*Weekly Update*

As you all know, I’ve been enjoying my time away from Instagram, with no intention of going back any time soon.

The downside to me being away from Instagram is that I no longer have a space to provide regular updates on my work.

One of my big 2022 goals is to get back to sending regular newsletters starting in January, so that should help (if you aren’t subscribed yet, you can subscribe here). I also had the idea of providing quick update posts on my blog on Fridays, which is what today’s post is. We’ll see how this goes, and if it sticks!

So what’s new this week? Well, I spent 90% of my week printing and shipping. As I sit here typing, I’m listening to the hum of my printers in the background. On Monday morning, I had over 50 open orders that needed to be filled. It’s been a lot, but I’m loving every second of it. I listen to Christmas music while I work, which make the process enjoyable. I love being away from my computer, and on my feet all day. My packaging room is on our second floor, and my printer is in the basement (for climate control in the warmer months). All day, I’m going up and down the stairs. The way I described it to Ryan is that at the end of the day now, my body is tired, but my mind is clear and rested. When I did client design work all day, my mind was exhausted, but my body felt restless. I hated that feeling.

My packaging room

I couldn’t have quit client work at a better time, because I’m now shipping every weekday to keep up with the holiday rush. I’m not sure how I would have found time for anything else. I used to go to FedEx in the afternoon, and now I’m one of the last people in, because there’s always more to do. I’m feeling so grateful this holiday season for everyone who’s supported my work. It feels like a dream come true. Each and every order means the world to me. Ryan and I do a little happy dance, every time a sale comes through. Needless to say, we’ve been dancing a lot lately.

The only paintings I did this week were some small illustrations for my website. I thought it’d be fun to illustrate my art supplies to decorate my site. Here’s what I came up with:

What else can I tell you? The weather has really cooled down in the Chicago burbs, so that’s been an adjustment when walking our dogs. Hot Hands hand and foot warmers have become my new favorite thing because they stay warm all day. I love putting them in my socks as I walk around the house. Because the weather has turned, I’m getting a lot of my art inspiration from TV. Right now, I’m obsessed with For the Love of Kitchens on Discovery+. The show follows British kitchen design company deVOL. I love how they approach design in a very unique, un-American way. I’ve also been loving Art in Bloom with Helen Dealtry and Point of View: A Designer Profile (all on Discovery+). For me, the subscription has been awesome, because there are so many design shows on The Magnolia Network that inspire my art. By the way, I’m not in any way being sponsored by Discovery+, I’m just a HUGE fan. HGTV just isn’t cutting it for me these days, so The Magnolia Network has been my go-to. I’ve also been cozying up with some great fiction books, including The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which I haven’t been able to put down. I’m loving the old Hollywood vibes of the book.

Well, that’s about all that’s new with me. I hope you all have a great weekend! Thanks for tuning in!