Debbie Overton Designs

The Flag of the Free

Postcard is from my personal collection with a postmark of July 1920. 

We have plans to head over to Jekyll Island to celebrate the 4th, and watch the fireworks with friends and family on the beach.  Wishing each of you a fun and safe holiday weekend.

Believe in Yourself

A while back I mentioned a project started by Enzie at World Market Portraits "Give Creativity Wings to Fly".  Little did I know I would be the first to follow Enzie's sketch in the little book for its journey around the world.  Needless to say I was excited to be a part of the project and scared to death to think I would be doing the first entry after seeing Enzie's sketch.  A few days after I received my email letting me know the book was on its way to Georgia I began to panic....what was I thinking....what I am going to do....You know all those voices in your head talking to you trying to convince you that you were way over your head.  The day arrived and KC opened the envelope, pulled out the little black Moleskine sketchbook I had sent Enzie as a thank you and party favor for participating in my birthday celebration.  The look on her face and the sound of her voice almost did me in.....The sketch was breathtaking and it was only a rough draft!  I could not wait until we were home and I could hold that little black book in my hands and study the details.  Those voices came back and I will admit I was intimidated.  I played in my own sketchbook for several days....nothing was working for me.  Finally I just put the book aside and went on to other projects in the wing.  After a few days I decided I had to do something....even my kids were saying, Mom just do your thing and it will be fine.  So around 12:30 one night I pulled the book out along with a few supplies and just started doing what I would have done in my own journal. 

My sketchbook entry "Believe in Yourself" was me....it was what I do everyday.  I scanned the page in, packaged it up and rushed to the post office the next morning before I had time to second guess myself.  A few days later it was posted on Enzie's blog for the world to see....no turning back now!  The book is now on its way to Nova Scotia to a portrait artist.  There are some great artists signed up to join this project and you too can join by visiting World Market Portraits for all the details. 

Have you heard the news yet?  No way....you have got to be kidding....everyone is talking about it...how did you miss it?

The MMCA Marketplace is now taking applications!

There are a few features still under construction but the application and seller's agreement are fully functional at this time.  Please visit the Marketplace and see if you think this is something you would like to be a part of....would would love to have you and invite you to apply for consideration of membership. 

Thank you for all the emails and comments encouraging me along the way! 

Creatively,

Happy Mother's Day

My friend  Sue at Artful Adventures posted some gorgeous necklaces on her blog again yesterday as well as some pictures her husband had taken.....then she challenged us to go outside and find some beauty in something that you've never paid close attention to before and share with our blog friends....so Sue here you go....a few photos of some of the flowers I have had since we moved in and a few from yesterday's plantings....I have always thought they were pretty...but when you really zoom in on the blooms the details are stunning.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's and mom's to be.  When I think of Mother's Day I always think of flowers....growing up my daddy always bought my mom a gorgeous fresh orchid corsage as well as sweetheart roses for my sister and I to wear to church on Mother's Day....and to this day my mom still receives one.  Now that us girls have grown and gone in different directions we don't get our sweetheart roses from daddy, but we get flowers from our own children.   

Right now I am enjoying my morning....overcast, windy and you can hear thunder in the distance....Steve got called into work due to a little storm that passed through last night...I hope he's not too long as his big breakfast sure would be good about now.....We may have to have it for dinner which is always a favorite here. 

I received a call from one of the shops over on Jekyll Island and she needed more journals, so after delivering her order we headed to the beach for a few hours.  Then Steve and I went flower shopping and came home with a truck bed full of flowers....wish I had thought to snap a picture before we unloaded all of them....but after spending time on the beach and then meandering through rows and rows of flowers in 92 degrees taking a picture was the last thing on my mind.

Seth and KC are still sleeping....I think I wore them out yesterday afternoon....we dug up plants, planted the new ones, replanted some of the old ones and at dusk we were all tired, dirty and thinking....why didn't we just call Lee our wonderful landscaper and let him come by one afternoon and do all this!  The kids were even willing to pitch in their share of the cost after about an hour in the 90+ temps.   In the end it was worth it and I know once all the blooms start opening I know it will be worth it to me.

I have tried to finish this post for the past 30 minutes....remember above I mentioned overcast, windy and distant thunder....well that changed to hard rain and high winds and I have lost power twice for a few minute's each time....I just hope the hail they are calling for misses us......guess I better go check the weather since we have been under a tornado watch most of the morning.

