Family Portrait Project: Sister Keni Hill

This one is for dear sweet Sister Keni Hill who is serving a Latter Day Saint mission in Cusco, Peru! One of my favorite things about drawing people versus giraffes or bowls of fruit is that I stare at someone for long periods of time (in a non creepy way) so I get to really enjoy what is special about them. I don't know how well I captured her likeness but I did see a lot of family resemblance with her and my younger sister Olivia. All of my sisters have really similar noses except for Olivia and I just could never pin who she got that from. The answer is someone on my Dad's side of the family because Miss Keni here has the same nose!

Family Portrait Project: Fab Gab

 I don't know what it is about these Rowley girls but they are just too photogenic. Why is everyone getting old so quickly? For some reason Gabby is forever 6 in my mind but she seems to be getting older anyhow. What gives her the right I ask!? Now just look at her, gorgeous and rockin' the braid crown. I figured a high contrast monochromatic piece would be nice since I burnt up a bunch of my color on sunbursts recently.

 

Family Portrait Project: Becca and the Bump

 



 

Britney and Becca are both due in February! I looove babies and pregnancy seems to be in the air. This is my way of drawing a baby by proxy, cute pregnant ladies!  Not only that but it was fun to try my hand at drawing sunbursts....I need some practice...but it was a lot of fun. I love color almost as much as I love babies so sunbursts are just a blast. When I think about it color doesn't wear diapers and cry so maybe I should rethink my love priorities.

 

Merry Everything!

Tis the season to get way too excited about buying gifts and then sit in a pile of receipts, cup of eggnog in hand, and wonder where all of your money went. I LOVE to give gifts and I'm a sucker for Aaron, so once a year I go all out. Being the starving college student that I am sometimes I have to be very sneaky in order to get Aaron's gifts because when one of your two dollars goes missing your husband is bound to notice. The question every year is "what do I get him now"? Last year I splurged and got him a fly fishing float tube, the year before I splurged and got him hiking boots and a pack, the year before I splurged and got him a "zombie survival kit". Noticing a pattern? I splurge. This year we are trying to be debt free. We are SO close that splurging feels a little too naughty. So what do you get a man with expensive taste? Oh man, I could use some help with this one. Merriest of everything to you and yours.

Food Love, meet List Love

I'm in a serious relationship with food. Sometimes I feel like I would die without our love but sometimes food doesn't treat me so well. It's a love hate relationship. But seriously people, have you ever gone to the store hangry? I usually end up at the grocery store in this mode and end up with $1,000 worth of chocolate chip cookies and macaroni and cheese which I try to juggle instead of just getting a cart like a normal human being. I've started using these great grocery lists to plan out my shopping and meals and it saves me money as well as ensures I have healthy food in the fridge instead of just many blocks of fancy cheeses (I currently have 3 year aged Irish Sharp Cheddar, Smoked Gouda, and Habanero Mozzarella, mnmnmn). Try it out! My Momma gets these 5.5"x8.5" in a pad and slaps a magnet on the back so it's easy access on the fridge. Happy Listing. Happy Eating. 

 

 

 

 

Dress up for cheapskates

I love beautiful things and clothing is no exception. Over the last few years my nicer clothing from the Mom and Pop Era (oh the days of high school when your parents bought your clothes) have stopped fitting or gotten pretty shabby. I've supplemented my wardrobe with some carefully picked thrift store finds and gifts but I've noticed that I'm starting to look less chic and more eek. So I went hunting. There is a never ending supply of gorgeous expensive clothing, just look up Anthropologie...wait, don't, it will ruin your life....you already did? Bummer. Well I've noticed that when you search certain items on pinterest or similar websites that the same item will come up under multiple addresses, similar to when you are shopping for a flight or hotel room. There is not one set price for anything out there. You can always find a deal if you are really looking. Here are some of the deals that I found in the last little while looking for Christmas gifts for the many many women in my family. 

 

This dress is $32 at Luulla.com an awesome shopping site for the penny pincher.

 This is the original dress that I found on Chinabeauty.com for $76 Sometimes you can't find the exact item but the same fabrics are often used on more than one article of clothing like with these dresses.

 This little beauty is $38 on etsy.com, one of my favorite handmade shopping sites.

 The original heart-throb was this skirt from shabbyapple. On a recent trip to Salt Lake my tiny and beautiful sister tried it on and I fell in love. The high waist and stiff fabric make it a little less fun to wear for fluffier gals like me so the elastic waistband in the cheaper skirt was actually a welcome change. This skirt is also made of a thick shiny fabric that makes it very formal looking which I don't prefer for everyday wear.

 I got trapped by this dress. I thought I had found the best deal but alas I found a better deal after I had already purchased. This is one of the times you can find the exact same dress or item on different sites and for different prices. Etsy $45, dresslily.com $24.

 Another exact match! Udobuy.com $42, CiChic $25

 Oh this dress! I was 100% ready to buy it at KoshFashion for $72 + shipping and the day I went to purchase the website mysteriously disappeared. I was frantic and went searching high and low for the dress only to find a near match.

 I love this dress to the MAX. Only $21 from luulla.com Thank the heavens that the KoshFashion website mysteriously disappeared. I saved enough money to get a second dress!

 

I found this dress for $23 on sheinside.com but THEN! I found it for $19 on ebay! woo hoo

This fun and simple dress is $39 on mode-sty.com and a whopping $18 on cichic.com

Bird Dog Jo

You grow up with this kid, look up to her, want to be her, and then BAM she gets pregnant. How weird it is that the 9 year old I trailed back in the day is growing a human. I love this girl. I will love her little boy. He will be the most spoiled and loved baby of all time. They came for Thanksgiving and the family spent the day hanging out in our pajamas making pie. I did Thanksgiving with the in-laws but this pre-holiday hang out was just what I needed to cure the homesickness.  She is only six months along but we wanted some pictures of the bump before time got away from us. Here are a few. My favorite is the blurry swing picture. It's a ridiculous picture but I just love it.