may you have a wonderful sunday!
from the entire greenbean family
happy new years!!
it's the new year and what's best to start the year with happy stuff... first, my mom's new lollishops is open... you can check it out over here! she'll be adding goodies continuously...
on christmas eve, we've received some great packages in the mail including handmade and sweet goodness from meghan... [there's more photos at my flickr]... isn't that sweet of her?! she's a doll!
also on christmas eve, my mother and sister came over for our annual ornament swapping... the first few years we made them but now we buy them.... i ordered my ornaments from stephanie, julie, and nicky... and i made one ornament for us all... [nicky's pretty ornaments can be seen here]
my sister bought me the other starbucks ornament so now i have BOTH!! that makes my tree and me happy!!! my mom also purchased a glittery cottage from julie for the swap as well as a couple more goodies...
this lovely set of visual and artistic
goodies is from our pals, digital snowmen [eric and karen]... the book is hilarious!!! the beautiful katamari game is for moi and it's quite fun... challenging with catchy songs.... the dvd is for ramel ;)
isabella is doing wonderful despite being sick for over a week... she's been enjoying the fact that diego is home all day now as well as her daddy... here she is with her favorite care bears that are nearly as big as her... she loves to hold both!
diego is loving vacation from school... he gets to play oodles of games... when he isn't playing games or chasing isabella, he is sleeping soundly with his batman in a superman bed with superman covers on a spiderman pillow while wearing iron man pjs and a power rangers vest... some kid, eh!?
and when i am not packing up stuff, i am cleaning up the new place... and when i'm not doing neither of that, i'm relaxing my incredibly sore body... and by relaxing, i mean, playing video games on xbox live with some of our pals... hehe
so what greatness do you have to start the new year?!
g is for grateful...
there is so much to be grateful for... with all the BIG changes [some bittersweet] ahead of us, a person gets to wondering, sometimes worrying, about what has to be done and what the future holds... a person should cut back on caffeine during such emotional rollercoasters but thankfully, there are many things to keep a person leveled... .. i am truly grateful for all the people in my life... the friendships that have cultivated in the least likely of places... i'm grateful for a family who sticks together and enjoys time together... i'm grateful for all the people who contribute to my family, my passions, and who inspire and motivate and uplift...
the week began rough.. well, we should pluralize the word "week"... my mind is consumed with moving and my hands are not cutting paper accurately... i spent 2 days huddled in my attic to create one teeny tiny magnet... i have body parts [of paper people] cut out and ready to assemble but the thought of glueing gets me worrying about messing up... so i end up getting a cup of coffee and playing video games... the next day begins a bit rough from the guilt that i didn't finish something... and then, ramel brings up the mail... goodness to brighten anyone's day!!!
the first three photos are of goodness that nelson and andrea [and baby "monkey"... they are expecting YAYYYY!!!! *crowd claps and cheers loudly*] sent our way... isn't diego a ham in his batman robe?! he wears it with style DAILY... and looka miss isabella in her pretty new dress... i had to stand her on the record player to get a shot of her... she's a lil doll, eh!? hehe... nelson and andrea also sent us some chocolates [which you can see are missing thanks to ramel, isabella, and me].... they sent ramel microsoft points [which anybody on xbox live drools over!!] and a DARLING starbucks coffee ornament.... oh!! and they also sent some kawaii and coffee lovers stationary!! now, isn't that a dreamy package !? they are such an awesome couple and are gonna be some darn awesome parents very soon!!!!!
the next day we got over a foot of snow...but along with the snow came such a surprise... our friends, ali and phil also sent us mail... a gift card to gamestop and microsoft points... i can't even describe in writing what a shock [of awesomeness] this was to us... i'm telling you, ramel is into games like i'm into paper.... and between ramel, ali, and phil, i've become an addict to games and gaming and the whole xbox live experience... i mean, how many swell couples can you find that prefer killing zombies or chainsawing ugly beings from the depths of earth[?]?? it's been so much fun getting to know them online as we strive for the next achievement before one of us gets too tired :) getting a gift card to aid in this guilty pleasure totally made us flip out... they are just the sweetest!!!!
