michelle my belle

Allen Designs Goody Giveaway Contest

2009-12-02T14:14:15-08:00

Allen Designs Goody Giveaway Contest!

We will be giving away 3 of these sets! $75 value each. wowza!!

3 Chances to WIN and 4 ways to Enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me what one of your holiday traditions is. i'm looking to add something to ours this year.
2. Fan us on Facebook . one winner will be drawn specifically from our facebook fans.
3. Sign up for our Newsletter on the top right hand side of this blog. Not to worry, we don't send many and the ones we do send include some amazing close-outs and giveaways.
4. Promote our giveaway on your blog and get 3 entries! Feel free to pull this image to use on your blog. And don't forget to leave me a comment so I know you did.

contest will close Thursday Dec. 10th @ midnight

Thank you for playing!

(international entries are welcome but you would be responsible for the postage)

ceramics of my dreams!

2009-12-02T11:38:50-08:00

some of you may not know what a ceramics freak i am.
i just really have a soft spot in my heart for all things clay.
but extra cushy soft spot for the strange, off kilter, abnormal kinds.
i wandered upon this artist a while back and have been wiping the DROOL off my chin ever since.
just look at the detail she applies, the whimsy, the colors!
to me Natalya Sots is pure genius!
i will dream to acquire one of her lovelies in the future.

handmade ornaments

2009-12-02T00:58:24-08:00

today was yet another long day.
woke up. which was feat in and of itself.
coffee and a few emails.
ran 7 miles with my friend stacey.
checked out my local antiquey junk shop. got a killer deal on a pot rack!
took my employees to a new restaurant in town for rachel's birthday.
picked up my daughter from school. chatted with her and her friend.
studio paperwork and more emails.
grabbed some paints and DAS (which fyi they have at Michaels) from the studio and brought it down to the house.(it's cold and lonely up there!)
more emails and too much thinking.
really wanted to veg and watch tv but just can't justify it.
a little blog hopping for distraction.
finally at about 10:00pm i became creative.
and these are the little varmints that evolved.
edited and uploaded some pictures to costco.
now off to bed.
and hopefully i'll be applying paint to these guys in the morning.
maybe even begin a little christmas decorating.

i heart mexican food

2009-12-01T01:33:41-08:00

just wanted to drop a quick line or two and let you know i'm still alive.

my daughter found this heart bean in her taco, very appropriate-our whole family LOVES Mexican food, so i thought i'd test out a little camera trick my friend nicci taught me. i have so much to learn about my camera. this is one of my hugeOmongous goals for the year.

anyhoo's
i managed to get thru my 100+ emails today.
which means i may actually get to do something creative tomorrow!
imagine that.
i'm sure something will come up.

oh, did i tell you that i've been running again?
i am.
and i should be, toe by toe i stepped on the scale this morning.
up 5lbs! can you believe it. how in the world did that happen?
so a running i will go.how about you? any poundage gains?

to think that somebody actually reads my random blathering.
and by the way.
i'm super de duper thankful for YOU.
you must be as strange as i.

(this is what happens to me at 1:30AM!)

Studio Sale Weekend One Recap

2009-11-24T01:40:53-08:00

we decked the halls.
spent days setting up and making things pretty.
tried some new things like advertising on facebook and craigslist.
neither of which worked...that i know of.

this year we wanted to try a Charity Night. our thought was: to raise a little money for a couple of charities and at the same time try to lessen the massive rush we usually get on the opening morning.
oops...
i guess we didn't charge enough ($5). it was utter chaos!

don't judge me by my wrinkled tablecloths! some things have to give.
it was still really fun and we were able to raise a couple hundred $$ for Laundry Love and Open House Ministries. super cool.

jess painted this snowman while staying over at my mom's a few weeks ago.
i'm still in awe! she is quite the entrepreneur. begging us to make prints and magnets for her and scouring my drawers for blank cards that she can make her own.
my heart swells with joy at her enthusiasm.

one weekend down. and one more to go.
first though. Thanksgiving!

today i'm thankful for my amazing employees that bust a move when i need them to.
for friends and family that come beside me in my crazy life.
and i'm thankful and deeply moved by people who like what i do-enough to want it in their homes.
God is good to me.

Reach for the Moon

2009-11-18T15:41:32-08:00

original painting
frantically trying to get a few things finished up around here.
a much needed container of clocks arrived yesterday.
our Allen Designs annual studio sale starts tomorrow night.

i'm tired.
so many things to do.
maybe i've been Reaching for the Moon a bit too much!
looking forward to Thanksgiving and some rest.

we had went on a mission trip with our church's youth group a few weeks ago.
this was on the drive up. Yakima Valley area.
these things are massive.
they were like beautiful birds.

they made me smile.