my heart...

my blog is really starting to look "valentiney" ...huh!? I do love hearts, so this is kind of a fun holiday for me and my little art! This little canvas board creation ("my heart") can be found for sale here ... I hope you are all enjoying your weekend!! I'm working away on my Valentine ornaments:) I promise I'll let you know when I'll be putting them in my etsy shop:) Thanks for stopping by today!! Peek back in soon!!!

xoxoxoxo...jenn

thinking of hearts...

Hearts on my mind. Valentine hearts, that is! I have a dozen Valentine ornaments in front of me...and I just can't get in the "groove". SO...when I'm in a rut...I usually turn to my little ACEO cards! I made 4 new ones...and lotsa hearts showed up! The one with the little hearts on a string, kind of reminds me of...me! Dark hair...always have a headband on...now if only I had some fabulous polkadot pants!! My new art cards are on ebay...here

Anyone have fabulous plans for New Years!? New Years Eve is one of those holidays that is so fun when you are dating and go to fun parties and wear cute dresses and sip (or gulp) champagne! Now the "big night" consists of a verrrrry mellow evening on the couch. I'll probably let Jake stay up and watch the ball drop. We'll probably make some cookies and give everyone (in the living room) a smooch at midnight. Come to think of it...sounds pretty good to me:)

xoxoxoxoxox...jenn

slowly recovering...

Are you all recovering?? Did you have a happy, merry day? My little noodle and lou sure did! It was a Star Wars Christmas at our house. We might just own every piece of Star Wars anything...ever invented!! Alright...not quite. But I think we're close!

The grandparents always pull through with the coolest stuff!

We had another visitor besides Santa on Christmas Eve. The tooth fairy paid Jake a visit! He lost his front tooth...FINALLY. That poor little tooth has been hanging by a thread forever! She left $5.00...hellloooo! i used to get .50 cents!! It was sort of a special tooth though. Being Christmas and all!

Post Christmas HUGS to you all!

I'll be back soon to announce when my shop update will be! I've been working on my Valentine goodies:) xoxoxoxo...jenn

wishing you a happy Christmas!!

Well, I just couldn't wait until after Christmas to put my little Valentine girls in the shop! I'll be taking a break over the next few days...so I think I was getting a little antsy seeing them just sitting there! These little gals can be found here .

And, this Mom and daughter duo can be found here ! oooh, how I love pink, red, white & black!!

Do you hear those sleigh bells?? It's almost time! Jake and Henry prepared their Gingerbread house for Santa to see.

They enjoyed the last of the melting snow...

and warmed up with some yummy hot chocolate!

I want to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with the most wonderful things. I'm so thankful for ALL of you. Looking forward to 2008 with all of you by my side!! xoxoxoxo...jenn

4 days and counting...

4 days 'till Christmas? Where, oh where did the time go!!?? This will be a brief little posting because (yikes) I have to go get the bag of candy for bus drivers and teachers put together for Jake to take to school tomorrow. We (as in...me) made a bazillion batches of peppermint bark. It makes the most beautiful gift and is sooooo yummy. Am I good little blogger and did I take pictures to share the whole process with you? I am afraid not my friends! BUT...it is so easy to make.

Jenn's version of Peppermint Bark:


1 bag of Ghiradelli chocolate chips
1 bag of Ghriadelli (am I spelling that right??) white chocolate chips
finely crushed up candy canes

Finely crush the candy canes. I think the best way is to use a rolling pin with the candy canes in a plastic bag...I've been known to use a hammer too though. Depends on how much pent up aggression you might have. Melt the chocolate chips...pour into a baking pan lined with wax paper...spread out into a thin layer. Melt the white chocolate chips...pour over the chocolate layer and lightly smooth out to make the top layer. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes all over the top. Lastly take a little melted milk chocolate in a spoon and sprinkle across the top making beautiful swirly designs. Refrigerate for 1 hour and break or cut up into uneven bite sizes! So pretty and way yummy.

Henry had his little Holiday Cookie Party at school today. There was a pretty big melt down during the singing of Jingle Bells, Rudolph, etc. But he perked up for the cookie part:) Henry has the cutest little class and the most adorable little classmates. It was so adorable. Look at the little placemat he made! He also made a gift for his Mom and Dad. The cutest snowman ornament!! awwwwww little Henry!!

Lastly, here's a little sneak peek of a Valentine painting I've been working on;) More soon!!

I'll be back before Christmas but I just wanted to say thank you bunches to all my friends here. Wishing you all the happiest of Holidays!! Big Christmas Hugs and Kisses to you all!! xoxoxoxoxo...jenn

p.s. I love to visit all of you that leave comments at your blogs...but sometimes your profile isn't public and I can't connect to your blog. I just want you to know that I appreciate you all ...even if I can't get back in touch with you:) A few posts back Cathy left me a link to the most adorable new magazine. I'd love to talk to you more...but couldn't link back to you. Please write me again if you see this:) xoxo

100 !!!!!

