Happy Holidays and Joy to all of you in 2011!!!!!

JOY TO YOU!

When I look back at how far I have come since last year it amazes me. I started this blog, opened up an Etsy shop, was published for the first time, selling my stuff in a great shop.  I have come a long way in just 1 year.  I can't wait until next year to see what I will accomplish. The possibilities are endless.

I wanted to thank all my blogging community for all the support you have given me throughout the year. You have been a great support for me!!! I don't know what I would have done with out you!!!

So from me to you!

Happy Holidays and Joy to all of you in 2011!!!!!!

(and always)

See you next year!!!!!

Sunday Sketches and Holiday Stuff! My Camera is not working!!!!Ahhhhh.

I am going to start sketching animals just to switch it up.  I am drawn to the lion because I am a Leo. Rrrrrrrrrr. I am so a Leo!

I wanted to give you a tour of my home and some the ornaments that I got from my Christmas Swap(I just got the last one on Friday) but since I have to get a new card for my camera. I will show you some Christmas things that are important to me.

These little dolls were my parents . When my Dad moved out of his house we all went thru all the Christmas items and took turns picking. I knew this was one of the first things I wanted. When I was a little girl I just adored these. We each got 2.

These birds my mother made. We had these boingey(I know it's not a word) things. (I don't know what they are called but they are everywhere in PA.)  So anyway my mother decided to make ornaments out of them. She was so clever.  She put rhinestones and pearls(Not real ones of coarse). in them. Now this is a toss up on which is my favorite. The little angel or the boingey birds. They are such a part of my Christmas.

This one was a set so my sister Heidi and I spit the set up. I know, I know we are bad. But we both get to have memories when we look at them.

This little guy was Nelly's first ornament. It is broken at the top and a little worn out but it reminds me of my sweet little girl.  She is not allowed to have it until I am dead. And that is not going to be for a long time.  I also have her stocking that I told her she could not have until that time.  She still has to come to my house and get her presents.

This is also my parents. It is a bank that they always had sitting somewhere in the house.  I love this. It sits on one of my mantel in the dining room.

This is the last I will show you today. But this Rabbit is the rabbit I gave my Mother when she was in the nursing home. My mother collected and made stuffed bears. She was so talented.  I knew she would love this one. It is a little Christmas Bunny. When I gave it to her I knew that she loved it because I got a happy reaction from her. It was our very last Christmas together. So you can tell that my parents really made a wonderful impression on me. In our household as in most Christmas time was the most joyous time full of art, fun, family and friends. I will never forget those memories. How lucky I am to have grown up with such a close knit family with lots of love. Nothing more you could ask for.  I have such deep gratitude for my parents.

Well I hope you enjoyed. Now I am off to do the last of my Christmas Shopping.

Happy Shopping to you all! I hope you are more prepared then I am.

Next year I swear I am going to be more organized. (I think I say this every year)

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas

On Louise Gale's blog she was talking about "It's a Wonderful Life" One of my favorite Christmas movies. It made me think of other Christmas Movies. And it made me think of "Meet Me In St Louie" If you haven't seen it you must it is great.  This is a scene when Judy Garland sings "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
Don't worry it all turns out good in the end. This scene is so sad.  And the little girls is such a good little actress. She crys so good. 

                                        Enjoy!

OK so I have a secret! I am attracted to tacky. Anything glittery, shiney, sparkly, Over the top!   This is a tacky little tree I did a couple of years ago. I really can't take a very good picture of it because it is so blingy!!!  Shines!!!! It hurts my eyes!!!Oh Tacky Taunenbaum!  

Happy Holidays!

Mother and Child

I have always been obsessed with Madonna and baby paintings.  When ever I go to a museum I tend to go to those very folky(I don't think that is a work) gold Mary paintings.

 I am not particularly religious.  But I am very spiritual. I believe in the power of love. 

But even as a child I would be so intrigued by the religious medallions. I remember  the people that lived behind us were cleaning out their house and throwing away all these  medallions and rosary beads. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to throw them away, they were so beautiful, so I dug them out of the trash and kept them in a box and would just take them out to look at them from time to time.  I lost them some how, I don't know where they ever got to but I wish I had them now.

I wanted to capture the love a mother has for her baby.

And the simple contentment of a baby.

 

Sunday Sketches and Shopping with my Sisters!

This is the sketch of the day. Lately have been trying to figure out some kind of Mother and child kind of painting.  I guess it is that time of year.  So this is one of the sketches that I did.  I love her baby. It's all kind of sweetness.

Come join us at  for the Sunday Sketches.

