Junie B. and the Shi-Chi's

Junie B. and the shi-chi's (shih-tzu/chihuahua mixed pups).....but not together, together, because Junie would love to squeeeeeeeeeze them.

If you're looking for purplebabydaddies art work you'll have to keep on scrolling and scrolling because we are having a little too much real person, living-a-life-kind-of-fun for a few days...birthdays, mother's day, puppies, gorgeous weather.

Last night we had a houseful of friends and family for a potluck to celebrate my b-day and mother's day. My mother and father brought a big pan of their famous lasagna and a home-made strawberry-rhubarb pie. My childhood friend Sue, who I met in 5th grade when we went to Catholic school together, came too. We bonded immediately when as 10 year olds we discovered that we had the same birthday and we have been friends ever since.....many, many, many years. She brought her daughter Jillian and was laden with food and gifts (which is so her) plus the most decadent home-made chocolate torte cake, that was more like fudge than cake. I am the happiest when my house is filled to bursting, which it was. I had the camera all set and then proceeded to forget to pick it up the whole night.

I am truly blessed. It was a great party, but as usual I missed our daughter Eva who is having a big life in New Hampshire and Vanessa with her equally big life in NYC..

Update on Lucy and the pups: The whole little family, Lucy and the puppies, took a trip to our neighborhood vet, "The Affordable Vet" (and it was), only 2 blocks away, yesterday morning. Mother and pups were pronounced healthy and safe. We loved the vet and the staff there and found out that the vet tech, who has whelped many litters of her own, used to work on Marathon Key at the Dolphin Research Center which we know and love. The vet asked Markel and I if we had named them.....nope, so far it's just One, Two, and Three.....

Lucy has come through this as a champ. She wasn't too happy last night though with the house full. She was sequestered in the bedroom tolerating tiny peeks from family and friends, but she wasn't happy, she yelled (in bark-speak) at all of us to keep it down......"I have little babies in here you know". As soon as everyone left she settled down. I think every woman who has given birth knows how protective you are when you have that new little baby. Lucy is a stellar mom.

Other good news of the art related sort. Dyan from Island Style, in Key West, called on Wednesday because someone came in to her store and bought an entire grouping of pieces, 13 in all, and wiped her out of all her flowers in various sizes. We have to send her an emergency shipment. Just for the record, the most sold at one time was 24 pieces to a woman at an art fair in Chicago, who bought 13 for herself, and then came back the next day and bought 11 more for her sister, because she knew her sister would want her to give her some of the ones she had bought for herself and she didn't want to have to.

Other, other good news.......we will be selling our work locally at the most delightfully winsome store, RED SHOES, 332 South Ashley in Ann Arbor, owned by the most adorable proprietess, Catherine Thursby, who sells her own artwork, a to-die-for collection of fantastic vintage finds, other artist's art work, and assorted charming goodies. Going into her store is an instantaneous way to lift your spirits. I will be posting pics of her store soon after we get some of our work to her. We are so honored to be added to her collection of wonderful things.....and you know she has to have something special going on there because she has been graced with fairy inhabitants....check out the link to the fairy door stories, Urban-Fairy Doors, above right, for something very, very cool.

I've added a link to Catherine's store, Red Shoes on the top right of the page. Please take a look even if you don't live in Michigan, because her website is pure eye-candy. She also writes a delightful blog, Red Shoes Blog, also linked above, that is sweet, always entertaining and fun to keep up with. More about her store soon, when we bring her our work, but right now mama Lucy is whining to go out, so more later.