Bravo.

I'm embarrassed for the monkey.
(Thanks, Ari.)

Jumping the gun...

I do realize it is not really December yet....I suspect I might be a little excited!

Nothing like MY home cookin'.

**Beeeeeeeeep**

Me: (leaving message on Mark's Aunt's machine)
Hi Lynn, this is Anessa, I was just wondering if there is anything
I can bring to help out on Thursday for Thanksgiving dinner.
I'm not that great of a cook, but I'd be happy to try and make something.
Just let me know...my number is 444-XXXX...and I'll make it happen..
whatever you need...just let me know....
Look forward to seeing you all.
Bye!
**click**

I hang up feeling very proud of myself,
having offered to help out with the Thanksgiving spread among a family full of talented country cooks. I am also quite nervous since I have never really made a meal or an appetizer that is much more than mediocre. In fact, I have never made anything that ended with an empty pan or a request for my recipe.
It's a stretch for me to participate, but she doesn't know I can't cook, I reason with myself.
I'll call my Mom for help.
I can do this.
Yeah!
Bring it!
I'm gonna kick ass in the kitchen this week.
I will even dig out the pot holders from the bottom of laundry basket today.
Oh, this will be fun! I might even wear an apron....the red and white gingham one with the cross stitching.
I knew that would come in handy some day,...

So, later that night, after running to the mall to find something to conceal my hairdo in,
('cause it's a pretty safe bet that my grandma doesn't dig dreads)
I return to find there is a message blinking away in my dark kitchen.

monotone: You have one new message.

Lynn on Machine: (in her absolutely charming western Kentucky accent)
Hi Anessa, this is Lynn, that is soooo sweet of you to offer to bring somethin' to Thanksgiving dinner...

"Oh my gosh......She's taking me up on my offer! ", I think to myself.
My mind starts to race with images of corn sticks and pies and fancy finger foods....
I hold my breath in anticipation of my culinary challenge.

Her message continues: In fact, I know exactly what you can bring to help out....

"Oh boy...oh boy...."
I now have my pencil and shopping list ready...

Message is rolling on: I keep forgetting how important this is when I'm at the grocery store and we just can't do without it.....

"Ooooooh it's gonna be good...I hope I don't blow it..."
My mind begins to spiral into a storm of wild anticipation...and panic.
"I hope it's not a pie...I make terrible pies....
oh...I hope it's not a casserole, either...my casserole dish looks dreadful since I germinated those seeds in it......
Oh God! What if it is something that uses lard...
I don't have ANY LARD and they all use it!.....
My dish will taste so BLAND! OH NO!
What have I done? I can't compete with those kind of cooks!!!
WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?!!!!
My chest begins to tighten and I realize I have tuned out the message I was supposed to be listening to.

Message still playing: .....so, honey, if you could,
I really need you to pick up two bags of ice for me.
Okay, hon? That'll do it.
Thanks for helping out and can't wait to see you!
Bye-bye.

**click**

As I stand there, with my pencil and blank piece of paper,
I can't decide if I am relieved, jilted, or amused.

At that moment, quiet and familiar laughter is heard from our living room...
"Can ya handle it, hon?", my dear husband asks.

I smile back at him, relinquish the death grip on the unassuming pencil, lay down my pad of paper and decide to
join in on the laugher.

Cooking just ain't my thing and apparently the word has made it to Western Kentucky.
Oh well.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

EXTRA! EXTRA!

I am so excited!
Check this out!!!
How about that?

I should fess up, some of the facts about me are slightly incorrect
making me sound more impressive than I actually am...
but who's counting?

And the sample process photos show a dog in the more realistic style instead of a baby in the black-line style,
which, I suppose, could confuse folks...
but again, press is press...
Even incorrect publicity is publicity, right?

Also, I suppose I'm a little concerned about $20 for shipping....
that's not nearly enough....

Again....I am not worried.

I am thrilled!
This a a great opportunity!!!!

Not to mention, I helped come up with specifics of our the spur of the moment deal,
so those details are nobody's fault but my own.

If this gets me just a handful of paintings in folks homes around the country I am on my way to the land of more business...
and more business is what I need.
Mo' business = mo' money
and mo' money keeps this ship called, Our Life, afloat.

Corrections and price adjustments can be made later.
I can't wait to see what happens!

No More Facey & I love Nash Vegas, Baby!

self portrait tuesday & the faces of grey,
originally uploaded by Anessa.

Well, kids....
I keep saying I am done posting photos of myself, but it is so much easier than posting stories some weeks. This might just be one of the last for a while.....
I'm sick of my face....
(And it only took 4 short months of SPT.
Who would thunk it?)