I hope each of you have a wonderful day planned....I am off to enjoy mine.

Excellent Start

Nancy of Sugar Lump Studios sent me this gorgeous handmade birthday card.  The quote "A sister is one that reaches for your hand and touches your heart" is actually how I have felt over the past several weeks as I have been receiving emails, cards, phone calls and little surprises in the mail all wishing me a wonderful fun filled birthday.....And it was just that. 

Sunrise at the beach...brunch...more beach time...balloons...more beach time...shrimp...cake...sunset at the beach...and a day filled with phone calls from friends and family.

Steve surprised me with another glass fishing float....a gorgeous aqua to go with the white one he gave me for our anniversary a few months ago.....together they remind me of the white sandy beach and blue/green clear water of the ocean......a favorite place for me.  As I opened the package a fragrance as fresh and clean as if I was walking on the beach arose....it was Seashore Eau de Parfum, Body Lotion and Shower Gel.

A couple weeks ago I intercepted a FedEx package addressed to KC.  Steve thought since she was coming home within a few days I would just put the package in her room and when he got home that night he was going to ask about it....well KC called and I told her a pkg had been delivered....of course she said open it.....much to my surprise was something I had been wanting for several years....Adobe Dreamweaver.....now why was she getting Dreamweaver?  She didn't know and I didn't know so I called Steve.....I could hear the surprise and disappointment as I told him what had happened.  He couldn't believe I opened it...it was addressed to KC....I explained she called....didn't know anything about it and asked me to open it.  I told him I had put it back in the box and would tape it shut if that would make him feel better.....no you have already opened it.....go ahead and install it and start playing if you want too.  Well I didn't have time to be playing as I was still working on the last minute details for the gallery exhibit.  He should have clued KC in and I would not have opened it!  However I am glad I did....I installed it and started playing.

It is taking some getting use too especially since I have been using Frontpage all these years....I am building my new business site with it...some things have already been easier to do while others are taking a bit of reading and playing and redoing....but I am getting there.

Do any of you use Dreamweaver?  I would love to hear your experience with it....the good and even the bad.  For years I have heard great things but just couldn't justify buying something else when what I had was working.  I am so thankful Steve supports all my art dreams....because now I have something else to expand and grow with.

Now with a line from one of the cards I received.....

Think of yourself as experienced and smart....and just getting off to an excellent start!

Party Favors & Tax Day

I have 4 party favors ready to mail.....Enzie at World Market Portraits was the first to leave a comment with a direct link to her post on Gratitude.  If you have not visited you are missing a wonderful poem on Gratitude.  Roxanne at Roxi Designs is giving away a blog background and an original handcrafted notecard along with her words of Gratitude.  Miriam at The Doodler and Debra at Hop Hop Jingle Boo both shared posts of Gratitude.

I hope you will take a few minutes to visit each of these girls and see what they had to share.  Also many of the comments are filled with words of Gratitude.  After reading so many wonderful comments....I decided to include everyone that comments with a blog to the Party Guest List so all the fun places are easy for you to find.

As I posted this I was thankful for those that have visited and grateful to those that share the things they are thankful for.  And very thankful our taxes have been filed and we don't have to pay anything!!!!

Don't forget to come back as I will be sharing another recipe in the next day or so and will be drawing names for party favors from one of the posts.

And for the person that posted the snide remark to the comments asking if that was really my signature and why I started using it.....YES it is my signature created with Photoshop 7 and I have been using it on the back of my notecards for years and even in some of my older posts.  I guess there has to always be one in the bunch that just tries to stir the pot!  Sorry to those that saw the ugly comment before I found it.

Let the Party Begin......

The Expressions of Gratitude Blog Party celebrating my 50th Birthday has begun and you are invited to join.  You can read all about it here.  Don't forget to turn your volume up so you can sing along with some of my favorite tunes.....Hey you could even get up and dance around the room if you're in the mood. 

Every party should have your favorite treats so here's one of mine and you can even make it a few days ahead of time.

Peanut Butter Pie ~ Debbie Overton

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 c. powdered sugar

1 c. crunchy peanut butter

2 (8oz.) Cool Whip

2 butter, graham or chocolate flavored pie crusts, store bought or your own.  I use the mini graham cracker from Keebler for parties.

Blend all together, except 1 (8oz.) Cool Whip; this is for the topping.  Blend until smooth with a spatula.  Pour into pie crust and top with Cool Whip.  Refrigerate.  Easy and Yummy!

