Mural Maker and More

Waiting . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Sat, 26 May 2012 21:13:00 +0000

My dear readers, I thought I could make this shorter. I tried. I really did. But I had to write the story of my husband’s passing fully. I thank you for your indulgence and for all of your prayers.

If you’ve ever had a loved one in the ER then you know about waiting. If you’ve ever had a loved one in surgery, then you know about waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting for a diagnosis. Waiting for the vascular surgeon. Waiting for a positive outcome. Waiting for a smile on the doctor’s face. Waiting for life to resume.

Waiting.

Once we received the diagnosis of “aortic dissection” we I waited for the vascular surgeon. Marlon was so full of morphine he was dozing more than he was awake, thank God. Dr. Velastegui walked in, accompanied by the ER doc, Dr. Griffin. A short man, he met me eye-to-eye and spoke softly. Not because Marlon was sleeping, it’s just his way of speaking. Calming. Comforting. Trusting. I immediately felt safe, entrusting my husband of 21 years into his care.

He explained the surgery in lay terms, unaware of my medical terminology background. The tear in his aorta ran from his upper gut all the way down to his right leg. breathe. breathe. focus on his words. focus on what he’s actually telling you, not what he’s leaving out.

The Emergency Room

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:13:00 +0000

My best friend died last Monday, May 14. After some debate, I’ve chosen to write about Marlon’s time in the hospital, his passing, and, eventually, ‘lighter’ stories of his wonderful life. While I’m still in a state of denial, writing about him brings me much comfort, as did your incredible, thoughtful, comments on his passing. I can’t begin to tell you how overwhelmed I am at the outpouring of support and love. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

He awoke with a gut-wrenching groan a little before 3 a.m. Saturday. This was nothing unusual or out of the ordinary as he’s had stomach pains for years following a complicated gall bladder surgery in 1997.

I wasn’t alarmed. This was normal.

What wasn’t normal was him clenching his chest and telling me he needed to get to the hospital. I immediately called 911, threw on some clothes, and ran outside to wait for the ambulance. Marlon followed me, staggering, but strong. He was always strong. Big and strong. At 6’4”, weighing more than 300 lbs., ‘big’ is an understatement. The EMT’s barely opened the door before he was inside the truck being hooked up to whatever it is they hook up to someone complaining of chest pain. By the time I gave them his name and basic info, they told me they were taking him to Mercy San Juan Hospital.

The thought of a “severe indigestion” diagnosis was replaced with the dread of “heart attack”. But as I followed the ambulance I kept hoping, praying. It’s possible, isn’t it? You hear it all the time, don’t you? Someone thinks they’re having a heart attack and it’s just a case of severe indigestion. Surely that’s the case. Surely nothing is seriously wrong with Marlon. Not Marlon! Marlon is the one who takes care of all of us. Marlon is the one who we all depend upon. Surely this can’t be serious.

Saying Goodbye To My Best Friend

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:18:00 +0000

Christmas 2011

Hello, my dear readers. This is by far the hardest post I’ve ever written since I’ve been blogging and I’ve debated whether or not to even write it at all. After a lot of consideration, I know I’m making the right decision in sharing this with you.

My husband, Marlon, died completely unexpectedly two days ago. To say I’m in shock and utter despair would be a gross understatement. I keep thinking I’ll awaken from this nightmare to hear his horrendous, yet somehow melodious, snoring.

Maybe if I write it all down, if I commit it to ‘paper’, it’ll seem more real. Maybe I’ll be able to go a full 30 minutes without a tissue. Maybe I’ll better understand what has happened, and is happening, to my life. Maybe I’ll feel better.

Or maybe not.

What I do know is my best friend of 21 years is no longer by my side and there are no words that aptly describe my sense of loss. And yet, here I am, trying. Trying to find some way to explain of the inexplicable. Not just for me, but for our 3 sons and our precious grandson.

