good Christmas

- the kids let us sleep in until 8:10 am.

- they were ecstatic about their presents!

- I got some good stuff too! They were all thoughtful about my gifts this year. Nathaniel got me this which I've wanted forever. One gift is still coming and the other involves being in Hershey and pampering and chocolate.

- We took Elle on a long walk (everyone but Nathaniel since he's been holed up in his "workshop" putting together all his new Lego creations.)

- Elle got a new bone (like the one she chewed up a year ago) and is over the moon about it.

- we've been playing this and this all afternoon! (Cincy Caroline- you'd be proud of how I bust a move to Salt n' Pepa!!! ;)

- we were blessed by so many wonderful Christmas cards this year... so many beautiful family photos, letters and creative cards. I love it.

- I made a triple layer chocolate mousse cake and am cooking the same "Ultimate Beef Tenderloin" I did last year for our Christmas dinner... and I never stressed about it one bit, even after I forgot to buy enough heavy whipping cream (half n' half doesn't work).

-We might be getting this tomorrow so our travel plans may change (that's the not so good part).

Hope you're having a good day today! I guess it's time to go change out of my pajamas!! ;-D

my christmas

This is a little look back at my own christmases...

When I was two! I still have that doll cradle and repainted it and made pillows for Caroline when she was little!:

My mom made our felt stockings hanging there behind us... our names were hidden in the Christmas tree on one side!

Sometime in Elementary School, my sisters and I decorating our tree...

At the cousin's table at Grandma and Grandpa's house! I have so many good memories growing up with all my family around at every holiday! (This is also the Christmas I found out who brought the presents at Christmas Eve after Santa brought my sister the present I asked for and I got her present! oops!):

I also had to include this one. It looks so familiar! My Mom took me and my sister Jane for a walk in the woods. We're collecting pinecones. I learned from an early age to appreciate the nature around me...

Today I'm just baking (triple layer chocolate mousse cake!) and getting ready for Christmas Eve Mass and our family Christmas tomorrow. We're also watching out for Santa's sleigh! ;)

Merry Christmas...

to you and your family!!! We hope this new year brings all good things to you!

Be safe if you're traveling. I'm looking forward to sharing more great things in 2011!

xo Bethany

she is ours!!!

I just got the call from Becky who runs the PAWS Animal Adoption here and we can bring our kitty home to stay! We are going to wait until after the holidays because of certain logistics that were already planned and to make her transition easier. The kids are going to be so excited when they get home today! They were talking about her and names on the way to school this morning. I also found out that we can volunteer for PAWS because the kids were thinking last evening that they would love to do that, so I'm excited to tell them about that too. I guess I owe a big thank-you to my wonderful veterinary Neffsville Vet Clinic because they gave PAWS their whole-hearted support of our adoption! They love Elle there!

Well, this news made my morning because I was just sitting down to write about what Elle and I saw on our walk. I was mourning the loss of my favorite trees (see in photo above) which were all cut down and mulched yesterday to make way for a new school drive for the busses. I know we need the school but I don't think people appreciate how long it takes trees to grow to that height and the beauty. Thank goodness I got a photo... I just adore evergreen trees. I think it's my German blood... I hear they are everywhere in Germany. Our house is actually built on an old Christmas tree lot. I always think about how lucky I am to have places to walk that aren't all manicured but natural and really very beautiful. I hope all of it doesn't get cut down for the sake of the new school. I think I belong in a place like Vermont or New Hampshire... somewhere where there's lots of woods and people appreciate their beauty.

I'm off to do some errands today... I finished all my Christmas wrapping last evening! Christmas Eve is only another day away! We'll be listening for the sleigh bells!...

new baby for Christmas?

Today when I went for dog food, as usual, I looked at the cats for adoption. I always look but for years I either haven't seen one or it hasn't been the right time. Well, today I saw a female calico and she was only one year old and "good with dogs". I took the kids back this evening to see her when the adoption volunteer was there. She was nice but this white cat immediately warmed up to Caroline and made a place on her lap and didn't want to leave! She's so soft and very sweet. She's around 4 years old and is already declawed. Of course if I could, I would get them both, but we decided this one chose us. I put in the application so we'll see. If she does come home to live with us, it will probably be after Christmas. We've been looking at names... she is the kids' Christmas gift so they get to choose. I also realized that I drew her here! Maybe it's meant to be? I'll let you know what happens! ;)

