Kingdom - Giraffe

And this one...

...belongs to me

Thanks for coming along to tour some of 

Maria's pieces from her show,

Kingdom.

I hope you enjoyed it!

Kingdom - Walrus

This is another of the large paintings...

... very impressive!

If you just tuned in, go here to see why I'm taking you all to an online art show.

Kingdom - Panda

This one was really cool!

You can't really tell but it is quite a large painting.

Kingdom - The Royal Family

Here are some photos I took of Maria and family at her art opening event.  They were like royals!

Cordelia, fashionable as always, was stunningly charming.

She and her friend, Sadie, played hide and seek and chase 

through the sea of legs, munching on cookies along the way.

And Maria...

...smiling and greeting people the entire evening, often with Elise on her hip.

That was so appropriate, given that she did much of the painting while actively mothering.

Click here to see what I mean.

Eric, an artist himself, was enjoying seeing his beautiful wife shine that night.

Elise spent her night moving through a sea of legs, looking for 

those attached to someone familiar.

Grandpa was happy to give her a higher perspective.

I had to show you a close up of the hat!

Is that a happy artist or what?!

Kingdom - Skunk and Sea Horse

I hope you are enjoying this art tour.

This skunk was a fun member of the Kingdom.

The Sea Horse was just too sweet, don't you think?

Birds of the Air

Matthew 6:26

New International Version (NIV)

26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

(photo of artwork by Maria Rose from her Kingdom Collection)

Kingdom!

Last night we attended our daughter's first solo art opening, Kingdom. What an experience! I felt very proud to be the mother-of-the-artist.

I took a lot of photos and I will be happy to share some of them with you over the next several days. You are in for a treat!

These two were very popular. I wish I'd taken close-ups of each but I didn't. With so many people there, photos of the artwork were a challenge.

It was a wonderful evening. One of the biggest surprises for Maria was to look up and see her Aunt Karen and Uncle Gregg, who came from out of town. Gregg wasn't too cooperative when the camera came out but Karen was very photogenic. It was so sweet of them to make the trip.

It really was a nice art opening and such a big night for Maria. I think those who purchased her paintings will be so glad they did. I think they will enjoy their Kingdom friends for years!

Check back for more photos!

Words Optional

Wyoming Rose - Artisan Card Set

 I'm enjoying this new format for my blog.  What do you all think of it?  Each little picture represents a blog post, with the most recent being in the top left-hand corner.  I also changed the format a bit for leaving comments at the end of each post because I found that Blogger was having trouble with the other way and some folks weren't able to leave a comment at all.  I LOVE comments so I hope this works!

I do have one problem, though.  At this time, the template I am using does not allow for the little photos in the side-bar that showcased our shop, Wyoming Rose Boutique.  What I am going to try is to just do little posts about our shop.  Each of those posts will have a direct link to go to our shop storefront, as well as a direct link to the specialty item featured.  I hope you will take the time to check out our store!

Today I want to feature our Artisan Card Set.  My daughter, Maria Rose, is an amazing artist.  She doesn't settle for just making cool oil paintings and sculptures; she stretches herself to learn many different forms of art. Recently she decided to learn to do lino-cut cards.  I'm not sure how she does it but she does everything from creating the original design, following through on the production process and presenting the finished product.

This set includes half a dozen cards featuring botanical prints.  They can be used for any occasion as they are blank on the inside.  Give them as a gift or use them to surprise someone with a hand-written note, which has become a rare thing of beauty in itself.  Or, if you'd like, put them in 6 matching frames for a uniquely cool wall display.  The entire set is only $9... quite a deal for work done by such a gifted artist!

And for you readers that are local, Maria has a show at the local college that will be up this month through the 29th.  She was interviewed for an article in the Journal so watch for that as well!

My Wyoming Rose Boutique posts will NOT take the place of my daily posts; they will just be sprinkled in between.  So, if you haven't already checked out my regular post for today, please do so.  It has a picture that I thought was pretty cool!

An Interview With Maria Rose

I know this next interviewee quite well.  In fact, I have known her since before she was born.  Yes, today I am featuring an interview from our daughter, Maria Rose. 

Maria was actually my inspiration for blogging.  When she first started blogging I couldn't imagine why she would want her diary on the internet.  After I started reading it, though, I loved it!  Her blog, Little Things are Big, is always uplifting.  She never, ever rants.  She tries to highlight the actions of others in a kind way and she focuses on the sweet blessings of this life.  I love reading it and I think you will as well!

Before I begin with the interview, it is important to me that you understand about her name.  Maria is pronounced like Mariah.  It may seem to you that we should have just spelled it with an h on the end but she was named after Mike's grandma and so we stuck with that Norwegian spelling and pronunciation.  Also, we lived in Turner, MT at the time and most everyone there had known Mike's grandma so it was not unusual there.  Her middle name, Rose, is after my grandma (the same Grandma for whom our Wyoming Rose Boutique was named).  Having explained all the effort we put into her name, I will also tell you that when she was a baby there were people who called her Georgette.  She looked a lot like Mike's Dad, George.

