pondering graditude

[can you see the moon? fall skies are just so bright]

it's hard to believe we are in the last month of the year isn't it??

i was oh so so sick a week ago. nothing like sickness to force you to slow down and give you a bit of time to reflect. even if it's through a green goo haze.

and then it was thanksgiving - the little's first. with the husband sick in bed with what i had [oh i felt bad]. baby's first non-traditional holiday. no turkey to be had at our house. we had a japanese food feast instead :) don't get me wrong - i like me a good turkey - and i really like all the trimmings [cranberry sauce in particular. and stuffing]. but i also like being a bit non-conformist [can you tell?]. growing up i remember several irregular thanksgivings in my household. we had sukiyaki, we had ribs, we had chinese food....

i used to like going to school the next day saying "oh no we didn't have turkey" and seeing the look of slight shock on my classmate's faces.

but really i've been thinking about gratitude. as we roll into december - the month where i start to feel intense pressure :: shopping, cards, grading, studio, and now also baby... oy. how are we supposed to get this all done? i have wanted to just stop. maybe this is the year that i don't send out holiday cards [or they morph into new year's cards?]. i'm grateful for so many things. this has been such a strange and amazing and jam packed year. i just picture this huge pendulum swinging back and forth the good and the not so great back to the good again.

and thus this post really hit home with me today. i can't say it any better.

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if you are in the Bay Area you have to shop at Holidayland. seriously good stuff. handmade good stuff. i have some stuff... underdog ink stuff AND some things from my NEW VENTURE with a friend. we're in the midst of making sure our name isn't trademarked by anyone else - once that's all done with i'll be talking about it more here. i'm really excited about this project.

Holidayland is at

blankspace gallery

and the compound gallery

i just became one of the compound gallery's art in a box artists. it's a great subscription. check it out.



you should also shop at modernmouse. either in the store on alameda island, or online. more handmade small artisan goodness. seriously. and eleen, the owner, is the sweetest.

OK. i have to get some grading done before i crawl into bed and start all over tomorrow morning. more soon....