The holidays are for snuggling.

Well, aren't they? I think we had more hugging and snuggling going on this weekend then ever!
What a treat to take 4 days off...we spent the Thanksgiving Holiday with Kenneth's parents in a cozy little cabin/condo in Park City. Food, food and more food (any more pumpkin pie left?) and lots of laziness. Just what we all needed. Oh, and shopping. For how much my husband hates BANANAs, we sure love the store! (outlets....yummy.)

Today, is a picture post. In this case, pictures really are better than words:





And since I am the photographer...I had my husband take at least ONE picture of me. I must remember I will look back on all this and think...where was I? Oh. Behind the camera.

I do have to explain this one: Kenneth received an old pair of ballet toe shoes from a dance teacher, and he brought them home to Addie. Remember: Addie is two (almost three, and LOVES to dance. She just has the 'feel'). Well, He brought these home, and put them on her feet. He never once told her how to use them. We just figured she would walk around like a duck. Well, we put on a little classical music, and she began to walk on point....completely on her own. This shot isn't a full shot, but she is balancing all by herself...holding on to nothing. Is she a natural? Baryshnikov, make room on the stage!

There is a little news:
My little "Mistlstoe Kisses" was featured on the ETSY front page. I noticed it, because all of the sudden my little picture received like 50 hits with in a 10 minute time frame. By the end of the 3 hour stint, there were 300 hits. This was a real moment for me. Very cool.

And, yes. More to come for Christmas. There are some new tags in the shop, and we'll see about getting more. I have a gift show coming up this weekend that you ALL must come to if you are in UTAH. Last year was SO great.

nov. 30-dec. 1st: Covey Center for the arts
425 W Center St. PROVO

beehivebazaar.blogspot.com

And one more thing: DO any of you ever read ZEN HABITS blog I have posted over there on the left? Read it! It is so great! Being a creative person striving for balance and simplicity, I find his articles extremely helpful. Here is the one for today. It will get you thinking....great ideas;)

top 20 ways to come up with great ideas

Read it!

CHEERS!

A day in the life...

This morning I woke up not even remembering what day it was. Have you ever had that feeling? It has been a whirlwind of a week. I haven't gone to bed before 2 am all week (Wed was an all nighter practically) in preparation for 3 shows I am getting ready for. But, I AM DONE!!! I set up in Salt Lake Last night (anyone in town HAS to go!!!! It is AMAZING! I wanted to buy everything! WOW!) and the one in Provo will be what is left from Salt Lake....and then some. I still have more to do of course, but for the most part, it's complete.

With an studio/office space in my bedroom, it is less than ideal. BUT we make it work. I have always loved seeing other people's creative work space. My isn't one to admire, but it is still MY space. Last night you couldn't even walk in for all the paper cuttings, packaging and framing materials everywhere. But, Soon (cross our fingers) I will have my own separate space. Now it is this:

And, someday, it will be this. someday*key word*. (image courtesy of Heather Bailey).

The kids are feeling it too: Ian woke up this morning, and after letting him talk for a little bit, I went back in there, and found this:

Addie, wanted to snuggle in my bed, and just relax. As much as she says she doesn't like bedtime, she LOVES to snuggle. Last night at bedtime, I was getting her pajamas on, and as she was trying to compromise the next part of the routine (sleeping) she said: "Don't worry mom...it was nighttime yesterday."

I love these kids. My husband has been so supportive, and has been my biggest fan. Trying to get ready to move with three shows, and the holidays has been asking a lot from him...and he has taken it so gracefully. Thanks love.

Happy weekend everyone!!

Time to FLY!

It always bugged me that store had all of their Christmas products and decorations out the day after Halloween. Now I know why....by getting everything ready in Sept and Oct, they could actually ENJOY their christmas holiday. Me on the other hand...

Well, lets just say that I am scrambling to get somethings done before Thanksgiving so I can enjoy the Christmas season. I have three shows that I will be selling my prints (framed and unframed) coming this month.

1) Daybreak Boutique
Thurs, Fri, and Sat.
over 60 vendors!

2) Beehive Bazaar
Nov. 30 + Dec. 1
Provo, UT
(I went last spring, and wow! Really great stuff!)

3) Artists Corner Christmas Boutique
Nov. 19-Jan 1st
The old Mattress Warehouse on the corner of Univrsity PKWY and STATE has been converted into an Artist Christmas Gallery...selling all kinds of great artwork and gifts.

I also got my artwork into two other stores this month.

1) Teapot Parties
Sepastopol CA

2) On a Whim
Leesburg, VA

I want to live at these stores! They are so darling!!! The store in Northern CA I have never been to, but I want to go! What a charmer! And my favorite Spot in Leesburg VA is displaying my artwork all over this entire room! I am tickled pink!

And I am starting to get pictures of my artwork that people are sending me from their nurseries. Isn't this just so cute! I love to see what people choose, and how they choose to display it.

If any of you are in UTAH for these fun little boutique shows, come check them out! I can't wait to go! They are sure to have TONS of great, creative finds! Enjoy!

PS: any one in UTAH with a table they don't need till Jan? I need a tabletop for this store in OREM, and want to avoid eating off the floor for the next month! Anyone?

A QUEST...

It is every artists quest to find out what they do best, and then to DO it! People say "oh, I like your style" but unfortunately, I don't feel like I have quite arrived yet. Granted, styles evolve...and I know mine will. But I feel like I am in between a few line techniques, and I just really want to finalize it! I have SO many images I want to put up in my shop...problem is, I can't decide what style to approach it in. But I hope that I am getting there.

The inspiration for my compositions come mostly from old vintage children's books. I LOVE the line work of the ink & wash days of the past century that seems to be over run now by so much graphic art. I am still trying to find my "technique" and I hope to get to the bottom of it. I want so much to find my own line work that will reflect upon timeless images like this...

I LOVE the scarf, and the boots, and this served as an inspiration for my latest print, "Little Vistor".

The first, I tried to get the consistent black lines like the artist of the above print would have done.

However, those pages are faded now, and look more like this...

Which I think I like better. What do you think?

As I am trying desperately to get more artwork in my shop, I am also so aware of the need to be consistent in my style. This is a quest, and I will get there. It is fun though...every drawing poses new problems. I find that by solving those problems, I am getting closer to my "style". We'll see!

Speaking of technique, my almost 3 year old daughter (in Jan) is just now drawing recognizable images!!! It literally happened just this week! She went from making rows of mountain range looking scribbles (her "homework" she called it) to drawing people and things. Yesterday, she drew this picture of her dad...(notice the detail of the hands and feet, and the unshaven whiskers)

And this one of me.

When I get the tinsiest bit impatient with myself, I think...wow. My love for art stems from these first passionate beginnings.

Cheers.

It's official.

I have had these two characters in my head for a long time. They are such a darling pair, and I have so much in store for them...can't wait! I have had their names on the tip of my tongue for months, but just couldn't get it out. But, now it's official: Wellesley & Winslow.

Why? My favorite childhood memories are from the 3 years we spent just outside of Boston. We lived in Wellesley, Massachusetts on Winslow Road. It was a romantic location...our little 'cottage' we called it tucked in a patch of trees with a path to Longfellow pond and a stretch of forest behind our house. It was a dream house for a 7 year old girl...lots of inspiration for a thriving imagination. It was here that I first realized that I wanted to be an artist. I would set up my bedroom like it was a store and display my things and pretend to sell them. And so...I introduce to you...

Wellesley & Winslow

This is my first christmas print with them...more to come. As well as many fun adventures they will share together...so stay tuned!

New in the shop

I promise I am doing boy stuff...just one thing at a time:)

Happy Halloween

Addie is a beautiful princess who needs to find her prince.

And then she sees him...bug-eyed and beautiful.

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She knows what she need to do to get her prince...

Well, he was asking for it!

She found her prince! the frog loved these kisses so much, he went on for more!

We had a great time watching the kids all dressed up. They were so interested in seeing all the kids in their costumes. Addie, however, became quite scared at some of the older kids and their gory costumes...poor thing. We didn't stay long!

It has been a busy week full of drawing and shipping. I am still trying to balance it all...it's a lot of work right now, but I am trying to streamline. I am getting there. If anything, I just love seeing each drawing come to life. I have so much in my head ALL the time, and so when it finally comes off the printer, I get so excited! Here are a few new ones:

Hope you all had a great weekend! Enjoy Hallowoeen!

We're back!

We are back from our trip, and missing the festive autumn weather.

We had so much fun going to the pumpkin patch, the national zoo, seeing friends and just being outside in the trees. Addie and Ian were in heaven with Kaile, Nani and Papa. It's so hard to live far away!

Getting home from Maryland was an adventure. We missed our plane by about 2 minutes and after catching our breath from running (sprinting) with two babies and all of their “stuff’ the entire length of the airport (most people take shuttles) we found out that there wasn’t any more room, and the plane was going to leave with out us. So, my children resorted to screaming in public not for the what-would-have-been four hour flight but now for the what-ended-up-to-be 10 hours of connections and flying time. 14 hours total including driving. It wouldn’t have been hard if my children could sleep. Addie didn’t go to bed until her exhausted body got into her crib…2:30 am her time. Ian did fall asleep after a big fight at 11pm his time. This was bad. They are asleep by 7 pm usually, so you can imagine. At one point, when the entire plane going to SLC had to re-ticket all of its passengers right at boarding (imagine big mob in front of ticket counter at 9:30 pm) I am holding Ian who is not wanting to be held. He is biting me, and crying poor thing. I finally just said…”let me just hold a big sign that says “would everybody please stare at me?” At least it made a few people laugh. It really wasn’t that bad of a trip…I just felt bad for my kids who just can’t sleep!!

Saturday was starting to get back to normal, but evidently not. I was out shopping for an hour and a half before my own mother pointed this out to me:

I had no idea!!! I couldn’t stop laughing. It had been one of those weekends!

But, I am now back into the swing of things, and creating new prints! I have SO many drafted or in my head…I just can’t keep up with it! I keep a notebook by my bed for the ideas I come up with before I fall asleep. I have to hurry and sketch them out or else I can’t sleep. I am excited for what is to come. Lots of “sets” coming, and more…more…more!

Now we are looking forward to Halloween…Addie is, of course, going to be a princess, and Ian…well, we still haven’t found a frog costume. Frog prince that is:)