Merry Christmas

 I thought I'd take a moment to thank you all for your wonderful support and friendship throughout the year. We have a generous, and creative community here on Blogger, and I have met many delightful people.
I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays.  May you all have a magical season, and may you be blessed in the coming year.

Warm Holiday Blessings to you!

Hello dear blogging friends!
Christmas is such a magical time of year, but  it can also be  very hectic, with baking, cooking,  scrambling to find the perfect  gifts, fighting crowds in busy malls...and the million other things that can turn us into the Grinch. It's easy to get lost in all the chaos, and the lists of things to do, that you forget to stop, breath, and take in the wonder of the season. Let's be grateful for what we have in our lives, and the dear friends and loved ones who share in them.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays! My prayer is that you are blessed with happiness, and much peace.

 

Montreal shopping, and a Free Vintage image for you

 hi friends, a few days ago we got back from our annual shopping trip to Montreal. It's only 2 days, but we certainly shopped till we dropped, lol! This year was the best one ever. I was hoping for snow, but as the train pulled in, it was dry. However, within a few hours of our arriving, it started to snow, and snow, and snow...how perfect, a snowstorm while we were there, and it was still going on when we left.
I wish I took more photographs of the streets though. They were simply beautiful.

 

Lots of pretty displays in store windows to see...

There was a giant buddha in a store. Did you know that you are supposed to rub a buddha's belly for good luck, lol?

It was the perfect little trip, got lots of Christmas shopping done, and enjoyed good food and good sights.

I made a couple more ACEOs(small art, size of a baseball card) this past week. This one was my favorite, I put it up on Ebay last night as a Buy it Now, and woke up to it being sold.  Time is running out, so I'm happy this buyer will have it before Christmas.

I haven't added any free vintage images from my collection for a while, so I dug up this Christmas post card from 1910 for you to download, and use in your art. Click on the photo to make it larger, then download.

Well, that's it for now, I need to make a few more ACEOs, then watch a Christmas movie.

thanks for reading!

Hey, chill out!

                        Have yourself a Whimsical little Christmas

hi friends, first I thought I'd show you some Christmas eye candy. I made a treasury on Etsy for the young at heart. I love everything here! If you want a closer look at these talented artists click here to go to the treasury.
It's made up of cute and whimsical stuff to give as gifts, or keep for yourself, lol!

Well, we are in the first week of December, and before you know it, Christmas will be here, and then the New Year. I can't say I have accomplished what I wanted to this year, but isn't that belief pretty typical? We rarely think we have done enough. Must be the society we live in that keeps telling us to do more, be more, have more, buy more, no wonder so many people are stressed around this time of year.  I think we can all use a little break from the insanity.

A helpful tip is to take at least 15 minutes each day, to just sit, breathe, and recharge yourself.  Take slow, deep breaths, and concentrate on your breathing. On the inhale when your lungs are filled, hold your breath for a few seconds, then exhale. Your mind will wander but stick with it. After each exhale, feel your body sinking deeper into your chair. Keep your eyes closed, unclench your jaw, and soften your facial muscles.
After a few moments, you will realize that the chatter in your mind has slowed down, and you feel so good. Continue as long as you desire, and when you open your eyes, you may find yourself smiling and at peace.

Give it a try, and let me know what you think.  In fact, if you are sitting on your computer reading this, what a perfect time to take a few moments  and see if it's true, or if I am full of crap.
And don't say you can't spare 15 minutes for yourself.
YOU are the most important person in your life, and don't you forget it :-)

love ya!

New ACEO, and A glimpse of my crazy tree

hello friends. Do you see the ACEO painting above? that's what I plan on doing for the next little while, haha!
I went to 3 craft shows the past week. The one in my city had really nice, hand crafted, and more higher end items. I fell in love with a hand painted fox pendant, and thought I'd return in the evening, and point it out to my sister as something she can buy me for Christmas. Well, just my luck, he sold it, as well as many other nice pendants. So folks, when you fall in love with something, you better pick it up right away.

Yesterday we went to another couple of craft shows, and I mostly bought cute ornaments for me 'crazy tree'.
I said I would show you some photos, so I took a few, but you really can't get a good idea of how wild it is until you see it in person. It is quite the spectacle, lol! So here are some pics... I had a hard time getting the whole tree in the photo, it's pretty tall, but this will give you an idea. It is on the hall landing as you walk up the stairs. I have a more traditional tree in my living room.

 I had to photograph it in the day time so you could see some of the decorations. At night it is lit with deep blue and purple lights.

This is a close up of some of the ornaments on the tree. I've been collecting them for years.

This is one of my favorite ornament, it's a masked mouse flashing you, lol!