Besides being my daughter, Maria and I work together as shop owners.  We have a lot of fun shopping for vintage treasures as well as designing and handcrafting our original designs.  It is a joy for me!  She also is a beautiful model for our products!

Maria is married to Eric, a supreme son-in-law.  She is mother to the delightful Cordelia Rose and she is expecting our 2nd grandchild in July.  If you check out her blog be sure to weigh in on the baby-guessing game on the left side of her post!  They hope to find out March 1 whether it is a girl or a boy!

My interview with Maria...

What is your earliest memory and how old were you?

My earliest memory is just before I turned 2, or so you once told me that's how old I was. I remember a red windbreaker, my friend Jennifer and running. Mostly my memory is just the feel of the windbreaker.

Tell me something about which you feel passionate.

I feel extremely passionate about veganism. I feel that there is enough suffering in this world and if I can lessen my part in that cycle of suffering I will. Ultimately food is purely fuel, you poop it out---is that worth the suffering and death of a sentient being? I am heartsick when people say, “I can’t give up (meat, cheese, eggs, etc.).” I just grit my teeth and think, “No…you won’t give up (meat, cheese, eggs, etc.)” When I learned about the facts of the animal industry there was no turning back I felt morally obligated to become vegan. With that said I no longer try to actively convert people, they have to come to it on their own. My efforts to that end have only broken my heart.

Tell me something about your childhood.

I had a wonderful childhood. My parents made me feel loved, supported, protected and encouraged. My siblings were and still are so very important to me. I had a happy childhood and I truly believe that has been the foundation for my whole life.

Tell me of an experience from your past that was incredible or amazing to you.

Well, I suppose the most transformative experience was becoming a parent-which happened in stages. Everything had greater weight. The world was more…just more.

Tell me your first memory of knowing you were loved.

I don’t have a first memory of love. I always felt love from before I knew anything else.

Tell me something that frightens you.

Losing my family.

Tell me something you have accomplished that pleased you.

I try to be pleased with all of my accomplishments, from the way I stacked the dishes this morning (it was a sight to behold) to completing my MA.

When you were most recently with a group of people did you feel as though you fit in or not?  Why or why not?

I don’t ever feel like I fit in, not really. I have always felt like I am just a bit off, a little quirky. I used to be troubled by this, but now it is part of who I am. I am happy to be a little on the outside. I feel like I have a unique perspective.

What was your first job for money?

Baby-sitting. I even started my own babysitters club though truthfully I just wanted to buy office supplies and boss my friends around.

Tell me about your first experience leaving home.

Oh, that was so difficult. I left for college. I was so excited to be out in the adult world. Of course it was hard to leave my parents and brother Ben, but leaving Sam, who was 6 about broke my heart. Thankfully I had my then boyfriend, now husband, going to the same college. We really supported each other through the change into adulthood.

Do you think of yourself as an organized person?  Why or why not?

Most people think I am organized, but it comes with great effort and determination. I am not a naturally organized person. My inclination is to toss clothes on the floor, stack dishes in the sink and leave piles all over. However, after years of effort I have really managed to control my messy tendencies and I keep a neat house…my closet is even organized. My end goal is to be clean, have only things I use or love and to avoid piling things up.

Tell me of a time you used your creativity.

I always use my creativity…why wouldn’t I? Everything is more interesting if you use creativity.

Is your adult life different than you expected?  If yes, how so?

Oddly I spent much of my childhood and teen years dreaming of adulthood abstractly. I never really had a clear vision of who or what I wanted to be. Thankfully adulthood has given me many gifts so I suppose it is much better than I could have dreamed.

Is there a particular person who had great influence on you and if so who and how?

My parents…they made me who I am. The Copelands…they helped me to find who I am.

Tell me something about your views on spirituality.

I believe in God.

Did you go to camp as a child?  If so, do you have any fun stories to share from that time?

I did go to camp. My camp nickname was Bob, because I introduced myself as Bob…apparently I was hilarious as a 12 year old. I also remember my counselors wearing very modest sports bras on a hike deep in the forest surrounded only by girls and I was scandalized by it.

If you are married, tell about first meeting your spouse.  Was it love at first sight or did it cook up more slowly?

When I first met Eric he came by the junior high (he was a high schooler)and he was wearing black fishnet stockings on his arms and legs, tall boots and all black. Black crimped hair, black lipstick, black nail polish. I had just moved to the area from small town Montana and I had NEVER seen anything so strange in all of my life. He was super nice, but he was “dating” my friend. I did keep tabs on him for years as we were in the same circle of friends, but always on opposite ends. When we finally started dating a few years, and style changes, later everyone was kind of like, “why didn’t we think of putting those two together sooner?” It just made sense.

Tell me about your children.

Cordelia is two. She is one of the best gifts I have ever been given. She has made me a better person, brought me closer to my spouse and family. I am thankful for every moment with her. 