Also yesterday we went to the West Reading On the Avenue Open house shopping with the Sisters. What a great day we had.

Jamie and Me (See I do exist)

Heidi and Jamie (I don't know why we did not ask to have someone take the picture so we all could be in the picture.

We had lunch at West Reading Tavern, a dirty martini, shopping at Curious?? and Hello Bluebird , 2 Dirty martini's at The Wineroom were we meet a really cool bartender/artist Albert and some really funny ladies, and then dinner at Good Eatz(Oh so good)   

Heidi got one of these lovely sunflowers for me for Christmas from Curious??. Shhhh Its a surprise.

One of the owners of Curious?

The Ave at night. These pictures do not show how pretty it is

Ave at night. Ahhhhhh

Ave at night! Some more Ahhhhh so pretty.

These pictures do not do it justice. Its so pretty.

We met up with my  Nelly Bell. (Love of my life. Little girl) and went to Haute Chocolate Cafe.

Wow. So good. These cupcakes are the best!!!! I am not kidding!!They are so moiste and gooey!!!! Great way to end the day.

I just wanted to show you these candies that they make. They are gorgeous and these pictures do not even compare until you see them up close. You have to go to this shop. Yummmmmmmmm.

Look at the colors!!!!! In person they are all shiney and beautiful!

 What a great day with my Sisters and Daughter!

Just thought I would share.

Christmas Tree

I am so late tonight! I had to get my hair done. My roots were screaming!!!!! Argh!!

A girls got to do what she's got to do!

I thought I would show you my Christmas Tree this year. It turned out very nicely. I am almost decorated for the holidays.  I'll give you a tour of the house next week. When I am finished.

It is funny! I tend to decorate in red, green and white most of the time. Even when it isn't Christmas. I am just drawn to it.  RED is my favorite color and Green is right next to it.   I was never a blue person but for some reason I am becoming drawn to it. A deep blue, green like the Golden Fluid Acrylic color Turquois (Phthalo). OOOOOOO. So Pretty.  People can change you know.  Maybe I am changing my color pallet like I am changing my life. It is like a shift of thinking. Isn't that great.  You know how people say that a leopard can't change his spots. ( Or something like that).  I don't believe that! I have realized how much I have changed in these last few years.  People can change. It is only human. If you don't change I believe you get stuck and die. I don't mean like you physically die(although some people do) I mean your soul dies. You shrivel up. 

 CHANGE IS GOOD. 

It keeps us alive.

Gosh I am sorry all I wanted to do is show you my tree and I went off somewhere else.

Thanks for listening.

This angel was given to me by my sister Jamie.  My sister in law died around Christmas time.  So this is to remind us that we have an angel watching us. The face wore off so I painted my own face.  We all have angels watching us and taking care of us. I have many angels.

PEACE

This picture is very appropriate for the day I am having.

Peace on earth. Peace in my Life.

Peace be with you.

Peace and Quiet

Piece of Cake (Oops that one doesn't belong there)

That is all I want.

Life is good

Some of you from our Sunday Sketches Group might recognize this Picture.

(see below). I so enjoy that group. It gets your creative juices flowing.  This week was a off week. I really missed it. I love looking at every one's sketches.

Come and join!

I swear no more birds for awhile. I don't know why I am obsessed with birds. Always have been. Love them.

Christmas Ornament Exchange and LuLu

This is the Christmas Ornament that I made for our Exchange group. I also did a Red one but I forgot to take pictures of them before they were sent off. I was so worried that I would not make it. This one is going to the Host of the Ornament Exchange Louise Gale. I will be sending it out tomorrow.  I have only received 2 of my exchanges so when I get the third I will post them and show you what I received from the others. This was so much fun. I would suggest that you all join one next year. It is so much fun getting a little package in the mail and the anticipation waiting to see what it is.  I have them on my tree.

Also I want to show you my dog LuLu. I named her LuLu because of a cartoon character that I loved as a kid. I had the LuLu books.  I wanted to record somewhere LuLu at this moment because in 2 days she is going to get scalped. She is getting very knotted. My Dad doesn't want us to but we have to. I think she has animals growing in there.  But anyway she is so cute. She doesn't like getting her picture taken. She gives me the stink eye every time. But here she is in all her lovely fur!

This is her favorite spot. She is just the coolest colors. She is part Parti Poodle (Brown and White spotted) and English Golden Retriever (White) That is why she has white all through her.  She is just the coolest dog!

Here's LuLu giving me the stink eye.

I love her beard. They usually do a great job at saving this. (She is really giving me the stink eye here)

People and their dogs. Aye!  I just love my dog!

