My weekly inspiration:

On Saturday we took a trip to Carefree, Arizona and enjoyed getting away from the hustle and bustle of Phoenix.  It was nice to relax, play with the kids, and eat a yummy lunch.  I brought along the camera and snapped some awesome pictures of the family.

There was a really cool lizard slide the the kids enjoyed!

Everyone take turn posing my the lizard and smile pretty!

My handsome man

My beautiful little lady

Father and daughter looking so cute.

 Time to cool off!  Yep I started it by dipping my feet in, then before I knew it the kids were in almost up to their waists.  It was so nice because there was hardly anyone around.  It was like our own little oasis.

Kiddos cooling off and being silly

30 Day Challenge

Everyone needs to be challenged.  What's your 30 day Challenge?  Mine is to stop yelling at the kids and my husband.  I spend too much time worrying about how neat the house is or if everything is up to my standards rather than just enjoying life.  This worrying leads to stress, which leads to boiling point, which results in yelling.  So enough is enough.  Today is a new day.  

I have started a Challenges page here on my blog where I will keep a running tab on my 30 day Challenge.  Each 30 days will result in continuing the current challenge, and adding a new one to the mix.  Eventually the challenges will no longer be a hurdle to overcome, but a routine and a new way of life.

Want to join me on the 30 day challenge then hop on over to the page and join the bandwagon.  Let's see what challenges we can overcome together.  

Purse Party

Coming up at the end of May I will be holding the very first Julie Marie Shop purse party.  At this fabulous get together guests will look through a variety of purse styles offered exclusively through Julie Marie Shop and pick from many, many fabrics to create their one of a kind custom handbag.  Each guest will get to customize their bag with has many pockets, zippers, and fun embellishments as they would like.  What woman doesn't love an excuse to get together with the ladies enjoy some food and drinks and design the perfect purse.

So happy thoughts for a successful show so purse parties can come to your home.  Stay tuned for further updates so you can see all the wonderful perks of hosting a show.

Feature Artist

Kristan Bendixen 

This Seattle, WA artist comes from a family of successful artists and has had an interest in the visual arts since an early age.  Kristan's art consists of large bold acrylic paintings, small mixed media art pieces, and mixed media sculptures.  I can across Kristan's talent one day when I was doing a random search on etsy and instantly fell in love with her shop BendixenART www.bendixenart.etsy.com.  Her art is one of a kind, playful, and bold.

Kristan began taking an interest in painting 20 years ago when her friend Heather introduced her to the world of oil painting.  From there her work evolved into what it is today.  Painting and creating help her spirit to grow.  Kristan's true inspirations are nature, paint, paper, and creative blogs.  Her favorite thing about her art is the flexible nature of her creative style and how each day offers something new and exciting.

Kristan has been selling on etsy for 2 years now and has been featured in various galleries.  She hopes in 5 years to be making a living as an artist and offers this advice to other artists just starting out..."Be different, be focused, and take excellent photos."

Cards by Julie

Card crafting has been a passion of mine longer than sewing, but it was always something I did for personal use, now I am going to introduce them to the world.  I love simple understated cards that allow the writer to express their words of gratitude and joy.  Each card is handcrafted from high quality paper and left blank inside.  I hope you love them and would love to hear your response.  They will soon be available for purchase on www.juliemarieshop.etsy.com.

Sneak Peak!

Here's a little preview of the latest super hero to grace the pages of Julie Marie Kids.  This costume will include this one of kind felt vest, wrist cuffs, signature mask, and shield.

Other heroes coming soon:

Batman

Superman

Green Lantern

Iron Man

The Incredibles

Baby Bibs...New Item!

I have decided to start creating bibs for Julie Marie Kids.  I have had this bib cut out for quite some time, but kept debating on whether or not to make it.  Finally, yesterday I pulled it out and thought "how can I make it stand out from the rest of the bibs out there."  So I began drawing the various little animals and finally decided upon the bird, mainly because it was simple and if anyone knows me I love birds.  Well, let me clarify my love of birds...I love bird stuff and viewing them from afar, but once they enter my comfort zone they freak me out.  Those little buggers are so unpredictable.

Anywho, thus the introduction of bibs.  I suppose each bib will have some sort of applique, whether it is an animal, fruit shape, or letter.  Let me know what you think and once I get some posted to my etsy shop I will let everyone know.