Anyhoo, in other news...we made a quick trip down to Nashville this weekend.
What a blast. Good friends, good food, good music, good times, lots of laughs.
Big thanks to Keith and Marla.....they are such great hosts, we almost didn't leave!
I really loooooooove Nashville....well, downtown Nashville, mainly. It is so full of energy and possibility. Everyone is almost famous.
It's electric. Also, very glitzy and overdone as far as fashion is concerned. I dig it, hard!
Maybe we should live there next?
Well, see..

Mural anyone?

Just a reminder that I can be hired to do murals.


plus

equals

for

Her Mom has informed me that she is a very satisfied little customer.

Self Portrait Tuesday

Tons of other faces here:http://flickr.com/groups/selfportraittuesday/pool/

Learning Curve

Hmmmm...

Well, I'm still just figuring this whole Cafe Press thing out,
but lookie here:
www.cafepress.com/sparklebiz

Aren't they fun? I'm using my paintings from the current show.

I'm pretty sure the products are officially for sale as of tonight...
Soooo.....
Why don't you try to buy one and tell me what happens?
**wink**

More designs to come...stay tuned!

Thank you, Carol, for reminding me...

While busy living my life over the past several years,
I had, very unfortunately, forgotten how much I love and respect show biz legend Carol Channing.

I mean, I knew I still really admired her..

and I knew I had made a connection with her in my early years,
and I was very excited waiting in line with all the little old ladies to buy my tickets...
but somehow I was confused about why I was so excited to see her perform.

That is, until seeing her up close and personal this week.

I suppose, had kept Carol on one of my 246 back burners since I was a young lass,
nestled somewhere back there,
keeping warm in between Liza and Jane's Addiction
and Weight Watchers and learning to ski.

Lucky for me, she stopped in Thursday night on her way to California, to treat the small town folk of Paducah to a short yet highly impressive performance at the 4 Rivers Center.

Wow.
Now I remember why I dig Carol so much.

Mark and I are still singing in her praises
(and the songs she made famous) today.
Front-burner style.

Carol is nothing short of is amazing.
She is an inspiration.
Most of all she LOVES what she does and it is wholly apparent to anyone that has the pleasure of being in her presence.

She's is an enchanting, platinum-blonde goofball,
dressed head to toe in red satin and sequins with enough shiny lipstick to ward off even the gloomiest of the glum hearted.

First and foremost, what's not to love about that?

Secondly, at 85 she can still shake a tail feather and kick up those legs.
More so even than a lot of 65 year olds I know.
And some 35 year olds, I'm surprised to say.

Can you imagine if Carol had chosen to work at a bank? Or at the dry cleaners?
Not only would we have been denied of such a wonderfully talentend performer,
but I would lay money on the table that she would not be prancing and dancing
and busting at the seams with jubilant life at her age.

Did you catch the part about her being 85 years old?

I am certain that Carol Channing holds the secret to living a full and meaningful life.

Yes, I am sure, that under that red stretchy bedazzled shirt,
under her well made Wacoal bra,
inside her excitable heart,
Carol has found her fountain of youth.

Now, I do realize plastic surgeons have helped make her quite glamorous on the outside.
But her face is not what is impressive to me.
There are beautiful people everywhere today.
Surface beauty is no longer so magical, in my opinion,
in these days of extreme makeovers and laser resurfacing.

Carol's particular magic lies under the skin.

She radiates life.

I imagined a sort of crackling, iridescent sonic wave flowing over the crowd,
while watching her perform.
A vibrating aura that energized tired souls all the way to the back row, with nostalgia and promise.
I sat, mesmerized, in my plushy seat and left feeling more in love with Carol than I was before.

You see, she is doing what she loves and this, my friends,
is the simple truth of the fountain of youth, joie de vivre, and in her own words, "curing cancer".

She said she never missed one performance out of over 5000 in the Hello Dolly days. Even when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer a few years back, she found that the more she performed, the better she felt, and the healthier she became.
She basically beat cancer by dancing and singing and being in love with life.

If she had chosen any other career, she would have likely retired a number of years ago.
Chosen sensible gabardine over lycra and sparkles.
Instead, by doing what she loved, she was waking up every morning to a day full of opportunity.

Is it that simple?
Just do what you love?
And if so, why aren't more of us doing it?

I think maybe, as we get older our sense of magic and adventure
is replaced with big fat helpings of stinky mind-clouding reality and self doubt.

The simple magic that comes with imagining that we can be anything we want to be when we grow up,
starts to trickle away...
a little bit of magic washes away each time we make a decision
to do something simply because it is sensible
and responsible
and maybe even because it makes others feel more at ease.

