Good Morning Monday before Christmas!!

Could this time of year be more hectic? I am running around getting ready for Christmas this week and finishing the next installment of Andie Illustr8tes, while listing new items and working on the illustrations for a book I am very proud to help create! Life is good! Busy is the way to be, but last night I has the strangest dreams and didn't sleep very well. One about a fire in the house, and we were running away and couldn't get away, and one about an alligator that was chasing me. Crazy! Well, I am really proud to post a new item to my shop today. This set of 12 cards (2 each of 6 designs) are reproductions of some watercolors I created a few years ago. I think they would be lovely for thank you notes or all occasion cards! What do you think?Uptown Boutique Card set of 12 with gift box

Top 5 Christmas Songs You Will Never Hear on the Radio!

Oh! I am so excited about this post! I love music! I am not an expert but I like what I like. And this Christmas we have been listening to the two local radio stations dedicated to Chrsitmas music when we are in the car (supplemented with our own MP3 player full of Christmas songs.) The songs they play on the radio are frankly atrocious most of the time. Except for the classics from Bing and Nat King Cole that we have all heard millions of times, the rest is awful. If I hear that stupid Wham song or the song from Elton John again, I think I am going to throw the biggest fruit cake I can find at my radio! So I have compiled my list of Top 5 Songs that I hope you have never heard, but will love as much as I do. Find them on itunes... buy them. They are amazing. If I did this correctly, the playlist should be at the sidebar so you can hear the songs. Here goes:

5. My Evergreen by Squirrel Nut Zippers
4. Christmas by Blues Traveler
3. Carolina Christmas by Squirrel Nut Zippers
2. Gabriel's Message by Sting
1. Christmas Must Be Tonight by The Band


Other notables:
Auld Lang Syne by Lou Rawls
Christmas is Coming by John Denver and the Muppets (so funny!)
Cool Yule by Louis Armstrong and the Commanders
Zat You Santa Claus? by Louis Armstrong

Just a quick reminder!

I will start my next illustration for Andie Illustr8tes tomorrow so if you want to give a suggestion word to go with LOVE and get entered into my drawing this week for a prize from my shop, then you need to leave a comment with a suggestion tonight!

What's New Wednesday!

Every Wednesday, I plan to highlight other artists that are creating interesting and fun pieces of art. In honor of the Woodland Creatures Andie Illustr8tes installment, I would like to introduce you to The House of Mouse. Anna, a Brit living in the Netherlands is obviously a fan of the adorable and hysterical. Her beautiful and detailed mice each have a distinct personality and humor that no doubt fill their little space with joy. Pictured are three of her Star Wars Mice... EEEEK so cute! From left to right, Darth Vader Mouse, Luke Skywalker Mouse and Ewok Mouse.

Please visit Anna at her shop, The House of Mouse and check out all of the adorable mice that she creates by hand. http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheHouseOfMouse

Congratulations Julie Stensland!

She won the drawing from last week's Andie Illustr8tes!!!

*NEW WORD* NEW WEEK*

I am working on Valentine's gifts and fun stuff already, so this week the suggestion word is love. If you are new to the game, give me a word to go with this week's word in a post. I will create a fun piece of art and then pick a name randomly from those that have participated here and on my Facebook fan page to win a prize!

Newest Andie Illustr8tes addition... the Fur Four

Whew! I got so excited about this one, but it took me a while to clear my plate to get to it! Here are your Fur Four... my slight ode to the Fab Four in woodland creatures!!! I will post the winner of this week's contest and post the next suggestion word later today here and on my facebook fan page... so come back to visit!

Whilrwind week... as usual!

Man this week flew by! Thursdays are the days I have dedicated to sharing new items from my shop. but I got so busy posting new items, I didn't share them! So this post is a Thursday post. I have added a lot of new items in an effort to get my shop fuller! Most of them were ones I have sold before, or had planned to sell right before closing my children's decor shop, Wowhouse Creative Boutique. Like the Claddagh Wall Hanging. I love this painting. It was always one of my favorites because it was so detailed and romantic. I hope you enjoy it too!

It is a giclee, with the personalization done by hand by me.

Also, one of my favorite additions this week has to be the Inner Diva cards! I took last week's illustration and made these spunky cards. And just to kick it up a bit, added hot pink and turquoise glitter. Ugg! I love glitter! They come in a beautiful box so that they are perfect for gift-giving. Today (Friday) is the day I am scheduled to share my Andie Illustr8tes piece of the week. I am working on it today, and hope I will wow everyone with it later tonight!

Snow Day!

In honor of the first itsy bitsy bit of snow for us this year, and for my Facebook fan Game, Andie Illustr8tes, I created Snow Day! Please join the fun of my game... check it out on my fan page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Andie-Freeman-Illustration-Murals-Fine-Art/110294470329?ref=ts

Okay, so I am brand new to this blogging thing, and not quite sure how to start. I'll start like this... I am a mom, an artist and an entrepeneur. I have started a couple little businesses, and some of them have evolved. I am a graphic designer (biz... wowhouse creative) and I've created art for kids (also wowhouse creative studio) that were sold through Posh Tots and other sites. Also was the owner/publisher of a family magazine with my hubby (Palmetto Parent... my baby) and I create fine art and portraits. Visit my site: www.andiefreeman.com. I create illustrations for childrens' literature (working on a book right now that I makes me really proud!) Visit my site: www.andiefreemanillustration. And my earlier biz wowhouse creative studio has evolved into my new Etsy enterprise, www.scribblesandnibs.com.

So, is that enough info about me? I will be highlighting cool businesses I admire in my blog and products that are cool. I will give you a glimpse behind my sketchbook pages and I'll share stories of my life as a mompreneur. For today, let me share this recent piece from my series on my facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andie-Freeman-Illustration-Murals-Fine-Art/110294470329?ref=ts.

It's called Andie Illust8tes and is an 8 week series game. I give a prompt word, fans give a suggestion word to go along with the prompt. I pick one to illustrate and show and tell, then a lucky fan chosen randomly from the entries gets a fabulous prize like an item from my store!
Become a fan and play today!!! I post the newest prompt on show and tell day (Fri.) but I am a little behind due to Thanksgiving, so the newest prompt will be tonight... Sunday!
Last week's creation is above!