I might be insane.

Yes, I might have just lost my tiny little mind...because I agreed to do an art festival next Saturday.  And yes, my son is only just about to be 7 months old this week.  Yeah...I might be crazy.

Back on the show train...

But!  It's a new show, I think this is their first one, and I'm getting in on the ground floor of it, so it's super exciting.  It's called Off 22nd, it's a home/yard show, and it's looking like it's going to be really cool.  They plan to do more, maybe partnering with local businesses to have art shows in front of coffee shops and places like that...so this could be the start of something great!

The usual show prep insanity is a little different with a baby...

A rare two-handed day!

I am gradually coming to terms with the fact that my productivity, art-wise, will just be low for a while.  And that's okay.  Of course, if I get commissions I will still fulfill them in a good amount of time, but in terms of just day-to-day doing art stuff...yeah, I won't be setting any "do two paintings or more a month!  Paint a stone a day!" type goals for a long time.

Except for that magical time called Babysitting Day.  And then I can do anything for a few hours!

These will be coming to Etsy one day...as soon as I get enough time to take pictures of these skull necklaces on some other surface than my desk...

 

I'm really lucky to have a bunch of baby-minders that I trust...mostly family, mostly the grandparents, but one particular non-family friend comes every week or every other week so that I can have a break.  Of course, last week I had to use that break to get my tax papers together (yay...), but this week, and the week before that, I got to use that time for ART.

Stuff I needed, that maybe you need too

People make it sound so easy.  "Oh, it must be nice to be able to work from home, so that you can take care of your baby!"  I mean, it is, and even I thought it would be easy before I actually had to do it.  But as it turns out, babies need a lot of attention.  Duh.  Gigantic understatement. :P

You know what's saved my life on numerous occasions?

Ack, I just realized in this picture it's on the precipice of the futon.  It's not usually that precarious, I swear!

Among other things, this Fisher Price rocker. (They're not even paying me for this, either!  Although that is an Amazon affiliate link, for full disclosure.) Stephen pretty much lived in this for a while...he would only ever sleep in this, and couldn't stand sleeping in the Pack and Play we had for him (he didn't like lying flat, because he had reflux, and the rocking chair elevated him a bit).  Then I would just move the rocker into the studio for the day, park it next to my computer, and let him nap in there in between feedings and playtime.

What other baby gear do you need as a work-at-home mom?  Well, let me tell you:

A new print site and some Valentiney goodness

One of the things I forgot to mention during my late-pregnancy scramble last year: I joined another print site!  It's Boom Boom Prints, and here is my store on there.  It's more geared towards families and kids, so in addition to t-shirts, shower curtains, tote bags, etc. like on Society6, they also have onesies, maternity t-shirts, lunch bags...they even have dog clothing.

You can get a purple cow onesie!  Isn't that kind of the thing that's always been missing from your life?

You could even, theoretically, get a portrait of your dog ON a dog shirt, and they can wear their own likeness, if you were so inclined!

DOGCEPTION!

I've been trying out a new style, which I'll be rolling out onto Boom Boom Prints first, since it seems to fit there better...

Inspired Monday: Itzchak Tarkay

When my husband and I were on our honeymoon, we were on a huge cruise ship (yeah, can't afford to do that anymore, and wouldn't want to with a baby!).  It almost literally had everything.  There was a bowling alley, a casino, tons of bars, pools, restaurants, an Irish pub, a theatre that showed Blue Man Group, a comedy club, an ice bar...and an art gallery.

And some HUGE chandeliers.

We spent an inordinate amount of time in the art gallery...they rotated paintings every few days, they showed Salvador Dali films, and, well, sometimes they had free wine.  But of course we also loved seeing the art, and being introduced to new artists by the very friendly and well-informed gallery staff, and that's how I found out about Itzchak Tarkay.

El Cuarto de Bebe

So I have a babysitter today, and it feels really weird to not have to worry about the baby while I'm writing this...normally he'd be in a carrier attached to me, or napping off to the side while I work on the computer, and I'd always have one eye on him.  But now, no worries!  Weird.  And yet, awesome.  And yet...still a little stressful, because I feel like I have to make the most of this time that I have.  Ah, the life of a WAHM (work-at-home mom).

The only ones in the studio now are me and the 12th Doctor.

But I'm afraid this will still be a baby-related post, since now I have to show you...The Baby Room.

I'm still here!

Yes, don't worry guys, I AM still here!  And so is this guy...

I haven't decided how much I'm going to share of him (who am I kidding, I'll probably post his face eventually, because it's so darn cute), but for now, here, some baby feet!

I did, in fact, have my son.  But things did not go as planned, as he arrived in August.  "But wait, Whitney," you say, "weren't you due in October?"  Well, yes, I was.  Baby had other plans, apparently! (won't be my WHOLE birth story after the jump, there will be art news, too, I promise...)