AAAAIIIIEEEE!! Busy week in pictures.

The Holidays are such busy times, and they are here.
This past week was such a busy week for me even though the kids and husband had a whole week off.

My husband's little red truck just quit on him on the middle on the freeway last week 40 miles before getting to his destination uughh!  The truck is 20 yrs old so we cannot expect much from it really.

The kids and I had to drive to San Diego to go pick him up on Friday since the truck was towed to the mechanics. I picked them up from school a bit early to avoid rush hour.  Unfortunately it rained almost all the way.  I hate driving in the rain.

But then right when we get to San Diego it was sunny!  You can see the Pacific Ocean right on this picture.  It all worked out since my husband worked on Saturday I got to spend all day at my mom's. The we drove back to Hemet Saturday night.

Sunday really felt like a Saturday.  It was like the weekend got shortened.   

My husband and the kids had the whole week off school and work like I mentioned earlier.

 Xavi signed up for a sort of fun school camp on Monday from 8-12 pm he came home all excited and happy from all the fun things he did including a puff car.

He came home and perfected it with a roof.  He used up all of my deco tape oh well :/

it came out cute or so I believe.

My husband prepared a wall so that when Xavi came back from camp they had a small painting session and some male bonding.  I was happy to see some of that blue gone, it was here when we bought the house and to get rid of it basically it all comes down to money.  Although they did not entirely finished some progress was done :)

Then on Tuesday my mother in law came to visit. It's always fun to spend time with the family. 

I was also able to squeeze a couple of bike rides during the week during the chilly mornings.  It's nice to see leaves falling and the gorgeous colors on the trees.

For Thanksgiving we drove to San Diego to my brother's, him and his wife just bought a new house and we celebrated there.

 It was so funny when I asked what time is the turkey ready everyone pointed to the sign on the wall.

This was the fried one and it came delicious nom nom!

These two are my niece and nephew.  They are fourteen years old.   Their mothers were pregnant (now my ex sisters in law) with them when they attended my wedding back in 1999. 
It's just ridiculous how short I am :(  ugghh!

After Thanksgiving feast we crossed the border to Mexico to celebrate some more at my father in law's.  There were some of my husband's aunts, uncles and cousins.
It was nice to spend time with them and catch up.
We spent the night there.

It is not your imagination but my camera had a fingerprint on the prior two pictures :(

What is a trip to Mexico without eating tacos?
Of course we stopped this morning for some breakfast.
If you've been in Mexico you know you have to experience eating tacos on the street.
I highly recommend it.  This taco stand was full for a reason. 
Then we headed to the border and drove back to Hemet.

I feel really blessed because I live 1 1/2 hours away from my native country.
I can get the best of both worlds.
I have a Cuban neighbor and I am pretty sure he cannot say
I had breakfast in Cuba and dinner at home in the US.
I do! I am able to say I had breakfast in Mexico and dinner in the US.

So this is how I spent my week, full of family food and excitement.  For all of these simple things I give thanks even for the little broken red truck.

I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!
and are enjoying your Holidays.

As far as Black Friday, no not for me.  I've never been shopping on a Black Friday.
Even though temping I hate abusing plastic!

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Self Challenge

I feel kinda bad  leaving things unfinished.  I am talking about my self challenge that I started back in February. But then again I leave a lot of crafts projects unfinished. I'll see if I can get back in the groove. 
Till now I will just post random pictures and a quote. 

I love how all these  gorgeous colors blend together to make a beautiful fall season.
I took this picture last week while dropping off the kids at school.
Today its finally raining.  First rain since May.

Hurray for rain!

Well done is better than well said.  ~Benjamin Franklin

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Giving Tree and some tunes

Last week I found a copy of "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein on one of my thrift shopping sessions.  I was very excited.  I've told you before that that is Sophia's all time favorite book.  I read it over and over to here when she was younger.

I mean over and over and over...really!

But the version we had was the Spanish one.  

Once she learned how to read in English, she taught herself how to read in Spanish.

Then she was able to read it by herself.

