Sale in my Etsy Shop!

Tis' the season for unique Christmas ornaments! I'm making tons of cute ones these days! I almost forgot to tell you, check out my Etsy shop and order before December 15th. If you order before then and use the coupon code "CHRISTMAS2010" when you checkout you'll get 25% off your whole order. Not just on ornaments, on anything! Yippee! I love sales! Back to the ornaments for me...

Thankfulness

Turkey day has come. It is my favorite American holiday. I love that there's no pressure for presents. And that the whole day is about something we should always be doing and celebrating - giving thanks.

It seems to me that at work and in my Etsy shop, planning for Christmas events once again took over right after Halloween. Thanksgiving gets overshadowed by shopping, football and gearing up for Black Friday. I didn't want to jump right to Christmas without taking a moment to be quiet and give thanks. So here's my little list of thanks.

- I'm thankful for family - the people God gave me that drive me batty but always have my back. The ones who see me at my worst and still accept me. As I learn more and more about children in foster care and the events that have put them there I realize how importance the foundation of a loving family shapes your life. Thank God that he blessed me with a wonderful family to grow up in.

- I'm thankful for food - every year as I plan some veggie dishes to go with my mom's amazing turkey, potatoes and stuffing - it hits me how much this holiday is about food. Lots of food. Family sitting around the table and eating. And I know, deep in my heart that many, many families do not have enough food to feed their children or themselves. And so I thank God for the privilege of abundant food.

- I'm thankful for health - I went to church on Thanksgiving Eve and what will forever be etched in my memory is a beautiful family I know sitting in the front row. This couple got married later in life and have young boys who are a delight. This fall, the husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Watching a man worship God in the face of death is convicting and humbling. This man is thankful for every day he has left on earth and he's determined to use it wisely. I am thankful that God has given me today. I thank Him for the blessing of life and good health.

- I am thankful for cheesy movies! Yeah, that's right. Every year when I watch "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" I'm reminded of how important it is to take the time for other people. No matter how many times I watch the classic "White Christmas," Irving Berlin's song about counting your blessings speaks to my heart. Every time I watch George Bailey from "It's a Wonderful Life" realize how his humble life made such an impact on the people around him I'm reminded again of the chance we have to make a difference. How much our little lives are unique and profoundly felt on this earth.

- I'm thankful for waiting. Sigh. I didn't really want to write that. I might have to go back and read it a couple of times to convince myself it's true. But in recent years, I've thought a lot about times of waiting. As my husband and I continue to wait with patience and perseverance for children to be placed in our family (through pregnancy or adoption) we have to trust God for our future. This is hard for me. But for that reason, I am thankful. Because when something is hard won - you appreciate it for a lifetime. When plans don't work out how you expected or in your timeframe - be thankful they WILL work out in God's. It is good for me to continually surrender control and trust God in the waiting.

- And last but not least - I'm thankful for my husband. When you're single you wonder and you wait to find the person that will be your companion, confidant and friend for life. When you're married, the search is over. But the journey is not. I thank God for Joel. I'm thankful he doesn't get mad when I eat the last of the brownies, brings me flowers at work just because and loves me unconditionally.

Merry Belated Christmas!

Hello friends! I got a little too busy and forgot to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Hope you all spent time with family and friends, stayed warm, kept or made new traditions and felt the love of God this Christmas.

I was quite busy with custom orders....personalized room art....special ornaments.....Christmas presents made with special ones in mind....and family!!!! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to this new year!

Packing it up

Mom and I did our last craft fair of the season this past weekend. Phew! What a crazy crafty world it is out there. Usually Christmas seems to sneak up on me every year. But this year I knew it was coming. At the craft fairs I was already hearing Christmas music, watching people shop for Christmas presents and it really helped me appreciate the hustle and bustle I usually avoid.

Here are some pics of our booths from the last show. We've learned a lot and have some new ideas for the way to find success at craft fairs in the future. Thanks to our "muscle" (or husbands) who helped us lug all of our stuff, pack and unpack every weekend and to our friends and co-workers who came out to support us.

