Nessa Dee

Kids + Camera =

2012-02-07T11:27:00.001-08:00

The kids got a hold of the camera a couple of days ago. I found these candid shots when I uploaded my pictures. Did you notice someone’s new ‘do? I took Finn to get a real haircut last week, real meaning that I actually paid someone to do it. He looks so different, but just as cute, in this momma’s opinion.

nessa dee

Remember when…

2012-02-01T09:22:00.001-08:00

we went to LA? No? Why not? It’s only been several months since our trip. What’s that, you say? You never saw pictures. Well, who would be so lazy as to never post pictures of their trip? Me? Noooooo. You must be thinking of someone else… someone who’s less organized, who always posts about the boring mundaneness of life, and forgets to document exciting life happenings. Oh, wait a minute…

Well, it’s better late then never, right? Right?

Our trip was lightening fast, and given Audrie’s rehearsal and contest schedule, we didn’t have much time for sightseeing. For a quick trip, though, we sure packed as much as we possibly could do without missing the contest altogether. The first night we went to the observatory up in Hollywood Hills. It was amazing to see LA lit up. There wasn’t one spot on all of the horizon that was not saturated with light. I might have had some fantastic pictures, but I forgot the camera. [GASP!]

The next day after Audrie’s rehearsal, we went to Malibu to get in some beach time. I didn’t make the mistake of forgetting my camera this time. At this point, I will cease with the words and let you enjoy all that the pictures have to say…

After the beach, it was time for some good eats at Malibu Seafood. Yum!

Then a quick trip to the J. Paul Getty Museum, where we only had an hour to peruse the many halls of ancient artifacts, sculptures and paintings.

The next morning, we took a quick trip to the Walt Disney Concert Hall…something I wanted to see while we were there. We almost didn’t go because LA traffic had lived up to its name the night before, and the fears were that we might miss Audrie’s piano contest altogether. Thanks to the coaxing of one determined husband, though, we made our way downtown, and I’m so glad we did. Despite the fact that it was cold and rainy, I think we all thought that the place was worth the visit.

I won’t tell you exactly what was going on here, but it might have involved some singing…

We made it back in plenty of time to get ready and catch the bus to the piano festival.

The next morning we flew back to Texas, and that was the end of our trip.

Fast and furious, but exciting nonetheless.

nessa dee

Glimpse

2012-01-30T14:25:00.001-08:00

Since we’re recovering from a wedding, weekend in Houston, and a large lunch, our Monday’s been pretty uneventful [pretty much like every other Monday in our lives]. The only thing going on right now that’s even worth mentioning is the progress on our new banquette. Here’s a peak of what’s happening:

Isn’t it cute?

And here’s a view with the baskets that are eagerly waiting to make this banquette their new home:

Aren’t they cute?

And here’s a little kid that can’t wait to put the new banquette to good use:

Isn’t he cute?

The next few things on my agenda are to find fabric for the banquette cushion, find coordinating fabric for pillows and dining chairs, learn how to sew, make a banquette cushion, paint and recover dining chairs, refinish the table, and finally, find a seamstress who can fix my botched sewing job before I can call this project done.

I’m off to peruse the internet for fabric ideas.

Happy Monday!

nessa dee

Pizza, Pizza!

2012-01-25T12:18:00.001-08:00

The kids and I tried our hand at making pizza from scratch. I’ve tried this before with disappointing results, but I felt a little more confident this time, because I had this woman on my side:

and her recipe for pizza crust:

Armed with plenty of cheese, Canadian bacon, mushrooms, and two eager helpers, we were able to produce this:

It looked like a real pizza, but it still needed to go through the baking process. Tensions were high, I tell ya, and those 15 minutes were not stress free. But, much to my relief, I didn’t burn the thing, and the crust didn’t expand to great proportions, or shrink down to nothing. It was beautiful, picture perfect:

Golden crust, bubbly cheese, crisp Canadian bacon, dirty stove, it had all the makings of a good pizza. And the best part? It actually tasted like pizza! Success! The recipe made enough dough for two pizzas, so, guess what we’re having for dinner tonight? That’s right, pizza dough.

nessa dee

IF: Twirl

2012-01-24T15:45:00.001-08:00

nessa dee

Hello, Monday!

2012-01-23T12:34:00.001-08:00

Today…

:: We are learning about states!

and I’m learning lots of patience.

:: My studio’s coming right along…it’s much brighter than it used to be.

All it needs now is new flooring, a new light fixture, a peg board, desks, a revamped closet, plus a few special touches, and all of the junk that’s currently staying in my guest room.

:: I’m getting a banquette in the breakfast room!

:: Who wants to play Sam vs. Ninja?

:: I’m eagerly awaiting a new rug for my bedroom. No more stepping off onto a cold floor in the morning. Click on the rug to find out more.

:: I found this guy in my studio courtesy of Finn:

Squirrel Watching

2012-01-19T13:40:00.001-08:00

That’s what one member of our family spends most of her time doing.

The other two like to spend a lot of their time teasing that one member into thinking they’ve spotted those furry-tailed creatures.

nessa dee

Hello, Monday!

2012-01-16T10:52:00.001-08:00

Today…

:: We are reading about an important historical figure.

::I’m once again looking at different floor samples. It’s funny, I don’t remember them looking so blurry.

:: We’ve been playing Bananagrams, though not as it was intended.

:: I’m searching for inspiration on how to address my almost empty studio’s storage needs.

:: I’m searching for the gumption to weed out the unnecessary craft stuff that won’t be going back into my studio. [But I might use that one day!]

:: I’m hoping to list a few things in my shop.

:: I finally framed some watercolors we bought in the Cayman Islands. Here’s what Audrie looked like when we bought them:

Hopefully it won’t take me 8 years to find a place to hang them. But when I do, I’ll be sure to take a picture of Audrie to document her age at the time.

nessa dee

Around the house

2012-01-13T12:53:00.001-08:00

We had planned to do some crafting today, and still plan to do so, but by the time we get it done, it might be midnight before I get it posted. So we’ll save that post for tomorrow. Here’s what’s going on around our house at the moment…

Sketching…

Folding…

Organizing…

Listening… [to books on tape]

D-I-Y-ing…

Staging art pictures…

And of course, crafting.

nessa dee

Who?

2012-01-10T14:16:00.001-08:00

Well, so far my mission to blog more often has resulted in failure. Sometimes, though, you can’t control the randomness of life, or the laziness of one said blogger, but I’m not giving up just yet. I’m determined to share more, and not in the haphazard sort of way that encompassed all of last year. I want to write more often, take more pictures, and make time for this little outlet that has become my blog.

Alright, enough of my self pep talk. Here’s a little thought I’ve been working on lately…

It’s not on a stretched canvas only because I had a fleeting thought about my art. If it works out, I’ll post the results. If not, I’ll just frame the thing and hang it in Audrie’s room.

nessa dee

11

2012-01-07T14:55:00.001-08:00

My little girl turned 11 today. My sweet, funny, creative, talented, oh so sarcastic [in a good way] little girl turned the big one one. When she was a wee little thing, I don’t know what I imagined her to be like at 11, but I don’t think it encompassed everything that she is. She is an absolute delight.

Happy birthday, my future Shel Silverstein!

I love you!

xoxo

mom

If at first you don’t succeed…

2012-01-04T12:10:00.001-08:00

Just use your hands.

nessa dee

Hello, Monday!

2012-01-02T09:59:00.001-08:00

I’m back from almost a two week hiatus. I felt a little guilty about not posting during the holidays, but not guilty enough to motivate me to do something about it. Our holidays were pretty hectic this year due to the play Audrie and I performed in. We had two performances Christmas Eve and one Christmas morning, and right afterwards, we headed out of town to have Christmas with Jonathan’s family. Also, we welcomed a new cousin on Christmas Eve, Miss Ava Grace, who threw everyone for a loop since she wasn’t due until this Friday. On top of that, we had a couple of cases of pinkeye as well as some winter colds that made for an interesting visit, meaning that we were quarantined for the whole week we were away. So, we have to schedule a make-up visit to see all of the family we missed this Christmas.

Whew!

Now that we are back, we can resume the normal schedule, make that, the new normal schedule.

This morning…

:: I’m writing down my goals for this year for the house, schooling, business, and the blog. We are going to make some big changes this year. One of my goals is to quit slacking on the blog, so I’m going to make a concerted effort to blog more often.

:: We’re taking down Christmas décor. Didn’t we just get it all out?

:: We have the Rose Parade on, but we’re not watching it.

:: I can’t wait to see Audrie’s new bedding on her bed. It seems like we buy her a new quilt about every six months because the dog chews holes through them. Grrr.

:: I hope to pick up our “Christmas” cards today. We had a problem with the printer, and they were delayed, but they’re going to at least give them to me for free! Better late than never.

