Snow Day! And Handmade Holidays!

I didn't want to do this because I haven't decorated my blog like all the people who have been featured, so I feel a little silly. but I'm celebrating that it's snowing right now and I'm lighting my pine-scented proud-locally-made Yankee Candle and lighting all my light strings and answering some of these questions to get me in the right mood.

It's funny, I was a little grumpy about the whole Handmade Pledge thing, because when you're an artist and you don't have money, you always make presents, without thinking about it. I can't remember the last time I bought someone something - oh, yes, I can, actually - but it was from another artist.
After a long time of being poor, you've given everyone all the handmade pincushions, aprons, eyepillows, stuffed animals, dolls, fabric boxes, record bowls, etc., their houses can take. This year I happen to have more money than usual and I was so excited to NOT have to make all of my own presents.

And then... I started seeing tutorials. And suddenly I have these lists a mile long of things I want to make in the next, oh, TWENTY TWO DAYS!
So I'll tell you some of them, but try not to say any of them where people who might actually read this might learn anything they shouldn't know yet!

My mom is getting a painting, which I have sketched out but not started because I haven't painted anything in years! It's called OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL DOG BISCUITS, because a thing we do together is walk her dog, and as we walk, all the dogs in the neighborhood come along and look into her pockets for treats. One day a few years ago, I had decided to start naming all of my dolls as saints, although she didn't know that, and that same day as we were walking, she proclaimed, I AM OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL DOG BISCUITS. So I'm going to paint her with all the dogs surrounding her looking for snacks.

My two obsessive fisher"man" cousins are getting scarves made out of old t-shirts (green crafting?!) for keeping them warm while they are obsessively fishing at all hours of the day and all months of the year, like this:

(they kiss the fish before they put them back in the water.) (My cousins are SO awesome and I miss them all the time and wish they lived closer to me, they are the funniest, cutest little boys! - even though now they are LARGE)

One sister who I hope won't read this is getting boots for her delicate dog and a front door organizer made up in some kind of fancy, Moroccan-style fabrics with mirrors and stuff for the way she wants to decorate her new apartment.

I have a lot of other things I'm making, but starting to read through this list, I'm thinking that I should stop blogging and thinking about all the cute ideas I have for decorating my blog that I haven't gotten around to yet and actually start WORKING! :)

I'll also tell you a couple of my traditions: I've been trying to START some new ones because even though we always get together and hang out, I feel like we don't have any actual traditions, so the two I've started so far are:
1. Watch the movie Elf which I love.
2. Make Espresso Shortbread. I made a recipe card as a present for anyone who is actually reading this... here it is! Open your present!