Help Me Pick Our Christmas Pic!

HELP!

Which would you choose??

1.

2.
3.

4.
5.
6.
7.Or should we try again?

This is exhausting!

Thankful

every day...

for my life,

Mark,

and these four...

Every year I feel a little scrooge in me around Thanksgiving...

some years it brews into the New Year.

I try to stifle it,

but usually have at least one good cry in the closet during this season.

The root of the scrooge is primarily the empty chairs around the table.

Missing too many that are no longer with us,

or live too far away to come home.

Missing the traditions of the past,

and trying to make new memories for the kids.

Like everything,

it's a balance.

Thankful for last night.

Our Friend's Thanksgiving Tradition.

Night to relax, eat, and be merry together...

roaring fire,

candles ablaze,

goodies we didn't bring to our Thanksgiving table,

vino,

laughter,

and good times.

Wonderful week,

just being family.

Visit from Papa,

playing Twister,

pet sitting,

drawing,

making Christmas cards,

reading,

chilling out,

Together.

So very much to be thankful for....

Hanging

With this sweet girl in her classroom this morning.

So fun to be Picture Person today.

Thanks Izzy for working so hard in school.

You make me smile.

Love,

Your Mom

My Girls

Really aren't always this innocent.

But they sure are cute.

Last night they had their first big fight.

Sounded like two cats.

Why is it always during the dinner hour?

Tears from both.

Apologies.

More tears upon seeing vegetables.

Really?

Why does the sight of broccoli always move Sofi to tears?

ALWAYS!

I need to start hiding veggies again.

Ridiculous since her mother is a vegan.

Today's agenda?

Zumba.

A trip to the attic....long story for another day.

More birds.

Clean the bathrooms.

Meal plan.

Groceries.

Need to head to the store AGAIN.

My 13 year old has a hole in his leg.

I can't keep food in the house.

Maybe I need to hide it all.

Recipes with hidden veggies anyone?

Anyone recommend the cookbook Deceptively Delicious?

Bye Bye Birdies...

"You'd think they were your children or something, Mom,"

said my oldest daughter today.

Three birds.

1.

2.

3.

Are gone.

Flown away to new homes.

They're not my children, but they are a little piece of me.

My pencil moves so easily.

The texts are so fun to find.

The feathers, bits of my fly-tying days...

Lace,

buttons,

pearls,

velvet,

things I love.

Four more to complete,

and they'll fly away too.

Last night's show was amazing.

Fabulous turnout.

Met wonderful people.

I couldn't sleep last night.

Too excited.

Wired from the energy.

Creative wheels spinning.

Now it's back to reality.

Piles of laundry.

Floors to clean.

Grocery shopping.

Paperwork.

Piles.

Reality.

Monday morning.

Quiet in the studio again.

I'm staying up late to tackle the mess,

so I can play again tomorrow.

We Have a Winner!

Carl picked Natalie in Florida.

Natalie email me at mjcljohnson@yahoo.com and send me your address.

We'll send some happy mail your way!

There is he is...

my boy.

I had to tilt the camera up since I wasn't wearing heels.

If only time would stand still for a bit....

julie

Wings and Giveaway Reminder

I'm wrapping things up for a show on Saturday night.

Here are a few sneak peeks of the wings....

I can't even begin to describe how much fun this process has been.

The artists that I'm working with.

The gallery space.

The time I'm devoting each day to drawing, painting, and creating.

Good stuff.

Don't forget to leave your name, and state (or country!)...

I'll have my kids pick a winner of happy mail at breakfast tomorrow!

julie

Random Bits and a Giveaway

1. Here's the result of last week's roadtrip...

to Izzy's fairygodmother,

my big "sister" Trish...

an amazing photographer.

I'm thinking we send this one out as our Christmas pic?

Whoops...we're missing the boys.

Yikes...maybe not the best idea.

That would raise a few eyebrows.

Do you still send cards?

I used to make them.

Now, not so much.

She claims she didn't photoshop out my extra thigh or tire,

I'm not sure I believe her.

One of the families I tutor gave me this...

I kind of shared it with the family.

Kind of.

They had a few portioned bags.

I had the rest.

It was soooo good.

Worth a few extra trips to the gym.

2. New glasses.

My puzzled wrinkled face shows my inability to handle technology.

"hmmm...how do I take a pic of myself?"

I did it.

Linnea was a trooper and helped me try on 50 pairs.

Yep, fifty.

Buying a pair of glasses is tough.

I hate committing myself to a pair for a few years.

Plus I'm prone to losing things (thanks Dad),

and they're pricey!

I loved the last pair,

until my Dad and brother told me I looked like Sarah Palin.

I lost them.

Really, I really did.

These are a little funky, but fun,

and the best part?

I can see!

3. Soccer season is over.

Here is one of my favorite pics of the season.

That would be me huddled under my sleeping bag,

wearing a down coat and gloves,

holding my umbrella in a windy rainstorm,

and trying to stay warm with some Starbucks.

I do love watching Linnea play...

4. Some of you have been showing "what I wore on Wednesday."

I thought I'd start a new one,

"what I wore to the train."

That's me.

In my bathrobe over my sweats.

Tied with a leopard scarf for a little personality.

Wearing my fake uggs that have a hole in them.

They're fake.

They didn't last.

I guess I need the real deal, right Santa?

I drive Mark to the train every day that he works downtown.

Ten years of crazy get-ups, crazy train stories,

and I probably could have written a book.

Lets just say I'm thankful the girls are no longer babies

and need to be wrestled into snowsuits.

5. I need to go.

To the train.

To school.

To the gym.

To the paint store.

To find some paint samples for the master bath.

To the art studio to finish some pieces.

Yikes.

3 days till hanging....

and I'm almost done....

If you read this,

you deserve a prize.

Leave your name and what state or country you live in.

I want to teach the kids some geography.

We'll have our first little giveaway.

-julie

Wanted: Bathroom paint color suggestions

Any favorites out there?

Bedroom is glamourous white.

Bathroom has wainscoting on the bottom.

Would like something calm and peaceful on the top.

Have a million things to do.

But would like to get this done...

today?

Candy Bags

Make Halloween tolerable.

Piles of candy.

Times 4 Trick or Treaters.

(Basket of dirty laundry, Old man, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and a Cheerleader)

Equals too much candy in the house.

So....They come home and sort.

And sort some more.

And bag it all away.

Five pieces of candy per bag.

Each Saturday they pick a candy bag when their chores are done.

They can eat the candy from the bag whenever they want.

If they want to eat it all, that's fine.

If they want a piece mid-morning, that's fine too.

But, they only have those 5 pieces of candy.

They won't get any more until Saturday.

Five years ago my friend Susy told me about candy bags in Sweden.

We loved this little Saturday tradition, and it's worked so well for our kids.

The little bags go in the garage fridge, and they have candy bags until Easter.

Now I just need someone to give me some candy bags of dark chocolate.

Then life will be really good. :)

-julie