Partridge in a Pear Tree!

This is a painting I did when I was 18ish. Maybe younger??? Anyway a long time ago!   (And no I am not going crazy and doing the 12 days of Christmas. Oh No! Not doing it. Too much pressure!)

I did one the other day real quick thinking I was going to use it for my Christmas ornament exchange. But I changed my mind. I did something else that I like much better.

I think I like the old one better. It is a little more simpler. (Is that a word??)

Anyway I hope you all have a wonderful week. I will see you either Sunday or Monday! Just learn how to enjoy yourself. It all goes by so quickly. Stop and feel it. Feel the spirit of Chirstmas. When you decorate, do it with music playing and good feelings. Even if you are doing it yourself. Enjoy it! Don't do it just because you have to. (If you don't feel like it you don't have to either.) Remember that the way you feel or how you let someone else make you feel is all up to you.  Choose to feel good!!!

I just love you guys out there!!! XXXX OOOOO

Three Wise Men

This is a painting my mother did when we were kids. We always knew when the holidays began when this painting was placed over the mantel.

The year my mother died I painted four of these paintings. For my sisters Heidi and Jamie and my daughter Nelly and my neice Keely. My mother died in October so I started painting them soon after and by Christmas they were done. It was very cathartic almost necessary for me to do. I cried alot during the process. And I managed to keep it a secret. It was wonderful to see there faces when they opened them up. They so appreciated the jesture. There was not a dry eye in the house. It is a beautiful memory.

Let Christmas Begin!!!!

Seasons Greetings

I am so excited about Christmas. I love Christmas art. I love all the Santa's, Elf's, Angels, Christmas Trees, Snowmen, Three Wise Men, Jesus and Mary's , Shepard Boys, Stars and all the fun Holiday Art that can be made.  It is so much fun. This month I am going to try to post as much Christmas Art that I can. No pressure! Just fun stuff! This little Santa I made for everyone 2 years ago. It was fun. Actually I like gluing all those gems on the frame. I am weird like that. I like to do mundane things like that. I can get lost in it. Crazy I know. I hope you like the first holiday painting. There will be more to come! I love Christmas!!! Oh my! I am so hokey!!!! I can't help myself!!!

Happy Holiday!!!!

Sunday Sketches

I am trying to sketch before I go to bed. I think that is just a great way to wind down for the day.  I was thinking of Flora Bowley and I loved her paint clothes she had on when I took her workshop She was so cute. She had this great blue shirt and cutoff pants and brown boots. (with lots of paint on them.)So this was a little sketch I did as a Ode to Flora Bowley.  Not quite, but it is a little Flora Bowleyish. See you guys next week! Come visit!

Thanksgiving Day

I wanted to give you a glimpse of our Thanksgiving Day. Every year we go to my sister Heidi's beautiful house in the woods.  Beautiful cozy home may I add. We are very blessed. It was a little sad because my niece did not bring her girls.  I was sooo looking forward to seeing them. I just hope they are safe. And everything is alright with them. That is all that matters to me. That they are safe. So it kind of put a damper on the festivities. But we all had a beautiful dinner and I am grateful that everyone else was there. We are sooo blessed with a wonderful supportive family. 

One of our traditions is a "Thankful Tree" every year we write a little something on the leaf and hang them on the tree.

Here is Steve helping Jake and Sam put theirs up. This is what Jake put on his thankful leaf.  "I am thankful that I go to another school so that I am not with Sam anymore and he can't bug me"   Brothers. I told him that one didn't count. He had to also put a good on up. I don't think that ever happened.

Sam and Jake grazing

Larry cutting the bird every year.

Liz giving a cork screw lesson. Tracy figured it out.

Father and Son. Larry and Josh. Heidi's men.

This is the kids table. They are not so much kids anymore.

Old people table. Minus me and Heidi. I am taking pictures as usual and Heidi is behind me taking pictures. Tooo funny. Next time I am going to get someone to take pictures of Heidi and I. We do exist.

The whole gang. After dinner we pass around questions in a bag and we all have to answer them. It causes everyone to interact and communicate. Then we have riddles and jokes that the little kids read and it is so much fun!

No words necessary. Yummmmmm!!!!!

The Mess.

Dad and Fritz getting ready to watch football.

What is with men and taking pictures????? It took me about 20 shots before I could get a half decent pictures. Not one wanted to behave. Even Cooper (the dog) They were like kids! Got to love em!

I love my family!

I Hope everyone's Thanksgiving was wonderful too!

What traditions do you have. Tell me about them. I would love to hear. I love hearing what other people do with there families