2011 Christmas Card Design

After much pondering I finally decided on my Christmas card design and got busy last night. Right now our backyard is carpeted in yellow leaves fallen from our Ginkgo tree and dozens of Oregon Juncos foraging in the leaves. Morgan has been calling the backyard Junco Landing.
I love how Juncos return from the mountains every Fall to spend the winter with us in the lowlands. My grandpa called them "snowbirds". Indeed! Happy Thanksgiving!







Now if we could just get some snow!!

Swimming Upstream

I hate how commercialized the holidays have become. I hate that I feel obligated to or guilty if I do not give thoughtful gifts to my friends and family who already have too much stuff. Every year I try to be as minimalist as possible and more and more, I try to give handmade gifts.
Still, it is very challenging to think of an appropriate handmade gift for many on my list, men especially....
I made the above for my Piscean mother this morning and then proceeded to go on a jewelry making tangent.


I love how these turned out, simple but fancy at the same time (ignore the fingerprints on the crystals for now).
I think Christmas may be especially minimalist this year....I cannot seem to focus.