the calendars

this year i made two little bundles of inspiration & adoration. here are some photos... i also made th these little trinkets of love to 'the girl' and her fam, but i absentmindedly mailed them off without capturing them first. :(

my favorite all-time tree... do i have to take it down?

santa made out GOOD this year yo!

isn't it sweet that for Santa, the girls (ahem... um Jacob & I baked off some of his AMAZING, AWARD-WINNING ginger cookies) set out the best cookies ever? they SURE do love santa!!

making stuff!

i've been having a good time lately! more laterr....

ok, it's been later. i think i just wanted to add (very quickly) that one of the greatest things about making things lately has been that i've needed to gather alllll my bizarre little trinkets from around the house. raiding the girls' toys, picking out all the COOL things from the various change dishes or junk drawers --- truly that in and of itself is an art process. what makes the cut, and what doesn't?

it's taken me a long time to come to grips with my 'collecting' of things. i know it's always an adjustment for ryan to deal with, but i think it all boils down to me wanting to still play. little itty bitty toys and pieces, old and colorful all infused with the scent of inspiration --- it is my playground!!

warm & filled with joy

joy & merriment to you all! may your hearts be filled with gratefulness & festivity!

'tis the season!

There is something so contagious right now: joy! Warm, effortless, joy is just spewing out of people right now. I'm trying to do a little squirreling away of it for future times, but I think I may just eat it all immediately! The FOOD, the treats, the little berries, adorable ornaments, finding ways to get together, the lights!, the eggnog, the MINT!!, the holiday movies! Seriously guys, I got it bad yo! It's oh-so-cold out, and I'm in a cozy cornucopia of treasure & inspiration.

Finally made Jennifer's gift last night. So fulfulling to have a few moments of quiet to contemplate creating again. It's so darn tootin'-cold out so it's impossible to work in the shop. I've comandeered our underused dining room table and have spread all my trinkets and glitter and clippings EVERYWHERE! Teehee! I'm sure Ryan doesn't mind, nor the girls, when I prohibit them from touching anything!! (including their own little broken toys that I've claimed as mine!!)

I really want you all to see my tree this year. Let's just say that it's a quintessentially 'Gab' altar to beauty! It has all these little sparkly things and random items from our lives pinned on with love and... JOY!

It's a good time all around and I'm BIG on the sending out the love this year! You feeling it??

my life through my phone --- well at least through its pics

we had two different halloween events this year: at my office and trick or treating. :)




she is SUCH a rockstar!!!

oh yeah, ME!
delighted by the girls' choice in bathtub toys, i caught this...

right before hannah's first winter concert, i made her strike a pose. sorry it's so dark. she was so sweet and nervous and excited!

we didn't make them, i was just so taken with the genius that is the clothespin reindeer of the kinches that i had to snap it. the quintessential homemade ornament!

our first attempt at the homemade gingerbread house. so blurry this photo! the house only stood for a few minutes before it collapsed.

FINALLY got to ride one of these radtastic elevators on a recent trip to portlandia of love!!

do yourself a FAVORRRRR and watch this!!!

friday, i love you

i can barely work today. i'm all stuffed up and my brain is way far away from here. it's thinking of these lovely things:

• naked branches with ornaments hanging on them
• my bubblers on my tree
• making other sweet little ornaments
• the ends and edges of jacob's pecan squares
• chocolate and mint
• zooey daschenal, my girlfriend
• birthdays aplenty
• making the girls detective kits: decked out with little notepads, brushes, flashlights, containers for evidence, and magnifying glasses all nestled in a ....CABOODLE!!
• catching up on my google reader filled with the sweetest little inspiring things in the universe!
• daydreaming of sleeping
• christmas movies!
• first manicure everrrr! guess what color?? hahaha! sparkly red you say?? why YESSS!
• finishing up our firm christmas party AND a women's marketing event --- oh success, how sweet you can be
• helping a friend plan her trip to nyc --- swoon
• pamela's terrariums!! omg! they're AMAZING!
• pictureka!!
• dancing
• being the abominable snowman!
• inspiring kiki to write a paper about my artwork! hahahaha!
• hot tubs
• and yeah, thanksgiving was AMAZINGGG!
• and so are meatloaf sandwiches hot damn!
• and pretzels
• and snuggling with my ladies
• and making gingerbread houses
• the arbor. that store killlllls me!
• and you.