Snow Day!!!

We woke up to snow this morning, just a bit, but it snowed all morning long until we had at least 2 or 3 inches! Yay!! I love snow. The kids were dismissed from school because the weather is calling for even more snow later this afternoon, a possible 7-8 inches!! Bring it on! 

After trudging through snow on the way home, the boys were wet and ready to cozy up for a movie and hot apple cider. 

And a round of hamming for the camera! 

And like most of his free time, Yap has his nose in a book! Love how much this kid is into reading! 

Oh no, they aren't sad about school being let out early or anything are they? 

Isn't all that white just gorgeous? 

My crazy dog. When we get any sort of snow she prances around like the happiest dog in the world but if we get any rain, even just a little, she freaks out and takes off around town and scared of her own shadow! 

I sure hope we get more of this white stuff, we can always use the moisture! 

Santa Success and my first Private Party!

This past week I taught two painting classes in one day, one in the morning and one in the evening. During both sessions I led the ladies, and one very brave teenage boy, in painting a Santa Claus. 

Our painting parties have become so popular that we outgrew our library and had to move to our town's Senior Center next door. 

We had some crazy Kansas State fans that painted Santa's iconic hat purple! I thought that was great but I told them I would absolutely refuse to help them draw Willy the Wildcat. I have to uphold my allegiance to Purdue Pete you know!! 

Altogether we had 23 Santas created on Tuesday. One woman even attended both sessions and she's planning on painting a Santa for each of her daughters for Christmas. 

With this group I led my first pair of sisters in painting together, the two ladies on the right. Talk about fun! Those two were egging one another on and laughing all evening. I get to lead these two next week too as the lady in the middle is hosting my first private party! We are both really excited! 

Leading these painting parties have been so much fun. You'd think that after leading a class for two or three hours I'd be exhausted but I find myself coming home after these classes excited and energized! 

What I really enjoy is that so many different and individual paintings can come out of the very same instructions. 

I'm finding too that some of these women who are attending these classes keep coming back again and again. I even asked them why and some of their answers were surprising. Some said they do it because it helps out our town library and it's local. It's nice to have something to do in our tiny town and not having to drive an hour to do something. Some ladies enjoy it as a challenge that is forcing them out of their comfort zone. Others have realized that they can paint and it was something that they never thought they could do. I've always been convinced though that ANYONE can create art!! I've also found that it seems to be a really fun way for women to spend evenings together. Most evenings are filled with just as much relaxing and laughing as creative painting! 

My library ladies, that's what I call my core group of women who return time after time, have already told me they are expecting a painting next month. The librarian in our town has been choosing the paintings so I'm excited to see what she chooses! 

P.S. - Next Friday I'm doing my first private painting party at my friend's house and we'll be painting a Grain Elevator at Sunset! I'm am beyond excited!!!

Long Time, No See...But Now There Are TWO of Me!

You are probably wondering where I've been huh? It's been a while since I've had the chance to blog! 

What's been keeping me so busy? Well, I've been painting....a lot! In October I taught two painting parties where we painted monogrammed pumpkins. It was so much fun and some of the ladies who participated were incredibly brave with their choice of colors! 

I never would have imagined that cream and gray would make a nice pumpkin but oh, boy didn't it turn out just wonderfully? 

And this one, I just love that green and the fact she chose a lowercase letter! So unique! 

Next week I'm going to be teaching two classes in one day, oh boy!! And we are going to be painting Santa! 

This is going to be a fun one! 

Our painting parties have became so popular that we are increasing our maximum class size from 10 to 20! 

I have to give a big thanks to my town librarian Angie for starting me down this road of teaching painting parties. I've enjoyed it so very much and though I've found my calendar full between teaching classes and preparing paintings for possible classes I've never felt more energized! I feel like this is exactly what I should be doing! 

In fact, I've decided to start a little business. Not only am I going to keep teaching these painting classes at the library, as long as my librarian will allow me to, but now I'm going to start traveling to host painting classes where the customer is, within reason. I'd love to travel back home to all you wonderful folks in Indiana but I'd have to REALLY adjust my prices!! So, I've been working on a separate website for these traveling painting parties; introducing The Roving Brush. 

I'm so excited! I have so many painting ideas I can't seem to paint fast enough. So, anyone interested in a party?