New Painting - All is Calm

I just finished this new painting titled "All is Calm" of a deer standing peacfully among falling snowflakes.  The title was inspired by the song Silent Night which gives me a sense of calm and I envision a cloudless snowy night.  Though I'm not a fan of snow overall, I'm looking forward to those first snowfalls and going outside and enjoying those nights that actually do seem silent.

What Gives you Joy?

Patti Digh of Life is a Verb says that, "...it is about doing small things that give you life, bring you joy, help you inhabit the stories of your days--and by extension, help change the world and the others around you...To fully live, you must be present in the biggest way possible."  That's a lot to ponder for sure.  I really do agree that small things really can bring joy if you stop to notice them and breathe them in.  These little things are the ones that make up our real lives, the ones that can make your heart swell.  The giggle from your baby, a vase of fat white lilacs in May, hearing your daughter read aloud to you at bedtime.  What are the small things that truly bring you joy?  That stop you in your tracks and make you feel so damn lucky sometimes?   

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is less than a week away and we're getting pretty excited for the holiday season.  This year we are cooking for my immediate family which will total about eight people plus one little newborn nephew.  Ever since I was little I couldn't wait to wake up and watch the Macy's parade and I still look forward to it though it's not as relaxing to watch when you're prepping for a big meal.  There's just something about the parade that thrills me (still).  I love the high school bands, the colorful floats, the Rockettes and even Santa at the end.  Maybe it still makes me feel like an excited little girl.   When that parade ends all I can think about is Christmas.  It's such a cozy time of year and I'm already in the spirit and can't wait to decorate the house!  I love all the beautiful rooms people share on their blogs that give such decorating inspiration.  Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!  I wonder what things other people are thankful for right now. 

A few of mine:  my sweet and funny daughter Isabella, our adorable puppy Mazie, the sun shining in the front window right now, having a great friend and her daughters coming over while the guys are out of town hunting.  I'm sure I'll be adding more as the holidays approach.

Gratitude Bag

We started something last night called Our Bag of Thank Yous.  We decorated a plain brown lunch bag and hung it on our pantry to put strips of paper inside it with random things we are thankful for.  Our plan is to read each of them on Thanksgiving.  Originally I wanted to keep a jar of thank yous during the whole year to remind ourselves to write things down throughout the whole year, not just holiday time, but my good intention fell by the wayside.  Instead the holidays are approaching and I've been reminded of my idea.  Better late than never.  It's fun to read them a month from now and see what we all put.  Usually my husband is quite the comedian and doesn't take it too seriously, but I still thinks it's a good family tradition to start.

White Decorating

My last post was about white Christmas trees and now I found this picture of a mostly white kitchen during Christmastime in Midwest Living Magazine.  Again, I love it.  Don't know why, but I have a soft spot for white cabinets and white Christmas trees that look like they are covered in snow (not the cabinets).  I think I might actually enjoy cooking in this kitchen.
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I Got the Holiday Bug

I'm getting excited for Christmas and seeing decorations all over already!  I'll admit it is a bit early though.   I look forward to pulling out my containers of decorations and making the house sparkly and cozy.  This white tree sparked my eye today from the House of Turquoise blog.  I'd love one tree with sentimental and personal ornaments and one just beautifully decorated and "matchy."  I love love love it. 

New Painting - Purple Dawn

Here is a whimsical new painting I just finished.   This was fun to create because I really just played with colors and stamps and didn't try too hard to get it to look a certain way.  Hopefully the coloring is accurate.  I've been trying to work on taking better pictures of my artwork.  I'm going to try to scan it tomorrow at work and see if that helps at all.