Madonna of the Last Minute Christmas Shopping

Inspired by Nina Katchadourian's brilliant Lavatory Self-Portraits in the Flemish Style, and a six-hour Christmas shopping bender last night with my husband, I decided to give my own twist to some old masters. Behold, the Madonna of the Last Minute Christmas Shopping-

It also reminded me to not go back to my 90s bangs.

This sparked an idea to recreate fine art using photography and my children as adorable albeit somewhat unwilling cherubs. Now all I need is time -- and to learn how to use the self-timer on the camera.

What works would you like to see?

Sock buns and séances

I'm in writing mode for Giving Up the Ghost, which is why I haven't been updating the blog as often as I should, however, you'll be happy to note that I dominated the cookie party with the cheap ploy of using a giant peacock-festooned book for presentation and boobie cookies. They didn't start out as boobie cookies, Pinterest calls them S'Mores on a Stick but by the end of the day -- they look like two boobs on a raft covered in chocolate. Thanks, Pinterest. The young men who arrived at the party chose these as their favorites.

I'm juggling haunted objects with a 50s-era séance this week. The séance will head into a compilation of awesomeness along with writers of the Haunted Mansion Writers' retreat from last September. They know not what they've asked. I'm bound to put a bit of silliness into their very accomplished feats of horror. Meh, it's a living.

Now that the girls are firmly ensconced at school and the weather is growing cooler, I'm in the writing groove full-time. Sexy librarian glasses, pencils, stray coffee cups and the ubiquitous sock bun are my staples. Yeah, I know you're thinking, "How can this babe be off the market?" Down boy, my husband has first dibs. 

As I head back into the cave, what are your winter writing staples?