I might not be able to explain why Marlon was taken from us so abruptly, so soon, so tragically, but what I can explain is what an absolutely incredible man he was and how many lives he touched.

I can explain how he died. More importantly, I can explain how he lived.

This isn’t easy, trying to find words that accurately convey who Marlon is/was. But I can hear him right now telling me to keep trying.

He was my biggest fan.

He loved that I blogged. Partly because he admired my writing but I think mainly because I finally had an outlet where I could pour all of my words. (Instead of his ears, bless his heart.) Whenever I’d get frustrated or depressed with blogging, he’d urge me to continue. When I’d question whether or not to share personal stories, he’d urge me to do it. As a matter of fact, he had a lot of his own ideas too such as activities for 4 year olds, a Google+ ebook, a step parenting series, to name a few. I’d argue that I just don’t have that kind of time and it isn’t that easy to write. And, as usual, I’d lose the argument.

When my father was in failing health in the 1990’s, Marlon wanted me to sit with Dad and write down his fabulous stories. But I didn’t and I regret that to this day.

I can’t sit down with Marlon now, but I can write his stories. For me, for our sons, for our grandson, for the ~~hundreds~~ thousands of people who’s lives he touched.

Because I just can’t say good bye. Not yet.

Confessions of a Non-Fashionista

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Thu, 10 May 2012 02:36:00 +0000

source

I have a dilemma. A big dilemma. A *gulp* fashion dilemma.

While most women love fashion, style and shopping for clothes, I am not one of ‘em. Nordstrom or Home Depot? I’m at HD.

Oh, I have a closet full of clothes, mostly from either the thrift store, Walmart or my shopaholic mother-in-law. All simple. No patterns. Prints make me feel like I should be target practice. And most are black.

I like black. I’m comfortable in all black. It probably comes from my years as a dancer. Jazz dancer, that is. I still have night sweats from college ballet class when we were instructed to come to class in either “ballet” pink or black.

I missed that key word and showed up in hot pink. I was impossible to miss in my neon leotard and tights which was not a good thing, since ballet was not my forte.

When I became a serious dancer a few years later I only wore black, believe me.

source

Mother’s Day Ideas – Flower Pots

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Tue, 08 May 2012 02:51:00 +0000

Family Education

On the off chance you’re like me and haven’t done a thing for Mother’s Day yet, here are some fun, easy and inexpensive ideas for Mom, Grandma, Daughter or Sister.

There are a few reasons I love flower pots. To start with, they’re cheap, even if you buy them new. You can nab some from the thrift store too and if they’re already painted, just hit them with some spray primer and decorate however you like.

You don’t have to use them just for plants and flowers either. I like decorated pots for storage, pens, scissors, you name it. Of course, for Mother’s Day a flowering plant is a sweet touch.

Or, how about a birdbath?

Meeting the Centsational Girl . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Mon, 07 May 2012 03:22:00 +0000

. . . was sensational!

Last week I learned that one of my favorite bloggers, Kate from Centsational Girl, was giving a workshop at a local Home Depot. It took a little finagling and moving things around in my schedule but I was determined to meet her.

There are a lot of blogs I read and follow, but truly only a handful are what I consider ‘must-reads’. Centsational Girl is on that list.

But I gotta admit, while I was excited at the prospect of meeting Kate, I was also kind of freaked out. I know, I know, she’s human and all and just because her blog is ha-uge and she’s been in all kinds of magazines and on TV, that shouldn’t bother me, right?

*ahem* Wrong. I’ve never really met any kind of celebrity so I didn’t want to come across like a gawky preteen who’s ga-ga over the latest boy band. Or a stalker.

Mother’s Day Craft Project – Dipdot Lilacs

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:39:00 +0000

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, I wanted to come up with some quick and easy projects. “Dipdots” are a fun way to paint, for both you and the kiddos!

For this lilac painting, I grabbed a paper gift bag from the dollar store.

