Well, this has been the Monday-est Tuesday I can remember!  I spent almost my entire morning on the phone with tech support because of a Carbonite (backup) glitch that put a 4.2 terabyte log on my hard drive, taking up over half of my enormous hard drive and choking my computer.  Anyway, I’m relieved it was a simple problem, but it’s thrown my day off schedule.  Anyway, such is life.  I wanted to share a few of the gifts I received for Christmas since some of you might enjoy them as well…   Manet & Morisot – I was so excited to receive this book on Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot.  After reading Paris in Ruins a few weeks ago, I was more interested in seeing the “conversation” the pair had in their paintings.  This book shows them side by side and covers their professional and personal relationship in more detail. 

I cannot believe we are a week away from Christmas!  When I was a kid, I felt like December would last forever.  It was torturously long.  As a middle-aged adult, it flies by.  I blinked, and over half of it is gone.  Such is life, though.  The hours are long and the years are short.  I’m looking forward to the quiet, slow days between Christmas and New Year’s, though.  I think that might be my favorite week of the year. Here are my four things for the week: Manet & Morisot, Band of Brothers, doing instead of consuming, and things that make me smile as a business owner.     what I’m reading I finished Paris in Ruins, and it was so good!  If you love history, impressionism, and a good story, do yourself a favor and read this book.  If I could wish a new period miniseries into existence, it

It’s been a cold week here in Maryland, and even as I write this, flurries are gently falling.  We’re not having any sticking snow, but it’s been nice to watch little flakes flutter out of my studio window this morning.  I wish we had more snow!  When we moved here from Minnesota, everyone commented on how happy we must be to leave those winters behind.  In truth, I mourn Minnesota winters.  I loved having snow on the ground all winter, and I miss it.  So, I’m over here rooting for at least one big snow event this winter.  That is not happening today, though, or anytime in the current forecast. What we did have today, though, was sunshine!  It was the first time the sun had come out in days.  I do so much of my work in natural light – painting and photography specifically – that it starts to

Between Thanksgiving break spent with family and trying to get my gift guides posted, I didn’t share my four things last week!  It’s that time of year when I start feeling a little crunched to post everything in a timely manner.  But I really love writing this post each week.  It gives me a catch-all place to share bits and pieces of my work and life. Here are my four things for the week: Art & Fear, Dickensian, “they call it art”, and more pet portraits.     what I’m reading Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland.  Oh my goodness, this book blew my socks off, and I plowed through it in two days, taking copious amounts of notes.  This book was first published in 1994, when I was in high school, but it still felt so relevant.  There were some clues that the book was older,

As a small business owner myself, I love supporting other small business owners.  It takes a lot of work to turn a vision into a reality and a lot of faith to take that big scary step.  While I’m not a huge fan of the post Thanksgiving gauntlet of sales (although it is admittedly  good time to start your Christmas shopping), I love that there is a day to celebrate and encourage support for small businesses, so I thought I would highlight some of my favorites.  Some are personal friends, and all of them I’ve shopped from for years. I have been collecting Linen Bee dresses and tunics for almost 10 years.  All of their clothes are custom made to my measurements, so they fit just how I like them.  Their fabrics wash well and their designs are timeless.  They are my go-to pieces for travel, church, outings, and antique markets. 

The Christmas shopping season is among us, and Black Friday (which seems to last over a month now) Sales are already happening.  As I have in the past, I’ve put together a few gift guides, mostly consisting of things I own and love that might be good for someone on your list.  While I love bargains and good deals, I’ve never been one to shop for or buy something simply because it’s on sale.  Instead, I hope the things I want are included in a sale; if not, I’ll wait for them to go on sale.  So, some of these things are included in Black Friday sales, and some aren’t. Here are my gift guides, of things I curated for cooks, makers, gardeners, Jane Austen fans, writers, readers, and a few guides that include tech accessories. things that are just fun, and some of my favorites from 2025.    

I’ve spent a lot of time at the easel this week, painting every day.  I am pushing through to get as many pet commissions done for Christmas presents before it’s too late for oils to dry in time.  I used to sit in front of old pieces of furniture, and now I sit in front of small wood panels clamped in an easel.  Both tasks are about transformation.  Both involve paint, brushes, and creative decisions.  I have grown and changed as an artist, and my business has evolved, but at the heart of it, it’s just me and paint, pictures, and words, sharing what I’m up to each day. I’ve just been thinking a lot this week about creative seasons, how things change, and how they stay the same. Here are my four things for the week: Mansfield Park, Next Gen Chef, no need to sparkle, and new papers…  

It’s hard to believe we’re in the final two months of 2025.  Didn’t it just start?  I remember someone telling me I pressed the fast-forward button on my life when I was holding a newborn Marshall in my arms, and she was right.  The years seem so fleeting and precious, and our growing, maturing boys are a great measuring stick for the passage of time.  I love this time of year, though—the cooler temperatures and build-up of anticipation to Christmas.  I’m feeling particularly childlike as this holiday season approaches.  I’m eager to start decorating and working on handmade projects, baking, and then enjoying the calm between Christmas and New Year’s.  This will be our fourth Christmas in this house, and I think I finally feel settled here.  I’m learning it takes about that long, about three years, to feel at home in a new house.  And that feels good. Here