Bilingual Animal Painting for Escuela Montessori

Union Square Vet’s Summer Window

Hay Girl! New Fall Window at River Dog!

Here is the new Fall window over at River Dog in Union Square- a furry little Scotty and his cat.

If this guy were a real dude I would be all over him!  With his adorable emo hair swoop and fat feet…we’d be buddies.  He’s seen on the window keeping Dennis the sleeping shop cat company.

Dennis really has it made in the shade at River Dog and he’s the reason there’s some hay missing under the dog…that’s his perch in there and he needs to be able to see out.  It’s important work he does over there.

And because it’s Halloween and I just couldn’t resist…here’s a pumpkin with some spiderwebs on the front door.  Spooooooky!

Stop by River Dog on Oct. 20th to enter your dog in their costume contest!!  More details on their facebook page. Good luck!!

Riverdog Doggy Daycare: Window Painting

Liz and I painted the window over at Riverdog Doggy Daycare in Union Square last week.

  

Below is what the window looked like before….wahhhh-wahhhhh.  

(That’s the sound of something sad and lackluster.)  

We did a big Bernese Mountain Dog and dozens of little pink flowers to celebrate the arrival of Spring.  

And we also had to pay homage to Riverdog’s River-Cat, Dennis, the friendliest cat I’ve ever met and the shop’s unofficial mascot.  Dennis alone is reason enough to stop by the shop for a visit. 

Go check it out if you’re in the neighborhood and tell ’em Mandee sent you!

UPDATE! Cat House: Free to a Good Home

***UPDATE!*** 

The house was picked up last week to help catch a feral cat living (and breeding) in the woods.  Good luck Heather!

Remember this?

I don’t need it anymore.  

I found Grits a home and now I’m wondering if anyone needs a double insulated, water tight, outdoor cat shelter.  Anyone?

Here’s the link to it on Craigslist.  IT’S FREE!!  

Let me know if you want it or if you know someone who would please pass it on.  I’d hate to have to throw it away.  

Christmas in March?

In light of the unseasonal weather we’ve had lately,

it seems only fitting that I would recieve this

unseasonable order for a Christmas ornament in March. 

Click here to order your own.

Click here to see more ornaments. 

Happy Christmas in March!

Before & After: the Painting Process

Makeover shows, be them human or residential, are a major weakness of mine.  Mostly because I love a good before-and-after picture.  I love seeing a neglected little kitchen in Iowa that hasn’t been updated since Reagan was in office be turned into a gormet cookery fit for the White House.  It’s so satisfying to see the design come to life and the before-and-after shot at the end is what makes it all come together.

The same is true for paintings.  Whenever I’m asked to do a custom painting I always start with a sketch to make sure the customer and I are on the same page.  Once the drawing is approved, I get ‘er painted up and no many how many times I go through the process I still love seeing the before and after shot at the end.    

For instance, you can go from hand-colored sketch to nice looking piece of art (if I do say so myself):

From an idea in a notebook to a wall-sized triptych that is now the highlight of Lil’ Dillon’s room.  

From a basic scribble to a full-blown stadium.

From outline to outstanding….ya, I just said that.  

Click HERE to see more before-and-afters.  

And feel free to email me if you have an idea for a painting…or if you just want to talk about muffins. 

Gritsy needs a forever home

By now anyone who knows me probably knows that I have a cat living on my porch; but, what you don’t know is how sweet the cat that lives on my porch is- she’s way more cuddly than the little jerks that live inside the house!  I really want to bring her in and spoil her rotten so for the last 3 1/2 months I’ve tried every day to acclimate my current cats to Gritsy’s smell and every single day when I come in smelling like her, my boy cat hisses and attacks my Mama Cat.  I’ve invested in Feliway, tried holistic cat aromatherapy, let them smell each other between the doors….nothing has worked to make my boy cat not want to rip apart and eat the cat on my porch.  And, because I have a cat living on my porch, I can’t even let my cats outside to play in this unseasonably warm weather.

Basically what I’m saying is, though I really don’t want to, I need to find Gritsy a home, not on my porch, where she can be safe and happy and loved.  

Please adopt me:

Grits

Spayed Female, 3 years old

Grey/Brown Tabby Cat

If you live in/around Boston/Somerville and you’re interested 

in adopting Grits, email me and I’ll give you more information. 

Thanks for looking!  Please pass this on!! ~mandee rae

Fireplace From a Box: Instructables Box Challenge

My cardboard fireplace for the Weekly Make It Challenge on Instructables.com.  This week’s challenge was to make something from a leftover Christmas box. 

Here’s my entry and how I did it:

Step 1.

Get a box.



Step 2.

Draw an upside-down “U” on the front. 

Cut it out using an X-acto knife or scissors (careful dummy!)

Step 3.
Paint faux bricks on box using non-toxic acrylic craft paint. 

Fill in remainder with grey paint (optional).

Step 4.

Draw the outline of a flame on another piece of cardboard and cut it out. 

Step 5. 

Arrange fireplace and flames and decorate inside with red christmas lights for the fire.

Step 6. Enjoy!

Someday I’ll have a real life fireplace until then it’s cardboard and christmas lights for me.

Microwave Toe Warmer Upper Tutorial

Here we are, a full week into Winter and not a single flake of snow has fallen in Boston.  So lame.  But, just because it is unseasonably warm, at least by New England standards, that doesn’t mean your sheets aren’t still freezing cold when you put your little footsies in them at night.  (Poor little footsies.)  Remedy that problem by making these quick rice filled, microwavable heat packs to slide under your covers while you brush your teeth to get your sheets all warm and snug-buggly (that’s what my Dad calls it) for your arrival. 

For this project you will need

• 1/4 yard of muslin, canvas or flannel material
• 1/4 yard of scrap fabric
• 4C. white, long grain rice (NOT INSTANT)
• sewing machine
• thread
• scissors

To begin cut 2 equal pieces of your canvas material into 10″x16″ rectangles.

Sew together on 3 sides and fill with 4 cups of uncooked rice.

Sew the 4th side together and you should have something that looks like this.

(No need to make the inside pillow look pretty, this is not a beauty contest.)

Now seperate 1/3 of the rice to one end of the bag and create a fold.

 Sew along this fold to seperate rice and add another seam (and another 1/3 of the rice) another 1/3 way down the bag.  These seams are to keep the rice evenly distributed through the bag.  (Omit if you’re not feelin’ it.)

**Tip: Sewing a bag full of rice is…interesting to say the least.  Elevating the surface next to the sewing machine for the remainder of the bag to rest on helps tremendously.  Also, sewing slooooowly helps too.**

Now trace around the bag onto some scrap material, with about an inch seam allowance, to create the pieces for your removable/washable case.  With the pieces right-side-in, hem the edges that will be your opening and sew the remaining 3 sides together.  Turn right-side-out. 

Microwave bag- with some water to prevent forest fires- for about a minute and a half and slip into case.

Flop onto sleeping husband’s feet and watch the cuddles wash over his face. 

I made a seperate one for sweet little outdoor kitty toes too.

Toasty warm toes on the day after Tuesday.  Terrific!