Happy Holidays 2021

 I had some serious catching up to do in my journal after our Christmas guests left.

Doodling of animals happened...that lil' guy on the right is supposed to be a meercat.

And I do enjoy a Byzantine angel.  It occurs to me that the shading of the wings was the 13th century version of what we now call hombre coloring! 

Above, a snapshot of a drawing of my son's family, at his request. Left to right:

Internet/Gaming troll (grandson) Yes, he's taller than his dad.

Garden Gnome (our son)

Laundry Fairy (DIL)

Galaxy Princess (granddaughter)

I think they liked it. My son said I needed to make him look younger...lol.

The Christmas tree is still up, and will be at least until mid January. That's the plan anyway.

I got another smaller tree this year for my stitched Santas. I love it. It might end up being a seasonal tree that stays up all year. We will see. 

Best wishes and Peace to you. Here's hoping that 2022 will be an improvement over the last two years.

You can see more of my journals on Instagram

www.instagram.com/dbcarey_2000

Holiday Greetings

 

Sharing a few December doodles from my Hobonichi A6. It is small in size (about 4"x6") so the drawings are within that format.

Gnomes seem to be quite popular these days. I see them everywhere, not just in gardens!

The journal holds the records of our days plans, activities, and random thoughts. Nothing too profound...

Baking cookies, wrapping gifts, traveling and visiting. December is a busy time! Add in illness, car repairs, and preparation for guests, and before you know it, Christmas has sneaked up on you.

It only took me about 8 hours to decorate our Christmas tree...

Did you spot any coffee cups on my pages? It's kind of a daily ritual to doodle my coffee or tea, and my toast or other breakfast. I do try to journal every day. I recommend you give it a try!

                       ***

The Story of My Life

A revisit of the journal page style that

I've used quite a lot over the years:

watercolor background, acrylic paints, collage

and mark-making on the borders. I 

like to juxtapose colors and texture.

Then combine with a quote that I like.

Hobonichi pages, not in order, of our 

daily happenings.  Sometimes the colorful

painted papers cover personal things 

that I don't want to share. Other times they

are just there as a border or for color.

Yes, I even talk to myself and remind

myself in these pages what I need to do

to have a better health check-up next time.

I've gained weight over the Pandemic.

Anyone else?

I tend to draw a coffee cup on most

every page...

and lots of doodles.

Mostly daily uninteresting stuff...

but also enjoying the ability to get out

and do some things that we've missed

over the last few months.

Hope you've had the opportunity to 

spend time with people you love,

and maybe even enjoy an 

ice-cream cone!

Thanks for stopping by!

*****

You can also see my art work on Instagram

www.instagram.com/dbcarey_2000

As Time Goes On

Time passes so quickly...and yet can

drag on at the same time.

 How can that be?  

I've survived the Covid-19 Pandemic, at

least so far. Fully vaccinated and hoping

things continue to improve.

We were so bored in February, that I made

a King Cake and we celebrated Mardi Gras!

We survived the 17- year cicada invasion.

This photo was taken at my in-laws' house.

We didn't actually have any of these guys

at our own home, and I'm ok with that. 

The noise was deafening!

We've enjoyed some beautiful weather, 

sunsets, and some scorching heat too.

Always enjoy seeing some wildlife when

we're out and about. I believe this is a heron.

There's been some stitching...

and some day trips.  Above is the 

Marblehead Light House on Lake Erie.

It's one of our favorite scenic places 

to visit.

It's so pleasant to listen to the waves and

watch the boats sail (or zoom) by!

And I am still journaling away in my little

English A6 Planner from Hobonichi.  In June,

I traced fifties fashion drawings (to keep

the originals intact) that my mom

did in high school.  I cut them out and put 

them in my journal. Lots of hats and gloves, 

and tiny waists!

Still recording weather, drawing my coffee cups,

and noting the activities of each day, whether

momentous or mundane.

I hope you are keeping well, getting

back to 'normal' (whatever that may be)

and getting time to be creative.

You can see more of my journals on Instagram

www.instagram.com/dbcarey_2000

 

Christmas 2020 and Welcome 2021

Hello friends! It's been a while.  I have some

catching up to do... Here's a look

at a stack of Hobonichi Journals, starting with

 my 2017 on the bottom, and 2020 on top.

There's been decorating, sewing, crafting,

baking and drawing going on around here.

Happy with the way this little snow guy

turned out!

Close up of an angel on one of my

Hobonichi pages in December.

The Candy Cane Coffee Cake that

I try to bake each year. It's filled with

dried apricots and maraschino cherries.

We did not have a big family gathering this

year because of the Pandemic. (My folks are 89

and 87 yrs old!) But we did visit - masked up

and distanced - on Christmas Eve.

We had a Zoom session with my son and

his family on Christmas morning, so we 

got to see the grandchildren open their

gifts. Funny thing, the adults seemed to

stay out of view of the camera! ha ha.

Understandable. I'm not a fan of having my 

photo taken at the best of times, much

less first thing in the morning! lol.

Our daughter came to visit for a few days 

after Christmas.  So nice to have her here!

It's kind of funny, when we do see anyone in 

the family, there isn't much to talk about

because we haven't been anywhere or 

done much of anything. 

I suppose I am a 'spoil sport'...the excitement

about the New Year doesn't ring true for

me.  Change is a process, and it can 

happen any time of year...but the holiday

reminds me that I should reflect on the events 

of the year.  I can make changes to improve

my life. Heard an NPR broadcast recently

that encouraged people to Seek Delight.

Sounds like a good idea...

The quote on the left just cracked me up!

So true this year. For me and possibly

many others!

A rare selfie.

Don't expect this again soon! ha ha!

Sharing a few tiny coffee cup (and toast)

doodles today on my pages 

(did you spot them?)

 for T Tuesday, over at 

Altered Book Lover's blog. 

Join us for a beverage and a chat!

Old vs. new...my 2020 Hobonichi is 

on top. The 2021 on the bottom seems so thin!

 This comparison photo has become a bit of a

tradition for me.  Lots of things have been 

glued and taped into my 2020, lots of doodles

and drawings reflecting lots 

of life that happened. Here's to a happy, 

safe and healthier New Year in 2021!