Teresa Sheeley

define yourself

 
I have been contemplating what this saying means to me....what might it say to you?  I think in life we are always trying to define who we are in one way or another.  This is a little painting I did with one of my favorite mediums, gouache.  I hope these two words can give you some inspiration and thought today.

 

Struggling today to clear up my mishap of some really naughty equipment dysfunction.  I am having some issues with my products and feel so bad for those of you who bought a towel from me only to wash it and have the ink run.  I was completely unaware that this was going on with the goods until one of my wholesale customers pointed it out to me.  This is a huge lesson learned that when you buy new stuff, do a little test drive before plunging forward and don't take for granted that it will work and be fine.  Now I am in the process of trying to figure out what step to take next.  I really can't afford to purchase what I really need right now, so I am just sitting back right now, praying and trying to figure out how to tackle this latest stumbling block.  Sometimes blocks are there for reasons, so instead of being in haste I am really waiting to look at all my options, instead of turning into a raving lunatic like I would have in my past.  It's another part of defining yourself...composure, clear thinking, making right choices, etc....

My deepest deepest apologies to you all, I am sincerely regretful that I gave out less than par products without even knowing ~ and please know my lesson to this blunder has been learned. 

wanna ride in my bus?

 
I love a cute VW bus, don't you?  Couldn't resist painting one.  Prints available here. :)

old fashioned chocolate pie

 
Kayla Johnson image

 
Now I know many of you cannot stand the thought of eating chocolate pie after watching The Help!  But, after I watched it an all the fabulous food that was in the movie, I had to come home and make an old fashioned chocolate pie.  My recipe came out of the very vintage remake of the Better Homes & Garden cookbook.

 
and I should mention this was a joint effort.  Kayla helped with making this braided pie crust.  I made the dough, she made it artistic, figures. :)

 
source: here

It was so delicious and rich.  And then while I was reading my copy of Flea Market Style, Heather had an article about pie, and there was a recipe for pie crust cookies.  My mom always made these with the left over pie crust dough, it was such a treat.  I always make them now too.  Nothing better than pie crust dough sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and butter! 

Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie

I am too lazy to write the recipe out, but the link above is a very similar one, almost identical except I used chocolate chips instead of cocoa, but wished I would have used cocoa.  My recipe was for using egg yolks in a cool batter, but I had a phobia about doing that, so I modified it to make sure the yolks were cooked.  It was fabulously delicious!!   Happy baking!

summer is still here

 
Although we are longing for fall here in this house, summer is still in full swing with temps in the high 90's low 100's. 

 

End of summer tomatoes.

 
Fresh organic fruit & veggies at the health food store.

 
Fresh pears, mmm, nothing better.

 
self serve olive oil and balsamic vinegar

 
I ♥ art on wine labels.

 
 
organic lunch anyone?

Love that this health food store has this juice/food bar.  Everything is so fresh and yummy.

Busy week ahead, and it looks like more hot weather and sunshine is in store.  Happy Monday!

peach cobbler

 
 
 
 
 
I love this time of year when the peaches are so fresh and yummy.  When we were in Canada I picked some fresh peaches to bring home with us and ate most of them just as they are, but saved just enough to make this cobbler.  The recipe is from Paula Deen, but I tweeked it just a bit adding cinnamon to the cooked peaches and instead of 1 cup of sugar I used 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar; just went so good with the buttery crust.

 
I found the image on Pinterest and then that took me to Paula's recipe found here. 

vintage wisdom

 
First off; I am falling in love with vintage clothing.  I have a few dresses I picked up at the second-hand store and would love to have more.  Etsy is a great place to find vintage clothing.  Shoes, jewelry, the works, I just love it, and some you can even wear for everyday style, not just for dressing up.  Kayla took these photos of me wearing my handmade yellow vintage dress I found.  It's pure polyester and so comfy.   

 
Now, here is the thing...I am reading this book called Grace for the Good Girl by Emily Freeman, which was recommended by my friend Paige to read. 

Excellent book!

As I began reading it {I am only on Chapter 4} right now; I found myself at the other spectrum of what Emily describes as the good girl. 

Growing up I was the wanna be good girl; - probably looked like a good girl from the outside, but was really a bad girl, mostly who hid all the bad stuff she did, and who made really bad choices and did not have any of God in her life at all.  Emily's perspective of this book is about a good girl who has lived behind a mask thinking she was totally and completely one with Christ, but found out she was hiding behind her good girl persona. 

I am close to 50 {just turned 49} actually, but feel quite seasoned and vintage when it comes to living life and making bad choices, but a clear adolescent when it comes to being at one with God.  I've much to learn and although I have given my life to Him; I still hold on very much at times my willingness to control and usually when I do my choices still very much are not right.

Reading this book is so enlightening and touches upon things we need to look at whether we grew up a bad girl or a good girl. 

 
It's a truly wonderful feeling now to walk with my Savior Jesus Christ.  It's a wonderful feeling to let go of the burdens living a dark life possesses.  Before I knew there was a God; understood who Christ was; but completely made Him something that was to fit in my world, justifications, and making him the way I wanted and thought He was. 

I love reading the Bible and learning and seeing that He was nothing at all what I thought He was, yes He is kind and good, but there is more...I've learned that He is full of grace, and mercy, and looking back on my ugly years I see His footprints all over trying to lift me up from all the muck and mire.  I've learned to try and walk in His footsteps, although I am not always great about that, He has lead by example and it is all explained in that wonderful Book.  All we have to do is pay attention and not make him out to be the God you want Him to be; but the God that He is.

