Oh wait, it’s new YEAR? Well, don’t tell Mr. Bear. He put on his party hat for the occasion and told all his bear friends this was all for him.
Happy New Bear
Blog
My Holiday Wish
Merry Christmas, everyone. Whether you celebrate this holiday of not, I hope you are healthy, happy, and feeling loved at this time.
The Difference One Blanket Makes
Last night was chilly. I sat downstairs and watched TV under a blanket I made. Even though I was dressed warmly, the blanket made a huge difference between my being cold and my being comfortable.
Then it was time to go to bed, and I thought “OH MY GOODNESS IT IS FREEZING IN HERE” And I grabbed an extra blanket from the closet and within minutes, I felt better. What a difference one blanket makes…
This year, so many people lost their jobs. It’s hard to work when your job isn’t available because of social distancing. With so many expenses, there are lots of different places to donate that help people who are experiencing a need for food, clothing, warmth, and shelters.
Today I’d like to highlight some of the places that you can donate blankets to, because what a difference one blanket makes in staying warm during this cold season. If you’re like me, you may feel like you want to do something to help, but feel overwhelmed by possibilities. For me, a blanket is comforting on so many levels, I want everyone to feel that warmth and comfort of a well-made blanket. You can check out some of the big sites like United Way, Red Cross, Salvation Army, for donation procedures, but if you’re like me, you may want to find smaller places that are accepting actual blankets, not just money.
Some places that are currently accepting blankets
If you want to make your own blanket for donating, consider
Please share links in the comments to your favorite place to donate blankets or if you know of more Blanket Drives and Programs open for donations. I’ll continue to update and add to this list throughout the rest of the year. Places to check out are local shelters, churches, and county offices!
8 Tips for Getting through the Next Few Months
2020 has not held back. Any one else feel really tired and sad and angry and just not okay? Feeling like it’s hard to focus, get started on anything, and that making the bed feels like someone is asking you to lift an elephant? I’m here to share some handy tips that will help you get through these times of uncertainty.
- Make the bed: Get it done for Future You. Because she’s gonna be a lot more tired and sad than you are now. At least make the bed so she has a comfortable place to crash at 1pm when she’s given up on the day.
- Get your favorite book and blanket and hide for a while.
- Bake cookies and send them to your illustrator friends named Autumn.
- Stare out the window and sigh a lot. Focus on your deep sighs and then on your normal breathing. Clear your mind of intrusive thoughts like “AM I BREATHING TOO HARD? DO I HAVE COVID? AHHH I DON’T KNOW WHAT NORMAL BREATHING IS ANYMORE” and just breathe for a while until you feel the knots in your gut relax.
- Buy holiday presents early and sing “We need a little Christmas now!” as they arrive in the mail.
- Give yourself permission to be not okay. It’s a normal response to an abnormal situation, and the persistent stressor that is 2020 is definitely abnormal. Just keep in mind that if you start spontaneously screaming in the grocery store ” NONE OF THESE CEREALS ARE GOING TO FIX THE WORLD, WHY HAVE YOU FAILED US, BRAN FLAKES?” You may receive weird looks and be asked to leave the store.
- Focus on the beings you love. Don’t just sit and stare at them, that’s not what I mean by focus. Just remember that there are family, friends and pets who think you are awesome and are joyful to connect with. Then go connect with them.
- Get moving. Go for a walk. Vacuum the carpet. Cook dinner. Throw pillows across the room shouting “WHEN WITH THIS HORRIBLE YEAR END?!” Once you start moving, don’t lose the momentum!
I hope this gave you a laugh, and helped you keep going. If you are truly overwhelmed, please reach out for help from a loved one or a health professional. Stay safe out there, I’m rooting for you!
Writing a Letter
Happy Wednesday! I really thought was Tuesday, but I think in this year, I’ll be content knowing what month it is. Happy July! Yup! That’ll do!
I’ve been playing around a lot lately with drawing and I wanted to write my friend a letter, but I didn’t have stationery. So I decided to make my own and capture the joy I really feel about this year.
MUGS: Society 6 vs. Redbubble
Recently I posted this image on Society 6 and Redbubble for purchase.
I ordered mugs from each website. I’ve had good experiences with both printers as a customer, but I wanted to test the difference between the mugs so that I could say “This mug is worth the cost!” Especially in these frustrating times, I don’t want to be adding negativity onto someone who bought my art to cheer themselves up.
Society6 emerged the winner. No contest.
