Fresh out of the soda kiln, these little cuties will be coming to ART IN THE GARDEN and ART IN THE BARN. Not really an “official” addition to The Ghouls Collection… but they would definitely fit right in! A new soda-fired version of my terra cotta classic pumpkins!

While making a bunch of “realistic” pumpkins for the soda kiln, I decided to make a few of the “ghouls collection” jack-o’lanterns for the soda kiln too! I’ve made these little pumpkins for years with terra cotta & underglaze. But this will be my first batch going into the soda kiln… fingers crossed that they’re as cute as the originals!

What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than sharing cotton candy with a friend?!

Yesterday I went down to Chenoa to celebrate Fourth of July with my best friends from college. Because the festivities were later in the day, I brought my bike with to go for a ride along Old Route 66… so Americana nostalgic of me, huh?!

A fun morning ride… hotter & windier than I expected out there in the midwest farm fields! Basically my route was a big triangle from Chenoa to Bloomington-Normal to Colfax and back to Chenoa… just in time for the Chenoa Fourth of July Parade… and before the storms blew through and promptly cancelled the Chenoa fireworks!!! So luckily, I got a good bike ride in well before the storms!!!

Celebrating all the Moms out there…
cherish your time with them, and the memories without them.

Looks like Rosene is celebrating a wonderful MOTHER’S DAY with a couple new mugs… including a new stamped shamrock mug from her daughter Kristy… that we’ve been keeping “secret” from Rosene for months!!!

HAPPY EASTER… or whatever holiday you might be celebrating this season… and just hoping that you take time to notice the small details & appreciate the special moments along the way!

Who knew this was a thing?…
well, today is NATIONAL ONE CENT DAY!!!
Apparently this has been a national holiday for quite awhile?!!!

So in case you were wondering…What does Benjamin Franklin, the phrase “mind your business,” April 1st, and National Once Cent Day all have in common? The answer is the penny, which we recognize on NATIONAL ONE CENT DAY.

The United States first issued a one-cent coin produced by a private mint in 1787. Benjamin Franklin designed it. On one side, it read “Mind Your Business” and the other “We Are One.” This coin was made of 100% copper was larger than today’s penny and came to be known as the Fugio cent.
It wasn’t until 1792 that the United States Mint was first created.

The first coins struck by the newly established mint were called Chain cents, or Flowing Hair Chain Cents by collectors today. On one side of the was coin a circle of 13 links of chain representing the 13 colonies. On the reverse was an image of a woman with flowing hair, otherwise known as Liberty.

The one-cent coin was reduced in size in the 1850s to make the currency more economical and easier to handle. In 1856, the mint produced the Flying Eagle cent with a wreath on the reverse side.

This coin was soon replaced with the Indian Head cent in 1859, which quickly became popular and remained in circulation for decades.
Today’s one-cent coin is made of copper and zinc and has borne the image of President Abraham Lincoln since 1909.

From 1959 to 2008, the reverse featured the Lincoln Memorial. Four different reverse designs in 2009 honored Lincoln’s 200th birthday depicting various scenes from his lifetime, and a new, permanent reverse – the Union Shield – was introduced in 2010.

Another day… another national holiday to celebrate… and who am I to question why?! Today was NATIONAL SOMETHING ON A STICK DAY!!! So of course I had to celebrate with a couple yummy “s’mores on a stick” from MAURIES SUGAR SHOPPE in Eureka, Illinois! As recommended… a mere 8 seconds in the microwave makes them all gooey & marshmallowy!!! Thanks for making my holiday yummier Keith & Julie!

Better?… or was Melissa the only one who noticed that my earlier post somehow “demoted” Patrick away from being a Saint?! Too funny… I totally didn’t notice that one! My bad.