Merry Christmas everyone!
It's Christmas Eve Eve here in Raleigh and I've got lots on my plate as I finish getting ready for Christmas. I thought I'd share a bit with you all about my life lately as I prep things.
Bryan and I have one stubborn gift left to get (for that one person on our list who's ever so hard to shop for of course!), and over half of our gifts left to wrap still. However, we went to Richmond for a Thanksmas weekend with my family over December 12-14. A lovely ham dinner, plus our gift exchange, and lots of time to just relax with family. My dad and I got to catch up while doing some shopping and taking the dog out for a walk. I tried to help my mom with the cooking, but she had picked some really easy dishes and barely needed me! My parents are working on moving to Richmond in the near future and there were boxes stacked in my uncle's living room from it, but they disguised them as presents. I have to say it made things very festive!
Other than that I've been busy with several commission pieces two watercolors, and four collages plus trying to fit in bits of other new work as I get the ideas. I've been decorating here at my own home, and doing domestic things. Here are a couple shots of my own tree:
I decided to go with a more rustic theme this year, last year I did all cool colors with more modern ornaments. I shopped for a bunch of this year's ornaments while I was visiting with my parents some in November to help a bit with prepping their house for moving. My mom and I took a trip to Ikea, and also found some of the ornaments at Kmart (the deer and white frosty bulb ornaments), and Cracker Barrel (the burlap banner with the Cardinal design and the heart ornaments). Plus Bryan and I have been collecting ornaments on some of our little vacations, so we have things from St. Augustine, Florida, Epcot Center, The Smithsonian Museum, and I'm sure others I can't think of too! And I made the bow for the tree myself.
Bryan and I have kept busy socially, between going to Raleigh's First Friday Art Walk (where I had a couple of pieces in a show this month!), checking out the Boylan Heights Art Walk (an amazing annual juried show that hosts artists on porches and yards in the downtown neighborhood of the same name), exploring Durham (we'll be moving there this coming spring to be closer to Bryan's new job), and going to the Pittsboro Christmas parade with family. We've been spending most of our free time with family honestly, whether we're playing games, going to the movies, or just hanging out. But I've ramped things up with work between the commissions and becoming more involved with the arts community on Tsu (Seriously, it's worth checking out! There are loads of great artists, crafters, and photographers there, and you earn rewards for simply posting the content you make.
Join using my link here if you'd like.), so I haven't had a ton of free time beyond all that which hasn't been sucked up by things I've already mentioned. Including spending time with out new little family member Scarlet, a Mini Rex rabbit. Here's a little photo collage summing up all these things.
So, now I've got to run, groceries to get, presents to wrap, paperwork to finish, cleaning to do, gifts to finish making, and then a break from blogging for the rest of this week as I celebrate Christmas with family. I can't wait for dinner and the Christmas Eve service with Bryan's family tomorrow night, and then be enjoying each others company for the next few days. I hope you all will be having a very merry Christmas with your families too. And look forward to seeing you again soon!
With love this holiday season,
Lydia