and then yesterday!!! there was another surprise package waiting for us... miss gracie sent us oodles of goodness including an australian tee... yeah, diego is gonna look awesome in it! there was candy and a little golden book too!! maybe tomorrow i will be able to read it to him and we can drool over the illustratios together :D these kids are so blessed from around the world! it makes a mama so grateful for such caring people who think about her greenbeans :)
miss gracie sent so
much handmade goodness too... tons of handmade envelopes with the most
darling images on them... they inspire me to create some too but we can leave that for the talented gracie... the cards with the teeny envelope holding the teeny butterfly are just so elegant!! i was so much fun going through each item and observing all the details...
oh and there were pretty papers too!! ah, so much to swoon over, eh?! she also sent a darling ornament- i just love it!!! and looka this darling bangle bracelet for isabella... isabella is the only 20 month gal i know who needs her own jewelry box... from earrings to necklaces and now bracelets, this girl is glammed up with goodies from around the world... gracie, you are too sweet!1 thank you so much!!!
on top of it all, there was a raffle drawing at theresa's blog... and i won!!! theresa sent a copy of her very own illustrated and written children's book [cut paper, mind you!!] along with some of her notecards and tags.... isn't that awesome!? i cannot wait to just drool over all the illustrations in the book- and read it to diego... he's gonna like it :D theresa is a talented illustrator and a sweet person who has constantly given me inspiration to pursue my dreams....
last but certainly not least, here are awesome prints from blake... another surprise in the mail that brightened my day.... the purple print is named after isabella and the creature who's yelling print is named after diego... sweet, eh?! i cannot wait to decorate my new studio with artwork created by such wonderful and talented friends like blake... it's been a wonderful week leading up to christmas and i appreciate everyone who has been there for us... it really means alot!
i hope you all have a wonderful christmas!!! biggest hugs to you all!!
who/what's cute?!
isabella's 'fro... she does have a ton of hair... it curls up so tight that her hair looks like it only gets thicker not longer... but really, her hair is thick AND long... the perfect ingredients for a blackarican 'fro...
dainty dollies made by linda... she sent a ton more goodies for our swap but here is a shot of her handmade gals and strawberry sticks... aren't they just darling?! it makes me wanna buy glass glitter and mess around with some pipe cleaners... of course, no way could i do what linda does!!!
glittery cupcakes by julie.... oh, these are pretty, eh?! they are perfect for any ornament trading tradition that you may have... or at least, we have... every year my sister, mom and i swap ornaments... we used to make them but now we buy them... this year i went the etsy route and supported a few of my fellow talented etsians... [now, to find handmade so]ap!!
artwork in the making... yes, i find the work in progress to be cute... it's like paper dolls in need of being played with... i'm working on 5 illustrations for one customer's two daughters... the heads, hair, hands, and legs, were all cut out... this week will be clothes, accessories, eyes, mouth, and a goal to find the perfect backgrounds... seeing progress is exhilarating...
and lastly, it's cute seeing isabella sitting comfortaby in my world... a couple weeks ago, she was all tantrums... and now she's all cuddles... she's content in my studio near the xbox, the games, the wonderfully illustrated books by karen katz, lost season 4 [oh yeah, who got their lost on!?], and dolls from my childhood... she's a matter-of-fact kinda gal who appreciates the enjoyment of modern gaming, the simplicity of illustrations, and the coziness of a CLEAN and warm room... that's a definition of cute for sure!
what's your definition of cute?!
a weekend gone swell...
what could make a bitterly cold weekend a SWELL weekend?! tons of mail goodness, that's what!!! [oh, and a bit of gears of war 2... but we shan't rant on my latest addiction right now]... the weekend began with a wonderful swap package from kimberly... scrumptious and beautiful sheets of paper had me droolin' like a fool...
and what about these BEAUTIFUL earrings she MADE?! four perfectly handmade earrings that isabella will NOT steal ;)... every single pair is a different style and each one suitable for any occasion [we'll ignore the fact that 90% of my occasions are trips to target]... miss kimberly is the sweetest, thank you!!!
my dear friend and gamin' buddy, alison sent along a few yummy goodies... roasted peas that are purely addicting... ramel has eaten mostly one bag on his own [she sent 3!!] and diego has even eaten a few... that is the closest he gets to any veggies so we must thank ali for contributing to his good health... it's a snack not to feel guilty over, eh?!
