Illustration Friday: Gluttony I am probably in the minority, but I really dislike amusement parks. All I can think of when I see commercials for Disneyworld/land/Six Flags/whatever is that there are millions of people starving in the world, and what the world doesn't need is one more rollercoaster or another person dressed up as a cartoon character who can't talk, but waves its hands around and pretends to giggle by putting its gloved hands over its permanently open mouth. I understand people need to unwind and have fun, and that's fine if you like all that. I just don't. It seems like such an advertisement for excess, and it's my personal "ick". I'm sure that says something about me, but I don't know what.

Words of wisdom from my brother: The moral of the story is pray for the right thing. Sometimes, instead of praying for the cup to be passed from your lips, you have to pray for the ability to chug without choking. I'm working on so many varied projects that truly excite me right now, and I will be doing some serious chugging! If you're reading this, please say a prayer that I can give everything my very best shot. And then I'll make sure I share images of the work I've been doing so you can see where those prayers are going. More writings from people I actually know: * 'Toine (aforementioned brother) * Jon (very talented writer friend) * Kevin (very talented artist friend) * Jen (lovely SIL)

Song birds. At times God puts us through the discipline of darkness to teach us to heed Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and we are put into the shadow of God's hand until we learn to hear him... Watch where God puts you into darkness, and when you are there keep your mouth shut. Are you in the dark just now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? Then remain quiet... When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you get into the light. ~ Oswald Chambers

Illustration Friday: Seasons I like to draw birds. Coloring them in is kind of theraputic, much like graph paper used to be for me in high school. They all start out pretty much the same, but then a little color, a little detail here and there transforms them into unique creatures. I want to sew birdie-shaped pillows, fit them together to make a tesselated pattern for material, have them march along in a border for the twins' room. Maybe sew stuffed animals - a whole bunch of different colored ones. They're just fun for me and a way to jump-start my imagination. (Plus, it's hard to mess them up!) There's no wrong way to paint a bird. You can see more birds here (scroll to the very bottom) and here and here.

Using my power for good. Well, the auction is officially over, and the talented and very generous Kelly is the proud owner of the "Relief" painting! $375 will be donated to UNICEF, which is so much more than I ever dreamed I could do on my own. Thank you, Kelly, and everyone who donated! And now, for all of you who donated, wanted to, or just like the picture: here is brand-new wallpaper to help remind you of how simple it can be to use your talents - whatever they may be - for good. 800 x 600 | 1024 x 768

In my spare time.... ;) I created a "flower" for Building Letters Magazine's Tsunami issue. Building Letters is a magazine by designers, and raises money for selected charities through its sales. They were looking for designers to make a flower that will be used in a font that they'll include on disk with the issue. Kudos to the marvelously talented Cin for providing the link!

Illustration Friday: Balance (keep going, there are two this week) My life is all about balance. I don't like to call it that; I would rather call it everything working in harmony because balance sounds to me like too much of a juggling act. Which, believe me, it is anyway. I seem to have learned how to have quality time for my family, working, cooking healthy meals for the week, and creative time (without which I would, definitely and beyond a shadow of a doubt, curl up and die). I learned the hard way, but it's ingrained now. The Lord of Green Well, I did my original painting, and then I read this marvelous blog entry from A Cup Of Rich... he notes that a calendar he has equates green with balance. "I could use a lot of that peace, balance, harmony, and restoration right now. And if green is all those things, then Jesus is the Lord of Green." God, I love that! The entry says it 9 gazillion times better than I do... please check it out (it's been inspiring me all week!) ....................................... Two days left in the auction! 100% of the profits go to UNICEF to benefit the tsunami victims.

Working From Home - A Short Poem The following is a note I sent to my co-workers last week when the weather was icky. It's icy and slick out; I wanted to mention That working from home today is my intention. Think of me while you're going for coffee outside And the rain and the sleet makes you run fast inside - Or commuting to far-off wild places like Brooklyn Or Westmont, New Jersey or downtown Metuchen And it's raining and wet and you stifle a sneeze And you hope you don't catch a cold there in the breeze While I'm sitting here snug with a slice of fresh bread That I programmed to bake while I snuggled in bed And it beeped me at 7 when it was done baking And it mixed with the smells of the fire Paul is making. So I'm sitting here working, just a regular gal, On Mutts stuff and graphics and pages for Sal. You can Skype me, IM me, or talk to me live By phoning at xxx-xxx5. ....................................... Thanks to everyone who has bid on or promoted my auction... I'm delightfully stunned by the response. And still 4 days to go! Makes me wish I had done this kind of thing sooner.

The auction's back up! Okay, it's up and running through January 16th... you can place your bids here. And now it's all official and everything. Phew.

Illustration Friday: Disaster Relief (detail above) I will be auctioning off the original watercolour painting and will donate 100% of the proceeds to the tsunami relief efforts. The illustration measures 9"x12" and is painted on acid free, 90 lb cold press watercolour paper. You can see the full version of "Relief" here. UPDATE #2: For those coming directly from Illustration Friday, the good news is that the auction is back up! You can see it here.

The twins just turned 10 months old, and Sophie is now 22 months. Amazing to think that in by March they will turn 1, and 2, respectively (within a week of each other). See them open presents and just generally be cute here.

