Sue's Blog - Some assembly required.

Busy

I haven't blogged in a while.
It is just that I have been so busy.
We spent last weekend putting up the outside lights and decorations.  It was perishing cold and snowy.
Way colder than it usually is in November.  It is more like January weather.
All week it has been around minus 10 to minus 15C in the morning and not warming up much during the day either.
After being outside at the weekend, I felt poorly again.
I think that, as I was not quite over the lurgy I had picked up in Vegas, I must have just got chilled.
Whatever it was I felt pants.
But, the lights were all over the house, the reindeer, sleigh, snowmen, Father Christmas and various other novelties were all established, so it was a job well done.
We shall do the lighting ceremony on Sunday December 1st - Griswold style.

I have been also busy doing pet portraits.
I managed to finish the last two Christmas orders this week.
One I have already sent off and the other I am trying to stop tweaking.
This is one of the hardest things for me.   I reach a point when I have to tell myself...."LEAVE THE BLOODY THING ALONE", or I will keep on and 'overwork' the picture.
The danger is it will lose its 'freshness'.
The one I sent off has already arrived and the lady loves it.  Phew....that is always a relief.
Portraits, be they pet or people, are by their very nature, a very personal thing.
Portraits have to look like the person or pet that they represent.
This last one I have 'almost' finished is a Basset hound.  He is gorgeous, but naturally, the owner wants a picture of him, not of any old generic Basset hound.
Fortunately, I am a stickler for detail so I do make major efforts to ensure that each portrait looks as exactly like the sitter as I can.
It is still a worry though.
The previous one was a cat, a very striking looking cat, that the lady ordered for her daughter as a Christmas gift.
I am so pleased that she said she is thrilled with it and can't wait to give it to her.
Mister Basset is a gift from a lady to her husband.
I can't post photos of either of them on facebook yet in case I spoil the surprise.
I will put them on here soon I expect.
Anyway, with any luck I can seal the Basset picture over the weekend and send him off.
No more before Christmas.  They are a process so they do take time.  I would never rush one.

I have also been printing and glittering my Christmas cards.....oh and I have started putting up the indoor decorations too.
Oh it is all go innit.

Thursday was Thanksgiving.
The picture above is our friend doing his 'James Bond villain' impersonation with our Lily.
Lily likes him.
Well, to be honest, Lily is something of a trollop (even with her pedigree) and seems flirt with anyone.
We had a lovely dinner, ate too much, of course, and spent the evening watching QI on the telly via a gadget Philip had bought that allows us to watch Youtube on TV.
That don't have quality like QI on our American telly.

posted by Sue Banks @ 6:18 PM