so not only is she a darn good halo partner and yes, a gears buddy too, she is a wonderful cookie cook!! these are mostly organic chocolate chip oatmeal coconut cookies... they were DELICIOUS!!! they didn't even last for 4hrs before the greenbean family devoured them... thank you so much ali!!
another dear friend, andrea [who sent along a package blogged about] sent isabella her very own magnetic drawing board... isabella kept taking diego's diego book so andrea gave isabella her own... wasn't that just sweet?! of course, the girl took a liking to it... and I GOT MORE PAPER.... can we squeal with delight?! more paper to drool at and no complaining that i ran out of red and brown paper for hair- hehe
on top of that, andrea won diego over with the coolest marvel shirt... diego's smile should say it all... the minute i opened it up, he was like "aw wow! that's so cool!! can i wear it now?!" and then he told me about every character minus daredevil... he loves his new shirt!!! thank you so much sweet andrea for thinking of my family...
and yes, you see MORE goodness!!! sweet amy sent a care package to diego and isabella filled with candy and gummies and creative treats!!! isabella has a handmade felted hair clip which she'll be sportin' this week... and while the book is for her, gossie is a DARLING read for even me... [hey a mom likes having good reads too especially if kids want the same story read to them over and over]
amy and her family also sent diego a ton of creative books and crayons to keep him entertained and his creative juices flowing.... i had to keep isabella abay [that girl goes after ANY of diego's stuff... not like she is lackin' in toys and such]
but what diego loved the most, was the toys!!!! can you tell?! we get these sort of sets at target often [in various characters]... he has all the iron mans, a couple star wars, a couple other people and now HULK and silver surfer.... these toys are called his "too smalls" and there are some that are just a wee bigger than the rest... like hulk is bigger than the surfer dude... but he is as big as one of the iron mans... so diego makes sure that those two characters play and fight together... he's organized in his toy strategy, eh?! thank you so much amy for such wonderfulness!!
and just today, in the middle of me blogging our friends came to visit [and lend us battlestar gallactica season 2].... karen handed me a HUGE pile of BEAUTIFUL wall paper 8x8" squares... oh, so many to drool at and use!!! so many silvers and whites and browns and golds- all perfect for some greenbeanbaby illustratin'... miss karen is a sweetie!!
now that was a long post... the greenbean family had a swell weekend for sure... we are all so grateful... and just to end the post, here is a photo of isabella in her new outfit ;)
sunday's post...
it's been awhile- or so it seems... last week was jampacked with greenbeanbaby family goodness and now there's a good week's worth to post about... so everyday this week, you'll have your fill of paper, ramblings, and greenbeanbaby happiness... and what better way to begin, than by showing you the wonderful goodies sent by sweet sweet andrea....
wait! maybe i should give you an intro of how i met andrea... it began with ramel, actually... he started going on halobabies.net since it's halo AND art related... he met a talented artist named kalel [NOT his real name ;)]... the two began an internet connection and one day, kalel's wife named andrea emailed me and began commenting on my blog... her and kalel are a wonderful couple, and i wish this post could express it better...in between all this, ramel is getting his site hooked up by mr. kalel himself... they even did an interiew together.... and me and andrea continue to chat, email, and maintain a wonderful long distance friendship ;)
so, last week, we received a wonderful and beautiful package from andrea... she had gifts for both kids!! of course, the drawing book and tablet was for diego... he LOVES it but dislikes hearing isabella crying... and she cries if she can't draw on this... so diego shares his wonderful gift with isabella and to admit, it's cute to see them both enjoying artwork... a chip off the ol' blocks ;)
andrea [who is a dancer] sent isabella her very first leotard... oh boy, i cannot wait to get photos of baby girl wearing it... as andrea and i chatted and emailed, she spoke of how she began ballet classes at a very young age... and that got me sooooooo excited and inspired for isabella... i mean, baby girl LOVES to dance!! and she loves to be on her tippy toes... and she loves music... and she loves girly things... would it be so far fetched to think she may happen to like ballet?? funny, when i showed her the leotard, she got all smiley, regardless of just waking up seconds ago...
