fresh picked whimsy

merry days

So fast. 

The blessed day we look forward to all year long goes by so, so fast.  This is the craziest time of year for me and my little studio that could.  It's always a challenge to get my orders out the door in time to really enjoy the holidays with my family.  The first two weeks of December is a blurrrr of fulfilling orders, painting, decorating and online shopping.  This year, of course, our December was a little furrier, too...

When I picked Katie up from school, i found him on her dorm room wall.  So funny...

She could hardly stand the one hour drive home.  She was so excited to meet Abraham!

i cannot put into words the peace and contentment i get from having all 3 of my babies under our roof.  

This tree in my studio may or may not have been knocked over a few times by a puppy and his big furry brother...

Our very special stockings...a treasured handmade gift from a special friend and neighbor who is no longer with us.

Jingle, our nutty elf got himself into all kinds of mischief this month... 

There was much baking to be done.  The kids love dipping the pretzels...

 

 We got 6 inches of snow the day after Christmas and then 6 more last night!  That's more than we got all of last winter!  The kids are loving it!

We've got so much to be thankful for. 

Most of all this...

{Virgin and Child by Giovanni Battista Salvi}

Wishing that we may hold the peace and love and hope that this wondrous Babe brings, all throughout the coming year.  Many blessings to you and yours! 

For the love of Abraham

Meet Abe.

He is the newest member of our family.  He found us at a time when we didn't know anything was missing from our lives.  But, now we know better. 

 
Abraham has had a traumatic start to his young life of 10 months.  In October, Abe was hit by a truck.  He had two broken legs, a broken hip and pelvis.  He was brought to a kill shelter in Kentucky and because he had so many injuries, nobody wanted to adopt him.  In the final hours before he was scheduled to be euthanized, he was rescued by a wonderful organization in Kokomo, Indiana called Pals for Paws.  They picked him up and got him the medical attention he needed.  He had surgery on October 25th and his front leg was amputated.  His back leg still has nerve damage and he often walks on top of his paw.  It may or may not ever completely heal.  My sister Susan and my friend Carolyn happened to be at a local Petco, last weekend, when Abe was there looking for a new family.  They both thought that we needed to meet him.  They sent us these photos from Petco.

 
I'll admit, for a day, we resisted.  Two days later, he was ours. 

{look at those happy faces on our boys on our way home with Abe.}

He was so scared and traumatized in the photo that was blasted out on the shelter's facebook page.  it breaks my heart.

 
and now he is happy, and comfy and so loved!

He and Sunny have become fast friends.

We are still learning his quirks and silly ways.  He doesn't like the vacuum, but he loves it when Griffin plays his trumpet.  He also loves to lay on top of pillows, beds and clean laundry piles...

This is his favorite perch...on the back of the chair.

But, what he really loves is to snuggle...

and he can't wait for his sister, Katie to come home from college on Friday so he can meet her and catch up on snuggles with her, too!

Welcome home, Abraham.  We think you are perfect in every way and we love you very much!

If you are thinking of adopting a pet for the holidays or in the future, please consider working with your local pet rescue organization.  What these people do is so wonderful and they care for and foster so many sweet animals who need a loving home.  I am so thankful for Pals for Paws.  If you would like to contribute financially to help support the work they do and the animals they rescue, follow the link here.  Thanks ever so much! 

Open Studio with a full heart

Once again, i was blown away by the turn out and excitement at my Holiday Open Studio.  Lots of familiar faces, family and friends and lots of new friends, too!  If you weren't able to make it, here are some pictures that capture the studio all decked out for it's biggest annual event! 

These snowmen were a last minute idea that popped into my head 2 days before the big day.  I used only supplies that i had on hand (including the wood).  I was only able to make a dozen of them and they sold out pretty quickly.  I promise to make larger quantities of everything for next year.  I should probably start producing in January!

These artsy fartsy necklaces also sold out quickly.  I will be replenishing these all year long and yes, i promise to get them into my etsy shop for all of my out of town friends!

This year we expanded the studio into what was formally my dining room, next to the studio.  The dining room furniture has been relocated to the sun porch by the pool and it looks so pretty there!  I will share pics of that another day.  We moved all of my supplies out of the studio and into this room, allowing for a little more elbow room in the studio.  I bought that light at IKEA this year.  I had been drooling over it for the past few years and never had a place to put it...until now!!! i lurrve it!

These signs were a HUGE hit this year.  Again, they were another "hmmm, what could i do with this wood?" brainstorm.  Now, i have ideas for all the holidays to come.  They are fun to make and fun to display!  I love to hand letter!

Thanks to everyone who came out to support me and my little studio that could.  Thanks to my family and friends who helped me get organized and ready for this weekend. I have to be honest and share with you that a little over a month ago, i was completely drained emotionally and creatively.  Mark's mom had suffered a stroke and i spent a week helping to care for her in the hospital and rehab center.  I didn't know how i would be able to pull this open studio off and help my in-laws and be a mom, fulfill my etsy orders, and show my work in a local salon, too.  I prayed and prayed for some direction, a sign, anything.  Within a day or two, i got this wild burst of creativity.  There weren't enough hours in the day to do everything that i wanted to do, but i had this clarity about how to go about getting what was important done. And, no...it isn't lost on me that i prayed for a sign and got the idea to make all of those signs you see above! Ha! God has a great sense of humor! I LOVE what i do and sharing it with all of you.  In a million years i never dreamed this is where my art would take me, but i do love the way God is showing me how to use the talent He gave me.  I have so much to be thankful for.  ♥

p.s. Mark's mom is doing really, really well and came home this week from the rehabilitation center.  We are all so happy to have her home!