happy december!

i have started my christmas decorating
and i just
love
love
 LOVE
 putting it all together!

the mantel over my fireplace....

in soft muted shades of greys and creams...

in our cozy den....

charlie brown tree in a galvanized bucket....

inspired by these vintage deer
i have collected and spray painted and glittered....

and lots of old stripped down books tied with strings....
these are a few of my favorite things.

of course,
plenty of twinkly fairy lights....

and fuzzy woolen stockings....

tied with a beautiful white ribbon
and embellished with deer sheds....

it's a start....
but knowing me....
like i know me,
it will be changed and tweaked a bit until i get it just so...

have you started decorating yet?

happy december!

erin



p.s.  if you are new to my blog,
then you probably don't know that i have a job working for the Bun Lady (her real name is Cordia Harrington but most know her as the bun lady)
she owns several bakeries and makes buns for McDonald's and several other restaurants in the s.e. u.s.
i am affectionately known as her gardener because i do all of the gardening at her home,
but i also serve as a sort of home manager for her
and my biggest project of the year is decorating her 10,000 sq. ft. home for the holidays.

p.p.s.  i just finished her decorations last week before thanksgiving.....yay!
eight days and two assistants!
it's a hard job but after 11 years i still love doing it.

p.p.p.s.  for a few years i juggled several christmas decorating jobs including the bun lady...but it was way too much work and stress.

p.p.p.p.s.  although i do love that job,
i really love decorating my little understated abode.
it is so
 well
me.

we have a winner!

 and the winner

 of my give away

 IS....

drum roll please.....

 kerrie of sea cottage!

congratulations kerrie!

and a big thank you 

to everyone of you darling folks who entered!

i love each and everyone of ya!

mwaaa!

have a great weekend!

erin

reflections of autumn and a give away reminder....

as the colors of autumn start to wane,

i urgently desire to capture the hues of every leaf....

even in the reflection of Radnor Lake....

a different perspective, if you will

it is good practice to "see" things in a new way occasionally.

these reflections look rather abstract, don't you think?

on this most 

particularly

 spectacular

 day

in 

autumn.

erin

p.s.  thanks to all of you who have entered my give away and left me such sweet and supportive comments.  i feel humbled and so very blessed.

p.p.s.  give away ends on november 22nd....there is still time to enter, if you haven't already.

see previous post.

p.p.p.s.  i recently sold two of my original cow paintings in a nearby gallery AND i had my very first sale on etsy!!  thank you so much Glenn!

p.p.p.p.s.   yippie skippie!!!!

Mason Jar Painting give away! and an ARTY!

that's right
 i am having an
ARTY!

an art party.
an arty!
and you are invited!

what's the occasion,
 you ask?

my bravery
and

erinsartandgardens 
on etsy

is open for business!

insert an explosion of confetti here.

that's erinsartandgardens (one word...no spaces)

yes, i finally, finally opened my etsy store,
and i would just love it, love it if you would pop on over and check it out.

i even installed a link to it on my sidebar (fancy, i know).
in honor of my opening and since this is an "arty"
 i am having my very first
giveaway!

i am giving away to one random winner,
this original piece of art
called

"grey jars I"
seen above

12"x12"
square canvas
original acrylic painting
heavily textured in shades of greys and whites
signed by me( of course) on back

if you would like a chance at winning this painting
and i sure hope you do....
i think you know the drill...

"follow" me (for one chance or let me know that you already follow)
or 
blog about this giveaway (for chance 2)
or 
visit my etsy store and come back here and tell me what you think (for chance 3)

this arty will go on for 3 weeks until november 22nd.
drinking wine during the arty is highly recommended, as i heard on the news, there will be a shortage of wine soon.....what?  say it ain't so!


good luck!

erin


p.s.  thank you so much to all of you who have been such big supporters for me....you know who you are...your positive comments and e-mails blow me away......and i love you and could not have done this without you....i am overwhelmed and humbled by you very day.
:0)

p.p.s.  i have tried very hard to offer up affordable art, on the smaller side, to make it easier for me to ship....until i get used to this new venture....larger paintings will come later.

p.p.p.s.  who knows where this venture will go?  but i am so excited, nervous and giddy by the possibilities....

weeeeee.....
arty down!