (still loves a good prank). I was always his little "sunshine"so the title nods to that.  
(This print is now available in my shop)

Who lights up your life? Who's your sunshine?


July 5, 2012

Photo An Hour:: Iced Chai

8:00 I met my birthday friend for coffee and ordered iced chai! Yummy.
9:00 Celebratory pancakes and great conversation.
10:00 Found these adorable theater chairs while thrifting--didn't buy them though.
11:00 Drove through a neighborhood full of Gingerbread Houses. I love these!
12:00 Lunch. Seriously, I don't eat this bad all the time, but I had coupons. *ahem*
1:00 Wrote post-it thoughts on a new painting series.
2:00 Dropped Ron Weasley's food, but he didn't mind eating off the ground.
3:00 Decided which design I wanted to paint on the guitar.
4:00 Blogged upcoming posts.
5:00 Ran errands with cookie monster.
6:00 Fancied up to celebrate my friend's birthday with a girl's night out (and I sneaked in an outfit shoot too).

After a night of so much fun I've decided this: I NEED MORE GIRLS NIGHTS!

What fun things have you been up to?