Holiday Shopping in NYC

"Holiday Shoppers," available at The Nancydraws Shop:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/61807091/christmas-card-city-shoppers

Well, its the last week before Christmas, and not even a week before Hanukkah begins. I'm sure there are still cards to write, cookies to bake, parties to attend, and gifts buy and wrap, so thanks for taking a look at my blog post today. I want to share some pictures to show what inspired a greeting card that I created last year, which is pictured above, "Holiday Shoppers."

If you spend much time in Manhattan at this time of year, you'll see people wandering around the city with all kinds of colorful and festive shopping bags. Since this week is the height of the holiday shopping season, I've taken a bunch of photos of these bags, which you'll see when you scroll down.

This illustration also reminds me of a story a friend of mine told me from when she was in high school. She went to midtown after school in December with a friend to see the store window decorations along Fifth Avenue. Both of them were raised in a blue-collar Queens neighborhood and had their backpacks with them as they walked around and enjoyed the sites. They both felt a little out of place, walking past others in fur coats, carrying their purchases from the ritzy stores along the avenue in festive shopping bags.

The friend suggested going into Saks Fifth Avenue and requested 2 shopping bags from one of the sales clerks. The two then placed their backpacks in the bags and felt better about "blending in" with the rest of the well-to-do shopping crowd. So, you never know what's in those bags you see people carrying down the street!

Can You Control the Holiday Whirl?

It's the beginning of holiday time again, and as much as I love the parties, decorations, and the fun that comes along with it, sometimes it can be overwhelming, can't it?

There are extra shopping trips and errands to add in to our usual schedule; card and gift buying, wrapping, and sometimes shipping; special dishes to cook and bring with us to the holiday parties or events we attend. If you're the host/hostess of such an event, your home must be decorated and cleaned up and down.

Amongst all of the usual holiday preparations I am gearing up for orders from The Nancydraws Shop, stocking up on my supplies, finishing the artwork that appears on the cards and tags, and thinking of ways to spread the word out about my shop to potential buyers. Since I print the cards from my home printer, I wait until a new order comes in and then get to work printing them out, trimming to size, and wrapping them up for shipment.

So, aside from hiring a personal assistant, what are your tips for staying sane during this exciting but busy time of year?

Blog Swap: Eat Your Beans!

Today I am participating in a blog swap with a friend of mine from high school, Jean Ciemniecki Mead. We were in art classes together, our first class of the day, if I remember correctly. I always marveled at how perfectly her black liquid eyeliner was applied each morning.

Nowadays, Jean lives in Georgia and has a blog called "Eat Your Beans, A Vegan Mom Challenge," which she began in June 2011. Jean documents her process of going vegan and has some great recipes posted, as well as inspiring quotes and photos. Make sure to check out the Beer Battered Tofu or the Vegan Lasagne. Jean and I are both fans of the Red Lentil Thai Chili, which I created art work for on my post on her blog today. Links and photos for recipes are throughout the post.

Hi, Jean,
What is your blog about? How did you start writing it?
I started my blog this past June, I was challenging myself to go vegan and decided that by blogging about it, I would not only be held accountable  but I might help others too. I include vegan recipes, music and book info and I rant every now and again about how difficult (but rewarding) being vegan in an omnivorous household is.


What else aside from blogging and searching out new vegan recipes do you do most days?
I work part time at the local library. I really love my job; I am surrounded by books and have a blast with the kids during story time. I am also a wife and mother of two kids, so I spend a lot of time refereeing, driving, cooking and cleaning.

 Beer Battered Tofu Recipe 

What are your guilty pleasures?
Reading. On the couch, with wine and no interruptions….it doesn’t happen often (the interruption part anyway). I love stupid horror movies, blasting music and dancing around like an idiot with my kids (or alone), and thrift store shopping.


Do you have any pets?I have two dogs, a Belgian Malinois (German Shepard type dog) who is a 2 year old crazy toddler and a Husky mix that is 12 years old but still wrestles with the “puppy” when she gets the notion. It usually sounds like Chewbacca and the Hamburgler at a WWF smack down.


Do you have any favorites out of all of the recipes you have posted on the blog?
Yes, the Red Lentil Thai Chili. I make it every week and freeze it. Everyone I know is sick to death about hearing about it. I am also enjoying homemade miso soup.

 Red Lentil Thai Chili 

 

Any recipes that turned out to be disasters?

Yup, plenty! I have murdered quite a lot of perfectly good food. In my house, they are called “epic fails” and it usually includes a baked good. My current disaster has been vegan Yorkshire pudding. Not. Going. To. Happen.


Has your life become more creative since you began your blog? If yes, in what way(s)?
Yes! Back in High School and College, I was creative in a totally different way, very much into art and a little writing. But now, I have discovered how much I love writing and do so every chance I get.


Is there anything in particular that inspires you? (a color? a place? a person? a time of year?, etc.)
Music is my muse. I love it and listen to all types any chance I get. I would rather listen to my online radio station than watch TV at any given time.

Vegan Lasagne

Since Thanksgiving is only one week away, what are you thankful for?

I am thankful for my friend's and family's unwavering support in everything I try.... I am also thankful for spell check.

Do you have any advice for others who would like to go vegan?
Yes, do it! Try it! Inform yourself, read, read, read about it and try out recipes. Make small changes if you have to and eliminate one animal product at a time. If you feel that going vegan is the right thing to do for yourself, whether it is because of health reasons or animal cruelty reasons-do it and don’t let others talk you out of it. I have a list of books on my site that help and recipes on there that will get you through your cravings.


Anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you for letting me share my blog with you and your readers! I always end my blog posts with a quote of the day, this one is a favorite of mine… 

“Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don’t try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.”

—Anthony Robbins

Jean in her kitchen, as she massacres fresh beets!

Group Show, November 11!

Hello Family, Friends, and Fans,

I've been invited to be hang two of my illustrations in a group show at the Gowanus Print Lab in Brooklyn, NY. "Hybrid World" is a joint venture with the Gowanus Print Lab and the Graphic Artists Guild, which I am a member of.

I'm thrilled to take part in this opportunity and I hope you'll be able to join me for the opening reception on Friday, November 11 from 6-9pm. Further details at the link:

https://gowanusprintlab.com/Home.html

Gowanus Print Lab

54 Second Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 1121
718.788.3930
info@gowanusprintlab.com

Coming Attractions!

Last night I cooked up a delicious pot of Red Lentil Thai Chili for dinner. It was for nourishment as well as doing my part of a guest blogging swap that I'm participating in with Jean Ciemniecki Mead. I made sketches of some of the ingredients to go along with my post for Jean's blog, Eat Your Beans: A Vegan Mom Challenge. We'll each be taking a turn on each others blogs in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes and your sweet potatoes peeled!

Illustration Portfolio App

Great news! The Graphic Artists Guild iPad app is now available, and five of my illustrations are featured. It is F-R-E-E so I hope any of you who have iPads will download it and let me know what you think... especially if you're an art director! ; )

Here's the link:
Graphic Artists Guild on the iTunes App Store

Farmers' Market

This page is part of Adele's trip to the market where she buys a lot of her food. In an earlier post, I showed you the luscious strawberries that she picked up on the same shopping trip, and this page drawing faces that page.

Adele's story is set during the springtime, but shopping at an open-air market always makes me think of summer here on the east coast, since that is when our farmers' markets are overflowing with a large variety of my favorite produce... tomatoes, corn, peaches, blueberries, and so much more! I really love the smell of all of that fresh food. Go local!!!