A while back Maria my friend, pen pal and blogger asked me if Sophia and Xavi spoke Spanish.

Sophia can have a good conversation and at times serves as a translator and interpreter she's done it at school and with my mom.

Xavi on the other hand only understands it.  At times he mocks some of my phrases.

My husband speaks to the kids in English and I do it in Spanish.  Although at times I see their little faces like 'What did she say?'  Then I change languages to see it they get it...

and it so happens they don't get it either.

I know they're kids but what do they want from me Chinese??? 

oh yeah, they are just not listening period.

Back to the book...great little story I found this video on you tube spoken by the author himself.

Isn't it cute?, I also love the story.   Have you read the book?

It reminds me of the relationship of a mother and a child...

By the way Sophia said the Spanish version is still her favorite!

One more thing I'd like to share is this short video of a vintage music box I have for sale.

A customer asked what song it played, I never really payed attention.

So I recorded it.  It's the song "Raindrops keep falling on my head."

One of those songs that you just can't get out of your head ah?

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Featured artist Lisa from MessyBedStudio

Hello dear friends and readers I am sure glad I am back blogging I missed the interaction with you guys.  I am aching to make time to give the blog a makeover ok ok just a new header would do. I am bringing back the featured artist interviews.  It is always nice to learn about the person behind the artist I really enjoy it and  hope you do too.  This Sunday please meet Lisa, her etsy shop is MessyBedStudio.  Her great source of inspiration are the simplest things like colors, words or light! Enjoy this interview and stop by her shop.

1. Tell us as little or as much as you would like about yourself.
My name is Lisa and I live in the country in Upstate NY. I have 3 just about grown kids, a dog and a cat who has a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality.

nature mixed media painting grid squares

2. What do you sell?
In my shop I have mostly small mixed media pieces: little canvases that I have painted, collaged and written on as well as plastered, sewn and glued. Then there are handmade cards and hand painted moleskine notebooks. I’ve also just finished up the 3rd annual fortune cookie wisdom calendar for 2014. Oh yes and there’s a little bit of vintage mixed in there too.

3. Why handmade?
For as long as I can remember I have always been making something or thinking about making something. It feels like a compulsion. Even when my kids were young and I didn’t have time to make much myself, we were always making things together whether it was painting, knitting or cooking a meal. As they grew up I had more time to work on the ideas that were floating around in my head. My kids were the ones to encourage me to open Messy Bed Studio.

2014 Calendar fortune cookie wisdom calendar

4. Where does your inspiration to create come from and/or your inspiration in life?
I am inspired by color and words or the way the light looks when the sun is setting, things like that. I also love to go to galleries and museums to see contemporary art exhibitions.

5. Besides creating what else do you do? Do you have a full time job? I started out, way back when, as a typesetter and then moved on to be a graphic designer. When I had my children I was lucky enough to be able to stay home with them. Now that my youngest has gone off to college I have more time for Messy Bed Studio!

6. When did you start thinking you were an artist? When I was 8 years old I got one of the best gifts ever. It was a long flat box of 72 crayola crayons with a sharpener, all laid out like colored pencils. I’m not sure I thought I was an artist then but I knew I wanted to be one.

Anniversary card

7. Who has been most influential in your craft work? My father. When I was a kid he worked a job fixing oil burners. The company he worked for provided him with fabric scraps to use as rags on the job. Well I took one look at this bag of calicos, stripes and plaids and decided I was going to make a quilt. He handed that bag over and got me more so I would have enough. I had never made a quilt before and these were the days before internet so I had no idea what I was doing but that didn’t matter to him. He may not have understood all of my crazy ideas but he was always there to support me

8. Where would you like to be in five years? I’d like to be a non-starving artist.

Key collage ornament wood block art

9. Is there anything you'd like to try doing that you haven't done? crafts, sports, life in general? I would like to try encaustic, different kinds of print making, photography, maybe make a short little video. I’d like to travel and write a book and take cooking lessons in Italy and learn yoga and take life drawing classes. I think the list might be endless.

10. Besides online where else do you sell? Right now I’m selling mainly through my Etsy shop. I have sold work in exhibitions and in a brick and mortar vintage shop I ran a few years back.

