Christmas, ready or not...

Okay, okay, okay... so, now that it's after Thanksgiving, I'm officially really excited about Christmas. Yesterday Jack took a nap and we put up the tree. He came down the stairs and has been absolutely obsessed ever since. So sweet. "Wow!" he says, over and over and over... Wow.

We decorated the tree & the rest of the house, put up stockings & snowflakes, made cookies & watched A Charlie Brown Christmas. We even went to Wal Mart & bought a little tricycle forJack. He tried it out in the store. His feet barelytouched the pedals, but he was on cloud 9.

Breath in, breathe out. Okay. I'm ready. Ready or not... here it comes...

Holiday traditions to start with our family this year:

Advent devotionals with the wreath & the calendar...
I bought an advent devotional book a fewyears back, actually when I was single, and thought, I want to do this with my family one day... I was reading through it, and it'sreally, really cool. Not just for kids, but for the whole family to refocus our hearts on Jesus during such a crazy time. You read a verse from the Bible, read the short commentary, answer a question, and sing a Christmas song. so sweet. I'll let you know how it goes...

Go to the Living Nativity at Horizon
Every year we say we're going to go, and it gets so busy that I'm exhausted by the time it comes around. But this year Jack will love it. We're going. For sure.

I want to start painting houses for a little village. Each year everyone paints a house and our village grows and grows. Love it...

I think that's it. Remember Erin: Keep it simple. Focus on Jesus. Keep expectations low. Repeat to yourself, "You are not Superwoman. You are not Superwoman.You are not Superwoman." Breathe in, breathe out.

I would choose time.

Has it really been a week since I blogged? Time flies... Well, I've been feverishly, once again, getting ready for the Encinitas Street Fair. My mind is going to explode with ideas for paintings... It's like one painting gives birth to 10 more and pretty soon I have 103 little infant ideas floating around in my head... with extremely limited time to get them out on canvas.;

It just stinks that we have to sleep. If only we didn't have to sleep! Just think of the time we would have on our hands.

I so often forget that I am human and procrastinate until the night before and figure... I can just stay up all night. And then my 7th cup of coffee hits at about 3:00 AM and I realize, "Dang. I'm not superwoman? I totally forgot." and I promise myself to remember, but I don't. I forget. again and again...kind of like after Thanksgiving..."I'm never, ever eating this much again..."

It all boils down to time and money. To get money, you have to sacrifice time. To get time you have to sacrifice money. And the older I get the more I realize just how very precious time is. Money comes & goes, but unfortunately I need it to eat and buy new socks and take a shower...

But had I a choice to make I would choose time. Over and over again, I would choose time.

I'm off to paint at 2:15 in the morning, with only 2 cups of coffee in my belly and a brain overflowing with ideas... Just call me Superwoman, but please don't ask me how I'll get up with my baby in the morning. Thank the good Lord for Sesame Street!

More flowers...

I'm kind of stuck on painting flowers these days... Here are some more... I feel like I should move on, but they are so much fun to paint that I think I might just have to stay here for a while. Hmmmmmmmm... we'll see...

My budding artist...

this year's baby...



After watching me finish up some paintings, Jack climbed up into a grown up chair, grabbed a pencil in each fist and proceeded to write, and write, and write. He sat for 30 minutes at the kitchen table intently writing...

a masterpiece...

Holiday denial...

Last year's baby...





Okay, okay... I refuse to acknowledge the existance of holiday paraphenalia popping up... everywhere. I even saw a house with Christmas lights... on November 6th! What the heck. I feel like walking around with my eyes closed and my fingers in my ears singing the Star Spangled Banner so I that can live in blissful denial that the holiday season is quickly, and I mean quickly tiptoeng up behind us.

Most of all, I want to resist the temptation to look forward to the 26th, so I can relax until next year's frenzy. I want to relax, enjoy, savor, capture every moment this season, especially with Jack & Darryl now.

My friend Ginger over at Weiner dog tricks made a great list,something alongthe lines of: things Ilike about the holidays & things that stress me out about the holidays. Then she proceeded to eliminate some of the things that weren't her favorite... and add to the list of things she loves. I highly suggest this approach, way above mine... So hear goes. I'm gonna start with things I love about the holidays...

Things I love about the holiday season
Watching How the Grinch stole Christmas & Elf & Charlie Brown Christmas. Elf always makes me giggle, even though I've seen it 100 times.
Ice skating at the Hotel Del (okay, I've never actually done this, but doesn't it sound like fun?)
Christmas Eve Chili Party, getting to see dear friends and family
Opening each little square on the advent calendar
Garland and stockings on the mantle
Decorating the Tree
Going to see A Christmas Carol
Cinnamon smelling pine cones for sale outside of Michael's
Reading the Christmas story in Luke
Singing Christmas carols

Ummm... I know there's more, I just can't think of them... I'll get back to you. Oh, baking Christmas cookies, of course...

As Darryl and I have started our family & holidays with a child I want to be intentional about the traditions we create and the messages behind them. What we do and why? Is it for real or for show? Kids see right through your words...

I want my child to believe me when I tell them...
that the birth Jesus really is the reason we have so much joy.
that the most important things in life can't be bought or seen.
that Christmas really is about what we have to contribute to each other.

I want to create traditions that are a joy, not a burden. That bind us together and that are the heart of what we believe to be true...

What about you? What are your favorite holiday traditions?

A finished home...

I finally finished my home series. I started so long ago and the street fair made me finally dfinish. I don'tknow why it's so tough to finish. maybe because it's so... final. Does anyone else have that problem?

Here are the final homes I created...

The power of art.

Wow. I can't even tell you how encouraged and inspired... and well rested... I am. We had such a fabluous time at the street fair. Better than fabulous. We got to meet so many dear, sweet, encouraging, people. That's my favorite part. It just reminds my imporatnant, no essential, art is to life. like bread, no pedicures... Being connected to strangers through art, and all of the sudden these strangers become dear friends... all because of some images paint and paper, but really it's my heart and soul on display. So when people respond to it, it's like... I can't even describe it...

I am so grateful to the kind souls I met & connected with at the street fair.

thank you. thank. thank you.

It is always surprisingly emotional and wonderful.

So, my new collages are coming! As soon as this baby goes down for a nap, I'll get them up on my ETSY site... We'vegot abotu 4 hours to go!

Be the change you wish to see inthe world today! (Ghandi)



New Collages coming soon!