Better Late Then Never

Finally all set up and working in the new studio- It's been nice to leave the house in the morning like a normal person. I find I get much more work done without internet access. The new space is bigger and has storefront potential.

Other exciting news?
1. Taking care of a very sick kitty has proven I do in fact have a maternal instinct. This is good news.
2. Said kitty is much better today.
3. I am going to be a Mom in 3 months!
4. I have all new items in my shop!

The Compostest with the Mostest

After realizing it has been almost a month since I posted anything, here it goes! Craziness: ultrasounds, redoing the kitchen floor, moving the studio, moving Matt's office, getting kicked by a super strong fetus.
The two pictures posted above probably seem nonsensical, but they both have a story. The counter top compost container was a gift from Matt's folks, absolutely the most useful gift ever. It has a carbon filter which eliminates odors, plus it looks fancy, I love fancy!
The picture of my cats still continues to elude me. I am convinced Neko did not see Rascal at all, as this is by far the closest they have ever been without a battle royal.
In baby news: Bebe Bouton continues to grow, and I cannot believe we are at the half way mark already. Still trying to figure out how to decorate the nursery, I'm thinking a border of old fashioned hot air balloons.

New Stuff

This print "the Line Up" went up in my Etsy shop today.
On another note, today I tried to spell vacuum and came up empty handed. Turns out it is not spelled: vacumm, vacumn, or vaccumn. I was making a list of things we need to buy or replace for our house. I thought if I made a list the money to pay for these things might magically appear. Stranger things have happened!

Marching on...

All this rain had flooded everything, including our basement. But alas, it has me thinking of the Spring/Summer. Maine is so beautiful. Things I am looking forward to:
1. The farmers market at Deering Oaks. Just a few blocks away, I love buying fresh flowers and placing a bouquet in every room.
2. Grilling and eating a late dinner on the back porch.
3. Guerilla flower picking on the side of the road.
4. Beach Combing.
5. Eating fish and chips, although I try to make this a year long activity. No need to deny oneself.
6. Opening the windows, and being able to keep them open all night.
7. Laying in the hammock at my Mom's house.
8. Picnics!
9. Spring cleaning, yes I enjoy this. In Feng Shui, we call it 'space clearing', sounds much cooler.
10. Yard Sales!
AND, at the very end of summer, our Baby Bouton arrives. This is what I am looking forward to most. What a trip.

I'm kind of a star...

Found a very nice write up on my work today...

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/boston/artwork/kitchen-utensilinspired-artwork-and-towels-by-the-house-

Rock On

So, unknown to me until now, are these crazy maternal instincts and nesting compulsions. I am sure they will only get worse, but they have completely taken over and I have decided not to fight them. Hence the polka dot cushion on this chair. Once an old, beat up, brown 70's rocker, I have turned it into the rocking chair for the baby's room. I painted it white and then added a mocha glaze to make it look 'aged'. Thank goodness for sunny weather and zero voc paint. Otherwise, I would have to go until September without painting anything, and that just wouldn't d0. God help me from painting an elephant parade across the walls, but I fear it is only a matter of time.

Who Are You?

Spring is here! I am feeling great. I think I must be the most prolific, pregnant Printmaker ever! Check out the new designs. I am so excited about the owl!

Matt made pizza the other night and it was fabulous! Marinated portabello mushrooms and baby spinach! It was also beautiful, so I took a picture. We thought of another business idea, to add to the list- A family restaurant. Sometimes I wish I could stop having ideas and become really good at follow through!

A Place at the Table

I love using cloth napkins, they feel super fancy and add a formality to any table setting. They are also so much better for the earth then disposables.
New designs are always so exciting. Something about an idea being manifested is just so gratifying. I am not sure how often I will be able to offer these in my Etsy shop, but they are here for now. I may end up listing them as custom items in the future. This design was inspired by an old printers block, and of course altered and embellished. The napkins were sewn by me from unbleached, USA made 100% cotton.

Cavities

For a family get together on Valentine's Day, I made these little cupcakes. Because I am hopelessly uncool, I documented the process. And yes, I cut out all the hearts individually, by hand.

Thrift Store Treasure

So, I have a prized possession. I confess to liking it more then my Bob Dylan records and possibly as much as my cats. Where did I find this beauty? Well, it came from one of my favorite places, The Salvation Army. I find myself trolling around there at least once a week, waiting for some divine item to make itself known.
I paid $14.99 for this fully functional stand mixer, from the 1950's. It is one of the only electronic items I have ever purchased from a thrift store, knowing they never work. Yesterday I finally paid artistic homage and committed it to print. This weekend this little piece of my heart will be available in my Etsy shop as prints, and on flour sack towels at the end of the month. Maybe you will enjoy it as much as I do!