and if a person doesn't already know, i love me some paper, right?! well, do you think andrea dismissed this fetish of mine?! of course not!! she sent oodles of embellishments and papers for me to google at and use... glittery, felt, embossed, and floral patterned products had me gushing like a kid given candy... aren't they all just lovely?! [squeals with delight] thank you so much andrea for such a wonderful and beautiful package of love and goodness!
now, i am off to rest... i cleaned my studio today to accomodate the pretty new papers given to me [and purchased over the weekend, which is another post].... i think i'm catching a cold so its best i take some tylonel and watch eureka til my sniffles have me falling asleep ;)
happy new week everyone!!!
updates plus mail love...
diego is doing much better despite the fact that he's lost 4 pounds and is skinny enough to dodge raindrops... on tuesday and wednesday, he didn't eat a single thing, not even popsicles... we offered him water and juice but he preferred the water... on wednesday, he was sick to his stomach and vomiting all night [on and off]... as he wasn't dehydrated, we waited until the following morning to take him to the emergency room... they gave him anti-nauseous medicine and sent him on his way home a couple hours later...
that same day, he stopped vomiting and mustered up enough strength to do a dance when ramel mentioned getting a new batman toy for him... we headed to target and diego was quite happy to get another toy... even today, he is doing much better and walking around alot... he is quietly playing with his toys and also wanting to cuddle a whole lot with his mother... he's such a sweetie but it's kind of rough to see him so darn skinny and unable to talk... he just mumbles and smiles but no doubt, he will be a chatterbox in a couple of days...
aside from these happenings at the hill household, i've been receiving so much mail goodness... ms. judy hartman sent me a beautiful paper illustrated greeting card... judy makes the most beautiful portraits in paper- her attention to detail in the eyes and hair is to be admired... thank you so much judy for giving me one of your wonderful creations!!!
a while ago, i won a "de-stash my stash" raffle hosted by andria... the other day, she sent me an envelope jam-packed with goodness... oodles and oodles of stickers plus swag, retro snippets, and collage pieces... it was so much that i just HAD to reorganize all my stickers by genre and size... [yes, i have this wee obsession with organizing things]... you can see another shot here... thank you so much andria for all the loveliness you sent this way!!!
and miss pattycakes sent me more kawaii stationery love... ah, more goodness to inspire my future creations for the etsy shop and illustrations... the last time she sent me some goodness, i ended up making some sweet magnet friends... i just can't wait to actually make some illustrations in this style.... it's nice to do more than just my usual big eyed, big headed characters, ya know?! anyhow, she sent me a ton of envelopes, memos, and stationery sheets :) thank you so much, patty!!!
and lastly, i ended up buying myself more paper and another paper punch... i've come to the realization that it's retro flower paper punches and paper packs are an obsession... it's not a light fetish or a natural desire for crafty goodness... but it's an obsession that makes a greenbeanbaby all giddy with delight... it makes her stay up until 3am re-organzing her studio and paper stash... it makes her inspired despite the incredible heat that zaps away her energy... in time, you will see all the goodness put to use and made available in some creative form to you...
in the meantime, there is a 4yr old birthday party to prepare for, a kid to care for, and a baby girl who is madly missing her wild playtime with her brother... and for now, the night time is spent relaxing to the sounds of "gained the lead" in halo instead of working on art after working so hard that day... but like i said, its time to get cracking on a few things:)
have a wonderful weekend!
inspired by mary blair...
remember this project? it was began when i was still pregnant with isabella... there were six of us ladies who each had to illustrate 5 books, not including our own... [ you can see my contributions here]... well, after 16+ months, we are finally wrapping it up... i finished theresa's book last night, and boy it was fat... i barely had room to put my illustrations in it, so i improvised by making wall hangings instead... and to fill in the last spread, i put a print of mary blair's illustrations, and a cut paper version of my own...
"dreams do come true. Without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them" by john updike
theresa gets to cook all sorts of unique and family friendly foods for her household... i THINK they live a vegan lifestyle and i can imagine that this is NOT the easiest to follow... i am sure a person becomes a pro at it though, right?! this illustration is left blank on the back so that one day her son could put his own quote on it... the lady is to be theresa, by the way....
