Hello 2009!

We've been waiting up for you and we are so glad you are here! Happy New Year!!!

How did you ring in the new year?

Wednesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for an evening out with friends at the beach in front of a bonfire! Great way to welcome in the new year (way before midnight!)

Goodbye 2008!

I'll miss you, you were good to me.

The after Christmas train wreck.

Beatrice was so excited about her Christmas gifts that she decided to wear them all at once. I think I was Beatrice when I was little, except without the cool IPod, because back then it was hard to carry around your record player!

Have you ever been Beatrice?

Thoughts to ponder...
Wisdom is achieved slowly and is the active expression of knowledge in your everyday life. Loving service is the highest wisdom. -Brian L. Weiss, MD

Tuesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a great book to escape with.

Go out and live life!

If you feel bored, do something!

For there is always something to do,

see or explore in this world.

Keep in mind that boredom

can cause depression,

so get out there and live!

–Sylvia Browne

Whistle while you work...

A work day for me, a not so fun day for my son who is home from school. Poor guy. He is so patient and sweet. Here is part of what I was working on today, they are for a website I am re-designing...

Monday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for dinner and a movie with friends.

What's on your nightstand?

I love to read. My time to read though is sporadic at best so I try to squeeze in as many books as possible. This means however, that I have several that I am reading at one time. Not a good contribution to the equation! So this Christmas, I made myself read a book from cover to cover without picking up another book in the mean time. I am on to another one and even have one in the wings. This is how I am supposed to read a book. All my attention channeled into it, no other diversions to, well, distract me.
This I am reading now...

Just finished this...


How do you read your books and what is on your book list?

The home stretch.

This illo was done using my Walcom tablet, which I have a love, hate relationship with. I am determined to conquer the dislike though so I will be using it much more often. This is a study for a painting I am beginning and although it's not the direction I will take my paint brush, I grew to like my Walcom tablet just a bit more during this process.

Well, now that the holiday is over we find ourselves in the stretch. It's the stretch between Christmas and New Years, between an ending and a beginning, the death of a long, drawn out year and the birth of a new one, the stretch between promises forgotten and the blossoming of fresh, new ones. My mind goes wild with possibilities of what's to come. Every new year that comes along, I wait for it's sweet whisper of hope and glistening, sparkly ideas. I've been trying to quiet my world so I can hear them.

Can you hear them?

Friday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a nice long day of rest.

Saturday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a nice long hike that rewards us with a spectacular view of San Diego.

Sunday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a message I needed to hear.

Merry Christmas to YOU!

Thursday's Gratitude:
Even though it's not quite here yet, I am so grateful it's Christmas! I'll have a house full of friends and family and that makes my heart warm with gratitude.

Geez Louise! Have some self control girl!

OK, this morning when I went for my hour long power walk and listened to my positive living podcasts on my IPod, I stepped in dog doo along the way! WHAT THE!?! I am on the sidewalk for Pete's sake, not walking across lawns! But I didn't let that get me down. Nor did I let spilling my gratuitous hot cup of coffee all over my gloves bring my spirits one degree lower. Nope. It's a fresh new day and I'm feeling gloriously happy. LIfe is good and the rising sun is amazingly beautiful. I am in the happy place. That is UNTIL I arrived home and my lovely neighbor with her new baby popped over with a box of truffles. So very nice of them and the baby is gorgeous. But candy. In my house. While trying deliriously hard not to give into the call of the holiday treats. The call is loud I tell you. Screamingly loud! So here I am with a box of truffles in my hand. The good kind too. Well, I thought to myself, I should open them and sample one. I know I haven't had breakfast yet and I realize it is 7:30 in the morning but I'll have just one. Just one. So, I did. Then another. Another found it's way into my pie hole. Wait a minute. Stop. Somebody stop her!!! Really. Have some self control girl!!!!!
Why is it when you are trying so hard to not think about something, put it out of your mind and concentrate on other things, that the one thing you are trying to NOT think about happens to be the ONLY thing you can think about?

Wednesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful today is Christmas Eve.

Illustration Friday_Voices

All around us are the "voices" of the season!

Ah Ha!

This is the real reason why Nutcrackers have the scared deer in the headlights look about them!

Tuesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for visits from friends!

Six Random and Deliriously Boring Bits about Moi.

The lovely Edrian over at edrianthomidis honored me with this little award. These little awards can be such a gift of sunlight in one's day because it represents the fact that someone was thinking about you and takes the time to pop over from time to time. She is one of those delightful visitors and I appreciate her kind words and beautiful illustration style. Click on over to her blog to see what I mean! Pure radiance!

Anyway, I am supposed to list six random things about myself, link back to her blog and nominate six others. Here goes...

1. My friend Miss Nancy turned me onto the secret of the World's Best Smelling Laundry. Now applying this new recipe, I look for things to wash around my house because now, my laundry smells so divine. I look forward to washing clothes! (Let me know if you want the recipe!)

2. I can't believe I get paid to create art. I would do it for free because it feeds my soul. I pinch myself daily because I am so incredibly blessed.

3. I am a really, really good chess player. I don't know why because I so rarely play, but I always, always win. (And I don't always just play against the seven year old crowd!)

4. I talk to myself. I know a lot of people do, but I answer back.

5. I can't stand having people touch my feet. I refuse to under go the torture of getting a pedicure. But I do like the look of a well manicured foot!

6. As much as I hate the memories of my family's home with lots of piles taking up flat real estate, I must confess that I am guilty of piling. I can't help myself. Hopefully this only ONE bad habit I collected along the way.

There you have it. Now that your life is so much fuller knowing this bit o' honey about me, please make a list of your own because I TAG YOU! AND YOU! AND YOU!

Santa's Little Helper.

This is Santa's elf. She writes letters to children who first write letters to Santa. She is very helpful and courteous and really likes jelly beans, especially the popcorn flavored ones! She is the one who sent my son his letter. I love her.

Monday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for this holiday season.

Santa really is REAL!

It seemed like the very next day, after I made my post about my son mailing his Santa letter and me being lame by not having a plan for a return letter, a magical letter appeared in our mailbox addressed to my boy. Right from Santa's Workshop!! So whoever sent this delightful surprise, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. My son was so happy, he took my print of one of my paintings out of a frame and framed his letter from Santa. Top notch billing this letter received!! He was beaming for days! Thank you, thank you, thank you magical elf!

Tough nut to crack!

I have a thing for Nutcrackers. Not really a collector of anything except random sayings and creative ideas, my boy and I decided to start a little "collection" of Nutcrackers for Christmas several years ago. Every year we proudly display our grouping on our bookshelves. My new agent told me that he customized a Nutcracker this year after going to Disneyland and touring the Haunted Mansion. What a brilliant idea! I think I may have to borrow that idea and if I get around to it, I'll post how he looks. Maybe we'll have to do that tomorrow during my boy's Christmas vacation! Fun! Now what to do for the other 13 days my boy is off...

Yes, I have another cold. What is up with that? I just recently got over bronchitis and now I am bogged down with a cold. I know, I know, I have been sneaking a few holiday treats here and there, not getting adequate sleep and running myself ragged with stress but man I am so bummed my immune system is working so low. I cannot wait for the New Year for my new start. I've got to start now, so a few days ago I made my decision to cut out the holiday treats, get my sleep and hand over the stress... let go. After going for about a year without getting sick, I realized I have to be very good about my schedule. Back at it. No more illnesses for me.

How do you handle the holidays and keep from getting sick?

Sunday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a nice long walk to clear my head, even though I'd rather be curled up under the covers. Fresh air always does the body good!

Holy Moly, what the????

