Lazy Summer Morning

I thought I'd share some photos I took this morning. I've cleaned house, fed the animals, and I'm waiting on the delivery guys to bring our new furniture.

We really didn't plant much in our garden this year, just a few rows of corn and beans, a few tomato plants, and just enough squash and cucumbers to pick and eat as they are ready. That's nothing compared to what we usually plant.

While checking on everything in the garden, I did something this morning I hadn't done in years! There was one little ripe tommy toe (cherry tomato) on the vine and I picked it, wiped it off, and popped it in my mouth! I used to do that as a kid, but later started picking them and washing them off at the sink first. We hadn't used anything on the plants this year to ward off bugs and such, so it was safe. How delicious it was! Ripe and warm from the early morning sun... it just burst with flavor and juiciness in my mouth... I may have to do that when the next one is ripe, too! :)

The red beebalm at the end of the yard has pretty much finished blooming.

And (see photo below) the wisteria that I trimmed so aggressively is starting to come back. Can you see the little rusty horseshoe on the upper corner? It's been there, along with a few others among the vines, for years.

My morning wouldn't be complete without saying hello to Thor (our son's German Shepherd that comes to visit once in a while), Ava, Luna, and Red. Buddy, the corgi / beagle mix is there, too. He's just too short to see over the fence!

Roger and I will celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary on the 29th of this month. We're not quite sure where or when we will go celebrate. Some years we've stayed home and worked, some years we've managed to get away for just a few days. No matter what, we've at least managed to spend it together. :)

I hope all of you have a wonderful, blessed weekend.

Lana

Hodge Podge

Hodge-podge is a word used to describe a confused or disorderly mass or collection of things; a "mess" or a "jumble". - via wikipedia

Mess or jumble... that pretty much sums it up for me.
*I am just a week away from starting on paintings for the Norcross Art Fest. I'm really excited... and I'm really nervous about it! It's only 2 1/2 months away... that's about 10 weeks... and really not a lot of time considering I have to be finished painting about 2 weeks early for the paintings to cure. Oh... I'm getting nervous, again! 
*I need to place a substantial order with DickBlick for all my paints and canvases before the weekend.
*I have a few angel wings orders to finish before the end of the month. These are helping to fund my art supplies and canopy for the festival. ~ thank you customers! <3
*We bought 2 recliners and a sofa (not sure if that's the exact style in that link) last weekend and I need to get our current sofa and loveseat sold and out of the living room asap! All 3 new pieces are dark brown. I will add color with accessories and another chair. Roger's recliner is very uncomfortable... not good for a bad back at all, so it will be going to the dumpster when our new furniture arrives. We were shopping for just one recliner, but a tax-free weekend and a sale at Knoxville Wholesale Furniture prompted us to go ahead and get started on the new pieces we had planned on buying a little later. I still need to find a fabric covered accent chair to complete the room. I'll share photos a little later.
*Our wedding anniversary is the 29th...  29 years... whoo-hoo!!! We had hoped to spend a some time away from home, but my father-in-law has not been well and it all depends on how he's doing. We will decide in a few days when we can get away.

I guess I'll just have to do all I can, when I can, and let the rest fall into place. As my daughter keeps reminding me, I'm only human and can only do so much. :)

Take care & God bless,
Lana

When One Door Closes...

Hello!

(before we go any further, this is a repeat from my recent Honeysuckle Lane blog post... most everyone still follows my old blog and they haven't migrated to this new one yet)

Remember when I was sooo disappointed that I didn't make a juried show for this fall? I think I wrote about it here... or maybe it was in my newsletter. Anyway, it's true... when one door closes another door opens! Near the first of June I received an email from the owner of Splash Festivals asking if I'd like to participate in one of her fall shows... in Georgia! This lady does the famed Norcross Art Fest, which is the one I'll be doing, as well as several others. If you are on Facebook, you can see lots of photos taken at previous Norcross shows here.

I was so excited to be asked, because it is by invitation only. I have talked with the owner a few times already and I sent in my confirmation today! So it's really going to happen! Yikes! Now I am nervous, anxious, and have butterflies in my stomach just telling you about it. Jessica, my daughter and show helper, and I will pack up the first weekend in October and travel several hours to Norcross (just north of Atlanta) and spend the weekend setting up, meeting all sorts of people, selling, taking down, packing up, and driving back home. I'm sure we'll have loads of fun spending mother / daughter time eating out, staying in the hotel, and talking and laughing while on the road!

There are expenses, and plenty of them I have found out since making plans, such as the booth fee, hotel, gas, food, all the paint and canvases I'll have to buy before I can even paint something for the festival... and can you believe I don't even have a canopy yet? I never needed one at the Lavender Festival, but I have to have one for this show. So, throughout the summer I am going to be offering some small art pieces here and there... a festival fundraiser of sorts. :)

For this festival fundraiser, I have several original poppy seed pod paintings in shabby chic, cottage style, easel back frames. The artworks are acrylic with pen and ink detail and they measure 2" x 3" not including the frames. They are signed on the back of the art (#12 is signed on the front). These minis are sweet and simple and perfect for a thoughtful, one of a kind gift.
And guess what?
These originals are $15 each, but if you order 3 or more, you get them at $12 each!
Shipping is $5 no matter how many you get. International customers, please email me for shipping charges.
Just email me (lanamanis {at} gmail {dot} com) with your choice(s).

#1, 2, and 7 are sold ~ thank you!

I have more original paintings as well as prints in my Etsy shop, Lana Manis Designs.

Thank you for looking!

Take care and God bless,
Lana