whatever

it's monday.

hi.
how was your weekend?

craft weekend was wonderful.
i am so happy about it.
can i just say....how awesome is the internet?  
i know that it can have really awful stuff but for me it has been AMAZING!
God has blessed me with SO many friends, so many ideas, so much inspiration, so much FUN through the internet the past few years.  I get to connect with and meet women that are so completely awesome that i never would have met otherwise because of the internet!  
i love LOVE LOVE that God is in the details of everything...even the internet.

(these are instagram pics from the past few days.)

michelle allen from close2myart was my blogger/teacher/helper this craft weekend.
i don't even know who found who as far as blogs and how we connected.
we have been emails friends for a few years now and we finally got to meet.
she is a life long friend now i can guarantee.
i loved her.
(and her hair was soooo rad)
she was even better than i imagined and i had made her pretty great in my mind already! :)

so yeah....i love the internet and i am not afraid to say it. 

this is my loot from the barn on saturday.
an old RC crate that is really rough (which is why i like it), a old metal box that seems like maybe it was a breadbox, a Super Nutro Hog feed bag, an embroidered runner with horses, a little quilt to make into pillows, a small candy jar and some doilies. 
i love the internet AND i love old junk.
:) 

these three books arrived for me this week.
i am starting with A Million Miles in a Thousand Years tonight.
i have basically been told by God in about 10 different ways that i am supposed to read this book.
seriously.
He couldn't have been more clear.  
so i will let you know how it goes.... 

i read Interuppted and my world has been ROCKED.
so i am equal parts nervous and excited to read this one.
because i knew i was supposed to read Interrupted too. 

 

was i just too open right there?
i feel a little vulnerable about those two paragraphs. 

here is my front seat on my way to craft weekend.
my backseat looked the same.
happy car!



right now i am sitting at the craft house (because i came to town for paint & the internet is so slow at the farm)
i stopped by the thrift store this morning and picked up a few dishes, some fabric and a globe.
i can't NOT buy a globe when it's at a thrift shop because they are so much cheaper than at an antique shop.
i made mini bunting here last night while my husband attempted to fix the dryer we got on craigslist.
it's a bummer when people are dishonest on craigslist don't ya think?
i guess ANYTIME people are dishonest it is sad but when they take your money....ugh.
(so that would be a down side to the internet...)
i picked up a gallon of Kilz to start a big paint project this week.
and i have now finished off the candy corn we had left from CW....for lunch

 

i need to get working.
i have stuff to paint.

are you on instagram? i am @megduerksen if you aren't following me yet.
it's so fun.
i am....addicted.

happy monday to you.

 

 

 

blue lily is my fave.

hello.

our last day of GoPro we had a session of discussing business plans & ideas, a flash seminar, camera cleaning, personalized critiques (that's a good thing) and two more shoots.

some of our group went up on the gondola and hiked around.
but i could barely walk around the house and up the stairs so i wasn't up for a hike.
i stayed at the house and we practiced on each other and did headshots.  :)






 


i am thinking my editing looks funny on all of these....hmmm.
it's hard to learn something new!


there was a fox that was all around the house during our stay.
he was wild but seemed to really not care that we were there.
we were all very close and he ignored us.
weird.
and cool. 

i promised the girls that if he attacked i would be sure to take lots of pictures of that.
and then of course i would try to help save them. 

 

we had our group photo very impromptu... with some taxidermy.

                                         

coolest group photo ever taken....NO OFFENSE.

 

we went out in the evening to practice some harsh lighting shots.
wendy and tyler had us turn our backs and then when we turned around this is what we saw!


how crazy cute are those masks?!!
so so funny.
these are their kids...not wendy and tyler in the masks.  :)

(ps...their kids are so lovely...i want to squeeze them.)




they said the masks were ordered from amazon.


not as cute on a grown up....

my new friends.  :)

we went on to our last photo shoot of the weekend.
i was so excited.
i was going to be one of the models!!


everyone was helping wendy set up.
it's looking cool already....

well....i don't have many pictures yet since i was IN the shoot....but it ended like this.



that's my kind of modeling job.
 
we had a big paint war!!!

6 of us threw paint on each other while the other 16 people photographed it.
it was washable craft paint mixed with water to make it fly faster. 

it was SO MUCH FUN!!!

and you can see our photo shoot last year with colored powder here.

i can't say which one i liked better....they were both AWESOME. 

you can read about it here on the Blue Lily blog and see when the next GoPro workshop is.

if you are considering going to a workshop....DO IT.
you will learn so much.
you will be encouraged.
you will meet people who love what you love and have great ideas.
you will be SO glad you took the leap and tried something BIG.

and check their travel schedule....they take pictures ALL OVER THE WORLD.
get signed up for a photo session with them near you! 

you will be so happy you did it.

thank you AGAIN wendy & tyler.  
i loved my time with you.

 

contest!!!!

i keep forgetting to tell you something really cool.
Laura Windslow is having a Wall Art Love Contest and i get to be a judge!

YOU can submit your photos of your wall art in your home or studio to be entered.
but since i forgot to tell you....you only have till AUGUST 2 to enter?!!

i am so sorry i gave such short notice.

check out the rest of the judges: 

pretty lovely company if i do say so myself.
:)

 

ok....GO to Laura's blog....READ the details of the contest....and ENTER the contest.

