M is for More Merry Memories...

M is for More Merry Memories...

Girly~Whirly is back at college...

Heartbreaker is back at college...

Don't have a photo of them back at school...

but I do want to share this photo of Heartbreaker wearing the wonderful Knucks that I ordered from Jen!

Thanks Jen!

They are perfect for when he plays his guitars and banjo :o)

& here are some photos taken at their Thanksgiving dinner with their big sister :o)

Girly~Twirly & Heartbreaker

Mr. B and I were up at my dad's for Thanksgiving. And so our three were able to have Thanksgiving dinner together.  Our older daughter's hubby was working his residency shift at the hospital.

Girly~Whirly & Girly~Twirly

& here is a photo of Girly~Twirly (aka theluckiestmrs) & her Mr.

celebrating their 2nd anniversary on New Year's eve.

My hubby and I are back to our regular routine of work...

We still have our Christmas tree up, so will be putting that and the ornaments away.

I have today off from cleaning pearly whites :o) ...so I am working on more drawing orders, but came across some loose Christmas photos...which led me to looking at some other past photos.

...which led to me posting some of those photos here in a slideshow.

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Thank you also for your patience on announcing the names drawn for the Personalized Sketches giveaways.

Like I have mentioned in the past giveaways of the art that I do...I would have loved to selected more to give. So, those of you who had left comments to enter and are not one of the following names that were picked (picked by the "not-fancy" method---by hand :o) ...I will have to look into the random.org method), please contact me if you are interested and those that left comments - I would like to extend 10% off of one drawing order.

These are the names drawn:

For one 8x10 single image of your choice: Permanent Posies's comment: "I would LOVE to win your drawing. I am torn because selfishly, I would want something drawn with my last name. But, I think I would have something drawn for a friend for mine who is graduating in May from Seminary as a gift. I so love your work."

For one of the 8x10 Calligraphic Monograms: Mrs. V's comment: "Hi Maria, Thanks to my Mom I am commenting on your blog :) I will post each additional entry separate as well! Thanks for hosting this, we LOVE the photo you did for us."

For one of the 20% off certificates: Cheryl's comment: "Wow! So many birthdays in December. How do you hold it all together?  That family tree rocks!"

For one of the 20% off certificates: Alicia's comment: "I didn't know you had a FB page! Yay! I "like"!"

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I try to share some past orders on each post, but do like to wait until they are received. ...and it takes me forever to get the samples in the format I like to share them in with the close-up and overall view together.  I have more to post, but for now will share this one:

I received this email from a past customer: "I bought a Chinook print from you in 2006 after seeing you at the Christmas bazaar at Ft. Rucker, AL.  I've had a hard time locating you!  I need another print of a Harley Davidson motorcycle with the name "Danny" used in it for a Christmas present.  Please call me at..."

From Diki's email: "Thank you so much!  It is beautiful (as I knew it would be!) The packing was perfect, no damages at all.  The print has already been taken to the frame shop!

Thank you for the extra business cards, they have already been passed around!"

Diki, I appreciate you looking and searching for me. And am very happy that you found me! and thank you for thinking of having your husband's Harley drawn as a gift.

& these monograms were recently completed:

Drawn for the newlyweds "JOHNSONs"

-the bride "RYAN" and the groom "ROBERT".

Drawn for the "soon-to-be"  Mr. & Mrs. "MILLER"

-bride "KELLY" & groom "TYLER".

 Joining in with:

Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday meme .

& Alicia's Friday Photo Flashback

.I am way behind in my visits, but hope to get around to some blog reading in the next few days.

It's an "OFF" day...

"Off-day" , definitely NOT as in: 

The Free Dictionary's meaning:

1.

off-day - a day when things go poorly; "I guess this is one of my off-days"

But as in: 

1. I'm OFF from work today :o)

2. My hubby is OFF today too! 

 

Let's see...lots of fun things to possibly do...especially with our two kiddos that are able to be home for Christmas, since they'll not be leaving until tomorrow... 

I'd love to get one of these luggage sets (I love to see what CSN has to offer.  I have to say that the All-Clad pot I purchased recently is just as I expected and came soooo fast!)  It was great to have to make a humongous amount of our turkey, beans and vegetable chili and low country boil for our kids).

oops...back to what I would do with some new luggage...

...take a trip...with all our kids...to anywhere...Europe, Asia, Mediterranean, Carribean, Africa, Australia, Americas...um...not to sure about Antartica though.

So far, we have had a wonderful Christmas eve...

And we stayed awake late, so that Mr. B could open up his birthday gifts...

