Getting married November 7th

I've been quite a bit busier than usual trying to get everything organized.   Well, my mom is doing the majority of the organizing as far as catering, layout, tent rentals etc. but that leaves me with dress + jewelry shopping for everyone, honeymoon reservations, picking colors, cake inspiration, guest favors, etc etc.  I've absolutely loved going through all the wedding amazing-ness on Etsy - I'm really trying to have a mostly hand made wedding.  It's obviously in the fall, it's outside and I'm hoping there will still be some leaves on the trees.  The colors are orange and pale aqua.  That's my favorite combination in my artwork right now so it's what's inspiring the whole color scheme.  Richard and I bought a house together over 3  years ago, so I guess this is just making everything official lol  - it will be nice to have a ring on my finger.  It's going to be a very small wedding, family only - the kids will be our bridesmaids/groomsmen.  It works out well that way, 2 girls and 2 boys (3 are mine and 1 is his).  And they're all around the same age - between 17 and 21.   Wow, that makes me feel older seeing that in writing.  I got married and had my kids super duper young though so I spent my entire 20's raising children (as did Richard). Now that they are older and pretty much on their own I get the opportunity to recreate myself and focus on who I am and who I want to be and I get to do  it while married to my best friend :).  I'm really looking forward to this next chapter in our lives.

I bought an old Volvo station wagon

Yay! I'm so excited. I bought it from a fellow vendor at the Knoxville market named Dave (thank you Dave!). I can actually take all my stuff now and fit it in. In the Maxima, I had to lay the front seat down and my tent went from the front seat all the way to the back seat and all my art, etc was crammed on top of it. Nobody could ever ride with me ever. Now I have a whole empty seat next to me which is just lovely. Here's a photo of my beautiful car :) :





We had just finished washing and waxing it. Red's not my color, but I have some big plans as far as paint, etc. This is my blank canvas lol. I'll have to post photos as I do things to it. I really want to take some photos of my booth and put them on here too. My daughter Mia is going with me to the Chattanooga Market tomorrow - it will be her first time. I actually have a free front seat now. Yay! That's a picture of Mia, she'll be 17 in a month, she's my baby, my youngest :). So, I'll try to take some photos at the market tomorrow and get them posted.

I hope it's a great day :).

Soooo....I quit my day job

Wooohoo, I feel so much less stressed :). I feel a lot more creative, like my time is finally my own, like I can give 100% to my business. I'm doing 3 markets a week now, a Saturday and Wednesday market in Knoxville and a Sunday market in Chattanooga. I'm actually posting from my saturday market as I write....the weather is so very cooperative today. Not raining, not to hot, my tent's in the shade :). Good day :).

Thinking towards fall.....

'Almost Autumn'

Today is Richard's B'day...the big 4-0 lol. I got him a bunch of cool shirts and a funny/sweet card. We went out to eat at O'Charley's and I got a giant margarita that I couldn't even get halfway through lol. Oh, and I got him a lucious chocolate cake that I lit with 40 candles :). Fun. It's always great starting a new decade in your life, this is going to be a good one for him (for us) . We're settled in our house, we have an awesome dog, our kids are getting older (Erik, his son, is starting college this fall). I'm looking forward to all that's to come. I know one thing that has to happen soon - I HAVE TO GET ORGANIZED. I'm sitting at a desk full of papers, empty coffee cups, my camera, bills, and misc STUFF. It's amazing I can sit here at the computer surrounded by all this clutter. Ugh.

I have some good news that's going to contribute greatly to harmony and peace in my life though. I talked to my manager at Cato and told her I didn't want to be 2nd Assistant anymore. Whew! That means I won't be putting in 30+ hours a week there so I can get focused and organized and keep heading in the right direction with my artwork. I'm going to be able to step down the week after next. No more cramming to get ready for the Saturday and Sunday markets after getting off work, or going to work after being in Knoxville all day with my tent. Well, I have to this Saturday :(....but it will be my last. I actually get to have a life now lol. My schedule has pretty much been work M-F at Cato and Sat and Sun at the markets. I've had no creative down time at all. I'm so looking forward to this. Richard is working from home now too so we can get back to our wonderful little life of being home together doing our separate creative jobs. Sigh, I can't wait. I know the next week will go by fast.....

In the meantime, we started getting in some fall sweaters and things so I'm starting to be in an autumn frame of mind now. Here's some of my autumn inspired artwork I've been working on :) :



'Tastes Like Fall'


'That Seventies Summer'


These aren't in my shop yet but I'll be bringing one this week and the other two next week to the markets. I actually bought the lovely sunflowers at the Chattanooga Market. I love them, they're such happy flowers :).