The Downtown Holiday Market Starts Today!

It's that time of year again: the Downtown Holiday Market starts today! Come down to the Portrait Gallery in Penn Quarter/Gallery Place from 12-8 today (Friday), Saturday and Sunday for opening weekend. And for a schedule of my other holiday markets, you can check my website right here. I hope to see you there!

BUST Gift Guide

The BUST Christmas gift guide is finally out...with my journal on the first page! I've been so excited for the issue to come out, my first magazine feature :)

Added bonus: the DJ cat looks just like my cat, Boo AKA cutest cat in the world.

New in the Shop: 2012 Calendars!

There is a new product in the shop today: the limited edition 2012 Letterpress Calendar. This 9" x 12" calendar is based off an original painting, and was letterpress printed with golden yellow ink on thick cream museum board. There are only 75 of them, and once they are gone, they are gone! This is the first time I have turned a design into a letterpress print, and I love the way it came out, so you can definitely expect to see more letterpress in the future.

Also, I am still offering free shipping until Monday with the code "SHIPFREE" so if you buy a calendar before then, you can use the discount code. This will definitely be hanging on my studio wall next year.

The Tree is Lit!

Winter's Eve was a huge success, there was a crowd in the five-figures, 60s-nostalgia as Arlo Guthrie performed with his entire extended family on stage, and huge cheers as the tree was finally lit. The bright red ornaments could be seen for blocks and blocks, and I used them to find the tree when we first arrived.

I was skeptical at first about the number of people that would come to the event, since I had never been to a New York tree lighting, but the crowds proved me wrong. It was a fantastic night, and so many family and friends came for support, which I am so thankful for.

Nothing says "Christmas" like a 60-degree night, and it was too hot to even wear sweaters. The tree came out perfectly, and if you are in New York, you should definitely stop by Lincoln Square to take a look. Use the bright red ornaments as a guide.

The moment the tree was lit: confetti, a brass band, and cheers from thousands of people:

Family in front of the tree!

Then we walked over to the American Folk Art museum on 9th Ave, just a few blocks from the big tree, where they are selling the ornaments. There is a beautiful 7-foot white tree in the window, showcasing the ornaments.

All in all, a huge success! I've already restocked the ornaments once, and you can buy them online right here. Thanks to everyone who came out to the tree lighting, and to everyone involved in this project that made it such a huge success. And of course to my brother Charles, who helped take pictures of the event (half of the photos above were taken by him). If you are in New York, I hope you get a chance to see the tree!

Winter's Eve Tonight!

The tree is up, the ornaments are hung, and the Lincoln Square tree lighting is tonight! Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square kicks off at 5:30, at 63rd and Broadway in NYC. I would love to see you there if you are in the area! I haven't seen the tree in person yet, but I've seen photos and I think it came out perfectly. Doesn't the red and white pattern pop off the green tree?

You can buy the smaller version in the shop right here. I hope to see some of you there!

Photo by Karen Lukas

New Stores: Inkwell and Sweet Pea Gardens

There are two new stores to add to the list this week, and both in new locations: Maine, and Canada!

First is Inkwell Boutique in Halifax, a store that I have been admiring for a long time. From looking at the pictures, I want everything there and I hope I can visit some day.

Next up is Sweet Pea Gardens in Surry, Maine. Sweet Pea is a floral studio that does gorgeous work, and I'm so happy to have my cards included!

Shop Handmade this Christmas

It's almost Christmas shopping time and that means the Santa ad campaigns have started running on TV. As a thank you to all of my customers, I will be offering free shipping starting on Thanksgiving day, running until December 5th, so you can load up on as many prints as you want, and I'll ship them to you for free. This coupon code is only for blog readers and email subscribers (which you can do on the front page of my website here), all you have to do is type in the code "SHIPFREE" at checkout, starting on Thanksgiving, to get free shipping.

I'm planning on skipping the Santa ads and doorbusters this year, and buying from small businesses instead, and I hope you will too!

Speaking of small businesses: if you missed the New York Times article about the new generation of small business owners earlier this month, it's definitely worth a read.