Amazing Etsy Painters -- natureandart.etsy.com

Another shop I came across was natureandart.etsy.com. She also has a blog: tweeart.blogspot.com. Her watercolors are my favorite just because of the vibrant simplicity of "Yellow Flowers" and the sharp contrast of the black ink of the bird and branch on the green background of "Bird on a Branch." She has lots more wonderful pieces in her shop and I recommend taking a moment and checking her shop out."Yellow Flowers""Puzzle"

"Bird on a Branch"

Amazing Etsy Painters --atwhim.etsy.com

Another shop (which has been on my favorites list for quite some time) is atwhim.etsy.com. She has a website as well: atwhim.com. She works in various mediums and has a great handle on all of them. I like the whimsy of "A Pink Tree," and the element of an unknown story in "Girl with Skinned Knee" Please take a look for yourself."Maude""Girl with Skinned Knee"

"A Pink Tree"

Amazing Etsy Painters -- bsasik.etsy.com

So, I decided to check out other etsy artists this week instead of just photographers--my first search was for painters. The first shop I'm going to feature is bsasik.etsy.com. She does original oil paintings that have such amazing texture and vibrant color. They are all so striking it was hard to choose just three. She also has a blog beatasasik.blogspot.com--please be sure to check out her shop."New Orleans Summer Heat"

"White Tulips"

"Love That Grows Upon Us"

Busy Past Couple of Days.

A spiderweb that I found one lovely, misty morning.

We've been busy--nowhere near a computer--but today I'm back. I'm loving this autumn weather. Cool, crisp mornings--lots of dew. Makes me realize how close my due date is because it doesn't feel like summer anymore. The twenty-second can't get here fast enough. Being a mom is a dream I didn't know if I'd ever accomplish, and now ,here it is right around the corner. I've got lots of plans still brewing. I've got another batch of etsy artists written down that I'm going to ask permission of to feature their work. This time they are painters instead of photographers. I'm loving the inspiration I've been getting from exploring others' shops. I've got a whole list of ideas of where I want to go next with The Gallivanting Girl and how I hope things will work out. I guess I better head over to etsy and get to writing this next batch of artists.

I've also got some posts to put up of some neat things I've found on other writers' blogs, so stay tuned for that. Oh, and wish me luck--as you know, by 37 weeks pregnant, I guess I could go at any time. That's a scary yet wonderful thought at the same time.

Thoughts on Books and Other News.

So, as of today I have exactly one month until my due date. Tomorrow I have a regularly scheduled doctor appointment and after that I go every week to see him until the baby comes. It just seems like nine months has flown by. Last night I worked on getting stuff ready to be packed for the hospital and holding the little baby clothes really made it hit home--I'm going to be a mommy. It's amazing how life changes and it just puts you in awe.

Now, on to the thoughts I've been having while reading My Small Country Living by Jeanine McMullen (which I've finished) and Made from Scratch by Jenna Woginrich (which I'm almost finished with). I really appreciate these women for not sugar coating what a lot of other small-holdings/homesteading type books do...the realities of livestock and agriculture. When you have livestock you learn that death is inevitable. Many of the "How-to" books out there make country living and creating a small farm out to be a walk in the park. Reading those kind of books and then being handed the realities of gardening and livestock would make a person feel like a failure. These women in their books aren't afraid of exposing their mistakes and failures in order for their readers to know that it's okay. Accidents, diseases, and problems abound on a farm, but even at the roughest times you still can't imagine doing anything else--I think that shows in their writings too.

I came across Jenna's book because of her blog--coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com--she's young like me, but that hasn't stopped her drive or ambition to do what she wishes. I'm in the same boat--although I grew up on a farm with livestock and a huge garden--I'm trying to make a go of a small farm on my own now. She's an inspiration because when I read her blog I realize that I'm not the only person out there with these crazy goals and dreams.

Jeanine's book I happened on by accident at a Half Price Bookstore (my weakness is the Clearance section). I'd never heard of her, but she apparently is an Australian born English woman who bought a farm on a whim and then proceeded to plod her way through turmoil and almost defeat only to get her own country living radio program back in the eighties. I found her life to be quite fascinating.

I definitely recommend both books--I haven't been able to put them down since I started reading them.

