Grandma's Fine Art Show : ) She Won a Red Ribbon! Congrats Sassy Glass : )

Spring Break - DAY 2

Today we went to the Hilton Garden Inn in Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the "Art in the Garden" Fine Art Show & Sale. It is put on by Altrusa International Club of Oshkosh, who contribute to many community services with both volunteer work and financial assistance.

We don't get to go to many of Grandma's shows. We stop by the occasional Farmer's Market in downtown Fond du Lac, but not as often as we would like to.

I decided to drop the boys off at KC's parents house. I thought about taking them, but wanted a nice day with just my girls. It was relaxing not to have to say "hold my hand, slow down, no running, don't touch, stay with me, walk, stand up" . . . actually, I did say "don't touch" to the girls a couple of times : )

I know the boys had more fun with Grandpa and Grandma then they would have at the Art Show.

First we checked out Grandma's table, Sassy Glass. We get to see her things all the time, but it is so nice seeing it all displayed and spread across a table. We stood there and pointed out all our new favorites.

This is a 'People's Choice' show. Everyone who walks through gets a ballot to vote. The girls love that they get to vote for their favorites, as do I. It makes the show feel interactive and not just a shopping venue, more of a gallery feel.

There is a second ballot to vote for high school students artwork. It's interesting to see what kids are creating. There were some very creative kids in the show this year.

These were Mom's three entries.

This is the one that won her the second place ribbon : ) I voted for it, as did Audrey. The necklace is beaded and crocheted wire, wire wrapped fused glass pendant. So pretty! It sold before the show was over : )

This one was Zoe's favorite. They really are so much prettier in-person, I tried to get the best photos I could.

After the job of voting was done, we checked out all the booths. I agreed to give both the girls $10.00 to spend, and they were responsible for anything over.

Zoe found a aluminum ringlet bracelet that she loved, it cost just over $23.00.

Audrey found a blue flower pin with a peacock feather that she could attach to one of her headbands for $11.50.

Price ranges, from $5.00 to $3200.00, including jewelry, pottery, paintings, hand-dyed scarves, photography, Batik prints, copper sculptures, painted glass and more.

This is just a little of my mother's set up. She's been taking classes and learning new techniques, so her pieces are always evolving. So if you haven't seen her pieces for a couple of years, she's really been growing and changing.

So happy for my mother and a great show. If you are interest in checking out her website, here is the link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mysassyglass

I was also very happy that my sister snapped a picture of me with my girls. It isn't often that I end up in photographs, because I'm the one always taking the picture.

A great day when my two sweethearts  <3

Now . . . . what to do tomorrow?   : )

Just the Beginning of Spring Break and I'm Already Exhausted!

Spring Break has already been fun-filled and technically, it only started today :)

Started with free entertainment. Who knew that appliance delivery men could be entertaining, but the boys loved it. I had just set lunch in front of the boys, so the men had an audience . . . not planned, just a timing thing.

Before

The twins have never been so quiet during a meal. They watched their every move. And Cam, he couldn't stop asking questions.

"What are they doing" "What is that tool" "How are they going to get that out" "I know that's a screwdriver" "Wow, you guys are strong" "Oh, we get new ones" "He got water on the floor" "Mom, I think they are talking Spanish like Dora" "Uno, Dos, Tres" "Are you talking Spanish like Dora" "It doesn't fit" "Why is he under there"

It was constant and annoying and adorable all at the same time. I think all the questions may have hurried them a little, which was fine by me :)  :)  :)

It's always entertaining watching people try to be polite to children when they throw question after question at them. First, they answer politely, then the answers get shorter, and then they start to pretend not to hear them.

All in under an hour . . .

After

I now have 4 burners that work . . . we've been using 3 for a while and just this past week I was down to 2 and no oven :(  And the dishwasher should have really been replaced a year ago, but sometimes you just have to work with what you got.

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We left shortly after the girls got home from school and didn't arrive in FDL until nearly midnight. That's an eight hour trip.

But along the way, we stopped at KC's work, went out to dinner with him, stopped at Risa & John's and played with a house full of kids waiting for KC to get done with work so we could carpool the rest of the way.

