greenbeanbaby art

winners all around....

 

first of all, thank you all for your kindness and support with the etsy restocking!!! many goodies have been shipped off to a swell home today... i tried my hardest to price fairly including shipping as i buy all my envelopes, tissue papers, and ribbons to make each item pretty... for those who bought something, or checked out the prices, i would appreciate any feedback concering new products, prices, and overall greenbeanbaby-ness...

as promised, everyone who purchased goodies from the 18th to the 20th, were entered into a raffle to receive a free handmade cut paper illustration by yours truly... diego picked out the winner...

and after several attempts to get him to hold the paper up so we can see the winner, we were able to get a semi-decent shot of the name [and a cool shot of diego and his new haircut].... THE WINNER OF THE RAFFLE IS MISS POPPY LAUREL!!!! a BIG congrats to you!!!!!!!!!

on another topic... this is my lil kratos in the game informer magazine!!!! i've sent a couple submissions to them in hopes to make it in there... and i did!!! it's the reader art submissions and i am unsure if i won or not but either way, it's pretty awesome!! if you live near an eb games or a gamestop store, you can pick up this issue.... :)

lastly, i want to thank miss judy for awarding me the arte y pico award as well as the brillante weblog award.... she is just too sweet and i will work on givng these awards away when i get a chance.... it's going to be quite hard to narrow it down but i'll do my best :)....  it's been a wonderful week all around [with a few bumps in between]....

biggest hugs to you all!!!

on a personal note...

thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes... my birthday turned out wonderful despite the rough start... [and this post is about that rough start]... i've briefly mentioned that i've been on an emotional rollercoaster... perhaps it is just the realization that life goes a different path than what you planned... not that it turns out worse but you dream of getting so much done and wake up to find out your still so far away from your destination... instead of heading south, you had to head east because of road construction... [pertaining to life].... you plan on spending x amount of hours on a project only to have to sacrifice this time on a valid reason... you set goals only to have to put them on the backburner for a season... but this season seems to be taking longer than you hoped...

i have my family... and i am quite grateful for that... i have a husband who loves me and who helps me in so many ways... i have a husband who is willing to change the stinky diapers and bathe the dirty kids... i have two happy kids who get along with each other and aren't picky with toys or clothes... they are each unique and both strong willed... i am grateful to have chosen the route of being a stay at home mom although not every day am i smiling about it... the truth of the matter is, a mom can wonder if she is doing enough... cleaning enough... teaching her kids enough... a mom can wonder if she is feeding her kids enough... she can wonder if she is utilizing her time AND talents properly or if she is focusing on one thing too much... being a mom is alot of work...

and in my case, being an illustrator is alot of work... art never came EASY to me... i loved it but often it tested my emotions... my esteem... there were always people to root me on but i've had to fight doubts for years... i had hoped by this age, i'd have grown out of this thinking but apparently the thought of getting older made these thoughts more transparent... i guess its all a matter of perspective... i have ranted with frustration over my lack of skill in drawing the way i WANT to draw... i should be able to have more environments in my illustrations, right? i should be able to MOVE them more in the drawings instead of each character posing nearly the same way... i shouldn't be stuck on color anymore right?! it's the same stuff i struggled with for YEARS! it was the same stuff that made me wonder if i was even MEANT to illustrate... it's nice to have family and blogging friends to keep me encouraged and inspired... if i illustrated purely for myself, i'd have quit long ago...

we can all nitpick at our creations... we can evaluate them and compare them to other people's work... the flaws we find prevent us from getting to another level or experimenting... the frustrations that we dwell in often leave us too exhausted to work on something that we once had a joy for but allowed our own thoughts to kill that excitement... some days its hard to NOT listen to the doubts and worries... you hear yourself saying "it's not good enough" or "you'll never do more than this" or sometimes worse... you feel guilty for allowing yourself to believe the lies and you crawl into a cave, put on a hat, and throw yourself a pity party... and all the time, other people are still cheering you on and giving you compliments on your work...

