Bookmark- Track Your Own Reading 2025

November 21, 2024 by ehueston ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

It’s getting to that time of the year where some people are setting up their goals for the new year. What better way to start tracking your new year reading goals, than with the new 2025 Track Your Own Reading bookmark?

Last year’s bookmark was very popular among readers, book clubs, and make a great gift for teachers this year!

This bookmark will be available at my Christmas markets on November 9th and 16th, and online at the holiday shop. All early orders will be shipped in time for the holiday season. Keep an eye on the socials to see when and where you can find these products for sale.

Bookmark – Presents By the Tree

November 19, 2024 by ehueston ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The energy falling off of this design is my very favourite warm and cozy feeling that I enjoy so much around the holidays. I love the warm light of the Christmas tree and all the decorations around. Topped off with some lightly falling snow outside and you have the perfect evening for me.

I think that this would be a great bookmark for anyone’s stocking or as a Christmas tag. I plan to use mine as a tracker for the holiday reading I plan to get done over the holiday weekends and break. How would you use yours?

This bookmark will be available at my Christmas market on November 9th and the 16th and online at the holiday shop. All early orders will be shipped in time for the holiday season. Keep an eye on the socials to see when and where you can find these products for sale.

Bookmark – Winter Wonderland

November 13, 2024 by ehueston ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Not everyone celebrates the same traditions over the holiday season. But I am sure everyone who is in a snowy climate (with the right kind of snow) has attempted a snowman, or gone on a magical winter hike at some point.

I love snowmen so much! They are one of my favourite winter decorations. Now that I think of it… this probably should have been a sn-gnome-man. Le siiiiigh. Next time, next time.

This wintery scene makes me think of growing up up north where snow falls were real and snow pants were a requirement. I miss the times of playing on the hill in the circle (iykyk), building snowmen, and tobogganing down the neighbours hill. The best!

This magical bookmark will be ready to purchase at my Holiday markets November 9th and 16th, and online at my holiday shop. All products will ship in time for stocking stuffing, or other holiday tradition here. Keep an eye on my Instagram and Facebook to see when and where you can gather up one for you, your friends, and your family.

Update for July

July 28, 2020July 24, 2020 by ehueston ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

July has been a little busier than June was. It’s been really hot here, so my evenings have mostly been spent sitting still to keep cool. This left a lot time for knitting, painting, and reading.

I have been doing quite a bit of reading lately. I have been feeding my thirsty mind with lots of information on the topics of the day/week/century. There isn’t a lot of light reading in here, but reading I am enjoying and feel is important for me to do. Here are a few of the books that have flown off the shelf this month. I recommend each one of these. The stories told here completely opened my mind to areas I knew nothing about, and almost more importantly areas that I thought I knew lots about, showing me where there was so much more room for expansion.

I have also been participating in a Mystery Knit-A-Long with a pattern by Very Busy Monkey. I won’t show pictures just yet because the last clue just came out a couple days ago and no one hates spoilers more than I do.

Other than that I have been putting a lot of effort into making sure that I am keeping myself in check. Making sure that I am still doing ok with the world of 2020. The verdict is that I am still doing just fine. I’ve been getting in a little more journal time and going on a lot of walks and doing yoga. These things are really helpful to keep my head clear, keep me focused and centered on what I need for me. I am really learning a lot more about myself, a topic I also thought I was well versed in hehe.

I hope you’re all staying safe and doing well!

A Slow June

June 30, 2020June 30, 2020 by ehueston ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Hey everyone,

June has been a little more low key for me. There were a few days where the 2020 drama caught up with me for a bit, so I have just been going slow. Taking in my walks, my balcony, my arts and crafts, and watching a lot of Netflix series.

Another thing that has taken over my time has been reading. I have always been a big reader, but this is getting a little closer to the research side of things. I am reading everything that I can about the race issues that are still issues in 2020. It’s time that I get myself up to date. I have filled all my possible holds and loans from the library, filled my Kobo, and I am ready to go. It has been a fascinating experience for sure.

Anyway, I am still working away at lots of different projects. I am looking forward to getting some paint to canvas soon. Still lots on the go.

Sorry that this isn’t something earth shattering for you all. I just wanted to let you all know that I was still here, still working away, just doing things a little more quietly this past little while. I do have lots of plans and posts to come your way starting next week.

Happy Tuesday all!

My Big Project… don’t get too excited.

April 15, 2020April 15, 2020 by ehueston ♥ 1 Comment

Hey everyone,

So I have been promising all year that I would have a huge project to reveal to you. Something I have been working on for a few years now and am now pulling out of hiatus.

My big project was a deck of tarot cards… based on the NIGHT CIRCUS! I kid you not. I had the idea from the moment I finished reading the book and I have been listening and re-listening, and reading and re-reading to get all the notes down. There is so much detail in this book that each time I read it I gather a new detail, it’s fabulous people. Do yourself a favour and give it a try. Anyway, I have all the cards laid out. The book fits perfectly. It’s just down to the final digital details so that they can be ready to go.

