Cozy Design

I was immediately drawn to this letterpress stationary from Paper Sheep featured by Poppytalk today. Knit clothing and accessories are everywhere right now, and rightly so; It's frigid outside (in Maine at least)! I've also been seeing a lot of crochet doilies being used in celebration of the holiday season.

I can't crochet or knit (a 2011 goal of mine), but I absolutely love the patterns created by the woven yarn. I have been meaning to do a painting that attempts to capture the texture, and I think that this letterpress card does so wonderfully! The effect is perfectly cozy, even on paper. I can't wait to give this a try..

Festive Dresses from Madewell

 

OK, I know I really missed the boat on this one. I am only discovering today how wonderful Madewell is! These two dresses would be perfect for upcoming holiday parties and winter weddings. I love how wearable each of these styles is, especially when paired with opaque tights.

The Holiday Season is Here!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! A and I hosted our first dinner, which turned out quite well. Today I'm looking forward to having a nice piece of leftover pie for breakfast, and catching up on the stack of magazines on my coffee table. Long weekends are absolutely wonderful, don't you think?

I thought I would share with you the design of the family Christmas card A and I will be sending out this year. The piece is a combination of paint and embroidery. I wanted to keep the look simple, yet festive. I made a few little gift tags with the design, as well. I absolutely love this time of year!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thanksgiving Is Upon Us

The week of Thanksgiving has arrived! I'm really excited about this for two reasons: 1.) It's a three day work week 2.) Thanksgiving marks the official beginning of the holiday season.

I absolutely love this time of year. I love everything from holiday decorating and baking, to Christmas songs and shopping/creating for family and friends.

This year A and I are hosting Thanksgiving for my family. I feel like such an adult! A and I are really proud of the little home we have made in the past two-plus years we have lived together, and we are excited to host our first holiday event.

I never really appreciated the amount of work that goes into Thanksgiving until this year. There is so much preparation involved! I begin a four-day cooking/baking extravaganza tonight, with sweet potato rolls and homemade graham cracker crust on the agenda...

Initially I thought, " This is your first holiday event, just keep it simple". With all of the homemade treats I have planned, it's turning out to be a bit chaotic. I have to admit, though, that I am really enjoying the challenge.

What are your plans for the holiday? Are you a guest or host? Which Thanksgiving treats are you most looking forward to?

{image from here}

Happiness Is..

1. Painting, drawing and otherwise creating. I'm making our little family's Christmas card this year, which I'm really excited about! I'll share it here once I finish..

2. Spending time in the kitchen making whole, yummy food for those I care about. In the past few days alone I have made a loaf of bread, chicken pot pie, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and turkey chili. It's such a soothing thing to be in the kitchen chopping, mixing, tasting and enjoying.

3. Returning after work to a warm, cozy home. Nothing makes me happier than to have two kitties greet me in the entryway, followed by my boy. This little ritual signals to me that I am home, and the stress of the work day begins to fade away.

4. Date nights. Tonight A and I are heading to the movies to see Morning Glory. It's not really about the movie so much as it is about spending time together. I'm really looking forward to it :)

5. Days off! I don't have to work tomorrow, and I intend to savor it. I plan to make myself something nice for breakfast, perhaps attend a yoga class and work on a few crafty things that I haven't had much time for. There are some chores that SHOULD get done, of course, but I'm seriously considering blowing those off. Laundry can wait for another day :)

What makes you happy? I would love to hear your thoughts!

2011 Calendar

I'm really excited about the 2011 calendar I bought for my desk at work. How fun are these paper animals from Katsumi Tamura! Each animal comes with a calendar month on the front and back. I think this is an adorable way to spice up a boring desk, don't you?

Holly over at decor8 has put together a wonderful roundup of fabulous 2011 calendars for your viewing pleasure. Now to choose a design for my kitchen..

Feeling Cheerful

I have been really, really happy these days and it seems to be manifesting itself in my latest creations. I've been using bright, cheerful colors in all of my work! 

For the last year or so, I have been quite conscious about what I eat and the foods I prepare for my family. It wasn't until the last month or so, though, that I started to become more active. In high school I was an athlete, but in the past six years I have done very little (an understatement) to stay in shape. 

Yoga is a very new discovery for me, and I am loving it. I have seen my flexibility and strength improve significantly in only five weeks. I forgot what a mood booster exercise is, and I love having that feeling back in my life. I don't know why it has taken me so long to get active again, but I'm confident that I will stick with yoga. I'm finding that the benefits of the practice reach so far beyond the physical...

Happy Monday, everyone!