:: I’m trying to figure out a design for a banquette that incorporates baskets. It will hopefully look something like this:

photo from Better Homes and Gardens.

:: Although I think I’m going to be getting a lot done today with my two helpers, we’ll most likely spend the day playing with this…

and this…

:: Plus, my helpers haven’t even gotten out of their pjs yet.

Happy 1st Monday of 2012!

nessa dee

Christmas Pictures 2011

2011-12-21T07:27:00.001-08:00

nessa dee

Hello, Monday!

2011-12-19T07:57:00.001-08:00

This morning:

:: I’m loving my view from the windows. My trees are on fire right now…a little late in the season, but so worth the wait! They wash a beautiful golden hue over the whole interior of the house.

:: I’m trying to figure out where I can find an old piece of driftwood and a bunch of old pocket watches to make this tree:

I’ll also have to convince Finn to let me borrow his measuring stick and turn it into a star for the tree.

:: I’m going to start a collection of old balustrades to turn into another Christmas tree, like this one:

:: I’m wishing I had a fire pit like this one:

:: And a little bunkhouse like this one:

:: And a glass case full of this stuff:

:: I’m thankful for the time we spent with family this past weekend, celebrating Christmas and my grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary.

:: And I’m trying to decide which Christmas picture to put on my Christmas cards…maybe this one:

Or this one:

Happy Monday!

nessa dee

I thought I was a wizard

2011-12-16T10:43:00.001-08:00

A couple of days ago, Audrie ran inside yelling that we had an owl in our backyard, but that it looked a little strange. I was thinking that this must be some sort of sign given that this was our third encounter with an owl in half a year. Since we’ve been listening to the Harry Potter series for the past couple of months, I naturally thought that we must be wizards. So I grabbed my wand and camera, and ran outside to capture this owl on film and intercept any messages that it might be bringing from the wizarding world. After trying several times to transfigure myself into a bird [all that Hogwart’s training has been useless] I gave up and took pictures of our feathered friend from far below the tree on which it was perched, only to discover that it was not a strange looking owl, but rather a large hawk enjoying a lovely meal of mangled squirrel. I snapped a couple of pictures, threw my paintbrush, I mean, wand down, and gave up on the prospect of being a wizard, and then ran back inside and wrote a howler to Dumbledore for even tempting me with the prospect of being super human.

[Warning: These pictures contain images of a mangled squirrel. Please don’t look if you are easily grossed out, like me. I posted these with my eyes shut.]

[The last three pictures were taken by Audrie]

So much for my future career.

nessa dee

Finnanigans

2011-12-14T09:08:00.001-08:00

Me, singing in the car: Audrie, you sing harmony, and I’ll sing melody, and together we will rule the world!

Finn: Mom, only God rules the world.

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Holding a Lincoln Log to his mouth like a mustache: I am British!

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Eating a cow shaped lollipop: I hope this cow enjoys tummy heaven!

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Mom, you made me lose your temperature.

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After having eaten a blue lollipop, of which most of it got on his face: I’m turning into a Smurf.

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Every night, Daddy’s beard grows bigger, and when he gets up he has to charge his shaver so he can cut off the beard on his mustache.

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Mom, I wish I had lost my tooth when I was four because then I would have a medium boy tooth, and then when I was five I would have a big boy tooth.

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My mess is too long!

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After making a picture of an exploding volcano: Look at my interrupting volcano!

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nessa dee

Hello, Tuesday?

2011-12-13T09:30:00.001-08:00

I’m sorry for my absence. I keep telling myself that I’m going to blog more than twice a week, but it’s been hard to find the time. I’ve been trying to get things ready for Christmas, trying to finish things up for the Christmas play, trying to remember that I’m homeschooling my kids, and trying not to implode from the weight of all the stress.

This morning:

:: I’m almost finished with the backdrops. I just can’t seem to muster up the energy to get it done. At least I’ve had some help along the way.

:: I’m considering taking my kids Christmas pictures today even though it’s foggy outside. The next two days it’s supposed to rain. I haven’t told the kids yet, but, somehow, one of my two kids is already dressed for the occasion:

:: I bought these for someone else, but I have a feeling that we’re all going to be wearing mustaches over the next few days.

:: I’m almost done with my Christmas shopping. Yay! Ok, I still have a lot to get, but I know what I’m looking for, which is 90% of the battle.

:: This is what my table looks like right now:

Even though we have a designated workspace upstairs, things tend to trickle downstairs. Sadly, the rest of my house doesn’t look much different.

:: Jonathan rolled up our rug the other day to clean the floors, [I know, what a dear!]. Since then, it’s become the perfect terrain for some serious Lego action.

Well, I’m off to paint.

Happy Tuesday!

nessa dee

Dear Santa…

2011-12-07T09:17:00.001-08:00

*****************************************************************************

Translation:

Dear Santa,

I u. I want an air force army man suit with a big fake, black BB gun, and nerf long shot, and Lego police officer station, and [with the air force army man suit] 1 fake black pistol and 1 fake black knife.

Finn

*****************************************************************************

After he finished his letter, I found him doing this…

And behind him? A giant mess of toys…

But there are too many new toys that haven’t graced our game room floor.

Oh the joys of Christmas.

nessa dee

Hello, Monday!

2011-12-05T12:42:00.001-08:00

Today I’m…

:: Enjoying my Christmas décor, especially the garland along the bannister.

[Thanks for helping me decorate, MiMi!]

:: I’m not enjoying the everyday tasks, like laundry, that overshadow the beautiful decorations.

:: Loving our stocking letters. Our set of stockings from previous years were mismatched, not in a cute sort of way, but more like a last minute, “I need to buy another stocking,” sort of way. I inherited these matching stockings from my dear Aunt Susan. We added the painted letters to indicate whose stocking is whose, and I think they are just the bees knees.

:: Working on some backdrops for our church’s Christmas play.

::I also designed the ad for the Christmas play. It came out in our local paper this week.

:: Did I mention that Audrie and I are in the play as well?

I’m trying not to stress.

Happy Monday!

nessa dee

The Countdown Begins!

2011-12-01T07:02:00.001-08:00

The kids were so quick to get their candy, I couldn’t get a good picture. They wouldn’t pose for me either…something about wanting to eat their candy. Oh well.

25 days left…is anyone panicking, yet?

[I am]

nessa dee

Hello, Monday!

2011-11-28T10:13:00.001-08:00

I hope this post finds you stuffed and thankful! We had a nice Thanksgiving holiday with the family, but now that it’s over, I’m having to wean myself off of having delicious desserts with every meal, or as a meal replacement. It’s not easy; I have a major sweet tooth.

This morning…

:: We are slowly but surely getting things decorated. The kids’ rooms were the first to get hit by the Christmas bug.

:: It’s been hard to keep the kids focused on school with little reminders telling them that Christmas is just around the corner.

:: I have had my tree up since last Tuesday, but it’s yet to get dressed with the exception of one large Mickey Mouse ornament. It’s on my to-do list for today.

:: Someone’s been making his list, and checking it twice. Legos seem to be at the top this year. He wants every set, grandparents.

:: I’m bracing myself for tomorrow. I’ll be turning #%, and I’m not ready to admit it.

Happy Monday!

nessa dee

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T09:34:00.001-08:00

Since I’ll be knee deep in turkey and stuffing tomorrow, I will probably be too stuffed to blog tomorrow.

Have a wonderful turkey day!

from my little turkeys

Hello, Monday!

2011-11-21T10:11:00.001-08:00

This morning I’m…

:: Playing with my early birthday present. I feel so hip and with it now.

:: The kids are playing with Legos. Ha! So primitive.

:: Enjoying the little rain shower we got.

:: Making a list of daily to-dos in hopes of being a bit more organized this Christmas. I had to edit it a bit so as to not ruin a Christmas surprise. And, yes, I’m still trying to put up all of my Halloween stuff.

:: Trying to get good pics of some more paintings awaiting entry into my shop. It’s hard to get good light when there’s dark clouds looming outside. I’d rather wait an extra day or two or five, though, if rain’s the trade-off.

:: Helping Finn set up his blue Christmas tree with blue lights, blue star, and blue and silver ornaments. [ The pink ones are going on Audrie’s tree.]

:: Listening to this with the kids…

We just finished listening to this…

It’s one of my favorite books…so delightful and beautifully written. And if you haven’t listened to anything read by Jim Dale, you should. He’s an amazing narrator and really brings the books to life.

Happy Monday!

nessa dee

SALE, SALE, SALE!

2011-11-15T15:32:00.001-08:00

I am having a holiday sale in my shop. If you’re looking for cheap, but expensive looking gifts, then my etsy store is the place to be!! Here’s the details:

Pretty self explanatory. I am gradually adding new items over the course of this week, some of which are in this group of thumbnails:

I’ll also be posting some of the original paintings as well, if you’d rather have something more expensive and cheap looking. Wait. I mean, expensive looking.