"other things may change us, but we start and end with family" by anthony brandt
the background paper has peter pan quotes on it :)
and this is the last one... it is a bit longer than the other three... on the back it says:
"being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. it means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections"
all these quotes were meant for hope... perhaps her son will grow out of the allergies... one day he won't have to live in worry that if he eats a piece of cheese, it will be life threatening... and even if he happens to grow out of them, he may stick with a vegan diet but it will be his choice... either way, his mom goes to GREAT lengths to keep him healthy and happy and to give him a wonderful life...
note: like my giant copyright?! i'm being a bit exaggerative today just to clarify that my images are owned by yours truly... you can see them WITHOUT the giant ©GBB over at my flickr page... hehe!!
the first packages of 2008
meet simone's paper people... aren't they just the cutest lil ladies?! they are tags that are too pretty to use so they will be hung up for all to see... simone and i have done swaps previously and its always a treat to share with her... this is the first time i got a peek at her paper works... they are so well crafted and clean cut and assembled with perfection... and they make a gal wanna smile :)
she also sent more paper that are shades of black, white, and grays... those colors are not ones i buy often and yet am always diggin' in my stash to find some... she sent so many pretty patterns that will fill the need of such shades... simone also sent diego a mr. cool book... when diego saw it, he goes "oh wow! coooool!" he carries it around telling me that he likes the blue triangle guy :) the chocolates are yummy and the stickers will come in handy... isabella received a book too but it didn't make it into the photo...
look at these pretty papers!!! the purple stack is full of handmade papers ranging with glittery designs and sewn patterns... i have the perfect project for these babies and am looking forward to using them [and working on that project]... the inspirations pack is darling and will also be used... simone sent such a wonderful package and i am truly grateful for her patience, sweetness, and kindness!!!
colin johnson is a wonderful artist, i met via flickr... his paintings are surreal and his collages are an amazing site... well, he was selling a bit of his goodies on ebay, including these original 1979 flash gordon action figures... not only are they collectibles, but they were owned by colin himself... so when he gets to be a millionaire, these will be priceles :) these are mine in hopes that one day, when diego gets MUCH older and has his own collection to save, i can pass these to him [for display and not to play]... in the meantime, they stand in my shelf in the living room.... colin also sent me a slew of other goodies and toys for diego... a swell guy!!
lastly, just a bit more proof that miss isabella is on the go... she is walking better and better every day... my li'l munieca...
love from kerry...
blogging has been sporadic [due to unforseen circumstances] but the internet love hasn't stopped flowing... i was in the 2nd annual handmade holiday swap and the other week kerry sent me such a beautiful package... the wrapping alone was dreamy, and of course, on top of the wrapped goodies, there was a bag of dark chocolates... kerry said i could wait until christmas to open it, but there was no resisting...
after carefully opening the packages [and saving the wrapping paper] i discovered kerry's beautiful handmade earrings! the brown and blue earrings are glass and oh so elegant!!!! the silver earrings are dainty too and match any sor to outfit... they are also comfy to wear [as you know, comfy is key when you have a baby girl who wants to rip dangles from your ears]... i never had so many darling earrings in my life and wish i had places to show them off :) maybe a new haircut will do the trick?! [and a bit of dye to cover up those pesky gray hairs- yep, you read that right]...
to match the earrings, kerry made this BEAUTIFUL scarf!! i mean, its truly elegant and also quite comfortable... she used kathy's tutorial and it is really made with care, quality, and delicacy... out of the two times i've been out of the house, i've gotten compliments on the scarf.... people are surprised it's handmade and are crazy about the color combination.... i love wearing handmade goodness and being able to tell others about the wonderful bloggers i'm honored to have swapped with... i only wish i had business cards from everyone to just give out and say "she made this- check it out"... hehe...
kerry sent such a sweet package and is patiently waiting for mine... yep, i fell behind on swapping and feel like a horrible person [especially after writing that one post]... tomorrow i will give you all my excuses but seriously, all reasons aside, kerry has been so sweet and darling... she is truly a wonderful swapper and i am so grateful to have met her :)
about my art
- Please do not reproduce or reprint my illustrations and/or creative designs. My artwork [unless specifically stated] is NOT under the creative commons copyright. Thank you!
- All artwork is copyrighted under Ellia Ana Hill, Ellia Hill, Greenbeanbaby, and Greenbean Art. Please do not take photos for personal or non-personal use without express permission.
