The Peanut Paintshop

Christmas 2011...A Month Late:(

2012-01-29T19:10:00.001-08:00

Holy Moly.

No blog in almost 6 months.

That's a new slacker record for me!!!

Except, thanks to YOU, I haven't really been slack!

I am so appreciative for every single order from every one of you. To be able to "work" from home and do something so fun and creative is such a blessing to me. So, thank you!!! Thank you for making 2011 the busiest and most fun year for The Peanut Paintshop. I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! Here's to a great 2012!

The Peanut Paintshop wasn't busy just with painting.

That's right...we had added another little peanut to our family.

A boy peanut. The third boy peanut.

Meet precious Charlie:

He is such a blessing to our family. We are thankful for every moment we have with his sweet self.

And he's just a little bit cute:)

Onto the paintings!

The #1 seller for Christmas 2011:

ORNAMENTS!

Thanks to Pinterest, the Christmas 2010 designs were on high demand, but I got a request to change things up a bit and gave them some extra flair:

The ornaments were so much fun to paint...

And then a last minute order came in, and we did something a little different again!

The possibilities are endless. Can't wait until Christmas 2012!

(And sorry for the terrible lighting in the photo. Like most of the Christmas orders, they were completed in the late hours of the night and either didn't get photographed or got a cruddy photograph like this one...ugh.)

Thank you again for making 2011 the best year yet. Bring it on for 2012!

Back to School Brown Nosin'

2011-08-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

Want to get the school year off on the right foot?

Buy your teacher a name sign!

They will love it. Just like Ms. Ryan did...

And Mrs. Cadaret will give you straight A's.

It has been rumored that the person who gave Mrs. Britt this sign is now in her will.

Do you get the picture?

Get your child's teacher a name sign.

Or get 5 name signs.

You might not have to volunteer for the Fall festival's dunking booth.

Your child will never be sent home with a note on his shirt.

Name signs are the modern day apple.

Teachers go nuts for them.

So after all of your typical back to school purchases are made, do yourself a favor and buy the one back to school purchase that will pay for itself (in A's, smiley faces and stickers that say "Terrific!")

6x12" name signs: $20 each

8x10" name signs: $25 each

Long Time. No Post.

2011-05-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, huh?

Here we go with the new(er) stuff!

"House Rules"

18x24"

$80

This was customized to their own color scheme preferences.

"Wash"

12x24"

$50

Custom painting to match bathroom accessories and colors.

"Luke 12"

16x20"

$60

Custom Bible verse painting. Lots of words, but we squeezed them on there. Great verses!

"Wash"

16x20"

$60

Custom colors to and design to match bathroom.

"Parker" and "Teagan"

10"

$35/each

Custom paintings to match bathroom.

(Goes with the "Wash" canvas above!)

"Blessed" picture frame

4x6" photo

$20

"First Birthday" picture frame

holds 4x6" photo

$20

"Miles"

6x18"

Custom canvas with matching ribbon

"No Worries"

7x14"

$25

"Harrison"

8x24"

$45

Custom canvas to match bedding

"The Jacobys"

16x20"

$60

"James 1:17 Owl"

18x24"

$80

Custom to match bedding

"Jeremiah 29:11"

18x24"

$80

Custom to match bedding

Gifts Galore!

2011-04-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you need Just a Little Something. Can't you just hear your mother saying that?

"Mom, you didn't need to get the boys President's Day gifts!"

"Oh...it's just a little something."

So maybe this isn't for President's Day, but the purchaser of this canvas needed Just a Little Something for a baptism.

"Cross Canvas"

8x10"

$25

Is everyone you know having a baby? If so, get them a baby stats canvas! There's one thing that people like more than the look of their own name, and that's the hand picked name of their newborn bundle of love.

"Benjamin Michael"

12x24"

$60

Is everyone you know getting married? If so, buy them an "Established" canvas! If there's one thing people love more than their own name or the hand picked name of their newborn bundle of love, it's their new married name. :) (I sense a theme here...)

"Established-Corrine&Adam"

10"

$40

You can also do a rectangular "Established" canvas

"The Sammuts"

6x18"

$40

Both the 10" and 6x18" are great sizes for gifts. They're small enough so the recipient doesn't have to have a specific spot for it. They look great on a small wall space or book shelf.

Any little sports fans out there? You're little All Star will enjoy this super sporty canvas.

"Zack Sport"

10"

$35

And for a more feminine flare, we have girly colors and dots!

"Miriam"

10"

$35

Need a place to store your bows? Look no further!

"Bow Holder-jSc"

$30

Another fun name canvas...

"Emma Kate"

6x18"

$35

This canvas was made to match Emma Kate's bedding. Love these springy colors!!!

Holla if you need Just a Little Something for someone!

www.thepeanutpaintshop.com

Love. It.

2011-03-02T15:09:00.000-08:00

I love this canvas.

It's so bright.

And cheery.

And pink.

There is no pink in my house that is not mine.

So I like to paint with pink.

And green.

And different shades of pink.

With girly letters.

And I love the name Josie.

You have to have tons of personality with the name Josie.

Josie has the most beautiful crib bedding from Polka Tot Designs.

Paisleys and polka dot.

Pinks and greens.

And now a canvas with her super cute name to welcome her home in April.

Cute bedding. Cute name. It would have been hard to mess this one up!

"Josie"

18x36"

$120

*18x36" are typically $100, but the level of detail for the paisleys took more time than this Mama bargained for! But definitely worth every minute. The detail made it!

ps. how many times can i use the word 'cute'? seriously.

Picture Frames

2011-02-24T15:16:00.000-08:00

Time for something new:

PICTURE FRAMES!

These frames hold 4x6" photos. These are all horizontally placed, but you can have a vertical design as well.

Here's my pooch in a Bluffton frame. Scout is now 7 and very gray. It's so sad. That's why we framed this photo. We wanted to remember his goldenness of years past. And the days when his nose was black. It's now pink. Weird.

Another Bluffton frame. Loving the navy and lime green. Very nautical. The photo was actually taken on Hilton Head, but we live in Bluffton, so it's all good.

And "Baby Love" is framing a photo of my cousin, Owen. He's 9 now. And almost as tall as me. WAAAAAA!!!!!!!

How sad that I didn't have a single 4x6" horizontal photo of a lone girl? Not even one of myself. Seriously. So just envision any Daddy's girl who is near and dear to your heart cheesing her face right out of this frame.

It was time for something new. Apparently painting on wood instead of canvas is enough change for me:) I'm so WiLd!

Frames

4x6"

$15

As with canvas orders, you can customize these as much as you would like. Colors, designs, fonts, words, pictures...whatever you'd like!

Babies and Birthdays

2011-02-07T10:58:00.000-08:00

A few newbies for a rainy Monday:

"Baby Stats"

10" square

$35

Love the pink and greens on this one. I've painted this style before, but not with so many different colors. I think I likie.

And I love the name Piper. It made the short list during my first pregnancy but was scratched off after my mom said "But you wouldn't call her that, right?" Nope. Not anymore. Hence the reason we endorsed the secret name policy for the remainder of that pregnancy and the 2nd pregnancy.

"Baby Stats"- Surfer Girl Edition

6x18" canvas with ribbon hanger

$35

Have you ever visited Windansea Beach in Cali? I have not. But it was something meaningful to the parents of Khloe Bell.

Just a great example of how The Peanut Paintshop is all about customizing!

"Chloe"

8x16"canvas with ribbon hanger

$40

Chloe is a an adorable little toe headed daughter of one of my college roommates. I painted a sign for her when she was born, and now she's moving into a big girl room. Where did those few years go?!? Loved how this one turned out. Chloe's room is pale yellow and has multi colored dots on the walls.

"Galatians 6:9"

6x12" canvas with ribbon hanger

$20

This was ordered by a fellow Mama in the trenches who needed a little daily reminder of the importance of the task at hand. Can anyone relate to that?!?

"Happy Birthday"

8x10" canvas with matching ribbon

$25

No one ordered this. I just made it because it seemed that everyone I knew was having a birthday in January or February. This would be cute to have hanging on a special birthday girl or boy's room when they woke up on their birthday. Or the entire week of their birthday if that's how you roll. Let me know if you want it!

Don't let this rainy Monday get you down.

The Recents

2011-01-29T07:33:00.000-08:00

Some new stuff:

"Two Peas"

6x18" canvas with clips

$40

This is being given away today at a baby shower. As you might have guessed, it's for twins.

Twin boys. Wowzahs.

"Jace"

6x18" custom canvas to match bedding

$35

Love the funky font on this one. The room is mostly black and cream, but the green was pulled from a piggy bank in the room. Cute bedding. Wish I had saved the photo:(

"A Pirate's Life"

12x24" canvas

$50

Our friends are expecting their 2nd boy soon. This canvas was inspired by a rug they had purchased with colorful stripes and their ECU education. Go Pirates!

"No Food or Drinks"

6x18" custom canvas with rope hanger

$35

The purchaser of this canvas has 4 children. They have one room in their house with carpet. This sign is going outside the entrance to that room. Understood.

And something a little different...

A picture frame!

"Owl Always Love You"

10x10" frame to hold a 5x7 photo

$30

Made to match Love & Nature bedding from Target.

Happy January!

Love is in the Air

2011-01-13T12:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas paintings were a blur. Thank you for the busyness! Sadly, I got so overwhelmed with it all that very few items were photographed. Shame! I hope everyone who received a gift from The Peanut Paintshop was thrilled to get it. Here's to another year! YAY 2011!

