By the time you all read this, I will be flying to see my sister's new little munchkin in Florida.  I leave at 6 am. Those of

SintN

you who know me well can laugh now.  I won't be coherent until I hit Denver at 10 am.  That said, I thought I'd leave you with a few white Christmas photos. Everything but the tree is up around here, my promise to myself kept.  I knew I'd not enjoy Christmas at all if I still had anything to do by the time I got back home on the 17th. However, if you by chance are not yet finished, there are lovely white things at The White Company that I do like this year... (especially the stripey red and white children's stockings and buckets.)

The Dutch celebrate Saint Nickolas' birthday on the 5th and 6th of December, separately from Christmas.  He's been here, as evidenced by the tiny pepernoten cookies under the shoes.  The shoes were filled with chocolate, but that's long gone.  Below is the sheet music idea I wanted to share with you.  I have a lovely star that I got

Sheetmusic

at Willow's Nest, made by Wendy Addison.  It's sitting in our bookcase in the living room where I've used piano

Whiteangel

sheet music to "wallpaper" the inside of the bookcase.  The paper has made it so bright and cheery that it will be a while before it comes down. 

The last photo is what you get when you ask the munchkins to find something white to go under the wineglass domes.

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Tree_dome1

Here come the White Christmas images, though I must admit that I've had to concede to including green this year.  It keeps sneaking in and looking right, so it will be there too. 

Cranberrybrine

The berries and rosemary are from the turkey brine I prepared for Thanksgiving. 

I have a white table set up just for display in the living room for the month of December.  The munchkins are having fun building all white miniature castles on it this week.  We will be making a large white castle as well, if I can find a way to make white gingerbread. Have you thought of using piano sheet music for decor?  I'll show you next week where I've put it up. (I love it!) 

White_castle

I have a terrible memory.  I can recall the color of the shirt my beloved was wearing on the night we first kissed; the milk drunk smile of my babies when they'd nursed; or the way my arms were crossed when I first walked through Deer Haven, unimpressed.  (It had no natural light, unthinkable for an artist!)  But I don't remember when I'm supposed to pick up my children, be at the hairdresser, or how to get to my girlfriend's house. (Yes, Patty, go ahead and laugh!)  Therefore, I make lists, and lists upon lists, including three to get me through the month of December.  The important one right now is the list of things I'm teaching my munchkins about focusing on others... so hard when there's a wish list to compile!  

Glitter_green

Do you have a list that you are working on?

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Deer_bag_walking

Here are the photos of the Cracker Jacks contest prize, fresh off the sewing machine.  Take a close look at the sparkling deer and the initial, because your bags will have both of those. 

Deer_bag_pose

I love the fact that it drapes beautifully (being linen) and has summery stripes on the inside.  I've used cheerful pink bias tape on the pocket for a bit of cheer as well.

Bag_inside

(Dh said that I would have to charge an outrageous sum if I was to sell these

Full_bag

because of the crazy amount of handiwork caused by the frame I created around the initial. He also warned that I would lose my sanity if I did a frame again, so yours will have your initial, but no frame.) 

Are you longing for summer already?  My baby sister just had a baby, so I'm heading to sunny Florida in a few weeks to love on her and the new munchkin.  I'll bring back some cheery photos, and hopefully decorate her home for Christmas as well.  I'll be rotating the photos and art on her walls just as I'll be doing on ours...toward the white theme.

I know that it seems so far away from those of us experiencing late fall, but Australia has summer right now.  That's why all the photos of sun drenched children are running about in their newly released papermache issue #2. 

It's getting very dark here very early.  I am so excited about decorating for Christmas this year. Everything is going to be white. white. white. I can hardly wait until tomorrow morning.  You'll see.  You'll want to go white too...

Allison Trentelman

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If your name is Betty, Brenda, or Jennifer...step right up, the prize is right!  You will be receiving some lovely personalized shoulder bags in the mail or otherwise.  I'll be contacting you for your mailing addresses shortly.  Next week I'll have the model photos of these bags on the blog for you to see.  I'm also going to be offering a little something for Christmas gifting on my Etsy site soon, so stay tuned.

Ralphgolden

I'm always looking at my walls, thinking "Should you be there?  If so, what color should you really be?"  My living room in the last house was a Ralph Lauren Gold.  I loved the way it shimmered when the sun played across its surface. I've been contemplating the same sheen for the dining room here.  Don't we all gravitate toward redecorating the interiors when we are locking away the cold?  Usually I push Christmas back as far as I can, thinking that I want to enjoy it in it's own time.  However, this year I have a decorating idea that I want to play with, so I'm a bit anxious for it to arrive.