If you have any questions, you know what to do.

nessa dee

Hello, Monday!

2011-11-14T10:52:00.001-08:00

This morning…

:: We’re trying to adjust to life in the normal world after being in LA over the weekend. It was a very quick, but fun trip, and I can’t tell you just how proud I am of my little girl. She did an awesome job, and though she didn’t win the overall prize, she definitely won for biggest ham on stage, at least in my book. The event itself was being webcast live, so in addition to the family we had there, family and friends back home got to see Audrie play her piece. As soon as we get the video up on youtube, I’ll be sure to post it…of course. I’ll give you a play by play account of our trip in pictures soon, too, but until then, here’s a picture of all the finalists:

:: I had forgotten how much I loved watching my kids play at the beach. This trip reminded me.

:: I’m enjoying my new haircut. I decided after 3 years, I should probably do something with this unruly mane. Here’s the scary before:

Here’s the after with lips pursed:

Here’s the real after, because let’s face it, it’ll never look like the above pic again:

[Not the best pic to represent my new hairstyle, but I figured my stupid expression would distract you from the fact that my hair looks pretty much the same as before.]

And here’s the amount of before and after photos I took of myself. A little vain, are we?

Mostly, I felt silly.

:: I’ve started decorating for Christmas. I figured I’d do a little bit at a time, so it won’t be so overwhelming. So far, I’ve hung a wreath.

:: I still haven’t taken down all my Halloween decorations. I think the spiders compliment the Christmas wreath, though.

:: I’m panicking because I just realized that next week is Thanksgiving. [really??] And Christmas will be here before I know it. AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! I’m already stressing.

:: I have plans to take Christmas pics in the traditional Christmas outfits for our Christmas cards, but I think this family pic might trump any future efforts:

Happy Monday!

nessa dee

From my sketchbook…

2011-11-09T13:20:00.001-08:00

and other notebooks that I drew in when I couldn’t find my sketchbook and was too lazy to go looking for it. [Ignore the ‘Albus Dumbledore’ signature. We’ve been listening to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on cd. I got distracted.]

Why these animals? Well, for one, I’ve never attempted to draw some of them. But really, I’m working on a personal project. I have big plans for this project, and I’m pretty excited about it, but before I can do anything with it, I have to brush up on my technique.

I’m off to LA. I’ll see you when I get back.

nessa dee

hello, Monday.

2011-11-07T11:30:00.001-08:00

This morning…

:: I’m frustrated by the never ending, always growing list of must do things that need to be done before I can get to the never ending, always growing list of want to do things.

:: I’m wondering why things tend to break in groups of 3 rather than one thing at a time.

:: I’m gearing up for a remake of The Beverly Hillbillies when the family heads for LA on Thursday.

:: I’m wondering why I chose to paint a sample color on the front of my cabinets knowing full well that I probably won’t paint my cabinets before everyone comes for Christmas.

Who am I kidding? I’ll do good to get them painted by Christmas of 2012.

:: I’m considering getting this personal trainer to help me reach my workout goals. He seems to be on the cutting edge of exercise science.

Then again, maybe not.

Happy Monday!

nessa dee

IF: Scary

2011-11-03T10:40:00.001-07:00

Younger siblings can be quite scary.

nessa dee

Adventure Time

2011-11-01T10:55:00.001-07:00

Halloween was a success! We managed to score just as much candy as we bought, plus we still have 3 bags of candy from our giveaway stash, so we ended up ahead. By the end of the year, if I haven’t gained 20 pounds, it will be a miracle.

Our Adventure Time costumes turned out pretty awesome given that I started on them late Sunday afternoon. Yes, it was just a tad bit last minute, but it all worked out, and my kids didn’t have to dress like hobos because Mom dropped the ball. I have to say that these are my favorite Halloween costumes to date.

Finn was Finn the Human Boy

Audrie went as Princess Bubblegum, though not in her normal outfit. PB usually wears a long, pink princess dress, which is not Audrie’s cup o’ tea. Instead, Audrie wore an outfit from a particular episode in which PB donned a shirt with a graphic print of her pet, Lady Rainicorn.

Jonathan was Jake the Dog

And I was Marceline the Vampire Queen

We went trick or treating with the neighbors and had a blast watching the kids run from door to door.

Finn put his backpack to good use as his candy bag. He eventually got tired of asking one of us to help him put his candy in the backpack, so he started turning his back to every candy giver to let them drop it in.

At the end of the night, after hitting two different loops, we were pretty beat. So we called it a night, but not before getting a family pic.

I think this is going on our Christmas cards.

nessa dee

Hello, Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:07:00.001-07:00

This morning I’m…

:: Gearing up for Halloween night

::Putting the finishing touches on costumes

:: Trying not to eat my weight in Tootsie Rolls

:: Vowing never to send Jonathan to buy Halloween candy ever again

:: Wearing all black to celebrate Halloween, not because my stretchy pants are super comfortable and allow for candy binging.

:: Setting up a dentist appointment to take care of the cavities I’m sure to get post candy coma

:: So happy my brother’s home from Libya, safe and sound.

Happy Halloween!

nessa dee

IF: Fuel

2011-10-26T08:26:00.001-07:00

I want to eventually paint this guy, but for now, here’s my rough sketch.

nessa dee

Hello, Monday!

2011-10-24T11:39:00.001-07:00

This afternoon I’m…

:: Trying to play catch up…the day’s half over and so far, this is what I have marked off my list:

-~~take a shower~~

:: Enjoying my pretty fall flowers.

:: Attempting to put our Halloween costumes together. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

:: Loving our new art/photo display wall.

Isn’t it fun?

Now to go get something else marked off my list. Perhaps…

-~~Eat some candy~~

nessa dee

I’m going to Hollywood!

2011-10-20T20:26:00.001-07:00

If you’ve read my blog for more than a week, you probably know that my daughter plays piano. Yes, I tend to brag about it every other week [day], but I’m her mom, and it’s my job. Maybe if Finn or Trixie would step it up a bit and learn to play an instrument, I’d have a little more variety, but until that happens, you’re just going to hear me brag once more about Audrie.

Audrie recently participated in a Roland piano festival here in Austin, one of many held across the US. This is her performance of Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter:

She ended up winning this round to move on to the semifinals. For the semifinals, Audrie was recorded playing her song, and her performance was judged against the recorded winners from the other festivals. We just got notified last week that Audrie made it to the final round, so they’re flying her out to Los Angeles next month to play in the finals! Of course, we’re going, too, as well as the ~~paparazzi~~ grandparents. I don’t know if my daughter’s ever done anything in her life without an entourage of at least 20 people cheering her on.

It’s going to be an exciting trip, and I’m sure I’ll have plenty to brag about by the end of it. I’m also pretty sure that my family will somehow make it into the tabloids while we’re there.

nessa dee

IF: Scattered

2011-10-18T19:16:00.001-07:00

*scattered snow*

nessa dee

Hello, Monday!

2011-10-17T10:33:00.001-07:00

This morning…

:: Someone’s doing schoolwork…

:: Someone already did his schoolwork…

:: Someone has no schoolwork…

:: Someone’s getting in the way…

:: Someone else is getting in the way…

:: Someone’s getting carpet burns on her elbows from taking all of these pictures…

:: And after taking these pics with her phone, someone seriously misses her camera.

Happy Monday!

nessa dee

IF: Contraption

2011-10-13T09:07:00.001-07:00

It’s been a looooooooong time since I’ve posted for IF, but I’m making an attempt at a comeback. I started this sketch with no real plan in mind. The “contraption” quickly got out of hand, and I have no idea what it does, hence the confused little guy at the bottom of the picture.

nessa dee

Coffee Talk

2011-10-12T09:39:00.001-07:00

Here’s the proof that I actually hung some artwork at a coffee shop. I hired a few college students to pose in the pictures, so my art would look young, hip and fresh. Is it just me, or are these college students looking younger and younger these days?

I have to admit that when I started making paintings for this display, I had never visited JP’s Java, and happened to overlook its location on the north side of the University of Texas campus. This is a good example of not knowing your audience, and as a result, I have a bunch of new children’s paintings for my Etsy shop. The week before my paintings were to be hung, I visited the coffee shop and realized that instead of families with young children, my audience would consist of hipster college kids. I don’t think these whipper-snappers would appreciate the adorable critters and whimsical gingerbread houses I had been working on the previous month. So I put on my procrastinators thinking cap, came up with the vintage technology theme, and knocked out nine paintings in a week. I did include paintings that cross over the boundaries of age [mainly robots and one owl] in keeping with the content of my Etsy shop. Hopefully some good will come from this exposure, but if nothing else, I have some pretty cool pieces for my house.

nessa dee

Latest Works

2011-10-10T09:06:00.001-07:00

Here are my latest pieces that went into the coffee shop. I’m going to turn some, if not all of them, into prints for my shop. I hope I can manage such technologically advanced skills given that I just tried to fill a colander with water to let it soak for a while. This whole 5 hours of sleep each night isn’t really working for me anymore.

