Obligatory Christmas Recap

The day after Thanksgiving I sink into a deep obsession with very specific Christmas music - about 5% A Very She and Him Christmas, about 5% old Happy Christmas albums, and about 90% Transiberian Orchestra. I wrote about this problem last year.

The poor hubs doesn't complain too much since he knows it's completely temporary (I stop cold turkey the day after Christmas) but I also know he's relieved that it's over now.

So anyway, here's my Christmas recap! It was simply a grand ol' time, I'll let the pictures from various jolly celebrations speak for themselves. Enjoy! It may be the last pleasant thing you experience before we are thrown head first into the very worst part of the year - the bitter cold desolation of never ending misery, also known as the months of January and February. Was that too dramatic? I'm just saying my feelings, as the weather is forecast to be less than 0 degrees this week.

You should probably send help.

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I have no idea where I'm at with these 52 pictures lately or what week is what, but here's another one! Carry on, carry on. More Christmas photos coming soon, because I'm sure that nobody has seen enough holiday pictures yet. My mum made this lovely, classic dress for my baby girl!

Pastel Giraffe - Recent Work

I haven't posted any of my recent projects lately - here's one of them! If you'd like to stare into this guy's sweet droopy eyes forever, he's available as a print or a note card in my shop.

Hope the holiday plans and to-do lists aren't putting you over the edge! I'm determined to survive! I even finished all my Christmas shopping yesterday, which is a milestone event for me because usually I'm a save everything until the last minute - panic - not get things there on time - panic some more - shop on Christmas Eve while panicking kinda gal.

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I've found an excellent way to combat these cold winter days and I absolutely need to tell you about it. If you follow these simple steps, stepping out into the frozen Minnesota tundra will not be as bad as you remember it being before you had children. First when you are getting ready to go somewhere, you wrestle your toddler into all of her winter gear. Try not to lose your cool when she takes off her boots for the fourth time. Then you put on all of YOUR winter gear, but realize you don't know where your keys are. Then you frantically search the entire house as fast as you can (make sure you are running late at this point - it makes you sweat more), getting more and more frustrated for the next 5-10 minutes. Then, realize that the keys have been in your sweatshirt pocket all along, bite back the colorful language threatening to spill from your mouth, put your toddler back in to all of the winter clothes that she's long since taken off, and by the time you run out the door you will be so hot and flustered that the chilling cold air will be a welcome, refreshing breeze on your face.

There. You're welcome.

...If you don't have a toddler at home, putting on all your winter gear and then losing your keys when you are already running late should be enough to work up a sweat on it's own.

Thanksgiving and Christmas and also Sledding

I wanted to share some pictures from our Thanksgiving/early Christmas celebration with the hubs' family. Because two weeks later is better than nothing! Is what I always say. And when I say always I mean not usually.

There was of course lots of driving. My favorite parts of the the driving were Brian reading Hop on Pop in Arnold Schwartzenneger's voice and also when we had been singing Old MacDonald for so long (Paisley cried every time we tried to stop) that we ran out of normal animals and started including electric eels, Minnesotan tourists, and Octopi. Making electric eel noises with your husband - it doesn't get more romantic than that.

My least favorite parts of all the driving were the icy roads and the part where the toddler puked. Gross.

And there was of course lots of delicious food! And there were games to be played and kitties to be snuggled and presents to be opened and snow pants to be laboriously pulled on. Paisley discovered that she really really really loves sledding. And swinging. But she already knew the part about the swinging. The only thing that could end her heartbreak after being lifted off of the orange car swing that Grandpa put up for her was to be sent down the driveway in the sled.

I took lots of sledding pictures. I also took at least fifty pictures of chickadees but I decided to only post one so that you will still be my friend.

Turkey turkey gobble gobble! 

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I'll just say it, I'll just say it. I'm incredibly behind on blogging. Here's last week's pic of Paisley - this was her posing as a marshmallow over at Brian's parent's house during Thanksgiving week, out in the grand depths of Wisconsin. Before the weather took such an incredibly bitter turn for the worst.

I promise to write more this week! Since we've talked there's been traveling, sledding, horrible stomach bugs, snow storms, colds (and so the inevitable booger battles), new pastel pieces, ice cream, Christmas decorating, and countless partially watched episodes of Community. And more things that aren't coming into my head right now.

Ok talk soon!

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Our house got hit by the stomach flu bug this week, and it was not pretty. In fact it was very, very not good looking. But fortunately we have recovered in time for a delicious t-day feast this afternoon. Thankful for that and for all the other blessings the Lord showers us with every year!

Happy Thanksgiving folks!

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Sometimes when my baby girl wakes up from her nap she is the crabbiest of all patties. Which I understand, because in my opinion waking up is the worst feeling in the world (one of the biggest reasons I mostly avoid taking naps - I hate having to wake up TWICE in one day.) But sometimes she wakes up happy and talks and jabbers away to herself in her crib while she distractedly takes off her mukluks and socks, and smiles as I take her picture. And I'm all like, what a pleasant child I have birthed!

Recent Pastel Work

So the other day I drew this classy old man with my pastels. I like how his eyes turned out crinkled and kind but he still seems like a mysterious dude. At one point I had a bit of an emergency when I thought I would add some bright red accents but with his pale skin it made him end up looking a bit flesh eating-ish zombie-ish. I wasn't sure he could be recovered but I think I managed to salvage it with golden accents instead.

One of the reasons I like my profession is that I can watch shows or listen to music while I do my work. Using two different parts of the brain, is maybe what it is. Anyway, we recently looked into lowering our internet bill and were told that if we got basic cable it would actually be cheaper than only having wireless. I don't understand why and I'm not going to try to. So now during Paisley's naps I can draw while watching old Office episodes or the last half of Jurassic Park 3 instead of going through all of our Everybody Loves Raymond discs on our x-box.

It's the little things.

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The weather yesterday took a delightful turn for the best, creeping into the sunny 50's. We of course took advantage and played in the sandbox, swung on the swing, messed around in the cold dirty water at the bottom of the slide, played in the swing set fort, cried when it was announced that it was time to go in, and used lunch as a successful bribe tactic to eventually wander peacefully into the house. You know, the usual.

Autumn Colored Owl and Squirrel Prints

Hi! So I shared a few updates from my shop the other day, and wanted to share a couple more. This fidgety squirrel and goofy owl were made to be pals. The rich colors on these prints are perfect for the fall season before it dwindles away into the dreaded snowy time!

Both of these prints are reproductions of my original pastel illustrations. They are available in two sizes or as notecards, snatch them up in my shop!

Cats, Toddlers, Friends, The End

Here's a few pics from around these parts this last week. All of which include my baby. And her big cheeks.



Finally making nice with the cats, sweet toddler friends with matching shirts, and baby yoga. Her downward dog is better than mine. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous.