Graduation Party

On Sunday, I had the good fortune to face paint and do temporary tattoos for an amazing and HUGE family in Orange, NJ.  They had two high school grads they were honoring, and everyone came out to celebrate.  The women who hired me actually met me at the Valerie Fund Walk, which they do every year as walkers/fundraisers, so you know they've got good hearts.

And creative kids.

How cute is this little teddy bear?!  I gave her a button nose and a stitched face in her favorite color, pink, of course.

I had a couple zombies... kids after my own heart!  I didn't get a photo of her, but one was a little three-year-old girl who LOVED how scary she looked!

This young man and his buddies were absolutely hysterical after I tattooed some kisses on their necks.  He couldn't stop laughing!

Her favorite was "all the colors," so how could I not do a rainbow butterfly?

And this is the happiest I've been with one of my lions in a long time.  It's a work in progress, but I like this one.  Maybe it's the canvas that makes it.

What'd You Do for the 4th?

Before attending our own friend's party with my husband, I painted at the annual Indian Trails Country Club July 4th party, which I've been doing with my friend Emilie for years.  It was less populated than prior years because of the threatening rain, but we had a really good time with the kids, who kept coming back for more and more paintings and tattoos, until they all looked like the tattooed lady at the circus!

And because I had the time, I got to try my first motorcycle!

I Love It When I Get to Have Some Fun

And I love it when people translate the fact that I can paint into other creative endeavors.  Most recently, a woman in my town whose daughter is being bat mitzvahed this month contacted me about doing a project for her.

At my bat mitzvah in 1983, my "sign in board" was a sheet of oaktag with a photo of me in the middle and rainbow stickers all around, since my theme was rainbows.  Hey, it was 1983.  Give me a break.  When my sister's bat mitzvah rolled around in 1990, her sign in board was Lucite with her name in Lucite letters and hearts.

Well, this mom has the nifty idea of using a mailbox!  The concept is that she'll have postcards printed with the bat mitzvah girl's logo, which she had designed for the event, and the guests can each write a message on a postcard.  Then the postcards go in the mailbox, and the whole shebang can go on the girl's dresser or shelf as a keepsake.  I love it!

This is the logo:

Cute, right?  Of course, pencil first, just in case.

And then I painted it all in.  I promise the name is in a nice purple, not blue.  With my dining room light lit, I just couldn't get the color true.

What'cha think?  I kind of love it.  And I'm open to more work like this, for sure.  Much more.

These Girls Were a Kick and a Half

I love creative girls who don't all follow the lead!

Cheetah, mermaid, monster, nerd, Orioles fan, princess, Shrek, wolf, and last but not least, an Orioles fan who also liked Justin Bieber.

Puppies & Painting

If you're from the area, you may have seen Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming in Allendale, NJ.  In September, they celebrated their one year anniversary at that location, and I celebrated with them!  It's a great place with really nice owners Ed & Linda, pleasant and welcoming staff, homemade dog treats (which Meg adores), non-homemade cat treats, pet toys, and grooming.  And if the photos on their Facebook page are any indication, they're really good groomers too.

For the occasion, I adorned myself with one of my freehand glitter tattoos.

It was so well liked, I did one on one of the customers too!

Mostly, though, I was face painting the bakery's patrons.

It really was just such an easygoing, relaxing event, and the bakery's patrons are phenomenal.  Honestly?  I love it there!  And I got Meg 3 bags of treats, which I'll be returning to replenish once she's eaten 'em up.

Just for Fun

Over the holiday weekend, I had too many fun plans of my own to take any paid events.

On Saturday, Eric and I went up to our friend's 40th birthday in Connecticut, which she was celebrating as a 4th birthday.  Well, what does a face painter do when her 40-year-old friend holds her own 4th birthday?  Brings the face paints, obviously.

The theme of the party was rainbows & unicorns, so...

Only one other paintee at this party, and not to theme, but pretty clear if I do say so myself.

Then on Sunday when it was raining, we headed with some friends to Monster Golf.  If you haven't got one near you, it's indoor mini golf in blacklight.  So of course, I had to break out the UV glitters for some glitter tattoos!

Did those on our friends' daughter and son, and freehanded this one on myself.

I do so love blacklight!

Since I'm on a Tattoo Kick

I may as well tell you about another party I worked this weekend, a "birthday party" for the Irish Cottage Inn, in Franklin, NJ.  I didn't eat or drink there (yet, since I plan to go back with Eric & try it out), but it looked like a great place.  Once we do actually try it, I'll have to report back.  It's up in Sussex County, out in the country, and was a nice drive.

The people that run the Inn and work there were incredibly nice, laid back, and fun.  And the kids were great about picking all different things!  I think I only had two butterflies, and other than that and these zombies, everyone was different.

That scary one getting into character is the two-year-old brother of the other!  So wanting a similar face makes sense; when we were kids, my little sister wanted to be like me too.  How cute are they?!

But I started this talking tattoos.  I was face painting and tattooing at the party.  What's more fitting at the birthday party of an Irish pub than a Celtic shamrock tattoo?

And what's more fitting than a lizard?

Um.. maybe not.  A dragon?

OK, fine, I'm kidding, I'm kidding.  But I did do this cool freehand flower.

I'm loving these freehand tattoos!

Back to the painting.  Bunch of characters at this event.  This little girl was hoping for a turtle tattoo, but wanted it on her cheek, which I won't do, so she opted for painting rather than a turtle on an arm.

Her older sister wanted to be a Sun, of all things!

And then in addition to the butterflies I already mentioned,

I did love this smiling dog,

and this awesome cat.

And on that note, I sign off for now.