All of these paintings are for sale, but will be on display at JP’s Java until the end of November. If you are interested in purchasing any of them, or have questions about them, or want some prints, or just want to chat about the weather, you can contact me through my Etsy shop, or just leave a comment on the blog, or send me some snail mail, or swing by my house. Whatever suits your fancy.

nessa dee

Sneak Peek

2011-10-06T14:32:00.001-07:00

I’m heading out of town for the weekend, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek of my latest works…

By the way that guy coordinates with my paintings, you’d think I paid him to sit there and pose. And maybe I did…or maybe he was lured by the prospect of gaining international fame [amongst my family] by being posted on this blog. The world may never know.

nessa dee

Interview with an Artist [who’s slightly insane]

2011-10-05T14:20:00.001-07:00

Hi there, folks! My name is Vanessa. I am an artist and mom of two children, and also author of a popular blog [and by popular, I mean that it’s read by a lot of my family members across Texas, a few random people across the nation, and by at least one person overseas. Thanks, Brother!] I had the privilege of interviewing a fellow artist/blogger who happens to share a name with my blog. I hope to see what Nessa Dee’s been up to lately, and why she has been neglecting her own blog.

Vanessa: Hi, Nessa Dee! Thanks for taking time out of your hectic schedule to humor me. How have you been lately?

Nessa Dee: Good, though I’m slightly worried about you.

Vanessa: Why’s that?

Nessa Dee: Well, the fact that you are interviewing yourself, for one. Not to mention that you’ve got me playing along with this whole charade.

Vanessa: So are you saying that I should be worried about you?

Nessa Dee: Let’s just get this over with.

Vanessa: We haven’t been seeing much art on your blog lately. Being that this blog is called Nessa Dee: [Art + Life] one would assume that we would see a little more art. Can you comment?

Nessa Dee: Well, first of all, Van… can I call you Van so I don’t have to type out Vanessa anymore?

Van: Sure, as long as I can refer to you as ND.

ND: Works for me. First of all, Van, I have a bunch of new paintings that will be making their way to the shop real soon.In addition to the paintings for my shop, I had a couple of commissions that were recently completed, as well as a series of paintings that made their way down to a coffee shop in Austin this week.

Van: So why haven’t we seen any of these paintings in the works? It’s not that hard to post a couple of pictures now and then.

ND: Well, it’s not that hard if your camera works. My camera kicked the bucket, and since a detailed description of my art doesn’t really compare to picture, I haven’t mentioned all of the new paintings.

Van: With all of the advancements in technology these days, there must be other ways to snap pictures. Don’t you have one of them fancy phones with a camera in it? In fact, haven’t you been posting pictures from that camera phone?

ND: Yes, you’re right. I do have a camera phone, and I have posted some pictures from that phone, but the quality isn’t that great, and it’s not ideal for taking pictures of art.

Van: Really? You’re going to use that excuse? A little pretentious are we? Okay, so your phone camera isn’t good enough to take pictures of your art. Even so, we haven’t heard much from you in the life department either. Is there a reason for this neglect?

ND: Along with making all of these new paintings, I am homeschooling two kids for the first time, instead of just one. I’m also teaching an art class to homeschooler’s every Friday.

Van: Yeah, so what? The Duggars homeschool like thirty kids at once.

ND: Well they’ve had years to perfect their homeschool. I am going from homeschooling one very determined child, who’s very disciplined, and has a very long attention span, to adding a very rambunctious child into the mix, who’s very determined to school his own way, and has a very short attention span. It’s a very hard transition.

Van: Very?

ND: Very. Besides, with only two kids, I have the added pressure of making sure I don’t screw up homeschooling. If the Duggars ruin their first few kids, at least they have over a dozen more to try to get it right.

Van: Very well then. I have to say that I still don’t see the reason for neglecting your blog. Look at Pioneer Woman…she’s homeschooling four children, blogs everyday, has written a cookbook, and is hosting her own cooking show.

ND: Why do you keep comparing me to super humans?

Van: To get to the truth.

ND: Okay, do you want the truth? I’m unorganized. I procrastinate. I hate to write. It takes me a long time to blog anything that requires more than a couple of sentences. If I don’t have a picture to speak for me, I won’t post anything. When I have pictures, I have to find the time to edit them. And some days, even though I have the time, I’m just lazy. Most of the time, though, if I’m writing a blog post, it usually means I’m neglecting other things like teaching my kids, or cleaning.

Van: Well, by the looks of your house, you must blog all of the time [grin].

So this post must really be testing your every last nerve. No pictures. Lots of writing. Do you have anything else to add, Mrs. Lazypants?

Van: Oh I get it…you’re ignoring me. Wait, where did that picture come from? I thought your camera was broken.

ND: I ~~stole~~ borrowed my friend’s camera to take pictures of all of my latest paintings. I was getting ready to post the pictures, once I got off my lazy bum, but then you so rudely interrupted me with this bogus interview.

Van: You’re just using this as an excuse not to edit the photos.

Van: Alright. We’re done here. I hope we never have to do this again.

ND: This interview was your idea.

Van: Exactly.

nessa dee

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2011-10-04T09:29:00.001-07:00

Since your present is going to be late, I thought I’d post something from the kids…

Happy birthday,Dad!

We hope you have a wonderful day!

We love you muchas!!

jonathan, nessa, audrie, and finn

Gone

2011-09-29T08:39:00.001-07:00

Finn ran upstairs the other day crying, stating that he needed to go to the dentist. His tooth was wiggling which can be quite disconcerting for someone who had plans for keeping all of his baby teeth. I reassured him that losing teeth was normal for all children. I showed him pictures of a toothless Audrie, and we laughed.

The next day, Finn bit into an apple. His tooth succumbed to the pressure and bent forward and began to bleed…a lot. This, of course, produced more fears and tears. I reassured him that this, too, was normal as I tried to keep from passing out at the sight of the bloody, dangling tooth.

The next day, while eating a wholesome breakfast of powdered donuts in the car, his tongue finished the job of pushing that tiny tooth out of his mouth. And just like that, Finn hit another milestone…he lost his first tooth.

nessa dee

At the park

2011-09-27T12:42:00.001-07:00

This is what we do while Audrie is at piano lessons…

unless it’s 100 degrees. Then you’ll find us at Target.

Today I decided not to change out of my painting clothes before we went out in public. Neither of my kids told me that I had a big hole in the back of my paint covered stretchy pants. Real classy, especially when you pair it with the child in a mid drift tank top. In his defense, Finn was dressed as an army man. I had no excuse. When I sat on the ground, the ants saw my holy pants as an invite to a nice, shady world. I found myself hiding behind the playscape trying to dig out the culprit who was happily stinging my right cheek. I realized too late that I was still in view of the people driving by the park who caught a glimpse of the crazy hobo woman with her hand down the back of her pants.

It was not my proudest moment.

nessa dee

Ranching 101–Part 2

2011-09-23T14:27:00.001-07:00

If you recall from part 1, we had just taken a cow to the vet to get a little nip and tuck. As soon as we got home, my dad got a call from another ranch hand that a cow was bogged down in the mud. So we loaded back up, and went back out to the ranch to get her out.

The poor thing was up to her stomach in mud from a broken water pipe. To get her out involved tying a rope around her buried back legs and dragging her out with a truck.

The kids and I were quite entertained watching these three men attempt to maneuver through the mud.

Their first attempt to pull the cow out ended in a broken rope, but thankfully, the second attempt was a success, and Audrie…well she made a new friend.

After the rescue, we ate a late dinner at a restaurant, the guys still covered in mud, went home, and hit the hay, knowing we would be getting up at dawn for another adventure.

The next morning was met with excitement as we would be watching the guys herd cattle with this:

The helicopter has made a cowboy’s job a lot easier. It does the job of a whole team of horses and riders in a fraction of the time it would take to locate and round up all of the cattle. And it’s a trip to watch. I would show you some awesome pictures of the helicopter right over head, ducking down in trees, and hovering just above the cows except that my camera quit just as it was taking off. It decided to work again right as they were bringing the last herd up to the pens, so here’s what we did manage to capture…

It really is an amazing thing to watch.

After the helicopter landed, my dad saddled up his old grey horse, Lonesome Joe, and got to work separating the cows from the calves.

