Cats & dresser drawers...

Everyone knows no cat can ignore an open dresser drawer. It must be explored, played in & napped in! It's just a cat rule. That was my inspiration for this newest painting. I did a version of this a few years ago & always wanted to do a newer, better one & I think it turned out really cute. "The Highboy" can be found up for grabs on ebay starting this evening! Take a peek!

I was planning to do a different painting from a sketch I did the other day but thought of this idea yesterday afternoon & went with it instead. My spontaneous creations usually turn out to be some of my best. Maybe I'll get to the other painting over the weekend ~ it's a Frida & Cat one. We'll see...

Happy Arbor Day everyone & have a great weekend!!!

Happy Earth Day!

Hi all you earthy people! Since today is Earth Day I thought I'd post a few pics of something from the earth. I just love pansies! I'm seeing a lot of them blooming now in all their fun brilliant colors. I searched for pictures & found some cute ones with kitties in them. They aren't my babies but the black & white one looks kind of like my Markie. I love the little ginger tabby!

While the earth is sprouting things up from the ground the sun is heating up Kansas big time! It hit 87 degrees here today! Ugh! That is just wrong in April! Where are the warm days of spring where the cool breeze blows through your open windows? I hate to admit it but I actually broke down & turned the a/c on this evening. I just couldn't take it anymore. Heat makes me lethargic & grouchy! I desperately needed to vacuum & wanted to get a little painting done today but couldn't get myself to do either. When I heard these temps were going to hang around for the rest of the week that made up my mind. I'm counting on spring-like weather to return soon so I can turn the a/c off & open the windows up again. And I did get my vacuuming done after all!

I did a rough sketch today for my next painting (sitting in the car waiting for my kids to come out from school) so hopefully I'll start painting tomorrow & have something to show on Friday ~ or maybe Saturday... Hope everyone's keeping cooler than I am!

Back Tracking...

My husband finally got around to uploading the pics from our Cottonwood Falls weekend & I wanted to share some with you. I wish I had a new painting to show but these will have to do for now.

The bottom pic is the Stonehouse Bed & Breakfast we stayed at. As you can see it was built in 1874 & has had a few upgrades since then. I love the stone! I wish we'd gotten a picture of the other side because I think it had more stone on it. Anyway, the top pic is me & my best friend (since 2nd grade!) Cindy. I'm the one on the right with the lighter jacket. It recently occurred to me that I don't have any pictures of myself on my blog. This is the first but it's not a real good one. I will change that soon!

Our Kansas City weekend was great fun! The Phantom of the Opera was amazing & once I get some pictures from my sister I'll post them. I'm not a big photographer~I prefer to let other people take pictures & then just send them to me! Guess I'm lazy.

Hope to have a new painting to show you very soon! I take that back~I WILL have a new painting this week if it's the last thing I do! Happy Monday

My First Blog Award - YAY!

I'd like to send a great big THANK YOU to a wonderful fellow artist ~ Angie from Under the Island Sunshyne for sending me my very first blog award ~ The Renee Award! I'm flattered, especially since I consider my blog kind of boring compared to everyone else's-ha! I guess it's the creative thought that counts. As soon as I can find someone "web design-smart" to help me I want to give my blog a good facelift with a new header & background & 3-column format. If anyone knows a good "how-to" website on that let me know! I'm getting really tired of the black. Sometimes my eyes hurt when I'm reading my posts! My bright paintings look good on it though. I'm also planning to add music & more pictures down the sides. If only my tech-smart nephew or brother-in-law lived closer.

Anyway, I hope you all keep checking back to see my improvements ~ & more paintings when my weekend traveling lightens up!

Thank you again Angie & thanks to everyone who has been so nice to visit & comment & brighten my day! Please visit Angie's blog ~ it's a breath of fresh Hawaiian air! I guess the tradition is to pass on these lovely blog awards so my pick is Snippetgirl! She is an amazing artist & cat lover & does admirable rescue work! Visit her blog & see for yourself!

