Christmasy fun

Wishing you...a dream to be blessed, a star to guide and peace and harmony inside!

Merry Christmas

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 1Corinthians 16:23

These are a few recent December pictures of making, creating, 

                           sharing, singing, dancing, playing, laughing and loving! 


                          

artsy this-n-that

"Art evolves. So does life. Art is never stagnant. Neither is life. The beautiful life that is being created for yourself and those you love is your art. It is the highest authentic art."-anonymous

 I have favorite custom pieces that I do. I loved these cute birdies and I love who's room (below) this huge canvas is going in. Hope you love your new artwork, sweet Hailey!

The things that I paint are so random lately. I just had to turn down a way too HUGE without any help mural job for 25 examination rooms for a pediatrician's office yesterday! I feel like this randomness of painting furniture to dogs is okay. LIFE is so random for me and our family right now in regards to our big move coming this 2011, so it's kind of in sync I guess.
We are in a holding-onto-our-faith-n-praying pattern and there are a zillion questions. I am finding little joy's in the things that I create in the days, and believe that I WILL find that ONE area that I want to use to build into a big business, have a shop, etc.
These are just the joyful steps to finding the answers to my next adventure. I'm listening.

 Here is a pile of some gifty things I worked on this past week. (They are stacked up because that would steal the surprise to the recipients!) I will put them on so you can see them later. Custom name signs are consistent work for me- they do make special gifts :)

normal holiday time silliness

It was one of those many Mommy days today when I sport black yoga pants and a favorite baseball cap. A no shower day. You Mommy's out there know what I'm talking about. A quick spaghetti and meatball dinner tonight (Daddy's been gone for the week and we do really easy-n-simple) and I need a shower. 

Ya know what? Forget the shower, bath it is. Holidays? Yessss, it's bubble bath time. We have this clawfoot tub that I couldn't live without, so I need to take more long, relaxing baths in in, right? Glass of red wine in hand (good for antioxidants :) and I'm there. Not quite 5 minutes (it's only 7pm so what do I expect) and knock. knock. knock. "Mommy...whatcha doin'?...Taaaaking aaaa baaath?!!..Can I take one after yooou...?" (Huh? Mommy's take some time out for herself for a moment?) 

Okay, here's the funny part. I hear whispers. They come back with the whoopee cushion that they found (and sat on it on the floor) in the $1 section of a store last night. Yep, in front of strangers and they are belly giggling with everyone laughing with them in the aisle. It automatically infates after you sit on it, mind you.  HAD to buy it. 

Well of course they get it and place a part of it UNDER the closed bathroom door and SIT on it....pppppphhhhllllbbb....and CRACK UP so hard. Ah, bathroom humor at it's best.

Never a dull moment. Yes, even with girls. "Shy, sweet and quiet" one's at that. 

Here's a couple dogs I did this week. I love doing them. Enough to do a little happy dance after I'm done. No kidding. 

a Christmasy time

May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility.-Mary Anne Radmacher
Christmas exploded in our home on Sunday. I'll be honest with you and say that I wasn't sure if I was feeling the "let's-decorate!" spirit. I thought of some excuses but, not so. I came home from a fabulous annual GNA (Girlfriend Night Away in Dallas) and the tree was assembled, boxes out. Ready to go. Seriously- Josh puts up the tree, the lights and does the pretty magic outside. What is it that I am fussing about? 

Despite the fact that you pretty much have to CLEAN those enormous dust bunnies in the corners, tables, fireplace, it was a delight. Putting up a tree is soaked in tradition and memory for us- not just from our childhoods, but here in the present with our kiddos. Love the lights, the memories/stories behind the "deck the halls" items, the music, and the time together is just what it's all about.

All of the zillions of ornaments get pulled out. Handmade one's when I was seven, vacations, first home, first baby, special gifts, cherished handmade one's from relatives, preschool handmade, the list goes on. (Did I mention handmade? Ha. Yea. Every year we seem to keep that tradition.)
Sweet. Sweet. Sweet.
So here we are (although not full blown decorated this year). Furniture re-arranged, nativity, fire in the fireplace, garlands, berries, stockings...POOF...Christmas arrived at the Foster's in a few hours.

turkey time

Northerner:
A Northerner is a person born or living in the North, fast paced, aggressive, fast-talking, and friendly but cautious, devoted to basements, skyscrapers, blizzards, apples and maple syrup.
(Yep!)
Southerner:
A Southerner is a person born or living in the South, gracious, easy-going, slow-talking, friendly folk, devoted to front porches, oak trees, cool breezes, magnolias, peaches and fried chicken.
(Love it!)
We got home from Ohio very late this Monday night to be shoved into normal (whatever that is right now). An overfilled work week for J, mountains of dirty laundry, an abundance of mail, painting orders, and Christmas on our minds. Never mind the pumpkins that needed to be put in the garbage, the holiday lists keep on keepin' on!

It was a great trip back "home". Ohio is our Northern "roots" and time seems to stop when we visit. It was Foster-family-time and unfortunately not enough chunks of time for visiting our old forever friends. Josh's folks live in hilly, pretty Holmes County "Amish country". It is filled with fresh home-cooking (I had a bit of an apple pie ala-mode addiction), horse-n-buggy's, old barns, quaint gift shops, antiques, sweet children in their Amish clothes near a one-room school house and just a plain and simple life.

We headed to Cleveland/Lake Erie for fabulous food and to hang out with Josh's bro's, went to the zoo/rainforest, hiked/ate at a beautiful Inn in the country, and of course ate and ate and ate in between T.V. and board game playing. It was a sweet together time and Grandma and Grandpa spoiled two special little girls to pieces. We are continually blessed beyond measure! 

Here's most of the Foster gang at turkey time.

Adorable cousin Isabella...of whom the girls ADORE