We hadn't been to FDL since Thanksgiving, the visit was long overdue.

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On Saturday morning we went to visit Grandpa S's hydroponics lab at Moraine Park. The kids got to try a bunch of different leaves that tasted like: lemons, licorice, and mint. They each ate a cherry tomato and KC was tempted by a single hanging ghost pepper :)

Grandpa's got quite the garden growing in there. It makes me want to start up a greenhouse . . . maybe at the next house :)

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Then the boys went down for a nap (including KC) and the girls, Grandma S and I headed to Oshkosh. We went to the "Art in the Garden" Fine Art Show & Sale that is put on by the Altrusa International Club of Oshkosh every year at the Hilton Garden Inn.

My mother has put pieces in the show for the last few years and sold there, this was our first chance going. We all loved the trip :)

We all got to vote for our favorite pieces

My favorites were by, of course, My Sassy Glass . . . being family, she got our vote, but she deserved it with a beautiful wire-wrapped necklace she created :)

Mom, you need to do more wire-wrapped and beaded pieces . . . they are beautiful!

Also getting my vote, "What a Relief", by Randy Detjen from Two Rivers, WI. He made his artwork from drywall compound on drywall. Who knew someone could make drywall compound so beautiful.

This is an example of his work, not the piece in the competition. I think I'm going to have to try out this technique :) I need a studio . . . again, in my next house.

And "Wildlife Drawings" by Paul Dominguez, he was an artist that used colored pencils on wood.

Again, example of his work, not the competition piece. Simple supplies, beautiful results! This guy was full of personality and more importantly to me, inspired my Zoe to do a piece for the school talent show. Her school has an art gallery, for the kids with talent, other then performing in front of a crowd. She is working on her rough-sketch now.

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Then we had KC's fave chicken and dumpling soup for dinner and then went to my parent's for a visit where KC ate his second dinner, another fave, Eaton's Pizza :)

We visited while Emmitt showed off his walking skills, Castiel showed off his climbing skills & Cameron, well, he just showed off :)

Grandpa B cut Zoe some boards so she could test her colored pencil on wood skills. There's enough for Audrey to try too, if she wants. Which I'm sure she will :)

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Sunday morning I made a quick trip to the store and decided to drive down Main Street to check out changes in my home town. Biggest disappointment was "Arbuckles" a bar that we used to hang out at had changed to "Ziggy's" . . . which, to me,  just seemed wrong!

And then I got lost. A town that I used to know inside and out . . . I couldn't find my way back to the in-laws house. I always recognized where I was, but in the big picture, I couldn't figure out where I was. So I had to backtrack, I guess 7 years of not visiting often has confused me . . . but anyone that knows me, knows I'm not so good with directions.

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Then, the whole reason we made the trip to my hometown. A 35th birthday party at the

The rollerskating rink that we used to go to . . . long ago. The funniest thing about going back is that I don't think it's changed a bit, LOL. Same carpeting, same sinks outside the bathroom, same lockers, same giant dice . . . even the same brown & orange skates. Same everything.

My high school friend had invited a bunch girls and their daughters :) Great idea! My girl's loved it, first time skaters. So that meant me skating with them both clinging to an arm. I think in a weird way, we all held each other up. I was just thankful not to take a spill.

Why is it that high school friends never seem to age. Maybe we all are aging at the same rate, so we don't notice it. But these girls all looked very much the same as they did in high school . . . we just all had our own kids around our ankles this time. Our own little mini-me's. Trust me, there is no way we looked like 35 year olds skating with our kids. . . or did we???

It was great to see all you girls & catch up a little :) Thank you Jackie, we had a blast. The girls are already planning their next trip back . . . we'll let you know if you want to give it another go-around :)

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Then back to Risa & John's to drop off daddy, eat dinner and run off some energy.

Back home at 9pm, everyone exhausted. Van unpacked, pj's on all 5 kids & everyone was in bed sleeping by 9:30 . . . including me :)

Now . . . real Spring Break begins . . . I wish the weather would warm up for us, just a little . . . please?!?