And that's it for holiday craft fairs this year! We're packing it up....see you in 2010!

IF: Entangled

When I saw the IF topic this week an older turtle illustration came to mind. This little guy (I like to think he was a firstborn overachiever) got quite zealous about decorating his spruce and found himself entangled in the lights. I'm sure a turtle friend came along and helped him out in the spirit of Christmas cheer.

You can see this turtle and other designs in my Etsy shop. I'm also offering FREE SHIPPING on all of my prints throughout the month of December....because I'm always merrier when I get something free!

We set up our tree, nativity scene and minimal decorations already and I've enjoyed listening to Christmas music while trying out new recipes in the kitchen. The Christmas season is definitely upon us! Happy Holidays and remember the reason for the season!

A very Turtle-y Christmas!

I've been thinking about that small percentage of people (and I know you're out there...) that seem to be obsessed with turtles. And so I thought, what might a turtle-lovin' person want for Christmas? What might I give those adoring fans of the beautiful, docile, shell-sporting reptile......how about some ornaments!!!

This idea is not completely of my own invention. I saw some cool cube decorations and seeing as how all of my turtle illustrations are square (a framing nightmare by the way!) a wooden cube seemed to be just perfect for them. Add to that an obsession with pretty paper and a desire to learn the "distressed" technique and there you have it.....country style Turtle Christmas ornaments!

The large size is available in my Etsy shop now. I'll be adding some smaller fun ones soon. And not all turtles either. Did I mention that Turtle Holiay Card sets with awesome metallic envelopes are available now too! Oooooooh.....sparkly!

IF: Wrapped

Wrapped is the topic for this week. I immediately thought of this half finished illustration I started a while ago. What a perfect incentive for finishing it. This is my colored pencil version of my little rascal pets. Consider this the "before" picture of what might happen "after" I left a room of beautifully wrapped presents. I think you can guess what these two (with their mischievous little claws) would do next!

This is Prismacolor pencil on Strathmore Bristol Vellum (I think I like the smooth paper much better for pencil work though). I added some cut paper and ribbon for the gifts. I hope this will find it's way into a personal Christmas card or letter from us this year. As always I'd love to know what you think!

Christmas Time

Last Saturday we had our first snow of the season! It was a delightful surprise (I don't pay much attention to weather forecasts, so I'm always surprised...) and when Kita and I went out for a morning walk this is what greeted me....

I know this doesn't look like much to most of you, but my first thought was "Aha, a shoveled walkway...I love condo living!" We didn't have to shovel, salt or do much of anything. We'll be spoiled in no time.

We also set up our Christmas decorations. We're pretty minimalistic (on purpose) so it's not much but just some little touches to celebrate the season.

You'll notice the glowing-eyed Siamese has already appointed himself the tree guardian. Yoshi's not the only one who loves the tree. Lighting up the tree is the first thing Joel will do when he comes home. He just loves to look at it. Makes him feel happy. We are suckers for light. Winters can be especially hard for us light-inspired summer babies. We get through it by turning on lots of lights, drinking way too much hot chocolate and eagerly anticipating summer!

It's always a challenge for me to be content in the holiday season. I enjoy the music, the food, the friendship and family time. But I always feel discouraged by the commercialism and selfishness that is encouraged in our country. I enjoy giving gifts but it is really hard for me to make decisions and I don't like the feeling of having to prove my love through a gift. Family and friends...if you're reading this....I love you very much, even if my gift stinks!

We hope to start creatively making up our own family traditions (in addition to some that we have from our childhoods). This year Joel and I will each be recording our 5 favorite passages about/with Jesus and then sharing one with each other each night leading up to Christmas. Sort of our own advent countdown. This will hopefully help us keep our focus on Jesus and help us get to know each other's hearts a little more! I'm looking forward to it. What Christmas traditions do you have? Any that I can borrow?!