Hooray for noodle and lou!! Over the weekend I reached the 100 mark in sales in my etsy shop!! I was sooo excited and want to say a billion thanks to all my wonderful supporters! Thank you for making my experience so extra special on etsy. This is a big big deal to me and I appreciate it beyond words. On my listings I always say..."Thank you for helping me to live my dream...", and I truly mean it:)

Now...did you all finish your shopping and wrapping and hyperventilating (oh, that was just me?) and more wrapping and shipping this weekend?? I did!!! YIPPPPPEEEE. All my packages went off into postal land today and I am SO relieved!!! I'm so horrible with capturing all the action with my camera...but I did get a couple snaps of these little gifts;)

Really just the tip of the iceberg...so to speak! You aren't seeing the mounds of stickers, paper, shred, boxes, ribbons...etc. etc. But I did it! Can you tell that I am soooo excited to have this DONE!? After a weekend of nothing but wrapping...I don't have much to tell...so I have a few pictures of my newest painting! I just listed my JANUARY addition to my mini month series! You can find "The January Girls" at auction on ebay here! I'll need to be a little more thorough next time...but here is a quick journey in the life of one of my collage paintings:)

1. canvas is prepped and painted black...then it's idea time ...roughly painted in ivory

2. Idea is growing...

3. outline and let's add some hair and clothes!

4. facial features are forming!

5. totally missed a few steps of fine tuning and more layers of paint...and VOILA!

6. don't forget the sides!!

Have a happy Tuesday!! Christmas is here in 1 week!!!

xoxoxoxoxo...jenn

happy weekend...

well, crunch time has arrived! I haven't wrapped a single present....let alone buy or make all the presents I needed to buy or make. uh oh. I have so many things to box up and send off to Florida. I haven't done my Christmas cards yet. I haven't even picked out a photo of the boys for a Christmas card yet. uh oh. Are you all feeling better about yourselves yet? I'm here to help:) So, I'll transform into a little polkadot elf this weekend and try to knock it all out. Things should really be mailed out by Monday...right!? uh oh.

I listed a new little collection of ACEO cards over at my ebay site. You can find the auctions here.

I've been getting the best handmade goodies from etsy in the mail! I'm dying to show you...but they are gifts and it will spoil the surprise. Some little sneaky sneak (yes, you Mom) already figured out something for her from Vanessa ....soooo sneaky. So, no more hints!!!

Hope you all have fun weekend plans making cookies and wrapping gifts!! Enjoy it and I'll see you soon!! xoxoxoxo...jenn

so many smiles!!

what a treat to get all of your sweet comments about my last post:) I can't even express how much it means to me to be part of such a super supportive community. That's what it's all about!! If only all of YOU could have been in line with me:) As I said to a friend today...thankfully I have a good sense of humor...and the ability to laugh...alot.

I took a quick break from all my little winter creations and went back to an old favorite. Funky couples:) I added this wedding duo to my etsy shop tonight!

I also worked on the rest of our Christmas decorations. I especially adore all the little ornaments from my childhood! Take a peek...It's beginning to feel alot like Christmas!!

look at our cute tree that the boys picked out!
ummmm...my bottom strand of lights went out!! oops!

I'm sharing it with you anyways;)

xoxoxo...jenn

p.s. did you notice the music I added to the ol' blog!? just a little collection of some of my favorite songs to work by:)

when leaf monsters go bad

oooooh...my little henry. look at this sweet little leaf monster poking his head out. I have had the most challenging week with this guy. I'll sum it up with a brief recap of our trip to the post office yesterday. Line out the door. Jake's school bus coming in 20 mins. (I know, I know...you can't EVER be in a hurry with a 3 year old...especially this one.) Henry doesn't want to go through the door. I have an arm full of packages...he is not budging. I try to persuade,distract,plead...nothing is working. I am dragging him through the door. Now I am dropping packages. Does ANY one help me? short answer is NO. okay, so thanks for nothing neighbors...now I've gotten Henry in line. Everything is going well. I remind him of our conversation at home about him being Mommy's post office helper. He smiles and says okay. 10 seconds later he is pulling his pants down and jumping up and down. Okay, now I am too close to the finish line to leave! I tell him sternly to pull his pants up. He pulls them down further. Then he puts his hands down the back of his underwear and starts jumping up and down. Then he ...I swear to God..."toots" LOUD and forever and starts cracking up laughing. Now I'm hoping for lightning to strike me rather than claim this child as my own. It's my turn. I grab Henry with 1 arm. Balance my packages with the other arm. Fish out my debit card with my elbow. Henry tells me how sorry he is. I put him down. He starts kicking me in my shin. Now (still not a word or understanding smile from a soul) I turn around and announce "Don't worry, we'll be gone in a minute."

Seriously.

Please tell me you go through things like this too.

Tell me I can get through this.

Seriously.

(here's Jake getting in on the leaf action too)

sooooo...THANK YOU so much for all the fabulous shop update love the other night!! I know I've said it before...but I reeeeeaaaalllly do have the most incredible customers and blog friends ever. Thank you so much for all the awesome encouragement and support from all of you!

Here are my little ornament friends before they went into their box.

and other little friends before they went off to their new homes...

and friends that are still available here

and here and here !

Hugs to you all. Thanks for letting me vent a bit too. This stage shall pass:)

xoxoxoxo..jenn