Funny Cops in Kansas

I saw the funniest thing yesterday. There was an unusual amount of heavy traffic yesterday around 4:30pm as I was driving home from work. Well, it turns out the source of the traffic was because of a trooper sitting on his motorcycle drinking a Slurpee!!! LOL! he was just sitting there leaning back, watching traffic on the highway and sipping his drink. I swear only in Kansas lol. It was really hot yesterday though, and then we had this crazy thunderstorm that lasted about 2 hours. It was SO LOUD! I love the rain but wow sometimes it can really make me jump.

I am really excited, Jessica and Travis are coming into town next weekend (my friends from CA). I am going to take them to the Haunted Houses (www.kcbeast.com) - they open up this weekend! I think we might go to a few bars too but it depends how much time they have. They are actually here for a friend's wedding but wanted to spend time with me, too. :D

I am thinking about going on a little mini-vacation by myself somewhere, sometime in October. I have no idea where yet but I was thinking of doing the totally random thing like Michigan, Ohio, Chicago, Memphis, etc. Traveling is good for the soul. I'm really leaning towards Memphis. I keep hearing great things about TN and it's a beatiful state from what I have seen in the airport.

I will post some more of my Etsy purchases in my next blog. I am a buyer/consumer just as much as I am a seller, and I LOVE it!

Beautiful ACEOs

I have a collection of over 80 ACEOs now and love every single one of them. I keep them all in a handmade binder on my coffee table and look at them whenever I feel the need for a cheer up. They are so beautiful and so unique in their own way, it's hard not to smile. <3>

For those of you that are wondering what are ACEOs, it stands for "Art Cards, Editions, and Originals." They are original artwork the size of trading cards, 2.5" x 3.5", and can be any medium - watercolor, collage, acrylics, photographs, etc. The whole purpose behind ACEOs is so that we can collect art that's affordable, and small enough so that it's not cluttering up our walls. It's a wonderful idea to me and so fun of a hobby because of the broad spectrum of artists out there, and the many styles of art. I personally favor watercolors and ORIGINALS. Every single one of my ACEOs is one of a kind, which makes them even more valuable to me. I love my collection and would probably grab my binder first in a fire. No joke! LOL!

Here is a small sampling of my collection, and some of my favorite ACEO'ers. Please check out their shops and support Etsy artists!

http://smalltownartist.etsy.com/ Smalltownartist features gorgeous watercolor ACEOs at a very affordable price, with free shipping. She is a very kind hearted artist and would highly recommended her to anybody wishing to start or expand their ACEO collection.

http://onekeenekat.etsy.com/ Onekeenekat creates stunning watercolor ACEOs and is very nice to deal with. She even painted an ACEO of my cat which is framed on my dresser. <3>

I definitely cannot forget http://backroomtreasures.etsy.com/ She has lovely ACEOs of just about any subject, such as animals, landscapes, flowers, and trees. Her prices are very reasonable too and her shop has a wide variety of ACEO originals. My favorites from her are her seascapes. They are just beautiful!

Latest and Greatest :)

Wow I haven't written on here in quite some time - I'm SO SORRY! I've been very busy. Between dealing with my ex boyfriend, moving (I move into my new apartment in 2 weeks), and juggling work/school/Etsy it's been hectic! I love it though! I am really happy with the way my life has turned out. A complete 180 literally. I am going on 3 months now of not smoking, and I'm soooo proud of myself. :) And I'm really excited about my new place. I am buying a full living room set tomorrow at Nebraska Furniture Mart - a sofa, loveseat, 2 end tables, and a coffee table. Oh, and a rug. Can't forget the rug. :) I already have it picked out - it's at least $1200 for everything! Plus I want a flat panel LCD or plasma TV (haven't decided which one yet, but leaning towards LCD) and that's going to set me back at least $500. Thank God I save money for when I really need it. I really do need furniture. Otherwise I will be sitting on the floor!!!

I love school. It feels so great to be back in a classroom again after 4 years! I am taking a volunteer class right now called Tree Keepers for Heartland Tree Alliance. We are in training to be certified tree caretakers - i.e, tree planting, pruning, etc. I'm also taking about 4 craft classes (non-credit) and 2 entrepreneurship/small business classes (credit) to help my Etsy biz. I might get another degree in Entrepreneurship, but we'll see. :)

Everything else is going great. Work is fun. A lot of people have been telling me it's good to see me smiling and happy again. I feel the same way. :)