and after awhile you have to make a choice... how long will you stay in the cave, crying at your pity party? how long will you use excuses of lack of time or energy before you had enough? how long will you say no one cares when you already have an audience? is it selfish to give up?! you make a quick wish of getting that "it's a wonderful life" experience but then wonder if it will be as extreme as jimmy stewart's... so how long will you mope like eyeore and get NOTHING accomplished when the whole reason you are moping is because you felt you haven't accomplished enough?! so in the end, you have to dry your tears, unwrinkle those sketches, grab the tools from the garbage pail [where you threw them in during your bette davis moment] and grasp onto all the wonderful comments and wishes and encouragement people have given you....

after all, we don't create soley for ourselves... it would be selfish to quit when others enjoy our work even if we aren't always pleased with our outcome... and although i've said this before, i am truly grateful for all the support my family and blogging friends have given me... if i didn't have an audience, i wouldn't create... it's like a pastry chef cooking tasty dairy desserts but having no one to eat them [and the chef cannot eat them due to lactose intolerance].... we all need support and encouragement as it is often the fuel for creativity... and it helps us get out of that pity mode.... it helps us WANT to get better instead of giving up... yes, i am truly grateful for you all.... i can only hope that i can give the same encouragement to you all that you have given me... thank you all from the bottom of my heart :)

ps. yes, these are more goodies for the july 18th etsy restocking...

what a week! warning: long post

before i begin my long post, i'd like to tell you all that my mom has joined the blog world... be sure to check her blog out as she will be posting about her thrift store finds and rummage sale finds... she's including tips too!!!! she finds so many treasures, that she continuously amazes me... she has a flickr page as well but i'm glad to see her writing about her trips!

on the other side, i'm STILL slow at blogging... life seems to be full of one thing after another... each one of my family members seem to be dealing with something leaving us all in dire need of a vacation... sadly, the closest we get to a vacation is a walk inside the local museum... and yes, i realized that seeing the stuffed animals and ancient artifacts at the museum was as close as i'd get to experiencing life outside of milwaukee... the closest i will get to texas is eating garlic texas toast... the nearest i will get to a giant body of water, is lake michigan... 

ok, can you see why i haven't blogged? dark satire, emotions that go this way and that, and the thought that i'm one year older in less than a week... of course, i'm only turning 27 so ONE DAY we will get our vacation... hehe... but every day there is a test to my emotions, my will, my actions... for instance, my paypal was hacked into... i'm nervous about using that account again so most likely, i will have to set up a new one for my etsy shop... i'm hoping this whole ordeal won't delay the re-stocking on the 18th... still, i'm left feeling nervous at what else this person has gotten a hold of... my empty bank account? my etsy shop? my blog? they have my address and my phone number...

it frustrates me that someone hacked into my account and tried to buy so much stuff... i don't even spend that much in real life!!! i haven't seen money like that in my hands since i had to PAY my gas and electric bill... if i had a couple thousand dollars, do you think i'd buy video games?! first off, even if i DID buy a video game, i'd have gotten the lego's indiana jones... i'd buy dye for my graying hair! i'd get another haircut! i'd get myself a darn good sandwich at panera bread... i'd pay my bills, for goodness sake! it's a shame that something like this NOT ONLY affects me but it affects the sellers who got jipped out of a deal... i hope the person who did this gets caught and pays a hefty price [literally and figuratively]...

