A few projects -

This is a chair I picked up last summer at a great garage sale - we gave them $50 & left with so much stuff!!! We even got a fish tank with all the accesorries & stand - not a tiny one at all! I will be working on projects with all of the things I got from there soon!

Anyway - this chair was painted pink (as you can see in the pic) with little swirly things & leaves on it - not attractive!

So I sanded it a little then painted & this is what my finished chair looks like.

I am using it in my flowerbed for plants/vines to grow on during the summer! So look forward to some great pics this summer!

Just noticed this pic doesn't show the colors well at all!

The paint bottles you see here tend to be my favorite colors to paint with.

I am very fond of anything Americana! So I tend to lean that way when creating!

These vintage spoons & forks have been prepped for sometime waiting for me to do something with them.

The forks I knew I would paint this way - I personally love the look. But I can't keep everything I paint or sew - so these are listed on Etsy for someone else who loves that Vintage Americana look. Can't you just imagine them on an ornament tree that is for year round?

In the pic you see the lil' spots? It is glitter glass - looks like debris in the pic - but it gives them a nice touch!

Last but not least - a necklace I made for a friend of mine. Her daughter's name & birthstone. Simple but perfect for a mother to show her love for her child!!

Thanks for stopping by to see what I have been up to.

No doubt I should have gotten more done this weekend - but I was super lazy on Saturday - I sat on this damn computer & played Texas Hold 'Em all day on FB.

But I did kick some ass!

TEN Reasons Why -

You might hate me:

1. I am one of those people that says what I think - y'know the kind of thing that you think but don't dare say? I say them.

2. I don't let anyone walk on me - if I don't like something I am not afraid to say so. This should not always offend a person - I might really like a pair of shoes that you hate - but I don't care - neither should you.

3. I am a go getter - I don't want to sit down & do nothing - I want to go go go. Get up & do something instead of letting life pass you by.

4. I love myself. I think I am beautiful. You should feel the same way about yourself. Do not confuse this with thinking you are perfect! I know I am not perfect. But I do know I love who I am.

5. I am not afraid to give an opinion. I don't expect it to change yours & I respect you for yours - but I still have mine & will give it.

6. I refuse to walk on egg shells!

7. I can't sit by & be your friend when you are destroying yourself. I will not be a part of it. I will help if I can or remove myself - I will not go down with you.

8. If I don't want to do something I will not do it. And you won't change my mind.

9. I cuss - A LOT.

10. I toot my own horn. I know what I can do well & I like to share.

You might love me:

1. I am one of those people that says what I think - y'know the kind of thing that you think but don't dare say - I say them.

2. I don't let anyone walk on me - if I don't like something I am not afraid to say so. This should not always offend a person - I might really like a pair of shoes that you hate - but I don't care - neither should you.

3. I am a go getter - I don't want to sit down & do nothing - I want to go go go. Get up & do something instead of letting life pass you by.

4. I love myself. I think I am beautiful. You should feel the same way about yourself. Do not confuse this with thinking you are perfect. I do not think I am perfect. But I do know I love who I am.

5. I am not afraid to give an opinion. I don't expect it to change yours & I respect you for yours - but I still have mine & will give it.

6. I refuse to walk on eggshells!

7. I can't sit by & be your friend when you are destroying yourself. I will not be a part of it. I will help if I can or I will remove myself - I will not go down with you.

8. If I don't want to do something I will not do it. And you won't change my mind.

9. I cuss - A LOT.

10. I toot my own horn - I know what I can do well & I like to share.

Hmmm - And so it goes -

I was raised by my dad - ok actually I was raised by my dad's second wife from the age of 6 until I was just a few days shy of 15. When I was 6 my dad remarried a woman that lived in the upstairs apartment from us - she had a daughter that I had already made friends with so we thought this was going to be great!!!

The slumber party ended quickly. I was the odd child in the mix - her kids & me. I know they were never against me - but that is they way it felt a lot. I never had much of an adjustment time to get use to having to share my daddy either. My life went from all my daddy's time was MY time to sharing him with 3 other children & a woman - that in the beginning I adored because she made my daddy smile.

This woman that I started out loving quickly became a woman I didn't like at all. But because this is where my daddy wanted to be I continued to try to love her. Every day she made it harder & harder.