Today, my little family of three went up to the OC to view the grand show "The Glory of Christmas" at the Crystal Cathedral. It has been around since 1981 and even though I grew up in OC and even attended the same school as Gretchen Schuller (the pastor of the Crystal Cathedral's daughter) I have never seen the Christmas production. So, this Christmas, we made the trek up there for little ol' me because that is what I wanted for Christmas. Yes. A nice night out with my boys, getting all dolled up and seeing a really great show to get us all in the festive mood.
The show was really fantastic. Some Broadway performers are part of this cast and they have live animals that walk up the aisles and angels that really fly! Truly beautiful. The best part was, we were about 3 seats away from the camels and we could smell their musty, barn smell, hear their heavy breathing and sighing and even see the glistening eyelashes! It was stunning to be so close to large animals that aren't behind cages or bars or railings. We even saw the little "presents" left behind that were quickly scooped up as the show continued on. Loved, loved, loved it. And now we are really in the Christmas spirit!

How did you celebrate the holiday spirit today?

Saturday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful to live in Southern California were the "cold" winters are hovering around 50º!

Behind every good man...

stands an even better woman. Cookies and all!

Friday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful to have my paintings back, in my nest.

Santa is real.

Can you mail a letter to Santa by addressing it to Santa Clause, North Pole? I hope so because that is what my son did today. And I let him. Not even thinking about what is going to happen to that letter and how it will be when Santa doesn't write back. Is Santa supposed to write back? We usually drop off his letters at a designated place on Coronado and some really nice high school student ... "elf" ... will send him a letter back. Now I am not sure that is how it is supposed to happen. Santa really doesn't have time to send a letter back to every single kid, right? Now I believe I have set my kid up for disappointment by doing the letter thing all these years. Oi vay!

Santa is on my mind so I made a little pattern with a cute Santa. This would make a nice wrapping paper. Hmmmmm.

Thursday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful to be home with my sick child today and get some work done AND some snuggle time in!!

Figs, Berries and Christmas Pudge.

Oh, the holidays, they torment me so with the glistening sparkle of sugar dusted goodies and whipped up frothy, hot drinks. The figs and berries are out the window, inviting in the Christmas pudge. Let's see if we can keep it away, send it off to someone else's house!

Meanwhile, visions of patterns have been dancing in my head.

Wednesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for the cold and rainy winter storm we had today although I was out in the heart of it, driving around San Diego county.

Facebook Smacebook.

Are you a Facebooker? I am not. Ok, I am but very unwillingly. I followed someone's advice and joined, not knowing that when you connect to people, you can connect to them daily. I can barely answer all my emails let alone keep track of another account. But, the silver lining is, someone from my past found me and we passed messages back and forth a few times until I called her tonight. It was like the 5 years that we had been out of touch disappeared. There was no awkward silences or filling in the empty spaces with meaningless words. That was very nice. So, Facebook, I apologize. You rock!

And Beefie... it's good to have you back!

Santa Clause is comin' to town.

Tonight, there was a break in our thunderous winter storm of crazy wind and rain, so after dinner we drove around looking at Christmas lights while eating Peppermint ice cream from Baskin Robbins. (They only have this flavor for the holidays and it is out of this world good. I've been eating it at Christmas time for about 20 years!) This is what I love about the holidays, not only eating foods that aren't normally on the menu but getting out and connecting with strangers over twinkling lights.

Did you have any Christmas treats today?

Tuesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for health.

Ho, ho, holidays.

I was out of town yesterday, visiting my best friend in Upland. I talk to her just about every single day but I don't get to see her very often so yesterday was very special. We went to the Mission Inn in Riverside to see all the beautiful Christmas decorations and lights. It is a very famous hotel where presidents have stayed along with movie stars. We took a tour, a guided tour, around the entire grounds. Normally I don't do well with tours, too antsy I suppose, but I have to say it was very interesting. Felt well beyond my years however!