it's not just this though... i have had to go to the doctor several times... isabella caught a contagious rash which left us homebound for a week... it's clearing up but it's hard to NOT get cabin fever in the house... by the time her rash cleared up enough to go out, we were all happy to take a walk to the park... she loves her new 20" baby [keep in mind isabella isn't even 30"] and she loves strolling her all about, regardless of her size... isabella is so funny even with her scabby lil feetsies... she is one serious gal who forever dotes on her brother and is forever handing out teeny kisses... and she is quite protective over her new "beh-beeee"

and diego has had to see the doctor too... he was bitten by some bug not in the mosquito family... and only him... at first i thought it was flea bites caused by squirrels burrowing into the ceiling of his bedroom... we think he was just bit by a mite from outside but still, the kid has all these red marks on him... but nothing makes diego happier, than a new batman mask... diego LOVES his new mask and wears it everywhere.. to the museum, to the grocery store, at target, and of course to bed... the first day it was over 83º in the house but he wore his mask and long sleeved outfit... he told me "mom, my face is all wet!!!" then whenever we are in public, people will say "hey, look its batman!"... diego will tell me "wow, mom they know batman!!!! they know ME!!!" he trips me out, my diego boy!

overall though, things aren't bleak... i'll have more goodies to show you for the etsy shop by the end of the weekend... i have a couple sketches which were a trial to even draw!!! i had one of those moments where i say "i'm never gonna draw again... i'm gonna close my shop... i'm gonna quit blogging... i'm never cleaning this house again... i'm gonna make paper airplanes with all my sheets of paper".... yes, i did warn you all that my emotions have been a bit topsy right?! haha... i can laugh at it now, but trust me, i've shed some tears... i'm glad to have family and blogging friends to keep me inspired, encouraged, and motivated... 

ah, now lets take a deep breath after such a post!

happy mother's day

to all the moms out here in blogland.... for all the moms who work hard daily raising their kids the best they can, may your day be filled with peace and joy... for all the moms who worry, fret, love, care, clean, enjoy, discipline [with love], cry, laugh, and share with their kids, may you see how much you are appreciated and loved.... i know i could not be half the mom i am without having an awesome role model as my own... i'm grateful to have a mom that listens and understands and loves her grandkids so much...

happy mother's day!!! and a big hug to you all!!!!

note: card illustrated by diego hill- my very first handmade mother's day card :)

sweetness all around

summer is nearly here and i am so darn excited about it... this summer is completely different from all the previous ones as now, i have a nearly four year old boy who finds jumping off high places to be fun... he's more vocal and about 10x more energetic than before...  i have a one year old girl who loves her dresses and loves chasing her brother... i have two kids who enjoy each other's company and find that regardless of swarming wasps, the outside world is a place where you can holler as loud as your lungs mom allows....

and this summer, ramel will be home more often... he just began a new job this week and it allows him to only have to work the normal 8 hrs a day... this is a BIG deal in the hill household as prior to this week, the man was doing about 13hrs daily... he'd come home to bathe and play with the kids.... he'd have less than 2hrs before both were put to bed... he'd go to work before they woke up... we'd squeeze our time in aside from fatigue, my artwork, etc. and somehow, our time always seemed interrupted... ramel has had absolutely minimal time to work on art... something he missed.... so, with this new job [and a promotion at that], he will get to enjoy the summer with us all... he'll be home while the sun still shines... we can go to the parks together and perhaps sneak in a movie... ah yes, it's going to be a treat!

with this extra time of his, we both will have a chance to work on art and feel like our degrees aren't left collecting dust... while i've had my time to work on stuff, it's a completely different feeling when you have two people working on art early in the morning... or late at night... it gives you an extra oomph to create... the atmosphere is filled with creativity and inspiration.... it's a bit hard to explain but seeing my husband have a chance to do something he loves [sketching, painting, etc] is such a good feeling... it's attractive too :)... it reminds me of when we were first dating... we'd sit at coffee shops working on a project... we'd talk about what we wanted to accomplish.... somehow, back then we had a lot of conversations which is something i've missed lately... sure, discussing the children can be a good topic but the parents are important too, ya know?!