Let's change that Christmas red into VALENTINE RED!

Starting off with...

"Convo Hearts"

7" wooden hearts with polka dotted ribbon to hang them with!

$9 per heart

An up close of my honey's name. Even his name is cute. :)

Me:

Jackaroo:

Finley's close up was bleh, so here's the whole gang!

Exactly where it's hanging in my home.

Next to the pantry.

My favorite place.

Owls are on everything these days. And with good reason. They're super cute.

Now they're on a painting.

Hopefully you'll still think they're super cute :)

"Owl Always Love You"

8x16"canvas with matching ribbon

$40

That owl looks so peaceful.

Makes me want to take a nap.

Or turn my head side ways so I can look at it.

(I got a new camera, and I have no idea how to use it.)

And if owls aren't enough nature for you...

"Bee Mine"

6" square with matching ribbon

$20

What a fat bee.

What should I do with this bee?

Hang him on the wall?

Or on a door knob?

How about I prop him up on a kitchen counter next to a photo of the two cutest boys on the planet?

or on a table next to a photo of the two cutest boys on the planet?

Happy New Year.

Happy Early Valentine's Day.

Show your walls, doorknobs, kitchen counters, tables and spaces next to your pantry doors some love this Valentine's season.

www.thepeanutpaintshop.com

Christmas Stuff is IN!

2010-10-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

Christmas paintings are here! I can't believe it!!!

Here's why I can't believe it:

1. Because 2010 has gone toooo quickly.

2. Because I LOVE Thanksgiving and HATE how everyone skips over it like it's nothing, but here I am doing that. But let's face it, not that many people want to buy a turkey canvas. (If you do want to buy a turkey canvas, I will gladly paint one for you:)

Here we go...!!!!!!

"LET US ADORE HIM"

6" canvas with ribbon

$15

(great for a small gift or a child's room, doorknob, etc.)

"FAMILY ORNAMENTS"

4" canvas with ribbon

$8/each or $7/each when you buy 5 or more

(great for individual teacher gifts and friends that love the look of their own name)

These might be my favorite new Christmas item this year. They're cute, colorful, and custom.

The "Three Cs":)

(Please don't think I actually coined that phrase...just made it up.)

"Family Ornament"

Style: Scout

"Family Ornament"

Style: Finn

"Family Ornament"

Style: Jack

"Family Ornament"

Style: Erin

"Family Ornament"

Style: John

"Family Ornament"

The Whole Gang

Feel free to mix and match (as seen below) or keep it simple and do several in your favorite style!

"Family Ornament"

The Whole Gang

(again)

"Family Ornament"

The Whole Gang

(one last time...just because they're my new favorite, and just because my mother in law let me borrow her incredible camera and I couldn't stop taking pictures)

And just so you know....

5 year old boys...

are...

very...

cute.

Another favorite...

CHRISTMAS CARD HOLDERS!!!!

"CHRISTMAS CARD HOLDER"

Forget those glittery sleigh baskets forever and display the Christmas cards your friends and family worked so hard to make!!!!

8x24" canvas with 12 metal clips

$50

(great for yourself)

"Christmas Card Holder"

Close Up

You might remember the Christmas Card Holder of 2009...

It was such a hit, that I had to bring it back...this year with metal clips instead of clothes pins for a sturdier hold. And a little metallic bling.

"Christmas Card Holder"

Naked

(This is what your Christmas Card Holder will look like on January 2nd....:(

"Christmas Card Holder- The Square"

12" square

$45

(Great for those with just a few friends). (joke)

"Christmas Card Holder-The Square"

Add your name, monogram, "Merry Christmas", etc!

Another sad, naked Christmas card holder.

Other ideas for what your "Christmas Card Holder" could say:

"Be Merry" (most popular from 2009)

"The (Whatever your last name is)"

"Wow, I've got a lot of friends"

"Deck the Halls, Y'all"

"Fa La La La La"

"UNC #1"

Those are just a few ideas. :)

"Dots and Stripes"
8x24"
$45
This painting is also a little stroll down memory lane from some of last year's pieces.
THIS DESIGN was the most popular design of all the Christmas paintings from 2009, so it had to make a comeback! I kept this one simple and left off the card clips, but they can be added (for $10) to your canvas if this is your favorite look!

"Dots and Stripes"

From the other side...

As always, feel free to customize with color, font and word changes!!!

"MERRY AND BRIGHT"

6x18"

$30

(great for hanging in a small space, placing on a bookshelf or making your son hold in your backyard with a cheesy face....and, no, he's not for sale)

"Merry and Bright"

sans Jack

"JOY"

8"canvas with ribbon

$18

(great for remembering what Christmas brings to my life)

"Joy"

in it's entirety

"SANTAS BELT BUCKLE"

12x24"

$50

(great for a larger wall space, would also make a fun wedding gifts! Newlyweds love Christmas decorations because they usually have ZILCH!)

"The Gift"

10x20"

$40

God loved. He gave. His Son.

"The Gift"

"....that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."

"Believe"

4x12"

$20

(great for a kid's room, door hanger or small gift)

"Believe"

"Red Ryder"

6x18"

$30

(Great gift for those with a sense of humor and a passion for the 24 hour TBS Christmas Eve marathon of "The Christmas Story")

Some blasts from the past that are available for order....

Hailing all the way from 2009...

"Deck the Halls, Y'all"

12x24"

$50

"Clemson Christmas"

12" square

$40

"Snow Family"

4x6"

$15

"Fa La La La Flip Flops"

12x24"

$50

"Lowcountry Trio"

Three 4x5" canvas ornaments with rope hangers

$25 for the set.

HOW TO ORDER...

1. ASAP!!!! ALL CHRISTMAS ORDERS NEED TO BE PLACED BEFORE NOVEMBER 10TH.

2. EMAIL ME AT thepeanutpaintshop@yahoo.com to place your order. Please tell me the style, size and any customizing info you want to give.

3. If you would like any of the above canvases in a different size, please email me for pricing or go to my website and click on "sizes and prices".

www.thepeanutpaintshop.com

4. Canvases can be made into card holders for an additional $10

5. The Peanut Paintshop accepts personal check (payable to Erin Ussery) and Paypal.

Newbies

2010-09-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

Y'all have been keeping me busy! Thank you for the continued support of The Peanut Paintshop. Painting continues to be a blast. Looking forward to showing y'all the Christmas collection SOON!

In the meantime, here's an update of the latest and greatest:

This painting is for a college friend's nephew. She lives in NYC. Nephew lives in CA. TPP is making is all over the country! haha

This painting has extra significance to me. I'm studying the book of Joshua currently through my CBS group, and this was our memory verse for the week. I learned that a great way to memorize a verse is to paint it. You read it over and over again and make sure you haven't misspelled anything. :)

"Joshua 1:9"

20" square

$60

Football season has taken over our home, and even though it's not my favorite sport, it's been enjoyable to pull for local teams and for my favorite team, of course! (UNC)

"Go Tigers"

6x12"

$25

A smaller version of what's above...

"Tiny Team"

6" square

$12

"Isaiah"

6x18"

$30

This is one of my all time faves. Love the chunky dots, the shading and all the girl-tastic colors!

(and I love the baby it's for even though I've never met her because I love her family so!)

"Miley"

18x36"

$80

Still one of my favorite baby gifts!

"Baby Blocks"- Sawyer

10" square

$30

Teacher gift alert

(someone was brown nosing early in the year:)

"Mrs. McNamara"

6x12"

$25

Love these baby boy blues...

"Grant"

6x18"

$30

"Triple N'itials"- aRs

10" square

$30

Another one that I love, love love....

"Ruth"

10x30"

$60

See the awesome ribbon at the top of the bow holder below? This is the ribbon that inspired "Ruth" (above) and the ribbon that inspired the entire nursery that these paintings are going it. I loved painting for this customer because she said she wanted COLOR! Make it bright, I believe were her words. Loved it.

Bow Holder-$25

"Hollis"

Christening Gift:

"Emmett"

8x10"

$25

Love this size for names...great baby gift!

"Luke"

6x18"

$30

Another fun color combo...(and a great name!)

"Lorelei"

10x20"

$50

Given as a baby shower gift...

"Braelyn"

8x24"

$45

The next painting was given to a friend (by another friend) who just had her 3rd precious son.

"Brother Buddies"

8x24"

$45

The boys names were painted around the larger dots.

Sawyer. Holden. Weston.

Third time's a charm, right?

This canvas was painted for a friend of mine's nephew. The doctors told them that he was missing a very important part of his brain that would not allow for him to live. After a while, and another ultrasound later, the missing part was there and Tyler is a perfect little baby! "Fearfully and wonderfully made"

"Triple N'itials"- tBg

10"

$30

Another fun name canvas!

"Adrianna"

6x18"

$30

After all the pirate themed birthday parties we've taken our sons to, it was shocking that this is only the 2nd piratey canvas from TPP! Side Note: It was so special that the USPS thought they would 'hold onto it' (lose it) for 30 days before delivering to the right person.:) But thanks to Laura at the Sault Ste. Marie PO, the painting was found and delivered to Ryder's home safe and sound.

"Pirate Ship"

20"

$60

This painting was customized by the purchaser through Miss Elizabeth's Children's Boutique.

"Lily"

8x16"

$35

This is another great baby gift!

"Baby Stats"- Elise

10"

$30

Remember this painting....?