Book of the Year

I've never chosen my "Book of the Year" but this year, it would have to be Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. I finally finished it last evening and it was such an exciting literary journey through the true stories of ultrarunners and the Tarahumara people of Mexico. It breaks open the whole idea of expensive running shoes being better, let alone necessary at all, and explores the history of man's ability to run... we are made to run, especially long distances. My favorite line in the book is "You don't stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running." If you ever used the excuse not to run because you're not a kid anymore, this blows that out of the water! And everyone knows a runner who has suffered injuries to their knees, Achilles tendon or feet... well, most injuries are caused by our cushioning of shoes and arches and improper strides. Think about how you ran barefoot as a child... that's probably closer to proper form than you might have been taught in high school track. For years there were legends told about people who could run imaginable distances, who could run down deer, and for who running knew no age or gender. Christopher McDougall was able to find these legends and participate in one of the greatest ultramarathons down in the Copper Canyons of Mexico... a dangerous, but beautiful place... with some of the great ultrarunners from the United States... risking their lives for the sake of living this legend. I can't imagine anyone not liking this book and I dare anyone to read it and not want to run afterwards! Thanks to my good friend Becky posting that it was her husband's favorite book, it's become Craig's, and now mine... hopefully my kids will read it too. It's really that good! You might want to pick it up this winter and then plan on getting out there this spring to run!

caroling, caroling through the snow...

Saturday evening we went to a caroling party at our friends' house in their neighborhood. With temperatures at a balmy 30º, about 25 of us (plus a Golden and a Bassett wearing jingle bells) made our way door-to-door, spreading holiday cheer for all to hear... at least those who were actually home. Now we know we're not "Sing Off" worthy (my new favorite show) but we only got several applause and some holiday wishes in return. Some drapes were pulled, lights turned off and the best of the evening: someone sent their dogs out to bark at us!! We were laughing our heads off. Maybe they thought we were going to ask for a donation? Maybe the neighborhood is predominantly Jewish? (Yes... we saw you lady upstairs, peering through your blinds!!!). I guess caroling is not embraced as an act of good cheer by all anymore. (Remember this movie?!! They might have turned people against carolers for good!) In fact, I seem to recall last year that there was a story in the newspaper about cops being called for noise during the same weekend that our caroling party was cancelled due to snow. I had slight trepidation about going out this year but no one seemed to call CV's finest. (phew!) The rest of the evening was spent reviving feeling to our fingertips and toes and eating way too many Christmas goodies! We followed that up with a Christmas Brunch after Mass this morning and Virginia, yes, the holidays are officially ushered in here. I needed a nap today!

terrain

Erinn at Happy Living Design (architect, purveyor of good taste and new mommy) just posted about terrain and I fell in love! Lucky for all of us, they have an online shop. You would not believe how cool their lot is... a little pricey but so unique. I'm really in love... honey, anything on here would make my Christmas list!

late december

I love the light in the morning, especially the golden sunlight and the way everything looks ethereal with the frost in the air. We took Elle for a walk behind our property and past our neighbor's barn. I discovered an old rock wall that must have been a structure many years ago but nature has taken over. Things like this are beautiful to me. It's been so cold lately that the little bit of snow is sparkling like glitter on the leaves and branches... it's like a layer of sugar crystals on everything. I can't wait to start painting in a couple weeks!

Weinstollen

Mmmmm... I just baked my first weinstollen from my sweet friend's recipe last evening! She lived in Germany for a few years and learned it... and passed it along to me! (It is also called Gateau au Vin Rouge) It reminds me of all the cakes my Oma baked (I mentioned the Stollen in an earlier post). This one is chocolate, with a surprise ingredient: red wine! It's like a mixture of spice cake, chocolate (it has cocoa and chocolate chips in it) and butter cake. I love it!! Thank you O!!!!!! My family thanks you too!!!! ;)

14

This is what 14 years old looks like around here! My baby is growing up. But, the birthday fairy left streamers on her bedroom door last night, like she always has done every year since Caroline was little, little, little. I have always felt badly that her birthday is only a week away from Christmas, but I think Caroline likes it... everyone is in a festive mood, there are concerts at her school all day today for the holiday and she gets twice as many presents during this time of year! It's just a difficult time to plan birthday parties. She asked to go to her favorite restaurant downtown this evening so that's what we're doing! She didn't want to pose for a photo... this one is taken very early before school. But I caught her anyways. Happy Birthday my big sweetheart!!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

winter

This painting by Carl Larsson is on my calendar right now for December. I love it every time I see it! It makes me want to paint... which brings me to the news...oooh... wait... I see a snowflake!! Are you kidding me? FINALLY! I think we are getting a little snow... that whispering type of tiny snowflake that drifts around on the air while it floats down! Mmm.. I love it!

