super big Thank YOU!

to all of my blogger friends + followers a big thank YOU! i love being inspired by all of your blogs + sites + am WOWED everyday by things you post. happy wonderful 2011 to you!

my new font!

i sent nate my inky handwritten alphabet and he made me a font! i love that the kerning is kind of wacky...exactly like i write...thanks nate!

grateful kitty

kitty is writing thank you notes...she is very grateful for all of the wonderful gestures and gifts she received this year...(she is wearing slipper socks from the "grey colt")

lettercult-"V"

lettercult has the letter "V" postings up...i definitely didn't obsess over this one!

TDAC

this recipe is by artist pamela nudel over at "february 13 creative"... check out their site here. awesome. i'm really wanting to try one of these...her illustration makes this drink look so darn refreshing ; ) . TOMORROW 12/28 we start posting the top 4 winners on TDAC!!! i can't stand it. seriously.

my family

this is my awesome family...david + our two teenagers sam + lee....we had an awesome christmas...i hope your holiday was filled with lots of love + laughter.

happy holidays!

wishing you all a very wonderful holiday!

marcona almonds!

i haven't posted a "LOVE IT" for awhile and then i discovered these...i love marcona almonds and now Trader Joe's sells these...roasted salted marcona almonds with rosemary. triple yum.

peace joy love

p e a c e

wishing everyone peace in their hearts + in their homes this holiday...and always.

south beach

my few days in south beach were heavenly...i even made a new friend. meow.

apres kitty!

kitty hit the slopes while the kittens were sledding and then she hit the lodge for a hot toddy...

warm weather

after all of these snow days, i'm happy to be heading to the warmer climes for a few days...

snow day for the kittens!

for those of you new to the blog, i did a month long series featuring "ms. kitty"... her life and her outfits. she married "chester" a tuxedo cat and had 4 kittens. they are now in kindergarten and had a snow day like the rest of us here in hudson ohio.

another snow day!

that's right...another snow day! even the cats won't venture out in this...

holiday kitty!

look who's back! kitty is gearing up for a very festive holiday season...

new motif

every now + then when things get crazy busy and i'm needing to finish alot of mundane file prep i have to take a break and do a pattern! it's very relaxing for me.

our brave kitty!

he is the only one of our 4 kitties who is brave enough to venture out in this winter wonderland ... he lasted 4 1/2 minutes and came tunneling back in!

lettercult-"U"

i think the letter "U" postings go up on Lettercult later today...not my best entry, but i was feeling low on energy and inspiration this weekend...

dinner!

i have a wonderful friend that sometimes likes to make a dinner of popcorn and chardonnay ... i must agree, it's a great combo. so...here's to pam!

"Grey Colt" stocking party

this is my stocking entry for the "grey colt" charity event. i also included a book i made of all of the recipes i have illustrated this past year. the party was last nite ... very very fun + so many beautiful + creative stockings.

December web postings

our "studio sss" december favorite things posting is up...we are feeling very festive!

WOW!!!

wait til you all see the holiday recipes as we start posting them tomorrow on TDAC + food network blog... UNBELIEVABLE ... big thanks + huge round of applause to everyone who has submitted (or is still submitting, deadline is midnight, nov. 30).

finished holiday recipe

i've posted this recipe before but with a different illustration...as far as vegan cookies go, well these are REALLY good. and while having our vegan mr. reindeer drinking hot cocoa i made sure that there was a way to make marshmallows vegan...and there is! i googled.

giving thanks...

wishing all of my blogger friends and family a very delicious thanksgiving...may your day be filled with grace + joy...

2nd recipe sneak peek

my second holiday recipe pays special attention to mr. reindeer and his vegan diet...stay tuned.

judges!

wow. talk about some AWESOME judges!!!! (ya know, for "theydrawandcook" holiday contest)

lettercult-"T"

lettercult has the letter-"T" postings up...

figs figs figs!

the california fig advisory board spotted our fig story + recipe on TDAC and graciously sent me and another "fig recipe" blogger 16 beautiful pounds of dried figs and an assortment of other goodies! you must go checkout the photo taken by the other artist/recipient (i tore into my package before thinking of photographing everything. oops) monika roe was much more gracious! snoop around her blog and website ... her work is EXTRAORDINARY!!!! (these are the oatmeal fig chocolate chip cookies i made)

daily doodle

early morning doodle while flipping thru the catalog "tea"...

thinking snowflakes

so many pretty patterns + decorations starting to appear everywhere...i still love aqua + red for holiday.

matryoshka

years ago i was asked to hand paint a matryoshka set by my friend lynne for a store promotion/benefit (she was WAY ahead of the trend). my set featured handlettered quotes by famous women in history. now why i made the tiniest doll pink is a mystery to me...i wouldn't choose that color again...it should've been a lovely warm grey. however, i ended up buying the set and giving it to lynne ; )

fun in chicago!!!

WOW-WEE!!!! just got back from chicago where nate + i were lucky enough to meet the awesome blogger/artist/designer/major theydrawandcook contributor LISA GRAVES!!! it was fabulous fun...she is a blast and quite the prolific illustrator. also came across a holiday card i did for Great Arrow Graphics in Bloomingdales!!! it's really fun meeting up with fellow bloggers + artist friends...keeps is real, ya know!? btw, lisa commented on all of my cool jewelry...it's SToNZ + deborah woolfork keeping me adorned ; )

morning doodle

...brought to you at 6:30 a.m. by the sundance catalog and some really strong coffee...two of my favorite things.

finished holiday recipe

here is recipe # 1 ... 2 more to finish...

simple recipe+snowflakes=festive holiday illustration. i sure hope all of you blog readers out there are thinking about the recipe(s) you are planning on sending in for the contest! please? ... theydrawandcook.com

morning doodle

five minute doodle while leafing thru the CB2 catalog at 6:30 a.m....

holiday recipe contest

since i can't be one of the top winners, the pressure is off for creating my holiday recipe for "theydrawandcook" (remember selected recipes will also be posted the entire month of december on FN-dish...ya know...food network blog!!). here is a sliver of my recipe illustration...mmm-mmm-yum.

sneak peek

one in a series of six that i am working on...

cute little reindeer

this little guy is getting ready for the holidays...

letter-"S"

check out the Lettercult "S" postings...

officially snowing

at least 3 inches of snow on the ground this morning...

leftovers!

some leftover holiday images from a recent project...

glasses

a leftover illo from the magazine series...in case anyone was confused about which was which ; )

holiday recipe contest!!!!!

i've been so excited for nate to announce this holiday fun-ness!!! check it out (here) AND enter!!!

some more holiday

i love this linen texture and i love white stitching...and i really love swedish design : )

busy drawing + cooking!

actually i'm more busy drawing than cooking ; (

market

mmm...mmmm. starting to think about thanksgiving. and yes, the turkey part always causes me angst and turmoil.

letter-"R"

lettercult has the letter-"R" postings up...

cooking ladies

these little ladies are trying to make their way into my next recipe...