Farmhouse Frame - Assembling and Painting Main Part of Frame - DIY Reall...

Check out my latest video on DIY Farmhouse Frames! I'm already getting more videos ready, so don't forget to subscribe to my channel!

4 Seasons Paintings with Cotton Swabs!

Pearlized Art Studio!

A couple weeks ago I started a group on Facebook so I could do some art classes and paint parties for people of all ages while we are all stuck at home. Eventually I will do paint parties online for a fee, but for now, I'm not charging anything.

It's been a blast so far! We did a Paint Party, I did a Bubble Art and Spat Art tutorial and did a Art 101 Basics video about Pencils, Charcoal, and other dry mediums! All the while looking up different ideas on Pinterest on fun simple ideas the whole family can enjoy. I've discovered so many! I'm going to start a YouTube channel to show some of these fun ideas!

It's been stressful and felt overwhelming, all the while homeschooling the kids and balancing all of that, not to mention the stress and anxiety of all that is going on in the world... which is the whole reason I decided to do this! Art is my sanity. It's my home away from home. So WHILE I'm doing it, I'm in my bliss. While i'm PREPARING to do it, it's stressful. Weird right? lol

So over the next few weeks I'll be working on some fun tutorials to add to my group and to my YouTube channel I have decided to call "Crafty Artist" I'll do a post specifically on that as soon as I have a couple videos up, until then, join my Facebook group and catch up on the videos I've already done! Pearlized Art Studio

Validation and Family

Here I am staying up later than I should, wallowing. Why? Because events that I have been working really hard to prepare for are cancelled. I understand the reasoning. It's not even surprising. But it's not fair either. I am an artist. I share my talents and that's how I feel fulfilled outside my family. I feel like a knife was thrown into my side because the build up and the hours and hours and hours and hours of work - creating, tagging, printing, packaging, advertising, photographing, editing, typing, painting and organizing - has just been deflated by a growing health crisis we don't even know enough about. 

I'm not going into the COVID-19 debate of 2020. That's not what this blog post is about. This post is about the worth of a stay at home mom trying to be more. 

Can I try and sell my stuff online? Yes! And I plan to because some of it is specifically for spring, which won't help in the summer when we *hopefully* will be able to gather in large groups again. 

BUT

The deflated feeling I feel is what so many people feel like when their work goes unnoticed, underappreciated, or never even sees the light of day. Heck motherhood is like this all the time, as is fatherhood and raising children in general. 

So I guess I am writing this post because I want to feel validated. And I want you to feel validated too. If something you have been working hard toward gets taken away, it's okay to be upset. It's okay to wallow for a bit. It's okay to not be okay. 

I wanted to start on a group of paintings tonight that I was going to do at my show tomorrow (I always do a painting demonstration or two at this particular event) but I discovered that I had been looking at the picture (taken at an angle mind you) all wrong and I got the wrong size canvas. 🤦‍♀️ I don't even know how that happened! I have been looking at this picture for weeks! It wasn't until I started drawing on the square canvases that I realized they should be rectangular! Really? How did I miss that? So, yet again, my night was ruined - this time by my own messed up brain. 

So. What am I going to do about all of this? 

Tomorrow I am going to get my husband to work and my kids to school. I'm going to go to Hobby Lobby and get the right canvas panels for my project. I'm going to straighten up my house. I'm going to put away all the crates of paintings and crafts I have waiting to be loaded in my car for an event that isn't happening. I'm going to sketch and paint and maybe start a charcoal drawing I've been inspired to do. I'm going to go on a date with my husband for the first time since our anniversary before Christmas. And I'm going to get ready for a weekend with no events, no sports, no church and more family time. 

Because it's okay to do things that are important to you. That give you the ability to be there for your family. That give you purpose outside of your family. YOU are important too. You have to take care of yourself so you can take care of your family.

Life goes on. God has a purpose. He's building us a mansion while we think we are happy in a cottage. He knows what is best for us. He loves us. Trust Him. Maybe my paintings will sell better on my Etsy shop or Facebook. Maybe I'll get book some parties or art classes. Maybe I won't sell any now, but I will later. Who knows? 

