Just stopping by to wish you all a very happy New Year and then it's back into the kitchen for me.
Thank you so much for all your support, kind comments and inspiration this year. I can't wait to see what 2010 brings for all of us!
xoxo- A.

hey, hey....

During J.K.'s holiday show at school the kids sing a song "Hey, hey,  pack up the sleigh. It's time to get ready for Christmas day...." It is his favorite, so he has been singing it loudly wherever we go. It is stuck in my head again today as we begin to pack up our own sleigh full of gifts for our family and friends across the state.
I hope the rest of your week is packed full of love, special treats, and a bit of fresh snow.
See you Monday. xoxo- A.

P.S. You can see read a little more about our holidays here. I loved being a part of this series. Thanks Alaina!

This weekend I would like nothing more than a cozy moment in front of the fire, with a glass of wine and some twinkling lights. I have a bit of hope for Sunday night. But, in case I don't get there. Please enjoy the above scenario on my behalf.
And, now the moment you've waited for.... Our calendar winner is #6. Boston Girl!
Cheers- A.

made in michigan

1.Cafe earrings

2. Love Pillow

3.Black Leather Headband

4. Sting Ray

5.Vintage Map

6. Artisan Soap

7. Knife and Fork Tie

8. Study Readers Notebook

9. Snuggly Baby Hat

I've been using Etsy's shop local feature to search for last minute holiday gifts, all while avoiding malls and cutting down on shipping times.

And, I have to say, my state is full of talented people. I am sure yours is too... just type it in the box and see!

Monday, Monday

Monday loves...

* Free U.S. shipping in my Etsy shop until Dec. 20th (international shipping has been discounted too.)

* Making diptychs And, have put some on sale here. I'd be happy to make you a custom set if you have a request.

* Another calendar giveaway. This time the winner will get to choose the one they want from this list.  Just leave a comment by Thursday. A winner will be announced on Friday (Dec.18th).

* Wish you could smell how wonderful it is in here. (Don't tell my kids there was a frosting option.)

*Playing with the barely used sewing machine that "santa" brought the designer last year.... more on that another day. (Depending on how successful we are.)

Have a wonderful afternoon! -A.

And, the winner is... #14 (Lisa).

Well do this again on Monday. Hope you have a cozy weekend! -A.

A day of thanks...
To Tracy, who spotted my photographs in this living room.
To Pia, who is such a huge inspiration, and was kind enough to include my calendar in her gift guide.
To Katie, who added a piece of mine to her newly launched site, Art Wall. Isn't her design fabulous!
To Nancy, who had a giveaway on her blog, which I won. And, now I have this most gorgeous print to hang in my office.
To my husband, who asked me out to lunch....
You've all made my day. 
Have a wonderful afternoon! xoxo- A.

P.S. Today is the last day for the "Buy 2, Get 1 Free Sale".

Calendar Giveaway

Today I am in full calendar mode, packaging up these and these.  And, now staring at the ones gifted to me by a publisher...wondering what to do with them. I've given one to the nicest mail carrier you've ever met (She came to my house twice on Saturday to pick up outgoing packages! I am still in shock.) And, now I want to give the rest to you.
So, today and the next Monday I'll be giving away a calendar. (You can see them all here via Amazon.)
Let's start with the "Through The Lens" version. Just leave a comment, and make sure I have some way  to reach you should you win. You have until Thursday at midnight to leave a comment. This week's winner will be announced on Friday (December 11th.)

On Friday afternoon I picked both kids up from school, and planned a quick stop at home to change clothes for my husband's office building's holiday party. In the span of those 15 minutes N.J. went from planning her outfit to burning up with a fever. No party for us.
The night was restless. When I wasn't up checking her temperature, I was up with the cat who thinks she is a still a kitten. Then sometime in the middle of the night, in a half-sleep haze, the print above came to me, just as it is, filled with my favorite Polaroids, inspiration, and big sky dreams. I'm printing this little labor of love in my studio, using the nicest, archival, fine art paper I know. 308gms of watercolor/matte finish softness creating one lovely 12.5"x12.5" print.(Each photograph is 4".) I'm offering them as a limited edition of 50. Each signed and numbered for a special price.
You can find them on my website or in my shop!

Some weekend love...
* I've extended my "Buy 2, Get 1 Free Sale" until Dec. 9th!
* A new favorite photographer.
* Could Stephanie's Tree Farm be anymore perfect? (scroll down a bit...)
* I adore these.