"Gone Fishin'"

Apparently someone golfs more than they fish, because they asked for this sign to be made:

"Gone Golfin'"

11x14"

$40

As always, TPP paintings can be made to order. Feel free to change fonts, colors, themes, words and phrases. Or...if you like it just like you see it, that's fine, too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pea-Nuptuals

2010-08-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

It's wedding time, folks!

What better gift to give than a custom canvas inspired by the wedding invitation itself.

Because you know the bride and groom will at least like the design.

Unless for some reason they went with invitations they hated. Which would be weird.

Onto...Pea Nuptuals...

"The Ashcrafts"

6x18"

$40

They got totally funky with these pink and orange swirls.

I didn't attend this wedding, but I saw pictures. Amazing.

"The Lowerys"

6x18"

$40

Much like "The Lowerys"...

"The Sisas"

6x18"

$40

Side note: This bride's name is Lisa. Lisa Sisa.

Awesome Schmawesome.

Love the funky font on this one.

"The Hines"

6x18"

$40

This wasn't based from an invite, but it was inspired by room colors and fabric swatches.

"The Wards"

6x18"

$40

Love that apple green!

This definitely wins the zaniest invite of the season. It was awesome. Brown with teal swirls.

"The DiLettos"

12x24"

$60

Love Love Love this one.

"The Underwoods"

10x30"

$70

The trees. The birds. The colors. The simplicity. ...All of it!

More birds...:)

"The Dryes"

6x18"

$40

Thank you, brides and grooms of 2010, for using COLOR in your wedding invitations.

And, THANK YOU, guests of weddings in 2010, for letting me paint some cool gifts for your friends.

It's been fun.

Stay tuned for some up and coming posts on my new fave-o-faves!

AND...for you locals...check out Miss Elizabeth's for Fall and Christmas art soon!!!

A Canvas By Any Other Name...

2010-07-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

It's Name Canvas time!!!! I know I say this about a lot of paintings, but I really LOVE painting name canvases. Each one is different, and the order usually come with photos of the bedroom that they will go in. It's fun to picture the art in their room.

The painting below is for a UNC friend of mine. He and his wife just welcomed a brand new baby girl into their lives. Congrats, Jared and Ashley!

"Bailey" 8x24"

Miss Elizabeth's has been keeping The 'Paintshop busy! Here are a few custom orders that came from the store. And if you're a local Bluffton/HHI mom, you HAVE to go by Miss Elizabeth's. They have the cutest clothes and children's items ever. Oh, to have a daughter to buy for.....but I do have a niece!

"Eden" 10x20"

The painting below is one of FIVE paintings I did with the name Jackson over the past month. I think I can paint this name in my sleep now. But what a great name!

"Jackson Window" 10x30"

"Gwenna" was another order from Miss Elizabeth's. I love the bright colors and the font they chose. So far, the "Design Your Art" idea is taking off! Thanks for all of the creative new ideas!

"Gwenna" 8x16"

No, no one named their baby "Open." Although if Brad Pitt and Angelina decide to procreate for the 100th time, I'm sure "Open" could be a name option.

This painting is now hanging at Tara's Salon at Moss Creek Village. It matches the colors and is a cheery welcome for everyone coming for a new do.

"Open" 6x18"

Happy Summer Everyone!

Gifts Galore-ious

2010-06-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

I thought Christmas was the major gift giving time.

And I was wright. It is.

But May/June is a close 2nd.

Weddings. Graduation. Mother's Day. School's Over Teacher Gifts....it's insane. And it CAN be expensive and thoughtless.

But it doesn't have to be...

Nothing says "Have a great summer and thank the Lord you survived" to your teacher like this cute little summer canvas below.

Another alternative.

For the grad....

Sarah is going to Wofford.

Teresa is Furman bound.

How fun to be a girl going to a school with purple as your school color.

Need a unique, affordable gift?

Let me know!

thepeanutpaintshop@yahoo.com

www.thepeanutpaintshop.com

Love is in the Air

2010-06-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

It's Spring. Which means...WEDDING SEASON!!!!

The "Established" paintings have been the most popular orders this past month in The Peanut Paintshop.

Some have been made to match invitations. Others are painted with certain house decorating colors in mind.

So, let the parade of paintings begin...

"The Brodericks"

6x18"

Painted to coordinate with invitation. The "B" matched the monogram on the black and white invite, and the tiny pink dots were added as a shout out to their pink wedding flowers. This is such a simple, but classic design.

Another view of "The Brodericks"

"The Swanks"

10x30"

This was a collaboration of their invitation and their house colors.

Side Note: If my last name was Swank, I'd have a sign over my door that simply said "SWANKY". Just sayin'.

This "Established" painting was created with their wedding flowers in mind. Hydrangeas: everyone's favorite.

10" square

Another Invite Match Up! What fun and funky colors to use. I'm seriously loving all of these colorful wedding invitations. Seems that the days for cream/white colored invites with black lettering are numbered.

10" square

(sorry for the ever so cruddy photo...taken at night...i got anxious and couldn't wait for good lighting:)

Okay, I really love this one, too.

The super duper light blue/green and the chocolate brown are so pretty together.

"The Smiths" painting was made to match their wedding invite as well.

6x18"

This monogram "Established" painting was especially fun to do because it was for a dear friend of mine. I was actually at this wedding 7 years ago! Gerbera daisies were their wedding flowers, and the room this is going in is a red-themed room. What a perfect reminder of their perfect wedding day!

"jMa"

10" square

Another view.

"The Mamma-Jamma"

24" square

This painting was created to match their living room colors, and she said she loved the dots and stripes look. Voila!

...And what a great Bible verse to add as well!

IF YOU WANT TO ORDER AN "ESTABLISHED" PAINTING...

1. For yourself: Get whatever size you want.

2. For a gift: I suggest a 6x18" or 10" square. It's a good size to put just about anywhere...on a wall, on a bookshelf...etc. It's not too big.

3. Please provide as much info as you would like...colors, invitation copy, etc.

4. Allow 4 weeks for completion.

Let me know if you're in wedding gift panic like we found ourselves in the first few years after college. This is an affordable unique gift that you won't have to worry about a getting a gift receipt for.

Miss Elizabeth's Childrens Boutique

2010-05-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! I have exciting news!!!!

The Peanut Paintshop is now being sold in Miss Elizabeth's Children's Boutique! Miss Elizabeth's is a brand new store to Bluffton that sells mostly upscale consignment and new clothing. They carry super cute clothes, bows, accessories and now...art from The Peanut Paintshop! I'm so excited and honored that they would think enough of my stuff to want it in their store. Super cool! If you're a SC local, you should check it out!

For those of you not in the area, feel free to order anything below directly from me at thepeanutpaintshop@yahoo.com, and you can always keep informed at

www.thepeanutpaintshop.com

Onto the paintings!...

Here is the BRAND NEW..."HOUSE RULES" canvas.

This is a great way to remind your family members or students of the rules they (and you, too) should abide by! As with all paintings, this can be customized to your liking. This is a 18x24"canvas for $80.

Another view...cause we all know crooked photos are sooooo cool.

At Miss Elizabeth's, I've displayed 4 custom canvas examples. Each canvas is a different size, a different style, there are 3 different fonts and over 40 colors to choose from. In essence, it's a "Design your Art" type of thing.

Here's Lucy:

Style: Multi Dots

Font: Lucy font (also seen on Ava canvas)

Size: 18x24"

The Finley

Style: Windows

Font: Finley font

Size: 16x20"

The Ava

Style: Color Block

Font: Lucy Font

Size: 10x20"

The Jack

Style: Stripes

Font: Jack font

Size: 8x16"

And even though this isn't for sale and it's just the color choice canvas, I would probably buy it because it makes me happy.

So that's it with the custom canvas section of the Miss Elizabeth's items.

Onto the "As Is" selection...

"Wash Brush Flush"-brown

8x24"

"Wash Brush Flush" blue

8x24"

"Gone Fishin"

11x18"

"Bluffton Crab"

8x16"

"The Boys" frame

7" square

Ultrasound photo frame

7" square

If the Crown Fits...

7" square

Cherish Every Moment

wooden hanger

Daddy's Little Girl

wooden hanger

Say Your Prayers

wooden hanger

Children Sleeping

8" canvas

"Discover"

8" canvas

"Sunshine"

6" canvas

"Shepherd"

8x16"

"Life is but a dream"

8x24"

"Row Row Row Your Boat"

8x24"

"No More Monkeys"

11x18"

"Hug it Out"

8x10"

"Bluffton Beauty"

10x20"

Art Hanger

8x24"

"Fire Truck"

11x18"

"Pink Flower"

11x18"

NPOTB

2010-05-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

That stands for New Paintings on the Block. Just so you know :)

Thanks for all of the orders, everyone! I have had so much fun painting new things over the past weeks. Keep 'em coming!

Jacob Bradley

6x12"

$20

Redfish

10x30"

$60

Cupcake

8x10"

$20

(This is true in many situations)

Triple N'itials

6x18"

$30

Brooke

12x24"

$50

Katie Peeps

8x10"

$20

This was ordered as college 'inside joke' painting. Gotta love those.

Big Sister Block

6" square

$20

Established- The Brodericks

6x18"

$30

Rhys (pronounced "Reese")

8x24"

$45

Alpha Numbers

3ft.x4ft.

$200

WBF

6x18

$30

Baby Sleeping

5x7"

$12

Thanks for checking in and keeping me busy!

A "Twofer"

2010-04-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Also known as a "two for one".

A frequent flyer at The Peanut Paintshop requested a door hanger that would serve two purposes:

1. A name plaque

and

2. An "if you knock on my door an wake my kids up, I'll box you in the face" sign.

It's wooden.