First off, shipping and packaging: the mug from Society 6 arrived in a timely fashion, about a week after ordering. Redbubble took an extra four days. Secondly, the society 6 mug was packaged in a styrofoam mold and arrived in one piece. Redbubble’s mug was wrapped loosely in cardboard and the handle had broken into two pieces away from the mug.
Quality of printing: The Society 6 mug was brighter, and had a crisper image than the Redbubble mug. It’s subtle, but the difference is clear to me.
Ease of returning: I wanted a refund for my broken mug, and Redbubble’s site was frustrating. I was offered a replacement item or a voucher for my next purchase. I had to write a separate note requesting a refund, and was told I’d hear back in about five days. Society6 offers refunds.
Here is where the difference was: Society6’s mug is five dollars more than Redbubble’s. But it arrived in one piece, with a clearer image, and faster. As a customer, it’s worth the extra five dollars to order from Society6 for mugs. As an artist, I definitely prefer the Society 6 mug. If you are interested in purchasing a mug or print of “Hey Guys!” Here is the link: https://society6.com/autumnseybert
Thank you
Hi!
We’re reaching the end of May, and things are slowly opening up here. I feel like a bear not quite ready to stop hibernating,
But even if I’m not ready to leave the house, this bear is ready to go. Feel free to copy and paste him into your phone!
So far I’ve been incredibly lucky that everyone in my family is healthy and that we have plenty of snacks. We do have some essential workers in the family, and I appreciate the people who are wearing masks, washing their hands, and maintaining distance. Thank you for doing your part to protect someone’s loved one.
Pizza is always a good idea. I really want some now!
Happy fluffy sheepy. I’ve been playing around with different brushes in procreate app, and Much like pizza, fluffy sheep are fun.
How is everyone doing? I’ve been doing a lot of reading, playing video games, napping, and making rice krispie treats. Time has become a bit squishy in its passing. Even though things are opening up, we’re staying at home and only going to the grocery store right now.
It’s weird but this is settling into an alternative normal. Chores still need doing, work still happens, and the krispie treats taste just as good as during regular times. For a while, I felt like I was on pause, waiting for this to be over, but it’s going to be a while, and I don’t like it, but thats just the way it is.
I hope everyone reading this is safe and healthy. 💙
Baking Failures
For Miss Hale: May you accumulate many fantastic baking failures on your journey. They make the best stories, and make the baking successes that much sweeter.
Pizza
- I tried making pizza dough a few times. Once I baked a pizza, and when I took it out of the oven it slid off the pan and landed on the electric coil and caught on fire. I ran around shouting “OH NO! OH NO!” and then grabbed it with my oven mitts and threw it in the sink. (not unrelated, I bought a fire extinguisher that year!)
- Once I tried making pizza, and forgot to stab the crust so it expanded and all the toppings fell off my blimp crust.
- Now I made delicious pizzas in very odd shapes because they always lose their shapes when I slide them onto the pizza stone. DELICIOUS FAILURES
Pumpkin Rolls
- The first time I made a pumpkin roll, I was really worried about overbaking. So I thought “This is beautiful!” and flipped the pan over to cool the cake and half-baked batter exploded all over my kitchen. I found bits of pumpkin cake a week later!
- The second time I made a pumpkin roll, I got the cake stuck on the towel that you’re supposed to roll it up in. Repeat for attempt 3 and 4.
- Attempt 5 the cake was over done and just cracked into cake rubble instead of rolling.
- Attempt 6 with cracking cake, I called my friend who had finished making her 4 pumpkin roll to give away to friends and said “HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS, YOU WIZARD?” and she said “Use wax paper instead of a towel!”
- Attempt 7 I GOT IT TO ROLL!
Cack
I wanted to bake a cake for my mom’s birthday. I was going to make it FROM SCRATCH. There was going to be a nice raspberry coulee mixed in with the cake and what emerged was this gooey mess. I had to run to the store because we ran out of baking powder so after that, family started to arrive and distract me while I was baking. BUT I WAS DETERMINED. And what emerged out of the oven were these flat rubbery rings of not cake, but CACK. I forgot the baking powder! The whole reason I had to run to the store! My family loved me enough to swallow a few bites and we all had stomach aches that night.
I’ve made some really delicious baked goods for my family, and I’ve cooked amazing meals, but those failures are pretty memorable, and we have a good laugh over them, because everyone in my family has good “we messed this up!” stories. But when you get it right, it feels AMAZING because you know it’s not easy. 🙂 You got this! Keep going!
Autumn Seybert 