Then my friend and I ate an italian restaurant that is quite famous in Clairemont. I have not dined on such exquisite food in quite a while. It was a glutenous, heavenly delight. Boy, was I sure paying for it today, but it was well worth it. I suppose that is the true meaning of feasting around the holidays, when you feel so full you just cannot take another bite but yet there is still food in front of you so you do. Keep on eating. Agghhh. Must. Get. Back. To. My. Old. Ways. Immediately.


Sunday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful to spend an entire day with my best friend.
Monday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful to get some billing done. I usually put it off and put it off, but not today.

Welcome to the Sugar Shack.

Gingerbread houses are one of the cutest things about the holiday season. They are so fun to look at, but not so fun to eat. We didn't make a gingerbread house at our house this year, our house is small and having a sticky gooey sugary blob hanging around, taking up space, is a little too much for me to work around right now. So, here is my gingerbread house contribution to the season. Not that sugary and not at all sticky. Just cute and festive.

However, if I were to make one this year, I would construct this one...


What do you like about the holiday season?

Friday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a fun and festive Christmas party to go to this evening.
Saturday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a really nice breakfast out this morning after a fun yet chilly football game.

Life just keeps getting better and better...

How come there are so many kind people that keep showing up at my doorstep? I know I have asked for them and I have put out a silent request, but it still amazes me how the thought process can bring about an action. If we extend our positive intent, will the universe keep allowing that intention to show up? I think so. For example, I had a very positive experience in that area...
Without going into too much detail, I wrote down a few things I intended to accomplish, with dates of when I expected them to happen. This was back in February. I misplaced the book with these goals and simply forgot about them until I discovered the book again in October. I re-read what I had written and wouldn't you know that everything I had written that I intended to happen, by certain dates that had already passed, DID actually come to fruition!?! I didn't even realize this was happening, it was all being produced through my subconscious. If we manifest something good for our lives, place it outside of ourselves without any disbelief or doubt attached to it, that very good thing WILL happen. How can it not? If it truly comes from our core, how can it not happen? I am amazed, elated and filled with a stronger sense of intention.

What would you like to see happen in your life and what do you plan to do about it? Intend for it to happen my friend. Just try it.

Thursday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for the opportunity to watch the full moon from the hammock in our back yard with my son tonight.

I see patterns...

I really liked my illustration from yesterday, so I thought I'd try to make some product ideas for licensing. I have a licensing meeting tomorrow and maybe, just  maybe, they will like this as much as I do!

Wednesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for the opportunity to go into my son's classroom tomorrow to teach an art project. Woo-hoo!

Fa La La La La...

Sleigh bells ring, can you hear them? The weather outside is frightful, the fire inside, delightful... jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way... Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la! I just love the Christmas season! Don't you?

Tuesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for family. Even when they don't cooperate!

Still waiting for her arrival...

This morning, after dropping off the child at school and exercising and completing an errand, I walked into the kitchen, after arriving home, to find a sink full of dishes. Considering I didn't even enter the kitchen yesterday and the day before the kitchen was spotless, it is safe to assume SOMEONE around here is waiting for the dish fairy. Well, she didn't show, so I jumped right in and got started on the rather large pile. I don't mind so much, as cleaning the kitchen is a much more favorable chore than, say, scrubbing toilets or floors. But while I rinsed and washed these dishes, I find myself wondering when that darn dish fairy is going to arrive. You know, the one that who ever left these dishes in the first place happened to be waiting for as well! I am waiting. And waiting. Oh wait. I think she is ME! Sigh...

Sunday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a productive meeting in the evening.

Monday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for a really yummy mexican lunch with leftovers for dinner!

Illustration Friday_Similar

A mom and her daughter, a big sister and little sister, two friends... there is nothing quite like it when your feelings are similar at the exact same moment.

Holiday Lights in December Nights.

Look who's in town!


