The new year always starts slowly for me. The first two weeks of January feel like the last two weeks of December. I typically have lots of ideas and plans for the year, but spend these early weeks filing sales tax for the city and state, doing inventory, and restocking supplies. And to be honest, I need the time to rest after a tiring holiday season. It's just now in mid-January that I'm thinking about what I'd like to focus on this year. So if this also describes you, you're not alone!
On My Work (Art) Table
Late last year I treated myself to an art advent calendar from Arteza when they went on sale for 70% off. It didn't arrive until well into December, so I saved it for January. It's beautifully designed and it's been fun opening up each little door to find a surprise art supply each day. I'd highly recommend it for new artists, as it's a fun way to try a lot of different materials that you might not otherwise buy. For example, I now own a tube of oil paint! I've never used oil paints, so this is a great way for me to see if I like it. Ditto for a tiny circular canvas. Who knew that you could buy canvas in a shape that wasn't a square or rectangle?
In the Kitchen
I've been going through a turmeric tea phase. I've tried the organic ginger and turmeric tea from Trader Joe's, along with the Ginger Peach Turmeric from Bigelow. (Honesty, I'm not sure I can articulate the difference between them since I haven't tasted them side-by-side!) There's something very comforting and cozy about this slightly spicy tea.
What I'm Reading
I enjoyed the Henry Winkler memoir Being Henry more than I expected. I really admire how he pivoted multiple times after Happy Days ended and he had difficulty finding work as an actor. He tried so many things (voiceover work in cartoons, directing, writing children's books) and said yes to a lot of random TV or movie guest roles. It was a great reminder to be open to new experiences and ideas. After finishing the book, I looked up his first TV role, a guest spot on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It was fun to see him in "The Dinner Party" (season 4, episode 10) near the end of the episode.
Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny was another book I enjoyed. This is a well-written true story about two women in the 1930s who explored the Grand Canyon area as botanists. The author is a science journalist who works for public radio.
I'm one of those people who likes to take note of facts or interesting quotes as I read. I finally caved and bought some book tabs, which are little sticky papers like Post-It notes that you can mark pages and remove. I love the pretty colors they come in! I'm still new to using them, but I'm hoping I'll be able to reuse them multiple times before they loose their sticky quality.
On My Library Hold List
One title that caught my eye recently was The Farmer's Wife: My Life in Days by Helen Rebanks. The book is supposed to cover a single day on a working farm in England.
Art I Admired
Did you catch the controversy in Kansas last year about their "ugly" new license plates? They announced a redesign in December. It reminded me that I'd heard about two Colorado artists who designed license plate options to celebrate the state's 150th anniversary. I think the winning entry in the "under 13" category with the vibrant mountain painting is especially pretty and unlike any license plate design I've ever seen before.
I also was amazed by the beautiful quilt that 101-year-old Grace Linn made to protest current book bans.
Made Me Laugh
I enjoyed the latest cartoons by Ellis Rosen, particularly the "home office gossip" and "stages of winter."
New in the Shop
I originally thought I'd use these mountain-themed steel pendants for earrings, but they turned out to be a little heavy. So now they're necklaces! The first one includes matching earrings and the second one has some leafy connectors.
See you next month!