NAMESAKE Christmas Gift EXTRAVAGANZA

Original, hand painted NAMESAKES on 9 x 12" bristol board: $50.00 each

I sold about 30 of these last year right before Christmas and I am opening my "ORDER PAD" once again but for a SHORT amount of time.

My ORDER PAD will be open until November 1st.

Orders will be verified once payment has been received.

I will contact you via email to discuss design options

and special requests for your child's artwork.

Peace.

I met Kate Gosselin!

Hershey, PA is a great place to be no matter what! THERE IS CHOCOLATE THERE! LOTS AND LOTS OF CHOCOLATE!

The street lights are GIGANTIC HERSHEY KISSES... every other one is unwrapped. You can actually SMELL chocolate if your windows are down! With streets called Hershey Drive and Cocoa Avenue, how can you NOT love this place?

Not sure how that HOCKERS fit into the whole Chocolate theme, but, hey...to each his own!

Kate was slated to be the guest speaker at the STEPPING OUT: WOMEN OF PURPOSE 2008 Christian Women's Conference. See those dancing ladies?! Aren't they awesome?! 3,000 very cool Christian women were in attendance! They weren't all dancing! (Those are actually cardboard ladies, not real ones!)

And we sat in the second row...RIGHT BEHIND THIS SEAT with THIS SIGN ON IT!

Now, I need to explain...MY focus for the day was NOT to be a "fan" - I was completely HONORED to meet Kate! They told us at the book table that those with books would get priority to meet her so she could sign them. I had my book with me. I bought it a couple weeks ago and finished it in 2 days!

I know I have said this before and I know some of you scoff and think, "Whatever!" (it's ok that you scoff, I still love you! Even my BFFs that were with me scoffed...all day!) But, here it is! I was as excited to meet Dawn and Mimi (last years when we got to go see Oprah, thanks to a WONDERFULLY AMAZING READER! Thanks Kendra!) as I was to meet Kate. Dawn, Mimi and I had never met in person, only knew each other via the blogosphere but we had a connection that was unexplainable! Like sisters separated at birth!

So, I felt like I was meeting up with just another friend I had yet to meet! I took no pictures. (The pictures in this post are from my friends' cameras.) I didn't squeal and get all goofy! I did get her autograph but when Dawn's books come out, you better believe I will get hers, too!

So, we sit down in our seats behind the SPECIAL GUEST SIGN...not because it was MY choice, but because my friends insisted. Quite honestly, I agreed because I thought it would be easier to give her the huge giftbag with NAMESAKES in it at our seats than make a production of it for the audience of 2,999 other women standing in line after she spoke. But, whoever was supposed to sit in that seat never came. That was ok. We were in the second row and I was happy!

Then I hear an, "Excuse me!" My friend, Dina, tapped me and pointed passed Anne-Marie (our third musketeer) to a girl with a huge smile. What she said made my bones giggle with excitement! It was the best thing I had heard all day! She said, "Hi! Do you have a blog? I think I read your blog!"

This is me texting Dawn and Mimi and 400 other people and telling them about my fan! Actually, she had Googled something about "seeing Kate speak" and I can't figure out HOW I came up in that search...can you? *grins* I am embarrassed to say that even though my fan and I chatted for sometime about how thrilled we were to see and hear Kate, I never got her name. If you are reading, please introduce yourself! I feel horrible!

Before Kate came on stage there was a slide show of the kids and sweet worship music. Some of the photos I had never seen, so that was fun! (Not that I think I have seen ALL of Kate's photos!) One photo that always makes me giggle is the big belly shot. The one from the side on the day she delivered the sextuplets. Why do I giggle? Because the caption under that picture tells that her belly was 54" in circumference. Not funny? It is when mine was only 2 or 3 inches smaller and I only had ONE baby! How sad is that?! LOL! But...my daughter was 11 lbs at birth...almost as much as Kate's 6 COMBINED at birth!

Anyway, it was so neat to listen to her speak without all the interruptions TLC provides. She spoke so calmly and like we were all...all 3,000 of us...sitting on her couch in her living room! It could happen. She is used to crowds! She birthed one!

She spoke of all the miracles that happened, of her faith, of Jon and his strength...GO HERE TO BUY HER BOOK! You will be so blessed by knowing her story...not just what you see on TLC! Kay Arthur spoke after Kate, I made my way to the exit to stand in line so I could give her the NAMESAKES! There were already tons of people in line. I started to worry that I wouldn't get to her before she had to go. But, I figured God had blessed me with the time to make the NAMESAKES, He would make sure I got the chance to give them to her.

I did!

She signed my book as we chatted! I handed her the bag and told her I made something for "the kids."

Then the guy with the gray hair inspected my gift bag as if I stuffed it full of Poison Ivy! But, I get it...she's a celeb and you can't be too careful! They were trying to get so many people through the line, there was no time for her to look in the bag and that was just fine with me. I am just so thrilled to have had the opportunity to make them for her!

