december 2015

Finally finishing up the end of 2015! Per usual, it was full of tons of string art orders. 

But also some driving around to look at lights, and this magnificent gem was found!

Here's the tree in Mountain Brook Village. Isn't it lovely?! 

Sweet Possum came to visit with Binky, and she had gotten into a fight with one of mom's dogs! :( 

We made sure she had plenty of rest and snuggles. This is her under the blanket (she isn't a fan of direct light lol). 

Vistaprint was having a big sale, so I took advantage and ordered some items, like this awesome stamp of my fish logo!

I also got this awesome sign for art shows. I tried so hard to get the dogs to pose, but ended up only getting Bo looking in the right direction..

Such a handsome boy! 

At the beginning of December, West Elm asked me to be a part of their 12 days of Local, where they had a different local artist each day. Guess who was up day 1?! Me! 

I created a UAB board for the event, along with several other new goodies.

Like these round Alabamas with football colors..

And these emoji magnets! I love them!

I also made these Christmas themed pieces for the show!

Honks came to visit for the weekend and to help with the show.

Soon enough, it was show time. Gosh, I just love West Elm!

I had several other pieces to create for Christmas orders after the show. I made 5 of these signs for one of my favorite customers in Birmingham for her family's hunting land.

Another two state string art

And this piece that's totally different than anything I've done with the University of Illinois logo in the center of the state. 

Every day in December had tons of pieces going to the post office like this stack below. 

One of my very most favorites was this big Indiana with gold nails and blush string. It was going to a nursery that was oh so cute. The mom to be sent me a photo to match colors. 

This photo shows the last batch of string arts that had to arrive by Christmas! NINE in one day! I set a cut off day each year, and if you order by that date, I guarantee them to arrive by the 25th. I did more after this, but this was the end of the guaranteed ones!

This is probably only amusing to me, but I call Honks my little buffalo, so when I ran across this picture, I showed him that it was the cutest picture of us hahaha!

Speaking of animals, sweet Bo was tired of my hammering and used my toolbox as a pillow.

Cotton got into the holiday spirit with this snowman hat she borrowed from Possum.

Remember sweet Maverick? He's Honky's sister's horse. I drew her name for their family Christmas gathering, so naturally I had to paint him! 

My roommates and I got really into having fires in the fire pit on the side porch. Naturally I got my fire obsessed roommate Carl some magic fire powder that turned the fire different colors! How cool is this?! 

           

The middle of December brought about the annual Dothan Girls in Birmingham Christmas party! So many kiddos were there this year!

L to R: Quinn (Jenny's son), William (Caroline's son), Jenny, Caroline (holding Charlotte that I'm blocking with my head), Ragan holding Lila, Brittany holding Collins

Me, Katie, and Abby holding Isla. 

All the new babies! Isla, Collins, Charlotte, and Lila

Another fire porch party occurred. I just can't get over the colors! 

Soon enough it was Christmas and time to head to Dothan for Christmas Eve! Binks and I wore our newest traditional Christmas PJs (2nd year we've broken out the onesies).

And who knows what year it was we started breaking out the wine :)

Christmas morning we rode over to the Yelverton's house to see what Santa brought lol. Without planning, all the Dothan cousins had worn Christmas jammies :D

Bink, Andrea, Brother, me

Brother's was the most hilarious with the relief flap in the back haha!

Aunt Robin also participated! Don't let the uggs and boots fool you.. it was BURNING UP outside. Like in the 80s. It didn't help to be wearing a fleece-y bodysuit. 

I went to Honky's family Christmas later on Christmas night. I got to get some pony snuggles in with sweet Maverick. 

I found out he likes Bud Light, just like everyone else in the fam! He'll drink it right out of your hand. The Maverick painting was a hit with Sally and her mama, and last I was there, he was still sitting on the mantle! 

The next day, Honks and I drove back to Dothan for my big family Christmas!

Randy joined this year, and these are all the boys that were present. We are low on boys in this fam..

Brother, Walker (Terrell's hubs), Honks, and Randy

All the cousins with Neanie! 

Natalie, Terrell, Bink, Brother

Me, Ashley, Neanie, Andrea, Shelley

The aunties with Neanie: Aunt Dale, Aunt Terri, Neanie, Aunt Robin, and my mom

We took some posed pics outside lol

Walker, Terrell, Ashley, Shelley, Brother, Andrea, Natalie, Binks, Honks, me, Randy 

Not sure why Binky and I switched SOs for the pic..

Then it turned into Shelley and Andrea, 

then Bink and Terrell

so naturally I had to jump in because I realized it was all Auburn cousins and I wasn't on the pile!

We all took silly prom pose pics as well, but I only got me and Honks on my phone.

Terrell and Walker gave Neanie this framed picture from their wedding with the whole family.

Binky and Randy had given each other these "pop your pup" shirts of their dogs lol.

Honk was super pumped when dad gave him this smoker. Look how proud he is towing it home! :) 

He had to break it in immediately with this turkey. I had driven down to the beach for New Year's Eve, so I got to witness the inaugural smoking of meat.

My friend Jensen had come in town from the British Virgin Islands where she is currently living for school! Naturally Caroline came over to visit and everyone had to taste the meats!

That pretty much sums up December, minus New Year's Ever! Twas a pretty good year!