April In Review

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:55:00 +0000

Happy May Day! As a blogger, with the start of a new month, we often review the past month and post a little recap. As I reviewed my April posts, I was kinda dumbstruck. I wrote nine posts in April.

Nine?!?

My norm has been 4-5 posts each week with two or three of those being a painting tutorial. What in the world happened last month? It sure seemed like I was busy. Incredibly busy, as a matter of fact. What happened?

I can tell you what didn’t happen. I didn’t post. I got swallowed up in a riptide of new work, new commitments and old self-doubts.

Doubts? How can you have doubts as new work is pouring in?

If you’re a blogger, and happen to be female, you just might be able to relate to some of this.

How To Paint White Lilacs on Stenciled Background

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:04:00 +0000

I started to paint this tutorial a few weeks ago, back when my white lilacs were still in bloom.

It was such a treat to clip some for inspiration. But Life intervened and I couldn’t get the tutorial painted until this week.

Dipdot a Flower Garden on a Birdhouse

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:07:00 +0000

Hello, my friends! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Well, I wasn’t taking a vacay, believe me. I’ve been ‘hanging out’ with some VIBs (very important bloggers), which has been so much fun!

Since I’ve been in a dipdot frame o’ mind, I painted a flower garden on this little birdhouse. You can check out the entire tutorial at Pretty Handy Girl.

While you’re there, take a peek at the entire DIY Talent Parade – nearly two weeks of fabulous DIY posts. I still can’t believe Brittany invited me, but I’m so glad she did!

Another thing – Pretty Handy Girl is hosting a DIY linky this Friday, April 27. So get your best DIY projects together and come link up!

Next time I’ll share some of the other blogs where I’ve been guest posting.

What have you been up to this past week? Any painting or decorating?

Tone on Tone Wall Mural

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 02:06:00 +0000

Sawdust & Embryos

Alright. This isn’t exactly a tone-on-tone mural. But it has that appearance, doesn’t it?

Back in the 90’s my BFF, Debbie, painted her bedroom walls a beautiful rich taupe, stood back and said, “meh.” Ever been there? Deb, being one of the most brilliant and creative people I’ve ever met, simply took some high gloss sealer and added vertical stripes to one wall. It was incredible, the transformation. Very soft and muted, but it stood out enough to add some pow to the room.

When I saw this post by Beth at Sawdust & Embryos I knew I had to one day share it ‘cause it reminded me of Deb’s room way back when. I love Beth’s courageous choice of that rich teal, especially in a kitchen. Stop by and see how she did it. Oh, poke around Sawdust & Embryos for a while too. All sorts of fun projects!

Tutorial Tuesday – Crackle Finish

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 02:44:00 +0000

Years ago, when I first started playing around with decorative painting, crackle finishes were the hot ticket. Unfortunately, crackle was the one finish I just never got the hang of.

That is, until I read this post by my friend, Ann, at Make The Best of Things. She gives some of the best tips I’ve ever seen and here’s the best part – she uses Elmer’s Glue for her crackle. Yep – glue!

Take a few minutes today to check out this fabulous tutorial for crackle finishes, okay? It’s a great finish for furniture and summer paint projects.

15 Minute Monday - Dip Dye DIY

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:35:00 +0000

Martha Stewart

Got fifteen minutes? I found some ideas that are crazy cute, and take about 15 minutes to do, not including drying time.

I got the idea from Martha’s dip dyed baskets I saw last year.

Cherry Blossom Crafts

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:00:00 +0000

I’ve been on the hunt for cute and simple paint projects ever since I posted Dipdot Flowers a couple of weeks ago.

Cue the ‘cute ‘n simple’ choir.

How clever is this? I spotted it on DollarStoreCrafts and then clicked over to Alphamom to make sure it was easy as it looks. It sure looks like dipdot, just with an empty soda bottle instead of the end of a paintbrush.

