tea plotting

Good evening!

We just put up the Christmas tree. I love standing and just looking at it,
or doing schoolwork nearby. We've always used tiny coloured lights and a conglomeration of collected ornaments and I can't imagine it any other way.
Speaking of ornaments, I just made a ton for an elaborate Christmas tea I am planning for when I get back from my first week with the children. I've wanted to do a crazily formal and special Christmas extravaganza for the girls from our church for quite awhile.

in real life they are very sparkly, tiny, and creamy looking. I am having an enormous amount of fun planning this occasion, and it will include more baking than I've ever done at once, and lots of decorating and pink and white and silver Christmas themes.
it will be beautiful and very old fashioned
and fun and everyone will have to dress up as much as possible.

and now studying and bed! It's been a very tiring weekend.
love,
Cait

happy Thanksgiving

happy Thanksgiving darlings.

we have just finished our Thanksgiving dinner. soon more people will arrive and I will meet the family whose children I will be nannying throughout parts of December and January. I am apprehensive but very excited!
There are so many things I am thankful for. my Lord. family. parents that guide and teach and mold. the desert. the beauty of music and art. Sunny. talents. my incredible life and opportunities we have had. all the places we've been. All the dearhearts and friends in my world.
for the future that awaits.

and also for all of you who read this. you are all sweet and
your encouragement to my art and the enjoyment of blogging is very kind.

love, cait

I wasn't planning on making a post of this.

- because I first thought my answers simple and short.

I was thinking of comforts, as mentioned by the darling Tea Drinking English Rose.
Upon further thought, there are a lot of things I find comforting when sad or upset, which is something to be thankful for!

Firstly, having a good cry definitely helps if it is truly needed. In America I used to go for a walk if upset, but here it is too dusty or hot.

Listening to music like Josh Groban or the Fleet Foxes is soothing.


Sometimes writing...or emailing a close friend.

Cooking.

Tea or chocolate. Sad but true =]

hugs. they always have such a comforting effect.

this verse.

He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be discouraged
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.
Isaiah 42:2-4

what comforts you?

pink & ornaments

hello darlings!
as I write this the smell of baking sugar cookies is floating into the room. it is so pleasant!
I was rather frightened this morning as I woke up with a horrible sore throat and I am singing at a little Christmas concert tomorrow night. thankfully I feel alright now, and just hope I am able to keep my throat clear and warm until then.

now, here are some Christmas ornaments I've painted for a little bazaar on Saturday.
this year I'm into the light, white-and-pink, airy Christmas look as well as the warm, dark colours.

love,
cait

for the love of Nie

this is a woman who has inspired me more than anything else about taking joy in life. stephanie nielson, who wrote theNieNieDialogues is a wife, mother, and blogger who loves her husband and four adorable children so much it spills out in enormous beautiful quantities into her pictures and words. accomplished and lovely self portrait taker, collecter of cake stands, painter of silhouettes, creative and ecclectic decorator, she is all this and more. every other post is a love letter to her husband.

this is what I want my life to be like.

raising children (lots!) to find beauty in everything - and find it myself. cook, live colourfully, enjoy pretty skirts and yellow shoes, paint, use organic lotion, make surprises, let the world know that my husband is the best thing that God has given me (when I have one =)) and that children are a reward.

right now Nie Nie and her husband are recovering from severe burning after a plane crash. the flight instructor died and Stephanie and Christian were left with burned bodies. thinking about it makes me want to cry; because someone so beautiful and inspiring and loving will spend the rest of her life recovering, dealing with pain and limits and time and difference. But so many people have been encouraged and amazed by her and that will not change. She's still the same person and though things will be vastly different for her and her family, her joyful and creative spirit can hardly be overcome.

Her children are living with her sisters now and I am hoping to be able to make them some surprises to send. There are many ways to donate to the Nielsons for their continued treatment and family, through her blog or etsy.
truly, Nie's blog is eye opening. even if being a mother isn't your goal in life, the approach to life is still the same. I want to give the way she does. All the fairytales that she lived out and gave to others. Now we are the ones to help and pray for her.

this, my friends, is what it's all about.

cupcakes again

yesterday I was in the mood to make cupcakes. they even turned out beautifully golden.
(ok, who are we kidding...the bottoms are burned. Slightly.)
But the frosting was the most perfect chocolate ever! Loads of cocoa powder.

I just begun my first 'real' scrapbook. I've always thrown my old photos and stickers and tickets and everything together in a book, but never really properly. I do have quite a nice one from my ballet years though. Do any of you know of good (and cheap) sites to order supplies and paper online?

Some of the Christmas gifts I'm making I am very excited about, but won't be able to show you until after Christmas in case they are discovered on my blog! What are you planning to give people? Christmas time is so joyful and beautiful. It can be hard to feel that way in these surroundings, with no snow and in a country that doesn't officially celebrate it. So we have to do more ourselves! In a way, that can make it more special.

hugs, cait

this is where my heart is.

I want to go back and share, love, serve.

the verdict on my first market...