[Picture of Lonesome Joe by Audrie]

Even with modern technology, ranching is hard. I was glad the kids got to see how hard ranchers have to work. It’s easy for us to grow accustomed to a leisurely way of life not getting a taste of plain old, gritty, hard work. I want the kids to appreciate such labor. I want them to be able to get in there and get their hands dirty even when the work’s tough, the days are long, and the weather’s hot.

No one ever says that doing what you love is easy. My dad sure works hard…

but he loves being a cowboy.

nessa dee

Confessions

2011-09-21T12:38:00.001-07:00

:: My studio is so messy right now, I can barely walk through it.

:: I made my kids waffles with whipped cream and syrup just so I could steal some bites.

:: I have a major case of artist’s block.

:: In a little over a week I will be displaying my art at a coffee shop downtown. I haven’t near enough pieces painted yet.

:: I lost my Diet Dr. Pepper somewhere in my house this morning, and I’ve yet to find it.

:: I might have finished the Diet D.P. and it’s now in the trash. I can’t remember.

:: I drink sodas so fast that I don’t remember if I’ve finished them.

:: I now eat peanut butter mixed with plain yogurt. It’s kind of gross, but I look forward to it every day.

:: My door knob falls off my front door every time we shut it. It’s been this way for at least 3 months.

:: I didn’t brush my teeth this morning.

:: It took me 2 hours to get my camera battery off the charger into the camera. Somewhere in the walk from the charger to the camera I misplaced the battery because I forgot what I was doing and started cleaning.

:: Somewhere between cleaning the bathrooms, I misplaced the bathroom cleaners because I forgot what I was doing and started to blog.

:: I finally found the battery in the bathroom only to put it in my camera and find that the camera was still dead. Cursed camera! I put “buy a new camera” on my to-do list.

:: I’m wearing the same clothes as I was wearing yesterday. The sad thing is that I got up, changed out of my pjs into workout clothes to go to the gym, came home, took a bath, and made an effort to dig the clothes out of the dirty laundry to put them back on. Sigh.

:: Sometimes I wish I didn’t have a dog. It’s mainly when I find dog hair in my paintings, bed, food, hair, bath, etc. etc.

:: I just noticed that I never plugged my battery charger into the outlet, hence the dead camera. Cursed brain! I put “buy a new brain” on my to-do list.

:: I think it’s time for ice cream.

nessa dee

For some friends…

2011-09-19T06:45:00.001-07:00

and their new sweet little girl.

Congratulations Erik and Abby!

nessa dee

Pure Sweetness

2011-09-14T09:29:00.001-07:00

Finn + Daisy

nessa dee

Hello, Monday!

2011-09-12T09:58:00.001-07:00

This morning…

:: I’m giving you a peek at our backsplash. Though it’s been done for a couple of weeks, I can’t seem to find enough time to clean and stage my counters for pictures. Here’s what you get for now, with the dirty stove cropped out.

:: It took a few days, but I’m finally liking…no loving these stripes…

I just need to find the gumption to finish the touch-ups.

:: Maybe Fred will help me…

:: Maybe Fred will help me finish these baby gifts, too…

:: School was going along swimmingly until…

I think I might have upset the sheriff with my angry eyes.

I’m sure that sticking a camera in his face helped to resolve the situation.

Happy Monday!

nessa dee

Ranching 101 - Part 1

2011-09-08T14:29:00.001-07:00

Our trip down to my hometown of Cotulla was fast and furious. Though we didn’t race any cars, or do any Tokyo drifting, we did have quite an exciting time.

Cotulla’s been going through a lot of changes lately because of this:

No, it’s not home to the newest theme park. This little town has nearly doubled in size because of an oil boom. This rig in the picture is right across the street from my old high school. And, since my house is two blocks from the high school, we can hear the rig running all night.

The field behind my house which once was the brush covered backdrop for many childhood adventures has been cleared to make room for trailers that house oil company employees.

In fact, any bit of free space in town now has a travel trailer parked on it. Every hotel room in town is booked for several years. There are two new hotels being built in this one stoplight town. There’s actually traffic!

But despite all of the oil activity, some things have remained the same. My dad still houses enough animals to rival Jack Hanna; the kids think this place is better than Sea World [though they’ve never been to Sea World]; and I get stuck with the task of explaining why we can’t take that dog, or cat, or donkey, or baby calf home with us.

This trip in particular was filled with some planned and many unplanned activities right up until we left. My dad, besides being super busy as a feed salesman, has also taken up a job as a ranch manager. From the moment we arrived, we were schooled in the art of ranching…which my kids soon found out was no easy task.

Cotulla, like just about every other place in Texas, is going through a major drought, which keeps my dad’s feed business in overdrive. When he’s not hauling feed, he’s on the ranch, trying to keep the numerous cattle fed and watered. The first morning there, we accompanied my dad to go burn pear cactus, in which he burns the thorns off of the plant so the cattle can eat it. It’s not a pleasant job by any means, but especially in 100 degree weather.

This, as you can imagine, is a hot job. The kids sat in the truck a good portion of the time, munching on ice. My dad was sweating through his Carhartt jacket, which is like sweating through whale blubber….not easy to do. The kids weren’t too keen on this little venture, but the biggest weenie was this fur ball:

She was terrified. She sat in the floorboard of the truck the whole time, wouldn’t drink any water, wouldn’t even eat the beef jerky I offered. To say she’s a spoiled little city dog would be an understatement.

After burning pear, we helped my dad load up a cow to take to the vet 30 miles away. This poor cow had a prolapsed uterus. If you want to see something really gross, look that up. I wouldn’t recommend it, though. It might steer you away from ever having kids. I could barely look at the poor thing. Her calf, on the other hand was beautiful. Moonpie Alice Cooper, as we named him, almost made the trip back to Austin with me. Just look at that sweet white face and black eyeliner:

While his mom was getting fixed up, we stopped into DQ for some ice cream.

30 minutes later, we loaded the momma up, and headed for home, where we were met with a whole new adventure. I’ll tell you about that in Part 2 of our ranching adventure, otherwise this post would be the size of a novel.

nessa dee

First Day of School

2011-09-06T11:06:00.001-07:00

Today marks our official first day of school this year. It’s also the first year of officially teaching two kids…eek! I’ve had an easy road teaching one kid who was always willing to sit and do her work. We’ll see how it works teaching two, one of whom can’t even sit through a meal without getting up to expend some energy at least five times. ‘Twill be a challenge I’m sure.

Here’s my big 5th grader:

And my silly Kindergartener:

Since I’m getting this posted so late, we’ve already finished our school work for today. My biggest challenge was getting Finn to pose for these pictures.

nessa dee

Hello, Monday!

2011-09-05T10:07:00.001-07:00

This morning…

:: We’re enjoying how nice a cool 74 degrees feels. I actually wore a jacket for about 5 minutes.

::We’re trying to solve this puzzle of a desk system.

:: Stripes are nice. If I could get someone to paint them, that would be nice, too.

:: Crafting’s taking place.

:: So is mess making.

:: I finally cut someone’s hair. He said, “I look so different, but I still look like the same me! I still remember myself”

:: Ninja moves are a must.

:: Documenting everything from every angle, no matter how goofy you feel, also a must.

:: I really need to take my camera in to get fixed. It’s having trouble focusing on its work.

It also likes to just quit in the middle of a job. I think it needs some serious therapy.

Happy Monday!

nessa dee

Back

2011-09-02T09:57:00.001-07:00

The kids and I went on a quick 3 day trip to my hometown to visit my dad and all of his animals. It was a busy 3 days, and I’ll tell you more about it soon, but I’ll leave you with a little snippet of our adventures.

[photo by Audrie]

nessa dee

Candy and Coffee

2011-08-29T11:02:00.001-07:00

Besides getting me a new air conditioner for our anniversary, Jonathan also took me on a date…and not one that involved getting Chinese takeout and watching a movie on the couch [which, by the way, is my favorite kind of date]. We actually got dressed up and went downtown, which can be a lot of work for a lazy couple living in the burbs, but it wasn’t that bad. Jonathan found a show that involved ropes and masks and spandex. It’s not what you’re thinking. We went to a production of “The Red Shoes” performed by Austin’s very own aerial arts school, Sky Candy. I know, pretty cool, right?

Here’s how awesome we looked heading downtown. Jonathan’s so hot, he’s actually glowing.

If you can see past the dirty window, you’ll note that I’m wearing hot pink lipstick. That’s how dressy this date got. And I had to purse my lips because lipstick that bright makes you do such things.

I wiped it off about two minutes into the drive. I felt like a clown.

I did keep my red shoes on, though. These are my favorite pair.

Here we are standing in line…

I really need a haircut.

Here’s the show poster…

The show was impressive. These people were super duper strong, and I was nervous for them the whole time. The few pictures I did get were blurry because we weren’t allowed to use flash. I don’t know why, something about endangering the lives of the performers…blah…blah.