It's 8x10".

It flips.

It has a decorative handle.

It can be yours for $40. Personalization included!

Newbies

2010-03-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all! It's been a while. The Peanut Paintshop has been on the road! Thank you for continuing to place orders and keep me busy...even when I travel.

Here's the most popular name I have painted. I think this is at least the 4th Isabelle. The design is new, but the name is now commonplace in the Paintshop. I no longer have to look at how to spell it. And the name is clearly popular because of it's awesomeness.

Here's "Isabelle: Part IV":

6x18"

$30

"Isabelle Part IV" was made to match this bedding...

It's called "Katie" from Pottery Barn Kids. Cute! (It comes in purple, too.)

"Sweet Caroline"

8x24"

$45

I really like the plaid on this! Never painted plaid before. A first, but surely not a last. I added clips to this to make it a photo holder but forgot to take a picture. oops.

Square Crab

20"

$60

These crabs have become popular, and I'm so glad. Because I love painting them. They're fun and messy and very colorful. Kind of like Play Doh.

Another view. There were two smaller paintings to match these. One was a seashell. The other a starfish. Again, forgot to take pictures.

"Cross"

8x10"

$25

Given as a baptism gift. Love the yellow and black. Very bumble bee.

Here's to bright colors, less pollen, and warmer temperatures.

God Bless and Happy Easter!

Spring is HERE!

2010-03-09T20:03:00.000-08:00

Do you appreciate seasons? I surely do! In my short stint at this painting thing, the colors that I get to use tend to match the seasons. This week has been all things bright, cheery and SPRINGY!

First up...

"The Dreamer"

These colors are so awesome in and of themselves, but on the same canvas, they're even better.

18x36"

$80

The colors and quote were hand picked by the customer for her daughter's bedroom. What a sweet quote! Gotta love ol' Shel.

Where does the sidewalk end?

The 2nd fun springy painting is...

"The Willow"

8x24" photo holder

$50

And, no, these boys are not Willow:)

Here's the naked version...

Along with vibrant colors, what else tends to occur in Spring? That's right! WEDDINGS!

Here's an "Established" painting to match the wedding invite.

10" square

$30

Symmetry is my friend. This is a perfectly balanced monogram. Pure bliss. For nerds, anyway. I hope you like your gift, J and J "M"!

These next two get me excited because...The Peanut Paintshop is going international!!!

These puppies are heading to Belize. Wish I was :(

My instructions were to use "islandy" colors and use these phrases.

Waves are fun to paint. Hopefully they will be fun to look at, too!

When I handed this one over to it's new owner, she said, "Now, let's see if they obey it." If so, I might have to put one in my house.

Thanks for reading and keeping me busy. Painting is such a fun hobby! Keep the great ideas coming.

Oh, and Happy (almost) Spring.

Reproduction

2010-02-27T05:52:00.000-08:00

If you've ever had a baby, you've probably looked at yourself, looked at the other parent-to-./[be and thought, "Who is this baby going to look like?!?!". Even with 3D ultrasounds, you still never really know until you see the finished product.

Thanks to the suggestion of a customer, we get to see what it looks like when canvases...ahem...reproduce.

This painting....

is the product of this...

and this...

It was fun to take the best parts of each and see what happened.

And just so you know, God works miracles every day. Here's proof:

From these two weirdos...

came these guys.

Thank you, Lord.

Hygiene

2010-02-12T18:49:00.000-08:00

Do you ever forget to wash? Brush? Or flush? Hopefully not. But if you struggle, here's a gentle reminder.

From monkeys.

Everyone loves monkeys.

I really love how these monkeys are peering out at you as if they're saying....

The fun font...

I loved that painting.

Bathrooms seem to be a popular room to decorate these days.

Here are some other ideas if you're on the prowl...

Less can be More

2010-02-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

It's easy to get carried away with details sometimes. Adding a few more dots or colors here and there can make a painting sometimes. But other times, you step back, take a look, and decide it's just right the way it is. That's how it was with "Jacob"!

The stripes and border were clean and very.....boy! Jacob's mom requested Carolina blue stripes, so you know it had to be awesome.

The navy mixed with the Carolina blue was great. I got excited thinking about other color combinations that would look good together....Light green/Navy, Red/Navy, Pink/Light green, Brown/Any color:)

Hope you love this in your nursery, Jacob! It was so cool to paint with the perfect shade of blue for a future Tarheel!

Revamped

2010-01-31T20:24:00.000-08:00

Remember THIS PAINTING? You may not. I had to go back over six months to find it myself. But I was excited when a friend wanted to use it as her inspiration for this painting....

It's an "established" painting with a little less seriousness...and a little more funkiness. It was so much fun to paint this. I love the bird, the flowers and the colors. Thank you again to the graphic designer who created the wedding invitation that these are based from. You do amazing work.

And the "established" painting wasn't all my friend wanted! She took the bird and flowers and shared the love with her sons!

She wondered if the pink and flowers would be over the top for boys....but we decided the answer was a 'no'. Because these are not for her boys. These are for her. For her space. And I love that!

And to top it off....the colors matched her wedding flowers. (Insert "Awwww" here)

And this is why I love doing custom paintings. They are WHAT YOU WANT! It just so happens that this time, I would have wanted the same thing. (If I had my own space:)

Just a lil' look of the pillow that the colors were pulled from. The walls are a pale green. Perfecto!

"Established" 12x24" $60

"Square Bird" 12" $40

Georgia Rose

2010-01-27T12:13:00.000-08:00

When I had my first son, we registered for all of the baby loot. Seriously, all of it. Everything. And we got most of it aside from all of the warming machines (bottle warmer and wipe warmer)..which ended up being a good thing. Our kids didn't balk at cold milk or hineys. Even though we had a ton of awesome baby products for our boys, they've made serious improvements to the style of baby goods since then. Cooler strollers, fashion friendly bibs, pacifiers with bling, etc...

My feelings on this were confirmed when a customer sent this bedding image to me:

I think that bedding is the coolest. It's beautiful and feminine, but it's not screaming baby at you when you walk in the room. So, painting something with this as the inspiration was a blast.

Here's Georgia Rose...

That bedding mixed with the name Georgia....does it get any better?

Happy Wednesday everyone!

www.thepeanutpaintshop.com

Switcheroo

2010-01-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

Remember THESE? They were such a hit, that they needed a little revamping. Just enough to allow them on your walls year round. It's hard enough saying farewell to candy canes and Christmas lights January through November, so why should we have to say goodbye to these? Now, we don't have to!

Kiss thumb tacks goodbye and say hello to....Photo Holders!

This is an 8x24" canvas with 12 metal clips ready to hold pictures, postcards, baby announcements, birthday invites, artwork, reminders, etc. These can be made in any size, color and with the number of clips you need.

Not only did I did I perform a switcheroo with the Christmas card holder, I threw the ultimate curve ball by painting something for one of my kids! As I've mentioned before, Jack and Finn are the recipients of artwork leftovers. The things that don't sell, or the practice pieces that I try before doing the 'real' one for someone else. Not yesterday. I cranked out a crab for my youngest!

The graffiti-esque font for his name is very much like him: wild, colorful and all over the place!

It will match his bedding and his attitude: CRABBY! : ) Just kidding. He's just very much TWO!

The colors up close...

So, it's Jack's turn. And since he's 4, I'm going to let him choose (within well defined parameters of course:)!

Happy Wednesday, Y'all!

www.thepeanutpaintshop.com

I Want to be British

2010-01-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

Or at least have the accent. Or just the right to call the bathroom the "loo" every now and again without being looked at like a weirdo. It just sounds better than bathroom, restroom, and even ladies room. Oh, well....at least I got to use the word in this painting! Here's a remake from a previous painting. The colors were changed to match the hand towel shown here. Love the green and teal together. And the fretful looking monkey. It's like he knows how scary it can get when kids and 'loos' are mixed. If you've never potty trained anyone, then you just wait.

Another look...

Zoo in the Loo is a 6x18" $30

More "BabyStats"!!!

These are a great way to give a shout out to the hours (potentially) of labor you went through to bring your baby into the world. (And a great way to remember the info that we soon forget once motherhood takes over and we lose our minds.)

Below is another shot...this time I didn't play with the color. It's been so freezing outside lately (even in the winter-free area of the country we live in) that I've rushed through my picture taking, sometimes forgetting altogether! Here's another reason: When I paint, I look like a hobo. My hair is a mess, my clothes are paint splattered and makeup is rarely involved. So to avoid adding to the growing collection of evidence that, indeed, we are the WEIRD family on our street...I try to take the pictures quickly. Sometimes at the sake of the quality of the photos. Here it was nearly dark. Scary though to see what even a tiny bit of photo editing will do (above). I seriously clicked one button that said "enhance." And it lightened the photo that much! Now, I have NO IDEA about photo editing. But I do wish that the "enhance" button would do more than change the color if you know what I mean.

10" square $30

Sometimes I'm darting around so quickly I neglect to see the 85 pound hairy beast that is charging at me. By beast I'm referring to our golden retriever, Scout, and when I say charging, it's more of a lazy gallop. So, meet Scout and "Alexia"!

The instructions for Alexia were simple: Make it girly.

I think we reached the goal.

6x18" custom, $30

(the picture below is also without "enhancement" and is true to the actual color)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!!!

Rainbow Row

2010-01-11T20:35:00.000-08:00

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Thanks for the continued encouragement and support with the new Peanut Paintshop website!

