Mary Richmond Design

Out with the old.....

 

I am seriously over 2009.....bye bye!

Stay safe everyone, and I'll see you next year!

Bring on 2010 ;-)

Give. Receive. Encourage.

 

These are three of the key words I have chosen to post in my studio, in my kitchen, on my bathroom mirror, above my computer and on my car dashboard to inspire me this year. Give came to me right away. Encourage showed up a bit later and Receive came to me in a dream. In the dream a good friend of mine came up to me and said, 'I have a word for you and for me, too....receive! We need to be open to receiving this year.' Even in my dreams she is a wise woman. 

Do you have any special words you'll use for inspiration this year?

New Year's Resolutions

 

Do you make them? Some years I do, some I don't. This year I am not making resolutions per se, but am making a map of the coming year. I'm collecting my thoughts and goals into a large pile of index cards, each with a separate idea or goal written on it. I have printed out full page calendars of each month and have written in all the usual things that happen every year such as conferences I attend, workshops I know I'm teaching, etc.

My pile of index cards is already quite thick and it isn't even complete!

I am making several piles once I get done listing my random and planned goals. I will have a personal goals pile and then piles for each of my business ventures. Those include my free lance writing, my art, my note cards and Cape Cod Art and Nature. I have decided to make the latter a non-profit organization and have to map out my plans and time for that so it doesn't take over my life. I also hope to schedule my online time so it is more effective and gratifying. All this will go onto my map which will go onto my studio/office wall where I can see it every day. Hopefully this will help me stay on task.

For some all this may seem overwhelming and certainly not very free flowing or spontaneous but for me, who tends to over do the free flowing spontaneous stuff to the detriment of both my bank account and my health....I am hoping that a map or plan of some sort for the whole year will help me be a bit clearer and more committed. If I'm going to stay afloat financially without getting a job cashiering in a supermarket, I need to be committed to my own work.

2009 was a bust year for me. I lost more money than in any other year since I have been an adult. My businesses tanked and I responded by stepping back and shutting down. I basically just stopped working, creating and marketing. I got caught up in my own history of failures. But now I'm back. I've done a lot of thinking, looking, listening and learning. I have many plans and many hopes and I think I have good reason to expect success in putting forth my best efforts. Bring it on, as they say.

Over the next few days I will outline some of my plans, more to keep myself honest and committed than anything else.

How about you? Do you make resolutions?

Tasha Tudor Cookie Cutters

For those who are interested you can find the Tasha Tudor Corgi Cookie Cutter at the link below. I bought mine at a local bookstore that features Tasha Tudor books. They're sort of expensive but I definitely got my money's worth of fun out of using mine and giving the cookies to my friends and family. The big smiles and laughs were worth every penny!

Here's the link to the Tasha Tudor online shop and the cookie cutter.

Cookie time!

Maybe you  know you've really gone over the edge when you have a really good time making these....

 

Gingerbread corgi cookies! 
 

Christmas Cheer

Every year I am always so busy with my business during the holiday season that I end up rushing to get things ready in my house, etc. This year I made sure I had this week to do the things I enjoy, like making cookies with my family, decorating, wrapping gifts in a special way and so on. The snow storm on Sunday really helped define the week so far. It is so pretty outside!

Doesn't this look the way a New England Christmas should look? We rarely have snow for Christmas here on the Cape so this has been a real treat.

Inside all is warm and cozy.

  

Cats are a bit dozey...

and all is well. 

Believe it or not, today is the first day I've listened to any Christmas music and it's really helped put me in the mood. I avoid all the radio stations, etc. that play it non stop and wait until it's very close to Christmas. Just a funny quirk, I guess.

Now it's time to make cookies and wrap some gifts!

Let it Snow....

Yep, we got lots of snow...close to two feet of the fluffy white stuff. Yesterday we just stayed in but today it's back to reality....and shoveling! 

Yesterday was Arlo's first day in the snow and at first he wasn't too sure what he thought of it.

 It didn't take him long to adjust and have fun, though!

Lots of fun things to do today. Wrapping, cooking, writing Christmas cards and getting my columns in a day early! All schools on the Cape are out today so we'll have the grandchildren here this morning while their mom finishes up her shopping. Sure is beginning to feel like Christmas around here!

 

Snowed in.....

We are totally snowed in today and it is still snowing. Thankfully, we have nothing urgent we have to do outside our home, we still have power and heat and we're looking forward to a cozy, quiet day.

I've been so busy working on orders we only decorated our tree Friday night. Yesterday I got out the rest of the decorations and had fun in the living room. I have lots of decorations that belonged to my mom, my mother in law, my grandmother and ones I've received as gifts over the years from special friends so decorating is always a walk down good old memory lane for me.

 

All those little stockings are ones my girls and I made for the dolls when the girls were little...

 

We put up the little houses and a little elf helped by adding all the snowmen, etc. If you look closely you might see an interesting visitor to Santa's village...

 

It seems Mr. Stegasaurus wants to have his picture taken.....

 
 I believe this is the cute little elf responsible. He can help me decorate any day ;-)
 

It's beginning....

to look a little like Christmas around here....

 

Slogging away....

If I've learned anything this year it is to not take on work that I don't want to do ;-)

These ornaments have actually been painful to do this year. They are BORING and it is hard to sit still and concentrate on them. They take forever and it hurts my back, shoulder, fingers and eyes to spend any significant time on them....ouch! And I only have 36 more to paint in the next 2 days! Woohoo!