humbug

another Christmas card design from the illustration archives

Milder temperatures, thankfully, today and according to the weather site the 14 day trend is for normal (0 to -4) temperatures and above . Makes me happy. Lots of little projects on the go this week. Currently working on another, more historic, decorative, home decor-ish line of wood & metal photo frames for No. Uno customer and waiting for further direction from new big fish company re: my first line of jewellery designs for them. 5 pages of thumbnails sent out and initial feedback is that they love, love everything, all my drawings. Smile. I love them too (which is always nice and not always the case). Sometimes their wish has to be my command.

I can't believe Christmas is two weeks away and I'm afraid I feel nothing. No enthusiasm, no real holiday spirit to speak of, and worst of all (or maybe it's best of all ?) no real feeling of obligation or guilt or that seasonal wondering is there something wrong with me because I seem bereft, each year, of Holiday Spirit (compared to others anyway, but oh yeah we're not supposed to compare ourselves to others - right).

My Holiday Baking Part 1 fiasco really has put the kibosh on any keenness I might have had for Holiday Baking Parts 2 & 3. Failure is not usually part of my repertoire and come to find out I don't deal with it well at all. I also did not design my own spectacular Christmas cards (which I mean to do every year - I am a designer after all) in time to have them properly printed, addressed and mailed. As I am writing that last sentence I'm realizing that it is that nasty perfectionist person at work again. If my own Christmas cards can't be blow-you-away-beautiful then I don't care to make them. I couldn't possibly be sending out something that I designed unless I myself am blown away by it - a virtually impossible task. And of course it's too late to buy cards that meet with my impeccable design taste here in our little village and I have no immediate plans to bust out to town and it's also too late to order cards from UNICEF or World Wildlife or some other similar organization that myself would approve of. If my attempts at Holiday Baking gift boxes can't be Martha esque. Sweet little wrappers and perfect little Christmas confections ... well what's the point. And with only two weeks left I've realized that ... I've run out of time. Two weeks is not enough time to create the magical, wonderful, beautiful perfect things on my list of what I'd like to be giving. Hence the well I really didn't care anyway attitude. Smirk.

Yesterday I did buy a 2008 day planner and I'm thinking today I might pencil in a few things. September - begin designing fabulous Christmas card and buy cards from non profit organization as a back up. October - make list of gift recipients and dream up one hand made gift per person, cat or dog. November - make gifts and wrap them in a creative recycled & handmade fashion. December - scratch holiday baking, don't sweat it and donate the money I saved to our food bank and animal shelter