Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays friends! 

I hope no matter what you are doing today, or who you are with, your day is filled with love and light!

XO, 

Black Friday Sale!

Hello friends!

How was your Thanksgiving? (If you are one of my US friends, that is.)

Are you doing Black Friday shopping today? If so, I have a fun sale to share with you!

I created a set of printable Christmas gift tags and other happies for the Illustrated Faith shop, and today you can get 50% off everything using code WONDER_50! 

Goodness that's an awesome deal!

Here is a peek at my set...

And a few of the others (SO GORGEOUS!)...

You can shop them all HERE!

XO,

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas friends! 

And happy anything else you may be celebrating today!

I'm SO very thankful for you!

We have had a truly delightful and relaxing Christmas, and I'm beyond grateful for that. I hope you are enjoying time to rest, laugh, eat good food and recharge!


XO,

Free Holiday Printables

Hello friends and Happy Monday!

I've been busy making you things, and I have two free holiday printables for you!

First up is a coloring page:

The idea behind this page came from my son Ben, which makes me love it even more. Who wouldn't wish for presents and candy falling from the sky? No one I know, that's for sure! 

Click here to download the coloring page!

And if this isn't even coloring fun for you, You can also grab my printable holiday coloring book with six fun pages here! These pages are perfect for holiday parties and family gatherings.

And for that second printable, I got so obsessed with the different motifs in the coloring page that I turned them into a set of holiday gift tags!

There are eight different cheerful tags, ready to be attached to gift bags, boxes, or any package you desire! They would also be fun embellishments for your holiday scrapbooking. 

Click here to download the tags!

And because I couldn't stop there, I also turned it into a pattern!

I pretty much want to wrap all of our Christmas gifts in these happy houses. Or move into one of them. I mean a candy cane roof? Come on. 

I added it to my Zazzle shop as wrapping paper and ordered a roll...SUPER excited to see how it turned out! You can see it here. 

If you share the printables on social media, I'd love to see how you use them! Tag me @mandyfordart! 

Happy printing & even happier holidays!

XO,

{new coloring book!}

This is how I like to start a Sunday morning...

Coffee & coloring perfection.

I'm excited to share that my new printable holiday coloring book is now available in my Etsy shop!

There are four new pages and two of last year's favorites. 



These pages are perfect for any age and a great addition to holiday parties and family gatherings. Or you can keep it all to yourself...I won't tell. 😉

Click here to shop!

And if you're looking for markers to use, check out this blog post where I share my favorites! 

XO,

{getting cozy}

Things are looking all glowy and cozy at our house these days...

My goal is to cover as many spots with twinkle lights as possible. 

Ones like this are my favorite.

Ben helped me with the little shelf display above. He picked out all of the pieces and I did a little rearranging and added the lights. We make a good team!

 

And oh how happy I am to have these kitchen shelves to add little snow-topped houses and holiday cheer to! 

The rest of the house may look like a tornado went through, but at least I have these happy scenes to distract me!

Did you do holiday decorating over the weekend?

XO,

{Etsy SALE}

Happy Black Friday!

Are you doing some serious shopping?

I must admit I'm having a bit of trouble getting started on my Christmas shopping this year, and if you are too I have a sale in my Etsy shop to get you going!

I'm offering two deals:

BOGO Free prints 

(free print of equal or lesser value)
*Simply purchase the print(s) you want to pay for, and entere the one(s) you want for free in the notes to seller at check-out.

-OR-

20% off of your total purchase of $10 or more 

Use code "SAVE20"

Not only do I have lots of happy prints in my shop, I also have holiday cards and my 2017 calendar. 

OH, AND everything in my Society6 shop is 20% off + free shipping today too! (Helloooo mugs!)

And if you are local, you can purchase lots of my goodies at Roscoe's Coffee Bar, Veach's Toy Station, or The Tin Cup!

Happy shopping!

XO,

{a November exhale}

Hello out there!

Is anyone still with me over here on my lonely blog?

November has been a bit of a doozy hasn't it?

Are you feeling that way too? 

Mine has looked a bit like this: I started back to work which was in itself a big shift. I also spent the entire last week sick with a nasty sinus infection and chest cold that I'm finally on the other side of. And I had an art sale last weekend. And oh yeah...there was an election.

Deep exhale.

I've found myself medicating with cozy sweaters and of course lots of coffee.

And cat cuddling...

As well as doing my best to be kind to everyone I encounter...

Especially those who might feel extra tender and scared right now.

Have you needed to implement extra self care this month? What have been your methods?

With Thanksgiving two days away, I know most of us are also probably feeling some sort of pressure or tension. Whether it be with making sure the meal is prepared, or spending time with family you don't necessarily see eye-to-eye with or...

Another deep exhale.

Stick with what you know is good and true, and let the rest slide away. That's my best advice. And maybe a bit of this...

We really are all in this together. And I hope in some small way I can help you feel encouraged today. 