I am pregnant with our second, and last, child. I expect to find my life transformed once again. I can’t wait to meet this child and complete our family. We’ve been waiting for this!

I also have had two miscarriages, they are the children I have yet to meet.

Tell me something about your time as an adolescent.

I was awful, but I am so thankful that I was. I wouldn’t change a moment of it for fear that it would change my present.

Tell me of a time you experienced loss.

I have lost family and friends to accidental death, murder, age, illness—but the time I felt loss most deeply (thus far)was with a dog I never had. 

I had spent some time volunteering at an animal shelter when I first started college. Cocoa was a dog that had been in this no-kill shelter for quite some time. She was totally unapproachable and constantly in terror. I began to work with her every day and over the course of time she began to trust again. Eventually we felt that she might even be adoptable. I wanted to adopt her so badly, but I couldn’t I was about to move to Montana and had no home. 

When we found a woman to adopt her I was overjoyed. I interviewed her and had her sign a contract stating that she would return Cocoa to the shelter if it didn’t work out. I got her into her new home and left for my honeymoon. When I returned I found that the woman had put her to sleep---for no reason. I was heartbroken. I still am and I always will be.

What do you do for a living?

I kind of get the best of both worlds. I am a stay at home mom, but I also teach a couple of classes at the local college. I have a master’s degree in art history, but I wouldn’t say my part time work is really making me a living.

What do you currently most enjoy to do with your free time?

I like to spend time outside exploring and creating with my daughter, dog and husband.

Tell me something new you've recently learned.

I have learned metal stamping, it’s pretty cool and easy once you have the right tools.

Is there something new you plan to learn?  If so, what?

I have a looooong list! Currently I am reading up on canning.

Thanks, Maria, for agreeing to this interview.   If you are interested, you may see questions here.  I am enjoying these interviews.  You don't have to be someone I know for me to interview you! You may e-mail your answers to me at onlythemanager@yahoo.com and I will be delighted to do a post featuring you! I will be featuring more interviews as they come in. 

Happy Anniversary to Maria and Eric

Once upon a time, well 10 years ago...

As a parent, one of the things you hope for is that your children will be surrounded by love.  To see our daughter cherished by this young man is a beautiful thing.  You should see the admiration and respect in her eyes at she looks at him still today.

Happy Anniversary to Maria and Eric, a great team!

Maria - My Daughter, My Friend

Maria Rose was our starter child and today we are celebrating her.  She is named after Mike's Grandma Maria and my Grandma Rose.  Mike's grandma was Norwegian and we used her pronounciation for the name so it is pronounced like Mariah. 

I should have been posting this on April 2 but Maria was 16 days late folks!  I'm sure that had something to do with her 9 lb. 2 oz. birth weight.  She was also 22 1/2" long!  I kind of felt like we missed her infancy as she was born wanting to get on with it!  She seemed to think she could walk right out of the womb!  She hated being treated like a baby and wanted upright at all times.  She was walking several steps by  7 months and anywhere she wanted by 8 months.  She potty-trained early, talked early and a lot, and pretty much just set an advanced pace for herself throughout her early life.

Even as a little kid, Maria always seemed to be older than she was.  I once commented to Mike, while we watched her with other children, that she seemed to be a little adult trying to pretend she was a child! 

Already as a child Maria was pretty insightful as well.  Once, when she was about 3rd grade, we were visiting at the home of one of my friends.  My friend had a teenage daughter who was getting pretty sassy to her Mom and I watched Maria really taking it all in.  On the way home Maria discussed it and declared her disgust at the girl's behavior.  She ended saying, "I hope I never act like that to you, Mom!"  Then a bit later, "But if I do, will you just remember that it is a stage I am going through?"

Maria was a fun child to raise!  She learned things quickly, had in inquisitive mind and a let-me-try-it spirit.   She's always had a love of laughter and a good sense of humor.  OK, some of her jokes were pretty bad but I just blame that on her father.  She can't be held accountable for what genetics did to her!  And as she points out, she went through some awkward phases...again, genetics, but I'm not saying which side.

Not only did we get the joy of parenting Maria, we have loved watching her come into her own as an adult.  She is very good at being married, truly giving and supportive of Eric, as he is for her.  And as a mother, I've never seen anyone so tender.  It is truly a beautiful thing to watch her with her own daughter.

I'm just trying to say that I am so very grateful for the gift Maria has been to our family.  Words seem kind of inadequate so let me just show you...

(photo by James Strate - used without permission, hope you don't mind, Jim!)

(This photo by E.K. Wimmer,also used without permission but I'm sure he would've given permission had I asked.)

(Another photo stolen outright from E.K. Wimmer.)

(OK, so I used this E.K. Wimmer without permission as well.  We gave him our daughter, though, so I doubt he will press charges.  I'm pretty sure he won't.  I really don't think he will...)

This daughter of our's has been and continues to be such a joy to us.

The truth is, sometimes I look at her and just marvel at her beauty, inside and out.

Happy Birthday to My Daughter, My Friend!