I went down to Balboa Park tonight, it's one of my favorite places in San Diego. There was a holiday event there tonight and last night called December Nights. It used to be called Christmas on the Prado but since so many people are trying to take the Christ out of Christmas, the name has been changed to a more neutral and copacetic title such as December Nights. I don't mind the change that much, as it is still the same event, but I really do prefer the name Christmas on the Prado.
All the museums were open until 10 pm at night and even better yet, they were all FREE! It was awesome! We saw a really great show at the Photographic museum of photos and written word by school age children in San Diego. The results were astounding! What a great evening, art, music, food, Balboa Park...

How did you recognize the holiday season tonight?



This illustration is of a forest I created today for some packaging. I can't reveal who this is for but here are some tasty elements. Very fun project to work on...

Saturday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for the full day of work today with a satisfying ending!

All work and no play.

Luckily I have a ton of work at the moment. I have done graphics for various Halloween costume companies for over ten years and this time of year is super busy as we are trying to get the catalogs out the door for printing for the upcoming trade shows early next year. Yes, we are working one year ahead! I am chin deep in design work and not seeing much time for my daily illo so I thought I'd share a layout I did for a catalog concept. It was one of my favorites although it didn't get picked for the final. I had to take out the logo and the name but it's the illustration that matters. This was a really fun illustration to do!

When I went out walking yesterday with my sister, I saw something that made me so very sad. I wonder if anyone else has experienced this... We were walking through a very nice area called Banker's Hill in San Diego and there was a nanny pushing a stroller on the sidewalk. She stopped so the baby could grab some leaves on a bush, which was very sweet. But as I watched closer, the nanny had a very bored look on her face, was not interacting with the child at all and her mind seemed to be very far away from that moment. I know there is not one person who can be completely present every single moment of every single day but I was so saddened that this baby's mother would be heart broken if she knew her baby was in the hands of someone so bored and removed. That mother is trusting another adult to care for her child, maybe be some sort of temporary replacement while she is away. That means being more than just a caretaker. This could have been just one moment in time for this nanny but I walked away feeling very, very glad I have been fortunate enough to be around most of the time while my child is growing up. Even during the hard baby years, I am glad I didn't miss much. Very glad.

Friday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful to be almost finished with my Christmas shopping!

December Nights.

The reason for the season.

Wednesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for some great news I've been waiting for!

Thursday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful for my best friend to bounce ideas off of, to get advice from and to comfort when needed. Life just wouldn't be the same without best friends.

Illustration Friday_Balloon

Oh, the wonders of a stray balloon...

Even more Christmas birds.

I've been creating several Christmas birds as of late. They've been on my mind. Not sure why as I am not really a big fan of birds. They are rather freaky, but illustrated birds are quite another thing. Fat ones, skinny ones, short ones, you get the picture.

With the end of a year, comes new resolutions. A fresh start, a new beginning. Every one gets another chance to do it right, whatever "it" may be. Somehow, soon into the new year, those hopes and promises begin to fade and shortly there after they are forgotten. I always have so many new things to try to do that my resolution list is a mile long. Many get dropped along the way like a cast off toy that holds no more interest. This year was different. For me anyway, and my resolution making. I only had three short action items and kept them front and center. One pertained to my health, one fueled my creativity and the other ignited my spiritual side. Surprisingly, simplifying the list helped me stay focused and accomplish my three items. I've never done that before. Actually kept my New Year's resolutions all the way until the end of a year. It feels great. More than great. I'd have to say it feels powerful. And I'm going to do it again. Care to join me?

Tuesday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful to know a team of doctors that not only see the medical side of people, but the metaphysical side as well. They are a find!

First Day of December.

Hello December. We've been expecting you and are so glad you're here. This month brings festive parties, a giving spirit, friendly gatherings, endings and new beginnings and I'm so happy to be right in the midst of it! Are you?

Monday's Gratitude:
I am so grateful to be back to my regularly scheduled walking habits.