The previous shot is funny! See how she is saying, "Awwwww." It's because my BFF, Anne-Marie leaned over and said to her, "She just might be your BIGGEST fan!" Then I leaned in and said, "But NOT the scary kind!" Kate, I think, was relieved! LOL!

I thoroughly enjoyed the conference! The worship was amazing! Kay Arthur, of course, was amazing!! And I am so tickled that my NAMESAKES made it to Kate safely!

I hope they like them!

Thanks, God, for the gifts you have given me so that I can bless others in Your Name!

I'd like to thank the Academy!

Dear sweet Rachel over at Once Upon A Miracle gave me this award! Yay! I am so excited! You can tell by my sidebar that I LOVE blog awards! I almost have 10! I feel so loved! I will keep the list growing as long as I get them! A SCRIBBLER AWARD is a big deal for me because I scribble both in word and sketch! I have been working feverishly on NAMESAKES for the Gosselin 8! I feel so honored to be able to give them a piece of ME! I finished Kate's book and I think she is even more AMAZING now that I have a peek inside her heart and not just a peek into the chaos they show on TV. Can't wait to personally hand her the NAMESAKES for Cara, Mady, Collin, Leah, Joel, Hanna, Aaden and Alexis! I hope they like them! These NAMESAKE recipients loved theirs... and I couldn't be happier!!! Once again HONORED to give them a piece of my HEART! If you haven't had the HONOR of meeting TEAM LARSON, please head over to http://carepages.com/, register (it's free and takes, like, 2 seconds!) Click on Visit and type in ColemanScott (all one word). He will be your new boyfriend! Promise to pray for his healing! OK...I am off to re-do the Gosselin NAMESAKE that took me 4 hours to do yesterday...it just wasn't right....but I think I got in now! Trying to finish 4 a day! Wishful thinking, right? I need some cheerleaders, please! ;) Oh, I pass the Scribbler Award onto: Kim @ Bugs & Bunnies because she is an AMAZING writer in the same stage of this "Getting Published" Game as I am! Peter @ Stellar Cafe because he is an AMAZING author/illustrator and great friend! One of my biggest CHEERLEADERS (only he doesn't wear a skirt! LOL!)! Dawn @ Because I Said So because she is an AMAZING friend and another of my biggest CHEERLEADERS (and she's dang cute in a skirt!) and...and...and...she received her BOOK in the mail yesterday and has been giggling ever since!! Go over and check her out...pre-order your book! It's gonna be a GOOD ONE!!!

Monkey Munch + a cardboard box = time to READ!!

Our mailwoman brought me a special surprise on Thursday so I fed the kids some sugar, lead them outside, gave them a box and I sat at the picnic table and grinned from ear to ear....

This is MONKEY MUNCH (as seen on Jon & Kate + 8). This is what I fed them.

So, I (with the help of my two boys) made a huge batch of it. It is SOOOOOOO good! All my kids are addicted to watching Jon & Kate on Monday nights and so they have been craving Monkey Munch and we have never made it.

Here is the recipe:

Put 9 cups of chex cereal (we use wheat for the extra fiber and vitamins) in a large bowl

Melt 1 cup of choc chips, 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/4 cup of butter in a saucepan.

Mix in 1/2 tsp of vanilla into pan when you turn the heat off.

Pour chocolate/PB mix over chex and stir thoroughly.

When all chex pieces are covered empty bowl into giant ziploc bag.

Pour in 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, zip bag and shake.

VOILA!

MONKEY MUNCH!

This is the CARDBOARD BOX (as seen in the aisle of any LOWE'S). This is what gave them.

Isn't it funny that you can have $14,000 worth of legos, Wii games, books, bikes, jump ropes, skateboards, balls and a neighborhood filled with friends and still they are "BOOOOOORED!" But you take a box that your new mailbox post came in, rip the ends open and throw it to the middle of the backyard and they are happily occupied for HOURS!!!

Perfect because that is JUST what I needed on this day!

This is what the MAILWOMAN BROUGHT (as seen on Amazon.com 2 days prior). This is what I did until they lost interest in their box!

This book has gone everywhere with me in the last 3 days (except church...there's a bigger book there!) and I have grabbed every second I could to read a few more words. I have cried, smiled and laughed out loud the whole way through. I LOVE IT!

And when I see Kate on November 14th at the WOMEN OF PURPOSE conference, I am going to have her sign it....right after I hand her 8 NAMESAKES personalized for her 8 angels!

Kate Gosselin...here I come!

I am sooooo excited...

On November 14th I will be spending the afternoon with someone I have recently bonded with although she doesn't know we have bonded. Someone I think has an amazing head on her shoulders. Someone I admire for her strong Christian values. Someone who may dislike messes but sure knows how to show her kids a good time. Someone who is not afraid to be real. Someone who doesn't pretend to have it ALL together ALL of the time. Someone who hopefully won't think I am a stalker when I say,

"OHMYGOSHKATEIJUSTTHINKYOUARETHEBESTTHINGANDIJUSTKNOWIFWEHUNGOUTYOUWOULDLIKEME,YOUWOULDREALLYLIKEME!"

