First Snow

First Snow!

I read all day with a little break to run errands for tomorrow's 

Relief Society social I'm in charge of.

I still have a pretty significant black eye that is impossible to cover with make up.

But I can't hide anymore.

Finished reading. I have two or three more spots I'm still thinking on how the sentences should read.

But getting closer.

Baby Bump

Cutest baby bump!

I worked and worked all day finishing proofing and then starting another read-through.

I made it to 100 pages by midnight. (Daylight Savings Time!)

 

Hygge and Christmas Prep

I'm not quite ready for dark evenings and cold mornings and winter.

So I dressed in sweats, put batteries in every candle we own and created a little Hygge

to embrace the inevitable... Winter is coming. 

And if you think fall came on fast, 

I had to wrap Nick's Christmas presents because the delivery service needs 

packages by Wednesday! 

I always say by the time we hit October, it's time to say, "Happy New Year,"

because these three months fly by.

Mark my words, it will be here before we know it.

Winterizing

Yesterday we finished putting all the pool furniture and cushions away.

The pool closet has been cleaned of mouse nests and droppings and we've 

committed to being more responsible about putting the lids on the plastic storage bins next summer.

The red leaves have dropped and now the yellows are glowing.

Then Dan flew to Pagosa in the afternoon to winterize the cabin.

He'd planned on going Sunday with Chris, but after checking the weather,

he woke up yesterday morning and announced he was going that day to beat a storm.

He returned this evening in time for dinner and to run errands together

and watch a movie. Possum Trot. It's inspiring, but also verrrry heavy.

Our life is a busy life. And a good life.

I've been working on proofreading again after receiving edits this week

and addressing Dan's comments for sections that need clarity.

Will it ever end?

Also, I wanted a sturdier bag/can for our under-the-sink glass recycling.

My search led me to pull out garbage cans and it was only then,

after seven years of living in our home, that I realized the garbage can

in the butler's pantry that we have never used, not once,

would be the perfect glass recycling bin.

Mind blowing. How had I never recognized it before?

Capturing Life - Colby Sanford

Yesterday we visited Colby Sanford at his home/studio

to see our finished commissioned painting.

He wanted us to see it in person to give our final okay

before he varnished it.

I've been following him on Instagram and was floored when I realized an artist

can "erase." What? Last summer he showed a painting with four children crossing a log

(I'm pretty sure we were the inspiration!)

and then he removed one of the children because he preferred the composition with only three.

I'm glad I saw that so I understood he can actually make tweaks.

And he's talented but also humble, so I knew his ego wouldn't get involved.

First off, it's beautiful, We love it!

Secondly, Courtney's face was a little off and so was Marty's hair.

I couldn't put my finger on it exactly, but when he pulled out the inspiration pics,

I could see how he'd painted it perfectly, and also the picture captured those details differently from real life.

I asked if we could make the tweaks in person and he preferred it that way rather than 

trying to communicate via e-mail.

So we all sat in his dining room (me, Dan, Jason and Sue) and watched him work.

Courtney's cheek was rounder than I thought it should be and her nose a little pointier.

With one flick of the brush, the nose was changed and he fixed her cheek.

Although we couldn't see her lips, I felt like she wasn't smiling.

He said the ears change a bit with a smile and he made that adjustment.

With Marty, I wanted his head a little rounder than Chris' and more hair.

And then someone made a comment that it's a testament to how well our moms know us

when the smallest details aren't quite right.

I was so glad he was open and willing to easily make changes,

because I want to look at the picture and see my kids rather than think, "kind of my kids."

Then we wanted a little more sunlight on the grasses near the kids,

and in the water and one spot on the rocks.

His little rendering showed the brightness, but the bigger size hadn't captured it 

as strong as I wanted.

He literally just swiped his brush "randomly" across the grass, and voila, Light!