Christmas Time is Here

// Festive Kitty Christmas Card //

December!? When did that happen?!? I took my car in for an oil change this weekend and to both my mechanic's and my horror, the last time I had had my oil changed was...wait for it...January 2012!!! (I hope my Dad doesn't read this) It really seemed like I had it changed 4 months ago-- ok, try 12 months ago. Time. Flies.

Every year since I can remember, I've made a Christmas card that I send out to family and friends. I just updated a few of my favorites and put them up for sale in my Etsy store, i make pretty. Take a look!

I also wanted to share a super simple no-bake recipe for Date-Nut Coconut Squares that I found in Martha Stewart Home Living. I've been making these healthy treats on the weekend and bringing them to work for breakfast. They go so well with a cup of coffee. Recipe below.

 // Rocker Girl Christmas Cards //

// Dreamy Christmas // 

// Girls in White Dresses Christmas Cards //

// Simple 'No-Bake' Date-Nut Coconut  Squares //

Makes 12 Squares

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup unsalted raw cashews or almonds

- 1 cup pitted dates

- 1/2 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut

- pinch of cinnamon

1) Pulse 1/2 cup of nuts of your choice until coarsely chopped.

2) Add 1 cup of pitted dates (the softer the better), 1/4 cup of dried coconut, and a pinch of cinnamon and purée until smooth.

3) Place 1/4 cup more of the dried coconut on a plate. 

4) Take date mixture and form into 1-inch cubes. Dip all sides of the cube in the dried coconut to cover.  (I dip half and leave the other half plain as they are already quite sweet from the dates).

Cubes can be stored up to 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container.

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park: Fenton, California

 

 Every time I go home to visit my family, it has become tradition to take a hiking day trip some where new. This past trip home, we decided to go to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. This beautiful park located in the Santa Cruz mountains has over 20 miles of self guided hiking trails that weave guests through centuries-old majestic Redwoods, Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Oak, Riparian and rare ancient marine deposits called Santa Cruz sandhills.

We took the Fall Creek trail which was about a 5 mile hike along the creek bed. Some of my favorite sightings on this trail were banana slugs and a patch of small springs that have popped up out of the forrest floor-- simply magical.

I took all of these pictures with my iPhone using an olloclip. Did I get carried away with the fisheye lens? Yes. But that's okay because it was my first time using an olloclip and, if I do say so myself, I think the pictures came out great!

 // K and O in awe //

// Olivia & Mr. Banana Slug //

 // Happy Accident in Full Effect //

// she'll be comin' round the mountain //

 // Leaves like Glitter //

// So Enchanting //

 // 2 Creeks converging (or reuniting?) into 1 //

 // i was here //

// shrooms galore //

 // Daredevil Dad //

 // uprooted //

Giving Thanks, Literally.

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? I'm so happy (or should I say thankful) that I was able to 5-pack of handmade 'Thank You' cards. They're made from watercolor 

paintings of mine. 

With Thanksgiving coming up, the theme of 'Thankfulness' is all around us-- which is a good thing.

"If [thankfulness] were a drug, it would be the world's best-selling product with a health maintenance indication for every major organ system," said Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy, head of the division of biologic psychology at Duke University Medical Center.

Dr. Doraiswamy also goes on to state that "Studies have shown measurable effects on multiple body and brain systems, said Doraiswamy. Those include mood neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine), reproductive hormones (testosterone), social bonding hormones (oxytocin), cognitive and pleasure related neurotransmitters (dopamine), inflammatory and immune systems (cytokines), stress hormones (cortisol), cardiac and EEG rhythms, blood pressure, and blood sugar." Full article here.

Pretty amazing, right? Take a peak at my cards below! If you're interested, you can purchase them from my Etsy store here: i make pretty. Thank you! :)

Total Solar Eclipse

Wanted to share a quick sneak peak at some paintings I've been working on for a new "Thank You" notecard set. I'm just about done and will be sharing soon!

In other news, a total solar eclipse will take place today, starting at early dawn in Australia (Nov 14)-- 

which is the afternoon here in the US (Tue 13). A total eclipse is when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth.

"The moon's shadow will travel 9,000 miles over Earth's surface in just over three hours, EarthSky reports. The eclipse will begin at 5:45 a.m. (AEST) and finish at 7:40 a.m. During totality [an estimated 4 minutes], several stars and planets will be visible.

The Australian city of Cairns will be the locale of choice--the only city in which the "totality" will be visible." (Huffington Post)

For the rest of us that won't be in Northern Australia during this natural wonder, I came across this paragraph that described the experience in a way that made me 'feel' like I was there:

During totality the sky becomes dark, confusing birds and other animals. You see stars in the sky and it gets strangely cooler. Street lights may come on as their sensors register the lack of light. The birds disappear from the trees and flowers have been known to close up, expecting nightfall. All around you the crowds begin to cheer and clap - that's when you know 'it's on'!

Just before and just after totality the disc of the Sun is glimpsed as a pinpoint of light through mountains and craters at the edge of the Moon. This 'diamond ring effect' is one of the highlights of a total eclipse. (Space Daily)

This particular solar eclipse is very powerful since it coincides with a New Moon. It is said to be a a time to let go of all things that no longer serve you to make way for the new (read more about it here: Scorpio New Moon )-- I'm sure we all have a couple of these. 

The Magnificent Display at Dusk

The upside to a 4 and a half hour drive at dusk is watching the sky transition with beauty and grace as the sun sets and the moon rises. The sunlight becomes such a pretty golden color and everything looks mellow and nostalgic. I feel like this is a good metaphor for the time of year we're entering, when 2012 is slowly setting and we can already feel the energy of 2013 upon us. So many big changes 2012 brought (and I'm sure there will be a few more before the year is over) and it feels like now is the time to reflect as things begin to mellow out and we can see the year coming to it's end.

Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

(From "The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver)

Are there any last changes you want to make or things you want to finish before 2012 is over? Any resolutions you still need to work on?