I read today Philippians 3: 1-11 and Paul explains it all.  This verse was given in Emily's book to read and study and ponder. 

I downloaded the Kindle version of the book, but would love it in true book form.  Oh and Paige is having a give away at her blog for a copy.   Happy reading, and take some advice from this seasoned vintage girl; take some time to read your Bible today too. :)  It is full of wonderful things!

 

random

 
It's very hot these days so staying outside during the day really isn't a good thing; it's kinda like when it's winter and too cold to be outside so you just stay in ~ same thing with the heat; so I started a little knitting project to work on when it's time to relax.  And usually not far from me is my Seabold Vintage Market lavendar sachet.  It smells so good! 

I'm busy again with my wholesale orders now that my major fabric component is not longer out of stock I can get caught up on those lingering orders, ugh, people have such patience with me.  But honestly it wasn't my fault for the delay. :) 

Also, the Barn House Marketplace looks to be fully loaded and ready for shopping!  Love so many things they have in stock. 

I have to keep telling myself today is Wednesday!  Monday holidays always mess me up.  So enjoy your Wednesday!

PS - For you to make your own subway sign. you can print it out on a 11 x 17 sheet of paper. Have fun!!

 

DYI - Subway Sign

Oh boy, was this an undertaking.  I really wanted a subway sign, but have you priced them?  Way, way out of my range; so I decided to try and make my own.

 
I do not recommend trying to this project free-hand or you will go wacky like I did.  I so wanted clean, straight, crisp lines, but painting freehand obviously you are going to get imperfections.

 
My sweet daughter helped me finish painting it; and she also told me it is way easier to paint a painting like this with the image upside down because then you aren't anticipating what the lines look like; for instance the letters, upside down you will not visualize them the same so your painting comes out much better.  I love having a daughter with an art degree in the house ~ she has taught me so many tricks.

 
 
The finished piece  - it's okay, not exactly what I hoped for, but it will work for now.  I painted on a masonite board - which is really smooth on one side and rough on the other; it's very cheap and I use it a lot of paintings, it's thin and easy to work with.  The black is chalk board paint and I just used plain old cheap acrylic paint from the craft store for the lettering.  Unless you are super patient and can paint a straight line you can use different methods to do this, like using vinyl like the tutorial I found with the link below.  Considering I live no where near a copy place like Kinko's I just did it the old fashioned way, but if I lived near a place that made huge copies; I probably would have opted for a canvas print from photoshop. 

 Here is the link to the tutorial so you can make your own subway art, possibly easier than my way.  :)  My piece if 6.5" wide and 46" long.

http://www.lilblueboo.com/2010/01/resolutions-subway-art-tutorial.html

new look on junk

 
First off I have made a decision to not join in on anymore shows right now, especially for the upcoming year.  It will be fun to go to these shows for a change as a customer.  My decision was based on first and foremost burn out of doing shows, the expenses, the loading and unloading ~ was just becoming a little weary and my passion for it wasn't there anymore.  The other problem I have encountered are the hoards of people wanting to find treasures that were once easy to come by have now become a war to try and get.  As with most things all good times come to an end, and my luster has left.   Also, I was beginning to feel like a little bit of a hoarder.  Some things were mounting up and it looked like it was becoming out of control.  I have sold most everything now, but have a few odds and ends hanging around, and with those few things my new eye for junk has begun and started with this project.

 
My daughter and her hubby are staying with us through their transition from school to jobs and we are having a blast finding things around our own junk piles and refurbishing them into something else.  I know people have been doing this for a long time now;

but I never had,

 I just always sold the junk and from there people did their own things with it.  But since watching the Picker Sisters my brain and Kayla's is churning.  And just like the Picker Sisters have their own handy man for making their visions come true; we happen to have one of those guys in our corner too.  Tohny has been so gracious by making up our whims; that it even sparked him to do a few projects on his own.  He made this coat rack now hanging in our entry way out of repurposed wood and metal findings laying around.  Perfect! 

 
He also made this fantastic table from salvaged wood from an old rodeo arena.  It is a fantastic piece of furniture; and this one he is selling.  The legs are even custom made by him that he made with his lathe.  Very talented my son-in-law is. 

 
Our next project is to make this old fan thingy from some kind of farm equipment into a clock.  We are having fun thinking up all these things to do with junk and the best part is I am keeping it all for my home.  That's a switch!  :)

Tell me what fun projects you have made out of your pile of junk.  Would love to hear! 

 

somerset apprentice publication

 
Just received my copy of Somerset Apprentice!  This is a great publication for those of you who are really dipping your feet in the waters of playing around with art, especially mixed media for the first time or for you seasoned artists.  The layout for this publication is an accumulation of artists who share their love and techniques for mixed media.  And also there are secrets for the Pros; so you can learn even more tricks of the trade.

 
I was blessed enough to be a part of this issue.  You can learn how I use paper, paint, paste and yes even coffee to make a piece of art. 

 
Seriously this is a great issue with some wonderful artists sharing so many different things.  I am really enjoying this from cover to cover and can't wait to try a few other artists how to's out. 

 
Loving all of these step by step techniques as I know you will too.  You can order a copy of Somerset Apprentice here.  You will love it!  Thank you so much Somerset for allowing me to be part of your great creation!  :)