Don’t look now . . . it’s SpiderBunny!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:17:00 +0000

Did you have a great Easter? I hope so! Lemme tell you, I have a failsafe way to make your Easter absolutely incredible – share it with a 4 year old. In my case, the ace-in-the-hole was my grandson, which made it even more delicious.

You see, since I’m a stepmother and my boys were 7, 10, & 12 when they moved in, I missed all of the festivities as they’d spend Easter week with their mother. It never dawned on me to plan well in advance to do some crafting before Spring break.

Like I said, I’m a stepmother, mmkay?

So being able to play Easter Bunny is an incredible blessing for me. Of course, that doesn’t mean I didn’t wait until the last minute to pull it all together though. Last Friday me and all the other last-minute mothers and grandmothers were clamoring for what was left of plastic eggs and chocolate bunnies. (Funny . . . I didn’t see any dads or grandfathers in the Easter aisle. Huh.)

Seven Spring Flower Painting Tutorials

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 04:04:00 +0000

With Easter this weekend and Mother’s Day not too far off, Spring flowers are at the top of my painting to-do list.

While I enjoy sharing quick little paint projects like the dipdot flowers, I also like paintings that take a few more minutes, but they are well worth the extra time. These seven painting tutorials aren’t difficult at all, either. Each one uses the layering technique (except for the Queen Anne’s Lace) which is nearly foolproof.

Let’s start with the Purple Lilacs, above. Mine aren’t in bloom yet but the white lilacs are. I clipped some today and I’m sitting here enjoying their light, lacey look. So, of course, you know I’ve got to paint some white ones too. But I think you’ll have fun painting the purple ones for now!

Paint Bunnies & Chicks in 15 Minutes Or Less

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:09:00 +0000

Guess what?!? Easter is this Sunday! As in . . . like, 4 days from now. Guess what else? I have nothing ready. Not a ding-dong thing. I take that back – I now have a cutie-patootie bunny & chick tray that took less than 15 minutes to paint.

Yep – less than 15 minutes to paint!!!

I’m not kidding. If you don’t believe me, check out the flowers I painted last week in less than 15 minutes.

I’m totally lovin’ this whole ‘dipdot’ thing. Who knows? We just might dipdot an entire wall mural before too long.

Today though, let’s just paint some bunnies and chicks.

Want More Google+ Followers?

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:26:00 +0000

I was so excited this week when I saw Laurie @ TipJunkie was hosting a Google+ link exchange! Why? Because the more creative bloggers there are on Google+, the more fun it is for all of us.

Do you remember when you were first on Twitter and Facebook and had just a handful of followers and friends? It wasn’t very interesting, was it? The same holds true for Google+. If you haven’t followed many bloggers you like then it’s kinda boring. Well, here comes TipJunkie to the rescue!

First you need to sign into Blogfrog.

Super Spray Paint! Part 1 - Krylon

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:19:00 +0000

Chances are, you have a can or two of spray paint hanging around, right? If there’s a quicker and cheaper way to paint something, I don’t know what it is. And once the temperature gets above 55 degrees (I’m in No. Calif.) it’s definitely time for Super Spray Paint!

You might think there is nothing simpler than spray painting too, right? Pick up a can and spray. Done. Oh, my friends, can I tell you how many ‘simple’ spray paint projects I’ve messed up? A.lot! So I decided to really spend some time and delve into the World of Spray Paint.

And, of course, I have to share my findings with you. Or should I say “opinions”. Yeah, this is more of a spray paint ‘review’. No one, including any paint companies, are paying me for this series on spray paint.

I’m starting off with Krylon because for a lot of crafters and artsy bloggers like me, Krylon is king.

Paint Flowers in 15 Minutes or Less– even if you can’t paint

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:55:00 +0000

Paint flowers in under 15 minutes? Even if you ‘can’t’ paint? Yep! I’ve got a foolproof, no-fail, technique . . . Dipdot Flowers!