Along with my award I thought I'd post this cute pic of a local cat I saw in the Wichita Paws newsletter here in town - so cute! Happy day everyone!

A Great Trip & Sweet Easter Surprise!

Hi everybody! It's been almost a week since my last post. Good grief! I hate going that long.

My daughter & I had an awesome time in Chicago with our friends! We shopped, went to an indoor water park, attended a looooong Easter Mass on Sat. night, saw Mary Poppins at the theatre, ate at Lawry's Steak House & even drove to a small beach so the girls could dip their toes in cold Lake Michigan! We drove around Chicago after the show Sunday trying to find Oprah's studios but no luck. We even asked several people but only got different directions each time - ha. Oh well... The 4-day weekend went by fast. Thanks Andrea & Elle!!!

When I got home there was a wonderful surprise package in the mail from one of my nicest customers & friends! It's the adorable stuffed doll & bunny in the picture above. Thank you so much Heather! You are so thoughtful.

I have GOT to get busy painting!!! Being out of town & helping kids with school projects seems to be taking up most of my time these days leaving little room for creating. I hate it when I have nothing on ebay! I'll be leaving again on Friday for Kansas City with my sister so there's another weekend gone. I'm so excited though cuz we're going to see The Phantom of the Opera & have front row seats! Woohoo! We'll stay at my mom's & my sister-in-law is going too so it'll be a great girls' weekend! There won't be any new art to show for it but when I get home I plan to kick out some new paintings! Happy hump day everyone!

Hippity Hoppin' off to Chicago!

In a few minutes I'm going to go pick my daughter up from school & after a quick stop at home to change & load up we're off for the weekend! Staying with my mom tonight in Kansas City (happy birthday Mom!!!) & flying out in the morning.

Thought I would jot down a quick post to wish everyone a HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND!!! May the Easter Bunny bring you lots of love & goodies in your basket! I will talk to you all on Monday when we get home (if I have the energy after a plane ride & a 3-hour drive)! Chicago here we come!

April Showers...

Well, here she is. Sadie in her new yellow raincoat & pink polka-dot wellies. Her cat Bo just wants to go back inside! When I finished this painting I noticed that the polka-dot background I did makes it look like it's snowing - ha. Oh well, we actually did have snow flurries yesterday morning so April showers could mean snow! This latest creation is up for grabs on ebay right now!

I'm counting down the days until Friday when my daughter & I are flying to Chicago to visit her good friend who moved there last summer. I'm friends with her mom & she has all kinds of fun things planned for us including Mary Poppins at the theatre - yay! It'll be a fun girls weekend & I'll be SO ready for it!

Hope you all had a great Monday! Mine was busy but very productive so that's good. Purrs!

No Folding Towels Tonight!

This was just too cute a picture not to share! I know I've told the story of my towel-loving kitties before & here is just more proof. They look so comfy & cozy like I piled those towels there on the floor just for them! Who am I to disturb their slumber? I didn't feel like folding them anyway. I'm busy watching the ACM awards. Carrie Underwood just sang & what in the world kind of dress was she wearing??? It looked like an erupting volcano! There must have been 5 miles of fabric in that thing. I wanted to see her try & walk in it (ha) but of course they didn't show that.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I'll have a new painting up tomorrow. Stay tuned!

P.S. I've GOT to get some new towels! Those old brown things are so boring!

Moonlight Serenade...

Happy Friday all!

Here's my latest creation finished last night. "Moonlight Serenade" will be up for auction on ebay later this evening. What do you suppose these 3 are singing? "Stray Cat Strut"? "Cat Scratch Fever"?

I actually have tonight to myself which is a nice surprise! My son is at a movie & the hubby is at the WSU baseball game with the girls. I just didn't feel like sitting outside for a long game on a chilly night. I plan to pour myself a glass of wine, put on some Celtic Woman or Josh Groban & paint away!