That's it for today, I'm working on another Christmas painting which has been giving me trouble for the past week.
Thanks for reading!

Christmas is almost here...

I was at the mall today, getting some last minute shopping done. It was packed, lineups everywhere, and I loved every second of it! It is a great sign, that people are starting to feel confident again after the economic train wreck of the last couple of years. At least I hope we are on the mend.

Why is it that people  seem friendlier at this time of year? There seems to be some positivity in the air, almost like a magical spell has been cast. Yes I know what you may be thinking, there are also those who get so stressed and cranky, and the crazy drivers that almost run you over to get to a parking spot...but other than that, haha! I'm taking about people smiling more, even when in a line up, of wishing strangers a Merry Christmas, and connecting with each other if only for a brief moment.

Contrast this with the fact that this time of year can also be the most depressing for some people dealing with loss of a loved one, loneliness, depression, or illness. Christmas seems to magnify their pain. Watching others smile and feel joyful can make you seem smaller and lonelier. I wish I could do something make them feel better, unfortunately we all have to walk our paths alone, but if you can possible reach out to someone who may need a helping hand, please consider doing so. There are many people struggling right now, I have seen it in person, and in the blogging world. Sometimes all it takes is a kind word to let them know they matter.
What if we took just a single moment to look in someone's eyes, wish them a Happy Holiday, and silently bless them? Just so they know that they are not alone? Not only would they feel better, but you would too. The giver of the blessing receives as much as the recipient . Let's try and fill this beautiful  earth of ours with loving energy!


Well, we are getting down to the wire, and after I finish this post, I will sit down and watch another Christmas movie. One I saw a few days ago called 'Eve's Christmas' was sooooo boring! The bridal shop scene was so bizarre, it didn't belong in this movie. I had such high hopes, and felt like I wasted 2 hours of my life....consider yourself warned :-)

Yesterday I watched 'A Boyfriend for Christmas'  a cute sweet romantic movie. It's the perfect movie to pop into the DVD player, and relax with. It is about a woman who gave up on Christmas a young girl when she didn't get her wish. Fast forward 20 years, she is still single, but Santa has other plans.


Next on my list to watch in the next few days is National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, a classic! I never tire of this one, or 'A Christmas Story' , or even Elf, which I think will be around for a long time. So many movies, so little time!! Ok, enough of me babbling on about movies, I am off to watch one.
Feel free to comment with your favorite movies, or music,

Christmas movies, music and more

This will feel like a scattered post, but that's the way I am these days. The time is flying! and Christmas will be here before you know it.
If you look on the right side of my blog you will notice I added a widget for you to listen to an all Christmas music radio station, or if you like, further down, I have added a playlist of music I chose, for your listening pleasure :-)
The sun finally came out this weekend, so I photographed some of my decorations, but then my computer decided not to accept my camera card! So no pics for now, however, I did watch a couple of Christmas movies.

The first one is called 'Fallen Angel' with Gary Sinese. It was a nice, slow paced but enjoyable movie, about a workaholic man who is alienated from his father for many years, and goes back home after getting a call from the hospital saying his father is ill.  I won't spoil it, but anyone who enjoys a nice slow romance will enjoy it. Worth watching.

Next was a movie called 'Silver Bells' about a Nova Scotia tree farmer who is raising his 2 kids since the death of his wife. A few minutes into it, I realized I had read the book a while ago. This is a Hallmark film, as was the previous one I wrote about, and I would also recommend this. Again, there is a romantic element to it, and of course, a happy ending. Great movies to sit on a cozy couch, make yourself a hot beverage, and enjoy.
One that I thought I would like but was very disappointed in is 'Snow 2: Brain Freeze'. I watched 'Snow' last year, and it was a cute film! I would recommend the first if you get a chance, in fact, I may rent it again.

Now if you are looking for a nice Christmas CD as background music, for when you have friends over, I discovered 'A Black Tie Christmas' by Atilla Fias. I purchased through iTunes, and it is a wonderful addition to my hundreds of Christmas CDs, lol!
It is instrumental, and very laid back, not at all my style, but for some reason, it is very easy to listen to. Preview the album on iTunes and let me know what you think.

Can you believe I got another Blog award? this time from the talented Nicola Toms. I appreciate it when people still think of me, (even though I am notoriously bad at following
through). Thank you again Nicola!

thanks for indulging me dear readers....
I would love to hear your thoughts on any Christmas movies you have enjoyed. Feel free to recommend or talk about them in the comments section. From now till Christmas, let's share our thoughts of music and movies, or anything else you enjoy about the season.