so that is the good news... fun summer with the family... more time with the family... and now, more paper too!! yes, indeed!!! the other day, lisa said she had some paper for me... when i received the box, i was literally squealing at the OODLES of paper she included... isabella was to be my model for the photo of this wonderful package but she was too busy running off.... lisa musta sent me over 400 sheets!!!! sweetness, eh?! i spent all last morning and night trying to re-organize my papers but that will be saved for another post at another time... [brace yourself- hehe]

sweet patty also sent me some wonderful and beautiful papers that made me giddy with delight! kawaii stationery that is just to drool for!!! there are so many cute illustrations that it was hard to take photos that would do such a gift justice... if this doesn't jar a gal's inspiration and creativity, then what else will? i've been wanting to experiment with some new greenbeanbaby styles that are kawaii-influenced.... i don't wanna be a copycat but it'd be nice to something besides my usual gals with big eyes and a big head smiling away [although, kawaii art is that way too so what am i talking about?!]...

you can see more wonderful photos here... patty was just a doll to send so much beautiful goodness... and lisa too... i am grateful for all the love that has been sent to the hill household and hope that this summer our joy will radiate to your homes :) after all, we are all here to inspire, encourage, and motivate each other, right?!

we cannot forget one of the bestest days in the world is on sunday.... so until then have a happily splendid weekend!

eat your meat, baby!

you know, i'm not a big girl... never was... i'm short and not even close to being a full figured gal... the other day i was looking at an old sewing book... late 1950's print... if you take a close look at this photo, check out all the sizes for these females... do you realize that i am considered an "under developed sub-teen?" those are EXACTLY my measurements... while some people may find that to be a good thing, i don't know if i like the idea of having a SUB teen figure... i'm not even a TEEN, i'd be a SUB teen!!!! and under developed???

granted, the way females are measured is differently these days... a size 12 back then is like a size 5 today... so while i have a retro measured figure, i really do look under developed compared to the girls these days... heck, there are 8yr old girls who put my figure to shame... my mom always says it's gotta be all the hormones pumped in the chicken.... and you know, she could be right... that is the ONE THING i didnt eat as a kid... i hated chicken... the veins made me gag... the cartilage made me choke.... the sliminess made me cry....

if only my mom would have told me to eat my chicken for the sake of having a body like a woman, and not a sub-teen... hehe... then i might have mustered up my courage and eaten some.... and maybe i wouldn't be blogging on such an off- topic.... maybe i wouldn't feel like i got jipped in certain areas of my figure...

still, you know, eating and feeding are such a chore at the hill household... i'm allergic to raw fruits and veggies... i don't eat meat... i don't like yogurt... in fact, i am lactose intolerant.... there is very little left on the menu for me to enjoy that is healthy... on top of that, i have a picky son who seems to dislike more foods than me.... and isabella is small but she likes to eat... however, finding something that ALL OF US can enjoy together is like trying to flap my arms and fly... a nearly impossible feat [ok, flying IS impossible]....

my kids are energetic but are considered thin... i don't understand the way measurements are taken these days... we live in a society where thin is good... society complains of obese kids with diabetes... society protests the use of vending machines in the schools... and yet, my kids, who aren't chunky monkeys, are told they are TOO thin... my kids don't eat much junk food, they don't drink sugary drinks, and they don't watch oodles of television... they are more active than i can handle at times [using my couch as a trampoline]... i find this frustrating when society DOESN'T want obese kids but doctors DON'T want THIN kids... society WANTS our kids to eat healthy but yet, when my daughter wants fruits and yogurt that don't contain high calories, i am to feel guilty? maybe i should hand her a donut instead...

this isn't a thought provoking post... just a bit of a ramble slash rant...

the problem

are  you tired of making to-do lists but rarely getting to cross every item off as "done?" do you have oodles of art projects in dire need of attention and completion? are you tired of feeling the incredible guilt of taking a moment to rest KNOWING there is so much you could do BESIDES actually sleep?? are you frustrated that there are far too many things undone and little motivation to push you? are you sick of not meeting deadlines and knowing all you have to do is give a handful of excuses as to why you're late? are you angry at yourself for being lazy despite the fact you do a thousand things in a day [and these thousand things are the same things you have to do EVERY day... and no matter how many times you clean that bathroom, it gets dirty... no matter how many times you do dishes, there is another dish left on the table with crusted cheese begging to be scraped off... no matter how many times you sweep, there is a little kid pretending he is cookie monster and putting crumbs on the floor] are you fed up with yourself for falling asleep and dreaming of someone yelling at you for that project they waited ages for????