It's so cool to look and see that people are visiting.

And a 2nd thank you for all of the awesome orders you've been placing!

Any order is fun because that means I get to paint, but y'all have been giving me great bedding, colors, and ideas to work with...bright colors, bold patterns, and ways for me to branch out.

Here's one newby: "Emerson" (8x24")

My good friend is due to have a baby girl any day now, and this is the name they have chosen. Seriously, the name alone made this one fun. How can you not love the name Emerson?

The sheets and bedding have hot pink polka dots on them, and the walls will be green. This was a mix of their colors and polka dot theme. Hopefully it'll be something she can use in her big girl room one day, too! Come on out, Emerson!!! We're ready to meet you.

"Baby Stats"

March/April must have been a season of love in '09 because everyone is having babies! Here is one 10" "Baby Stats" canvas ready to hang! I've never put a ribbon on a 10" before, but I like it! Might be my new 'thing'. :)

And now...an indoor shot.

I'm getting a lot of indoor shots these days. Not because of the stellar lighting we have in our home (because it's lacking severely), but because it's frickin' cold outside!!!

And this is a tiny picture (sorry) because my tiny brain failed to take my own photograph of this so I had to steal it from my bff's blog. Her little girl, Charlotte, has this in her room now. This design is identical to THIS PAINTING, but clearly, the colors and name are different. I thought this painting was really cute. But you should see the real Charlotte....

And I veered from the dots (well, not really...check out the depth border).

"Lila Marie" (6x18")

I usually will very neatly sketch out my lines with a liner brush because I like the clean, crisp look. But this time, I went freestyle, and was surprised how much I loved the freehanded look of the imperfect striping. Maybe an old dog can learn a new trick or two afterall.

There's something I really want to try soon. A variation of something else I've done recently. But so far not all of the parts have arrived yet. I know...sounds weird. Parts? What am I talking about? I hope it is as cool on canvas as it is in my head. Come back soon and let me know.

Preschool Days

2010-01-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Today I realized that I have never blogged about this painting, which is a shocker because it's truly one of my favorites.

See why it's my favorite:

I love this primary color themed painting (except for the green an orange, yes, I know). It makes me happy. Like when we used to have a nursery in our house. It just made me happy. It was painted a robin egg blue color and had white furniture and smelled like a baby. The good kind of baby smell. So I would do things in the nursery I didn't normally enjoy doing...like folding clothes, paying bills, etc. We don't have a nursery anymore so sometimes when I go through my painting pictures, I just stop by to check on this one. It's cheery. Just like the school.

We HEART Bluffton Academy!!!

And a huge thanks to all of the nice feedback about the new website! Very appreciated. And thanks for the order, as always!!!

www.thepeanutpaintshop.com

The Big News of 2010

2010-01-07T05:21:00.000-08:00

The Peanut Paintshop has a website!!!! Not just a blog (no offense, blogger), but a real website!

www.thepeanutpaintshop.com

Check it out!!!!

Heart Attack

2010-01-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

Get rid of the Christmas red and make room for Valentine's Red. Wait....Aren't they the same? Probably so, but trying to convert Christmas decor into Valentine decor could get tricky. I actually tried this once in college. My college roomies and I were too lazy to take down the Christmas tree, so it transformed into the Martin Luther King, Jr. tree...and then the Valentine's tree....St. Patrick's tree...and so on. I would recommend this style of decorating for a college house. Let's face it. It's pretty funny. But for all you non college students, check out the latest V-day goods from The Peanut Paintshop!

"ConvoHearts" $35

Set of four 5" wooden hearts ready to be personalized

More "ConvoHearts"

Keepin' it in the family with everyone's names!

"Eye Love You" $20

8x10" canvas with ribbon hanger

"ConvoHeart"- single $15

7" wooden heart with ribbon hanger. Words/colors can be personalized.

"Convo Heart"-single $15

7" wooden heart. Ribbon hanger. Can be personalized.

Another "ConvoHeart"- single $15

"LoveDots" $20

8x10" canvas with ribbon hanger

"LoveDots" $20

"RoseyLove" $20

8x10" canvas with ribbon hanger. May be personalized.

Is your house looking empty like mine is now that the Christmas decorations are packed away? Give your walls some love.

thepeanutpaintshop@yahoo.com

Happy Ten!

2010-01-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's 2010. At church yesterday morning our pastors posed the question...is it "Twenty Ten" or "Two Thousand and Ten". And we all unanimously decided that it doesn't matter. It's a new year. Time for newness. For some that means a new body. (Doesn't it seem that 99% of new year's resolutions revolve around diets and exercise...ICK!) For some it means a new habit. Like being punctual.

The Peanut Paintshop has a big goals for 2010, and I can't wait to share them with you....but not today. I promise...any day now. Keep checking the blog.....:)

For today...a recap of Christmas of 2009. Yes, it's weird to post about Christmas on January 3rd. Maybe it would make sense if I posted what was leftover on 'clearance'. But there is nothing leftover! October, November and December were CRAZY months in The 'Paintshop. Too crazy, in fact. So, lesson learned. Christmas starts EARLY in 2010. There's a resolution I guess. And here are some of the Christmas pieces so you can get a super head's start, but mainly so I can fulfill one of my personal resolutions of deleting some art pics off of my computer! Here's what went on in the Paintshop for the past 2-3 months...Try to remember their awesomeness in about 9-10 months or so:)

Merry Christmas wooden sign...5x30" $35

The Snowfam (5x7 canvas) $12

The Christmas Card Holder! These were the biggest hit of all!

12x24" wooden painting with clothes pins ready to display your Christmas cards

Another version of the Card Holder

And another one...(there were 8 in all...but I only took pictures of 3? Go figure.)

This one had some bling on it.

A snowman

16x20" $45

Fa-La-La-La-Flip Flops

12x24" canvas $50

Lowcountry Ornament Set

4x5" canvas with rope hanger $20

J.O.Y

Set of three 4" wooden blocks secured with ribbon $25

Merry Christmas!

8x10" canvas with ribbon hanger $18

Believe

8x10" canvas with ribbon hanger $20

A Manger Scene

12" canvas with ribbon hanger $25

Let It Snow

12" canvas with ribbon hanger $25

Fa La La

Set of three 4x5" canvases with attached ribbon $20

Go Team Ornaments-Clemson

5x7" and 4" canvases...$12, $4

Go Team Ornament-UGA

$4x5" canvas with ribbon hanger

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Keep checking in for the big announcement!!!!!

New Stuff

2009-11-29T20:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of recent Paintshop things. I wish there was time to write something special about each one and about the person who they're for, but it seems that I can't come up with that much time. So, for now, these (unedited) pictures must suffice....

6x12"

16x20" Armor of God

10" custom to match bedding

10" custom

6x18" "Established" painting (make great wedding gifts)

12"Christmas painting

12x24" Team painting with hooks to hang your hat on:) (and, no, I'm not a Clemson fan. We live in SC, and the whole orange and purple thing seems to come with the territory)

10x30" Bluffton painting

6x18" WashBrushFlush

10"

6x18" Loo

6x18" WashBrushFlush

10x30" Redfish

6x18" custom

8x24" custom (LOVE this one:)

10x30" custom on wood!

20" square custom flowers. These were finished with dried flowers from the customer's wedding and the birth of her son. Very unique!

12" custom

10x30" Bible verse custom

16x20" Deck the Halls Y'all

Unsure what size. Just found the wood and painted it:)

4x6" Christmas ornament, door hanger, whatever you want it to be! Snow Family!!!

6x18" custom for my new cousin who lives in England!

6x18"

Hairbow Holder. Made of wood.

8x24" WashBrushFlush (probably the most popular)

10" custom

Thank you, friends, family and people I have never met for keeping this hobby of mine going. It's still a blast and something I look forward to every time I get out the paint brushes.

If there's something you need before Christmas, please let me know ASAP!

Christmas Card Holders!!!

2009-11-28T20:54:00.000-08:00

Tired of not knowing what to do with the mass of Christmas cards that will start arriving in your mailbox any day now? Let me guess what your current plan of attack might be...

1. Tape them to a door frame.

2. Store them in a drawer.

3. Or my favorite...toss them into the sleigh shaped basket!

Some of those ideas are better than others. But do any of them give a proper shout out to your friends who sent it to you? I don't think so. If you send Christmas cards, you know the hassle it can be. The perfect photo, the matching outfits, the fonts, the colors, the grammar...it's stressful!!! The feeling you have after completing your Christmas card is similar to finishing a final exam. So, buy one of these and show how many friends you have your respect to the Christmas Card!

This is what your Christmas Card Holder might look like on December 2nd if you have a lot of Type A friends. I don't have a lot of Type A friends. I have a lot of Mom friends, so this is what my holder will look like mid-January once we receive all of the late Christmas cards disguised as New Years cards.

And this is what your Christmas Card Holder will look like when you tilt your camera to the side and take a picture of it.

Other things about the Christmas Card Holder....

It's made of wood with clothes pins to hold the cards.

It's 12"x24".

It's awesome.

It can be yours for $40. Email me at thepeanutpaintshop@yahoo.com

It can be customized for $5 more.

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! Stay tuned for more new stuff! I've been a busy bee. Thank you thank you thank you!

The Name Game

2009-11-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

Peanut Peanut Bo Beanut Banana Fana Fo Feanut...