Back from Montreal

Late last night we got back from our 2 day trip to Montreal. I love it there! the food, the shopping....there are malls  downtown that go on and on, you could wander all day, and not see everything.
I spent more than I should have, but we only do this once a year. I am disappointed that there was no snow. It's been a strange fall here too, nothing at all for the month of November, you would never know this was Canada.  Before I left I was working mostly on ACEOs - like the mermaid you see above.  I've done a few more of the owls, more of my whimsical Sugarbugs, including one of my favorites with her snowman too. Can you tell I have snow on my mind, lol?

 

I am still waiting for a sunny day so that I can photograph some of my Christmas decorations....
and shortly I will begin discussing Christmas movies. I'm a wee bit behind this week, so thought I'd give a quick update.
I'm feeling the urge to paint larger angels and icons, since it has been a while since I did that.  I sketched for hours on the train back, and have some interesting ideas to work on. Some interesting girls made their way onto my pages, now the trick is to see how well I can make them happen on canvas, that's the tough part!
I will leave you with this photo of an over 3 storey high Christmas tree, filled with cute little scenes like this one. I went to 3 different floors photographing different angles of it, but found most of the pics ended up blurry :-(

Seasonal Art and an update

It's been a while since my last blog post! If I recall correctly, I was going to decorate my home that weekend...well, that did not happen. In fact I got up Saturday, looked around at all the things I had to remove to make way for the Christmas stuff, and couldn't get motivated. I may have gone shopping instead, lol!
I finally did make myself get it all done last week, and will share pictures, if the sun ever comes out! It's been gloomy out the last couple of days when I come home from work.

Artwise I haven't done much...only a few new ACEOs I'm working on, including a series of Christmas owls, yes you heard that correct, lol! I've found myself busy with other things, and it's just a matter of time before I sit down, and paint for several hours straight. I don't feel like I have been creative lately, and it bothers me every day that goes by without art. ( the painting you see here of my Snow girl was done earlier in the year).

Anyway, enough of that....is anyone watching the Vampire Diaries? How about Survivor? I love those shows, and look forward to my Thursday evenings.
The new Twilight movie -New Moon - is out tomorrow, can't wait to see it! Now you know I love Edward, but this Youtube clip is hilarious! I can't remember if I ever added it to my blog, but here it is, Buffy vs. Edward. Being a Buffy fan from way back, this one made me laugh...
 

Right now I am sitting here eating the last of the $10 package of Chocolate crunch that I bought at a craft show today. Damn chocolate! I can't eat just one piece, it is so irresistible!  Chocolate and sweets are my weakness. I say to myself if I eat it all now, I won't have any to tempt me tomorrow, is that not crazy??

I know I am late but I would like to take the time to thank Abi, a member of the  ArtDollsOnly blog for awarding me the Creaviv blogger award! I am truly thankful that you would include my wee blog :-)

This weekend I hope to work on a Christmas fairy painting, time is running out!

So what are your plans for the weekend?

Thank goodness Christmas is over. I feel like I gained 10 pounds over the last few days! As much as I love the season, it is almost a relief when things get back to normal. No more running around looking for last minute things, baking, or visiting friends and family.
Today I am cleaning and organizing. There are way too many books and art supplies lying around cluttering the place. It's amazing how much better you feel after you organize. Once I am finished I can start painting again.
The only thing I painted the last couple of weeks was a Christmas gift for my sister. It's the painting shown above, which I titled 'Coffee and Kitties', and is very different from my usual style. I will have to figure out how to get a better picture of this, as it is too big for my scanner.

One of my Favorite Christmas Books

I purchased this book a few years back called 'The house of Wooden Santas' by Kevin Major and I continue to go back to it every year before Christmas. What drew me to this is the absolutely gorgeous Santa carvings thoughout the book. The story revolves around a 9 year old boy called Jesse and his mother who move to a small town. His mother begins to carve wooden Santas with hopes of selling them, but times are tough. The book begins 24 days before Christmas, so it is best to read a chapter a day. I wouldn't call this a children's book, as there is an awful lot of writing! Maybe it is geared toward kids 10 and older, but adults could definitely enjoy. It would be a great book to read to your kids. It is very hard to find but I see that amazon has used ones for 1 penny!!!
plus shipping. If you are looking for a non-traditional Christmas book for the whole family, this is worth looking into.

Here is a Youtube video featuring the carved wooden santas from this book

Seasonal Treats

I thought I'd blog about some of my favorite things. Tonight I sat down and watched one of my favorite movies called 'Prancer'.
If you haven't seen it yet, I would highly recommend this feel-good holiday movie, perfect for the whole family. It is about a young girl who thinks she has found Prancer, one of Santa's reindeer. I love the innocence of the main character, her love of Christmas reminds me of myself when I was her age. Make yourself a warm cup of cocoa, turn on the Christmas lights, and snuggle under a blanket as you watch this wonderful movie.