if you are experiencing some or all of these symptoms, then i feel you! we are rowing the same boat and feeling the same guilt and in need of the same motivation.... of course, if only father time would grant us a few extra hours then we wouldn't be in this pickle but he isn't that generous... we all need a boost... we aren't in school and we don't get a poor grade if our project is late... we aren't getting paid by the hour for these projects so we don't get the satisfaction that on friday, we get our money's worth... we manage our time as best as possible and yet it could still use a bit more management skills...

so in saying all this, i set up a wee bit of fun for those of us who want to participate... check on the side of the blog for more info on the spring clean-a-thon...

new week, new updates...

thank you all for your support and kind words over the weekend... the etsy re-RE-reopening was a success and there are only 14 items left... guess it's time for me to make more, right?! well, the website still needs to be divvyed up and published... once that is up, there will be [hopefully] new goodies available including a few of my illustrations... the set date for the greenbean art site is april 11th... again, i hope it's well worth the wait and not a disappointment to any of us [yep, self included]

boy, there are many projects to complete still, aside from the website... the children's book has been pushed on the backburner but is in dire need of attention... there are only a few spreads to sketch out so there isn't a need to procrastinate... time to sharpen the pencil and get to working...

there are a few custom illustrations to make, incuding my niece's birthday illustration... [i can't remember if these ramblings were blogged on recently] every year i make her an illustration and every year the illustration is late... last year, she didn't even get one... so this year, i wanted to make her a bigger one with 2 characters [to make up for last year]... i'm pretty sure it will be a superhero theme... whether its girls dressed in superhero pj's or gals dressed AS superheroes, is still unknown... i hope she likes her own lil gallery of greenbeanbaby work and will save it for years to come... i should do this for my kids too but i thought they might get sick of my work faster than ananda... my mom informed me that she enjoys my work so much that receiving one yearly would be a great tradition for her too... who can resist a mother's request?!

aside from that, we have family life busy and more busy... last week was spring break for diego... he was excited to get back to school and play with kids his own age... not to say, he didn't have a good time here but we all know i'm not a preschooler [and try as i might, i can't play or think like one]... and we know that isabella is not even a toddler, and try as SHE might, she can't keep up with her brother either...

speaking of isabella... she turns one very soon!! that means, she gets to enjoy the wonderful taste of whole milk... it wasn't until recently that i've really enjoyed the fact that her teeth came in so late... she has learned how to use them thus making nursing a fearful event [for me]... i've even called the doctor to see if we could her give her a bit of pediasure... the okay was given and lemme tell you, she loves it!!! just like diego, she clutches that sippy cup and squeals with delight... and when she drinks a bit, she seems a bit drunk- all giggly and swooning everywhere... yes, she is growing up so fast...

she's awaken from her nap so it's time for our lunch...

stay tuned for sketch peeks, kid smiles, photos of paper purchases, and website updates...

static shock, etsy, and current news...

do you like getting shocked?! i am sure the answer is no, unless you enjoy that jolt of unnerving pain racing thru your body and down your spine... i've only been shocked [without the assistance of static] a few times... plugging something in with wet hands, using a metal hook to hang a decoration onto a light runner, cleaning something electrical with a wet cloth, etc... it never felt good and if it'd been a cartoon, you'd have seen my head turn into a donkey from feeling like one... after all, these incidents were all caused from doing something stupid...

but static shock is another matter... i get shocked daily and have learned to live with it [although it's not to be enjoyed]... instinctively, i cringe when i turn on a lamp, or flick a light switch on... and vacuuming is an ordeal that requires preparation... you see, i have a cyclonic vacuum cleaner so the dust/garbage collected needs to be emptied daily... this means getting shocked... the other day, there was dust caught in the bottom of the container... banging it against the garbage bin wasn't cutting it... so i grabbed a butter knife [mind you, the vacuum is unplugged... the container wasn't even connected to the vacuum!]... and whadda know, i got the worst shock of all! i felt the surge of electricity go through one arm and out the other... it made my body jump!!! [gosh, i wonder how frankenstein's monster felt!!!]