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- buckscountyframes.etsy.com

The photographer behind buckscountyframes.etsy.com is somebody after my own heart. The background texture in "I can hear the June bugs" is absolutely beautiful and actually looks very similar to the wallpaper in my bedroom (that I photographed my works on for my etsy shop). Also his manipulation of color in "Teal Truck" is very striking. His shop is full of wonderful work, so be sure to look around and maybe find something for yourself. The artist also has a blog, integritystudio.blogspot.com."Teal Mailbox"

"I can hear the June bugs"

"Teal Truck"

PS--If you mention my blog when you purchase something from his shop he'll give you a Buy One Get One opportunity. That's great!! Thanks so much Carl.

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- yvetteinufio.etsy.com

Another really neat shop is yvetteinufio.etsy.com. Her compositions are very eye catching. I especially like the timeless quality of "Floating in Blue" and the very quiet and solitary feelings captured in "Solitude" and "My White Dress." There are many other wonderful pieces in her shop. Make sure you take a peak."Solitude"

"My White Dress"

"Floating in Blue"

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- zuppaartista.etsy.com

The etsy shop zuppaartista.etsy.com is a very nice shop. The artist also has a blog urbanjunkiesartistlounge.blogspot.com. A lot of her work has a beach/water theme and I would certainly like to be walking with my feet in the sand at the moment. Please take a moment and check out her work."A New Day"

"Liquid Courage"

"Sunset in Paradise"

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- scarletbeautiful2.etsy.com

The first etsy shop I want to tell you about today is scarletbeautiful2.etsy.com. Her beautiful "Through the Viewfinder" pieces are my favorites. The colors in the three that I've chosen are so vibrant and yet muted and that is truly magnificent. Check out the rest of her work and see for yourself."Leaves in the Sun"

"One Way Through the Viewfinder Photo Print"

"Dandelion Through the Viewfinder Photo Print"

Relaxing is Part of It.

I went up to my family reunion yesterday and spent all of today resting up from the three hours I spent in the vehicle yesterday. Tomorrow I will be posting lots of Amazing Etsy Photographers and *hopefully* some printmaking prints that I'll be putting on etsy.

Until Tomorrow.

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- jbeaudet.etsy.com

The etsy shop jbeaudet.etsy.com caught my eye recently. The owner also has a blog, beaudetart.blogspot.com. I think the reason these particular pieces caught my eye is for the greenish-blue color in all of them. Very appealing to me. There are many other pieces over in the shop, so be sure to check them out."Solitude"

"Once Upon a Dream"

"In a Daze"

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- urbandesign.etsy.com

The etsy shop urbandesign.etsy.com has a lot of wonderful pieces for sale. The artist also has a website maleahmatthews.com and a blog urbandj.blogspot.com. Her photography subjects remind me of my own work--barns, scenic plants (weeds), trees, and old abandoned things. "Until the Morning" is definitely one of my favorites--it evokes some fond memory for me about spring-time and childhood and our farm. "Sun Kissed" actually does the same thing because I used to lay out in the pasture and look up at the sky through the dandelions and grass. There is a lot more to look at over at her shop and I highly recommend it."Until the Morning"

"Sun Kissed"

"Alone"

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- barefootposse.etsy.com

This time, I'm featuring the lovely shop barefootposse.etsy.com. The owner also has a blog, barefootposse.blogspot.com. She's a an artist living in Texas, so you know she has my vote. I really enjoy the vintage quality of her work. The turquoise sky is amazing in "The Wind Whisperer," and "Reckless Abandon" looks like a still from the movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre which adds a definite element of interest to the image. You should definitely take a look at her other work--it is all so very wonderful."The Wind Whisperer"

"Reckless Abandon"

"Ponder in Yellow"

Five weeks to go, but holy cow...

I've been feeling SO good here lately--like I can take on the world, but all at once this baby has me feeling nauseous again, with woozy spells, achy belly...it's like a time warp back to about six months ago. I feel so guilty for taking it easy because I have so much that I want to do to this house, the blog, The Gallivanting Girl, everything--but instead I find myself laying on my left side on the couch because that's apparently the only way she and I are both comfortable.

I know I shouldn't feel bad about relaxing for the baby's sake, it's just hard to slow down. Then again, if I was to keep going I'm sure I'd be in the hospital with premature labor and I definitely do NOT want that. So...if you don't hear from me for a bit it's because I'm listening to the wants of this little girl inside me and taking it as easy as possible. Soon enough I'll be a mommy and life will change again.