Seriously, though, I was so worried that my flash would go off, and I couldn’t take the pressure, so I quit taking pictures.

After the show, I decided, as any normal, noncompetitive person would, that we should go do pull-ups and climb light poles. Jonathan left me on the street corner and went and had coffee instead.

Okay, he took me with him. We had a delicious piece of carrot cake and watched people.

We also took a bunch of silly pictures all of which exhibit my crazy-eyed look, so I won’t scare you with them. Well, maybe just one…

We considered going dancing, but my favorite shoes were not being nice to me. [At least they looked pretty, and that’s all that matters] Instead, posed for a few pictures and quickly got in our car before we got mugged.

Then we got home and enjoyed our nicely air conditioned house

nessa dee

Finnja the Ninja

2011-08-27T13:34:00.001-07:00

Finn goes through a new obsession about every four days. His latest…being a ninja. He’s quite skilled for someone who’s never taken a karate class. He does moves like this:

And all of these moves have names, but don’t ask me to repeat them…I don’t know ninja speak. The key to all of these newfound powers is, of course, the ninja mask:

Without this, none of those awesome ninja moves would be possible.

That being said, I think I’m going to go put on a cape. Maybe it’ll give me super powers.

nessa dee

Kitchen Progress

2011-08-23T08:49:00.001-07:00

I’ve had big plans for this kitchen ever since we moved into this house. I was never a fan of the blonde cabinets, I didn’t care for the flooring, and the backsplash was kind of mauve colored…not my favorite. Well, we have replaced the flooring, and now we’re moving onto the backsplash.

This tile was my original choice:

That is, until I realized how much of it we actually needed. Once costs were figured [double what we had expected],a new plan of action was needed.

But I really, really loved that tile. Sniff.

So, a compromise was made. I convinced Jonathan to go with a 3x6” brick style travertine seen here:

I’m going to use this over the majority of the backsplash area in a brick pattern. Above the stove, I’m going to use my beloved original choice and frame it with matching trim pieces. And since the 3x6” tiles are half the cost of the others, I’ll be saving $$.

Now, as I’m typing this, I’m still wrestling with the decision. You see, as of now, my kitchen looks like this:

The guys that will be installing the tile are scheduled to come today, which means I still have time to run to the store and pick up my ever-so-perfect original choice. But while I know that kitchen and baths offer the greatest return on investment, we do run the risk of overspending for the neighborhood.

Our neighborhood ranges from cheaper tract homes to expensive custom estates. We live in a section that is somewhere in between. I think we have a very nice home, but from my window I can see two houses that have the exact same floor plan. I’m trying to strike a balance between making our home feel more custom without pricing it out of the area. I think the improvements we’ve done thus far will give us some return on our investment, but we still have a long list of to-dos, some of which are necessary [i.e. replacing carpet, fixing the roof, replacing the fence] and some of which are for personal enjoyment [i.e. painting the cabinets, turning a bedroom into a studio, building a banquette in the breakfast room], which means I have to make smarter, more budget conscious choices.

And since the doorbell just rang, I guess I am forced to make the smart choice.

nessa dee

Sweating Buckets

2011-08-22T08:40:00.001-07:00

I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a better way to spend a Friday afternoon in 100+ degree weather than sitting upstairs in the sun, painting in a house with a broken a/c.

One of our lovely units [the upstairs one] fail victim to the heat on Thursday night, and while it would have been much cooler [and smarter] to work downstairs, I didn’t want to risk ruining the downstairs stuff with paint. So, we painted in the room set aside for such productivity, wiping our brow all the way. I have to say, the new a/c was one of the greatest anniversary presents ever!

Here’s to staying cool!

nessa dee

Oh, and if you’re wondering about the Team Jacob poster in the background…it was a joke gift to Jonathan. Does anybody want it? Frankly, I get a little freaked out with him staring at me all day.

11

2011-08-19T10:32:00.001-07:00

11 years ago, on a hot summer’s day, I anxiously awaited at a church for the arrival of my best friend. As the clock ticked on, and seconds turned to hours…okay, minutes, I became more and more nervous. He was late. Of all the days to be late, why today? I panicked. Did we rush into this? Maybe he changed his mind. How can I do this alone? I tried to stay calm, but my thoughts were getting the best of me. I greeted family with a forced smile. I assured the photographer it would only be a few more minutes. I adjusted my veil and checked to make sure my dress was perfect yet again. My heart raced. I couldn’t breathe.

And then, a door opened. He stood at the end of the hall, dressed in his tux, and perfect. Exhale. As I walked towards him, I started to cry. He embraced me and wiped my tears, and just like that, time stopped, and my worries disappeared. I knew that the road ahead wouldn’t be easy, but I couldn’t think of anyone else with whom I’d travel it.

For two naïve kids, I think we’ve done pretty well.

I love you, Jonathan Stephen.

Happy anniversary.

ness

Finnanigans

2011-08-17T08:48:00.001-07:00

My camera isn’t working. I’m not a happy camper. Finn just walked into the room dressed as a pirate, said “I’m Jack Sparrow,” and tried to attack me with a sword [flag]. Aaarrrgh! That was me screaming in frustration, not Pirate Finn. I think I might have provoked another attack, though.

I could use a bit of Finnanigans right now.

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Finn: PaPa wants to give me his bb gun.

Me: If you get a bb gun, you know you can’t shoot it at people or animals. You can shoot it at stuff like cans.

Finn: I’ll only shoot it at old stuff, but not old people.

Me: What do you mean "old stuff"?

Finn: Like stuff from the 50’s.

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Mom, I think that when I snap, God makes the sound from my fingers.

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Pointing to his baby teeth: Mom, I want to keep these teeth because they chomp very good.

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Finn: Mom, tomorrow when I get up I’m going to work out, and then I’m going to paint, and then I’m going to work out again, and then I’m going to eat breakfast.

Me: Wow! That’s a lot to do before breakfast.

Finn: Yeah, I want to get stronger so that I can hold a heavy nail if I find one.

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Mom, when I’m 30 I’m going to work out at the gym. Do I need to pay cash and then credit?

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Mom, I wish dinosaurs couldn’t be instinct.

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Finn: Does heaven have a lot of people in it?

Me: nod

Finn: Does it have a lot of lot of people.

Me: nods more vigorously.

Finn: It must be HUGE!

Me: nods with eyebrows raised.

Finn: I want to go there and pick up all of the gold. Maybe they have big gold coins with God’s face on them, and medium sized gold coins with Jesus’ face on them.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grin.

nessa dee

Hello, Monday!

2011-08-15T11:05:00.001-07:00

It’s hard to get back into a routine after a few days of R & R.

We spent the weekend at the Lost Pines Resort in Bastrop to get in a last minute vacation before Jonathan starts his new job, the kids start school, and I start going crazy. The resort is really family friendly and offers plenty activities to keep active children [and parents] busy throughout the day.

The highlights of the trip included movies in the park, tennis on the lawn, rock climbing [pictures to come soon], floating the lazy river, migas at breakfast, spa treatments, floating the lazy river, visiting the candy shop several times, floating the lazy river, and this guy:

Did I mention that we enjoyed floating the lazy river?

nessa dee

S-C-R-A-B-B-L-E spells Sex Ed.

2011-08-10T12:30:00.001-07:00

Words with Friends has become the new obsession in our family. And when I say obsession, I mean that with numerous smart phones and IPads, it has taken the place of real conversation amongst the extended family. If we want to say anything to each other, we better hope our letters can be combined to convey what we would have expressed with our voices had we not forgotten how to use them.

It’s not such a bad thing, though. When my kids are fighting over a game that provides spelling practice and promotes vocabulary enhancement, I count that as a plus! Of course, with new technology comes a whole new set of challenges. Unlike traditional Scrabble, Words with Friends has a built in feature which tells you whether or not the word you are trying to play is, in fact, an actual word. This feature, while convenient, makes the kids quite lazy in terms of learning new words. The kids no longer have to look up words in the dictionary, instead, they just plug in any combination of letters, hoping it will go through. So the challenge comes in making sure the kids learn the meanings of the words they’re playing… OR…in making sure they don’t, as in this such case when Audrie was playing a game against her great-grandmother…

Audrie: “Oh, wow! I didn’t know that was a word!”

Me: “What’s the word?”

Audrie: “ G – O – N – A – D – S”

The rest of us burst out laughing.

Audrie: “What? What does it mean?”