Ways to contact you:
*etsy shop*
*website*
*blog*
*pinterest*
email messybedstudio@gmail.com

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While I was out...Xavi

Before this get too be old news this is one last post about while I was out. 

I caught Xavi #loverboy copying a love letter off the computer! The little rascal!

He thinks he is all grown up and writes loves letters for the girls.  He always talks about a future.  He wants to have a normal wife, normal job, normal house, normal car and normal kids.  Just last night while I was putting together this post he told me.
"This is a bad world we live in, that's how it is.
That's why I believe in God so that he can help me."
Hearing those words come out of his little mouth warmed my heart.
This momma had to add it to her little blog :)

He bought this notebook with the coins he earned at school for being a good student and turning his work on time.  Sometimes he spends his money on his friends. He is a kind boy.
I say he needs to work on his spelling a little harder ha ha.

One of the greatest satisfaction for me  is when I see him go up on stage in the multipurpose room to get a math and spelling recognition award.  My son likes math and can put 2 and 2 together.  He is very interesting in learning his times tables and division facts.  

As far as spelling sometimes he misses those silent e's. 

"My Not Book"

I treasure those misspelled words!

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While I was out

While I was out Lola got a new puppy brother.  He is an 8 month old German short haired pointer. 

His name is Lucky.

Yay now she has someone to play with! or someone to brother because I think she annoys him too much.

and has someone to cuddle...they look so cute when they take a nap together. 

 I gotta take a picture one of these days.

You see this is fake grass on our side of the house.

They also get into mischief together although I doubt Lola had anything to do with pulling the fake grass to the concrete she is such a doll.

and I also doubt Lola buried Lucky's bone...in my plants :(

We went for a walk out in the fields but Lola got so unruly that Sophia had to carry her because she was so excited and just ran off like crazy! 

Every time I go out to my backyard I wonder what new things they have been getting themselves into.  Because I learned the hard way not to leave shoes or towels outside.
I now have to plan a pet friendly backyard...because these two own it now.

But really pets are totally worth it don't you think?

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Hello...back online.

The week before my last post I was feeling down blue, fat, ugly, heavy, slow, lethargic you name it.  It was a rough week.  My mind would not stop thinking all these negative thoughts.  Very heavy feelings.  No I wasn't in my days of the month.  I was worrying about my health and weight.  My mother and brother are diabetic recently my younger brother was diagnosed too I guess all these negatives emotions came together.

I don't like sharing negativity on my blog.  I am only sharing this because I am out of that hole now.  I booked a doctor's appointment and they ran some labs.  My lab results were all normal, except for  my triglycerides which were mildly elevated. For this the doctor recommend that I increase the amount of vegetables and lean meats in my diet. Initiating a cardiovascular exercise regimen like walking 3-4 times a week.  He said 10 pounds is what I need to loose.  Ten pounds!!  It sounds like nothing but it's hard.  Wish me luck...the hardest thing is incorporating my husband and the kids in the healthy eating habits.  I know a couple of people that can benefit from losing some weight.  So little by little I've been making changes that will benefit the whole family.  I made Sophia eat a slice of tomato the poor thing!  haha!  she thinks tomato is disgusting.  I've also been breaking a sweet I am back to taebo and started cardio routines.

I have to admit that I also had been having fun during this break.
My nephew turned four and we had a blast at his super hero party!  

What do you think about my super family??  I love them all!

I posted this pic on facebook and my husband was like what???  now everybody knows my secret identity and part time job on the weekends!   ok captain America...

We had an air show here in Hemet at the Hemet Ryan airport  But we certainly didn't bother with parking.  We watched right from our backyard while we barbecued...I know I know lean meats labs results weren't out yet.  Lean meats lean meats!

Not everybody was able to enjoy it and needed a little help.

I've missed you all and trust you've all been well. I have to dust my little corner of the web.  I have a couple of things to share while I was out.  I am thinking I want a new look for the blog this fall and winter season.  I am glad to be back and can't wait to catch up with you guys.

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