A Special Christmas Delivery
You've got mail!
Hey, how’s it going? I hope you are hanging in there. I’ve been working on finishing up all of my holiday shopping and wrapping, and getting everything in order for the big day. I think I’m almost ready.
Also, I’ve been thinking about that song, The 12 Days of Christmas. What a strange song, right? Ten Lords-a-leaping is quite a funny gift to give.
Wait.
Did you hear that?
Oh! Look it’s your mailman.
It’s cold, why is he wearing shorts?
Those guys work so hard this time of year.
What did he bring you?
Perfect! Your issue of The Observationalist arrived right on time!
And it looks like there is something else there too?
What’s in the envelope?
Oh, a Christmas card. That’s nice.
Who’s it from?
Wait. What?! It’s from ME??
Just kidding! I knew it was from me. I was just excited to watch you read it.
Well?
Aren’t you curious to see what I got you?
Open it!
Such a CLASSIC GIFT! I know!
In all seriousness, this is just a note to say thanks for being here, and really I hope you have a great holiday season.
Even though I didn’t get you an actual gift for Christmas, I thought I’d leave you with a list of some nice things that I found to be my favorites this year. Things that I turned to again and again. My essentials, I guess? Maybe you’ll find something here for a treat to yourself.
These are all things that I love to use, or have enjoyed in some way this past year…
Nice things for being creative and productive…
I’ve been using these sketchbooks, and I love them. They have really nice creamy warm paper.
And these brush pens are nice. An actual brush filled with ink. You can get a super fine thin line, or a big bold one, and lots of textures in between. All in one pen.
For digital brushes, I love everything True Grit Texture Supply makes. My favorites lately are the Rusty Nibs, and the Chromagraph brushes. (I use the ones made for Procreate. Five stars.)
A timer to help avoid bad habits. Sometimes I need a reminder to stand up every so often and get away from my desk and walk around. Sometimes I need to make myself sit down for 30 minutes or so and get some stuff done. Just set the timer and do it. It looks cute on a desk, too.
An adjustable surface for your desk. I spend a lot of time drawing and looking down at my desk, and I’ve learned the hard way that it’s super important to prop up my work surface, or else get ready for some serious neck pain. I bought one of these and it has been perfect. The angle is fully adjustable, and I added a little lip to the bottom edge so I can prop my iPad up for drawing on it as well. My neck has never felt better! (yes, this one is a bit pricey, but I can say it is very well made. I use it all the time, so it was a good investment for me.)
Audiobooks!…
It is a luxury to bury my nose in an actual physical book and get lost in it’s pages, but I also listen to lots of books. I love a good story that can keep my mind busy when I’m doing something that doesn’t require my full train of thought. I’m very picky about narrators. A narrator can make it or break it. Here are a few books I found to fall into that sweet spot, for me:
The Eyes and the Impossible, by Dave Eggers. Narrated by Ethan Hawke. Yes, this is technically a kids book, but I LOVED it. It’s a story about friendship, beauty, liberation, and running very, very fast. It’s told from a dog’s point of view, and Ethan Hawke knocks it out of the park. Highly recommend.
Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver. Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorites, so this one was high on the list this year. A modern re-telling of David Copperfield. So good.
Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett. Narrated by Meryl Streep. I love Ann Patchett’s writing, and then to have Meryl Streep read it to me? Absolutely. Yes.
The Storyteller, by Dave Grohl. Narrated by Dave Grohl. (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) There’s nothing better than hearing a creative genius (musical, artistic, or otherwise) talk about how they do their thing. The story behind the art. I was fully engrossed, and entertained listening to Grohl tell his story.
The Christie Affair, by Nina de Gramont. Who doesn’t love a good mystery? Did you know that Agatha Christie, the famed mystery writer, went missing for eleven days in 1926? That actually happened. It was big news. When she reappeared she didn’t speak of it. Strange, right? No one really knows what happened, or why. This book is a fictional re-telling of the event, imagining what could have happened. A mystery about the greatest mystery writer.
Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus. There is a new Apple tv series based on this book. If you haven’t seen it yet, listen to this first and then watch the show. Both are very good.
The Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towles. To be quite honest, I’ve had some difficulty getting into some of Amor Towles other books, but this one was different. A great plot, interesting characters, and a story that moved along at a fast clip. An A+ listen.
Other nice things…
The America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook. Maybe you’ve seen the America’s Test Kitchen cooking show on PBS? Everything from the show, all the seasons, is here. And, these people know their stuff. Everything we have made from this book has been delicious. Yum.
Going on walks. Outside. Always and forever. Walking is like medicine for the body and the mind. I’m probably going to write a whole newsletter, or several, on this sometime.
I’m someone who loves to workout and get my exercise in, and keep my body strong and healthy. For almost the past two years I’ve been using the Ladder app just for that purpose, and I love it. If you are looking for something with a solid plan, to keep you going, this has been great for me. I use it almost every single day. ** They don’t sponsor me, and I’m getting nothing for saying this. I just like it! But if they WANTED to sponsor me, I’d take it.
I’m signing off for the year! This will be my last note to you in 2023. I hope the holidays are kind to you, and fill you with great hope and endless warmth!
Merry Christmas!
xo
Carrie
Hi Carrie, I got to your newsletter from searching for another of your calendars. I imagine it’s hard to make one every year- that’s a lot of art! But I loved your 2023 calendar so much that I can’t go back to my old calendar artists. Every image spoke to me and either inspired me to get outside or reminded me of an outdoor experience from the past or just gave me awe-filled appreciation of nature while just standing in the kitchen! If you’re not doing another calendar, I might just have to get crafty and cut and paste your 2022 images into a 2024 calendar (sadly missing your art on the bottom of the calendar pages. Blessings in 2024!