Oh you know The Name Game, right? That's what I have been singing to myself over the last few weeks while I've been painting all of these precious names on canvas, ready to transform a cute bedroom into Cole's cute bedroom. Or Ella and Emma's cute bedroom. Or Elijah's cute bedroom. There's no better way to stake your claim on your space than with a coordinating name painting. From The Peanut Paintshop. At least in my unbiased opinion. :)

Here's Cole....

10x30"

Cole's room is decorated in blues and browns. I never even saw his bedding or his room, but his mom said we couldn't go wrong with blues and browns. Cole is only a few months old, but this will look great in his room for years to come.

The Ella....

10x30"

and twin sister Emma....

10x30"

Ella and Emma have the Brooke bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. I went with colors from their bedding and pulled the green with white polka dots from it for a bright and fun look. It was great to live vicariously in girl world for another brief moment. Here's the Brooke bedding. And, again, no, PBK pays me nothing for the continuous advertisement that I give to them.

And for some more sibling sharin'....Anna Lauren and Harrison! It was a different experience to create for a room shared by a boy and a girl. Their bedding coordinates in greens and browns, but has pink and blue thrown in as well. Keeping the same overall look on the paintings along with the similar colors helps to bring the room together, but adding the different colors from their bedding makes it more personal.

10" squares

If you're looking for a name canvas to personalize your child's room, here are my suggestions:

1. Use your favorite colors from their bedding. In all likelihood, your favorite colors for your son or daughter are going to be the same when their room changes as they age and they'll generally be colors that are in most bedding sets. This will allow you to use the piece for many years.

2. Try to steer clear of adding a lot specific images to their name canvas. Example: Our son Jack had a jungle themed nursery. The elephants and monkeys were precious and beautifully stitched on his bumper and sheets. So I painted them. My very first paintings. Five jungle animals on rather large canvases. Nothing much with his name on it. I thought this was smart when we had our 2nd son, Finn, and he transitioned right into the nursery. We didn't change a thing. Except...now Finn and Jack share a room. And there was no new baby to put in that old nursery. This meant...all new art work. There was nothing to transition with them. Nothing to remind me of their nursery days. Instead the jungle animals are in our attic somewhere. If you want a transition piece, feel free to use an image of something fun from their bedding, but don't overdo it. If you want to save some pennies in the future and have a fun reminder of the past, stick to the colors you like. If you just gotta have the images, use smaller canvases.

3. Map it. I suggest using masking tape on the wall where you want your painting to go. Map it out. Then, measure your markings. A lot of times people are surprised when their order arrives at how small or big it turns out because they never took the time to measure it. They just did one of those hold your hands in a window form in the air and say, "Yeah, that looks good." If you want something over a bed, changing table or door, bigger seems to be better. Smaller canvases work well for propping on a book shelf, narrower wall spaces, and even hanging on their door.

That's all, folks. Happy Sunday.

Isabelle

2009-10-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since the last posting, but for good reason. Lots of new things have been painted over the last few weeks, and hopefully I'll get my act together and post all of the pictures SOON! But in the meantime, feast your eyes on the Isabelle!

Of course my mom of all boys nature got excited to paint something girly, but I was really excited about the combination of pink and orange. It's not something that you would normally think to put together, but I LOVE IT! It was fun to include dots AND stripes. You know they're my favorite!

And here is Isabelle's bedding. It's called "Tropical Punch" and they sell it at Babies R Us. Cute room for surely a cute baby on the way!

Stay tuned for more to come!!!!

Fave

2009-10-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

If something from The Peanut Paintshop makes it's way into your hands, then it has been stamped by my personal stamp of approval. If I don't like it, you're not getting it. Simple as that. But sometimes, I don't want to pass something along because I can't bear parting with it. This is one of those paintings. I like them all, but I REALLY like this one. The dots, the colors, the verse....What's not to love?!?!?

This painting was requested by my friend, Courtney, who is due to have her 2nd baby boy very soon. The boys have similar colors in their rooms, so she wanted something that would go with either one depending on where they wanted to hang it. She said she would send me some pictures, but imagine the painter high I was on when I saw these polka dotted curtains!!!!! What inspiration!

In an effort to tie in the curtains a little more, the borders are brown with the blue dots, much like the curtains are pinned back with brown and blue.

Thank you for ordering this, Courtney! Congratulations in advance on another baby boy! I pray that he is wise and his heart does follow the right path.

And thanks to everyone who came to the first ever Peanut Paintshop party!!!!! It was a huge success, which has me painting like a crazy woman almost every day. I'll have your orders ready soon.

AUNT.ART.ica

2009-09-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

John and I are now an uncle and aunt to a precious little boy, Austin. He was born on September 6th, weighing 8lb 9oz. We can't wait to meet and hold our new nephew. He is so precious, and we're so happy for his wonderful parents, Trevor and Jordan. Congratulations! We love him so much!

And I couldn't stand for his walls to go bare! I begged Austin's parents to let me paint some art for his room, and they let me! Jordan and Trevor chose not to find out the sex (which is the way to go in my opinion:) and therefore had to choose a more neutral bedding. They went with the Ben collection from Serena and Lily. Here are some swatches:

I'm a sucker for seersucker, so this fabric won me over from the start. The blues and oranges were great colors to work with, and especially meaningful to Austin's UNC and Princeton alum parents:) I'm pretty sure Austin will have the cutest nursery in all of NYC. Here's his art from his auntie...

a 10x30" name canvas

a series of 16x20s with the animals from his bedding....(and of course some polka dots on the border)

all together now....

a close up of the stripes:)

Welcome to the world, Austin! You are such a little stud. Your cousins can't wait to meet you and play with you. We love you!

For the Love of Bluffton

2009-09-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

Below is a little artistic shout out to Bluffton, my current favorite town. My town. I heart this place. Sure I join in the grumblings about the lack of Krispy Kreme and other things we all miss from home, but in 6 short years, this place has won me over. There's only one place you can find Cahill's Market, Gigi's Boutique, and the craziest Christmas Parade this side of the Mississippi. Welcome to Bluffton.

When I moved here 6 years ago, I quickly went under the rapid fire lesson of SC rights and wrongs....

When you live in SC, you...

-Pull for a team that wears garnet and black or orange and purple. Even if you really don't care, you have to lie and say you do. Usually you choose the team that the majority of your present company pulls for and go with that one. (I would never do that.)
-Realize that the state flag is best thing going. It's on everything! Keychains, license plates, Tervis tumbler inserts, and even bodies!
-Learn that the state tree is NOT a palm tree, but a palmetto tree. I made this mistake. Once. Never again.

So, this painting has a palmetto tree on it. NOT a palm tree. It's a 20" square. Light teal background with a pluff mud brown border. Packaged and ready to go.

I want a pony.

2009-09-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

Here were my instructions....Ballet. Horses. Pink. Brown. Erin. Wait....ballet AND horses? I immediately felt intimidated by this 11 year old girl. She's already 100% more well rounded than I am. And she's 11!!!! I'm 28 and afraid of riding a horse. I've only ridden once. My horse's name was Jazz. I should have known better. Jazz rhymes with Spaz.

Here's the finished product...The "Erin"!

The coolest thing about this painting is that Erin's Dad ordered it for her. I thought it was sweet.

Erin, you have cool hobbies. You're like a jock(ey) and a ballerina all in one. You have a cool dad, a cool piece of art on your wall now.... And a really cool name. :) Enjoy!

Happy Labor Day!

2009-09-07T08:14:00.000-07:00

In honor of Labor Day, I thought it best to give a shout out to those who labor the hardest: TEACHERS! Thank you, teachers, for all that you do for our children. You're under appreciated, under paid, and under thanked:) It's time to change that! So...appreciate your child's teachers, pay them in cute canvases and thank them once in a while! (or all the time)

Wait. What's that about paying teachers in cute canvases? Oh....here's one:

That's right. Cute hand painted canvases have replaced the apple as teacher's favorite gifts! You didn't know??? Well, it's not too late to jump on the bandwagon. Go appreciate your child's teacher today with one of these! It's the beginning of the year and therefore a great time to brown nose and earn those straight As! :)

Thank you, Teachers, for all you do! You're the best! Except for you, 6th grade social studies teacher of mine. You were the worst. Your sign would read "Beware of Mrs. _____". I can paint those, too:)

Happy Labor Day!!!!

Stone

2009-09-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

Baby Stone is only a week old. I got to meet him today in the Preschool drop off line. His big sister and my Jack are in the same class together. He's chubby and cute and oh so sweet. It was so fun doing this painting for baby Stone.

Reason #1: It reminded me of what a small town we live in. Their neighbor purchased this painting for Stone. We all know each other from different areas of Bluffton. I saw Stone's Mommy and her very pregnant self in the drop off line all the while knowing that I was painting something for her baby when I would go home that day:)

Reason #2: These bubbles, the colors and the octopus! Okay, so that's 3 reasons in 1, but you get the idea. I usually allow 2-3 weeks to paint once I get all of the info from a purchaser, but this one flew by because it was so much fun to create! My parameters were mint green, baby blue and ocean theme.

Welcome to the world, Stone! I get to see your chubby little cheeks every Tuesday and Thursday! :)

The Land of Y'all

2009-08-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

My family has the pleasure of living in a beautiful area of the country. So beautiful, that many people trade their colder areas of the country to live here instead. Warm summer nights, biscuits and gravy, flip flops year round (well...almost). What's not to love? As a true Southerner, I'm clearly biased. But....I can understand roots. Even if they're grounded above the Mason Dixon line. This painting is for a friend who is...well....

It's fun to live in an area where people come from all over. Where you hear accents from near and far.

