I am finally starting to catch up with my “to-do” list. Here are some things I’ve crossed off my list, and I still have to get visuals to go along with everything for you.

• Finish up a blog design, MommyHelp.com. That one was an EW project that launched last week, it turned out really neat, new moms will love the tips and information on Breastfeeding and parenting. There’s a forum there, too – lots of nice supportive women there. Check it out!
• Another EW blog design project that I just launched this week is The End User. This is my first fluid blog design for EW, and it’s that black & white one I talked about. It wound up being a really neat layout and project – even though I had to hold myself back from changing just one little hex code to bright red or something. The urge was there, and it persisted – but alas. It’s black, white, and shades of grey, and I shouldn’t even be showing you yet because I still have some tweaking to do. Go on and have a look anyway.
• Live.Love.Read. It just so happy over there. My eyeballs really enjoy it, it’s like therapy. Go. Get happy. I’ll wait.
• One of my blogging buddies enjoyed one of my Ten Little Fishies so much, she wanted a print of it. I’ve got one sitting beside me that I’ll be matting and sending out for her by Monday.
• Sketching Titto for his next portrait – he’s such a ham. His second portrait will be much more colorful as he’s preening and really has a gorgeous spread of tailfeathers. I’ll get his sketch up here later today.
• Two Mother-Daughter banquets. Two nights in a row this week, I’m telling you – it’s been a smidge busy over here this week.
• Balancing the checkbook. Next on my list. Ugh.

I still have some things to add to my list, too! I need to respond to some inquiries and add a photoblog design project, and I also need to find an hour to tell you about the wonderful experience I just had sending off my Great Blue Heron painting to his new home. The whole experience and sequence of events – beginning with meeting Laura – will leave you just as astonished as it did me. Divine intervention indeed.

I also need to tell you about my neighbor. This lovely woman we’ve lived next to for 11 years is not doing so well. I’ve been assisting her whenever she calls for help, and last weekend I waited with her as the ambulance came to take her to the hospice where she is now staying. She’s had trouble breathing for a couple of years, and initially when she was diagnosed they gave her 6 months. She’s well beyond that, but now she’s suffering and the pain she feels just from the effort it takes her to inhale and exhale breaks my heart. I’m going to cut some irises from her garden and take them to her today, and I’ll probably be saying goodbye. It’s very sad, but I’m glad that they are keeping her as comfortable as possible, she shouldn’t have to suffer through her final days. If you’d keep her in your thoughts and prayers, I know she would feel comforted knowing everyone wishes her peace. It seems odd, and I may even sound glib writing about her, but she’s honestly ready to pass on, she has been. She is tired of having to experience the pain of her body failing her before the Lord is ready to take her.

Mother’s Day, aaah Mother’s Day. What do you mom’s want for Mother’s Day? Me, I shared my secret with a friend, and I’m not going to spoil it here but wait patiently to see if my family knows me as well as they think they do.

  

  

  

  

  

I had the most fun opportunity to illustrate a children’s book for a college student – without giving everything away, I’m sure my illustrations are a big hint to the storyline!

I started doodling late one night, refined my doodles into line drawings, then colored them in using colored pencil on a really smooth illustration paper – scanned them in and further enhanced them for print using Paint Shop Pro. I’m so tickled with the results, I just had to share.

Which little fishy is your favorite?

This morning, Catybug was having issues. Hair issues. In trying to save time in the shower, she opted out of conditioning her hair today, and paid dearly in front of the mirror with the hairbrush and comb. Nothing was going to get those knots out, and she was not a happy girl. She’s determined, and would have ripped every strand in her little head right out if it meant she’d never have another knot, so I had to intercede with a post-shower leave-in conditioner application.

Girls. And their hair.

So, when I started making lunches, I doodle the most prominent thing that comes to mind when I think about each of them. Today, it was knots. I started drawing the knot, and had no idea what was going to come next, but for some reason “Snot Nose” came to mind, and I ran with it, creating “Knot Nose”.

There you have it, the story behind the doodle.

(She rolled her eyes at me, and huffed a little. Then she thought it was a little funny, and then I was in the clear. Phew.)

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
(wrapped up in a PB&J)
7 Swans a-swimming,
6 Geese a-laying,
5 Golden Rings,
4 Calling Birds,
3 French Hens,
2 Turtle Doves,
and
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

If this keeps up, I’ll start putting pressure on myself to make them little masterpieces instead of quick whimsical doodles. You can see it happening already, now that I’ve broken out the colored sharpies. Full color sandwich bag art? Ugh – whatever happened to spending 10 minutes braiding hair in the morning? Now I spend it coloring on ziplocs, and whip up a ten-second ponytail.

As long as the song is stuck in your head, I’m good.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
(wrapped up in a PB&J)
6 Geese a-laying –
5 Golden Rings,
4 Calling Birds,
3 French Hens,
2 Turtle Doves,
and
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

I’m not sure what’s going to happen after tomorrow, unless I make sandwiches for the kids over Christmas break and bag ’em up. I just might – unless I feel the challenge of getting everything on one little ziploc is overwhelming. We’ll see how that goes!

Two Turtle Doves and
a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

Again, with the nudging, please go vote for your favorite pretty Christmas tree.

Also, please go pick a pretty Christmas tree to vote for. I’m not sayin’ you gotta vote for mine, but mine’s in there. Just pick the one you like.

I’m still here, finishing up a project so that I can get out into the studio and stay there for the next month. I had considered having a special, which would have just been a specific size (small) at a specific price, but looking at my current painting schedule and the time left before Christmas, I’d really be pushing it to add more than just a couple more paintings or portraits before the holidays. It would be great to paint a dog or two since I have two more cat paintings sketched and waiting, so they’re 3 to 1 now. I’m adding a new subject to my gallery this year, too. I’ll get those sketches up here for you to see soon! I’m anxious to clear my design queue and reconnect with my brushes and oils.

For those of you who are thinking about commissioning me to paint a custom portrait (of anything) by Christmas – drop me an e-mail and I’ll get you scheduled before I am completely booked. I’ll offer an 8×8 canvas panel at a discounted price just for those last couple of openings.

First come, first serve – and I’ll paint right up until the 18th of December to get everything done, dry and shipped in time.

Boy – this year is almost over. I just can’t believe how fast it has gone!