Green Clean

I have challenged myself over the past year or so to lessen my carbon footprint, and really think about the impact of what I buy and what I use. This has lead me to changing all our household cleaners, cosmetics, foods, clothing and other commodities to those which are not harmful to the earth or humanity in general. This was not easy, but I really think it was necessary. I started with cleaning products, the most obvious. I replaced laundry detergent, bleach, dish soap, surface cleaners, etc, with eco-friendly alternatives. What I found surprised me, these new products were much cheaper then the brand name caustic cleaners. I moved next to cosmetics after reading several articles on the lack of regulations on ingredients and toxins. My first move was to stop wearing so much make-up (that was hard). The only make-up I wear now is raw mineral. I replaced shampoos, lotions, etc. with natural and organic products. I have limited myself to buying clothing at The Salvation Army and Marden's. I seriously have not purchased a new article of clothing in over a year. When it's time for new duds, I plan on supporting my bread and butter, Etsy.com.

Timmy's in the well

This is our cat, Rascal. He is by no means a small creature, this picture is post weight loss, he was almost 20 lbs at one point. He got himself into a real predicament today.
A few months ago someone gave us a giant TV, and we graciously accepted. I made an equally giant stand for it out of 4 bookshelves. This stand has a small engineering flaw in which things as large as cats can jump down behind, and then can't get out. Rascal did this for the first time a few weeks ago and Matt had to reach down and pull him out by the scruff of his neck.
Today while I was working I kept hearing this strange scraping noise, I thought it was the furnace or something, naturally I ignored it. A few hours later I noticed Rascal was missing, this always puts me into a panic, because of the one time he did get outside. I walked into the living room and heard a yelp. I walked over to the TV stand.
AGAIN, he went in AGAIN!
So I reached down and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pulled him out. He thanked me by attempting to bite me in the face.
Ain't he sweet?

Home sweet home, a work in progress...

My husband and I have been remodeling our 1900 townhouse for almost 3 years. It has been a challenge to say the least, especially because we have lived here through all of the remodeling, and done it ALL ourselves. These are some pictures of the kitchen as it is now, this has been the major focus of our efforts. To begin with we had no insulation, drop ceilings, fake wood paneling and some really ugly broken cabinets. Our recent accomplishments are trim, crown, a butler's nook, primer and a faux tin ceiling. Last winter we put in cabinets and granite. Below is our restored 1950's stove, which looks cool but is a little to HOT for us. It cooks everything at about 100 degrees higher then it's set to. Matt bought and restored the stove for me because he knew I LOVE retro stoves. Very sweet. When we move our 220 line in 'phase 2' of the remodel, will get a new stove. Please notice my towel!


The curtains, and chair cushion were made by yours truly. I bought the chair at Salvation Army for $4.99, I covered the seat with fabric to match the curtains. You can kind of see the bar stools, which are also a thrift store find. They are 36" ladder backs, that where $15 for the pair. I repainted them and poof!

Featured, what a cool article as well!

http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/etsy-finds-decor-home-sweet-print-shop-6789/

The ol' Egg Beaters are back in a new color assortment, my favorite as of yet!
You can find them in my Etsy shop!
thehouseofbouton.etsy.com

The Little People

You would be amazed the things one finds while demolishing old kitchens. As an artist it can be one the most exciting parts of the job. Here is what I found today:
1. 2 super balls, one hot pink, one blue.
2. A huge embroidery needle.
3. Mouse poops.
Not the most exciting ever, but cool none the less. I find bouncy balls everywhere. There must be more bouncy balls in the world then people. Matt and I once found an entire bag of bouncy balls when cleaning out someones basement.
When we did the demo work in our kitchen, I hit the jackpot. I found a Fisher Price Little Person! Not just any little person, MY little person. The same one I always picked up as a child because she looked like me. I was ecstatic! My sisters and I used to spend hours at the public library playing with these toys, it was a really cool find. I am always hoping that I will find the following things:
1. A time capsule.
2. Money/gold.
3. A china cabinet preserved in time. There is still a possibility we have once of these in my house, I will keep you updated.
4. NOT a skeleton

I'm 'Printsy' this week.

Let see, what's new on this fine January morning?

The picture above is my Great Aunt Adelaide, also known as the first Betty Crocker. An absolutely fascinating subject in my eyes. Apparently I never outgrew bragging about it!

My 'Noyes Street Pears' print is 'Printsy' this week on the Printsy blog: {Etsy Printmakers}
http://printsy.blogspot.com/2010/01/whos-printsy-this-week.html

I am now on Soopsee:
soopsee.com/profile/thehouseofbouton

I may join Twitter soon, but not until I can figure out how it works!

Before and After

I think I might be haunted. This is where I was born, second floor on the right.

This will forever be attached to a memory, I keep only for myself...

NEW EDITION IN THE HOUSE

thehouseofbouton.etsy.com

Spoon Rest

Today my new flour sack towels arrived! I am so psyched! They are 100% UNBLEACHED cotton, USA made, and all around awesome. I am super impressed with the quality of this manufacturer. I wanted to create a product that was not only beautiful but also earth friendly, and now I have.
In other news I finished my first commission over this snowy weekend as well as my first wholesale order. 'Spoon Rest' was created as a companion print to my 'By Hand' print for a wonderful Etsy customer. She wanted them for the wall in her newly remodeled 'retro' kitchen. These prints as well as my leaner, meaner & greener towels will be up is my Etsy shop ASAP.

Fresh New Merch. Photo's