2013 - A New Year with New Dreams (big ones!)

Oh hi there... did you forget that I have a blog? So did I!

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Happy New Year and hello 2013. Some changes are certainly in order.. I've had the last week and half off from work and have another half week ahead of me. To say that I have been planning for the new year would be an understatement. I have been mapping out, praying, talking with Kell and goal making for the next year ahead.. and I'm really determined and excited!

To start things off.. let's just define this blog and call it was it is! I wanted it to be a space where I promote my illustrations and announce the progress, failures and successes of my small wannabe-business. Honestly, it is not that at all.. it's a personal space where I share about pretty things, sailing, food, my handsome husband and fun vacations with my family! And I love it.. so I need to just embrace it rather than avoid it. I also love my illustrations and want to turn it from a wannabe-business to an ACTUAL business this year.

I will be keeping this blog as a personal chronicle of my adventures and a fun creative space. I will also be creating a second blog that is strictly business!

What a simple solution to what has been bugging me for so long! Why didn't I think of it sooner? Nonetheless.. what a breath of fresh air for me :) I'm excited. Stay tuned (for real this time!).

Meanwhile... HAPPY NEW YEAR! And since we just agreed this blog will be personal and stay personal.. why not embrass myself with a song recording I just made this afternoon. I love the What Are You Doing New Year's Eve song. I especially am obsessed with Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's rendition.. watch here.

The only person that ever hears me sing is my husband Kell and  also my little brother Steven when we used to ride to highschool together and belt out Guster and Sublime. So this is a leap for me.. I am shy about my voice and guitar playing... but I'm trying to be a little bolder this year, so.. why not?

pretty things

Just a quick hello and announcement to stay tuned! Tomorrow I'll be posting on our fun vacation to the Carolina mountains.. where the air was cool and the tree leaves colorful.

Meanwhile... here are some pretty things to look at :)

Locally grown Celosia flowers from the Audubon Community Market (Thanks Jenn)



  And how about those pears? My brother bought a sack of these Asian pears from a farm in N.C. and they were delicious. Crisp like an apple.. but juicy like a pear. YUM. I found these ones here in Orlando from Freshfields Farm.




Okay! Check back in tomorrow :)

four eyes

Guess what??
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I have glasses now...

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And I feel kind of dorky..


Mixed reviews coming from the elementary school front. I'm getting a lot of..

"you got glasses Mrs. Anna?? That's funny... you look funny!"

and then a few..

"Mrs. Anna you got glasses? I like them.. you look cool!"

I like hearing both.. and completely agree with all of them. We have vision testing for our students this week and so a lot of them will be new glasses wearers too... maybe we can all build eachother up with self confidence in wearing them :) I love our students.

fall coziness

It's still hot as blazes here in Florida... but I'm in a fall state of mind! I've made myself this "kick my feet up I'm home from work" treat every day this week.

Hot cocoa with a big dollop of homemade whipped cream and sprinkled cinnamon. Perfectly delicious.


Two weekends ago Kell and I went with our group of friends from church to one of their families farm homes in south Georgia. I knew it would be a nice getaway and that we'd have a good time and enjoy ourselves... and I was right.. times ten. Picture 800+ acres of a pine tree farm with fields and hills of flowers and wire grass and tree lined paths, cotton, peanuts, bee boxes, quail, and butterflies and lakes. We stayed in the only house on the property... a BH&G worthy home (built completely from the pine trees on the farm) and all the toys you could want: four wheelers, jeeps, offroad golfcarts, guns, clays, horseshoes etc. The weather was perfect and our friends are a bunch of fun to spend a weekend with!





 

I couldn't imagine a better way to welcome in the fall season... and so despite the heat here... my mood is very autumnal. And I love it that way!

How about y'all? Did you do anything special to welcome the fall season this year? Tell me about it :)

Audubon Community Market - COME BY!

Jenn has a passion for Florida nature, a great talent for making gorgeous floral arrangements and she will be selling beautiful locally grown flowers at the Audubon Community Park tomorow!

The Market is every Monday from 6pm-10pm.

She asked if I would come out and have some of my papergoods feautured at her booth.. and of course.. I said, definately!

She'll be there, I'll be there, a great commmunity of local vendors, people, and food trucks will be there, YOU should be there and it's in the Stardust Video and Coffee parking lot.

Here's the Market website for more info http://audubonmarket.com/ Hope to see you there!!

 

Lemonade Party Invites

Jessica is a pal that I met several years ago while working on summer staff at Timberwolf Lake YL Camp for a month. She has an adorable blog called My Cup Runneth Over featuring her lovely family and her little girl June is just precious.. go see for yourself!

June turns two soon and a few month's ago Jessica asked me to design some party invitations. I was thrilled at the chance to do this... I've done quite a few boy party, shower, art designs lately and was excited to paint in pink!

Her party theme is just about the cutest little girl party idea ever... Lemonade Stand. Adorable! I had so much fun painting this design... and love how it turned out.

I'm sure Jessica will post all about her party on her blog.. and I can't wait to see! Happy Birthday June!

imagine: desert party

Here in Florida it's mostly blazing hot. Though, every summer that rolls around I've gotten a little more used to it. So now.. after 20 years I find myself actually enjoying the heat! I love beach days, pool days, lake days, laying in the park.. all fun outdoor Florida activities. But the humidity.. gosh sometimes it can turn a beautiful day into bummer.

Which sometimes leaves me dreaming about...

Hot dry heat... the desert!

There are pool parties, beach parties, camping in the forest parties, lake parties.... why not have a desert party?

Think -  dry evening heat, nothing for miles, rolling sandhills, cacti, tee-pees, roaring bonfire, dancing, ponchos, mocassins, cigars and whiskey.

Sounds like fun to me. I wish I had a desert to plan a party on...

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Have you been to any fun parties lately? Or do you have any cool party ideas of your own?

What do you think of this awkward/hilarious party idea from Cup of Jo blogger Joanna?