And a Happy New Year. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad to see 2004 go. Hands down it's been one of the hardest, toughest years of my life. So I'm ready for a fresh start. I like to title my years - the past year was The Year of Adventure, truthful, huh? And I think I have a name for this one! The Year of Taking Care of Myself. And that's not meant in any kind of selfish way. It just occurred to me that looking back over this year, I've been the most frustrated when I was sick and unable to do the things I wanted or needed to do. I'm so used to putting everybody and everything else before myself and my own health; the only reason I went to the doctor faithfully during my pregnancies was for the babies' sakes. So now it's time for me to be a little proactive. This year I plan to monitor my health and well-being more closely to set up long-term good habits instead of being in desperate survival mode as it's been the past few years. I want to look ahead to the future and see a happy old lady who still likes to go hiking and dancing and painting and learning new things, instead of an old crotchety lady who can't get around by herself and complains all the time about it. I plan on being around a long time, and darnit, I'd better be able to enjoy it.

Illustration Friday: Magic I believe in magic, and lots of it. I think this world would be much the sadder if we didn't look for pixies under mushrooms, imagine that the violets are pieces of the sky that were snipped out to let the stars shine through (as Anne Shirley says in Anne of Avonlea), and just basically let our imaginations run away with us sometimes. I try to look for magic everywhere I go. (I also firmly believe that if you don't look for magic, you probably won't find it, either.) Just take a look at all the unicorns and faeries I regularly consort with... I can even say I know a dragon personally. I apologize for using yet another illo from the Elena archives, but I've been sick all week (again) and since I already had an awful lot of magic around, I hate to see it go to waste.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas! To get everyone in the wintry mood, I made you a present... you can decorate your desktop with snowy wallpaper and a screensaver. Voila! Let it snow!

Illustration Friday: Home Paul and I went to Italy about 7 years ago, and it was just like coming home.* I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that at some point in my life I will live in Florence for a time. I've just finished reading Under The Tuscan Sun, (thanks, Jill!) which only makes me more determined and sure that I belong there. There's a saying about the Duomo (that's it above, painted on location) that it makes your heart lighter and that you never want to be out of the sight of it. Darned if it isn't the truth. *We're both Italian, and I'm 100% Sicilian. Don't mess with me. ;)

My "extra" entry for Penelope's Advent Calendar (I was day 11 on the main calendar.) Here's hoping each of you have a smooch in your immediate future.

Illustration Friday: Adoption dear me of March this year: It takes a really long time for an acorn to become an oak tree. Right now, all you can see is that acorn you're holding in your hand, and I remember what a scarred, beat up, run over by a steam roller and smashed open like roadkill acorn it is, too. But out of that mess, I promise you, will come a little tree. Not all at once, but first as a tender shoot pushing its way up tentatively into the sky, and then putting down some brave roots, and then growing stronger and taller and branching out into a leaf or two. It's 9 months later, and I can promise you to just be patient and just hang in there, because it will actually get better. Just trust in healing and nature and time and let those things work their magic. And I'm sure that 9 months from now, I'll be writing myself another letter, talking about how much better it's gotten once the babies are walking and talking and don't need specially prepared everything and two million doctor's visits. But that's not keeping me from trying to take each day one day at a time, and enjoying and accepting everything just as it is, right now. If I could reach back in time and hold you and try to convince you that things get better, I would. I'm crying while I'm writing this, because you just can't see how amazing life is now. But you will. Your body will heals, your scar will close at last, you take the babies for walks, you laugh and play with them all the time, and you actually weigh what you did when you got out of college. And you're more creative than ever. Hang in there, you little oak tree, you. The possibilities are all there. Just be patient.

Bath stuff is good. Especially when it's from Trader Joe's and I don't have to feel guilty about using gobs of it. And it smells so good. (I have to confess to tasting the Rosemary Mint/Sea Salt scrub.) Mmmmmmm.... "Bath stuff is good" pretty much sums it up for me. Golly, a lollipop is following me... ...and I really don't know what to do. While looking up "Letterman" on Google, I found this amazing resource of Electric Company Lyrics. (Here's a clue, if "It's the plumber, I've come to fix the sink," means something to you, you're going to love this link.) I also found this slightly disturbing screen cap from the aforementioned Lollipop song... it's really scary that if you had asked me yesterday, I wouldn't have remembered a thing about it; but show me that pic and the first line and I started singing the whole darn song. "When a big yellow lolliop, golly, follows yooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooou." This is why I'm not a rocket scientist, my brain is full of stuff like this. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

Illustration Friday: Security One thing I really want for my children is to feel so secure in their parents' love for them that they feel the freedom to try their wings. I see it in the way Sophie unselfconsciously experiments with music and art, how Angela tries out all the sounds her little mouth can make, how Peter has just begun to crawl and there is nothing that will hold him back now. Imagine what they'll try when they're 18... Toast aplenty, everywhere! * Holiday cards are still available online, and now are also appearing at the lovely shop Heidi's Cottage in Dunellen, NJ. * I'm in Penelope's Advent Calendar- but I have no idea what day I'll be featured, so check back often! * And feeling the love at Michelle's...

Illustration Friday: Bubble