Today is (or, I guess, more accurately, yesterday was) my husband's 39th birthday. (Before you start trying to figure it out: yes, we're 10 years apart.)

It's not just his birthday, however. It's also a Saturday night. So, instead of our spending the evening doing something fun and charming together, he had a gig. A pretty nice one -- it's his trio at a really great local coffee/wine place (much preferable to a smoky bar these days). Ah, the glamorous life of a musician. And instead of my going with him to his charming gig where he'll be playing jazz renditions of Christmas songs, I am home, sick, with two over-stimulated, over-tired children, looking at this:

I love winter. I love winter holidays. I love winter holiday crafting. I apparently even love (or simply can't avoid?) working on deadline. But I am definitely looking forward to a long winter's nap come Tuesday.

I would, however, like to reveal the dolls that I have been working on and talking about to so many of you for, oh, months now. I finished them both today! Here they are, rosy cheeks and all:

I am really, really loving them and so amazed that I actually completed the project. There were moments where I wasn't sure that I'd be able to finish them. But, thanks in large part to the help of my lovely, wonderful, birthday-boy husband, who was fabulous about keeping Elisabeth away from my studio this last week, I was able to get them finished. With a day to spare!

I will be signing off until after Christmas, perhaps until after the New Year if I haven't recovered from my cold by then. I hope you all have/had a wonderful holiday.

uncommon grace