If you know of a transplant in need of some self defining art work, I'm open for business:)

*Canvas is 18x36".

All Aboard!!!

2009-08-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

Apparently my boys aren't the only train freaks out there. Boys, by nature, must love trains from the get go. These paintings were done for a little boy who has quite the choo choo obsession as well....

Hudson has recently moved from his crib to his 'big boy bed', and his mom wanted something train themed to go in the room. His walls are smokey blue, chocolate brown ceilings, and his bedding is brown and white striped with red piping. It's an adorable room. Apparently when he saw the paintings, he jumped up and down on the bed and said, THOMAS!!!!

I guess I know a way to at least one (little) man's heart!

The Paintshop is open for more orders. Let me know if you're lookin'. And it's never too early for Christmas shopping.

Bunny's Comeback

2009-08-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

Wanna hear a really bunny story? Yeah, that was really nerdy, but whatever. This painting was a gift for a friend of mine who is due to have baby Lauren on September 30th. All I was told is that the room is green and brown and has a bunny theme. So I went back a few months in my brain (hard to do) and recalled the Annabelle painting. There were no bunnies on that painting, but the bedding had bunnies on it. So I searched for that bedding again to look for a clean line bunny image. Voila!

So, my friend, B, opens the gift today and looks at me like, "How did you know?" How did I know what? Turns out...She's using the same bedding as the bedding for Annabelle. Call it a painting/gift giving miracle:) I think she liked it. And who doesn't love the green and brown combo these days? Sorry for the terrible picture. This was taken at night in my house which doesn't have the best lighting. I had to lacquer this baby up and take her with me to the party this afternoon. Happy Birthday, B! We can't wait to meet Lauren!!!

Here's a valance from the bedding set. It's called Bunny Meadows. Kids Line makes it. Great stuff.

And here's the Annabelle. So cool that they look so differently but compliment the bedding at the same time.

Happy Wednesday, Paintshoppers!

The Other Sweet

2009-08-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

We're moving on from sweet tea to another sweet THANG...Sweet Pea! I actually like the vegetable, unlike the majority of the population, but I really like how it's become a popular visual for all things baby. Invitations, bedding, gift wrap, stationary...you see it on all sorts of baby stuff! I thought it was time to see it on a canvas. Check it out....

And just because I was on a Sweet Pea train of thought....here's another Sweet Pea I know. Seriously...this is my friend, Erin's, dog. Sweet Pea the puggle. (sorry for the grainy image. I had to steal it from their blog and crop her husband out. I thought my husband might find it odd that we had a picture of my friends husband and dogs on our computer:)

And speaking of another sweet pea AND my husband...HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, BABY!!!! 6 years and counting.

Sweet Tea

2009-07-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

Nectar of the South.
The best $1 spent at McDonalds.
What my boys beg from my Gammy.
What God made on the 8th day according to Hootie and the Blowfish.

All of these describe one thing....SWEET TEA!!!!

I've been wanting to paint something sweet tea related for a while, but wasn't sure what to do. Not long after the tea idea came the desire to paint something with lemons. Somehow the themes merged, and the above painting was created. It's a very appropriate painting for our Southern household. We love sweet tea, but can't justify drinking the sugar equivalent of a candy bar at every meal. So it's surely a treat for us on those days when we are handed the proverbial lemons of life!

If you know of any sweet tea addicts, this painting is for them.

While we're on the topic...Has anyone tried these?

As I stared at them in the Target check out line, I was skeptical. Iced tea mints??? Seriously? But I really think they're good. And so do all the people that they got passed to at church on Sunday (Because they wanted to try them. Not because they needed them.) They're definitely more along the lines of the Lipton artificial lemon flavored tea in a can taste instead of the real deal sweet tea flavor, but they're still good.

Scribe

2009-07-27T12:17:00.001-07:00

Sometimes people will look at my paintings and say, "I never knew you were artistic/an artist!" And I'm so grateful. Clearly, it's flattering. Not so clearly, is the fact that I'm laughing at the thought of my brother ever hearing someone say that. Is it because he's the typical mean, older brother? No...In fact, he couldn't be farther from it. It's because he actually IS an artist. He supports his family doing what he loves. And he's really, really, really good at it. See....

Why all the hype about my brother? Well....he has decided to spread his artistic talents to the masses in a new way!!!! Without further adieu, let me introduce to you....SCRIBE!!!!! Scribe will provide stationary, invitations, announcements, greeting cards and more. COMING SOON!!!! And get excited Bluffton and Hilton Head fans, because Scribe will be teaming up with The Peanut Paintshop for a little house party in September. Details to follow. If you have a need for something awesome in the meantime, please email Matt(hew) at scribe@g-graphics.com.

Isn't this amazing? This is a wedding invitation courtesy of Scribe, and I think it's so unique and elegant. LOVE.IT.

And as an added bonus to me, Melissa, my sister-in-law, asked me to paint something for this wedding couple based on the invitation. It was difficult to paint behind my brother's brilliance, but it was fun to partner up in this way instead of our usual brother/sister antics of laughing at our parents. Just kidding of course. We wouldn't do that.

Perhaps the best announcement Scribe will produce will be coming in December. Matt and Melissa are expecting their first baby!

Maama Jaama

2009-07-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

In our home, for whatever reason, we often refer to things that are large as "maama jaamas". (I spelled this strangely because if I wrote "Mama Jama" I thought you would pronounce it like 'mama' as in slang for your mother, but I went with the Maam spelling because that's how you spell 'maam' as in "yes, maam." and that's the proununciation I want you to go with in this case:)

Anyway...In my little painting world...this is a MAAMA JAAMA. So far it's the biggest I've ever done. 4 feet by 5 feet.

A lot of people will see my paintings and say, "You must really do some neat stuff for your own children." If I've ever said yes to you, then I lied. The nursery has some very hideous safari paintings in them that I did before Jack was born. They were my firsts. They're still hanging there for two reasons:

The reason I tell people: Because it's so sentimental to me that I painted these for my little boy before I ever even met him.
The real reason: There's nothing to replace them and the walls would be bare.

Then there's one fish painting that was a recent mock up for an order I did for someone else...so it's sort of a scrap piece of art. And then there's one in their bathroom that was something that wasn't purchased.

So...it was time to give my best, my best! How could I show these boys of mine that they are my 2 favorite little boys in the world? Well, by painting them a huge map of the US, CLEARLY!

Here's a close up of the states. I went with a more whimsical approach again. It's becoming a friend of mine, I must say. There's freedom in not having your lines be super exact and perfect (which they weren't perfect even when I did try).

It's bold, bright, and is going to be the new theme of our guest room/playroom. We're going with a travel theme since we like to travel and since it's a guest room, our guests will have travelled here to see us! Finn is making the transition into Jack's room, so that they're now sharing. So now we have room for company again!

Here are my two favorite states...For the most part, I didn't intentionally choose the color of the states when I painted them...except for a few. North Carolina was painted with CAROLINA blue because it's obviously the best color God created, it's my alma mater, and the best state ever. South Carolina, my current state of residence is orange, because there's a certain school here that tends to dominate fanhood. AND it's my son's favorite color, so I went with it.

There's nothing particularly touching about Wyoming to me. I just like the letters on it. I've never been to Wyoming, but I've heard it's beautiful. I always picture dude ranches, fly fishing and skiing when I think of that state. These letters looked 'ranchy' to me.

And here's the map lopsided. Because all things look more amazing when they're in lopsided pictures.

So where did I get the idea? I'll give you one guess and you'll probably get it right:

Pottery Barn Kids....again:) I've looked at this painting over and over again, wondering whether or not to buy it, but several things stopped me. It wasn't bright enough, it wasn't bold enough, the white background was blah and it was not a maama jaama. So, as Paula Abdul would tell an American Idol contestant, "I made it my own."

I had to have some more orange, some pink (as I am a lone pink lover in my all boy house), some purple, and a watery looking border since we live at the beach. It's not quite completed, but it's fun to look at. Thought you might like looking at it, too!

Happy July 21st!

AlphaBlocks

2009-07-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

Check out the Alphablocks above! These were painted for my friend, Ann, who just a baby boy several weeks ago. Almost as precious as her baby, is his nursery! Ann always decorates so well, so I was honored when she came to me with this task. Below the paintings pictured above are pictures she took of Brady's bedding. These paintings are 5x7s, which are a lot smaller than what I'm used to, but they were a lot of fun to do! I attached some ribbons at the tops of the paintings for them to hang from some wall hooks in his room. Can't wait to see them!!!! Welcome to the world, Baby Brady!

FYI-These blocks can be done with any image, any color, and they make great baby gifts!

Redfish

2009-07-03T06:07:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor is having her 2nd boy, due in August (yes, pray now that she survives this summer heat!), and she wanted a fish painting for his room. Here's the image she wanted painted. The other instructions were a green/brownish background and she wanted it outlined.

Here's what the finished product looked like....

My favorite things about this painting...
1. It's totally out of my comfort zone. All of my clean lines were out the window on this one. It was whimsy and free-handing all the way. Which was surprisingly TONS of fun.
2. The funky, chunky lettering! The paint is a super thick acrylic that adds some texture. I would use the term puff paint, but it's really not puff paint and I don't want to bring up any damaging memories from anyone's elementary school wardrobe. But the paint is similar in that it's raised.
3. I was so focused on this painting that I did a little mock up on a smaller canvas beforehand, just to see if I could do it. And I like that one, too, so now my boys have that one on their wall:)...

Here's to trying something different!!!

