Illustration Friday: Glow

May we all coexist in peace

and bask in the glow of friendship.

Wishing all of my friends a most brightest and best holiday season, no matter how or what you celebrate.

Love always,

Lo♥

for Illustration Friday: Glow

Watercolor and ink on bristol board.

Holiday Hope

This is the time of year when many people complain about what they don't have. They make huges lists of material 'must haves" for Santa to bring or for other people to buy because they think life will be better with them.

For others, this is a time of year when we remember the less fortunate. Those without food, shelter or warmth. Those who are battling life-threatening illnesses. Those who don't have any family members left and feel totally alone. Big TVs, Ipods, computers, diamonds or fancy cars wouldn't fill their needs or their hearts.

 

What all of us need to keep in mind in any of these situations is that people care. I still believe that good outweighs bad. So let's remember the less fortunate in this season of giving. Let's show them that hope is always on the horizon.

Wishing you all who celebrate, A Very Merry Christmas. Sharing with you week after week is one of my greatest gifts of all!

( And for those of you who don't know my secret signature, the 3 cypress trees are always in my heart. They represent the 3 cats we drove from Rhode Island to California with 18 years ago. I miss them dearly and feel blessed to have had them in my life for so many years. Merry Christmas, boys.)

( click the image to see hope on the horizon!)

This is a repost from 2007, but worthy today.

xoxo

Lo

Happy HOWL-idays to MEW!

Well, at least Emma and Bliss are ready for the holidays!

I did have every intention of printing these and mailing them to my friends but I only got as far as designing it.

Please feel free to right click, save and print and sign "Love, Lo" on it and put it on your mantle!

One of my resolutions for the new year is to find balance between life and work and to get back to blogging.

I miss everyone!

Have a wonderful Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza...whatever you celebrate, celebrate with all your heart! ♥

Love,

Lo

xoxoxo

ReGift-Away

I have mixed feelings about doing this, but in my heart I think it's the best solution all around.

I opened a box from a dear distant relative (whom I've never met) and inside were these two, brand new darling bears. She and I have exchanged Christmas gifts for eleven years now. The thing is, these are different from what she normaly sends.

I don't collect anything, especialy dolls or bears or anything cute.

I'd be an art collector if I could afford it, but I can't.

So after gazing in these sweet eyes for a couple of weeks I thought the right thing to do would be to have a regift-a-way and have the winner reimburse me for the postage. You get two collectible bears for the cost of shipping and I don't have a heavy heart from shoving these cuties in a drawer when they should be proudly displayed.

They are Bearington Bears. Look at her face! Her dress is more of a Christmas green, not this dull green in the photo. They come complete with a stand with the tags still attached. 

Look at this little cutie in his cable knit sweater!

What little girl (or big girl collector) wouldn't love these?

I can't help that I'm missing that gene! :)

Think of who you have on your list who would be thrilled to open this package on Christmas day. I will draw the name of one lucky winner on Sunday, Dec 4th.

I'm only allowing those of you who already visit me to enter this.

That's my small gift to you, my loyal friends. (Whom I haven't been so loyal to these days, sorry.)

 I know how giveaways can ooze into the blogosphere and everyone comes a runnin'!

Sorry, friends only Good luck everyone!

I just want these bears to have a wonderful, loving home.

If she had sent me a puppy or kitten there would NOT be a giveaway ;)

xo

Lo ♥

Offerings and Gratitude

With all my traditional holiday touches, it seems I left an important feature unadorned. This beautiful statue of Buddha once sat in my zen garden in California. I don't dare place him outside here because a hard freeze could cause him to split, and I can't keep moving him because he weighs over 100 pounds. So here he has sat in a corner of my dining room for the past year.

He's a bit out of place, really. But I get to walk past him every day and when I pause to dust him off a feeling of gratitude always washes over me.

So today I gave him an offering. I was looking for a place to put my dollar store snowflakes and then said, "Aha! A perfect mandala!"

And as for gratitude, much of it stems from my blog relationships that have formed over the years. Some of you I have met in person where hugs sealed special bonds. Some of us have spoken on the phone, shared laughter and tears, exchanged gifts, and sent cards for no reason other than to let the other know they're loved and thought of.

I'm truly grateful for all of you, even occasional visitors and art critics.

May your Christmas, Kwaanza, Hannukah, Buddhist or non-religious winter celebration be all you need it to be.

As for me, I'm just going to continue to appreciate the magic around me and try to keep myself open for an inspiring new year.

~Winter Blessings and Love~

Lolo♥

  

More Monday Holiday Glimpses

I like that so many of you have joined in and started showing the holiday touches around your homes.

