It’s become a Christmas tradition for my extended family and talented people who work for Mustard Seed Interiors and their spouses to sing a Christmas song for you.  Last year was our first Christmas in Minnesota, away from family and anyone who worked with me, so trying to perform a song on our own seemed a little sad. Instead, I wrote a post about Christmas past and how we found joy in the leanest of times. But many of you expressed that you missed it and honestly, I missed it, too!  It was a fun way for us to fellowship together and wish all of my readers and followers a Merry Christmas! We’re once again alone for Christmas, but the Parsons’ Family Band pulled it together enough to bring you a song. It’s not polished or professional.  It’s just a couple of parents singing with their kids in their living

This week, we’re in Raleigh, NC to spend Thanksgiving with Jeff’s family.  I am definitely a homebody and I enjoy my projects and work, but it’s been a busy few weeks and it’s nice to step away from that and get a break.  So, I’m going to take the week off from posting here on the blog.   I will be on social media, some, but I’m not going to live on my phone either. What I will be doing – putting together puzzles, making Rosa’s Fruit Salad (you can find the recipe HERE), baking my No Fail Apple Pie… …and I brought along some books on portraiture and sketch supplies, so I can continue to practice for when I’m back home with my paints and easel. I’ll also be teaching a free MMS Milk Paint demo at The Mercantile in Knightdale, NC on Tuesday, November 20, at 5:00 pm.  I’ll

We only had one day in Florence and it happened to be a Monday, so all of the museums were closed.  We arranged to meet with a guide and tour the city for a couple of hours on foot, but an e-mail mishap left us on our own.  Without a plan or a guide, we just walked around the city, map in hand.  I would not advise that!  We did a lot of touring on our own in Paris, but we had a plan and a loose schedule for each day, so we weren’t wandering aimlessly. But, if you’re going to be aimless, Florence is a pretty place to be aimless in! So, we strolled and I took pictures. My mom and I were both craving good, Italian pasta for lunch, which you think would be everywhere, but most of the places on our path seemed to be touristy or