On the first day of Christmas...

 Okay, okay, so technically the 12 days of Christmas happen after Christmas, but that wouldn't really be as fun for you guys, and the build up helps you get in the spirit. 

 Fun fact, the gifts in the song seem super weird because they are actually symbols for the tenets of Christianity. The "true love" is representative of the Judeo-Christian god, and a partridge was chosen because this bird displays a behavior to protect its young wherein it will lure predators away from the nest and go so far as to feign injury to keep any threat away. 

Man, I love birds. Nature is so cool.

 The printable page of the line drawing is available to download on my Patreon page for supporters at the $10 level. It can be used for coloring, wrapping paper, or various small pet bedding when properly shredded. Printed at a very small scale, they may enjoy the artwork, too.

 Not into coloring or supporting independent artists monetarily? That's cool. Interject your new carol knowledge at the office party to make people uncomfortable when they thought they were singing strictly secular songs. 

 FYI- the Cyber week sale has ended and the extra Patron codes have expired, but as an extra thanks during the holidays, there is a 30% off code for $10 Patrons on the Patreon page with the Partridge download. 

 Thanks again for stopping by!

See you birds soon,

D. Renée

The greatest gift...

One Christmas Eve

 a long time ago 

in a little house on a snowy night,

 three young girls each opened separate boxes from their mother.

Each box contained a single slip of paper. On each piece of paper was written a single letter.

One sister held the letter G.

The middle sister received the letter D.

The youngest had the letter O.

The oldest girl rolled her eyes and threw her head back. "God?"

 After antagonizing the indignant child for a few moments, the mother revealed that the sisters would be receiving a D-O-G that year.

And so simultaneously began my joyous obsession with gift wrapping pranks and pets.

Last night, my husband had me open a gift. It was wrapped in a prank box.

It wasn't a tangible gift, but it really was the best gift I've ever received in my entire life. 

(I'll fill you in later, trust me.)

 Anyway, I was crying and said "I don't deserve you." 

My sister was there (if you've read any other post about her,

 you know how awesome she is)

she immediately blurted out "Yes, you do!", which made me laugh, but then cry more.

 I was crying tears of relief, tears of laughter, tears of joy.

You see, I had been having a rough go lately. In my mind, some things were really not going so well. I really needed time with those two last night to put it all in perspective, to see that my life really is full awesome things, full of downright miracles, and that JOY is the best one.

 

 My wish for you this Christmas is that you get that same sort of magic;

To be surrounded by the people that love you, and love life enough,

to be completely silly and ridiculous.

People that will make you laugh until your sides hurt, and smile until your cheeks ache.

 It's nothing short of miraculous. 

And to everyone that purchased artwork this holiday season, a very special thank you!
Your support means more than you know.
May your holiday and New Year be merry and bright.

Humbug Country

The holidays can really tend to magnify what we feel is either currently "right" or "wrong" in our lives at the moment.

The good is great,

and the not so great-

well, there's no mincing words,

it's really shitty.

But if you're feeling overwhelmed and humbuggy-

it's always a good time to stop and remember that it's just a date.

Every culture has a festival of lights to bring a time of celebration and togetherness during the time of darkness and cold to bring comfort.

The light is the focus. 

Just as in any time of year, 

dwelling on the darkness will stir up an emotional shit storm. 

Having dark thoughts?

Stop that mess. 

Run yourself a hot bath, make a hot cuppa, pour a glass of mulled wine, whatever you need to do.

If you are really missing loved ones,

find ways to honor them.

Take the funds you would have used to purchase gifts for them and donate to charities,

or volunteer your time at orgs that need you throughout the year. 

(Most shelters are pretty good on help during the holiday- picking another date can be even more helpful.) 

It's okay to have a pity party, 

but show yourself some love and find ways to recognize the light.

Party.

Party hard. However it is that you party, do it.

You deserve it.

Celebrate the awesome parts of your year,

and celebrate the end of the crappy parts. 

It's a little hectic with the holidays,

and I haven't been blogging much.

This is also a reminder that this weekend is the last chance to order signed prints or originals from my Etsy shop and have them delivered via USPS Priority Mail before Christmas.

If you're a H.S.T. fan, or a reader of gonzo lit, you might get the reference, 

and you might be surprised to know that H.S.T. actually had a soft spot for Christmas.

I drew it up last week for a customer that ordered one of my Turn Pro prints, as part of the OOAK mailer sketch special I was running.

If you like the Hunter S. Thompson inspired sketch,

head over to my Patreon for two printable PDFs. 

(It's free for Patrons, and there's also a special 25% code for patrons.)

I hope your holiday season is going well, 

and you're steering clear of any Yuletide blues.

What do you do when you find yourself in humbug country?