so that was a bad idea... did you know that it is possible to be embarrassed even when no one is around??!! keep in mind, that was a STATIC SHOCK!!!! anyhow, eventually all the dust/garbage came loose but now the container was a wee bit dusty... like monica in friends, i do NOT like a dirty vacuum cleaner!!! you'd think using a normal DRY rag to clean some dust would be safe, right?! no sirree!!!! i got another shock that made me mad! good grief, it shouldn't be a painful experience to clean your house, eh?!  on the bright side, my carpet was clean and my hair was just a tad fluffier than when i began...

aside from being shocked, i've played xbox live more often than i should have... sadly my membership expired so playing online with other halo 3 buddies is no longer an option... it's all for the better anyhow, as there is less than 10 days to my grand re-re-reopening of the etsy shop... there are oodles of notebooks, mini blank books, some cards, and magnets to be available... all of the above photos are previews for what will be available at that time although the batgirl is a sneak peek for my website... you can see more etsy sneak peeks here... stay tuned for more, as this weekend will be filled with creating goodies!

lastly, isabella is now 11 months!!! coincidentally, she finally got her first tooth!!!! yes, you read that right! my baby girl began walking long before a tooth sprouted... in less than a week, the second one is popping out... her top gums look incredibly swollen so no doubt, her big front teeth will be cutting in a month or so... there are plenty more pictures to see of her here...

have a great weekend!!!

advertising, anyone?

with my new website coming up, i'm looking on ways to make it a bit more beneficial.... google offers a way for you to include ads on your site and you get a teeny bit of money for it... i tried throwing a couple on here for a split second [to test it out] and the ads were all for green bean casserole.... phooey... i was kinda hoping that there'd be ads on paper and such... now, i don't want to throw a bazillion annoying ads on there, but i am curious on your opinion on the overall matter... considering that i am all for promoting artists and their art, do you think the google ads would counteract that idea?!

have any of you used google ads? and have any of you gone onto a site and was turned off by all the ads??? personally, i like a clutter-free website and blog... i like things organized and easy for people to go through... that means i enjoy going to other sites with the same organizational qualities... in saying so, i don't want a thousand ads telling you to go here and there and never back to the greenbeanbaby site... considering how life is so full of chaos and things to do and places to go, i actually want my site to be a wonderful place to sit down and relax... drink a cup of coffee and browse through the world of cut paper... be inspired and motivated... high hopes for this site, ya know? and yet, there is so much to complete on there too >sigh<

i've been working very hard on the etsy stuff... probably not as hard as i should though... i can't tell you how many notebooks i've gotta illustrate... and the magnets... and the notecards... and a couple of surprise goodies... i've lost count... to be honest, i am just plum tired and considered on extending the date... however, i refuse to do that because we all know that nobody likes a procrastinator... come march 27th, that night is going to be filled with putting all the goodies up in the shop, adding descriptions, and tags, and leaving them in the inactive listings spot... then at midnight, each item will be added in... hopefully ramel won't mind giving this greenbean a helping hand....

on a completely different topic, check this out... there is my mom on the far left... isabella is on the right... don't they look so much alike?! between that hair and cheeks [and the serious face they give], you can tell isabella and my mom are related...  it's one of the 2 pictures i've ever seen of my mom in her childhood years... it's always amazing to see how much our kids resemble the people we love most...

now, time to get diego on the school bus, isabella down for a nap, work on some art, and go to a school meeting [and make it home in time for LOST]

side note: pretty soon, that abc project [like the letter z in the first image] i've been working on will be unveiled... just waiting on a couple more pieces... i've received so much help from many talented artists, you will all enjoy it, no doubt!