Us girls are off to the local art show (N.J. is much better)... Have a lovely Sunday!

Hello December,
You look a lot different from last year. But, I mean that in the best way possible. The clear skies, the bike riding, the gorgeous, nearly full moon (right under the basketball hoop) (tough with the Polaroid)... I like this new you. (No need to remind me of the snowflakes in our forecast, they've been seen and ignored.)

P.S. I've made my way into storage and the "Friday Outlet" is filling up quickly with matted prints, and other art show treats. Stay tuned...
xoxo- A.

Starting today, enjoy a week of discounted holiday shopping on my website or etsy shop.

All you need to do is purchase any two regular priced 8x8, 8x10 or 8x12 photographs and leave me a message with the title of the print you would like for free. If shopping on my website, please email me the title at:alicia at aliciabock dot com immediately after your purchase.

If shopping in the Etsy shop, you can leave a message in the "notes to seller" box during checkout. The sale applies to 8" photographs only, not matting or framing.

Good until: December 4th at midnight.

I'll be busy packing up orders, the kids, and the turkey tomorrow, so I wanted to express my thanks to all of you today. I really do have the best customers and friends a girl could ask for.
Warm wishes for a joy filled holiday weekend!
xoxo- A.

Everything is fresh, and new this morning... (at least on my website!)
If you bookmarked any individual pages in the past you might want to update them. They most likely changed during the remodel.

still loving...

*The gift ideas from the new Poppytalk Handmade
* Discovering a new favorite shop.
*Pumpkin pie for breakfast. (No, I couldn't wait until Thursday to make one.)
* Pretty gift certificates.
Have a lovely Monday.
xoxo- A.

Loving...
*Pink
*This perfume (how I wish I had more than just a tiny sample.)
*Homemade spaghetti sauce.
*Knowing a big project arrived safely.
*Having warm feet for the first time in my life.
*An Audrey Tautou movie for when I am trapped under a sleeping, sick boy.

What is making you happy these days?
xoxo- A.

Wishing you a weekend of blue skies, fresh air, and of course Polaroids.
xoxo- A.

Autumn Postcard Samplers

Postcards!
Fresh from the printer. This time I only had very limited amounts printed, and I may get more, or I may make different sets. It's no fun if I don't mix things up a bit. Right now I only have 1 or 2 of each sampler set in stock. There are 5 new sets, and they are all in my Etsy shop.

Speaking of postcards... if you jump over to Kind Over Matter you can win these!
xoxo- A.

Keeping things simple today, and updating my website a bit.
xoxo- A.

The 4 of us played "pass the holga" at the beach this weekend. I am dying to see what's on that roll. (I imagine J.K. just took several photos of me taking photos of him.)
The waiting is so hard...

The End.

1. Pola Express, 2. morning sky, 3. curls, toss, 4. Untitled, 5. Untitled, 6. Legs, 7. Untitled, 8. Untitled, 9. .
All good things must end. Though I leave this week incredibly inspired, and my wallet empty from all the money I spent on film today. (Inspiration can be so expensive!) Above you'll find some of my favorites from the Flickr Group. I hope you'll spend some time with them over the weekend. If the weather man is right I'll have a few more on Monday. Until then. xoxo- A.

P.S. On top of obsessing over Polaroids, I now need red tights. Anyone know where to find some?

All Week- Day 4

Blue Summer... I miss it.

All Week- Day 3

If you've seen the photograph above, I probably don't need to explain...
But just in case...
*We lived in Florida in the early 80's.
* Hence the seashell/fake flower combo on the table.
*My grandma took lots of Polaroids.
*I love her for that... (and a lots of other things too.)
*They are still as vibrant as they were 25+ years ago.
xoxo- A.

All Week- Day 2

remembering...
* the way the little girl in the red coat excitedly ran through to get the best view.
* the cars certainly aren't this cute at home.
* how lovely it is when the sun sparkles on the Seine.

All Polaroids, all week long! Are you in?

Recipe for a perfect day:
* 2 instant cameras- 1 with self timer.
* 1 deserted beach
*1000 rustling leaves
*1000 swirly, blowing leaves
* 1 funny little traveling companion

....So much for staying away from my cameras for the week.

Off to piece together a last minute costume. Hope you have a wonderful, festive weekend. xoxo-A.