TODAY!!!

because did you see the prizes?!
the prize list went ON and ON and on. 

how awesome is laura??

i can't wait to show you all the choices to vote on!

 

happy home!!

loving all this new fabric that arrived....for pillows or aprons or bunting or craft weekend....

it's all from fabric.com.

doesn't just looking at those colors and patterns make you smile???

it does for me!

all of these boxes are from Poppy Seed Projects for craft weekend!!!

i get to play around with it this week and show you what i make!
so excited to rip open these HEAVY boxes.

more swag is rolling in everyday....

from ablemabel....


from graphic anthology....

from say hello....

from rags to stitches...

and from Ike & Co....

check out this FABULOUS lamp that was sent from colton + cadence to decorate the craft house?!!!

it is so perfect.
thank you stephany!! i know EXACTLY where to put it!
ps....your blog is adorable. 

my children have all different plans today so i can squeeze in four hours here at the craft house to work.
there is lots to do to prep for craft weekend THIS WEEKEND again.

if you are worried about not getting an email yet about coming to craft weekend
or worried that you might not be on the list anymore....
do not worry.

here's the deal....if you got on the list...YOU ARE STILL ON THE LIST.  :)

but the list is very verrrrrry long.
and we can only take 12 women at a time.
so just cross your fingers and hope you get picked.  
and we hope to have MANY MANY MANY more so you will get to come.

 

i have talked about my love for Jennifer Paganelli and her fabric for SIS BOOM and her books before.
today i get to give away one of her newest books....

Happy Home.

isn't it a gorgeous cover?!!
and the entire book....with patterns....is just as beautiful!




 

 

leave me a comment today to be entered to win this book!

(i am sorry i had to add the Capcha Code to the comments....i woke up to over 200 long spam comments recently so it has to be there for awhile.  i am Sorry...i hate them too!  it's too bad there has to be lame-o spammers who ruin it for the good guys.  they stink...yeah...i am talking to you John Rambo!!)  

 

 

make and takes

i met Marie, the author of Make and Takes for Kids when i was SNAP.

how cool that she turned her blog into a book?!!

today i get to give one away to one of YOU!

you know that i looooove making crafts with my kids.
love it!
love letting them get messy.
love making crafts right alongside them.
love it all.

Make and Takes for Kids offers 50 projects to make with kids centered around holidays or seasons.
 

The ideas are unique and simple to produce and thoughtfully constructed and designed. 

Each craft requires little prep, few supplies and almost everything can be readily found at home or the craft store.

Crafting isn’t just playtime; there’s a purpose to all the gluing, cutting, and coloring!
 

If you’re a parent, teacher, or caregiver looking to enhance the time you spend with young children, Make and Takes for Kids makes it easy to have fun crafting with kids.

doesn't it look like a fun book?!!

it would make a great mother's day gift for some mamas in your life!

you can find it on amazon, walmart, barnes and noble and wiley.com

tell me your favorite craft supply in the comments to be entered to win Marie's book!

mine is paint.
watercolor paint.
but i bet you already knew that....

 

 

piano and blue lilies.

my girls had their piano recital last night.



we curled hair...painted toenails....and had annie's favorite dinner....noodles with red sauce.  :)

we drove the 10 minutes to the church and i thought "wow they are quiet"
as we turned into town annie said quietly "i am really nervous"  and talby said "I know! me too!"
oh....duh.
that's why they were quiet.
i reminded them that the other parents were there to watch their child and they were only really playing for me and dad and Nana.  and we certainly didn't care if they messed up on their songs.  we recalled the Arthur episode where he thought he'd messed up his entire song and no one else even noticed.  

they played a duet first of Yankee Doodle.

then annie was next to play solo.  
she couldn't find her page and she seemed about one second from a break down but her teacher hopped up to
help her out.  
you may remember annie's first recital experience.    
As long as there were no tears i was going to feel it was a success.



they each played their own songs.  
they did great!
i know they were SO nervous but they did a really good job.



i know they are glad it's over and they get a month off from practicing now.
Marissa was a wonderful teacher this year!
My girls never complained about piano once....that tells me a lot.

then off to Mcdonalds for recital Mcflurries.  :)

craig took the girls home to get them to bed and i came to the craft house waiting for some friends.
i sewed curtains while i waited.
and at 10:45 they finally rolled into town knocking on my door.

the blue lilies were coming through kansas and i begged them to stay overnight with me.
it was much to short.
but at least i sent them on their way with some Drubers donuts in their tummies.
i could have used at least another day to just talk and hang out.
at least.
it's just too short!

are you on their photo schedule?  
you should be?!!

wendy + tyler and their absolutely wonderful kiddos travel the entire world taking family photos.
SERIOUSLY.
and they will most likely come somewhere near you.
i mean come on....i am in NoWhere Kansas and they've been here!!!
:)

they were on their way to a GoPro workshop they are hosting in Washington DC!
i think they may have a spot left if you can make it there!
you should do it.
i have been and i thought it was THE BEST.  
i learned so much and it was a total blast!
i went to GoPro in San Diego and a reunion GoPro in Utah.  and pics here. and pics here too.
 
AND they took our pictures in chicago and here in kansas! 

how is that for a lot of links?!!!

thank you blue lilies for coming and buying my donut!  :) 

 

my hair appointment got rescheduled for today.
i bet i can actually make dinner in the the crock pot.
i am planning on doing yard work this afternoon.
and probably a little more spray painting.  

 

what about you...what are you up to today?