Had fun just hanging out with each other...

opening gifts with Girly~Twirly and her hubby (in another state) courtesy of today's technology...through IPhones!

listening to Heartbreaker on his new banjo...

eating out...

 and eating out again...

So...don't know yet what we'll do today... maybe cruise around downtown Savannah...look for some After-Christmas deals...   although it would be pretty amazing to get up, on the spur of the moment and fly out to some distant shore...  spending our "OFF day" with our kiddos is extra-special, just cuz we are together...

What would you do if your family were together? Where would you go? 

Hm...better get OFF the computer...cuz soon we'll all be heading OFF to spend an awesome day together!

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Here are a couple more orders...

From Diane:

"...I think that design is great and he will love it. I would like to ask you if you could possibly put the 101st Airborne insignia on it also? I have been looking at this for his birthday, Dec 26th, for some time but was afraid I had waited too long. I am so glad you are able to do it and hopefully I can even get it framed before his special day. I will let you know how he responds to it!!..."

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Velma sent this request:

"...We were thinking of giving the sketch as a congratulatory gift to someone who will soon be appointed as a department head (and we loved what you did for our former boss, Mike, that Lee had given him).  We'd like to keep a tropical theme, I think, but I'd love to see what you were planning on sending me.  I had looked online for a photograph of tropical flowers, but I don't know how I'd send the image to you.  I was thinking of perhaps an anthurium with an anthurium leaf?  Something along that line...."

We'd need the product by the end of the month...is that doable?

Thank you Velma, for thinking of these as a gift. And for your email and feedback:

"I received the sketch over the weekend in perfect condition.  It's beautiful!  Thank you very much..."

"This is a perfect gift with a personal touch that makes it extra special. It turned out beautiful, and Maria is a pleasure to work with. Service was very fast and reliable; and Maria was most helpful. Thank you from Hawaii!"

If you are interested, feel free to enter for one of the art giveaways. This ends on Dec 31st @ midnight. For more info, please take a look at my Dec 18th post.

 Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas! 

...and here's a greeting for the upcoming new year... Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! (Happy New Year!)

Two special Birthdays-our family celebrates...

First of all...a very merry Christmas to each of you.

From our family to yours!

(Our Christmas card this year

...for my blog, I edited on Photoshop, our names on the bottom :o)

Our family celebrates the birth of our Lord Jesus...

 (This is on the back of our family photo Christmas card)

...and also December 25th marks the day when my Mr. B was born :o)

Born at 4:38 

at the Kona Hospital

weighing 10lbs 4.5 oz.

(first day home~at 3 days old).

I love to look in his baby book and photo albums that his mom gave us when we were first married. His baby book has a newsclipping of his birth, locks of his reddish hair, growth chart, etc...

Here is a video I have shared before, of some of my hubby's past birthdays...& of course, which also are his past Christmases :o) (Although these celebrations were on the same day, his mom always made sure to have something separate and special for him growing up).

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Joining in with:

Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday meme .

& Alicia's Friday Photo Flashback.

Also Thank you to all those that entered for a couple more giveaways of the art that I do.  If you are interested and have not yet entered, there is still time.  Just go HERE to my last post on Dec 18th to enter.  Open for entries until Dec 31st, midnight EST. 

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Here are a couple of my most recent orders...will be posting more in future posts.

These two are taken from the same beautiful photo, to be given to two different family members.

Sara's request:

"Here are a couple of pics. Let me know if you need more. I was wanting 2 sketches somewhat like the middle pic. I know you typically do one dog but can you do 2? I am wanting to give these as Christmas presents to my husband and his parents. I love your sketches!..."  

(It took me a little longer to get started on them, since I was waiting to find out what names Sara would like to have each one drawn with...and we both finally realized that she did not know when she found me on google search and when she sent this request with the photos, that the art I do is drawn entirely with a name. I think that is neat that she was interested in the art she had seen, even without knowing how they are done.)

(This is the middle photo~They are so cute!)

Since I do the art individually, there are always some variations, but I try to do them as close to the photos as I can.

Sara received them and sent this email to me:

"I just received my sketches. They are beautiful! I have told all of my friends about your wonderful work! I have a friend Danielle that will be emailing you soon. She is interested...." 

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This one was an order for Amy:

"Hello again.  Was wondering if you would be able to sketch this  (image of a hummingbird and flower) by Christmas.  My boyfriend LOVED his sketch of the maltese cross & wants to have a hummingbird sketched for his mom."

Thank you for stopping by, commenting and I will be by to return your visits...still catching up!