Since my big day in on the 4th, the first 4 comments left with a link to their blog post titled Expressions of Gratitude will receive a party favor and if you are the first person to also add the Celebration Badge to your blog along with your Gratitude post there will be an extra surprise included.   

Please leave comments here under the Let the Party Begin so they will all be together.  And please don't forget to include the direct link to your Gratitude post in your comment.

Hope to see you during the month long party!

Anniversary Beach Shopping & Exhibits

So many great things have been going on I'm not even sure where I want to begin....March 13th was our anniversary and with it being Spring Break Steve and I decided we would just go out to eat and then do something special later.   Since we both had agreed we would not buy gifts for each other imagine both of our surprise when we each received something from the other one that we had wanted for a while.

January 1 through February you can comb the beaches of Jekyll Island to find beautiful, one-of-a-kind glass fishing floats.  Each day a select number of the floats are placed along the beaches just above the high tide line.  I spent many days walking and searching for one of the hidden treasures, but always came home empty handed.  Steve surprise me with this gorgeous white glass float created by artist Mark Ellinger.  Each one is individually crafted with the same techniques that have been used for 200 years to create glass art. All floats are engraved on the plug with Jekyll Island, Georgia's Jewel, the year, and the artists signature.

And I surprised him by paying attention one day while shopping on the island when he was intrigued with the Galileo Thermometers.  The glass spheres are calibrated and fitted with a metal temperature medallion.  The weight of each sphere varies slightly and as the actual room temperature fluctuates, the glass spheres will rise or fall.  As the room temperature decreases, the spheres rise and they fall as the temperature increases.  The lowest sphere with the group floating at the top of the thermometer indicates the correct temperature.  Needless to say ours usually has all but one at the top as we keep our home on the cool side....but it is fun to actually see them float up or down occasionally.

We had made reservations for Easter weekend at St. Augustine Beach a while back....Colby has good and bad days trying to adjust to all the meds, KC had just been home for 9 days and only back at school for 4 and didn't want to make the 14 hr drive for the weekend and Seth just is not a beach bum.....so Steve and I took advantage of the long weekend and celebrated our anniversary.  The weather was beautiful....the beaches were not crowded and the shopping was great! 

We left early Friday morning making our first stop within 30 minutes at Me and My Partner Antiques and Collectibles/Woodbine International Fire Museum.  I found some old school report cards from 1917 and Mr. Windy the owner pulled out a few other papers he had in a drawer to give me.  I just love the sign he has out front!  It certainly has gotten my attention a few times.  I would highly recommend a visit to Woodbine to this great antique shop and the Fire Museum is awesome...fill with tons of history.  We continued heading south making several stops along the way. 

Sunrise Saturday!  This is the view we had from our balcony!

North Country Antiques located in the Lightner Museum Antique Mall in historic St. Augustine is filled with Ephemera, Old Books, Magazines, Postcards, Stamps, Records, Advertising, Prints, and more.  Lightner Antique Mall is located inside the famous Lightner Museum. Built on top of the old Hotel Alcazar's swimming pool (The largest swimming pool in the world in 1888) and features many antique stores and a café under one roof.

When on San Marco Ave a must stop is Claire's Collectibles Fun Rubber Stamps.  If you can't find it here you most likely don't need it.  I made two stops there and came home with tons of stamps, inks, elements and magazines.

Upcoming Exhibits

For those that come to Waycross GA for Swampfest April 4-6, I will be exhibiting with a group of artists from the Okefenokee Heritage Center in the Phoenix Hotel located downtown.

I have been asked to do a solo exhibit for the month of May at Monkey Love Dessert Bar & Gallery.  Monkey Love's mission is to serve the community and their customers with the honor and respect they deserve while contributing to children's organizations to help stop child abuse. 

When you walk into Monkey Love you feel at home and the aroma is to die for....sinful desserts and pastries and coffees.....and since I am not a coffee drinker I had to have a Banana Milk Shake.....let me just say Heaven.....and then there was the slice of Coconut Lemon Layered Cake I got to go for Seth....I have looked at it all afternoon and finally just couldn't resist any longer.....I took a bite and then I took another....then I set it in the cabinet out of sight! 

I will share more about Monkey Love and the Wine and Cheese Reception at a later date.

I have lots of art to work on over the next several weeks, but I am refreshed from my trip and ready to move forward.

Thanks for stopping by!

Debbie