Doodles: Christmas Spirit

I was perusing through the store yesterday looking for a fun craft for the kids I teach religion class to on Tuesday evenings. I ended up finding some beautiful stickers for the kids so they could make Christmas cards, but I also found a sketchpad that seemed like the perfect size for my own use. I had originally wanted to stop by Barnes & Noble or Micheal's to find something sturdy and "artsy", but when I saw a kids Crayola sketchpad, I thought, why not? It has spiral bounding, which I like and at three bucks I don't feel the pressure of having to make every sketch perfect. I can be pretty self-conscious when it comes to art and design at times. Because I'm an avid blog reader, I often read graphic design blogs of people who are so creative and can produce such beautiful artwork. It's inspirational and impeding at the same time. You should see the scores of crumpled paper I have laying around me sometimes because my sketches never turn out the way I see other people's do.



For the first time in a long while I was able to sketch and not stop at every wrong stroke I thought I made. I just kept going, and in the end, I didn't mind what I had. It's no secret for designers that the importance of sketching cannot be understated. I still remember being in college and having to draw 50 sketches of an apple and a banana. At the time I couldn't understand why I would waste my time doing such a thing, and I thought the assignment was boring. But it's true, sketching really does allow you to slow down, pinpoint what you want to create and most importantly take note of the fine details that can go unnoticed but are essential in making up what we see and feel. It can be a tough concept to grasp, and there are times in my professional work when I still immediately go to the computer to start a project, but the payoff of sketching is often worth it.





It can be liberating to sketch for fun. A chance to get away from all of the digital tools that surround us everyday and put pen to paper and see what may come. I should also note that to this day, my aptitude for drawing apples and bananas is pretty darn good.

Remnants Of A Winter Rain

We woke up today to the pitter, patter of rain on our windows. It felt like it should still be the weekend, and the mix of rain and the fact that Aliyah slept in later today, made me want to crawl back under the covers. Instead, we got up, began our week and took time this afternoon to capture these photos and enjoy the cozy feeling that a winter rain creates.

Farm Girl

In August, Aliyah received this cute farm tractor and trailer from our good friends, Rene, Nancy & Maya. Since we don't live near either of her grandparents, I am determined to make sure she appreciates and is aware of her history on both sides of the family. Having farm toys around is one way that we can connect with what Grandpa and Grandma Peters do back in Minnesota. To my delight, she loves her tractor set and plays with it often.

I think she makes a cute farmer, don't you?



Next time we're in Minnesota, Grandpa may have to put her to work.

Who says a cow can't drive a tractor?

Carden Family Fun List: Winter Edition

Let me preface this list with letting you know that I am aware that there are no snowmen in Phoenix, and that they certainly aren't hanging out with cacti. It just so happened that when I drew that graphic I decided a snowman would a.) be easy to draw and b.) a cactus would too.

I realize this list is ambitious, but we have three months to achieve them and I think it's do-able. Many of them are centered around the Christmas holiday, so that makes it easier. And to give our family a jump start I made sure to list "Celebrate St. Nikolas Day", which was on the 6th. Mark one off the list!

So in no particular order of importance, I give you the:

Digital Sketchbook: Peace on Earth

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said:
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I recently saw this showcased here. If you get a chance, watch this live version by Casting Crowns. It's the song that really got me into the Christmas spirit. (I'm pretty much in love with any song that has a good choir in the background.) 

Come again?

Um, what's that you said Mr. Weatherman? No, no...I'm sorry, you must be wrong. I thought I moved to Arizona.You know, one of the southernmost states in the U.S? What you are showing me can't possibly be correct, because truth be told, I was sort of envisioning a 70 degree December.

Oh...I guess you're right. I am new here. I should just put on an extra few layers and embrace the chilly weather as I'm sure that my fellow family and friends up North may be just slightly cooler. Just a little bit.

Friday 5 {Weekly Gratitude List}

1. Holiday Decorating: Having guests gave me the motivation to take down all of the fall decorations and put up our Christmas decor. I love how festive it looks right now at our place. All we need to do is get a tree. I'm looking forward to Aliyah's holiday experience and creating some family traditions now that she's older and can really get into it. 
2. Our First Arizona Guests: Aunt Bri and Emeca couldn't stay away from Aliyah for long. We were surprised to find out earlier this week that they were heading our way on a last-minute business venture. Our first guests! They're here until Saturday morning and we are enjoying their company. 
3. Birthday Wishes: I turned 29 on Monday. Sebastian was so good to me and made sure I felt special all weekend and Monday. I received cards from my mom, my brother and his family, Aliyah and the cats (Sebastian may have helped.) All in all it was a pretty sweet day. Now I need to start thinking about what to put on my "Thirty before 30" list. One more year!
4. An Underbooked Flight: On the way home from our Georgia Thankgiving we had a red-eye flight back to Arizona. I dreaded the thought of having a crabby, confined 1-year old on a plane in the middle of the night. I said a whole-hearted thank you prayer to God as we lifted off for giving us an empty seat in our row. It was amaaaaazing. Aliyah still only got about an hour of sleep on the plane, but at least the hours she was awake she was able to stretch her legs. 
5. Baked Potato Pizza: I seem to post a lot of food here, but I couldn't resist. This pizza is absolutely delicious. I don't really consider myself an outstanding cook, but I may need to post this recipe so everyone can experience the joy that is Baked Potato Pizza. 

Aliyah and her PawPaw

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving this year at Oma and PawPaw's house in Georgia. Delicious food, sweet company and lots and lots of fun. More photos and details to come. For now, here's a photo of Aliyah and her beloved PawPaw spending some quality time together.