On November 14th I am headed to the WOMEN OF PURPOSE conference in Hershey, PA. Kate is one of the speakers and although my friends that I am going with think I am going to tackle her and embarrass them with my giddy squealing, I assure them I will be composed and normal. LOL! They giggle when I refer to myself as normal! Just because I am fun! Really fun!

In all seriousness though...I am truly not psychotic. I just really hate when people who insist their poo don't stink throw slander in the direction of someone who is NOT asking for it! Kate has never asked for anyone's opinion and yet there are people who spend hours each week blogging about her and usually not in a nice way.

I love that Kate has scripture hanging from every cabinet in her kitchen. I have scripture in my kitchen. It helps to keep me focused. It helps to remind me of where my mind should be when someone pees on the floor or feeds play-doh to the dog.

I love that Kate is REAL on the show. She doesn't fake anything. If she is annoyed with Jon, he is quite aware. And you if you watch the show enough, he has said more than once that they are not the kind of couple that WANTS to hold it in...they find comfort in letting it out. Now if she was whacking him in the back of the head with a frozen turkey leg, that might be a bit extreme, but she is simply being honest and open. How can anyone find fault with that?

So, I am so excited to meet Kate and have her sign their new book and give her 8 NAMESAKES! Yes, between now and November 14th, I will make each of the kids their own NAMESAKE. Ironically, I make NAMESAKES to raise money for Childhood Cancer Families and Jon & Kate's charity of choice is Childhood Cancer. Even more ironic...I instituted a new facet of fundraising to my foundation its4thekids and it is a YARD SALE fundraiser - kind of similar to an Alex's Lemonade Stand...hold a yard sale and donate your profits to its4thekids! Jon & Kate just held a yard sale and raised $1000 for Childhood Cancer! Good minds think alike!

I love their new website! Check it out!

This post is in SUPPORT of Kate. Let me know your favorite thing about the Gosselin 10! If you have nothing positive to say, please don't bother leaving a comment, I am not interested in your opinion.

The newest artwork...

It's been a while since I showed off (I really don't show these to show off!) my latest NAMESAKES! But, as much as I know this could keep me downing Vivarin and hooking up my STARBUCK'S IV to my veins, Christmas is coming so think about getting a NAMESAKE for those children in your life and blessing a little Cancer Kid at the same time! As always, 50% of the proceeds (that's $20, b/c each NAMESAKE is $40) will go to a Cancer Kid! I know I lost a lot of readers when I was posting almost everyday about the kids who were just being eaten alive by this disease...but you know what? If it was your child, wouldn't you want someone to spread the word about this disease? Every day 46 children are diagnosed with this MONSTER! Every single day! So, here are a couple of the latest NAMESAKES I recently mailed out!

And it's kids like THIS that I do it for...

I love you Coleman! Praying hard for day #2 of this round of chemo!

A couple more NAMESAKES...

To view more, CLICK HERE!

For those of you who are still waiting, I am now on to the last 3 orders...not too much longer!

Thinking about making 8 more...hmmmm...can you guess who they would be for?

First person to guess correctly wins their OWN NAMESAKE!

Vicki Courtney Contest winner will be announced Tuesday.

There is still time to win her book!!

Check out this post and leave your comment along with referring blog name!

Happy Monday!

WHEW...DONE...take a peek!

The following NAMESAKES were completed over the last two month when I opened my ORDER PAD for a 24 hour time frame. As always, 50% of proceeds of all artwork sold on this blog goes to it's 4 the kids, a blog of artists that raise money for the human side of pediatric cancer! Scroll through the NAMESAKES (9 x 12" and priced at $40 each) to find order information because the ORDER PAD IS OPEN FOR 48 HOURS! (Orders taken until 2am (EST) Thursday June 26th) Here's the TWIST - just like me to shake it up a bit - The person with the most referrals gets a FREE NAMESAKE!! So, write a quick blurb about the NAMESAKES (or send an email to friends). Tell them that 50% of their money will go to a specific family who, in addition to having a child suffering from cancer, is dealing with some uncomfortable financial situations! Link to me and have your readers include you as the referring party in their order email.

Email your child's name and desired theme, hobbies and/or colors, referring friend/blogger's name and your mailing address to michellebrownlow@yahoo.com . Paypal me or send a check for $40 for each NAMESAKE. Shipping is FREE.

Disclaimer: It took roughly 2 months to complete 20 NAMESAKES. Please understand the volume of orders this post may cause and please be patient in your wait for your artwork. I will let you know of your # in line when your payment is received.

I LOOK FORWARD TO CREATING YOUR ONE-OF-A-KIND NAMESAKE!