I have four turkeys sitting on my back porch, marinating.  It's mighty cold out there and there's no room in my refrigerator. (Of course, if I just wait a few days, the munchkins will clean all the provisions out again and there will be plenty of room.)  I decided to get a smaller turkey and try four recipies on it in order to to figure out which one to cook for Thanksgiving this year.  One recipe is from Sunset magazine and the other three are from that delicious November Bon Appetit I warned you about. I'll let you know which one wins out. 

You are getting the photo free version of my blog tonight because my machine is down with a virus.  (Which means that I'm going to be chock full of photos next week!)  I'm posting remotely until things get sorted out. 

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One more week for you to enter the Cracker Jacks surprise contest!  The drawing will be held on next Thursday, right around midnight...

As I've been getting your surprises together, one has been on it's way to me.  It arrived this week.  Do you remember what it feels like to have a lovely something unexpectedly show up in your mailbox?  I have a new doll from Lubov Nalogina, an excellent doll maker from Moscow, shown below.

I also came across a flash back from my childhood when I went to pick up an English workbook for one of the munchkins.  Hello Kitty items were being clearanced at Learning Palace.  This character is new to me, but just as sweet as Hello Kitty herself.  Here are some more saccharine Japanese items, mostly dolls.

Sanrio

I sent off for a blank moleskin notebook from www.arthousecoop.com.  They are collecting books from various artists to tour in their "library" of sketchbooks.  I was given the theme " I keep forgetting to call you back".  I feel like it's a little bit odd, but I'm working with it. 

You simply can't go without a nibble before you leave today, so here's a tasty morsel. The photostream is from http://www.teeniecakes.com/ and she has many more yummy things on her own site as well. 

Apple_girl

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Surprise_boxes

Over the years Cracker Jacks has had many different surprises in their packages.  I used to love finding mine in the bottom of the box just as much as the munchkins do today.  I also used to love gold nugget gum, because the bag was a prize in itself. 

Goldmine

I guess, it a way that was why I always chose "Bubble Gum" ice cream at Baskin Robins.  You got to blow bubbles even after your ice cream was long gone. 

The modern prizes in Cracker Jacks today are almost all made out of paper.  However, the prizes I'm giving out in three Cracker Jacks boxes this week are not paper!  These boxes will be all prize and no corn.  I'll be randomly drawing three names from the responses I get this week. YOU could win one of the three prize boxes! Send me an email at the link on the word responses, or post a comment here to add your name to the drawing.

Maryjanes

I found these shoes over at Riley Roos the other day.  They are soooo cute.  If only I could find them in my size...

Apple_distance

Do you dream about cheese? Do you wish you knew which kind of cheese you would like to eat soon? If so, there is a special site just for you. They say that I'm hankering for Pecorino with my fall apples.

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Garzoni

I've been researching "Paris in the 1600's" for the fabric art book class.  We are going to make a mock castle to go on one of the pages in the book. I've chosen Chateau de Cheverny for it's lovely symetry. It was comissioned by Marie de Medici, the mother and wife of French kings during the early 1600's. Marie de Medici was from the Medici family in Florence, Italy. Naturally, she imported things from home to keep from being lonely, as any good woman would.  She imported Italian gardening, painters, architects, and good food. (Nothing like a little Italian home garden to keep you company.) 

Marlinspike

 I've also discovered that the Chateau de Cheverny was Herge's inspiration for Marlinspike in his Tintin series. While researching for the castles, I ran across a French structure that was just so charming.  I'm not certain when it was built, but they have an article on the repair of the turrets that is interesting.

Susan_simon

I'm awed by other women who are artists and who do arty things with their munchkins. (Where do they find the time, I wonder...) Jean writes The Artful Parent blog, and her current posting is an interview of yet another mother who makes it a point to engage her children in her art.  Jean has some lovely links to projects you can do at home as well as other mothers who create. 

Wolf_hoodiefront

I created a little something this week. The munchkins are going trick-or-treating and I was inspired by this Little Red Riding Hood/ Big Bad Wolf costume combination by Martha Stewart.  I wasn't crazy about the fabrics chosen, so I just used the pattern and made them with fur.  I do like the fact that the base of the pattern is a sweatsuit, because the hoodies are going to keep them snuggly warm! I have to say, I like mine much better, especially since it doesn't create two heads.  (The Martha version has eyes and a mouth on the hood itself, but that always looks strange to me.) 

Wolf_hoodieback

 If you don't know about Tintin, it's worth the research.  My munchkins love him...