Before we know it, we wake up to find out we are very far away from where we meant to be.

If this has, in fact, has taken place in your life,
the good news is it ain't over yet.

Better yet, the sooner you get started doing
what your heart knows you are supposed to be doing
the longer you will have to do it.

Because you just might live forever....
That is, if my calculations are correct,
using my newly developed Channing Theory, of course.

You should not take my word for it, however.
I have been known to be really off base, on occasion.

However, I have a sneaking suspicion I may be onto something....
and I know, for a fact, Carol is.

Oh, wow...This is fun!

Make your own...here.

Bare walls got you down?

Why not buy a fun little piece of art? It will surely cure what ails you.
Here's a link to a neat-o virtual gallery of our show in Louisville.
Cinderflock return to the Cinderblock.
Thanks to Doug for putting this together for us.

Those were the days...

I love these photos and haven't pulled them up lately...
(You know I have to about every few months....I can't explain it.... I love them so much....)

So, yet again, I present to you, just for fun...and because it's FRIDAY:

KISS ARMY...Georgetown style.

Back in the Saddle Again

I am happy to report, dear readers, (all 9 of you according to my Frapper Map)
that the Cinderblock opening was a success!
(and HUGE, huge thanks to Douglas Maxon, who photographed the whole show and will be posting it online soon )

Tons of people were out and about for Gallery Hop, the weather was awesome and Marcy and I both sold work.
I sold 7 paintings, have 3 maybes on the back burner that still might work out, and have been asked to do 4 additional commissions at some point in after the holidays. Marcy sold 5 pieces, including her totally awesome set of 3 absinth spoons.

I think I heard her say she is going to buy a new lomography camera with her earnings and I will be purchasing a new easel and paying my sweet husband back, who has been bankrolling this project.....
Very patiently, I might add.
Thank you honey....

So, have I said "Woo-HOO", yet?
No?
Oh! Well, "Wooooooo- HOOOOO!!!!"
and add a big 'ol redneck Kentucky "hell yeah" on there, too...
Just for good measure.

As you may imagine, I am truly thrilled about the whole night.

It is absolutely wonderful to feel a certain sort of validation after putting so much time and effort into a project.
Validation, not only by selling work, but also by having friends and family travel near and far just to show their love and support.

For the past 3 months I have been working on this show almost everyday.
Now, I am certain it was worth the effort..

So, I guess, I just want to make sure I take a moment to say "thank you" to all of you who came out and cheered us on...
and "thanks" also to those of you who couldn't make it, but sent well wishes and good vibes our way.

It may not last forever, but I have never been happier in my life than I have been the past 6 months, attempting to make a living through my artwork.
Mark is behind me and wants to see me succeed so we will be doing this as long as we can pay the bills.
Which is more than anyone could ever ask for.
I am living my dream right now and very few people ever have a chance to do so.
I feel blessed and in love and inspired to move forward full throttle.

Okay...enough for now.
I have two family portraits that have to be finished by Christmas so I better saddle up, get the XM crankin', and get those brushes back to work before they get cold!

Self Portrait Tuesday

Click here if you wanna see me.
Click here if you're sick of me and want to see other faces for a change....
Better yet, why don't you join!?

Cinderblock Opening on Friday

Almost time for the big show!

I may not post for a few days..because you see....
in true Anessa fashion, I still have 3 paintings to finish, 7 to frame, 23 to eye-hook and wire, and I have NO IDEA how I'm going to fit them all into the tiny Wrangler....

Did I mention I am leaving in less than 24 hours?
Uh, boy.

Wish me luck and please come if you can.
I'd love to see you...
and sell you something.
**wink**

Cinderblock Gallery
Friday, Nov. 4th, 6-10pm.
931 East Main Street
Louisville, KY
Part of the First Friday Hop--it's a blast----TRUST ME.


40" tall Acrylic on Canvas, framed with "Quality Paint Guaranteed" Yardsticks.

Frappr Rocks!

Okay...I totally ripped this off from Mike and Sara's 10000 Birds blog...
but it is SO cool.
Click this little button:

Basically, it is a map to show where my blog readers are located throughout the world.
So far, 47 countries have visited A Sparkle in the Jar..and a few of them are almost regulars. Isn't that interesting?
The whole process will take you less than one minute and will aid me in my poor geographical skills.

So, go ahead....give me a shout out and put a little flag in your piece of the world.
Show the love, Sparklers!

Halloween 2005

halloween 2005,
originally uploaded by Anessa.

Much more to come...stay tuned!
In case you can't tell,
Mark is an amazon Cher and I am a little leather boy.