Okay, so it’s not my own idea. When I spied the Landee’s dipdot easter eggs yesterday it got my mind whirring. Plus, my friends at Expect Moore and The Country Chic Cottage invited me to join their Crafty Quickies party this week, which is 15 minute projects.

Five Ways to Decorate Easter Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:42:00 +0000

Do you need some inspiration for decorating easter eggs this year? Not just regular eggs, either. Now, along with the ol’ plastic eggs, you can decorate styrofoam eggs and papier mache eggs.

I am in awe of the creative ways people are decorating eggs.

Tiny gems add some ‘bling’ to these painted styrofoam eggs. I love how she creates the flower with dip dots. Get the how-to for this egg and three more at LandeeSeeLandeeDo. Warning: If you don’t have a personal cutter (Silhouette, Cricut), this will make you really, really want one.

Spring In The Foothills

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:34:00 +0000

Spring is upon us here in the Northern California foothills. The flowering quince are in full bloom now. We’re always a bit later than the Sacramento valley.

I’m filled with childhood memories when I walk through the yard. Yes, it’s a yard. There’s absolutely no way one could call it a “garden”. Hence the close ups in this post. Every new blossom takes me back in time to a particular event.

Funny how that happens. It’s like when you hear a certain song – it just transports you back in time. Right?

When I was a girl, my dad was always out in the garden. (Back then it was a garden.) I was always too busy with something – anything! – to help him. Gardening was something he did, not me. Every spring the flowers just appeared and I never took the time to stop and appreciate them.

Eight Spray Paint Projects for Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:39:00 +0000

Spring!

Color!

Spray Paint!!!

Is it me or do those three things just go together?

Okay. Maybe it’s just me. But I found some fabulous spray paint projects that have inspired me to add some pops of color around here.

Lamps

3 Sun Kissed Boys

Google+ +1 Button – It IS a Big Deal

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 16:18:00 +0000

This is the 7th installment of Google+ For Creative Bloggers. Here are the first six posts:

Part 1 – What is Google Plus?
Part 2 – The Pros and Cons of Google+
Part 3 – Setting Up Your Profile
Part 4 – Google+ Circles
Part 5 – Creative Ways To use Circles
Part 6 – Google+ Cheatsheet

Using Google products is really simple, but understanding what they do and why is another story altogether. The Google +1 button has been around for quite a while now. If you’re like me, it’s been a bit of a mystery, and reading Google’s explanations just deepened my confusion.

I thought it was similar to Facebook’s “Like” button, but it’s not. If you ‘+1’ a blog it doesn’t add that blog’s posts to your Google+ stream, which Facebook’s “Like” button does. So what does it do?

Honestly? I can’t begin to explain it. So I’ll offer a quote from Hubspot, one of the giants in internet marketing, who highly recommend being on Google+ -

Add the Google +1 button to your website and blog so that people can easily share your blog posts and landing pages with their friends, and help your pages rank better at the same time. You'll also benefit from increased traffic, as our research shows that websites using the +1 button generate 3.5x the Google+ visits than sites without the button.

Faux (paw) Finish Alabaster Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen Jorgensen) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 03:52:00 +0000

I should probably call these faux ‘foil-wrapped chocolate eggs’ but that isn’t what this faux finish is. It truly is a finish that would mimic alabaster, IF I had used eggs with a smooth finish. Which I didn’t.

Let me explain. I got all excited when I heard Young House Love was hosting a Winter Pinterest Challenge. I knew I had to make something . . . but what?

Easter! Of course! It’s right around the corner and I have not.a.single.thing ready. I did a search on Pinterest for “Easter” – oh yes, it’s a fabulous ‘search’ tool – and saw these beauties.

*cue angels singing* How absolutely gorgeous are these italian alabaster eggs from Williams-Sonoma? I fell head-over-heels in love with them. The more I looked at them, the more I thought I could come up with something close to a faux alabaster finish.

Tell me you’ve looked at something and thought, “Hey, I could do that!” C’mon. You know you have.