Hey! How are you? Me? I’m well, thanks. It’s been a few days. Why has it been a few days? Hm. Well, I have a mild Facebook addiction (You don’t? Then you haven’t joined yet. You can thank me later.), I’ve even made a page, where you can become my fan.

Now, lest you think I spend every waking hour updating my status on Facebook, I have to show you that I have, indeed, been working! I’ve finished up a site design for Houston Photographer Patrick Bertolino. The design itself is simple, it’s the gallery that makes it what it is – and it’s his own Photography that makes the site delicious. You have to see his work! Go! I’ll wait.

I’ve also started another drawing, and have been doodling a bit on a custom dog illustration to be used on a previous client site. Very interesting things going on over here!

Last Friday, a very large package landed on my doorstep. Four new backdrops for my pursuit of studio photography! I will be revamping my studio to better accommodate portrait and still life sessions. I’m really excited about that, and will update you (and my site) when portrait packages and studio sessions are available.

I’m expecting another shipment in the next day or two – of course that would be the Christmas Postcards that I designed, and I’m so excited to send! If you received a card from me last year, you’re still on my list. If you’re a regular here, I am going to ask you to click on my “contact” form and don’t be shy about sending your address! I’d love to share my card with you this year!

I’ve also heavily discounted my “Eye Ate It” Series as well as Kiki, my beautiful Calico Cat painting in my Etsy Store, so there’s still time to give something sweet to someone you love for Christmas!

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Those of you participating in my Handmade Gift Exchange, you received your partners last week. Just want to remind you that your Handmade gifts should be in the mail by the end of this week (the 14th), beginning of next at the very latest to be sure they reach their destination in time for Christmas. I’m really excited to see how it goes, and would love to see photos of your gifties, too! If you haven’t received your partner, then something has gone amuck. Please let me know if anything is amuck, as I have a brand new box of Hello Kitty band-aids, and I’ll fix it right up.

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On the home front, we’ve all had the flu here, and I’m glad to see it depart our household. It’s a nasty bugger! I hope that none of you are down with this!

The girls have piano recitals tonight so I’m really looking forward to that – they’ve got brand new dresses, of course, because you can’t wear the same dress twice. I’m raising my girls up right, you know! I’ll get video of them and post it to my Facebook. Catybug will be playing a tune herself, as well as accompanying another wonderful young pianist with vocals.

It’s going to be a good day, as long as this rain doesn’t turn to ice!

Update: I’ll be making my annual dough ornaments this afternoon. I gave the recipe a couple of years ago but here it is again, for those of you who are :cough: bored today and want something creative and fun to do!

DOUGH ORNAMENTS
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water

Knead, add more flour to make it really doughy if needed, sprinkle water to make it more pliable as needed. Roll on very lightly floured surface, cut shapes using regular cookie cutters of your choice, bake at 250 for 2 hours.

Handy & Creative Tips:
– Roll them out on the backside of a non-stick cookie sheet so they don’t need to be transferred to the sheet.
– Fill in any cracks with water, smooth with your finger.
– Use a straw to punch out holes for ribbon before you bake them.
– Once completely cooled, paint them using metallic craft paint, or use a shimmery iridescent glaze over a solid color.
– Glue foil to the back to reflect the lights on the tree
– Use glitter sparingly to make them shiny
– String with ribbon and hang them on the tree!