Back to my news: I AM going to be painting soon... and the winter landscape! I can't wait!!! If you'd like to join me then you can go here to sign up for the class. It starts in January and Jamie and her husband Tom both teach it... and they are fabulous teachers! This class will be more technical and it's in oils so I will be able to produce more finished pieces. I might actually have art to hang on my walls here at home! This is when I'm so thankful for the internet.

I was keeping this a secret (and it's still sort of a secret) but I am also going to be doing a little writing with Willow this January! Of course that's not her real name and in her regular life she's a writing tutor... but there may be opportunity to learn from her also... I'll let you know as she works out her details. She is a good friend with a big heart and a matching intellect. Good things... good things.

Now to see if this snow turns into anything substantial...

portraits and cultural history

Yesterday when I was drawing my self-portrait, and really looking and drawing my nose... I kept thinking of this painting "The Whistling Boy" by Frank Duveneck. It is at the Cincinnati Art Museum and I grew up looking at it up close. It's hard to see here, but the way he painted the shape of the nose, with the red... I kept seeing that yesterday in my head. I didn't even recognize that fact until later but it was clearly this painting. I think that's why I think exposing young children to good art is so important... these aesthetics stay with you, whether you realize it or not. Like good music... the Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven. It's all in there and provides a springboard for thought.

Frank Duveneck was a favorite in Cincinnati because he was born in Covington, Kentucky which is right across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, and then painted in Cincinnati before studying abroad. He is one of the great American painters of his time. I wish you could see this in real life, up close. This is also why book learning never can replace seeing the real thing.

oh my deer!

Can you find the doe in this photo? I woke up from a nap yesterday on the couch in the living room, looked out the window and a doe had wandered down close to the back porch. There was also a 6 point buck with her! He is in this picture too! (Though extremely hard to see). By the time I grabbed my camera, they were making their way back up to the top of our small woods where they must be nesting. They know Elle is around somewhere because she likes to run after them (though she only goes to the top of the hill and only wants to herd them!).

touch

Our last assignment for my illustration class was "touch" and to show different kinds of lines of varying weight and feel. This first drawing is obviously a self-portrait done with 4B pencil on a really nice drawing paper. Then I scanned it and added a little color in Illustrator. I didn't try to make it look beautiful, just soft, though now that I see it on here, the scan sort of makes it look rough. I'm just getting over my cold (hopefully) and feeling cold at the same time. Every so often I like to do a self-portrait because it seems to ground me, back to my real drawing and observing... and I'm the only one who would sit still for this long when I need a model! ;) I used to love Kathë Kollwitz's work in college (I still do). I feel like I know her when I see her self-portraits and I feel her pain of her life in Germany during the war. She is incredible at capturing the light... just look at the lips in this drawing:

I'm looking forward to continuing illustration classes in February and I'm trying something new in January (I'll tell you what that is soon enough!). I'm also considering doing an oil painting class focused on the winter landscape ... I have to make up my mind quick about that since it begins in January. Hope you are staying warm in these cold December days!

Christmas Craft

I just love this Moravian Paper Star mobile by theStarcraft on etsy! You can buy it here or you can make your own (without being dipped in paraffin wax) and it would be pretty as a holiday decoration. Find the directions for the stars here or here. We live near one of the original Moravian settlements in the United States (Lititz, PA) and the stars are considered Advent Stars. You see them everywhere at this time of year. Let me know if you try one! ;)

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Just saw another post about them on allsorts here!

Pennsylvania winter landscape

I'm always amazed at how the colors and textures change so much with every little change in the season and the weather. We finally got a little snow a few days ago but it disappeared as soon as it came. The weathermen were calling for it again tonight but the sky is pretty blue and only a few clouds are in it... I think we won't be seeing snowflakes any time soon! I hope you enjoy this little peek into our area. Just looking at these photos inspires me to draw or paint!

new moon

One evening Caroline and I were driving home and I had her take my phone and take a photo of the moon... it was eery... even more so in these photos! They almost look like drawings or paintings and not the real thing!

week 4: sound

I tried to show what Mozart's Piano Concerto #20 in D Minor would sound like... the first 10 notes anyways. The flowers are supposed to reflect that though I'm thinking they should have been smaller. The plink, plink, plink of the keys getting louder and softer. Since it's the piano, I kept this mostly black and white. I used a different type of black ink pen to draw it and then added some areas of gray and light blue after I scanned it into Adobe Illustrator. I haven't quite figured out how to go into the technical side of illustration yet. I'm pretty much a paper and pencil girl, but I'm trying!