Leanne Wildermuth : Artist by Nature

What Else Can I Do?

September

2006

A while back I got to working on my new gallery layout. Well, it’s done.

I launched the all new & improved (makeover #6? #7? Anyone?) Intricateart.com -slash- ArtistbyNature.com this evening. Phew. It’s a doozie of a website – and I’m quite pleased with how it all came together. (with WordPress, of course!) I’m especially tickled about the search feature and results, I’ve spent a lot of time in each of my paintings detailing out the notes to pick up any possible search terms so searchers wouldn’t miss anything.

I’ve added the primary menu to the top of my blog, too. See it? Right up there? No, down a bit. Over. Yep, that’s the one. If you ever want to head over to my gallery to have a peek and (ahem) leave me some very nice comments on my work, you can do that. Or you could even (nudge) check out my prints and (ahem) start thinking about the holidays! Alright, alright. Knocking it off.

What else can I do to make your stay in my gallery more enjoyable? Lemme know, wouldjya?

P.S. I’ll be adding the last 5 projects I completed to my gallery tomorrow. Must. Go. Sleep. Now. zzzZZzzzZZZZ

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Filed under: Chit Chat

Waitin’

September

2006

me and all my friends
we’re all misunderstood
they say we stand for nothing and
there’s no way we ever could
now we see everything that’s going wrong
with the world and those who lead it
we just feel like we don’t have the means
to rise above and beat it

so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it’s hard to beat the system
when we’re standing at a distance
so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
now if we had the power
to bring our neighbors home from war
they would have never missed a Christmas
no more ribbons on their door
and when you trust your television
what you get is what you got
cause when they own the information, oh
they can bend it all they want

that’s why we’re waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it’s not that we don’t care,
we just know that the fight ain’t fair
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

and we’re still waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting waiting on the world to change
one day our generation
is gonna rule the population
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

I’ve had a huge crush on John since before he was “popular”, this new album, though – Continuum, is perfect, especially today. If you love his guitar, his soft deep voice and his lyrics – it’s just another great CD to add to the collection.

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Filed under: Chit Chat

Petroville Fall Blog Design

September

2006

Oh. Yeah. It’s done.

I just launched MommaK‘s fall blog design, it’s been in the works for a while now. Custom everything, as always – that main graphic, just so you know, is comprised of over 10 separate images and custom graphics. You’ll never see another one like it.

It’s insanely pretty, you HAVE to go see it. Go. See.

Are you still here????

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Filed under: Custom Illustrations, Graphics, Blog Designs

Orioley-Oley-Oh

September

2006

I’ve never seen an Oriole before, but according to BDI, that’s what this is. Woot! New birds in my yard! She’s sweet, and curious. I’ll try to get better pics next time!

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Filed under: The Great Outdoors, The Photog in Me

Chickeymonkey’s Five

September

2006

Even the gibbons know she’s a monkey. She’s my little Chickeymonkey, and she’s five today. Happy Birthday to my little big girl!

Me: “So, you’re gonna be five, huh?”

Chick: “Yup!”

Me: “Does that mean you’re going to turn into a gorilla, or an ape? Now that you’re getting bigger?”

Chick: (Making a sad face) No. I don’t wanna be a gorilla or a ape. I wanna stay a Chickeymonkey.

Me: “Yeah, you like being my little Chickeymonkey, don’t you?”

Chick: “Yeeaaahhhh” (grins)

*****************

Me: “You can have french toast sticks,”

Me: “Or you can have some cereal,”

Me: “And you can have some milk.”

Me: “You can have some grapes in your lunch, if you want,”

Me: “But you can only be four for ONE MORE DAY.”

Me: “Then you have to be five.”

Chick: “Awww Maaaaan!”

*****************

Me: “So, how old ya gonna be again?”

Chick: “Five.” (holds up this many)

Me: “Wow. That’s a LOT of fingers.”

Chick: (giggles)

Me: “So then what are you gonna do?”

Chick: “Then I’m gonna be SIX. And then I’m gonna be SEVEN, eight nine TEN and then I’ll be the same as Catybug!”