Here’s where I need people to calm down a bit. I had the thought that maybe I should check with someone to make sure I am not stepping on toes and breaking a pile of rules doing this. I checked with my business advisor and the answer was basically, “ 226440_513849718656182_340764287_n this is a gray area, but would you want someone developing art based on your characters without your permission and blasting it over the internet?” Point taken. I was honestly so excited about this for me, that this actually hadn’t occurred to me fully. It makes complete sense though, I had to think of this lovely author. So I immediately went to Erin Morgenstern’s site just to see what she might have for information related to these things. In her FAQ section, despite my constant Google searches on the subject turning up no results, it mentions that there is sort of, kind of, at some point, a tarot deck coming out. She has the Major Arcana set up already. I could have contacted her publisher to see about the legality of making this and putting it out in the world, but then I could be stepping on the toes of art already being developed. It was turning into a legal and potentially expensive bruhaha that I am just thinking might get out of hand.

So that’s where we are at. I still have some cards planned out that I am so excited to finalize, so I might continue to do those just for me. I am so so sorry everyone. I have been promising this huge project to so many people (including myself) for so long that I am heart broken that this is the result. I was so excited to share with all of you an get your feedback. Siiiiiiiiigh…

I am now just rearranging some plans and projects so that I am able to share more art with you all, just different art than originally planned.

Anyway, that’s the exciting and immediately bummer news. 😦

Keep Those Hands Busy

March 17, 2020March 17, 2020 by ehueston ♥ 1 Comment

Originally, I didn’t want to send anything out related to the COVID-19 crisis. I didn’t want more things for people to read through about all of this, but it is looking like we might be in this for a while so I am going to send this out anyway. There’s no COVID-19 advice in here. Please be watching your local Health Units, the WHO website, and your government for all of that most up to date information. Wash your hands people!

My post is more on the social distancing part of things. I had a thought the other day as things were starting to close down and people were being asked to stay at home. That thought was “thank goodness I have a creative mindset”. I have piles of books, art projects, knitting supplies, puzzles, movies and shows that I can use to keep busy for a while (it’s like I have been preparing for this on some level). I am more than capable of entertaining myself for a good long time. Don’t get me wrong, the lack of gym classes is going to play on the psyche, but I can feed my mind and that’s still a good thing.

Immediately after that thought, my mind goes to those who rely on human interaction and more active activities to get through the day. So here are a few ideas on how to keep busy while we are all a little more isolated than we are used to. This is mostly a list of what I plan to attempt anyway…

Spring clean: I don’t know about you, but I have been putting a few household things off lately. “After the holidays”, “after my trip”, things like that. Now’s the time. On the weekend I tackled little things like the top closet shelf and organizing my knitting tools that I said I’d “put away later”. These tiny victories were super satisfying and didn’t take all day. I felt productive in part of my day and felt no guilt when I say down with my book later on.
Puzzles: I didn’t put one out over the holidays because I was so busy, but now’s a good time. They are great for the mind, something you can do with your small gathering group or on your own.
Long planned projects: I am going to be putting out my easel and canvases this week so that I can get to my ever accumulating list of projects “I’ll get to eventually”. I will be getting everything set up around my apartment so that I have everything ready to go (posts to follow).
Reading: I have the largest reading list ever! I have to start working that down, here’s some guilt free time to do that.
Colouring Books: Always a great way to pass the time and you don’t need a pile of supplies. Great to do while watching TV or listen to a record.
Netflix shows/movies: We all have that built up Watchlist.
FaceTime: We can still be in touch with people while this is going on. Use FaceTime (or your equivalent) and check in on your friends and family while they stay at home. I have also seen a lot of online classes and groups coming through using Facebook Live, or by sending out and posting videos. We can still all hangout together!

So don’t let yourselves go stir crazy. We can all get through this. This is the time that we have always been looking for with no stores to shop in, no events to go to, you get to stay at home with your families. So try to use this time to do things that you want to do, that make you feel fulfilled and productive, that help to keep your mind off of all that is surrounding us in the world while staying safe. If we work together we can definitely get through this thing.

How are you keeping busy through it all?

A Night of Inspiration

November 19, 2019November 19, 2019 by ehueston ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I found out a week or so ago that Erin Morgenstern was going to be in Toronto for her tour for The Starless Sea . It was on a Monday night, in November when the weather is touch and go, but it was the author of The Night Circus, so I had to give it a shot.

It was a long day and I am exhausted as I am writing this on the GO train home, but it was all worth it!

I loved every minute of reading The Night Circus. Erin’s style of writing is so rich visually that you can’t help but be pulled into the whole world she creates. This has to be the first book that has inspired me to fill sketchbook after sketchbook with the visuals that pop into my head while reading. When I brought my post-it filled copy of the book up to be signed she commented on all the notes. I explained that I was an illustrator and those flags represented drawings that I was working on or had done. She mentioned that she wasn’t as artistically inclined in that way, so she used her words. I replied that it was the perfect contrast as I used her words for inspiration for my drawings as words aren’t always my strong suit.