Annabelle

2009-07-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular belief, I have not fallen off the face of the world. The Peanut Paintshop went on vacation. Literally! I went on a family trip, but I brought my brushes along with me. Did I devote as much time to painting as I did chasing the boys on the beach? No. Did I enjoy my time painting as much as I normally do? Absolutely! So, fear not, those who have placed orders and are awaiting their arrival. The Paintshop lives!!!!

Before our 10 day NC/SC road trip, the "Annabelle" was released from the Paintshop doors. This was for a friend who now has a 2nd baby. We were in StrollerFit together with our first children (both boys), who now look so grown up we can hardly believe our eyes. Where does the time go?

Unlike me, my friend's 2nd child was a GIRL! And what do girls need? P.I.N.K. :) Annabelle's room is decorated in browns and greens, but her mom thought she needed a little 'blush and bashful' (name that movie:) on the walls. So that's what we did!

Here's a valance from the bedding line. It's Bunny Meadows from KidsLine. They have super cute stuff!

I tried to add some of the tree theme to the canvas without going overboard. Annabelle's mom painted a tree on the nursery wall, which is awesome. As much as I love to paint, I'd be freaked out to paint on a wall! Kudos to you, P! The tree is incredible.

On the other side is a touch of the funky green flower. Probably one of those things you blow on and all the little needly things fly off. Why is it that I can't think of that word now? It's probably something obvious like "Blow Flower" . Right.

I know. You're shocked, too? This canvas made it out of the Paintshop without a nary polka dot to be found anywhere on it. This canvas must be special. Just like Annabelle. She's a beauty. If we didn't live in such a scary web-crazed world, I'd post pictures of all the precious babies and kiddos these paintings go to. I'd surely get more blog readers:)

Keep the orders coming. Remember, if you want something done that you don't see on here, please let me know! This is such a new thing for me, that virtually everything painted is a first. Well, almost.

Check in for a new post coming soon. It's another fish painting, but it's different from anything I've ever done. I was so scared to try it, but so far, I LOVE IT! Hopefully you will, too.

Sea Life

2009-06-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

Pottery Barn Kids is most mothers' decorating wonderland. Some of my mom pals know most of their furniture and bedding by name, and almost all the moms I know will cruise the online sale section regularly looking for a steal. The store has become a staple in kid room decorating. I actually saw a website the other day that named "pottery barn-like" as a type of furniture, along with 'cottage' and 'contemporary'. So, well done, PBK, for being a branding champion!

Thank you for the things you sell....and for the things you don't. Here's what I mean:

See the cute shower curtain and towel set shown above? Awesome right? Those can be yours for X amount. The adorable artwork on the wall, however, cannot.

Until...you ask me to paint it for you:)

That's right. PBK doesn't even sell it. I don't know where it came from. But it was fun to recreate and add some, ahem, POLKADOTS to the borders for some flair:)

These were done for my friend and neighbor, Buffy. She's due to have her 2nd son this summer and has made the boys' bathroom super cute with the above shower curtain, towels (and surfboard rug that is not shown). And she wanted these canvases done to complete the look.
Part of the fun in painting is the painting and design itself. The other big part of the fun is seeing what you do with your rooms and how you decorate them! Thanks for including me in the fun, all you Peanut Paintshop purchasers!!! :)

Invitation Inspiration

2009-06-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

My friends are picking out the coolest invitations to their kids' parties! Recently I got an invite for a brother/sister birthday party with the tagline "One fish, two fish, pink fish blue fish". How cute is that? (Unfortunately, I don't have a picture for you to see exactly how cute it was.) And then...another friend received the invitation pictured above to a baby shower for a mama-to-be who's having boy/girl twins! That friend put her creative cap on after seeing both invites and wanted a painting done with some ideas from both of them. Here's what she came up with:

The saying is from one invite and the fish are from the other! The twins are sharing an ocean themed room that has a lot of teal in it. From what I hear, their parents are big water people, so this fish themed canvas will hopefully fit right in.

The font was made to be a little Dr. Suess-ish (Can you say that 5 times?) since the one fish, two fish idea originally came from his books, I would assume.

My friend, Katie, who also loves to paint (and does it quite well I might add), made this awesome painting for the boy/girl birthday party. This painting is inspired by the other fish themed inivitation, and I. LOVE. IT. Doesn't hurt that it's propped up next to that 1 year old cutie, either:)

It's a fish invitation paintin' world, and I am a fish invitation paintin' girl.

Anniversary

2009-06-17T12:51:00.001-07:00

This was a first for me. I was asked to paint for an anniversary gift. And let me tell you....I was so nervous about it. I mean, yes, I work really hard at my paintings, and I won't release them out of my paint stained hands unless they look good. But this was different. Idunno...maybe more....serious? My directions were to make it more pretty than whimsical, so I gave it my best.

And in the end, it looked really cool. Stay tuned for pictures of this in it's dwelling place:) And Happy Anniversary, Walters!!!:) 2003 was the best year to get married:)

More Laundry

2009-06-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

Isn't that always the case? Isn't there always MORE LAUNDRY?!?!?! Well, this time, I meant it in a fun way. I did one more laundry painting. And I hope it will be cute enough to make the ugliest of chores just a little more fun. Check it out:

This was done for my friend, Joanna. The trees, the saying, and the colors were all her ideas, so thank you, Joanna! I hope you enjoy this in your brand new home! It was fun to paint this for her because she is a girly girl. I knew I couldn't use too much pink or make it to0 bright and colorful. And of course she didn't mind my dots...

The font turned out really well on this one. It's kinda funky, kinda girly.

These make great housewarming gifts! Sometimes it's hard to buy for someone's home. You're not always sure if something goes with their colors or style. But you can usually be safe in a laundry room. Rarely is there a theme or color at all! Give me a shout if you know of a laundry room that could use a face lift!

The Door's Open

2009-06-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

The "Come On In" is the answer for all of the awkward, "Should we knock or just go on in" dilemmas that we encounter when invited to a dinner party or other gathering in someone's home. It lays it all out there for you. Just come on in.

This canvas is an 8x10" and it's perfect for those annoyed by door knocking, bell ringing and people peering in their windows. Just make sure you really trust your neighbors:)

Keep checking in. I've got some fun ones to throw at you soon!

Baby Blocks

2009-06-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a "baby block" for my friend Ann's little boy. These are great for putting on a shelf or on the perfect little spot on a wall. (And great for a mama's brain when she tries to recall how much her little weighed when he was born!) This one is a 6" square, but they can come in any size.

Welcome to the world, little Brady!

The "Sutton"

2009-06-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

I love unique names, bright colors, and of course, polka dots. So, you can see why this is one of my all time favorites. Introducing....(drum roll).....The Sutton!

This painting was purchased by a friend for her friend's soon-to-be-arriving baby girl. Sutton will be sleeping in her big sister's old room. While the bedding may be the same, this painting will add a new and personal touch to welcome her into the world. The bedding is the "Sophie" collection from Pottery Barn Kids. At first glance, I thought it was your usual pastel polka dotted baby bedding, but when I looked more closely, I realized those dots are pretty bright. The orange and darker green added a little funk to the traditional baby colors. Way to go Pottery Barn Kids for being awesome. Again.

My favorite thing about this painting is how the green polka dots match the lettering. The stripes are cool, too!

Thanks for placing orders, friends. It's been a blast getting creative. You all have given me such great stuff to work with...wedding invites, baby bedding and color schemes. Thank you!!!!

Established

2009-05-26T19:49:00.000-07:00

This painting was a given as a wedding gift to a super cute couple who are getting married this June. I've never thought to paint something for a wedding gift before, but when I received their wedding invitation in the mail, it was too cool not to paint! Their invites are, by far, the most unique I've ever seen. One of their friends designed them. (I'll check to see if I can get his name, cause this guy deserves all the credit!)

Here's the invitation below. I try not to be super 'matchy' all the time, but, again, these invitations were so awesome I couldn't stray from the original. Also, you spend so much time picking out invitations for your wedding only for them to be stored in a book or box somewhere, I thought it might be neat to have a replica of sorts to hang on your wall. (And a nice reminder of your anniversary:)

One of the best parts of the invitation...the RSVP card! Don't you love the green bird? The Page wedding colors are chocolate, orange and beige. I can't wait to see it all come together.

Congratulations soon-to-be Pages!!!

Airing Out My Laundry

2009-05-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

As much as laundry is #10 on my Top 10 list of chores, I have to say that this painting is one of my favorites. This is for some friends of ours who just moved into their first home. You're probably wondering why I chose to paint something for their laundry room, right? Here's the reason: Our friends' mothers happen to have superhuman powers when it comes to unpacking, organizing and decorating a home. No kidding. They moved in on Friday and the place was looking 100% finished on Sunday evening. So, to the laundry room this goes!

This painting holds several firsts for me:
1. The size: It's a 10x30" which I've never done before. I love it! It looks great above a door (or washing machine:)
2. The undies: I've yet to paint tightie whities before. This may be a last. I giggled the whole time.
3. The location: There have been several laundry room ideas floating around before, but this is the first actual painting.

And what is a Paintshop painting without a lil' polka? It was either stripes or dots, and dots took the trophy yet again. I do think the stripes would have been just as nice, though.

Lastly (AND leastly:), the tiger paw. Our friends are Clemson alumni, so I thought a little tiger paw on one of the shirts would add a personal touch without being an orange overload. Which can happen if you're not careful:)

Let me know if you want your laundry room to be cool like the one this painting is going in.