wrap up

Yesterday marked the beginning of the over-eating season. We had our Christmas lunch get-together at Mum's house; just Sister Sparkle, her man, me, Mr You, Mum and my step dad. It's been a few years since we've had a Christmas celebration all together (as Sister Sparkle was travelling around the country), just us without loads of other relatives and friends. It was special, and Mum really went all out on the lunch part. We spent all day there, eating and laughing, opening gifts and playing board games. I savoured it as it's rare these days, and Sister Sparkle is setting off to travel around the country again next year (in the opposite direction this time), so it's likely we won't be doing this again for another few years.

It came at the end of a fruitful week for me. I did a really cute portrait photoshoot of some children and their puppy, lined up a months worth of work in January making a website for an author (meaning I don't have to go find a real job for a while yet), made a few Chrissy presents including a button brooch for Sister Sparkle and cushions for Mum, squeezed in some Christmas shopping, and spent a fair bit of time at the ever-growing queue outside the post office (yes it's so long at the moment that it trails outside and up the street a bit).

I had an order placed for a bag, and spent some time finishing an order for a painting from the markets last week. Actually that's a cute story... At the markets last weekend a mum let her little girl choose any one of my paintings to buy, the little girl ummed and arhed about which one she liked best. She really wanted a dark purple background so I told her I could paint something especially for her on purple, and she could choose whatever she wanted the painting to be of. There were princesses and pirates, and mermaids and unicorns, a wizard and owl, and in the end she decided what she really wanted was a treasure chest! (with rubies and emeralds inside). How cute is that?! I was kind of impressed actually that she chose something unique and unusual.

It reminded me of a time I was face painting at a community fete once. A little boy sat infront of me and asked me to paint his face like the back of a bus! (I dont know if he'd overheard someone use an insult at one time like "That woman has a face like the back of a bus"). Either way that's all he wanted. So I put my brain into gear and painted his face like the back of a bus, along with people in the back window and a number plate and big tyres. He was delighted. How cool is that?
Curious aren't they, those cute little people with strong personalities?