Jonathan: “We’ll tell you later.”

nessa dee

Tickling the Ivories

2011-08-08T14:09:00.001-07:00

This is one of my three favorite times of the day:

As Audrie practices, it feels as though I have a soundtrack to my life. It certainly makes the mundane tasks of everyday seem much less so.

nessa dee

Busy/Lazy Days

2011-08-03T09:15:00.001-07:00

I’m sorry for my absence lately. I have to admit, it’s not because I’ve been super duper busy and haven’t had any time to sit down in front of the computer to write. It’s more of a kind of busy, kind of lazy about blogging kind of absence. I think my brain’s on hiatus and me not think too good right now. Plus, we’ve been trying to catch up on all of the summer activities that we’ve missed out on since I’ve been holed up in my studio for the majority of the break.

Now, we’re gearing up to start school, soccer, some projects around the house, and a bit of last minute travelling; and someone in our family will be starting a new job in a couple of weeks, while another person in our family will be working on art for a two month display at a coffee shop downtown. I’m not exactly sure who’s doing what, but hopefully I’ll figure it out before the job starts. Until then, I’ll leave you with a few pics of the lazy part of our busy/lazy days.

nessa dee

Plans

2011-07-29T06:31:00.001-07:00

We’re about to start some more projects in our house, and I’m eager to get them all done…at once…in one day. BUT…that’s not going to happen, so instead I’m trying to figure out where to start. We’ll be having tile put in the upstairs bathrooms next week, as well as new flooring put in my studio, so I should probably start with painting those walls first. However, my brain doesn’t always think of the practical. It wants to focus on the fun. That’s why I’ve been perusing the internet for ideas for our gameroom.

Since we moved into the house, I’ve wanted to lighten up the dark brown walls, and make the space fun and kid friendly. Not that having a big open space to do with what you will is not kid friendly, it just doesn’t look like a space for a child’s imagination to soar to the very ends of the universe. So, imagine, if you will this tent, surrounded by bright yellow stripes and colorful accents, board and batten, and lit with a red chandelier:

Yeah, I had a hard time picturing it, too, so I drew out several ideas [please note, that these were hand drawn last night in very dim light, so be impressed]:

::This first plan has an accent wall of yellow and white stripes, flanked on either side by a faux board and batten treatment. The hallway that leads to the kids’ rooms will be painted a spring green and have bead board.

:: Design # 2 has the same yellow and white stripes, but this time they’re flanked with grey walls to pull the grey in from other rooms in our house. I might add bead board, I might not.

:: The third design has the yellow and white stripes flanking the board and batten focal wall. The hallway is painted the same yellow as the stripes.

All of the designs have a blue ceiling which will pull in the blue from the kids’ rooms and our office nook upstairs, and all have a red chandelier. I found a chandelier at a garage sale for $3 that has always wanted to be red [it told me]. I want to figure out how to add some wooden beads to the fixture for a different look, but I’m not sure how just yet.

I have several more combinations of stripes and colors, but I had to quit somewhere. And I just realized that I forgot the arched opening on the third design. Oh well.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

nessa dee

This Morning…

2011-07-25T08:55:00.001-07:00

::The kids are enjoying the new and improved tent with wider entrances for larger folk.

[Mind you, the tent was taken down, and gameroom cleaned before it was rebuilt several days later.]

:: I’m taking into account my hip size before choosing which entrance to crawl through.

:: I’m hoping no one will use one of the new additions.

:: Someone else is enjoying the new tent, as well as some of its accessories.

:: Guess what we’re going to learn about…

:: Coloring is on the agenda.

:: Decisions, decisions.

:: I’ve lost my new pillows that I bought from Home Depot yesterday. I have a hunch as to where they might be…

:: Hmmm, let’s see…

:: Yep, found them. Aren’t they cute? The outdoor fabric should be durable enough to survive a playroom, and only $8 a piece!

:: I found my missing vacuum, too…

Happy Monday!

nessa dee

Pirating

2011-07-22T07:03:00.001-07:00

I apologize for my absence. It’s not because I’ve been working on a project. It’s actually because I’ve been going on pirate adventures with the most fearsome, most infamous, most pointy teethed of all the pirates…Blackbeard!

Even with his pointy teeth, I have to say this pirate is pretty cute.

I’ll be back soon enough with news, but until then, I’ll be sailing the high seas in search of treasure.

nessa dee

This Morning…

2011-07-18T09:30:00.001-07:00

::I’m enjoying my hot pink toenails. They make me feel pretty girlie…

and they compliment my painting pants quite nicely…

:: I’m listening to the sweet sound of my children arguing over who’s going to get to vacuum the carpet with our new vacuum cleaner…

:: I’m seeing a light at the end of the tunnel…

and praying for patience as I try to finish the last few illustrations…

Happy Monday!

nessa dee

Distracted

2011-07-15T09:20:00.001-07:00

Every once in a while I find my self searching for a specific pictures amongst the thousands we’ve taken over the years. It’s never a good idea because it always ends with me looking at the sweet baby pictures of my ever-so- quickly growing children. Then, I have to watch their baby videos, and then, before I know it, two hours have gone by and I’m in tears. [Good tears.] I always stumble upon favorite pictures and wish that I had started blogging long before so I would have a journal of those sweet times.

Here are a few of my favorite pics from the early days of Finn:

Maybe one day I’ll journal what I can remember, but right now I have to get back to work. I’ve found myself distracted again.

nessa dee

Another Glimpse

2011-07-14T07:51:00.001-07:00

I apologize for my sporadic posts. I’ve been working like a mad woman, neglecting my family [and blog]. Just so you know that I haven’t forgotten about you, I wanted to give you another glimpse of the project that’s keeping me busy:

That’s all you get for now.

Now I’ve got to take my kids to get ice cream to let them know that I haven’t forgotten about them.

nessa dee

Super Awesome Mega Tent

2011-07-11T08:56:00.001-07:00

I think in the history of all handmade tents built by kids, this has to rank in the top ten. I don’t remember any of my tents ever being so elaborate and well thought out. It spans our entire gameroom.

It has individual rooms designated for sleeping, lounging, dining, and working.

It even has interior windows, a pet kennel, and an alarm system [a squeaky toy that gets stepped on upon entering the tent].

The last couple of nights Jonathan and I have been forced to climb into this place to bid our kids sweet dreams. We’ve had to force them to come down for breakfast each morning.

I think they enjoy they’re home within a home.

nessa dee

This Morning

2011-07-08T09:06:00.001-07:00

nessa dee

Latest Work

2011-07-06T07:23:00.001-07:00

This was a recent commission for a little girl who likes to play dress-up.

nessa dee

San Antonio

2011-07-05T10:25:00.001-07:00

Our little trip to SA was fast and furious. We stayed one night on the Riverwalk and tried to be tourists for a day. Thankfully, we had a couple of good tour guides to make sure we were on the right track:

We took the Riverwalk boat tour which was quite educational and entertaining. I’ve been on this tour years ago, but I don’t have a good memory, so it was all new to me. If you’re ever in SA, I would suggest riding the boats with this boat operator:

I don’t remember his name, but if you wait long enough at the docking station, I’m sure his boat will come around. He kept us laughing throughout the whole tour.

I was able to snap tons of pictures of things I’ve seen a billlion times before [I grew up south of SA], but since we were tourists, I had to act the part. I will only bore you with a couple.

I also snapped tons of pictures of people I’ve seen a billion times before, but since we’re family, I felt obligated.

I also snapped pictures of people I’ve never seen before, but that’s because after 5 years of owning this camera, I’ve yet to figure out how to use it.

After the riverboat tour, we made our way to the Alamo. Along the way, we saw a very brave duck…

and a statue that resembled someone we know…

When we arrived at the Alamo, we acted as good tourists should, and took a hundred pictures of ourselves in front of it. Here’s me and my brother and the kids in front of the Alamo…

Here’s the kids in front of the Alamo…

Here are these people in front of the Alamo…

Here are the kids in front of the Alamo again…

Here’s a close-up of the Alamo…

Fortunately for you, we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the Alamo.

After our tour of the Alamo, and the purchase of a few souvenirs, we took a trolley back to the hotel. I snapped a billion more pictures, mainly of Finn who sat in the back by himself, eating his ice cream. Unfortunately, because I don’t know how to use my camera, most of the pictures are extremely dark due to having the camera on the wrong setting. I’m going to show you anyway.

Hey look…light!

After the trolley ride, our vacation apparently ended because I didn’t have any more pictures. It’s funny, though, I seem to remember doing a few more things before we left for home. I guess that’s what you get when you live in the land of exhaustion…foggy-braindeadness [which is a condition in that land].

Since the quick trip, my kids have been obsessed with the Alamo, and have checked out tons of books at the library on the subject, and have recreated it in blocks, Styrofoam packing thingies, Legos and oatmeal boxes. Yay for educational trips!

nessa dee

Finnanigans

2011-06-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Me to Finn and Audrie: I love both of your freckles. They’re one of my favorite things.

Audrie: I love your freckles, too, Mom.

