Repictured Life: Family ties and Pinterest lies

Repictured Life: Family ties and Pinterest lies: I read Pinterest all the time. Probably just like anyone who has an account, it can be extremely addictive! Even if you're not a creativ...

Family ties and Pinterest lies

I read Pinterest all the time. Probably just like anyone who has an account, it can be extremely addictive! Even if you're not a creative type, it can leave you feeling like you have the instructions to do anything. I know after I read Pinterest; I seriously feel like I can be a domestic superwoman. I have to say it's given me some good recipes and ideas, but........Sometimes when you think you can do anything by reading someone's 'how to' blog you realize..... that's not how it goes in reality.

Here I am this week thinking, "I am domestic superwoman", with a million great ideas that were mostly inspired by Pinterest. I take the last few dollars I have saved and I buy a ton of random things, and of course lots of Mod Podge. I am going to make some awesome things! Well, that wasn't exactly the case.The great things turned into big mistakes and I was left yelling at canvases and glue. The number one reason why my blog is a day late is my nights have been spent trying to fix these mistakes I thought would be great inventive masterpieces. So here I am picture-less for this weeks blog and seriously frustrated! But, I know I can't let this experiment get me down because every mistake is a chance to learn something and be closer to something better.

The reason for all this is craziness is that I am trying to do all kinds of art, even some crafting. I LOVE to paint. There is something so peaceful about it and, it offers challenges and frustrations that allow me to keep pushing forward. However, painting can be time consuming especially for me because, I want to teach myself. I need other ways to get my art onto people walls. I would like my art to be on everyone's walls even if everyone may not want it there. Therefore, I want it to be available just in case someone thinks they like it. With that thought in mind: I have been gathering cost efficient ideas from Pinterest, I got prices on flea market spaces as a great place to start small and sell, and I registered for my small business tax code. Later in the week:  I made trips to Michaels, made many phone calls looking for certain products, ordered products online, went to Costco, found lots of free pallets, and even made a stop at home depot.

My Husband loading all the pallets....

and our baby and I breaking a sweat while watching. 

Of course a home improvement store must be involved when your trying to be a domestic super woman.

That was just a little of my week, most was spent with family. I actually got a lot of family time in which was amazing. My Mom and my Aunt gave Claire and I a baby shower and, I got to show her off. I also got a day with my cousin that was much needed and, long over due. In the mix of it all I also got to spend sometime chatting with my aunt, my cousins, my siblings, my moms friend's, my in-laws, friends, neighbors, and finally my husband who almost always hard at work! It was a super busy week with family and since I didn't get to go on a photo excursion this week. I want to post some pictures of my family. 

The Baby Shower

Everyone who could make it

My Brother Josh and My Aunt Mary with Claire

My Mother and Claire

                                                   

Generations

Four Generations

This is my Grandpa, and Claire is his 12th Great Grandchild.

My Little Family

 Here's Claire!

Our Claire and My Husband!

Claire's favorite place to sleep.

A very tired duo.

Happy Easter! Enjoy your family!

Our Backyard Excursion

This time of year spring is on it's way. Your spirits are lifting, the temperature is rising, the sunshine is getting brighter, and the birds are migrating back, and you can hear them chirping in the morning.  After along winter, spring feels like a glorious vacation. However, this is not the case in Minnesota right now. In fact it felt a little more like January than March this week, and it's much colder than usual.  I had a chance this week to get some beautiful pictures of a melting lake with a with a flock of snow geese eating and bathing away. The sun was starting to go down and the sky was beautiful, a great moment in nature. I got out of the car and four clicks of the camera later, I was back in the car! I looked at my husband  and said " **** THIS, it's too cold"! I figured this week I'll get creative and take some pictures of the small petting zoo I have living in my house but being that I have a persistent husband he had a better idea; to take pictures out in the woods behind our home. If you know me at all, you know that I don't like winter, I'm not too found of being out in the wilderness, nor am I not exactly a country girl! Living in a smaller town with woods in my backyard isn't exactly what I had in mind when I decided to have a family but my husband loves it! We're trying to find ways for me to appreciate it the way he does. So, as the story continues my husband takes me on this journey into the backyard.

God love him for being supportive, but when it comes to being in nature he's a natural. I, myself and not! He's slightly bundled up and he's wearing our bundled up baby on his chest. He's walking around in the snow that is as high a me, no joke, like he is Jesus walking on water. Not falling into deep snow, or finding himself up to his bottom in anything! His legs for days glided through the snow as if there was barley a flake on the ground!  Here he is happy as can be with baby!

and here's me......

bottom deep in snow, time and time again! I don't even own appropriate winter clothing as you can see I am wearing pajama pants, underneath are yoga pants, no winter boots just a couple layers of socks, and a pair of rain boots. I am falling into the snow every few steps. As I struggle my Jesus walking on snow husband is still gliding along. While my lower body is frozen; the rest of me is in a sweat trying to get through these woods. I'd been wanting to work out more after having my baby and I got about a month worth on this trip!