(something made the day before)


it was so much fun. I was thrilled that people stopped by, and liked my art,
and paid for my paintings. it's so exciting! I also got to meet Stacey.

One girl asked if I could make her a birthday card for a friend if she came back later to pick it up.
I wasn't doing anything so I said alright; and drew what she asked for until she came an hour later.
It was fun and she was so pleased with it. technically I shouldn't just make and sell originals as quick as that without getting to scan them or anything but oh well!

A friend had a table there as well but had quite a slow day.
Her daughter bought the first painting of the day; the green and black one.
I definitely look forward to doing more fairs.
Those of you who sell your work; what was it like for you the first time?

I hope you are all well and enjoying life.
love, cait

the universal thing about a face is each one can express

My friend Chris is a songwriter.

Actually, she's a bagpiper.
First and foremost she consideres herself a pianist.

Whatever she says...she is an amazing musician. We were together in the advancedest class at the Ohio Scottish Arts School this summer.
She writes musicals. She is at Harvard for....music?...Of course.

When we left camp she gave me her CD, recorded in her house. It's called 88 Keys and if I could make all of you buy it I would (though I don't know how to buy it; being a gift cause she's nice and we were roommates).

My favourite songs are Five Again, Difference, and Midnight Prayer.
The title of this post is one of the lyrics from Difference.
Her lyrics are really good. One of my favourites is this, from Five Again -
'and if i was five i'd still idolize madeline...and wonder
how she could stand to walk in such straight lines.'


and this, also from Difference.
'and though my face doesn't look like yours; i understand what it says.
the universal thing about a face is...each one can express [its loneliness].'

but her piano playing; my word, like piano rock...crazy banging on the keys going on.

she's hilarious, and talented, and great.

animal kingdom, epcot, the march Hare.

late late late!

Alice, the March Hare, and the Mad Hatter's table in Epcot.

little sister Candace and friends.
Dahlia Oz in the Japan area of Epcot.

I cought a brief glimpse of Snow White (my dream to be as a Disney character!).

By far the highlight of the Animal Kingdom for me was Finding Nemo: the Musical. It was of broadway caliber, about 45 minutes long, and really spectacular and beautiful. The costumes and acting were lovely, and Dori's voice especially was marvelous. The puppets for the fish were hand operated by the actors, who acted and sung as well, by hand switched controlling face, eyes, mouth, and expressions. Coordination to the extreme!

*
Stacey of StaceyDotDot, scrapbooking and crafting talent tagged me to post seven random or obscure things about myself.

- everyone who knows me in person already knows this, but I play the bagpipes. It is such a fun and exciting and beautiful instrument, though physically exhausting to play.
- my family has lived in Dubai since August 2006 but it is not our first time living outside of the US.
- I was born in Spain.
- drawing is something I have only been interested in for about two years, and painting for a few months.
- I am not a republican or democrat! I'm a Contitutionalist and believe in morals, the free market, and less government.
- on both sides of my family I am the oldest cousin, yet I cannot drive since you have to be 18 in Dubai and 16 in America!
- I like to wear bright red lipstick.

I tag -
a fairytale unlike any other. a warm and random friend. =]
Liz! Whom I'm not sure would like to have her link posted, but is a dear friend.
Milkberry of Milkberry Musings, sweet, friendly, and fun to read.
She Loves the Radio, my favourite Dutch blogger (along with Tizzalicious =).
Kyleigh, my clever sister.
Jasmine, South African young lady from afar!
Krystal - Be What You Mean. Always.

We are home. It is so good to be home. My art fair is on Friday after church, which is making me apprehensive but full of excitement. And now I must away for more tea and preparation!

land of dreams

I love love love Disneyworld.

we spent a day in the Magic Kingdom first. We liked Splash Mountain, It's a Small World, and the Peter Pan ride. So creative. Also the Bear Jambouree (classic old mechanical bears and bluegrass), meeting the princesses, seeing the castle, the parade, Snow White's Scary Adventures. the whole place is marvelous.

we thought the camel was cute, coming from the gulf.

Cinderella - always my favourite, ever since I was two and insisted I was her.

Snow White and Pinocchio!

I didn't get to 'meet' Snow White like I did Cinderella, Belle, Alice, and the Mad Hatter (who really sounded like him and crossed his eyes at you), but I'm dying to Disney to come to Dubai so I can get a job.

I insisted I would ride the teacups even if I had to wait an hour, but lines were perfect the two days we were there and I didn't wait long at all.

I can't wait to go back someday with my own little girls.

------

contrary to most I am notoverjoyed about the outcome of the election, but I trust that it is what is right in the long run since Someone is in control of everything! but no, I did not support either of the candidates.

tagged by A Fairytale Unlike Any Other for the'Happy tag' :]

6 unimportant things that make me happy.

- sunlight streaming through windows

- wearing aprons.

- new art supplies

- hugging my little sister Candace.
- the smell of every single candle in my room lit.

- hearing from people I love.

i tag....anyone who would enjoy doing it.

now we are in Texas with family. only a few more days!

Don't you always feel relieved to go home, even when you've had alovely time away?

love, cait