God does. He knows what the puzzle looks like. We only have a piece of it. 

So while I finish up my wallowing, I know tomorrow will be a day of creating. A day of starting something new. A start of a big change for our family - in a good way. Spending more time together is a part of the plan, whether it's part of a quarantine (if that's the direction we are heading in) or not. Family is what is most important. 

Sunrise Children's Hospital Fundraiser

I know people have a hard time getting through some blog posts so I'm going to post this at the beginning, so if you don't want to read more you don't have to.

I feel the need to do a fundraiser to get MUCH NEEDED books for my local children's hospital Sunrise Children's Hospital. There are children there that basically live there. They need books📚 to escape to and learn from. Away from screens and machines and things they have no control over. I want DESPERATELY to help them with that. I am NOT doing it to earn money. I do receive a small commission, but that's not what is driving me. I want to help children. THAT is my goal. THAT is what drives me. Any money I earn will go toward books for my kids or the kids at the hospital. 📚 My goal is $1000 in books! We can do it!📚

So. Here's how it works:
You can help in one of two ways.
1. Purchase books for the kids in your life. Christmas, Hanukkah, birthdays, just because. Books are ALWAYS a great idea! For every order you make, Usborne Books & More donates 50% of that in books to the Hospital. (i.e. You purchase $50 in books, the hospital gets $25 in books!)

📚You can go HERE to purchase books

2. If you don't want to get books for your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, students, neighbors, etc. You can donate $$ instead! 150% of any money donated goes toward books for the kids! (i.e. You donate $50, the hospital gets $75 in books!)

📚You can donate by sending money to my Venmo - @Denitapearl

You can go to the Facebook group page to get info on books, recommendations and more HERE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now that I have that out of the way, I can get into the WHY! Just bear with me for a minute.

It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I do too much. I take on too much, I don't say 'no' often enough, I don't slow down. It's a fact. Something I'm working on, with some success. Sometimes.

3 1/2 years ago I started my journey with Usborne Books & More. I fell in love with the books as soon as my friend introduced them to me. For those who don't know, They are children and young adult books that are educational, fun, non-commercial & well-made. They have products for children ranging from Newborn to Young Adult (although I enjoy most of the YA books myself!). I became part of the Direct Sales community. It brought me out of my comfort zone. I approached friends and strangers about books I was/am passionate about. My children fell in LOVE with all the books as soon as they were introduced to them.

I already had my Etsy shop, but because I closed it down for a few months to have my 3rd child, it slowed WAY down, almost to a stop and it took a couple years to start building it back up, so I decided to try direct sales. I didn't close my shop, so I was doing both. All while having 3 children at home. After a couple of years with UBAM, I found that pushing wasn't my strong suit and I would rather sell my own product at vendor events and online - even though I never stopped loving the books.

So I stopped doing Home & Facebook Parties. I didn't stop 'selling' or being an Independent Consultant, because I love my books. I have sooo many! But I had to focus on other things. During the last 1 1/2 years of not being as active I have done the following (some I started doing before that):

~Joined the Las Vegas Crafters Guild and did more Crafting Events
~Started Selling my Homemade Chocolates through Facebook and at local events for every major holiday and some in between
~Sold Senegence (Lipsense and more products) for a year, which I still love and will probably sign up to do again in the near future
~Started doing Paint Parties
~Did a Kids Art Summer Camp
~And lets not forget raising 3 children and a husband, holding church callings, dealing with life, depression, and all the other things life throws at us.

Like I said, I do too much.

But Usborne Books & More has never been far from my mind. And neither has the fundraising part of it. The generous, amazing fundraising that can CHANGE LIVES. 

THAT is my WHY. I want to change lives. I know I have 3 kids to do that with. But I want to do something that MATTERS outside of my family. I want to be the one who helped a little girl or boy feel better because they found a book they LOVE and got over their fear of the next surgery or next poke, or at least they got to escape from their problems and have an adventure in their mind. I want to serve as my Savior served. I have decided that the best way I can serve is by using my talents. My love of books is one of those talents.

