I’m back in the States now, basking in the glow of the wonderful memories we made in the last two weeks. This was my first trip abroad, and it was everything I hoped it would be. Tom and I were on our own (not with a tour), so we did a lot of exploring on our own to get a real taste of both England and France in the short time we were there. The architecture was spectacular, and the food was delicious! But Tom and I agreed that the best part was getting to know some of the people…

During all those long, cold days at the Holiday Market, Tom and the girls and I had a lot of time to talk and dream dreams together. One topic that came up was travel. My oldest daughter Brittany and her friend have taken several memorable trips to Europe, and on a whim, I asked if they could find one that we might like…  and they did! A very reasonably priced trip, in fact. So now Tom and I are leaving for a two-week European adventure in London and Paris!  I am SO EXCITED! We had always dreamed of visiting England,…

Happy New Year! Here we are in 2023 with a whole new year ahead of us. I plan to do a lot of dreaming, planning, sketching, and painting. This year, I’ll be creating both commission work and fun Pittsburgh-themed paintings, and who knows… maybe even a new Santa painting for the holidays? I can’t wait to see what this year will bring. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were so beautiful this year! As you may know, the Holiday Market closed two days early because of the frigid weather. This gave us a couple of “bonus days” for more Christmas activities,…