Nothing interesting really...

Yep, that's me, by a gigantic "C" 

View from our deck on a snowy day

I guess blogs are supposed to be the place you talk about all of the interesting things going on in your life. If you are me though, there really isn't a whole lot of interesting things happening.  Sometimes life becomes routine and you realize that you are doing the same things day to day, just going through the motions.  I hate to admit that has been me lately but, truly it is.  Long, long ago I wrote blogs about me, and my life, before I had children.  It's seems that now I have run into some sort of writers block.  The block isn't really hard to explain, it's because my life used to be so interesting.

My Kyra and I
doing what we do best,
looking fabulous :o)

10 years ago I had adventures and lived life on a breeze.  I went wherever it happened to take me.  I love my family and children and I truly (as cliché as it sounds) would not change it for anything.  But who I am now is not who I was those 10 years ago and, I doubt who I am now will stay the same when I look back again in 10 more.  I have grown and learned valuable lessons, I've faced some of the hardships that all adults must face, I've watched as my friends have grown up, been married, have started families, and I'm happy knowing there is more to come. But, I can't help but look back and envy the simplicity of life and the feeling of throwing caution to the wind.

The ever happy, hilarious, Ella

Today, I did the usual.  Got the kids up, took Kyra to school, shopped for paint supplies, cooked dinner, gave the kids a bath and tucked them into bed.  That was the extent of my interesting day.  Way back when I would have hopped a plane to Vegas and been living it up until dawn. Amazing how things change isn't it? 




And so, tonight I will be painting, as usual, and trying to get some of these orders out. Enjoy my "just because I felt like posting them" pictures. As always you can check out my site sweetpeasbutterbeans.etsy.com . 


Until next time, cheers! Thanks for stopping by.

My ever handsome man

Jungle Room

So I've spent the last week very busy.  Between the kids, the house, this cold I can't shake, and painting I've had plenty to do.  I spent the majority of my painting time doing mural work in a bedroom. It's a jungle themed room and I had tons of fun doing it.  It's starting to look like I will have more mural work in the future which is great because I really enjoy painting spaces.  Its a fantastic thing to be given a blank wall and the trust of your client.

My new business cards arrived in the mail today and I'm so excited that I will have them to give out.  Starting your own business is definitely difficult and a lot of work but, I've never been afraid of hard work and I'll be happy when it gets off the ground. Im working toward getting some better pictures of my products.  It seems in the Etsy universe the products that are photographed the best, are the ones that sell. This week I priced out the materials to make my light box. It's a great little DIY and Kevin is going to pick up the materials today. Once I'm finished I will post some photos and the instructions.  Its a extremely easy and inexpensive way to get some professional looking photos at any time of the day. 

Time to get back to painting! As usual you can check out my shop at sweetpeasbutterbeans.etsy.com My site needs a little love so be sure to tell your pals!

Until next time, cheers! Thank's for stopping by!

Take it one day at a time

Looks like my Etsy shop is going to have a slow start. We all want success and I know we all hope for instant results.  Things are not going that quickly for me but I'm starting to think its a matter of networking and taking some better photos.  Today I started looking up plans for a "light box" and asked the hubby if he would put it together for me.  I believe with some better pictures I could properly showcase my artwork and display it at its full potential.

Yesterday I worked from 8:30am to 7:30pm painting the room I have been talking about.  I'm still not finished but I am very excited see the end result. When I am done I will post the pictures, it really is coming out very cute.  I have plans to paint some wall plaques that are for the 2012 Santa Clarita Valley Relay for Life.  Team "We Remember" will be raffling them off and 100% of the profit will go the to American Cancer Society. As soon as I have supplies I will get to work on those. In the meantime I have a child's rocker/doll bassinet and a large order for some USMC themed letters that I have been working on. Keeping busy is always a good thing although with two little girls in the house I rarely have down time.  Speaking of my girls, here are some pictures of my cuties! I love them dearly!

As always you can check out my shop sweetpeasbutterbeans.etsy.com, its coming along nicely!

Until next time, cheers! Thanks for stopping by!

A Very Lovely Day Indeed

It was a very Happy Valentine's Day for my family and I.  We rarely have much time to spend together and when we do it's usually filled with plenty of those pesky but necessary tasks to keep us busy. Yesterday the snowy weather and icy roads kept us in for the day so we decided to have some good quality family time. We watched funny movies and did some fun activities with the kids. My honey sent me some beautiful tulips and yummy chocolate, he knows how to put a smile on my face. After girls were in bed, we had a nice romantic dinner and danced to some of the old classics in our living room. A very lovely day indeed. 

Tomorrow I will be venturing out to continue work on the bedroom I have been painting.  It is a grass border at the chair rail line, a tree with a monkey hanging in it, a giraffe and a lion.  I'm having such a great time with this job and I can't wait to post some pictures of my progress.  I enjoy painting walls, it's like having a huge blank canvas and its always fun to see the reaction to the work when it is complete.

I have been working on my Etsy store today and have managed to put up a new listing.  There will be a lot more to come. As always please drop by sweetpeasbutterbeans.etsy.com and check out the latest work. I guarantee there is much more to come because I am just getting started!

Until next time, cheers! Thanks for dropping by!

Welcome! Come on in and meet me. 

Welcome! My name is Cindy Collis and you are about to get to know me, which is very exciting. I live in the Kern Mountains of beautiful, Southern California. I am married, with two little girls, 2 cats and 5 fish. We are hoping at one point to add a golden retriever to out menagerie, but for now we will have to wait.  I'm happy to say that we live in one of the few places outside LA that still offers adventure and a small town with the company of close neighbors.  We moved from the hustle and bustle a little over 2 years ago and I cannot say that I have missed it.  I am finally the owner of a MacBook pro, a new Etsy site, and now this, a blog, which I have been planning on starting for quite a while. I'm proud to say I have begun.

Up until last August I worked as a Stage Manager and Talent Supervisor for many years, mostly in theme parks.  I have worked for Six Flags and Disney, as well as for smaller independent productions, and in Las Vegas. It was a demanding world in which I thrived and enjoyed.  With the birth of my children, I found I needed to shift focus and do something that was not only fulfilling but gave me the time I needed to devote to them.  My little girls are truly amazing and they are the inspiration behind my work. I have a passion for painting and have found that I am an artist.  I suppose all people were born to do something, and each individual has talents for which there isn't quite and explanation.  I am very grateful for the talent I have been given.  It makes me feel fulfilled and gives me a chance to exercise my creative brain daily. 

As I said, I have just started my Etsy shop which I have named Sweet Peas and Butter Beans, the nicknames I have for my girls. I started painting things for my kids, friends and family about 4 years ago and after being told numerous times, "You should sell you work", I decided to give it a whirl on the good old Facebook.  After a year full of orders, I decided to expand my horizons and take to Etsy where handmade is totally chic. I'm just starting out and learning the ropes but I'm confident I will be Etsy literate in no time.

The most popular of items I sell are hand painted letters, and I've done quite a few this year.  I will paint just about any theme you request and I'm always up for the latest challenge.  In addition to letters, I paints signs, height charts, furniture, door hangers, step stools, and just about any plain old thing that could use some sprucing up.  Today, I painted a bedroom, I'm quite versatile indeed.  My shop, while still under construction, is open for business so go to sweetpeasbutterbeans.etsy.com and check it out! I'm working on a flicker account, which should be up and running soon, where all of my work will be posted for your viewing pleasure. 

Until next time, cheers! Thanks for stopping by!