I haven’t finished The Starless Sea yet (on purpose so that it will last longer), but the visual inspiration is already starting there too. I already want to read it again!

It was so great to get some more insight into the writing process and development of these in depth stories. Where her inspiration comes from, what the first drafts looked like (no Celia? Are you serious?), and how that all works out in the end.

I am very glad that I went to this event, that I had an opportunity to meet someone who has created something so important to my life, and that I was able to TELL HER THAT! Those opportunities don’t come around too often.

Now for something (potentially) big!

As I mentioned, ever since I started reading The Night Circus I have had illustrations and images buzzing around in my head. Listening to the audiobook over and over and over again with my sketchbook nearby is a whole other experience (we love you Jim Dale!). A few years ago I started the development of a large project which, due to large life things, the introduction of knitting (huge barrier), and my starting off with a ginormous project rather than working my way up to it (so unlike me…), it fell to the back burner. However, even before this event was on my radar I was looking to dust it back off and get things on a roll again.

226440_513849718656182_340764287_n

My initial plan was to build this whole project and spring the final result on everyone at the end. This promotes my procrastination tendencies and then I get called out on it by the people who are in the know and I have to report “no progress”. iSad :(. So my current plan for 2020 (for now…) is to provide progress posts and updates. This will get me working, hold me accountable, and open things up for feedback.

I have a lot of preliminary work that I need to wrap up, so you won’t see anything right away. I am also going to hold onto my secret a little while longer while I get a few confirmations and details.

Hang in tight… fun things are coming… with a little bit of warning ;).

Just Do the Thing!

August 14, 2019August 14, 2019 by ehueston ♥ 1 Comment

On any given day I have a thousand project ideas rolling around in my head, but I am more often than not waiting for them to come to full realization before I do anything about them. Don’t do that! As an artist who is also a perfectionist, I find that this is a constant battle. Is it right? Will they like it? What’s everyone else doing? Are they right? Maybe I shouldn’t start until I am sure. I repeat. DON’T DO THAT!

A lot of the books that I have been reading lately hold the advice of “just do it!” Don’t sit around and wait for motivation or the right moment, don’t worry about the rules, just do it. In the “Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” Mark Manson talks about starting with action rather than motivation. Acting on something can lead to inspiration and then ultimately (if you’re met with success) the motivation to keep going. He includes one quote from Parkwood that says “even if you don’t know what you’re doing, the simple act of working on it will eventually cause the right ideas to show up in your head.” In the book, this is directed at normal every day life things, but it spoke directly to my art and my list that continues to grow on a daily basis.

Another book I read recently, “Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered” (always good advice) has similar life advice that I immediately applied to my art life. At one point in the book one of the beautiful authors Georgia Hardstark writes “it doesn’t have to be perfect, just fucking do things!”. Karen Kilgariff also says “we barely get any time on this planet, don’t spend it pleasing other people.”

I have a lot more to say about these topics, but rambling on about each one would slow down the “do your art” motivation I am hoping this post will inspire. Keep an eye out for more related posts in the future.

Basically, what I am getting at is don’t wait until your idea is perfect, or even worse, someone ELSE’S perfect. Just get to it. Carve out 15 minutes in your day, put medium to medium and do the thing! Don’t worry if you’re doing it “right”, or if it’s how you’re “supposed” to do it, just go for it. This is a talk for me as much as it is cheerleading for you. I have to remind myself of these things every. single. day. My list of projects won’t do themselves. So get going!

Book Recommendations: Sarah Knight

June 3, 2019June 3, 2019 by ehueston ♥ 2 Comments

OK, so May was almost less productive than April… if that is at all possible. I didn’t start anything new (books excepted, as always), I mostly picked away at the thousand things I started last month.

I did, however, read an amazing book that I will share with you now while we wait for something to get wrapped up on my end.

This month I finished Sarah Knight’s fourth book: Calm the F*ck down. Drop what you are doing right now and go get every book written by this lady! She’s the best … GO!

The title is pretty self explanatory but in case it’s not, she goes through basic methods of calming down. Do you stay up at night worrying about a plane crash you may or may not be in in the future? Do you worry that the peanut butter may have gone bad and you didn’t notice? Do you worry that you might put your shoes on the wrong foot in the morning? Or better yet… do you worry? READ THIS BOOK! All of her ideas and methods are so straightforward it’s almost painful that you didn’t think of them yourself. This is great though, because that makes them easy to implement in your day-to-day life. I did. Almost immediately. She provides scenarios and then walks the reader through the basic steps to get you out the other side, calm as f*ck.

I won’t spoiler any of this for you, just please go out and get it (and the other three while you’re at it). There isn’t one person I didn’t think of when I read these books. Everyone I know would benefit from at least part of one of her books. Please do yourself a favour and check these beauties out!

Enjoy this recommendation for now, while I work hard to get some more completed content for you lovely patient readers!

Hues & Tones

creating one day at a time…

Tag: reading