I was often told that I was going to grow up & amount to nothing. By her - not my dad. But my dad never stood up for me. I was also very often told that I was going to be so fat I wouldn't fit through a barn door. This does absolutely nothing for a self esteem that really doesn't exist anyway.

I really hated my life! I was told all the time how everyone that I thought loved me were only bad people - my grandmother - my mother - so on. She beat us - not like in a bloody almost killing us way. But she went as far as I think she thought she could get away with but nobody notice.

She was a very religious woman - but such a hypocrite. I never understood that. We kids all had demons. When we decided to try smoking because our friends were doing it & it seemed like the cool thing to do - we were possessed by the devil. I don't know about you - but now that I am an adult - I think REALLY??? Are you fucking crazy?? What planet are you from??

I know smoking is not good for you - but I was a KID that was LEARNING & finding my way in this world.

Anyway - a few days before my 15th birthday I was driven many miles to this girls home in the middle of cotton fields in Texas & dropped off by my dad & Nana. My grandmother was sick about it - that is why she came a long. She actually tried to get custody of me. But my dad's wife had told so many lies about me that I was in the 'system' & the attorney's basically told my grandmother it was a waste of money for her to even try.

So there I was - I knew NOONE - & it was my birthday. The rules were no outside contact for 30 days - so my 15th birthday I didn't even get a Happy Birthday from anyone I knew. Talk about sucking!

My first Christmas there I went to my mother's house. Growing up she & I weren't real close - that is another story for another day (& by the way we are VERY close now) - anyway - that first Christmas I was gone - just 4 1/2 months after I was 'shipped' off my dad's wife left him.

Gone -

She told people in the small town we lived in that he was gay. Well he must have been - he crossed his legs!!! Holy shit woman - half of the men in this world that think they are straight just got a kick in the nuts with that one!

My poor dad - left alone. That is how I felt then. Today I think if he had had a pair he would have kicked her to the curb way before we got to this point. I still think he could handle growing a pair .. but not my problem so whatever.

And me still living in the middle of cotton fields.

But you know what??? That was the best damn thing to happen to me. I grew a pair. I learned how to love people. I learned how to be loved. I made sooo many lifelong friends.

AND the biggest bonus - I met the man of my dreams while living there.

Why am I thinking about this now? This woman tried to friend me on Facebook. I sat on it for a few days then it was gone. She got it. But I still had things to say. Things that I needed to let her know.

I am not worthless. Oh & not so fat I can't fit through a barn door. MY LIFE ROCKS.

So I did just that. I told her she should be ashamed of herself for lying about a child. I was very tactful about it - which took a little for me. And I simply ended it by telling her I forgave her - not for her - but for me.

My response from her was: Thank you for your candidness. I will not be writting again.


I am really ok with things in my childhood. See I made the decision to let it make me stronger instead of letting it break me!

Please remember: Your children are to love & guide through life - NOT to humiliate & torment with your words!

I Am Curious

What it is everyone looks for in a blog they follow? I know I have several things that prompt me to want to follow. Tutorials, interesting creations, family, pictures - many things. I have goals for myself for this year - yes - a New Year's Resolution! I have not ever really made one - but this year I am going to work at 1. making this blog grow 2. use my creative side to inspire others 3. build an online business.

I would really love comments from anyone on things they would like to see here on PaintinByFaith. Being a crafter with a large variety of talent & interest I think I could be a great inspiration for many. I want to help you explore your talents & help you grow with them.

I also want to keep sharing my family life - it is very refreshing & theraputic for me to share.

Now onto something else - Christmas! What a great Christmas my family had together. We actually opened our gifts on Christmas Eve - not something we do traditionally - but like I told the kids - tradition in our house the last few years has gone out the window so we will continue to wing it! Then on Christmas Day we just spent the day being family. Games - movies - FUN!

Then yesterday we all sat down & made a list of New Year's Resolutions. I am going to make us a board with these listed on it. Something to help remind us all of what we want to work on & use it to keep us accountable for our goals as well. I was very proud of my kids ideas!

I will share this board with you when I get it finished!

I hope you are all having a great start to 2010 - I know I am! Life is what we make of it - so go make yours great!