Posted in Simple observations on July 4, 2015| 2 Comments »
I’m sitting out on the patio enjoying freedom, sunshine, birds chirping, and these gorgeous roses from the garden. About to head out and celebrate with a family BBQ.
Posts have been sparse around here lately due to long work hours. The promised DIY planter has been built – just need to paint it! And… plans for a fun outdoor table also on the way!
Posted in Simple observations on May 11, 2015| Leave a Comment »
I’ve got a DIY colorful planter box post coming up in a few weeks; in the meantime, here’s an update from my art blog.
Posted in Simple observations on January 18, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Just might be my favorite from my ’30 paintings in 30 days’ ! Head over to heathermroberts.com to see the others. :)
Posted in Simple observations on January 6, 2015| 3 Comments »
Posted in Simple observations on January 5, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Check out my new art blog at heathermroberts.com and read about January’s painting adventure!
Posted in Simple observations on January 31, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Apparently I am computer illiterate. I joke all the time that my parents don’t what they’re doing on a computer! Now it’s me! I keep attempting to post on my new ‘spinoff’ blog – but wordpress automatically brings me back to my home blog. Sorry – I will figure it out soon. :) p.s. – This is a painting I did of Juno – my sister’s pup, rescued from the Joplin tornado a few years ago.
A Valentine’s Day treat recipe will be posted in the next few days!
Posted in Art & Design, Simple observations, tagged acrylic painting, art, fine art, mountain painting, mountains, original painting, road trip, tiny painting on January 17, 2014| 2 Comments »
Painter’s block no more! The last several months, I’ve started a few paintings and just couldn’t quite bring myself to finish them. They were all very true-to-life detailed pieces… perhaps that was the problem. So, this morning the sun was shining brightly in my work room and I pulled out a palette knife and a tiny (5×7) less-daunting canvas and got to work. These thoughts were my inspiration:
It’s a sunshine-filled day and you’re on the open road. You find it hard focus on driving as your gaze strays to the distant snowcapped mountain range. Minutes later, it’s all a blur in your rear-view mirror and you’re wishing for a pause button. So, I paused the sunny-skied view stuck in my thoughts and focused less on details, more on the broad scope. This was the result.
Posted in Simple observations, tagged arctic vortex, below zero, brrr, bubble recipe, cold as hell, frozen bubbles, Minnesota, weather, winter on January 8, 2014| 3 Comments »
Here’s a screenshot of the weather here during the wee hours of Monday morning:
Count yourself lucky if you were spared this round of miserable weather. It’s been so cold that my poor old pup’s feet have been freezing in under 60 seconds — as a result, my yard looks like a magic carpet ride (and yes, I did attempt putting boots on him before resorting to carpet-runner-palooza). I, on the other hand, have plenty of gear to keep all my digits warm(ish) and ventured out a few times to play:
(Here’s the recipe I used: 8 parts water, 1-1.5 parts Dawn dishwashing liquid, 1/4 part corn syrup. Use a twisted piece of wire if you don’t have a wand.)
My fingers were too numb to take many photos, but I did get a few bubbles to take off in the wind and rise way up way into the sky and a few landed and rolled around like marbles. Ah, the simple things… :) I tried again this morning when it was only a few degrees below zero and couldn’t get them to freeze quite as well, but you could still see them ice over with frost patterns before breaking on the ground. Hints: Stand up high (or hold your arm way up) when blowing/waving your wand – it gives the bubbles more time to freeze before landing. They form better if you blow someplace that is out of the wind and are more apt to land without breaking if they have something softer to land on such as snow or carpet.
Posted in Holidays, Simple observations, tagged 2014, happy, new year, simple on January 2, 2014| 1 Comment »
Posted in Holidays, Simple observations, tagged Black Friday, cards, christmas, corn heating bag, Etsy, generosity, Giveaway, giving, handmade, holiday, inspiration, Magnets, mini, Ornaments, owl, shopping, tree on November 20, 2013| 10 Comments »
Does it sneak up on you every year, too? The giving season is here and while it’s easy to walk into the corporate web, it’s just as easy to steer clear. This year, consider supporting small, local or handmade businesses – or consider giving up the gift exchange altogether and spend that time and money on volunteering or donating!
*Give a gift to a local elderly person who may not otherwise receive anything through this program: Be A Santa To A Senior
*Help a local family or person with daily living essentials or holiday items through this site: 2 Hands (note: I have used this site a few times; use common sense when selecting a person to assist – unfortunately, there are always a few trying to take advantage when it comes to a potential handout. I generally tend to choose those who seem appreciative and are asking for important everyday items or a few smaller holiday needs.)
*When you do your holiday cooking/baking this year, make a few extra servings and spread the joy to others (perhaps a women’s shelter, a Ronald McDonald House, or the nice person down the street who lives alone).
*Make your own gifts (Pinterest is a great resource) or buy handmade! Local craft fairs and websites like Etsy are fantastic when it comes to finding something unique.
I’ve updated my Etsy store with new mini-ornaments, gift wrap acccesories, wine glass charms, corn heating bags, and more… take a look for holiday ideas! Now through December 18th, use code HAPPYANDSIMPLE to get 10% off any purchase from my shop.
Enter some sort of comment in response to this post (sorry, US residents only this time around) and you will be entered to win either a set of 3 mini ornaments or a set of 3 magnets in my new ‘snowcapped mountain’ chevron pattern shown below (colors may differ). The winner will be notified on December 1st!
happyandsimple 