Finn: The pimple on your face is rrreeeeaaalllly red. It’s right there. You should look at it.

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Upon getting a receipt after buying a toy with a gift card:

Mom, here’s the receive for you to hold.

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Audrie: Ooooh, now I’m almost invincible.

Finn: No, actually Audrie, we can still see you.

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Referring to a deflated inflatable mattress:

Audrie, we can’t sleep there, it’s already been blowed down.

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Shortly after leaving the house to go to San Antonio, we pulled into a nearby shopping center to pick up a pair of sunglasses for the trip. When we climbed out of the car, Finn said:

So, this is what San Antonio looks like.

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After visiting the Alamo, and getting a plastic Bowie knife souvenir:

Mom, can you hand me my boobie knife?

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Pretending to push buttons all over my uncle, making all kinds of sound effects to accompany button pushing:

There, I made your face into a smiley face.

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Finn: Mom, I want to have lots of jobs when I grow up.

Me: Like what?

Finn: I want to be a pilot for airplanes like we fly in and for airplanes like those [pointing to the B-2’s we were watching on TV].

Me: What else do you want to be?

Finn: Ummmmm, uhhh, hmmm.

Me: Do you want to be an astronaut?

Finn: No way!

Me: Why not?

Finn: Because you have to wear diapers.

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nessa dee

Glimpse

2011-06-27T08:45:00.001-07:00

I apologize for my absence lately. We’ve had a busy couple of weeks. We took a lightening fast trip to San Antonio over the weekend of which I took a billion pictures, we went out to the lake for an afternoon in 100 degree weather [fun], but mostly I’ve been working on a project with a deadline fast approaching. Here’s a glimpse of the work:

I’ll share more when I can, but until then, enjoy the suspense that I know you must be feeling right now.

nessa dee

Unidentified House Guest

2011-06-21T08:42:00.001-07:00

This strange man appeared in our living room the other day. I’m not sure who he is or how he got here, but he seemed nice, though very quiet.

He got along really well with the kids, so we let him stick around until nightfall. Then, as mysteriously as he appeared, he disappeared and I haven’t seen him since.

nessa dee

Happy Father’s Day…

2011-06-18T19:49:00.001-07:00

….and belated birthday! I’m so glad my kids have you for their daddy.

I love you!

And to all the other dads in my life, happy Father’s Day to you, too!

nessa dee

IF: Launch

2011-06-17T08:34:00.001-07:00

T-minus 10…9…8…7…

nessa dee

Hogwart’s Came Calling

2011-06-14T18:21:00.001-07:00

The last few days at our house has been very exciting. We’ve decided that one of us must be a wizard [me, of course] and that Hogwart’s is looking to recruit that magical person [me] to attend the school. Why? Well, they’ve sent their owls to deliver the invitation! However, the owls must have dropped the letter along the way, but we’re expecting new owls anytime. In the meantime, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed the little family of ~~screech~~ delivery owls that graced our trees for a couple of days. And thanks to our daughter’s knowledge of owls and our trusty encyclopedias, we’ve learned all about these creatures.

One of the things we learned was that these owls are monogamous, so we assumed our little family of fowl consisted of a mama…

a daddy…

and a very sleepy baby…

We watched for two days as these birds slept in our trees then awoke at night to feed.

They kept their eyes on us as well.

They have now disappeared from our trees, [probably to go find the Hogwart’s invitations they dropped], but we enjoyed their short visit and learned a lot while they were here.

nessa dee

New Prints

2011-06-13T11:44:00.001-07:00

Coming soon to my shop near you!

nessa dee

My budding artists

2011-06-11T08:41:00.001-07:00

My children love to draw. For Finn, inspiration will hit and he’ll churn out about 5 pictures in 3 minutes [usually maps] and be done with drawing for several days. For Audrie, it’s an all consuming passion. She draws everyday, several times a day, having a seemingly endless array of ideas that she just has to get out of her head and down on paper. Her passions right now include dragons, Pokemon characters, comic strips, and any kind of animal.

I just recently bought each of the kids a sketchbook to use over the summer. Finn, in his usual manner, found a red pen and filled half of the sketchbook up in two minutes. Here are a couple of his masterpieces:

[“Duck”]

[‘8 Year Old Boy with Mustache (because it’s silly)”]

As for Audrie, she’s meticulously choosing what to fill her sketchbook with, making sure the pages are reserved for only the best of sketches. Here’s her works:

[“Self Portrait”]

[“Owl”]

And here’s one subject that is quite popular with both of the kids. Can you guess who this is?

nessa dee

Works in Progress

2011-06-09T08:48:00.001-07:00

nessa dee

Finn’s Room

2011-06-06T08:28:00.001-07:00

Someone has been begging me to paint his room for the past month…no months…no year, so last week, when he was away, I finally started. Here’s a sneak peek:

For size reference, I called Finn away from one map…

to pose with the other…

It’s not done yet. If you recall, I still have to add all of the stuff mentioned here:

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Me: Finn, do you want me to paint a big map on your walls with pirate ships in the water and cowboys on the land?

Finn: Yes, and I want me fighting the cowboys.

Me: Oh, you want me to paint you as a cowboy, fighting the bandits?

Finn: No, I want me as a pirate fighting the cowboys. And I want me flying an airplane, and me on the moon, and me as a police officer, and some Halo guys, and a robot, and a rocket ship.

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‘Twill be a challenge, a challenge I’m not sure I can tackle, but I will give it my best.

nessa dee

Harvest

2011-06-04T06:28:00.001-07:00

Even though bunnies have eaten half of me garden, I’ve still had a decent crop. Potatoes were the biggest success, and while I’m still watching my tomatoes produce, I’m competing with the birds. As soon as one starts to turn red, it becomes a feast for the for the foul fowl. But I’m learning through experience the measures I need to take for my next little garden.

It’s funny how so little a crop can produce such a large feeling of pride.

nessa dee

A Hairy Situation

2011-06-02T11:41:00.001-07:00

I know you all have had an earful about one hairy little child of mine and her out of control locks. Just look at that thing… But it’s those crazy brows and that scruffy mustache that make us very fond of her. I honestly don’t think I’d like her as much if she wasn’t so hairy. All this cuteness has made her extra squeezable, which brings us to a new problem. Did you know that mustaches are contagious? I sure didn’t, and I sure wouldn’t have nuzzled this dog so much if I knew it would lead to this:

It’s not just me…the condition has spread to the rest of my once facial hair free family:

On the plus side, having mustaches makes us feel quite dapper and sophisticated. We are now prone to pursing our lips, having a quizzical brow, and thinking with our hands on our chins.

Well, some of us are. This one…he’s embracing his monstrously hairy new look in other ways.

nessa dee

This Morning

2011-05-31T13:25:00.001-07:00

I got some extra cuddle time with this one before he and his sister headed off to their grandparents for the week.

nessa dee

IF: Soaked

2011-05-26T10:17:00.001-07:00

nessa dee

Reminders

2011-05-25T10:00:00.001-07:00

There’s never a shortage of reminders that I have an active and imaginative 5 year old running around my house…

And never enough reminders to clean up after he’s done.

nessa dee

For a friend…

2011-05-23T18:09:00.001-07:00

Here’s a new creation I made for a friend:

nessa dee

Feathers

2011-05-20T11:39:00.001-07:00

Remember when I got eaten by the shark, and I promised you an explanation? Well, I’m finally getting around to explaining. Here goes…

My mom wrote a story, a fable about learning, inspired from what she observed as a middle school librarian. She observed so many kids who didn’t realize or seem to care when it came to getting an education, or didn’t know why getting an education was so important. She wanted the kids to look beyond the here and now and see that school was preparing them for life. Thus, Feathers was written to share with a group of 8th graders at her school. My mom asked me to create some illustrations for her to show as she read the story. Once she shared Feathers with the group, the response was immediate. The kids really understood the symbolism and teachers started asking for copies of the book.

That was two years ago.

This is where the shark comes in.

Though my mom’s been begging me for years to finish illustrating her book, it took a kick in the pants for me to [almost] finish it. We were asked earlier this year to do an author/illustrator visit in Port Aransas during the school’s book fair. They didn’t threaten us with sharks, but this gave us the motivation we needed to get something tangible to present to the kids. I have to say that my mom did the bulk of the work to get this book ready and printed, while it probably would have taken “death by shark” threats to get me to work faster. [Thanks for your patience, Mom!] But it is done, and we made our deadline to be able to share the book with kids ranging from 2nd-8th grade, all of whom were able to grasp the meaning of the story. Here are just one of the many classes we talked to that day:

And the book…

If you would like to know more about the book, or are interested in getting your hands on a copy, my mom [Donna Van Cleve] is the lady to contact. Visit her site here. And while you’re there, check out her other books!

Ciao for now!

nessa dee