Tintin

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Stems_up

I've woken up to fall being here with the new colors in the trees.  The reds and golds shimmering in the late sun have been tickling at the edges of my vision, cajoling me to like fall. The birds must have flown south.  Their nest was unoccupied by the little cottage.

Nest

We've found that the apple trees each have their own ripening date, one after the other.  The last two trees are ready now, crisp and sweet. They've been feeding the deer for the last week, as I didn't know that they would continue to ripen.  We thought they were crabapples.  I may not get to them even so. They do look so beautiful out my window.

Crystal_handles

I found the most ingenious box handles today. They looked like faux crystals and when you opened the box, they were attached with a screw. I immediately thought of drawer pulls. Can you envision cute little boxes with all different kinds of drawer pulls for lid handles?  What about on the sides of your boxes? 

Perfume_balcony

 Have you seen this perfume display? I thought it was just adorable, and lends itself for so many different uses. It would be lovely on a dresser, holding your special items, or in a larger version, to hold cups with silverware and napkins for a party.

Too_late

Some beautiful colors were showing in the blackberry patch, but alas, they will never sweeten in this chill. I think it's time for cocoa and candlelight.

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I've been hosting my mother this week.  Not by our choice,but delightful all the same.  She fell down a flight of stairs and fractured her ankle, so we've been working on projects with her leg elevated.  All of my current art is in a "middle" stage right now.  It looks halfway done with pieces here and there. 

Monster_tote

Here's one I haven't started yet, but feel I'm going to have to. Today one of my students asked me a question I've been wondering myself.  "Have you actually done this project we're doing right now?" Um, no. I had to admit.  I'm teaching you, and I know how to teach you, but I haven't actually done it myself.  I know that sounds strange, but as I've taught the class before and my student's paintings received rave reviews, I'd only let it nibble at the corner of my mind.  I think I'm going to have to do a copy of the painting I'm teaching...

As I'm not really crazy about any holiday that includes freaking people out, Halloween and April fools Day are pretty low on my favorites list. However, I do enjoy a good fall party and I found these delightful little cakes.

Fosl08_halloween_party

   You'll need to record the recipe right away though.  They are on the Cookie magazine site and I just got a notice that they are closing the magazine.

I've been teaching my students the good habit of daily sketching, including making a list of things for them to sketch. 

Derrel_blaine

This site caught my eye as they are trying to follow the "sketch-a-day" practice. One magazine that isn't disapearing (yet) is my Bon Appetit.  It came in the mail yesterday and after looking at those yummy photos of Thanksgiving, I know you're going to be drooling on your keyboard.

Just you wait.

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Have you ever thought about where your pockets first originated?  When you look at drawings of ancient togas covering Greeks and Romans, they don't have pockets sewn into their clothing. Once you reach the Middle ages, they appear.  However, instead of being hidden, they are worn on the outside, attached by a belt.  (Pockets to the left are from the collection at the MFA Boston.)
I made my own version of one of these, with braided ribbons for the "belt" when I was working as an art director for a summer camp, many moons ago.  I didn't have a way to close mine, however, so every time I bent over, I lost all of my trinkets, coins, and love notes from little boy campers.

I researched to find out how they kept all their treasures inside.  The patterns I found used a double flap and toggles or buttons.  I decided to use a zipper.  I drew a little scene on canvas and added glass bead-work, then stitched it up.  When I originally envisioned the pocket, it was to work with the diva doll, but they didn't end up going

Cottage_pocket

together.  It didn't take too long to make, the longest time for the artwork was sewing on all the individual beads

for the fruit and flowers.  The most time consuming part of assembly was inserting the zipper by hand, since I couldn't figure out how to do it by machine.

I've loved elephants forever.  At least, since my Gram brought me a little one from India when I was ten.  When she passed away, I asked for the mother elephant that she had kept.  Since moving to Deer Haven, another animal has grown on me.  I'm sure you can guess which one.  I started peeking around Etsy for little deer things and came away with this lovely site called Trafalgar's Square.  It looks like the artist has a new blog as well at onelittlehollow.blogspot.com 

We took the munchkins away for a one night summer vacation this week to Great Wolf Lodge. I know that sounds short (and a bit late), but that's all a kid really needs when they've been allowed to run free for a month out here.  We went on a Sunday night/Monday when everyone else was away at school, so we just had itty bitty people around and no lines on the inter-tube rides. They LOVED it.  There was literally no wait for the pools they wanted to swim in, and it was only an hour's drive away. A pool and no airfare.  That's a bit rare here in the chilly Pacific Northwest...

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