I'm going to lay down now. Wish me luck.

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- billycurrie.etsy.com

Another inspiring photography shop on etsy is billycurrie.etsy.com, you can also find him at billycurrie.co.uk. His wonderful use of contrast really drew me to his work. You see such dark darks and very vivid whites in all of his monochromatic pieces. I especially like the visual interest of the horizon line in "Boardwalk" and the forgotten feeling in "Wizard of Oz." He has a lot of wonderful images in his shop and I highly suggest you venture over there and take a look.

"Wizard of Oz"

"Misty Bank"

"Boardwalk"

I took myself to the movies...

I'd wanted to go and see "Julie & Julia" since I first saw the trailer--I've always had an affinity for Julia Child since we share the name and she reminds me somewhat of my grandmother in personality. Overall it was a good movie, I laughed out loud which is always a sign that it was a hit with me. I came out of the theater feeling like I could take on the world--which I always appreciate as well. Uplifting/inspiring movies are my favorites. This one being a true story of two women succeeding with their goals/dreams made it even better. I can only hope that my business will become a successful venture and that I will have lived my dream life someday.

I wrote a post last week with my to-do list on it. One of those was to write a goal sheet for myself and my business--I came up with 100 goals--I would've kept going but a hundred was a nice sound number to stop at for the time being. Here's the list:

1. Start Eating Better.
2. Buy Local vs. using corporations--Farmer's Markets vs. Walmart.
3. Buy more fresh foods vs. processed.
4. Keep moving forward with my blog.
5. Use gallivants, find small towns, photograph constantly, interview people, find fixer-uppers, blog about all of it.
6. Clip Coupons.
7. Exercise and be more active.
8. Can and freeze more produce next summer.
9. By a printer that I can use to sell my digital work on etsy.
10. Buy Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop when I can afford it.
11. Own a herd of registered Brown Swiss.
12. Have a small herd of dairy goats.
13. Buy more chickens, some Muscovy ducks, and a batch of geese to raise and sell from.
14. Try my hand at heritage hogs and hair sheep.
15. Learn how to sew, knit, and crochet.
16. Enter my work in a Juried Art Show.
17. Sell my work at an Art Festival or Art Fair.
18. Sell excess produce/livestock at a Farmer's Market.
19. Start fixing up furniture to sell online.
20. Have my art, house, or myself featured in a magazine, blog, or book.
21. Write a book and have it published.
22. Raise a healthy, happy kid.
23. Be a good mom.
24. Read at least a book a month.
25. Do something creative at least once a week.
26. Re-vamp my wardrobe, image, and style to be the person I've always wanted to be.
27. Create a farm-stay/internship program on my farm.
28. Learn all that I can about homesteading, agritourism, organics, self-sufficiency, and all sorts of other subjects that interest me.
29. Join the Greene County Historical Society.
30. Join the Local Growers Co-op.
31. Join some kind of art organization.
32. Go to at least an auction a month (weather permitting).
33. Go on at least a gallivant a week (weather permitting).
34. Take a bee-keeping course and own my own hive.
35. Take at least a hundred photographs a week.
36. Raise some turkeys.
37. Travel all over the country on extended gallivants.
38. Attend the Junk Gypsy Prom in Warrenton, Texas.
39. Go to the Farm Chicks show in Washington State.
40. Go to the Country Living show in Ohio.
41. Make a home out of this house.
42. Become as self-sufficient as possible.
43. Become more organized.
44. Have my own printmaking studio with press and supplies.
45. Learn how to screen print and how to use a letterpress.
46. Someday have the ability to have a larger studio space.
47. Build a couple more livestock barns for our farm.
48. Own a large-breed puppy (most likely a mutt).
49. Go to one of the "big-time" thoroughbred sales.
50. Own a couple broodmares bred to high-end studs.
51. Go back to college and get my Bachelor's and Master's in Fine Arts.
52. Give art workshops/lessons from home.
53. Buy a potter's wheel and kiln.
54. Fill my house with work from etsy artists that I admire.
55. Encourage creativity in my kid from an early age.
56. Encourage a love of agriculture, art, nature, and auctions in my kid at an early age.
57. Balance motherhood, The Gallivanting Girl, and my life effectively.
58. Try new foods often.
59. Learn something new every month.
60. Grow a kitchen herb garden next year.
61. Keep adding to my library.
62. Go to as many summer festivals as possible.
63. Make a point to go to yard sales in the summer.
64. Write stories often.
65. Research subjects and people I find interesting.
66. Keep an idea notebook with me always.
67. Continue to keep a journal.
68. Get a chaise lounge and use it for a reading area in my bedroom.
69. Be a good wife to my wonderful husband.
70. Build a light table for my studio.
71. Find a decent drawing table for my studio.
72. Buy a bigger self-healing cutting mat.
73. Learn Yoga and Pilate's.
74. Have six-pack abs (hey, a girl can dream).
75. Have legs that I can confidently wear shorts with.
76. Have an amazing nature collection.
77. Put a huge front porch on our house.
78. Finish our attic into a usable room.
79. Make a conscious effort to recycle.
80. Learn how to make glass bottles into drinking glasses.
81. Take a glass-blowing class.
82. Put a huge stone wall out by the road (that looks like English fences).
83. Have cattle crossings at the entrances to the drives.
84. Widen the driveway to make it even between the rows of trees.
85. Buy an aluminum stock-trailer.
86. Buy a full-size pickup to pull the trailer.
87. Own a Mac computer.
88. Buy more land.
89. Create our own version of Egenolf Lake.
90. Create a patio/outdoor area on the south side of our house.
91. Meet some of the artists, bloggers, and writers that I admire.
92. Learn calligraphy.
93. Get a non-carsick truck dog.
94. Try to write out Grandma's novel that she wrote pieces of.
95. Start a women's club.
96. Learn to feel comfortable in my own skin.
97. Have a column in a newspaper.
98. Become a well-known artist.
99. Always do what I love.
100. Make my husband, family, friends, and especially myself proud of me.