So, if you've stuck with me to the end, now you know WHY.  I will do the fundraiser for as long as it takes to get books for the kids. I hope we have amazing success and I can give them boxes and boxes of books. But that all depends on you. I need shares, likes, comments on Facebook and Instagram to help spread the word. Tell your parents, grandparents, friends. Help spread the word that we can all make a difference in a child's life. One book at a time. 📚

Humboldt Sweets Is Here!

*I am not getting paid or compensated for this post. This is just me and my need to express my love for baked goods and wanting to support Small Business!*

Yesterday me and a couple of my amazing friends went to a new Bakery Shop in town. It's new to Vegas, but it's been in California. They no longer have their location there, which is their loss and our gain!  I know one of the head Bakers, so I knew it would be absolutely amazing, but then I tried it.

W.O.W!

These are not for the feint of heart my friends! They are massive and massively delicious!

Cheddar and Bacon Quiche with Toast, Raspberry Jam, Applesauce, Salsa and Sour Cream

Takes up almost the whole plate!

First off, I wanted everything in there. My stomach and my wallet would not allow that, so I settled for trying a few things. They are such large portions that you can share! Or eat some there and box them up and eat the rest later! Really. I bought a cinnamon roll (I also bought a Coconut Cream Danish for my husband, and an Eclair for us all to share, as well as a couple Day Old 1/2 price cookies and Lemon Bars) to bring home to the family and my daughter had 1/8 piece of it. You could easily divide it into 1/4 for adults. They have several different varieties of Cinnamon rolls. This one is topped with Cream Cheese Frosting. *drooling now* We at breakfast there, which made me feel less guilty for the other items bought. My friends got the Danishes and I got the Quiche. The Quiche didn't just come by itself either. It came with HOMEMADE Bread, Raspberry Jam, Applesauce, Salsa and Sour Cream (the Sour Cream wasn't homemade, but everything else was!) Legit people! So amazingly delicious! The bread and applesauce brought me back to my childhood. My grandma make the best applesauce from her apple tree. This was just as good! The bread my friend makes - to die for! Tammy (one of the owners) make the jam and applesauce herself. She is also a delightful person! Check out their Facebook page HERE

Those Cinnamon rolls are HUGE!

Bambi with her Cheese and Bacon Danish with Bacon Gravy

Cheese and Ham Danish with Bacon Gravy

A Head Baker and his lovely wife (my friends Eric and Bambi Sevy)

Maple Bar! Again taking up the whole plate!

I only ate a few bites of the Maple Bar at the restaurant because I was full from all the yumminess, but you can bet I finished it after I got home! 😋

I don't even know what half the names are of these. My heart stopped at the Maple Bars. haha!

They have some handmade chocolates items there too! And coffee for those who like that stuff. ;)

At checkout they offer the items they made the day before at half price! Scones, cookies, Lemon Bars, and more (hopefully not too much more! We want them to sell out!)

Their GRAND OPENING will be after the New Year. I can't wait! Here is an article you should check out! https://vegas.eater.com/2019/9/30/20890604/humboldt-sweets-move-henderson-opening-october-2019

Guy Fieri had been to their previous location and loves it, they have even been on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives!

December Pop N' Paint Party

One of the reasons I re-started my blog was so I could get my artwork and home decor 'out there.' So of course I need to add my next party on here!

If you are interested please fill out this form HERE

I LOVE doing paint parties! And one of the owners of Pop is supportive of me doing it at their amazing shop! If you haven't been there, it's an adorable little Pop Shop that sells Pop (and other drinks. In the winter they do Hot Cocoa too), Cookies and Pop Corn. There are hundreds of different combos of drinks you can get! My FAVORITE is Butterbeer! It is sooooo good! For you Non-Harry Potter fans, It's a butterscotch drink. This one consists of Root Beer, Vanilla Cream and Butterscotch Flavor. Y.U.M! *great now I want to go get one* 🙈

Here is their website so you can check them out! Click HERE They are in Henderson and the South West, but I only teach at the SW location.

So in between Pop N' Paint Parties, go enjoy some yummy treats with your family! They have specials during the week and you can go just to hang out and play games if you want! It's great!
Have fun! And let me know if you go and what you think!