Notes From Away

Hi Everyone! I have been caught up in the hustle and bustle of the impending holidays. It seems I am spending hours in the mall and coming up (mostly) empty. Nothing seems to inspire me this year and I have made a firm resolution to buy everything online next year. I hate going to the mall-it kinda sucks the life out of me. My best friend Lisa gets a kick out of my Aries "take no prisoners" style of shopping: I know what I want, I know where it is, I go straight to it, buy it and get out. The less time I spend in a mall, the better.



When I'm not wandering dazed and confused in the land of retail, I have been busy overseeing the 12 Days of Xmas exchange. It's been three days so far of opening fabulous handmade gifts from my artist friends, taking photos (with the help of Caren McNee who is in group 1. THANKS Caren!) and posting them to our blog. And seriously for me, it's really not about the gifts themselves, but the love with which they are made and the kindness and generosity of all the girls. What makes this exchange so special is the fact that this is a group made up of friends. As things are being unwrapped each day, the artist whose day it is gets to bask in the glow of our grateful hearts and each gift is something we will all treasure.



I had planned to take December off, but that hasn't happened. The Universe had other plans for me and I have been working towards several deadlines. Not complaining though-I would never complain about making art! I am also preparing for a 2 month exhibit of my work that will be up on January 2nd and upcoming workshops for the new year. My new studio is stellar-it's so nice to come in, sit down and get right to work any time I want to. This month, I have been enjoying James Taylor's Xmas album while I work. Deb recommended it to me last year and I love it. Another favourite is Bruce Cockburn's. The both have less common carols on them that I really like.



If you haven't already checked out the Artpub blog, you're missing out. There's so much good stuff happening over there. I have updated my blog in the last couple of days, so go check it out!



Okay, it's time for me to return to the mall to chip away on my Xmas list. I am going to leave a trail of buttons so I can find my way back to the studio. The only bright spot is that inevitably, there will be Starbucks and where there is Starbucks, there is CHAI!