Here are the last few of mine to post before Christmas arrives. And we're having our first snow of the season today which is putting me in a festive mood!

This is the railing and windowbox outside my studio. The other side is exactly the same. I love the mixed fresh greens and the way they are draped.

The large ornaments inside and the hanging santa came from the dollar store! The berried sparkly branches were found at Michael's.

This old jug was here when we moved in. Each season I change the contents, trying to always keep it timely and pretty.

This is the railing near the back door that we use.

Don't you love that bright blue recycle bin getting in the picture??

This is a front view of the planter box filled with greens and berries as well as a few sparkly ice crystal picks and pine cones.

Here's our little holiday greeter! In the warmer seasons he has flower pots to watch over.

Little twinkly lights in the kitchen window.

Very simple touches for the built-in hutch.

I added the plate to our little French pig. I think they look nice together.

~ a nesting dove~

A beautiful sidenstricker glass ornament from Brian's mom, and right beside it is an ornament his dad made in his wood shop. It's the shape of the state of Massachusetts and it has the Mayflower on top.

We'll always keep these two ornaments together in their memory.

Here's Brian's skating bear that he loves! He also has a skating walrus and a Boston Bruins mouse but the photos came out blurry so they got cancelled ;)

I dolled up this little footed brass planter that I found at a consignment shop.

I love the tiny animal feet and porcelain handles. It was a find! 

And finally my friends, a few lights in my studio window to keep the holiday spirit glowing.

Merry always, merry everything!!

xoxo

Lolo

More Monday Holiday Glimpses

Like many of you, I had trouble photographing the tree lights.

I have NO idea what setting I had the camera on to get these hearts!♥

And the glow makes the house look like it's on fire. It really doesn't have this effect in the room.

The tree sits on a built-in cabinet in the dining room. I'll figure out what to do around it soon. Maybe when I get the darn thing decorated!

The room to the right is my studio.

I found these little trees buried in an old box.

I painted them forever ago. Too bad the detail doesn't show.

And too bad the driveway isn't white with snow instead of brown dead stuff!

The reindeer is one of my favorite little holiday things.

He's really dwarfed on top of this tall chest of drawers. Still, he looks regal up there.

This little wreath is on a vintage ceiling tin. It used to hang on my french doors in Pacific Grove.

Now it has a place of honor above the bling I showed last week in the upstairs bathroom..

The window in the same bathroom needed a little something.

I saw these sparkly branches at Michael's and I knew they were the right touch for the vintage apothecary jars. A few silver balls were added too.

I have to unscrew that whole window to take it out in order to pull my storm window down. As you can see, the screen is still there!

So much more to do...like get gifts made and cards mailed.

~Happy Monday, and don't stress!~

Holiday Spirit

Someone at our house got into the catnip yesterday and decided it was time to start decorating.

Now she doesn't know how to get out of the snowglobe!

We're all just so happy that she's back to normal again, abusing drugs and getting into trouble ;)

The picture is blurry because I may have gotten into the catnip a bit myself!

Tis the season ;P 

Christmas Reindeer ?

Okay, so I'm walking into a client's house to take care of their 19 year old kitty when I spot this fern growth beside the front door. Does it look like a reindeer with a harness to you? Yup. Natures little way of making me smile on Christmas Day! You can't make this stuff up. Merry Christmas!

Feel The Magic!

To all of my friends who come to visit, I wish you all the magic this season brings!

Here's to a New Year that holds the promise of peace, health and abundance for one and all. I look forward to spending more time with you and sharing more art in 2008!

Until then, Merry Christmas...and remember, the magic is in the small things :)

IF : The Horizon

This is the time of year when many people complain about what they don't have. They make huges lists of material 'must haves" for Santa to bring or for their parents to buy because they think life will be better with them.

For others, this is a time of year when we remember the less fortunate. Those without food, shelter or warmth. Those who are battling life-threatening illnesses. Those who don't have any family members left and feel totally alone. Big TVs, Ipods, computers, diamonds or fancy cars wouldn't fill their needs or their hearts.

What all of us need to keep in mind in any of these situations is that people care. I still believe that good outweighs bad. So let's remember the less fortunate in this season of giving. Let's show them that hope is always on the horizon.

Wishing you all who celebrate, A Very Merry Christmas. Sharing with you week after week is one of my greatest gifts of all!

( And for those of you who know my secret signature, the 3 cypress trees are always in my heart. They represent the 3 cats we drove from Rhode Island to California with 14 years ago. I miss them dearly and feel blessed to have had them in my life for so many years. Merry Christmas, boys.)

Done for the Illustration Friday prompt, "Horizon." acrylic, Prismacolor pencils on bristol. ( click to see hope on the horizon!)