As you can see it is quite the varied list, but it's a list I plan on accomplishing a lot of in the coming years. If you don't have goals what do you have to live for, right? It never hurts to dream--that's for sure.

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- aliciabock.etsy.com

And now to feature a somewhat hero of mine. This artist has inspired me since I found etsy. Her work is beautiful and I always seem to be in awe when I look around her shop. I can only hope that someday my shop may see a smidge of the success that hers has. Her name is Alicia Bock, and her shop can be found at aliciabock.etsy.com. She has a website aliciabock.com, and also a blog bloom-grow-love.blogspot.com. I hope her work inspires you as much as it does me."Wise"

"Love Letters"

"Joie de Vivre"

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- moonflowers.etsy.com

Yet another beautiful shop, moonflowers.etsy.com whose owner also authors the blog moonflowerimages.blogspot.com, is a new found favorite of mine. "The Brightness of Morning"--which just sold recently is particularly lovely for the use of light and shadow. I also like the memories and vintage feel brought on by "Pony Rides." This shop is definitely worth a gander.

"Pony Rides"

"Queene Anne"

"The Brightness of Morning"

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- imageXimage.etsy.com

The etsy shop imageXimage.etsy.com has a lot of wonderful work available for sale. The colors and textures in "Palmy Skies" gives it a surreal quality, and the simplicity of "Simply Blue" catches your eye immediately. Please give this shop a look around, won't you?"Simply Blue""Perspective 2""Palmy Skies"

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- knowingphotography.etsy.com

A relatively new shop on etsy knowingphotography.etsy.com, is bound to become a top seller eventually. My favorite thing about her listing is that in the descriptions she adds a quote from a piece of literature which helps give the viewer an idea of what she was thinking in the process of making the photograph. "The Path"

"Graceful Strength"

"Brown Eyes"

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- susannahtucker.etsy.com

Susannah Tucker has a lovely etsy shop at susannahtucker.etsy.com. She also is the author of the blog susannahtucker.blogspot.com. I truly enjoy her nostalgic effect that she uses on "The Golden Days" and just the softness she captures in the light of "Hello, you." After perusing her shop I can vow that I'm a fan of her work for sure."The Golden Days"

"The End of the Beautiful Day"

"Hello, you"

Amazing Etsy Photographers -- squidart.etsy.com

Yet another amazing etsy shop squidart.etsy.com. She also has a blog squidart.wordpress.com. I really enjoy the simplicity of her photographs--the focus being often on one subject. It draws attention to common objects giving them the spotlight and I like that a lot. Please go check out the other photographs she has in her shop."The Typewriter"

"Some Things Last Forever"

"Moose Love"