Me: “Yes, well, by then, Catybug will be 15. I don’t think you’ll ever catch up.”

Chick: “Awww Maaaannnn” (rolls eyes)

*****************

A day in the life. What I wouldn’t give to have my biggest complaint be that mom is yanking my hair out when she is trying to brush the knots out. To be five again. To have such a wonderful, helpful big sister to play Littlest Pet Shop with, who only tortures you on occasion. To be a snugglebug, cuddly little kissyface brown eyed munchkin whose smile lights up the room, whose giggle is contagious, whose dry snarky sense of humor is too much like her mother’s. Who eats every ten minutes and chooses peanut butter on a spoon more often than not because “that’s protein, mom!”

And to think, five years ago today I was in tears, not knowing whether or not she was going to make it. Wondering how I could possibly help her fight for her little life, lungs under-developed, broken collarbone, tubes winding in and out of her little body in her little incubator oxygen tank. Crying that I couldn’t nurse her, couldn’t hold her. All I could do was feel her little fingers wrap around me for short periods of time a few times a day. Bringing her home finally, after a week in the NICU, and I swear I never put her down.

Now I can’t even pick her up.

Happy Birthday, Chickeymonkey!

Love, Mom

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Filed under: Birthday Wishes, Home n' Hearth

Soft & Pretty

September

2006

My gerbera daisies are still blooming – I even have clematis this year (go me and my 5 year failed vining attempts!), and there are 5 freshly clipped roses on my dining room table.

I am going to miss my flowers.

I turned the heat on lastnight, for the first time, and I mourned the loss of summer. We’re expecting our first frost in the next few days.

I woke up this morning and put on a cozy warm fleece shirt. My nose is cold. My fingers are cold. My toes are cold, and I’ve had socks on for three days in a row. In another month, I’ll be buying bundles of stargazers to keep me from dropping off into a snowy cold depression from what appears to be a long winter coming.

I go through these transitions every season, a few weeks of “icks” and then it passes, after I’ve gotten all the summer clothes packed away, all the winter sweaters, jackets, coats and gloves washed and ready to go. I’ll get over it.

I’m just a spring and summer girl, that’s all. If I lived in a warmer climate, I’m certain I’d be happy all year.

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Filed under: Chit Chat, The Great Outdoors, The Photog in Me

Healing Change Blog Design

September

2006

I just completed this really pretty and serene business website ala blog design for The Healing Change, owned and operated by Lisa over at Snarkypants.

She needed something to better display her content and wanted it to be professional, clean – and at the same time soft, feminine and serene. Of course I developed the whole thing in WordPress! I think it will really serve her well and can’t wait to see it further evolve with guest speakers, newsletters and so much more. It will definitely grow with her and her Reiki Coaching Classes and Angel Card Readings!

Have a visit, let me know how you like it!

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Filed under: Custom Illustrations, Graphics, Blog Designs

“Wow” Sunset

September

2006

My neighbor saw this sunset the other night and had her camera handy – she e-mailed this photo to me and said she thought of me when she saw it.

A girl couldn’t ask for a better compliment than that.

Beautiful, wonderful photograph. Gorgeous radiating sunset. I’m glad she took the time to stop and appreciate it, and photograph it. And then she took the time to send it over to me so I could appreciate it, too!

Thanks, neighbor!

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Filed under: Chit Chat

Art by Erika Blog Design

September

2006

My dear friend Erikie switched over to WordPress from LiveJournal – and some other platform I don’t even know what it was (?? what was that?!). She’s been template hopping and sent me over a layered PSD file to code up a template for her. So I did, and so it is. Erikie is a sweetheart and an amazing artist, I was happy to get her going in a her very own design! Of course I know she’ll keep this one (wink-wink) because she’s the one that designed it, I just coded up the templates to make it work. We even made her a “friends” page, where all of her feeds are on her own blog for easy access! Who needs bloglines when you have WordPress and plugins?

I’ve been wanting to get that feeds page set up here on my own blog – but clients first, right? I’m sure it will become all the rage now, that’s just how it goes.

Go on over and say hi to Erikie!

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Filed under: Custom Illustrations, Graphics, Blog Designs