Handmade Spoils

It's so long since I've written anything here, but I've been sitting on some pictures I wanted to share of some lovely little handmade things I picked up over the holidays, although Christmas has long since come and gone. I went to the Bazaar Bizarre in Boston in early December with the intention of doing some holiday shopping for others, but as it happened, everything that caught my eye was just perfect for me, me, me, so Santa visited me a little early.

Because I am always blowing my nose (mild cat allergies? bad habit?), a little mini tissue holder in a mermaid-girl print from (I think!) Wonderland Q.

Scuba girl! Well, I don't know who she is, but I liked her intrepid (if a tad perplexed) adventuress look. The artist, illustrator and comics artist George Pfromm II, had a tableful of pen-and-ink characters, original art from his recent Honolulu Dogfight show. It was hard to decide which one to choose.

I love, love, love this mug from Hijacked Ceramics, so much so that I think I need to buy one more so my heart doesn't break if something happens to this one. Wait, let me go take care of that right now, before someone else snatches up the one I have my eye on ... okay, there, it's ordered. The mug is a nice, generous size with a big handle, feels good to hold, and has a beautiful, sanded-down texture that makes me think of time-worn painted tiles in faraway places like Morocco and Spain. Yes, I expect quite a lot from my morning cup of coffee.

I've still found it difficult to carve out time for making things, myself, with Baby H now in the picture, so I've been settling for micro-projects (and things like knitting that can be picked up and put down at will). Here's a paper garland I made from kimono-print origami paper (which now has a second life decorating the window in the baby's room). Originally I thought I would use it to decorate the tree, but I liked it so much I gave it pride of place over our fake fireplace.

So, until next time -- hopefully not another four months -- happy Groundhog Day! I love how ever since the Bill Murray movie, I think of it (and am sure I'm not alone in this) as a day that keeps happening over and over, instead of a peculiar holiday involving a small animal, shadows, and the promise of spring.