These are the photo's I captured from the excursion.

Unedited

Here are my current paintings in process. My fingers are crossed I have one done by next week.

Til' next week....

Picture This

This week I started to find a little bit of a schedule with my new baby. It's really been the first week since I have had my daughter, that I got some time to get some things done. Now she's starting to enjoy to hang out a little bit more and I got some painting done! However, I am in the detailing process and the painting hasn't made any drastic changes. So, I thought this would be a good week to show some of my finished art work and the fun I had taking photos this week.

 Please enjoy the randomness!

ART WORK

EIFFLE TOWER:
This picture was taken with a cell phone along with a few others, because it was before I cared about getting good pictures of my work. This painting is of the Eiffel Tower. I really like this painting because I did it all free hand with out any kind of drawing or any use of a ruler, and I sold this to my brother right after it was completed!

EARLY NEW YORK:

This painting is New York in the mid 1900's somewhere. I was proud of this painting because it only took me 6 hours!

TWO SIDES OF A WOMAN:

I have repainted this painting about six times in the course of three years, finally I decided she was done. This is actually one of my most favorite because it's my very own vision. 

LAKE SUNSET:

This is was a painting that was requested by a friend. This is her brother-in-laws family lake home and they wanted to capture this picture in a painting. This is also a low quality picture, but the painting is important because it was my first completed deadline. 

THE BRIDGE:

This is my husbands favorite, and the first painting I was proud truly proud of.  

Thanks to being on bed rest during the end of my pregnancy, these are the paintings I have completed in the last three months. Yes, some were hard to get a good picture of!

A DAY IN DULUTH:

THE ROSE:

THE WILLOW:

THE STRENGTH OF A WOMAN: This is a very large painting, and it has been a challenge to get a quality picture to fully represent it. 

PICTURES

Now that you got a glimpse of my paintings, lets move on to the fun I had taking pictures with my family this week! I feel like I got some really good shots that I'd like to use for some up coming painting. 

Here's a little glimpse of Minnesota.

 Thanks for checking out my art work; stay tuned for glimpse of my paintings in process next week!

The beginning

I am recently a new mother.... What I am finding out is the challenges to getting anything done as a new mom, which is nothing! It's hard to do anything! Since my new challenge and my new family and has quickly become whole universe and of course my inspiration. Here is my little love story..... 

First I meet my love in the cold trying to assist him at his job..... it turned into this beautiful day

OUR WEDDING!

These are our two mut's Max (the boxer mix with the sour face) and Stormy (the overly curious black lab) that bonded our love further and it help us lead to the conclusion we want a family!!!

P.S Rescue a dog, they are the best!

Stromy= Trouble & Crazy... Max= Love & Lazy   

So one we started off this year with our little girl, Claire!

 AHHHHHH!!

and now we are a family

THE GRUNDY'S

 

Since this is my first post I like to talk explain the point of this blog. My goal for myself in life is to do something with my art work. I feel like I've given up or quit almost everything in life that has been important to me other than my family (maybe I'm a little to decided too), hair (I am a hairstylist) , and my receiving bachelors degree (which is now seems like the equivalent to a high school diploma).  In the past, I have often been good at other forms of art minus singing and I have quit either before I've gotten ahead or right as I was about to accomplish something. This time I can't give up no matter how long this process my turn out to be! This blog is to keep myself on track, to make sure I work on something at least once a week, show anyone who is curious about my work what is coming up, what I have done and OF COURSE  to finally feel that sense of accomplishment. I'd also like to find ways to include my family and discuss it in my blog and to show my daughter how to accomplish a dream. So, here we finally are my art work!

As I am a new mom and all  this is how far I am on my new project and what this painting is supposed to be is the Glensheen Mansion.... here is my process thus far....

Still very much a work in progress!!! The Glensheen Mansion is this historical mansion in Duluth, MN and I also happened to get married there! So, it's the current painting project, putting my own twist on the Glensheen. Ill be posting my progress as this piece starts to evolve and hopefully be something beautiful so please stay tuned! 

This week I also finally got to get out and start to take picture for possible future paintings. My lovely husband bought me a new camera for Christmas and finally my little family and I went out in the snow and captured some snowy Minnesota moments.....

So here is the beginning and here is to keeping my passion's continued. Stay tuned for next week to find out what pictures we have put in the idea album and for finished and on going art work!