And now on to some fun art news!

I'm working on putting together a new printable holiday coloring book! Here are a few sneaks at the pages in progress...

I'll have it in my Etsy shop soon!

And I'm working on a Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday Etsy sale. I'll share details very soon once I figure them out! 😂

Oh, AND if you are local, I'll be selling lots of my illustrated goodies at Roscoe's Coffee Bar on Friday, December 2nd from 6-8 pm...

There will also be a bunch of other amazing local artists selling their creations. So come see me and do some Christmas shopping! (Follow the event on Facebook)

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving (my American friends!) and times of rest and perhaps a few more deep exhales during this busy holiday season.

Lots of love,

{free Christmas printable}

Hello and happy weekend!

I have a fun free Christmas printable for you tonight...

You may recognize this doodle from the December calendar. I did a little tweaking and turned it into a chalkboard print in two different colors. Perfect little addition to your holiday mantle, entryway, cubicle or frame it as a quick neighbor gift!

Get the green version HERE

Get the black version HERE

Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

XO,

{holiday happies}

I am having SO much fun shopping for happies (aka gifts) for all of my family and friends this year. 

Here are a few of my most favorite recent finds!

This pen...

I picked one of these up at TJ Maxx and it is super fun. I mean, come on. Like a magic 8 ball but so much better.

These freaking adorable bookmarks...

I have this coffee set and they are super sturdy and make reading even more fun.

These banners from Paper Source...

I really want to get the potty mouth one, but will probably settle for good vibes, because, 7-year-olds. 

This book...

Because Glennon is the best. 

This Christmas album...

Mindy's voice is so angelic and beautifully happy. I promise you'll love it. 

You can't go wrong with a good Christmas pillow...

And hello free shipping!

And cozy slippers are just a necessity if you live anywhere with an actual winter...

These are only $14.99. And again with the free shipping!

And finally how about one of my coloring books with a fun set of markers...

That's a whole lotta happy! 

Have you started Christmas shopping? Post links to your favorite finds in the comments!

XO,

{Because life.}

I haven't been blogging much these days, but this morning I have the itch. 

Thinking about decorating for the holidays, and thankfulness, and anxiety.

I pulled out my box of Christmas decorations over the weekend. It is an old plastic tote that was probably passed down to me from my Mom when Dan and I got our own place. And after years of adding to our stash of tinsel and cardboard sparkly houses and garlands it was overflowing when I put it away last year. But I pushed the lid on as well as I could until I heard the sides pop, and put it away in the downstairs closet to wait another year for attention. 

When I opened it Saturday, and started to pull out our "Santa stops here" sign and my hand knitted garland, I saw it.  Mold. Apparently leaving everything in a musty basement closet in a box with a not so tight lid wasn't the best idea I've had in my lifetime. 

I cleaned what I could, threw away what I couldn't, and without a tear went to TJ Maxx to replenish what had to go in the trash. 

A few years ago I would have cried over that mold. I would have let it ruin my day and been sour grapes for at least 2-3 hours. I've never been so good with change...with molding. 

The past few years have molded me into an entirely new person. That molding was painful, and still is some days. Becoming a mother...every day becoming a mother. Struggling with a painful split in my family that seems like it will never heal, but has taught me so much about myself. Learning how to be a better wife to Dan through lots of mistakes and, thankfully, forgiveness. 

Holidays give us the time to look at what we've molded ourselves and our life into...and reflecting on what we've created.

The Christmas decorations are just icing on the cake, really. They don't define the holiday. They are the backdrop for the really good stuff we are placed on this earth to enjoy. 

The conversations with my boys about what they want Santa to bring them, and what they want to
buy for each other. Sitting in a comfy chair next to the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree, enjoying a mug of coffee with whipped cream. A shopping trip to Wal-mart with my Mom to pick out Legos for the boys and happily peruse the Christmas decorations. Picking out happies for my Grandmother so I can send her a Christmas care package full of things to make her smile. Shopping for two teenage girls who's mother needs a bit of extra help this year... lip gloss and journals and candy. Watching my husband, who is not a fan of photos, snap picture after picture of the boys decorating the tree. Remembering to take a selfie with both of my parents after a day spent with them and the boys, making Christmas cookies, decorating their tree and enjoying pizza.

All of that up there has me feeling SO blessed this year.

But can I be honest? At the same time I am sad. And scared. And anxious. 

Because life. 

I used to beat myself up over feeling those above things...because life is good and I have everything I need and blah, blah, blah. But not anymore. Because life is complex and hard and the biggest contradiction we'll ever face. To quote one of my favorites, Momastery, life is "brutiful". 

I don't know if this post has made any sense at all, but I just want you to know that if you feel happy, blessed, scared, sad, anxious, overjoyed...all at the same time...you're not alone. I truly think, at our most true selves, that's the way God intended us to feel. A big old ball of emotions. Thankful and anxious. Noticing the blessings and the hardships. 

Because life. 


XO,